Why newspapers oppose the California Landmark Labor Act

State newspapers in California say they have become collateral damage as a result of the state's effort to curb the economy of the show.

If signed, the provisions of the law could decimate the local newspaper industry, already disrupted by years of disruption on the Internet and the decline of print advertising, say state editors.

Despite intense lobbying, local newspapers are grappling with a future in which they will no longer be able to pay newspaper editors and many freelance journalists and columnists as independent contractors.

For many local newspapers, the changes – expected to come into force in a year for newspapers, a small concession that lobbyists in the sector got from lawmakers – could force them to stop home delivery. The law also limits the number of contributions of independent journalists to 35; nor would it force the newspapers to pay them as employees.

This strikes at the heart of the number of small local newspapers, with locals or local officials writing weekly columns on everything from school sports to city politics.

Troy Niday, the chef operations The officer of The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, who distributes not only his own newspaper but national publications like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, felt that the law could accelerate the end of the distribution of printed five at seven. "And this will particularly affect small, difficult newspapers that are already real deserts," he said.

The legislature passed the measure this week and is now waiting for the governor's signature. As voting approaches, newspapers across California issued editorials raising objections.

The Los Angeles Times wrote, "The last thing California needs is that its legislature carry another devastating blow to our industry."

Paper deliverers and papergirls have long been living in neighborhoods – most newspapers now rely on adult carriers driving cars – but home delivery of newspapers has been around for centuries before Uber or Lyft do raise important issues regarding labor law.

"Keep in mind that the independent contractor model used to deliver newspapers to your home has been in place since the birth of the country," said Jim Ewert, General Counsel for the California News Publishers Association. "The model is not part of the economy of the show. These are not Uber and Lyft. This is certainly not a recent invention of newspapers aimed at circumventing California's labor laws. "

Second confession: I do not really know what makes natural wine, well, natural wine.

Fortunately, it seems, I'm not alone.

Author and wine expert Alice Feiring has recently published a book on natural wine: how it is made, where to find it.

And last week, she appeared on KCRW's Good Food podcast, highlighting the myths of natural wine. (No, all natural wine is not cloudy, and no, mold is not a defining feature.)

Basically, says Feiring, conventional winemakers add a lot to grape juice, including extra yeast and sulphites. The natural winemakers do not do it.

Natural wine, she says, also feels more connected to history and the earth – something she enjoys in both her food and her drink.