Here's your daily briefing...
Big jump-start for electric cars: regulators approved $15 million in public funding in an effort to attract investors to build more charging stations for electric vehicles. Initial funds will go to the Center for Sustainable Energy to create more incentives.
No, Carolina: California taxpayers won’t be paying to send any officials to North Carolina in the foreseeable future. That’s because a new bill replacing North Carolina’s controversial bathroom-bill was ruled discriminatory by California’s attorney general. The southern state’s law prohibits transgendered people from using the restroom of their choice. Kansas, Mississippi and Tennessee are also on the list.
Payout in abuse case: A jury has awarded about $4.5 million to the family of a boy who wandered away from a group home in Davis and was sexually and physically assaulted. Jurors found that the then 11-year-old was severely neglected by caregivers while living at the facility and that facility managers concealed information from the boy and his family.
Lawsuit off and running: The California State University system is suing the maker of a newly installed running track at the Sacramento campus. According to the suit, the $1.4 million track began deteriorating shortly after construction.
Youngster recovering: Officials at San Bernardino identified 9-year-old Nolan Brandy as one of the children shot during a murder-suicide attack at an elementary school there. Brandy is reportedly in good spirits and is recovering. Cedric Anderson killed himself and his estranged wife, teacher Karen Elaine Smith, during class. Jonathan Martinez, 8, was also struck by gunfire. Martinez succumbed to his injuries.
Vaccination compliance on rise: Nearly 96 percent of kindergarteners have received all required vaccinations according to public health officials. Vaccination rates have risen since state lawmakers largely scrapped the ability of parents to opt-out based on “personal beliefs” after a smallpox outbreak was linked to unvaccinated children visiting Disneyland.
And on the California Report: More on vaccinations and the growing compliance…A few state Democratic lawmakers are in Canada this week as they look for ways to fund a proposal to bring a universal, single-payer, health insurance program to California…State officials are urging low income Californians not to miss out on important tax breaks and credits they are entitled to…and a treasure trove of films of above ground atomic tests are being restored by officials at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with the aim of better calculating the destructive force of the US military’s nuclear arsenal.