Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Governor Jerry Brown plans to endorse Councilmember Libby Schaaf this afternoon for mayor of Oakland, the Trib$ reports. Schaaf was an aide to Brown when he was mayor of the city. The governor’s endorsement is expected to be a boost to Schaaf’s campaign. A recent comprehensive poll had in her in a close third place in the race, behind Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, the frontrunner, and Mayor Jean Quan.
2. Governor Brown, who has a huge lead in the polls and is not mounting much of a reelection effort, has raised $6.2 million in less than three weeks for his two favored ballot measures — Proposition 1, a giant water bond, and Proposition 2, which would create a rainy day fund for the state. Brown plans to campaign heavily for the measures.
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3. The US Supreme Court opened the door for the expansion of gay marriage nationwide when it refused Monday to hear appeals from five states that want to ban same-sex weddings, the AP reports. The court’s decision effectively means that gay marriage is now legal in thirty states.
4. California is embarking on its first-ever inspection of railroad bridges in the state because of concerns over the increased shipment of highly explosive crude oil, the SacBee$ reports. Until now, the state had depended on railroad companies to keep tabs on bridges and overcrossings.
5. And the CHP has concluded that Caltrans officials did not violate the law in a case in which the agency was accused of retaliating against employees or contractors who raised concerns about bad welds on the new Bay Bridge, the SacBee$ reports.
