Max Taves
@maxtaves.bsky.social
Deputy Opinion Editor at @mercurynews.com. Concerned Californian. Ex @WSJ, CBS-CNET, LA Weekly, Law.com. Columns published in 30+ daily newspapers across US.
TPUSA set a trap. Cal fell in, I argue @mercurynews.com
Like Pavlov's dogs salivating before they saw Alpo in the bowl, protesters were vandalizing before TP's event began.
What students didn't realize? They were unwitting accomplices in GOP content strategy:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/07/e...
Like Pavlov's dogs salivating before they saw Alpo in the bowl, protesters were vandalizing before TP's event began.
What students didn't realize? They were unwitting accomplices in GOP content strategy:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/07/e...
Editorial: Children in zip ties. Warrantless raids. Tear gas. Enough already.
Escalating immigration raids ensnare citizens; Bay Area leaders must stand firm in opposing administration’s overreach.
www.mercurynews.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:17 PM
TPUSA set a trap. Cal fell in, I argue @mercurynews.com
Like Pavlov's dogs salivating before they saw Alpo in the bowl, protesters were vandalizing before TP's event began.
What students didn't realize? They were unwitting accomplices in GOP content strategy:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/07/e...
Like Pavlov's dogs salivating before they saw Alpo in the bowl, protesters were vandalizing before TP's event began.
What students didn't realize? They were unwitting accomplices in GOP content strategy:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/07/e...
San Jose wants to be the Capital of AI.
The problem?
The president's war on universities and immigration are sabotaging San Jose's (and America's) ambitions.
My column for @mercurynews.com explains why:
The problem?
The president's war on universities and immigration are sabotaging San Jose's (and America's) ambitions.
My column for @mercurynews.com explains why:
Suicidal policies jeopardize Silicon Valley’s AI dreams
Taves: Suicidal policies jeopardize Silicon Valley’s AI dreams
President Trump’s attacks on universities and immigrants sabotage the Bay Area’s — and America’s — tech ambitions.
www.mercurynews.com
October 31, 2025 at 10:47 PM
San Jose wants to be the Capital of AI.
The problem?
The president's war on universities and immigration are sabotaging San Jose's (and America's) ambitions.
My column for @mercurynews.com explains why:
The problem?
The president's war on universities and immigration are sabotaging San Jose's (and America's) ambitions.
My column for @mercurynews.com explains why:
San Jose says, “No kings!”
October 18, 2025 at 11:57 PM
San Jose says, “No kings!”
Cal Fire, state’s fire agency is greenwashing its industrial logging side hustle, while raising carbon emissions — and fire risk, argues environmental scientists and ex-senior Lawrence Livermore Lab researchers at @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com.
Read:
Read:
Opinion: Cal Fire’s forest management undermining California’s climate goals trib.al/J7dOIfJ
Opinion: Cal Fire’s forest management undermining California’s climate goals
State’s fire agency is greenwashing its industrial logging side hustle, while raising carbon emissions — and fire risk
trib.al
September 13, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Cal Fire, state’s fire agency is greenwashing its industrial logging side hustle, while raising carbon emissions — and fire risk, argues environmental scientists and ex-senior Lawrence Livermore Lab researchers at @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com.
Read:
Read:
Donald Trump’s obsession with genes fits into long, ugly tradition of presidents who consider immigrants inherently inferior, argues Claremont McKenna U.S. history professor John J. Pitney, Jr. in an op-ed @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com today.
Read how:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/27/o...
Read how:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/27/o...
Opinion: Bashing the bloodlines of migrants is an American presidential pastime
Trump’s obsession with genes fits into long, ugly tradition of presidents who consider immigrants inherently inferior.
www.mercurynews.com
August 27, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Donald Trump’s obsession with genes fits into long, ugly tradition of presidents who consider immigrants inherently inferior, argues Claremont McKenna U.S. history professor John J. Pitney, Jr. in an op-ed @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com today.
Read how:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/27/o...
Read how:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/08/27/o...
Trump's "ongoing efforts to combine access to the sensitive and personal information of Americans into a single searchable system with the help of shady companies should terrify us – and should inspire us to fight back," argues @eff.org's Cindy Cohn in today's @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com.
Cohn: Trump is building ‘one interface to rule them all.’ It’s terrifying.
A single searchable database of all Americans’ sensitive information is the goal of the president and Palantir – and the dream of authoritarians.
www.mercurynews.com
August 23, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Trump's "ongoing efforts to combine access to the sensitive and personal information of Americans into a single searchable system with the help of shady companies should terrify us – and should inspire us to fight back," argues @eff.org's Cindy Cohn in today's @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com.
Look past the jets, the mansions and billions in the bank. Zuckerberg, Bezos, Pichai and Cook are becoming Trump's high-paid hostages.
Be afraid.
Their companies' lucrative levers of surveillance and persuasion are at the disposal of a criminal president.
Read my op-ed @mercurynews.com:
Be afraid.
Their companies' lucrative levers of surveillance and persuasion are at the disposal of a criminal president.
Read my op-ed @mercurynews.com:
Taves: Silicon Valley tech CEOs becoming Trump’s hostages. Be afraid. https://trib.al/YLV1mGD
Taves: Silicon Valley tech CEOs becoming Trump’s hostages. Be afraid.
A year after he threatened to jail Zuckerberg for life, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Meta reveal alarming signs of submission.
trib.al
July 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Look past the jets, the mansions and billions in the bank. Zuckerberg, Bezos, Pichai and Cook are becoming Trump's high-paid hostages.
Be afraid.
Their companies' lucrative levers of surveillance and persuasion are at the disposal of a criminal president.
Read my op-ed @mercurynews.com:
Be afraid.
Their companies' lucrative levers of surveillance and persuasion are at the disposal of a criminal president.
Read my op-ed @mercurynews.com:
Silicon Valley has a hostage crisis, I argue in today's @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com.
After Trump threatened Zuckerberg with a lifetime prison sentence last year, the heads of Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple are starting to resemble high-paid hostages.
Be afraid.
Read why ⬇️:
After Trump threatened Zuckerberg with a lifetime prison sentence last year, the heads of Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple are starting to resemble high-paid hostages.
Be afraid.
Read why ⬇️:
Taves: Silicon Valley tech CEOs becoming Trump’s hostages. Be afraid. https://trib.al/YLV1mGD
Taves: Silicon Valley tech CEOs becoming Trump’s hostages. Be afraid.
A year after he threatened to jail Zuckerberg for life, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Meta reveal alarming signs of submission.
trib.al
July 11, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Silicon Valley has a hostage crisis, I argue in today's @mercurynews.com and @eastbaytimes.com.
After Trump threatened Zuckerberg with a lifetime prison sentence last year, the heads of Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple are starting to resemble high-paid hostages.
Be afraid.
Read why ⬇️:
After Trump threatened Zuckerberg with a lifetime prison sentence last year, the heads of Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple are starting to resemble high-paid hostages.
Be afraid.
Read why ⬇️:
Citizens aren't safe.
"Late last month the Supreme Court dropped its second bombshell: as a practical matter, it said, the government is free to deport U.S. citizens too."
-- Stanford University Law's Mark Lemley in op-ed @mercurynews.com & @eastbaytimes.com
Read full story ⬇️
"Late last month the Supreme Court dropped its second bombshell: as a practical matter, it said, the government is free to deport U.S. citizens too."
-- Stanford University Law's Mark Lemley in op-ed @mercurynews.com & @eastbaytimes.com
Read full story ⬇️
July 3, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Citizens aren't safe.
"Late last month the Supreme Court dropped its second bombshell: as a practical matter, it said, the government is free to deport U.S. citizens too."
-- Stanford University Law's Mark Lemley in op-ed @mercurynews.com & @eastbaytimes.com
Read full story ⬇️
"Late last month the Supreme Court dropped its second bombshell: as a practical matter, it said, the government is free to deport U.S. citizens too."
-- Stanford University Law's Mark Lemley in op-ed @mercurynews.com & @eastbaytimes.com
Read full story ⬇️
"American democracy died last week, just shy of this country’s 249th birthday," argues @marklemley.bsky.social in a @mercurynews.com & @eastbaytimes.com op-ed today.
2 recent decisions by SCOTUS have removed the last remaining bulwarks against a lawless POTUS.
Please read Mark's full argument ⬇️
2 recent decisions by SCOTUS have removed the last remaining bulwarks against a lawless POTUS.
Please read Mark's full argument ⬇️
Opinion: As July 4 approaches, Supreme Court signs away American democracy https://trib.al/UI8IVqA
Opinion: As July 4 approaches, Supreme Court signs away American democracy
Stanford law professor says pivotal rulings last week removed the last defense against a lawless president.
trib.al
July 2, 2025 at 5:36 PM
"American democracy died last week, just shy of this country’s 249th birthday," argues @marklemley.bsky.social in a @mercurynews.com & @eastbaytimes.com op-ed today.
2 recent decisions by SCOTUS have removed the last remaining bulwarks against a lawless POTUS.
Please read Mark's full argument ⬇️
2 recent decisions by SCOTUS have removed the last remaining bulwarks against a lawless POTUS.
Please read Mark's full argument ⬇️
San Jose: “No kings in the USA!”
June 14, 2025 at 8:31 PM
San Jose: “No kings in the USA!”
San Jose says, “No kings.”
June 14, 2025 at 8:27 PM
San Jose says, “No kings.”
For now, L.A. is satiating Trump's sadism, I argue in today's @mercurynews.com.
But he needs to sow more chaos to continue pushing the boundaries of military power over domestic politics.
And that's where the Bay Area comes in.
The question is:
Will San Jose, Oakland & SF bite his bait of bile?
But he needs to sow more chaos to continue pushing the boundaries of military power over domestic politics.
And that's where the Bay Area comes in.
The question is:
Will San Jose, Oakland & SF bite his bait of bile?
Taves: L.A. took Trump’s bait. Will the Bay Area bite, too? https://trib.al/lRbK0EN
Taves: L.A. took Trump’s bait. Will the Bay Area bite, too?
Violent protesters play into the president’s power-grab playbook to use military power to quell his domestic enemies.
trib.al
June 11, 2025 at 10:23 PM
For now, L.A. is satiating Trump's sadism, I argue in today's @mercurynews.com.
But he needs to sow more chaos to continue pushing the boundaries of military power over domestic politics.
And that's where the Bay Area comes in.
The question is:
Will San Jose, Oakland & SF bite his bait of bile?
But he needs to sow more chaos to continue pushing the boundaries of military power over domestic politics.
And that's where the Bay Area comes in.
The question is:
Will San Jose, Oakland & SF bite his bait of bile?
L.A. took Trump's bait.
Will the Bay Area bite, too?
For now, L.A. is satiating Trump's sadism & its chaos is helping justify expanding military power.
But San Jose, Oakland & SF are in ICE's crosshairs, I argue @eastbaytimes.com and @mercurynews.com.
www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/10/t...
Will the Bay Area bite, too?
For now, L.A. is satiating Trump's sadism & its chaos is helping justify expanding military power.
But San Jose, Oakland & SF are in ICE's crosshairs, I argue @eastbaytimes.com and @mercurynews.com.
www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/10/t...
Taves: L.A. took Trump’s bait. Will the Bay Area bite, too?
Violent protesters play into the president’s power-grab playbook to use military power to quell his domestic enemies.
www.mercurynews.com
June 10, 2025 at 8:18 PM
L.A. took Trump's bait.
Will the Bay Area bite, too?
For now, L.A. is satiating Trump's sadism & its chaos is helping justify expanding military power.
But San Jose, Oakland & SF are in ICE's crosshairs, I argue @eastbaytimes.com and @mercurynews.com.
www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/10/t...
Will the Bay Area bite, too?
For now, L.A. is satiating Trump's sadism & its chaos is helping justify expanding military power.
But San Jose, Oakland & SF are in ICE's crosshairs, I argue @eastbaytimes.com and @mercurynews.com.
www.mercurynews.com/2025/06/10/t...
June 10, 2025 at 12:42 AM
This sad trend continues.
A clearly sick (gray?) whale is fighting for survival rn onshore at Montara State Beach, 8m north of Half Moon Bay.
As reported by @eastbaytimes.com & @mercurynews.com , a suspiciously high number of whales are dying in Bay Area.
My drone footage from this PM:
A clearly sick (gray?) whale is fighting for survival rn onshore at Montara State Beach, 8m north of Half Moon Bay.
As reported by @eastbaytimes.com & @mercurynews.com , a suspiciously high number of whales are dying in Bay Area.
My drone footage from this PM:
June 1, 2025 at 11:38 PM
This sad trend continues.
A clearly sick (gray?) whale is fighting for survival rn onshore at Montara State Beach, 8m north of Half Moon Bay.
As reported by @eastbaytimes.com & @mercurynews.com , a suspiciously high number of whales are dying in Bay Area.
My drone footage from this PM:
A clearly sick (gray?) whale is fighting for survival rn onshore at Montara State Beach, 8m north of Half Moon Bay.
As reported by @eastbaytimes.com & @mercurynews.com , a suspiciously high number of whales are dying in Bay Area.
My drone footage from this PM:
“Tackling homelessness has pit California against itself,” I argue today’s @mercurynews.com.
“Mayors blame other mayors, who blame county supervisors, who blame mayors and the governor, who, in turn, blames mayors and supervisors.”
Gov. Newsom must take charge:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/05/31/t...
“Mayors blame other mayors, who blame county supervisors, who blame mayors and the governor, who, in turn, blames mayors and supervisors.”
Gov. Newsom must take charge:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/05/31/t...
Taves: No one’s in charge. Newsom must fill California’s homelessness leadership vacuum
Cities, counties, state keep shifting responsibility for encampments and shelters. Governor should impose accountability.
www.mercurynews.com
May 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM
“Tackling homelessness has pit California against itself,” I argue today’s @mercurynews.com.
“Mayors blame other mayors, who blame county supervisors, who blame mayors and the governor, who, in turn, blames mayors and supervisors.”
Gov. Newsom must take charge:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/05/31/t...
“Mayors blame other mayors, who blame county supervisors, who blame mayors and the governor, who, in turn, blames mayors and supervisors.”
Gov. Newsom must take charge:
www.mercurynews.com/2025/05/31/t...
Bay Area universities used their autonomy and funding to make America great. U.S. military, economic and scientific hegemony was built by the minds trained at UC Berkeley and Stanford, I argue @mercurynews.com @eastbaytimes.com.
But now, that's all at risk of falling apart...
But now, that's all at risk of falling apart...
"The Trump administration, under the guise of fighting antisemitism and DEI, is threatening the Bay Area’s world-renowned academic research centers and, in so doing, risks undermining the secret sauce of Silicon Valley." @mercurynews.com @eastbaytimes.com @maxtaves.bsky.social
Taves: Trump’s higher education attacks endanger Silicon Valley’s secret sauce
Bay Area universities used their academic freedom and federal funding to make America great. Now, that’s all at risk.
www.mercurynews.com
May 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Bay Area universities used their autonomy and funding to make America great. U.S. military, economic and scientific hegemony was built by the minds trained at UC Berkeley and Stanford, I argue @mercurynews.com @eastbaytimes.com.
But now, that's all at risk of falling apart...
But now, that's all at risk of falling apart...
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is paving California's road to hell, I argue in my column in today's @mercurynews.com.
The insurance market is trying to send a message to Californians: Stop building in the most predictably flammable areas.
But we don't want to learn new lessons...
Link below:
The insurance market is trying to send a message to Californians: Stop building in the most predictably flammable areas.
But we don't want to learn new lessons...
Link below:
An excellent, smart debut column by Deputy Opinion Editor @maxtaves.bsky.social
Taves: Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is paving California’s road to hell
A new state insurance regulation, expanding homeowners’ coverage in the most flammable areas, greases the wheels of California’s suicidal building machine
www.mercurynews.com
April 25, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is paving California's road to hell, I argue in my column in today's @mercurynews.com.
The insurance market is trying to send a message to Californians: Stop building in the most predictably flammable areas.
But we don't want to learn new lessons...
Link below:
The insurance market is trying to send a message to Californians: Stop building in the most predictably flammable areas.
But we don't want to learn new lessons...
Link below:
Scenes (and signs) from today’s large, peaceful protest in downtown San Jose against Donald Trump and sending migrants without due process to Salvadoran gulags:
April 19, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Scenes (and signs) from today’s large, peaceful protest in downtown San Jose against Donald Trump and sending migrants without due process to Salvadoran gulags:
A large protest against Trump, particularly focused on the illegal deportation of migrants to Salvador’s gulag, is winding its way through downtown San Jose right now.
April 19, 2025 at 7:37 PM
A large protest against Trump, particularly focused on the illegal deportation of migrants to Salvador’s gulag, is winding its way through downtown San Jose right now.