BUSINESS
April 21, 2010 | Jessica Guynn
In an effort to combat the rising tide of online censorship, Google Inc. released a new tool Tuesday to show users where it gets the most pressure to remove content from its services and turn over personal information about its users as a part of criminal investigations. The move marked the first time that Google has provided detailed information on such requests. The Internet giant, which pulled its search engine out of mainland China last month, is taking a harder stance against online censorship.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 14, 2010 | By Carla Rivera
California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown said Tuesday that he was launching an expanded investigation into the finances and actions of a Cal State Stanislaus foundation that has invited former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to give a speech, after allegations that it may have illegally discarded documents related to the event. Brown already was investigating whether the Cal State Stanislaus Foundation violated the California Public Records Act when it refused the request of state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco)
BUSINESS
April 8, 2010 | By Ralph Vartabedian and Ken Bensinger
An executive for Toyota Motor Corp. in January urged colleagues in an e-mail to "not mention about the mechanical failures" of accelerator pedals in its vehicles, prompting a response from the company's top U.S. spokesman that said, "We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet," according to internal company documents reviewed by The Times. "The time to hide on this one is over," the e-mail from spokesman Irv Miller continued. "We need to come clean." The exchange, which occurred just days before a massive recall of Toyota vehicles to repair accelerator pedals, is the clearest indication so far that the Japanese carmaker was debating internally when to disclose that its accelerators pedals could become stuck and cause drivers to lose control of vehicles.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 25, 2010 | By Victoria Kim
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Thursday rejected an eleventh-hour attempt by the sheriff's deputies' union to block the release of the identities of deputies involved in three controversial shootings. The Assn. of Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs sought to get involved in the case after Judge James C. Chalfant ruled Friday that the deputies' names should be made public. In his decision, Chalfant said state law generally requires the disclosure of the identities of officers who use deadly force.
BUSINESS
March 23, 2010 | By Sharon Bernstein
Chain restaurants across the nation will be required to post calorie counts on their menus for each item that they serve, under legislation approved Sunday. The new rules, passed by the House as part of the huge healthcare reform package and sent to President Obama to sign into law, were lauded by nutrition advocates as well as the restaurant industry. "People will be able to see that the order of chili cheese fries they are considering will be 3,000 calories," said nutrition advocate Margo Wootan, who helped write the bill.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
March 20, 2010 | By Jack Leonard
A Los Angeles County judge ordered the Sheriff's Department on Friday to make public the names of deputies involved in three controversial shootings, concluding that state law generally requires law enforcement agencies to disclose the identities of officers who use deadly force. Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant made the ruling in response to a court filing by The Times that sought the names, ranks, assignments and years of employment of the deputies in the three deadly confrontations last year.