Brian Chernick

Brian Chernick is a Policy Corner (PC) writer devoted to challenging ideas and seeking outlets for expression, collaboration and debate on political topics through civil and mutually beneficial discourse. He graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a B.A in Psychology, Pre-Law and a Minor in Philosophy. As a PC writer, he seeks to steer Public Policy by using reason and intellect backed by thorough research. Network Neutrality, Immigration, the Environment, Technology and civil rights are some issues that fuel his passion. Brian also currently hosts News Beat on KCHUNG Radio and is the former co-host of Clear Oversight. To find out more about him, visit www.Chernickov.com

 Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

The Hidden Costs of Free Internet

Brian Chernick May 4, 2016

Early this year, the Federal Communications Commission voted… References and Footnotes Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook post, April 6, 2015, https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102033678947881 ↩ Issie Lapowsky, "Mark Zuckerberg Can’t Have It Both Ways on Net Neutrality," Wired, accessed June 10, 2015. http://www.wired.com/2015/04/internet-org-zero-rating/.   ↩ Ibid. ↩ Mat Honan, "Facebook-Backed Nonprofit Brings Free Internet to Zambia," Wired, accessed June 10, 2015, http://www.wired.com/2014/07/internet-org-zambia ↩ Leo Mirani, "Millions of Facebook Users Have No Idea They’re Using the Internet," Quartz, accessed June 10, 2015, http://qz.com/333313/milliions-of-facebook-users-have-no-idea-theyre-using-the-internet[/ref] This has lead John Naughton of the Guardian to argue "[t]he goal of public policy everywhere should be to increase access to the internet—the whole goddam internet, not some corporate-controlled alcove.” John Naughton, "If the Price of Giving Everyone Internet Access Is Total Domination by Facebook, It’s Not worth It, The Guardian, accessed June 10, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/11/internet-access-developing-nations-facebook-domination. ↩ "Mozilla's Mitchell Baker Offers Alternatives to Zero-rating for Internet Services," MediaNama, May 7, 2015, accessed June 10, 2015, http://www.medianama.com/2015/05/223-mozillas-mitchell-baker-offers-alternatives-to-zero-rating-for-internet-services ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

Secure Communities 2.0: Broken Promises and Broken Families

Brian Chernick January 19, 2016

Communities within Los Angeles… References and Footnotes“L.A. County ends contract with ICE, then OKs future collaboration” Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ice-los-angeles-287g-20150512-story.html ↩Joseph Tanfani and Kate Linthicum, “L.A. County Ends Contract with ICE, Then OKs Future Collaboration,” Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2015, accessed May 27, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ice-los-angeles-287g-20150512-story.html. ↩ “U.S. deportations of immigrants reach record high in 2013” Pew Research Center, October 2, 2014, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/10/02/u-s-deportations-of-immigrants-reach-record-high-in-2013 ↩ “How to improve an immigration status check” The Washington Post, March 20, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-to-improve-an-immigration-status-check/2011/02/04/ABf93O3_story.html ↩ “Legitimacy Of Secure Communities Program Weakened,” ABC News/Univision, December 12, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/legitimacy-secure-communities-program-weakened/story?id=17921778 ↩“How to Improve an Immigration Status Check,” The Washington Post, March 20, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-to-improve-an-immigration-status-check/2011/02/04/ABf93O3_story.html ↩“Secure Communities,” Department of Homeland Security, November 20, 2014, http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_secure_communities.pdf ↩“PEP-Comm: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?” New America Media, November 25, 2014, http://newamericamedia.org/2014/11/pep-comm-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing.php ↩“Legal Noncitizens Receive Longest ICE Detention,” TRAC Immigration, June 3, 2013, http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/321 ↩ “Gov. Brown signs 'Trust Act' prohibiting detaining undocumented for deportation in minor arrests,” Southern California Public Radio, October 5, 2013, http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/10/05/39668/california-gov-jerry-brown-signs-trust-act-into-la/ ↩“Civillmmi Ration Enforcement: Guidance on the Use of Detainers in the Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Criminal Justice Systems,” Department of Homeland Security, December 21, 2012, http://www.ice.gov/doclib/detention-reform/pdf/detainer-policy.pdf ↩ “Secretary Napolitano's Memorandum Concerning the Exercise of Prosecutorial Discretion for Certain Removable Individuals Who Entered the United States as a Child,” Department of Homeland Security, June 15, 2012,http://www.ice.gov/doclib/about/offices/ero/pdf/s1-certain-young-people-morton.pdf ↩ “Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion Consistent with the Civil Immigration Enforcement Priorities of the Agency for the Apprehension, Detention, and Removal of Aliens” Department of Homeland Security, June 17, 2011, http://www.ice.gov/doclib/secure-communities/pdf/prosecutorial-discretion-memo.pdf ↩“Secure Communities and ICE Deportation: A Failed Program?” TRAC Immigration, April 8, 2014, http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/349 ↩“UIC: Latino Perceptions of Police Involvement in Immigration Enforcement,” National Day Laborer Organizing Network, May 8, 2013, http://www.ndlon.org/en/resources/item/791-uic-latino-perceptions ↩“Documents Reveal Pressure to Comply With Program to Deport Immigrants,” New York Times, March 26, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/us/27cncimmigration.html ↩“Trust Act Passed Too Late For Sacramento Mother,” ABC 7 News, June 18th, 2012, http://abc7news.com/archive/8741313/ ↩“Domestic-Violence Victim Calls 911 And Is Nearly Deported,” ABC 7 News, May 12, 2011, http://abc7.com/archive/8128621 ↩ “Noncriminals Swept up in Federal Deportation Program,” April 25, 2011, http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/25/local/la-me-secure-communities-20110425 ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

The GM-Faux

Brian Chernick July 22, 2015

Humanity has been genetically modifying foods since the beginning days of… References and Footnotes“Public and Scientists’ Views on Science and Society,” January 29, 2015, http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/29/public-and-scientists-views-on-science-and-society ↩“GMOs And The Dilemma Of Bias,” January 7, 2014, http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2014/01/07/260184901/gmos-and-the-dilemma-of-bias ↩“Food with Integrity: G-M-Over It,” 2015, http://chipotle.com/gmo ↩“Labelize It!” http://www.benjerry.com/GMO ↩“The Danger Of GMOs: Is It All In Your Mind?” April 27, 2015, http://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/04/27/402482753/the-danger-of-gmos-is-it-all-in-your-mind ↩“Tortilla Reform,” May 5, 2015, https://medium.com/natural-resources-defense-council/tortilla-reform-53117f2d96db ↩“Roundup and Risk Assessment,” April 10, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/roundup-and-risk-assessment ↩“The BfR has finalised its draft report for the re-evaluation of glyphosate,” February 4, 2015, http://www.bfr.bund.de/en/the_bfr_has_finalised_its_draft_report_for_the_re_evaluation_of_glyphosate-188632.html ↩ “Unhealthy Fixation,” July 15, 2015, http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/07/are_gmos_safe_yes_the_case_against_them_is_full_of_fraud_lies_and_errors.html ↩“Genetically Modified Food,” December 3, 2014, http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/upcoming-debates/item/1161-genetically-modify-food ↩“Impacts of genetically engineered crops on pesticide use in the U.S. -- the first sixteen years,” September 28, 2014, http://www.enveurope.com/content/24/1/24 ↩Ilya Somin, “Over 80 percent of Americans support “mandatory labels on foods containing DNA,” January 17, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/01/17/over-80-percent-of-americans-support-mandatory-labels-on-foods-containing-dna ↩“Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States,” February, 2014,http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err-economic-research-report/err162/report-summary.aspx ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

Gentrifying Skid Row

Brian Chernick July 15, 2015

In 2013, the homeless population in the United States sat… References and Footnotes“Homelessness in the United States: Trends and demographics” December 4, 2014, http://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/health-care/homelessness-u-s-trends-demographics ↩“Los Angeles Confronts a Spike in Homelessness Amid Prosperity,” June 12, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/us/los-angeles-confronts-a-spike-in-homelessness-amid-prosperity.html ↩“L.A. City Council vote makes it easier to clear homeless camps,” June 17, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-homeless-belongings-20150617-story.html ↩“The gentrification of Skid Row - a story that will decide the future of Los Angeles,” March 5, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/05/gentrification-skid-row-los-angeles-homeless ↩L.A. City Council vote makes it easier to clear homeless camps,” June 17, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-homeless-belongings-20150617-story.html ↩L.A. City Council vote makes it easier to clear homeless camps,” June 17, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-homeless-belongings-20150617-story.html ↩“Garcetti shifts stance, won't enforce tough new homeless measures,” June 30, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-garcetti-homeless-20150630-story.html ↩The U.S. Cities Where It Takes the Longest to Be Able to Afford to Buy a Home,” March 16, 2015, http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/03/the-us-cities-where-it-takes-the-longest-to-be-able-to-afford-to-buy-a-home/387766 ↩“Shelter Beds Stay Empty as Homeless Resist Confinement,” December 27, 2000, http://articles.latimes.com/2000/dec/27/local/me-5180 ↩“Gentrification and affordable housing can coexist in Los Angeles,” January 24, 2014, http://www.dailynews.com/opinion/20140124/gentrification-and-affordable-housing-can-coexist-in-los-angeles-richard-j-riodan-and-tim-rutten ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

The Digital Clash

Brian Chernick June 17, 2015

In late 2014 the two largest smart phone and tablet… References and Footnotes"A Message from Tim Cook about Apple's Commitment To your Privacy," Apple, accessed June 17, 2015. http://www.apple.com/privacy ↩"A Sweet Lollipop, with a Kevlar Wrapping: New Security Features in Android 5.0.," Official Android Blog, accessed June 17, 2015. ↩"As Encryption Spreads, U.S. Grapples with Clash between Privacy, Security," Washington Post, accessed June 17, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/as-encryption-spreads-us-worries-about-access-to-data-for-investigations/2015/04/10/7c1c7518-d401-11e4-a62f-ee745911a4ff_story.html. ↩"Apple Will No Longer Unlock Most iPhones, iPads for Police, Even with Search Warrants," Washington Post, accessed June 17, 2015. ↩"Apple and Others Encrypt Phones, Fueling Government Standoff," Wall Street Journal, accessed June 17, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-and-others-encrypt-phones-fueling-government-standoff-1416367801. ↩"Cell-Phone Fingerprint Ruling: 5 Things You Should Know," FindLaw Blotter, accessed June 17, 2015, http://blogs.findlaw.com/blotter/2014/11/cell-phone-fingerprint-ruling-5-things-you-should-know.html. ↩Nicholas Carlson, "The Director Of The FBI Is Worried Apple And Google Are Making Life Easier For Criminals," Business Insider, September 25, 2014, accessed June 17, 2015, http://www.businessinsider.com/the-director-of-the-fbi-is-worried-apple-and-google-are-making-life-easier-for-criminals-2014-9[/ref] Chicago's Chief of Detectives made statements to the Washington Post in light of the news that Apple's iPhone would become "the phone of choice for the pedophile."James Cook, "POLICE: 'Apple Will Become The Phone Of Choice For The Pedophile,'" Business Insider, September 26, 2014, accessed June 17, 2015, http://www.businessinsider.com/police-apple-will-become-the-phone-of-choice-for-the-pedophile-2014-9. ↩"The Police Tool That Pervs Use to Steal Nude Pics From Apple’s ICloud," Wired.com, accessed June 17, 2015, http://www.wired.com/2014/09/eppb-icloud ↩Sean Gallagher, "IRS System Mined for over 100,000 Taxpayer Records by Fraudsters [Updated]," accessed June 17, 2015. ↩“Chinese Hack Compromised Security-clearance Database,” Washington Post, accessed June 17, 2015, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/chinese-hack-of-government-network-compromises-security-clearance-files/2015/06/12/9f91f146-1135-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html ↩

Policy CornerVendettas of the Week

The Hidden Costs of Free Internet

Brian Chernick June 10, 2015

Early this year, the Federal Communications Commission… References and Footnotes Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook post, April 6, 2015, https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102033678947881 ↩ Issie Lapowsky, "Mark Zuckerberg Can’t Have It Both Ways on Net Neutrality," Wired, accessed June 10, 2015. http://www.wired.com/2015/04/internet-org-zero-rating/.   ↩ Ibid. ↩ Mat Honan, "Facebook-Backed Nonprofit Brings Free Internet to Zambia," Wired, accessed June 10, 2015, http://www.wired.com/2014/07/internet-org-zambia ↩ Leo Mirani, "Millions of Facebook Users Have No Idea They’re Using the Internet," Quartz, accessed June 10, 2015, http://qz.com/333313/milliions-of-facebook-users-have-no-idea-theyre-using-the-internet[/ref] This has lead John Naughton of the Guardian to argue "[t]he goal of public policy everywhere should be to increase access to the internet—the whole goddam internet, not some corporate-controlled alcove.” John Naughton, "If the Price of Giving Everyone Internet Access Is Total Domination by Facebook, It’s Not worth It, The Guardian, accessed June 10, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/11/internet-access-developing-nations-facebook-domination. ↩ "Mozilla's Mitchell Baker Offers Alternatives to Zero-rating for Internet Services," MediaNama, May 7, 2015, accessed June 10, 2015, http://www.medianama.com/2015/05/223-mozillas-mitchell-baker-offers-alternatives-to-zero-rating-for-internet-services ↩