Did the mere announcement that Nick Shirley was going to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing cause Democrat senators to “hide” rather than attend a committee hearing on July 17, 2026?

What was the committee?

The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, whose core responsibilities and duties include:

• DHS Oversight: Managing legislation and oversight for the Department of Homeland Security. This excludes issues like the Coast Guard, the TSA, and immigration, which are handled by other committees.

• Government Operations: Studying how to make all federal agencies run better and more efficiently.

• Civil Service: Overseeing the federal workforce, including government employee benefits, pay, and rules.

• Federal Postal Service: Managing rules and operations for the United States Postal Service.

• National Archives: Overseeing the National Archives and Records Administration.

• The Census: Supervising the taking of the decennial U.S. Census and the collection of other federal statistics.

• Investigations: Acting as a major investigative body for the Senate, including the power to issue subpoenas.

The Senate Hearing

“Exposing Fraud in America” was the focus of the hearing scheduled by Senator Rand Paul (R, Ky).

All the Republican committee members, which included Ron Johnson (WI), James Lankford (OK), Rick Scott (FL), Josh Hawley (MO), Bernie Moreno (OH), Joni Ernst (IA), and Ashley Moody (FL) attended.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) ranking Democrat on the committee, left after the hearing’s opening statements and just after asking a handful of questions.

None of the other Democrat members on the committee, which included John Fetterman (PA), Maggie Hassan (NH), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Ruben Gallego (AZ), Andy Kim (NJ), and Elissa Slotkin (MI), attended any part of the hearing.

Were they “hiding?”

From what or whom?

They couldn’t have been hiding from the topic, as many of these senators frequently criticize the administration on these subjects.

It must have been one or more of the witnesses, who were:

—James O’Keefe of the Veritas organization,

—Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette the Acting Vice-President of Policy and Government Affairs at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), and

—Nick Shirley, an independent journalist

Was it Nick Shirley?

Nick, who graduated from Farmington High School in Utah in 2020, became an independent journalist operating primarily as a self-taught, independent content creator and social media influencer.

Nick was not a journalism major in college; he did not attend any college.

Nick does not work for the federal government, or for any state government, or any newspaper or television station or program such as “60 Minutes,” or for any other organization funded to cover the news.

Twenty-four-year-old Nick is simply an individual questioning how some states spend U.S. taxpayers money.

Nick, as did the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE), followed the money, although he replaced the sophisticated computers used by DOGE with shoe leather.

Taxpayers money is collected by the IRS for distribution by the U.S. Treasury, which supplements it by increasing the national debt by borrowing more.

Congress determines how the money is to be distributed, with some of it being allocated to federal agencies, such as Health and Human Services (HSS), which sends some of it to state agencies for them to distribute according to the purposes consistent with congressional intent.

Investigating Fraud, Waste, and Deceit

Nick Shirley began his investigative reporting of recipients of federal money in Minnesota.

Why Minnesota?

Under 2024 Democrat Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s choice for Vice President – Democrat Governor Tim Walz – claims for taxpayer funding for autism in the Somalian community Increased from one in 28 to one in 8.

Nick Shirley’s investigation did not have the support of any Minnesota law enforcement, such as the state’s Department of Justice, or inspector generals, or state police.

His investigation did not require any special permission, or permits, or warrants, or subpoenas: just public records.

His investigation did not require extensive travel: just a vehicle to travel around Minneapolis, and shoe leather.

His investigation did not require a special set: just Nick visiting the places of business where recipients of taxpayer monies went.

His investigation did not require costumes: just Nick in street clothes and the recipients in their daily attire.

His investigations did not require a script or rehearsals: just Nick asking the recipients about the absence of any facilities or customers .

His videos, which did not require extensive editing, might have been limited to home showing had Fox News not featured them, including the one exposing how millions of dollars had been sent to a “learning center” whose sign read “Learing Center”(sic) and had neither facilities nor students.

The scheme emerged that some “entrepreneurs” primarily in the Somalian community, were not providing the services that they were being paid taxpayers dollars to provide. Instead they were paying other Somalians for the false use of their names in order to receive taxpayer dollars.

Here in California

Nick used the same investigating techniques to publicize that the Democrats running L.A. had permitted some 800 alleged hospices. When the Trump administration abruptly pulled their funding, none of them appealed.

California Democrat legislators responded by protecting the fraudsters by voting with Mia Bonta to pass AB 2624, which armed Mia’s husband, Attorney General Rob Bonta, with the authority to prosecute those who would dare publish something that Democrats insist should remain secret.

Conclusion

Taxpayers and voters should remember the Democrats hiding from, or in California prosecuting, the Nick Shirleys of the world from exercising their First Amendment right to expose fraud.

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Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins approved the request from Tennessee, West Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, and Nebraska, for a pilot program to study the potential health benefits of prohibiting the use of SNAP funds for the purchase of sugar-based foods as part of the Make America Healthy Again project.

Almost immediately – after virtually any Trump administration action – the now all too familiar five step dance begins:

1) A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) (which as non-profits pay no income taxes, but can pay their employees), in this case The National Center for Law and Economic Justice (whose contributors include General Mills), and the Hinder Cantor Lerner LL.P law firm,

2) “find” or “recruit” potential plaintiff(s), in this case a SNAP recipient in each of the five states,

3) find a friendly Obama or Biden appointed judge,

4) file a law suit requesting an injunction to block the program before the facts can be presented at a trial, and

5) the judge issues an injunction.

In Aragon v. Rollins the D.C. Federal District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, appointed by President Obama, issued an injunction preventing the implementation of the five states pilot program for SNAP.

SNAP

SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is the U.S. primary food security initiative. SNAP provides financial assistance for groceries to eligible low-income households.

Under SNAP, funds are loaded electronically onto an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card, which functions like a debit card and is accepted at most grocery stores and approved farmers markets.

Benefits can be used for staple groceries, produce, and seeds, but cannot be used for hot, ready-to-eat foods, alcohol, tobacco, or pet food.

In California, SNAP is known as CalFresh.

In Santa Barbara County, the Department of Social Services (DSS) processes applications, while other local organizations—like the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County or Family Service Agency—assist with applications.

Diabetes

It has been reported that an estimated 40.1 million Americans (12% of the population) have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes and roughly 115 million adults have Pre-diabetes.

Santa Barbara has been in the forefront of diabetes research since 1922 when the Santa Barbara based Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (SDRI) became famous for being one of the earliest manufacturers of insulin.

Latinos in the U.S. and Santa Barbara (where they make up nearly 46% of the population) are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Pilot Program

At the states’ request, Secretary Rollins approved a Pilot Program to study the effects of extending the list of prohibited products under SNAP—hot, ready-to-eat foods, alcohol, tobacco, or pet food—-to include certain sugar-based products.

For example, The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) received federal approval from the Trump administration to implement changes that promote healthier food options for households receiving SNAP benefits as part of a two-year pilot program to test whether clearer food standards improve nutrition outcomes.

Starting on July 31, 2026, SNAP benefits in Tennessee could still be used to purchase the following items:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Meat, poultry, and fish

• Dairy products

• Bread

• Cereal

• Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages

• Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat

SNAP benefits would no longer be eligible to purchase the following:

—Processed Foods - Processed foods include foods altered from their natural state and that list the following ingredients as the first ingredient:

• Sugar

• Cane sugar

• Corn syrup

• High fructose corn syrup

• Exception: Single-ingredient sugars used for cooking and baking (such as granulated sugar or raw sugar) remain eligible.

• Soda & Energy Drinks – Beverages that list carbonated water and one of the above items as the first two ingredients.

The SNAP benefit amounts will not be impacted and recipients can still shop at the same stores.

Conclusion

The Trump Derangement Syndrome has reached the point where even a pilot program requested by five states to study the potential health benefits of reducing the use of SNAP funds to purchase sugar-based products may well require a 6-3 (there are two Obama appointed Justices and one Biden appointed) vote by the Supreme Court.

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The enthusiasm of those lining the curbs at the corner of Hitchcock and State Streets in Santa Barbara flashing signs at passing vehicles was impressive.

Watching them I wondered “What are the messages these ‘sign flashers’ are trying to convey with placards such as ‘Fund USAID’?

USAID?

USAID, which stands for the United States Aid for International Develo…

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Commencement Ceremonies

“We have a ticket for you for the Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) graduation ceremony on June 10th” stirred mixed emotions.

Of course I wanted to see my granddaughter Aly graduate from SBHS.

And also of course, I did not want to sit in the “backless” bleachers for hours watching students that I had not met, nor would ever meet.

However, my visions of the pride that I felt in receiving my diploma from Collingswood High School (CHS) turned the tide in favor of sitting the two hours for Aly, and the other soon to be graduates, would have the opportunity to experience the same pride of accomplishment.

The Ceremony Commences

“Commencement” primarily means a beginning, start, or the point at which something is launched. The term derives from the verb “commence” and is also formally used to describe academic graduation ceremonies and the official start dates of legal or business contracts.

A commencement ceremony is an academic event celebrating the completion of a degree program. It marks the symbolic start of a graduate’s new career or next phase of life.

Commencement ceremonies are traditionally held in late May or June; i.e., this is the commencement season.

Students completing their degree requirements prior to the “commencement season” typically have to wait for the ceremony, as I did after completing the requirements for a B.A. at The University of North Carolina.

Attire

The tradition of caps and gowns originated in medieval Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries. The long robes and hoods were modeled after clerical dress.

The square academic cap evolved from the Catholic “biretta.” It was dubbed the “mortarboard” because it resembles the flat boards bricklayers use to hold mortar.

In the 1890s American universities adopted the Intercollegiate Code to standardized the colors and patterns of gowns based on the wearer’s degree level and field of study.

Processional

Commencement ceremonies typically begin with a processional of those who are going to receive diplomas/degrees as happened at SBHS with the “Class of 2026 Processional.” The band played “Santa Barbara Hail to Thee!” by Doris Holt ’44.

Memories of taking that walk flashed before me, although my memory included the pain of limping through our processional to our seats in the football field.

Why was I limping?

Earlier that day after spraining my ankle playing basketball, I rushed home and soaked it in hot water. Later – while trying to jam my foot into a shoe and walk – I learned the foolishness of using hot water instead of ice.

As the program at SBHS continued so did my almost being able to feel my ankle throbbing while thinking that this was the last time all of us would be together as part of the same community of students.

Commencement speakers

The speakers typically praise the students for their achievements in completing the requirements for a diploma.

At the SBHS ceremony as the class president and several other students gave their perspective on the achievements of those receiving diplomas, I thought of my parents.

My father was so proud to have skipped a grade in order to be the first Zepke to graduate from a U.S. high school, CHS, that I was proud to graduate from 32 years later.

My mother had to skip two grades to graduate from Woodrow Wilson High at age 15.

My parents gave up their hopes for college in order to help support their parents during the Great Depression.

My generation graduated into the Vietnam War.

My children’s generation graduated into a country and world benefiting from the Reagan presidency.

My grandchildren’s generation are graduating into a country and world benefiting from the Trump presidency.

Acceptance of Diploma, Changing of the Tassels

For high schools, such as SBHS, the tassel is traditionally worn on the right side of the cap but is flipped to the left side after graduates receive their diplomas.

Subsequently

The commencement ceremonies represent an achievement by the graduates and the opportunity to commence their participation in the greatest country in the history of the world.

The ceremony created permanent memories for the graduates, families, friends and teachers.

For example, at our 50th reunion my classmate and friend Norm Dahl gave me the newspaper clipping from our graduation night that announced my scholarship. Much to my surprise my teacher of chemistry and physics, Dr. Simmons, related some very complimentary things about me to his wife.

It was my pleasure to join all those happy faces at Santa Barbara High commencement ceremony both on the graduation field and in the stands who were creating their own sets of memories for the next 50 years, and beyond.

To the graduates of all schools, I offer the words of my mother on my graduation night “An education is something no one can take from you.”

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Debates among candidates for political office, like the ones among the top eight of 61 candidates on the ballot for the governorship of California, provide an opportunity for candidates to orally express why we should vote for them.

There is an old lawyer joke that “oral promises are not worth the paper they are printed on.”

While oral promises are a necessary part of every campaign, have you ever wondered how much better our lives would be if those previously elected had actually delivered on their oral campaign promises?

In order to be a conscience voter, I have developed a simple method for categorizing campaign messages:

Those not yet in office must include some indication from their past as to why they may be able to deliver on the promises.

Incumbents – besides promises for future performances – must include how they have performed on their previous campaign promises.

Candidates running for an office that they have never held, such as Xavier Becerra running for governor, should include their experiences in other public positions.

However, Xavier Becerra’s campaign debate theme of “Stop Trump” is meaningless except as a method of detracting voters from considering his record, which includes:

U.S. House of Representatives: Elected to Congress in 1992, where he served for 12 terms where he helped craft and pass the Affordable Care Act that, if it was really “affordable,” there would not still be all the efforts to fix its failures to provide “care.”

California Attorney General: Becerra was appointed by then-Governor Jerry Brown in 2017, he was known for frequently challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to control immigration and its associated costs, manage the costs of environmental regulations, and manage the cost of healthcare.

Hmm, do those issues still dominating California campaigns much more than they are in other states indicate a failure of his efforts as California AG?

Biden Administration: Becerra served in President Joe Biden‘s cabinet as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Becerra’s Core Responsibilities & Services as Secretary of HHS:

Healthcare Coverage: Manages public health insurance programs, including Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for low-income individuals.

The Medicaid fraud that occurred during his tenure is just beginning to be uncovered in Minnesota, Maine, and in Los Angeles where 800 hospices were being unjustly compensated for not performing any services or, for that matter, even having a facility.

Where were the audits under Becerra’s term?

Public Health & Safety: Becerra was responsible for overseeing the Federal Drug administration (FDA) to ensure the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to prevent and control infectious diseases.

Was the reason that neither the FDA nor the CDC approved the use of medications like Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine for COVID – despite their being successfully used by various physicians in Florida – because they were championed by the Republican Governor Ron DeSantis?

Medical Research: Funds groundbreaking biomedical and public health research primarily through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Becerra did not investigate the involvement of the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci, trying to hide his role in funding the Wuhan Lab that created COVID and his receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from companies he was responsible for regulating..

Mental Health & Substance Use: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (SAMHSA) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). SAMHSA leads public health efforts to advance the nation’s behavioral health, reducing the impact of substance abuse, and mental disorders, by providing multi-million dollar block grants to state/local governments, nonprofits and tribes.

Unfortunately the DOGE group uncovered the lack of controlling how the grants were spent.

Conclusion

Whenever a candidate, such as Becerra, fails to campaign on his record in public office the reason is never that it was a successful record.

Why vote for a proven non-performer?

Give another candidate the opportunity to deliver.

The same advice could be given, of course, to voters deciding whether to vote for challenger Spencer Pratt or incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles Mayor’s race.

•••

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TODAY! TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2026

SBCurrent’s Primary Endorsements Here.

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There are debates being held to assist voters in deciding who to vote for in the June 2 primary where the two candidates receiving the most votes for governor will be placed on the ballot for the November election.

One such debate, held on April 28, 2026 at Pomona College, provides examples of the philosophies of eight candidates.

The Moderators

—Pat Harvey, CBS Los Angeles anchor

—Tony Lopez, CBS Sacramento anchor

—Ryan Yamamoto, CBS Bay Area anchor

—Julie Watts, CBS News California Investigative correspondent

—Sara Sadhwani, Pomona College political science professor.

The Democrat Candidates

—Katie Porter: Former U.S. Representative (9%).

—Matt Mahan: San Jose Mayor (4%).

—Tom Steyer: Billionaire and environmental activist (15%).

—Xavier Becerra: Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary (13%).

—Tony Thurmond: State Schools Superintendent (1%).

—Antonio Villaraigosa: Former Los Angeles Mayor (4%).

The Republicans Candidates

—Chad Bianco: Riverside County Sheriff (10%).

—Steve Hilton: Conservative commentator and former Fox News commentator (16%).

(The percentages after each name reflects the percentage of voters for each candidate according to a CBS poll taken after the democrats leading candidate Eric Swalwell withdrew from the governor’s race and congress after numerous allegations of malfeasance including allegations of sexual misconduct. An estimated 26% of voters were undecided.)

The format prohibited candidates from making opening or closing statements; the only topics covered were those raised by the moderators.

In the 90-minute program candidates were limited to 45 seconds; in-depth answers were not possible.

Background

California is consistently ranked as the least affordable state in the U.S. (ranking 50th), driven by the nation’s highest housing costs—with home prices over twice the national average—and exceptionally high transportation costs. While some rankings place it 3rd or 4th in overall cost of living, it is rarely above 47th for affordability (US News and World Report).

A CBS News poll released April 27 indicated that many voters say the state’s cost of living has become unmanageable. Democrats polled were largely looking for candidates aligned with current state policies and opposed to President Trump. Republicans largely prioritize change, with 76% saying the state’s economy is in bad shape.

The last time Republicans held the majority in both houses of the California legislature was 1970.

The last time California had a Republican governor was 2011.

The Debate

The Democrat candidates generally blamed the issues facing Californians on: “greedy” corporations and President Donald Trump.

Republicans pointed to the state’s long-standing Democrat leadership as the problem.

Highlights

—Affordability, Hilton vowed to make the state “Califordable,” by cutting the cost of utilities and making home-buying accessible to young people. Bianco said the progressive agenda is “destroying California” and as governor he would work to carry out the mandate of the voters.

—Healthcare, Becerra, who worked on the Affordable Care Act, said the first thing he would do is “stop Donald Trump.” His complaint was that Trump did not support the ever increasing charges to taxpayers that were necessary to continue the euphemistically named “Affordable Care Act.”

“Stop Trump” became the primary theme of the Democrats rather than changing their policies.

—Housing, Thurmond said to promote the “American Dream” he’d work to provide down-payment assistance and build two million housing units on surplus school properties.

Villaraigosa suggested a $25 billion first-time buyer assistance program “at no cost to taxpayers.”

Pennies from heaven?

Porter said California has to “build faster” without mentioning the example of the regulatory nightmare constructed by her party that is playing out in the Pacific Palisades.

—Gas prices, which Tom Steyer blamed on President Trump and the war with Iran. His solution would be for California to outsource all its refining to other states or other countries.

He was not asked how adding all the additional shipping costs would lower the price of gas in California, or about the war being temporary while the additional $1.50-1.70 California taxes that are permanent, or about California’s new law that has already driven up the price of gas by causing 3 of the 9 refineries in California to close.

—Insurance rates for homeowners, which Becerra promised to freeze despite moderator Julie Watts reminding him that the California Supreme Court had already said that was unconstitutional.

Porter called California’s FAIR Plan, that makes coverage available to residents who are unable to find policies, a “huge financial liability” and the state should insure the insurers so they can return and write more affordable polices.

Once again a proposal for taxpayers to pay more after Democrat polices caused the problems.

—Education, Villaraigosa called college tuition “unacceptable” and that his approach as mayor in working with L.A. Unified School District while mayor reflects how he would handle the situation.

There were no follow-up questions about why Democrat policies have caused California to rank 43rd in achievement in levels K-12 or why illegals are given free tuition at colleges.

Porter suggested two years of free tuition at state universities.

Not free to taxpayers.

—Time was spent on a series of relatively trivial issues, including:

—Charging fees on zero emission vehicles.

—Truck drivers being able to read English which is supported by the Trump administrated but opposed by Democrats in California.

—Whether young children should be barred from using social media without mentioning how this might be enforced.

Republicans largely prioritize change with 76% saying the state’s economy is in bad shape.

Conclusion

States such as Florida and Texas are flourishing, so the problem is not Trump: it is the party that has been running California.

Vote for Change: What do you have to lose (that you haven’t lost already)?

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Artificial intelligence – AI – uses computers to create systems that tend to “disrupt” the existing copyrights of the creators of the written, visual, or audio works.

The threat to written works was discussed in my article “AI and Copyrighted Written Works,” SBCurrent March 24, 2026.

The threat to visual works was discussed in my article “AI and Copyright…

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AI, or Artificial intelligence, is a new technology that uses computers to create systems capable of performing tasks typically requiring human intelligence.

New technologies tend to be “disruptors” by permitting the users of computers to “disrupt” the existing rights of the creators of the written, visual or audio works.

The threat of AI disrupting the r…

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In February 2026, Congressman Salud Carbajal (D, CA) along with 213 of his Democrat congressional colleagues voted to not fully fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Fortunately, the 217 Congressional Republicans voted to fully fund the DHS, and the bill went to the Senate.

In March 2026, Senators Adam Schiff (D, CA) and Alex Padilla (D, CA…

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Artificial Intelligence, or just “AI,” is a new technology. New technologies tend to be “disruptors” by increasing the powers of the users to “disrupt” the existing rights of others. Lawyers and sometimes courts of law must apply existing laws in order to try and balance the rights of both of those groups.

This Occurred in the 1990s

In the 1990s, the new technology of personal computers provided employees with the power to electronically carry their employer’s intellectual property off the employer’s facility.

This disrupted the effectiveness of employers protecting their proprietary information by inspecting the belongings, such as briefcases and vehicles, of employees before they exited the employer’s facilities.

For example, when asked about the risks of permitting an accountant to work from home, I responded that it was permitting the employee to electronically remove the employer’s proprietary information by sending it off site to their personal computer which may not be as secure as the corporate system that deflected hundreds of attempts by hackers every week.

Today

The new technology Is AI, a branch of computer science that creates systems capable of performing tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, problem-solving, perception, and interpreting input from cameras.

In essence, Ai functions by analyzing the data fed into it in order to identify patterns. In many cases, if not all, the data fed into includes some data that others have copyrighted.

The challenges to the legal system is to find the proper balance between AI being able to use the data without “disrupting” the rights provided authors by copyrights.

Legal Cases

In August 2024, authors Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber, and Kirk Wallace Johnson filed a class action law suit against AI developer Anthropic alleging that AI developer Anthropic’s unauthorized use of books to train LLMs violated their copyrights.

In 2025 Judge Willaim Alsup, appointed by President Bill Clinton, in Bartz v Anthropic, N. D. Cal 2025, held that the digitization of purchased works was permitted under the “fair use” exception under the Copyright Act.

However, Judge Alsup also certified a class of rights holders whose books were obtained from pirated sources like LibGen (Library Genesis) and PiLiMi (Pirate Library Mirror).

As frequently happens, after a class was certified, Anthropic proposed a $1.5 billion class-action settlement covering approximately 500,000 works.

If this settlement is approved by the courts, it will be two things:

1) One of the largest in copyright history and

2) Provide significant, yet nuanced, guidance for AI companies, confirming that while training on data purchased is often permitted under the fair use doctrine, this may not be true for data from pirated works.

In Kadrey v Meta Platforms, N.D. Cal. 2025, 13 authors filed a class action lawsuit against Meta for downloading their copyrighted books to train its “llama” LLM.

An “LLM” is a “large language model” AI that developers “train” by “feeding” them an immense amount of text which the models use to recognize patterns and analyze the statistical relationship among words and punctuation marks. LLMs then generate new texts by predicting which words are most likely to come next in sequence.

Note: Under the theory of “garbage in, garbage out,” “trainers” can influence the outcomes by the types of text they “feed” to the LLMs. This may be particularly relevant for political issues.

Federal Judge Vince Chhabria, appointed by President Barack Obama, granted summary judgement for Meta by holding that Llama’s use qualified for the “Fair Use” exception to the Copyright Act as it was “transformative,” meaning it was used for scholarship or research.

In the Kadrey case, Judge Chhabria granted summary judgement in favor of Meta based on the plaintiff-authors failing to produce sufficient evidence of the effects of similar works produced by an LLM.

Judge Chhabria either advertently or inadvertently created two problems with his holding:

1) Trying to produce “sufficient evidence of the effects of similar works produced by an LLM” would require introducing evidence of another case that may well be prohibited under federal law, and

2) There are no similar works, as all copyrighted works are unique.

Conclusion

The legal rights of the AI users and the holders of copyrights will continue to develop based on how various judges view particular sets of facts.

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Are parents or politicians responsible for children’s health?

That was a question in California.

Then on March 2, 2026, the United States Supreme Court in Mirabelli v Bonta settled the question.

The Court decided that Lisa Mirabelli and other schoolteachers in Escondido, California, could use the legal system to challenge the Attorney General of California, Ron Bonta, as he represented the actions of the California legislature and governor.

The Court agreed with Ms. Mirabelli that parents should be permitted to receive information from schools about their children’s records and health.

The history of the case also demonstrated the philosophical split between the Republican and Democratic political parties.

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I was sitting with a couple of friends when an acquaintance surprised us by walking up and asking “Did you see the State of the Union speech?

It did not surprise me that our nondescript responses of a simple “Yes” did not discourage him from sharing his opinions

His using arm motions supporting to emphasize the rapidity of his speech was somewhat of a sur…

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President Donald Trump suspended visas from 21 countries and partially suspended visas from another 19 countries.

Why?

Because as per Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “Visas are not a right. There is no constitutional right to a visa. A visa is permission to enter our country as a visitor.”

The Secretary further clarified that the policy applies broadly to …

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In 2026 the Democrats and mainstream media have shown an enormous amount of interest in the files of Jeffrey Epstein but no interest in the files of Hunter Biden.

Epstein and Biden both had unusual sexual habits, numerous interactions with politicians, and undisclosed sources of wealth.

The DOJ/FBI have had both the files of Epstein and the computer files…

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My immediate reaction to learning that there will be a referendum to tax the assets of billionaires was “Why should I care?”

As my finger hovered over the delete button, I realized that the details indicated that such a tax could increase my taxes.

How so?

Taxing the assets of billionaires to fund education, food services, and healthcare.

This is not instea…

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President Trump’s speech in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2026, illustrated how his administration is applying “U.S. management policies.”

Davos is a small, semi-remote ski town where in 1971 the 33-year-old German born, Harvard trained, professor Klaus Schwab created the European Economic Symposium.

Over the years, as the number of participants incr…

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Robert Frost conveyed a great deal of wisdom in his poem “The Road Not Taken,” which begins:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

In presidential elections the road typically taken is to elevate the vice president to p…

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The reason we celebrate Christmas has not changed in 2,000+ years. However, the way that we celebrate reflects the changes in the lifestyles in the area we now call the United States.

The first Christmas in America was celebrated in a simple wooden church in Jamestown just seven months after the town was founded in May 1607. It was a solemn event due to …

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Why Walz? It was a question that puzzled many of us after the then Vice President Kamala Harris selected the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz as her running mate for her presidential campaign.

For some of us, ”Why Walz?” was not our first reaction, which was “Thank goodness it was not Josh Shapiro,” since it appeared that the governor of Pennsylvania would…

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Ms. Kelly McAdoo was hired as the City Administrator for Santa Barbara in February 2024.

On September 15, 2025, after being on the job for a year and a half, Ms. McAdoo announced that Anthony Valdez had been hired for the newly created position of Deputy City Administrator. He will be focused on housing, economic vitality, and downtown services. His sala…

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