California secures a $5.4 billion bridge loan to tide it over in case Congress fails to raise the federal debt ceiling by the August 2 deadline. Two months after having his nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court blocked by Republican lawmakers in Washington, U.C. Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu is appointed to the California Supreme Court. Gov. Brown signs dozens of bills into law this month, including the California Dream Act, giving undocumented immigrants access to privately funded scholarships.