The state's political watchdog is investigating potential financial conflicts of a ranking regulatory official at the office that rides herd over toxic waste.
From the LAT's Michael Mishak: "Officials at the Fair Political Practices Commission said Wednesday they have launched a formal probe into whether Odette Madriago, chief deputy director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control, took improper regulatory actions affecting the operations of oil, chemical and manufacturing companies in which she has financial interests."
"The toxics agency is responsible for managing the state's hazardous waste."
"Gark Winuk, chief of enforcement for the FPPC, said the ethics inquiry was spurred by media reports and a complaint filed by Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based group that has accused the toxics agency of allowing polluters to operate on expired permits for years and of neglecting to revoke the permits of companies that repeatedly flouted environmental laws."
Lackluster sales of lottery tickets means that California schools will get less money than they hoped. State lottery officials hope that Powerball may make a difference.
From Tom Chorneau at the Cabinet Report: "As state officials prepare for California’s official entry in the national Powerball drawing beginning next week, the sales trend here for the first three quarters of 2012-13 has fallen short of projections – enough to cut the expected share going to schools to fall below last year’s allotment."
"While time and circumstances could still turnaround the situation, the drop in sales would be the first setback since the 2010 makeover that gave the California Lottery Commission authorization to set higher prize payouts in an effort to attract more players. Only last fall, the commission had expectations of a third straight year of sales growth with sales projections of reaching close to $5 billion and an expected share going to schools of close to $1.4 billion."
"Instead, sales may not reach $4.4 billion and thus the amount going to K-12 districts, community colleges and the university system may come in closer to $1.2 billion, lottery officials said this week."
President Obama went to San Francisco's posh Sea Cliff neighborhood to raise money for House Democrats, and ran into environmentalists protesting the Keystone XL pipeline.
From the Chronicle's Carla Marinucci and Drew Joseph: "The visit drew protests from opponents of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and from Republicans, who slammed it as a jaunt to "billionaires' row."
"Obama appeared first at a cocktail reception at the Sea Cliff home of billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor, where about 100 guests paid $5,000 to $34,200 to attend the fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee."
"The president, in Denver earlier Wednesday for a speech on gun control, landed at San Francisco International Airport about 5:30 p.m. As his motorcade neared Steyer and Taylor's home in Sea Cliff, it was met with cheers from Obama's fans."
Gov. Brown is heading to China for what he says is an effort to build economic ties with California.
From the LAT's Anthony York: "To help in that effort, Brown is to be in Shanghai on April 12 for the opening of a new state trade and investment office -- the first such foreign outpost California has opened since shuttering a dozen such facilities around the globe a decade ago."
"Brown is also to sign a series of environmental agreements with Chinese officials, and ride a bullet train from Beijing to Nanjing. The governor has made a high-speed train a centerpiece of his long-term vision for the state."
"The governor and a contingent of business leaders traveling with him, including executives of green energy companies, agriculture producers and some of Brown's largest political donors, are also scheduled to visit the southern Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen during the trip."
A statistical look at Californians' health shows a mixed bag -- some good news and some bad news.
From the Bee's Dan Walters: "Californians appear to be getting healthier in many respects, with drops in deaths attributable to cancer and many other major illnesses, as well as homicide and auto accidents, a new statistical report from the state Department of Public Health indicates."
"However, the state also is seeing an uptick in deaths from Alzheimer's disease, as well as suicide and chronic liver disease. The report covers three years -- 2009-2011 -- with comparisons to 2006-2008."
"For the first time, too, the state report on health-related issues compares California's experiences with the recommendations of the federal government's "Healthy People 2020" benchmarks."
