A Holiday Round of Must Reads

CALIFORNIA DMV SUSPENDING LICENSES FOR USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA?

Well, maybe.

The LA Times Maura Dolan has an intriguing story about a lawsuit recently filed against the California Department of Motor Vehicles by Americans for Safe Access.

The suit contends that the DMV has a pattern of investigating and suspending the driver’s licenses of people who use pot on the recommendation of their doctors.

“It happens a disturbing amount,” said Joseph D. Elford, chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access, which promotes legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes and research.

Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe it’s a pattern. I hope the DMV isn’t that stupid.

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SHIELDING JOURNALISTS

Also in the LA Times Monday, on the editorial page, some strongly worded encouragement for President Obama to keep his campaign promise by supporting a federal shield law for journalists.

Here’s how it opens.

During his campaign for president, Barack Obama expressed support for a federal “shield law” to protect journalists’ confidential sources. Thirty-six states and the District of Columbia offer such protection.

With the reintroduction in the House of the Free Flow of Information Act, Obama has the opportunity to fulfill his commitment.

The Times, however, advises that we might need to be a teensy bit worried about Eric Holder in this matter.

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HOW BAD IS IT IN THE WORLD OF JOURNALISM?

Next Thursday night, Feb. 26, the LA Press Club is hosting a panel called: What to Do After You Leave Your Job in Journalism.

I’m not kidding.

It’s at 7 p.m. and open to the public. (LA Press Club members get in free.)

It’ll be held at the Steve Allen Theater at the LA Press Club; 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 90027.

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NATIONALIZE ‘EM OR LOSE ‘EM? (BANKS, THAT IS.)

Prescient economist, Nouriel Roubini, has a co-written column in the Washington Post that calls for the nationalizing America’s banks.

Here’s what he said:

The U.S. banking system is close to being insolvent, and unless we want to become like Japan in the 1990s — or the United States in the 1930s — the only way to save it is to nationalize it.

As free-market economists teaching at a business school in the heart of the world’s financial capital, we feel downright blasphemous proposing an all-out government takeover of the banking system. But the U.S. financial system has reached such a dangerous tipping point that little choice remains. And while Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s recent plan to save it has many of the right elements, it’s basically too late.

According to The Swamp, a number of conservatives are buying into the idea.

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HUFF POST TAKES ON MORTGAGES

The Huffington Post’s Off the Bus Section is calling for citizen journalists to report on the ongoing mortgage crisis from all corners of the nation. Good idea.

Assuredly, there is a lot of room to cover this story better. As to whether the Huffington Post is in a position to provide something new on the subject, remains to be seen.

They sent this note out to possible contributors:

HuffPost wants to tell the story better, by digging deeper in more places than any other news organization. To do it right, we need you.

Cool. We await the outcome.