Editorials

The fact that the Hollister School District paid a law firm specifically to find “deficiencies” in a charter school petition underscores the sharp lines drawn in a political battle against reform models and shows that local officials - despite glaring evidence it would likely spur academic success - are steadfast against changing a failed system.

With all the money that’s spent in our county on flood prevention and control, it’s reasonable to expect that there would be some good plans to prevent a Katrina-style urban flood. Judging by what occurred to residents in neighborhoods to the north—in a modern city of a million people—it’s safe to conclude that local communities are not well prepared for large-scale natural disasters.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept reserved for Silicon Valley boardrooms or science fiction novels. It is now woven into our daily lives—from the phones in our pockets to the way businesses market products, students learn and how news is gathered and...