February 2016 | Page 3 of 7

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Covered CA draws state and industry fire

Struggling to prove that it has stabilized its business model, Covered California rebuffed criticism from industry leaders burned by their Obamacare experience, while a new state report called the exchange’s own practices and plans into question. Most recently, Covered California fired back at

Kashkari makes splash in new job with Fed

Chris Reed February 22, 2016

California’s 2014 Republican gubernatorial nominee Neel Kashkari has dropped a bombshell in his new job as president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. In a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., the 42-year-old former PIMCO executive and Orange County

CA still struggling with unfunded liabilities

James Poulos February 21, 2016

Despite a concerted effort from Gov. Jerry Brown to keep California from slipping back into the financial abyss, the state’s finances remain threatened by massive unfunded obligations. “It’s California’s debt and liabilities that are concerning financial analysts, particularly the state’s rapidly

High costs plague embattled high-speed rail

James Poulos February 20, 2016

Despite a major shift in its construction strategy, newly anticipated budget overruns hit California’s beleaguered high-speed rail project, as citizens and lawmakers mounted fresh challenges to the scheme. “California High-Speed Rail Authority employees are warning of possible cost overruns on the

Patterson bill: Pay for your own special election

Matt Fleming February 19, 2016

State legislators occasionally leave office early — often for higher office or to cash in as a lobbyist — sticking taxpayers with the hefty price tag of electing a replacement. But a bill introduced Friday would shift the costs from taxpayers to

Utilities Commission sides with Edison over family killed by downed power line

Chris Reed February 19, 2016

The California Public Utilities Commission has had an extremely rough two years. Its former longtime director, Michael Peevey, is facing criminal changes for his actions in arranging for ratepayers to pay 70 percent of the $4.7 billion cost of shuttering

Effort underway to require legislators wear emblems of top donors

James Poulos February 19, 2016

The movement to emblazon state legislators with the logos of their donors has collected tens of thousands of signatures for its would-be ballot initiative. “The measure, formally called the ‘Name All Sponsors California Accountability Reform (or NASCAR. Get it?) Initiative,’ would

UC Berkeley deficit crisis threatens its long-term stability

James Poulos February 19, 2016

Dramatically reopening what had seemed to be a settled matter, the University of California at Berkeley revealed plans for a sweeping spending reassessment due to vast deficits. Berkeley chancellor Nicholas Dirks said “the university had a ‘substantial and growing’ deficit that could threaten its

Race for CA Democratic Party chair heats up

Matt Fleming February 18, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO – Kimberly Ellis has spent the last eight years trying to get more Democratic women elected to office. And now she’s the latest woman she’s trying to elevate to a top post. She says the California Democratic Party needs

ICE raids face CA resistance

James Poulos February 18, 2016

Amid a fresh wave of immigration enforcement crackdowns, several powerful organizations in California have flexed their muscle to protect or benefit those present in the state illegally. The city of Los Angeles has become a focal point for several different efforts,