California boosts minimum wage

California's lowest-paid workers are getting a 50 cents-an-hour raise this year as the state increases the minimum wage to $8, making it among the highest in the nation.

The increase will boost the salaries of an estimated 1.4 million workers in the state. The list includes day-care workers, custodians, security guards and fast-food workers.

Virginia Garcia of Fresno, Calif. who works at Little Caesars Pizza, is happy to be earning more money.

"It is a big deal," said Garcia, 21. "It's just too bad that everything else is going up with it: rent, gas and food."

Garcia doesn't know how much more she will be earning. Her bigger paycheck will come next week.

"It is going to help. Every little bit helps," she said.

California's new minimum wage was approved by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2006 and was phased in over the past two years, rising from $6.75 in 2006. The new rate went into effect Jan. 1.

Nationwide, California's new minimum is tied with Massachusetts for second place. Washington state is the highest with $8.07.

Fraud trial starts for company that Enzyte

CINCINNATI -- The government will prove that an herbal supplement company defrauded customers of $100 million, mostly for sexual enhancement products, a federal prosecutor said during opening statements in the company's trial Wednesday.

The case against Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals and its executives is based on the systematic use of unauthorized credit card charges and thousands of complaints over unordered products, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Porter told jurors.

In opening statements for the defense, an attorney said the government is relying on tainted testimony and said the company's rapid growth caused the customer service problems.

Berkeley Nutraceuticals marketed a number of products it said would help in weight control, memory loss and clear skin, but its main business was sexual enhancement products such as Enzyte "male enhancement" pills.

The company claims Enzyte has 2 million users worldwide. Television ads for Enzyte feature "Smiling Bob," a goofy, grinning man whose life gets much better after he uses the product.

According to an indictment, customers responding to free-trial offers were placed in an automatic shipping program, through which credit cards were billed without authorization. The company at various times offered full refunds, "double your money back," and "triple your money back" guarantees that were false. It also is accused of referring complaints to a director of customer care who did not exist.