Brown reappoints top California high-speed rail leaders

Gov. Jerry Brown reappointed two leaders of California's embattled high-speed rail board days before leaving office.

He gave Dan Richard and Tom Richards fresh four-year terms on the board of directors that oversees the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which is tasked with building a high-speed train to shuttle passengers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than three hours. Richard and Richards were selected by their fellow board members as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.

Brown's action comes as the project is under renewed fire following a state audit that faulted it for poor contract management and beginning construction in the Central Valley before necessary approvals were in hand. That's on top of repeated delays and cost overruns; the project is now slated for completion in 2033 at a price tag of $77 billion.