Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Governor Jerry Brown, an Oakland resident, has decided to fast-track the environmental review process for the Golden State Warriors’ proposed new arena in San Francisco, the Chron reports. Brown’s action stems from a 2011 law that allows the governor to fast-track the approval of key construction projects in the state. The Warriors’ proposed arena is one of just five projects that the governor has fast-tracked in the past four years.
2. Legislation that sought to establish a two-cents-per-ounce tax on soda and other sugary drinks in California died in an Assembly committee when key Democrats decided to vote against it, the LA Times$ reports. The Democrats argued that the soda tax would unfairly harm low-income residents the most. Revenues from the tax would have gone to public health education and prevention programs, with a special focus on diabetes.
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3. Tech-giant Intel announced that it’s awarding Oakland Tech and McClymonds high schools in Oakland a $5 million grant to fund computer science and engineering programs, the Trib$ reports.
4. About 20 percent of Californians fail to respond to jury-duty summons each year, thereby affecting the compositions of juries in the state, the Chron reports, citing a new study.
5. And US Senate Democrats, including Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, blocked an effort by President Obama to fast-track a new free trade initiative, the Chron reports. Democrats are concerned that the deal will lead to more jobs being shipped overseas. Most Republicans support Obama’s plan.
1. Governor Jerry Brown, an Oakland resident, has decided to fast-track the environmental review process for the Golden State Warriors’ proposed new arena in San Francisco, the Chron reports. Brown’s action stems from a 2011 law that allows the governor to fast-track the approval of key construction projects in the state. The Warriors’ proposed arena is one of just five projects that the governor has fast-tracked in the past four years.
2. Legislation that sought to establish a two-cents-per-ounce tax on soda and other sugary drinks in California died in an Assembly committee when key Democrats decided to vote against it, the LA Times$ reports. The Democrats argued that the soda tax would unfairly harm low-income residents the most. Revenues from the tax would have gone to public health education and prevention programs, with a special focus on diabetes.
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3. Tech-giant Intel announced that it’s awarding Oakland Tech and McClymonds high schools in Oakland a $5 million grant to fund computer science and engineering programs, the Trib$ reports.
4. About 20 percent of Californians fail to respond to jury-duty summons each year, thereby affecting the compositions of juries in the state, the Chron reports, citing a new study.
5. And US Senate Democrats, including Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, blocked an effort by President Obama to fast-track a new free trade initiative, the Chron reports. Democrats are concerned that the deal will lead to more jobs being shipped overseas. Most Republicans support Obama’s plan.