Oakland ordered to return millions in redevelopment funds

OAKLAND -- State regulators have rejected Oakland's multi-million dollar accounting "gimmick" that helped balance its books two years ago, a move that severely cuts into the city's rainy day reserve.Faced with a $58 million deficit in 2011, Oakland sold eight properties -- most notably the shuttered Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center -- to its redevelopment agency.The ...

Bay Area author on impact of dads CIA career

While growing up, Scott C. Johnson often wondered what his father did for a living. The family moved a lot. Keith Johnson was absent for extended periods, and there were whole areas of his life that seemed to be secret.Johnson was 14 when he learned the truth. His father took him aside and said, "Scotty, I'm a spy."For the younger Johnson, now 39, the admission had far-reaching ...

Ex-Googler Ben Ling joins friend Keith Rabois at Khosla

Former Googler and active angel investor Ben Ling has joined Khosla Ventures. Khosla Ventures has landed another high profile Silicon Valley tech exec an angel investor with the addition of Ben Ling to the firm. Ling most recently Ben was chief operating officer at Badoo, the London-based social networking site that helps users meet new people in their area. Before that he was with Google, ...

Proposed SF Condo High-Rise Could Cast Shadow On Union Square

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – The debate over plans to build a 47-story condominium tower on Mission Street downtown has spilled north of Market Street to Union Square, where opponents have raised concerns the building will cast too much shadow over the plaza. The mechanical penthouse atop 706 Mission Street has been modified enough to get the greenlight from both the City Planning Commission ...

Apple doubling lobbying spending this year

Apple Inc. may have a much smaller presence in Washington than other companies of its size, but could double its lobbying spending in 2013. Apple Inc. may have a much smaller presence in Washington than other companies of its size, but could double its lobbying spending in 2013. Reuters reports that Apple spent about $2 million on lobbying in 2012, and is "on pace to nearly double last ...