Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan pledged millions of dollars to help fund struggling public schools in the Bay Area.
Brandon Bailey reports in The Mercury News: “The latest gift, which also comes from that fund, will help "improve education for underserved communities" over the next five years, Zuckerberg said. Some of the $120 million will help start new public and charter schools in the Bay Area while the rest will pay for equipment, training and other programs at existing schools. The first $5 million will go to needy schools in the Ravenswood and Redwood City school districts and other "high-need" neighborhoods of San Francisco.”
Independent expenditures spending floods California’s primary campaigns at $250,000 each day.
John Howard reports in Capitol Weekly: “The largest single amounts from independent expenditure committees, or IEs, came from the California Teachers Association in the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction. The CTA spent $1.1 million in support of incumbent Tom Torlakson, and spent another $1.1 million in opposition to Torlakson’s challenger, Marshall Tuck.”
Siracha is staying in California thanks to negotiations with Gov. Jerry Brown’s office and the City of Irwindale.
Frank Shyong reports for the Los Angeles Times: “Two representatives from the governor's office toured the factory with Irwindale officials Tuesday and sat in on the closed-door meeting between Mayor Mark Breceda, Councilman Julian Miranda and executives from Huy Fong Foods. But the governor's office did not offer any special incentives, the source said. No attorneys were present.”
Auditors blast Controller John Chiang’s office for a long track record of accounting errors.
John Ortiz writes in the Sacramento Bee: “The controller’s office “concurs” with their assessment, auditors said, “and believes that the challenges of high staff turnover and in recruiting qualified staff significantly contributed to the issues identified.” The controller also blamed budget cuts and late, erroneous data from “numerous agencies.”
California senators approved a measure to lift the state’s already increasing minimum wage.
Jennifer Chaussee reports for Reuters: “Just last year, California passed a law to increase its minimum wage to $9.00 an hour this summer from $8.00 an hour, with a bump to $10 an hour in 2016.”
“The latest measure, authored by Leno, would set the minimum wage at $11.00 an hour starting in 2015 and bump it to $13.00 an hour by 2017. It would also require the minimum wage to be re-assessed annually according to inflation rates starting in 2018.”
A bill to require the labeling of genetically modified foods failed to pass out of the Senate.
Patrick McGreevy reports in the Los Angeles Times: “However, the vote on the bill was 19-16, two votes short of the majority needed for passage, after some Democrats joined Republicans in opposing the measure.”
“Sen. Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) said the bill is “overkill,” and would undermine worldwide efforts to develop crops and other food to prevent starvation in developing countries. Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) countered: "I want to know what’s in my food."
A fraudulent wine collector in Northern California says he was foolish for manufacturing fake wine, but never meant to hurt anyone.
Larry Neumeister reports for the Associated Press: “Prosecutors say Kurniawan, 37, made between $8 million and $20 million from 2004 to 2012 by selling bogus bottles of wine he manufactured in his Arcadia, California kitchen. The government said the profits enabled him to live affluently in suburban Los Angeles, mingling with wealthy and influential people interested in vintage wine as he bought luxury cars, designer clothing and dined at the best restaurants.”
“The trial featured testimony from billionaire yachtsman, entrepreneur and wine investor William Koch, who said Kurniawan conned him into paying $2.1 million for 219 fake bottles of wine.”