Joanna Lin

More special-ed kids head to traditional schools

dailynews.com — Los Angeles Unified will shift hundreds of disabled students from special-education centers to traditional schools this fall as it accelerates efforts to integrate youngsters with physical and developmental handicaps. The initiative calls for merging four special-education centers with nearby traditional schools and reconfiguring others, with more changes planned in the years ahead.

Some L.A. County bus drivers say pesticides are making them ill

latimes.com — Los Angeles County bus drivers say they are regularly becoming ill - sometimes while behind the wheel - from pesticides sprayed inside their vehicles by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. At least 14 Metro drivers are pursuing workers' compensation claims, and more than 110 have signed a petition that demands a halt to the spraying, according to their attorney.

Proposed budget would weaken California's public records laws

latimes.com — SACRAMENTO -- Public records laws would be weakened under the budget deal scheduled for a vote in the Legislature on Friday. Administration officials say the change could help the state avoid tens of millions of dollars needed reimburse local governments and agencies for complying with the laws.

Why Dolphins Make Us Nervous

npr.org — India has just banned dolphin entertainment parks. They are "morally unacceptable," says a government ministry. Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet, the U.S. Navy announced that 24 dolphins trained to sniff for underwater mines will be replaced by robots. We are definitely confused about dolphins.

State high court denies review in Alameda's Measure H suit

contracostatimes.com — ALAMEDA -- A ruling that struck down parts of a parcel tax that voters passed to support local schools will stand after the California Supreme Court decided not to review the case, setting the stage for some taxpayers to receive refunds.

Los Angeles Times waits more than two years to celebrate major award

washingtonpost.com — In February 2011, Los Angeles Times reporters Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives received the Selden Ring Award from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Any day now, the paper is going to throw a party for them. The Selden Ring is among journalism's more prestigious awards, if for no reason other than its $35,000 payout.

How one family turned your goodwill into their livelihood

cironline.org — How one family turned your goodwill into their livelihood

Judge Rules for Interns Who Sued Fox Searchlight

nytimes.com — A Federal District Court judge in Manhattan ruled on Tuesday that Fox Searchlight Pictures had violated federal and New York minimum wage laws by not paying production interns, a case that could upend the long-held practice of the film industry and other businesses that rely heavily on unpaid internships.