California has unexpected state revenue of $6.6 billion

State revenue has rocketed far beyond projections, providing a $6.6 billion windfall that Gov. Jerry Brown  wants to use to boost education spending and help repair California’s battered finances.

In the revised budget plan Brown releases Monday morning, education spending would increase by about $3 billion over what he proposed in January. But Brown still hopes to maintain tax increases that are due to expire this year.

The  governor's budget says the revenue surge, which erases a substantial chunk of what had been a $15-billion deficit, is not enough to put the state in the black.

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$2 Billion for High-Speed Intercity Rail Projects

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced $2 billion in high-speed rail awards providing an unprecedented investment to speed up trains in the Northeast Corridor, expand service in the Midwest and provide new, state-of-the-art locomotives and rail cars as part of the Administration’s plan to transform travel in America.

Twenty-four states, the District of Columbia and Amtrak submitted nearly 100 applications, competing to be part of an historic investment that will create tens of thousands of jobs, improve mobility and stimulate American manufacturing.

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UCLA Hospital CEO puts patients first

Families waited months for appointments at the UCLA facility, and those who nabbed slots often had to arrange their frazzled lives around doctors' morning-only schedules. Then an upstart named David Feinberg took over.

The 32-year-old psychiatrist made same-day appointments available and handled extra cases. He scheduled visits in the afternoons so troubled youngsters wouldn't have to miss school, and he stocked the waiting room with fresh coffee and Graham crackers.

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