Free Republic

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last week creating a new statewide office tasked with rooting out antisemitism in public schools, the first of its kind in the country. Known as AB 715, the measure establishes a state Office of Civil Rights and mandates the appointment of an an antisemitism prevention coordinator, tasked with tracking complaints, issuing guidance, and coordinating training for educators. Supporters, including the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and Jewish advocacy groups, hailed the law as a necessary tool to protect Jewish students amid a surge in harassment and discrimination. “Today, California is sending a strong and...

A bill signed into law this week by California Governor Gavin Newsom may signal the beginning of the end of a decades-long dispute between the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid and the heirs of a Jewish collector over the rightful ownership of a work sold under duress during the Nazi regime. In 1939, Lilly Cassirer Neubauer was forced to sell an 1897 oil by Camille Pissarro to a Nazi art appraiser in order to flee Germany before the impending war. According to court documents, the Pissarro, titled Rue Saint-Honoré in the Afternoon, Effect of Rain, fetched only $360 (modern USD). The...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — This Easter, Americans will devour more than 1 billion Peeps — those radiant marshmallow chicks whose appearance on store shelves each year is as much a herald of spring as azaleas at the Masters. What makes the treats so vibrant is erythrosine, a chemical that shows up on ingredient labels as Red No. 3. It's one of several chemicals, along with titanium dioxide, used to color some of the most popular candy in the country — including Skittles and Hot Tamales. Both chemicals have been linked to cancer. More than 30 years ago, U.S. regulators banned Red...

A proposed California bill could force popular candies like Skittles to change their recipes — or stop selling them in California altogether. In February, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel introduced Assembly Bill 418, which would prohibit the manufacture, sale and distribution of food products containing five chemicals linked to cancer and other health risks. One of these chemicals is titanium dioxide, which is listed as an ingredient in Skittles on the candy brand's website. Last July, a lawsuit filed in California alleged that Skittles are "unfit for human consumption" because they contain titanium dioxide; however, the lawsuit was dismissed in November. In...