caption Vinod Khosla wants his public beach back. source TechCrunch / Flickr The battle between tech titan Vinod Khosla and California activists is heating up. This week, Khosla filed an appeal with the US Supreme Court to overturn a 2017 ruling that forced him to open public access to a California beach that surrounds his shorefront property. In 2008, Khosla – who made his fortune as an investor and one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems – paid a reported $37 million for an 89-acre parcel near Half Moon Bay, about an hour south of San Francisco. For many decades, surfers and families had enjoyed the beach, which is known for its stunning geological formations, picnic areas, and ideal surfing waves. When Khosla closed the gate to Martins Beach in 2010, locals revolted. A California appeals court later ruled that Khosla violated state law when he blocked the public from accessing the beach and forced him to reopen it. Now … [Read more...] about A Silicon Valley billionaire is fighting to keep a beloved beach near his $37 million estate off-limits to the public — and he’s taking his case to the Supreme Court
Supreme court
Britain’s Supreme Court hears key case on gig economy worker
[LONDON] Britain's Supreme Court was hearing on Tuesday whether a plumber hired on a self-employed basis should have received workers' rights, in a case which could affect the business models of major firms operating in the gig economy.Taxi app Uber, car service Addison Lee and takeaway food courier Deliveroo are among those who hire their drivers as self-employed, entitling them only to basic protections such as health and safety.Workers receive the minimum wage, holiday pay and rest breaks, prompting unions to take legal action to end what they say are exploitative practices in the gig economy, where people tend to work for several firms without fixed contracts.Uber and other companies have defended their business models saying their drivers enjoy the flexibility of their work and on average earn more than the minimum wage, but have lost a series of court cases on the issue.Tuesday's case involves Gary Smith who worked for the firm Pimlico Plumbers between 2005 and 2011 and took the … [Read more...] about Britain’s Supreme Court hears key case on gig economy worker
A clash between Trump and Mueller over an interview could set the stage for a Supreme Court showdown
President Donald Trump is reportedly being advised to decline an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller – and it’s an open question as to whether Mueller will respond by subpoenaing him to testify before a grand jury. Trump’s lawyers and multiple White House advisers have argued recently that an interview could result in Trump being charged with lying to investigators, as have former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos. Those close to Trump are hopeful that if Trump rejects an interview request, Mueller will be reluctant to subpoena him,The New York Times reported on Monday. Others are not so sure. Trump has expressed an eagerness to sit down with Mueller, but should he follow his lawyer’s advice and force Mueller to subpoena him, it will likely “trigger a prolonged court battle that will take months to resolve,” Jens David Ohlin, a vice dean at Cornell Law School and expert in criminal … [Read more...] about A clash between Trump and Mueller over an interview could set the stage for a Supreme Court showdown
Maldives’ Supreme Court handed a victory to the nation’s embattled president after he orchestrated the arrests of 2 justices
The Supreme Court in the Maldives has overturned a ruling that kick-started the nation’s political turmoil this week. Last Thursday the court dismissed charges of terrorism against nine opposition leaders, and reinstated 12 legislators who lost their seats when they moved to the opposition in 2017. President Abdulla Yameen refused to do so, and considered the decision a “coup,” and early on Tuesday morning declared a 15-day state of emergency. Doing so allowed security forces to arrest two of the Supreme Court justices, as well as suspend restrictions on unlawful arrests and prompt prosecutions. The declaration also suspended an article of its constitution that stipulates the Supreme Court is the final legal authority in the country. However, this restriction was lifted late Tuesday and, shortly afterwards, the remaining Supreme Court justices revised last week’s ruling and nullified the order to release the nine opposition figures. In response, Yameen’s … [Read more...] about Maldives’ Supreme Court handed a victory to the nation’s embattled president after he orchestrated the arrests of 2 justices
Maldives declares state of emergency, arrests 2 Supreme court judges and former president
A 15-day state of emergency has been declared in the Maldives. Authorities in the Indian Ocean nation arrested two Supreme Court judges and a former president early Tuesday morning. The Supreme Court ruled last week that a number of political prisoners should be released, but President Abdulla Yameen refused to comply. The US has condemned the declaration, and India and China are advising citizens to avoid the Maldives. The Maldives has entered a state of emergency. President Abdulla Yameen made that declaration early Tuesday morning local time, and in the hours since, two of the country’s four Supreme Court judges have been arrested along with former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who is also the estranged half-brother of Yameen.Gayoom led the Maldives for 30 years until 2008, and is now in opposition. According to Reuters, the situation in the Indian Ocean nation began when the Supreme … [Read more...] about Maldives declares state of emergency, arrests 2 Supreme court judges and former president