William Bigelow

Articles by William Bigelow

Oakland Braces for Uber HQ

Oakland city officials and representatives of tech companies worry that Uber’s arrival in their city heralds a tech influx that could leave Oakland natives behind, much as the tech explosion in the San Francisco area affected the local population and culture.

REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Johnny Damon Endorses Donald Trump

Johnny Damon, a member of the Boston Red Sox “Idiots” who won the franchise’s first World Series title since 1918, showed that his four years as a New York Yankee converted him, endorsing New Yorker Donald Trump for president.

Johnny Damon 2004 Getty

Ex-Teammate: Redskins Players Disliked RGIII

Now that Robert Griffin III has been released by the Washington Redskins, former Redskins tight end Chris Cooley has come forth to allege that the entire team hated Griffin.

The Associated Press

Oregon Universities Hit Hard by Minimum Wage Hike

Now that the Oregon legislature has hiked the minimum wage, effective this July, colleges and universities in the state have a decision to make: hire fewer student employees, cut the school’s budget, or raise tuition.

Students walk out of a University of Oregon Board of Trustees meeting in Eugene, Ore., Fri

Massive Fraternity/Sorority Drug Bust at UC Santa Cruz

On March 4, six members of fraternities and sororities at UC Santa Cruz were arrested for allegedly running an organized drug sales ring revolving around the drug MDMA, a.k.a. ecstasy or “Molly.”

UC Santa Cruz (Mike Fernwood / Flickr / CC / Cropped)

Superbugs Could Pollute Pacific Ocean

The Environmental Protection Agency has found the lethal “superbug,” carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), in a sewage plant in Los Angeles that treats waste and releases it into the Pacific Ocean.

CRE Superbug (Reuters)

Erin Andrews Awarded $55 Million in Nude Video Case

A Nashville jury has awarded a staggering $55 million to Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews from her lawsuit targeting the man who videoed her naked, then posted it online, and the Nashville Marriott, where the incident occurred.

The Associated Press

MSNBC Journalist Feeds Hillary Clinton Aide Question Ahead of Interview

On Sunday night, after the debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, MSNBC inadvertently aired footage of NBC journalist Kristen Welker telling Clinton communications director Jen Palmieri exactly what question she was planning to ask in an imminent live interview.

MSNBC Journalist Feeds Hillary Clinton Aide Question Ahead of Interview

RGIII Released by Redskins

The wildly gyrating career of Robert Griffin III has taken another turn; Griffin has been given his release by the Washington Redskins.

The Associated Press

New California Speaker Could Be Sacramento Strongman

New term limit rules may give the new speaker of the California Assembly much more power, as Los Angeles Democrat Anthony Rendon could conceivably serve until 2024. Rendon, 48, told Bay Area public radio station KQED that his prospective longevity

Anthony Rendon (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Reagan’s Church in L.A. is ‘Big in Japan’

The modest church in Studio City, CA, where President Ronald Reagan married the love of his life, Nancy Davis, on March 4, 1952 has become a common wedding site for Japanese couples who honor Reagan.

Little Brown Church (Laurie Avocado / Flickr / CC)

New CA Bill Boycotts Religious Freedom States

A new bill before the California legislature would prohibit government-funded travel to states that have passed religious freedom laws that the legislature decides are unfair to the LGBT community.

The Associated Press

Presidential Race Could Boost California Primaries

For the first time in decades, the presidential primary in California — on both sides — may profoundly affect the presidential race, boosting turnout and prompting a ripple effect that could change the nature of local races around the state.

Republican presidential candidates (L-R) Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Carly Fiorina, Sen. Marco

Timberwolves Hit with Class-Action Suit over Ticket Sales

A class-action lawsuit was filed this week against the Minnesota Timberwolves, asserting that the team “fundamentally, and unlawfully, alters the way Timberwolves ticket holders may use and transfer tickets.”

The Associated Press

Newsom Hits Donald Trump over Wall with Mexico

This week, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom rereleased a video on Facebook challenging Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. The video, posted on Facebook, has been seen almost nine million times.

Getty Images

Knife Found on O.J. Simpson’s Former Estate Turned in

Twenty-two years after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman precipitated the most famous trial of the century, the LAPD is testing a knife that was found years ago but was kept by an LAPD cop in his home until this January.

The Associated Press

Shock: Analyst Blames Racist ‘Dog Whistle’ for Trump Wins

Tony Quinn, a Republican political analyst in California, has concluded that Donald Trump’s supporters are racists. “Trump well understood how to dog whistle the race card,” he writes at foxandhoundsdaily. The term “dog whistle” is a frequent leftist argument, which claims that Republicans

The Associated Press

Glass Slide to Hover 1,000 Feet Above L.A.

Starting in late June, the 72-story U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles will give thrill-seekers the chance to ride in an enclosed glass slide outside the building from the 70th to the 69th floor.

Skyslide (OUE Ltd. via AP)

Yosemite Changes Names of Hotels in Trademark Fight

Thanks to a new concessionaire company that has taken over at Yosemite National Park, the traditional names of hotels and other attractions are being changed, prompting anger from long-time employees and visitors to the park.

Yosemite sign (National Park Service via AP)

CA GOP Lets Jerry Brown Pass New Health Tax

On Monday, California legislators approved legislation that will levy a new tax on all managed care organizations so over one billion dollars of federal funds will continue to be granted to Medi-Cal, including millions of dollars for services for the developmentally disabled.

Jerry Brown (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

California Democrats Losing Younger Voters

A panel formed to speak at the California Democratic Party state convention admitted a troubling fact for the party: younger voters are no longer a dependable constituency.

Skateboarding buckled road (Garrett Hill / Twitter)