Loren Taylor

Campaign finance records show the former Oakland City Council member, business consultant and biomedical engineer and his backers outspent the better-known former Rep. Barbara Lee in the April 15 special election to replace recalled former Mayor Sheng Thao, a remarkable show of support.

Omar Torres

Former San Jose City Council member representing the downtown district who resigned last fall after a string of sexual abuse scandals, pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting an underage relative in the 1990s. He earlier had claimed text messages to another man expressing sexual interest in boys was just fantasy role-playing.

Fast food workers

A year after a state law restaurant owners fought that hiked their minimum wage from $16.50 to $20, many say it’s improved their lives and some research has found minimal impact on jobs, hours and prices. But other more recent studies found a loss of 16,000 to 23,000 fast food jobs.