One of Gov. Brown's closest, long-time policy advisers, labor guru Marty Morgenstern, has stepped down and is being replaced by David Lanier.
From the LAT's Anthony York: "Marty Morgenstern, a longtime confidant of Gov. Jerry Brown who returned to state government to head the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency in 2011, has stepped down, according to a statement released by the governor’s office Wednesday."
"Brown named David Lanier one of his top legislative aides, as Morgenstern's replacement. Morgenstern, who turns 79 later this month, will remain on as an unpaid senior advisor to the governor."
"Morgenstern’s resignation comes as the state’s unemployment benefits system, which is run by a department within the labor agency, has come under fire for software glitches that have led to delays in tens of thousands of benefit checks. Brown spokesman Jim Evans said on Wednesday that there was “absolutely no connection” between Morgenstern’s departure and the unemployment benefits problems, adding that “it was always Marty’s intention to retire at this time.”
Speaking of labor, California's agency that handles jobless benefits for unemployed workers spoke of their computer woes and a crushing backlog of calls.
From thme Bee's David Siders: "As officials in charge of a computer problem that delayed jobless benefits for nearly 150,000 Californians appeared for the first time before an Assembly committee Wednesday, front-line employees testified the department is still buckling under a backlog of calls."
"Irene Livingston, an employment program representative for the Employment Development Department in San Jose, said it remains “nearly impossible” for out-of-work Californians to reach an employee at EDD. She told members of the Assembly Insurance Committee the department is overwhelmed with telephone calls and an email system that remains backlogged."
“There’s literally hundreds of thousands of messages that have yet to receive a response,” she said."
The leader of the Senate says State Sen. Ron Calderon, whose offices were raided during the summer by the FBI as part of a corruption probe, should be taken off his powerful perch as chair of Senate Insurance.
From the LAT's Melanie Mason: "Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said Wednesday that embattled state Sen. Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) should be temporarily removed as chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee while he faces a federal bribery probe."
"The investigation, detailed last week in a television report by Al Jazeera America, includes allegations that Calderon accepted $88,000 in bribes in exchange for his help in influencing legislation. The allegations were contained in what the network reported as a sealed FBI affidavit."
"Steinberg, in a statement, said he was not casting judgment on the truthfulness of the allegations, but believed it was unwise for Calderon to keep his committee posts."
Twitter, the online purveyor of endless snippets of comment, goes public today in what Wall Street observers say is going to be a big pay day.
From the Chronicle's Benny Evangelista: "Twitter on Wednesday priced its initial public offering of stock at $26 per share, making co-founder Evan Williams an on-paper billionaire and generating millions of dollars for other key investors and executives as the San Francisco microblogging service prepares to hit Wall Street on Thursday morning."
"The company has raised $1.82 billion from the sale of 70 million shares, making it the largest tech company IPO since Facebook in May 2012."
"Many analysts are expecting the stock will "pop," or rise the moment it goes on sale on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TWTR."
Stem cell research at UC San Diego just got as big boost: A North Dakota billionaire kicked in with $100 million.
From David Jensen in the California Stem Cell Report: "The richest man in South Dakota, a state that looks askance at human embryonic stem cell research, is giving $100 million to promote the stem cell field in California."
"He is Denny Sanford, a 77-year-old billionaire who made his fortune in the credit card business. Sanford is donating the money to UC San Diego. In a press release from the university, he said, “I believe we’re on the cusp of turning years of hard-earned knowledge into actual treatments for real people in need. I want this gift to push that reality faster and farther.”
"The gift is not Sanford's first to stem cell research in the San Diego area. He gave $30 million to Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine in 2008."
