The L.A. Kings are on the verge of their second championship in three years after shutting out the New York Rangers 3 to 0. The Kings lead the Stanley Cup Final three games to zip. After a pair of overtime nail-biters in L.A., the Kings cruised to victory in Game 3 in New York last nightbehind the stellar goal keeping of Jonathan Quick. The Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team ever to come back from a three-nil deficit in the Stanley Cup Final, and that was in 1942. The Kings captured their first Stanley Cup Championship two years ago. They can clinch their second tomorrow night in New York. The game starts at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
A decision is expected today in a lawsuit that could be a game changer for California teachers. A group of students’ claims the state’s tenure rules that make it hard to fire incompetent teachers deprive them of a good education. There’s been more than two months of testimony in the case. lawyers for teachers object to proposed changes that they say would allow educators to be fired on a whim. They say the current system preserves academic freedom and helps attract talented people to a profession that doesn’t pay well.
Republican Neel Kashkari wants Gov. Jerry Brown to debate him not once, not twice…but 10 times! Kashkari finished a distant second to Brown in last week’s gubernatorial primary. He’s calling on the governor to commit to both Town Hall style debates and traditional debates in five different regions of the state before the November run-off. Brown has been noncommittal. A spokesman says the governor is considering the request.
Donald Sterling has done an about face…again. The embattled Clippers owner lashed out the NBA yesterday – saying the team is not for sale, that he never wanted to part with it, and that he plans to sue the basketball league for $1 billion in federal court. Sterling had reportedly signed off on a sale of the Clippers to former Microsoft exec Steve Ballmer for a record-breaking $2 billion. But first he wanted the NBA to rescind the lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine it slapped on him for making offensive comments about African Americans. The league says it won’t do that.
After retreating from its entry in California over a decade ago, Dunkin’ Donuts is headed back to the West Coast. Plans are to open five stores in SoCal starting this fall: Santa Monica, Long Beach Whittier, Downey and Modesto. Company officials say it’s the start of a push to open 200 stores over the next few years. Food industry analysts say the breakfast market is the only one that’s growing, and Dunkin’ Donuts is expanding its menu to include more substantial items than donuts. They’ll have to contend with Starbucks, which has a stranglehold in California with 2,000 stores.