Former Assemblyman dies at 39 -- Former Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh, once chairman of the Legislature's Democratic Latino Caucus, died Tuesday morning at the age of 39. Firebaugh had battled a liver ailment during his time in the Assembly and succumbed to complications from liver disease, according to the office of Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee LAURA KURTZMAN AP -- 3/21/06

Lawsuit Seeks Ban On Voting Machines -- The saga over what kinds of voting machines Californians will use in June continues, as a new lawsuit has been filed challenging the approval from Secretary of State Bruce McPherson of certain electronic touchscreen machines. John Myers KQED weblog -- 3/21/06

Schwarzenegger Fresno -- Schwarzenegger also sat down with The Fresno Bee’s editorial board. He said he is standing by Reiner, whom he called "a friend," until there is evidence of wrongdoing. "Innocent until proven guilty," he said. John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 3/21/06

At Schwarzenegger fundfest, fingers point at McCain -- A high-priced fundraiser Monday night in Beverly Hills for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger featured special guest Sen. John McCain of Arizona, whose appearance Democrats and some government watchdogs say skirted the federal campaign finance law he helped enact. Mark Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/06

Schwarzenegger, GOP raise $2.5 million at SoCal fundraiser -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state GOP collected an estimated $2.5 million at a fundraiser headlined by Sen. John McCain that helped replenish coffers drained by a failed ballot measure campaign last year. Top donors kicked in as much as $100,000 to attend Monday night's dinner and reception at the Beverly Hilton while about 200 protesters from teacher, firefighter and other unions protested outside. MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP -- 3/21/06

Unions Protest Governor's Fundraising -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's drive to raise tens of millions of dollars for his reelection has set off a backlash by organized labor, with unions trying to ensure that his hunt for money remains a prime source of political trouble. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/21/06

Westly, Angelides ignoring state's biggest issue -- The 30-second commercial begins with a quick black-and-white image of the candidate, and the words, "He's always been a problem solver." Then it flashes through color shots of Steve Westly outside the offices of eBay, where he once worked, in scenes from his current job as state controller, and on the campaign trail. Daniel Weintraub in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

Mike Carona -- Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona lost his Republican Party's endorsement Monday night by one vote, signalling a tough primary fight for the two-term incumbent. PEGGY LOWE in the Orange County Register -- 3/21/06

Richard Pombo -- GOP leaders have appointed Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, vice-chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, making him a front-runner for the panel's top post when it opens in 2008. Pombo's term as chairman of the House Resources Committee expires in two years, coinciding with the expiration of the term of the current Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. The House restricts committee chairmanships to six years. Lisa Vorderbrueggen in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/21/06

Timing of preschool ads at issue -- The state agency under fire for using tax dollars to promote preschool as a preschool initiative was qualifying for the June ballot has a history of hitting the airwaves while voters are considering measures that could change its programs. Laura Mecoy in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

A multitude of conflicts doomed infrastructure plan's chances -- Whoever coined the aphorism that success has many fathers while failure is an orphan perfectly described the aftermath of California's political stalemate on a much-needed, long-term plan to improve the state's deteriorating highways, levees, water systems and other public works. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

Perata builds on breakdown of bond deal -- Losers in the infrastructure bond war clutter the political scene, from the governor to regular Californians, except for one lawmaker who may swiftly win final approval of $1 billion for levees and seems to be taking over future public works upgrade plans. Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/21/06

Fight building over state's tax-filing program -- California has hit on a way to make Tax Day a little less taxing for as many as a million filers: Do the work for them. Kate Folmar in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/21/06

Maywood, Where Roads Open Up for Immigrants -- At a time when communities across the nation are considering efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, one small city south of downtown Los Angeles is charting a different course. Hector Becerra in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/21/06

Cunningham antiques -- The remnants of Randy “Duke” Cunningham's lavish lifestyle now occupy the back wall of a giant warehouse here, sharing space with dozens of other items appropriated by the federal government. Alex Roth in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/21/06

Fox Not Shy in Touting Record -- Mexico's leader points to economic gains as his term winds down. Some say his efforts fell short. Marla Dickerson in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/21/06

Feinstein urges regime change -- Rumsfeld out -- President Bush should replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld with new leaders in charge of the war effort who will start pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq, a downbeat Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Monday. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle Phil Yost in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/21/06

Need for new U.S. nuclear arsenal disputed -- Scientists say evidence is mounting that the radioactive plutonium used in nuclear weapons could have a far longer useful life than previously estimated, raising questions about the need for an expensive Bush administration program to build more than a thousand replacement warheads. James Sterngold in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/06

Archdiocese halts same-sex adoptions at Catholic Charities -- The Archdiocese of San Francisco will no longer allow same-sex couples to adopt children through its Catholic Charities agency, a spokesman for the archdiocese said Monday. Catholic Charities has placed five children with same-sex couples since 2000, but a statement from Archbishop George Niederauer makes clear there will be no more, said Maurice Healy, spokesman for the archdiocese. Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle John Simerman in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/21/06

Changzhou hopes to be a magnet for U.S. companies -- It's probably a safe bet to say most Americans know little or nothing about the Chinese city of Changzhou. If the city fathers and their contacts in Silicon Valley have their way, however, that will soon change. David Armstrong in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/06

2 food union locals plan to merge -- In a response to the harsh new realities of the grocery business, the union representing supermarket workers in greater Sacramento plans to merge with its Fresno counterpart. The tentative agreement between Roseville Local 588 and Fresno Local 1288 of the United Food and Commercial Workers is an effort to increase bargaining power in an era of contract concessions. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

Mexico wages immigration ad blitz -- In what Mexican government officials are calling an unprecedented move to reach out to American citizens, Mexico published a full-page advertisement Monday in the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and The Washington Post, explaining the two countries' "shared responsibility" for immigration. WILLIAM FINN BENNETT in the North County Times -- 3/21/06

Overseas workers paying high price for paychecks -- Exhausted from a 13-hour work day, Tony Sia Ingsi trudges to the cramped room he shares with two Filipino immigrants in West San Jose. There are three twin beds, and towels dry on a curtain rod. The home he yearns for is across the Pacific. In a Manila suburb, his family lives in relative comfort, thanks to his labor and thrift. But after 25 years working overseas, he wonders if it is worth it. ``My sons are too old for me to hug,'' Sia Ingsi said. ``I get sad if I think about it.'' K. Oanh Ha in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/21/06

L.A. Mayor Gets Takeover Tutorial in New York -- Seeking advice on his bid to run the Los Angeles schools, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa journeyed 3,000 miles Monday to study how New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg won control of the nation's largest public school system. Villaraigosa conducted a whirlwind tour of the city's education establishment, visiting Bloomberg, his schools chief, business leaders and the head of the local teachers union. Duke Helfand in the Los Angeles Times Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/21/06

Clash over plan to tighten standards for 2-year degree -- California's community college system is open to nearly all comers. But it may get tougher for students to leave the colleges with a degree in hand. The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges last year recommended raising the minimum English and math requirements for the two-year associate degree, the only degree community colleges can award. Deepa Ranganathan in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

Chapman University -- Chapman University is poised to finish its film facility and vie to be a top movie school. ELLYN PAK and COURTNEY BACALSO in the Orange County Register -- 3/21/06

Choices Shrink in Drug Plan -- One of the first independent studies of the Medicare prescription benefit has concluded that many low-income California seniors now have access to a narrower range of drugs than when the state covered their medications, according to a report being released today. Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/21/06

Widow's Legal Battle With Philip Morris -- Five years after a landmark defeat in a Los Angeles courtroom, tobacco giant Philip Morris USA has exhausted its appeals and will have to pay record damages of more than $82 million to the widow of a longtime smoker of its Marlboro cigarettes. Myron Levin in the Los Angeles Times Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/06

Thimerosal linked to immune system ills -- In a study sure to fuel the controversy about the role of childhood vaccines in autism, scientists at UC Davis have found that a preservative used in some vaccines can disrupt the immune system, at least in mice. Study authors caution the findings do not specifically link use of thimerosal, which contains mercury, to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Dorsey Griffith in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

State parks access in peril? -- The $4 you pay to park your car for an all-day visit to a California state park barely buys you popcorn at a movie theater these days. State parks were always meant to be an affordable opportunity, an outdoor venture for just about everyone, but budget cutbacks could turn public places around Folsom Lake or camping among giant redwoods along the North Coast into costly, elitist experiences. M.S. Enkoji in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

22 Freeway Plan -- If approved, the 22 Freeway would be the first in Southern California to allow continuous access to a carpool lane. Cars and trucks with at least two occupants are allowed to use the lanes, as are motorcyclists and solo drivers in certain hybrid vehicles. David Reyes in the Los Angeles Times JIM RADCLIFFE in the Orange County Register -- 3/21/06

Pump Prices -- Nervousness about the supply of gasoline sends California's average retail price to $2.635, up 42 cents this year. Elizabeth Douglass in the Los Angeles Times Thuy-Doan Le in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

Air bill clears hurdle -- A lawmaker's quest to clean the San Joaquin Valley's air by junking smog-belching cars and trucks gained new life Monday when an Assembly panel approved legislation that would let some jalopy owners trade in for cleaner cars. Hank Shaw in the Stockton Record -- 3/21/06

SMUD, others hit by power crisis suit -- California officials and the state's two largest electric utilities have sued 20 municipal power companies from Sacramento to Los Angeles, seeking $500 million in refunds related to power sold during the energy crisis. Dale Kasler and Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

Bay Bridge's new eastern span -- When state officials open construction bids on Wednesday to build the tower for the new eastern half of the Bay Bridge, the target date to finish work will be 2013 -- 24 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake snapped the upper deck apart. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle Mike Adamick in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/21/06

Wineries addressing impact of cultivation on land and wildlife -- The Navarro River in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley once ran year-round, supporting robust runs of coho salmon and steelhead trout. Not any more. Glen Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/21/06

Delayed U.S. ruling irks fish industry -- As federal fisheries managers move inevitably closer to closing the Pacific Coast salmon season this year because of plummeting Klamath River runs, anger is building that the Commerce Department still hasn't ruled on an economic disaster declaration for last year's heavily restricted season. David Whitney in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/21/06

Feinstein sees wetlands effort start to pay off -- Three years after brokering the deal to buy 15,000 acres of South Bay salt ponds, Sen. Dianne Feinstein returned to check on efforts to restore them to more natural tidal wetlands. Douglas Fischer in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/21/06

Route chosen for controversial power line -- San Diego Gas & Electric Co. yesterday specified a precise route for the controversial power line it proposes to build across Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and a large swath of the county's northern backcountry. Craig D. Rose in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/21/06

Opponents of power line not expected to disappear -- With yesterday's long-anticipated unveiling of the preferred route for San Diego Gas & Electric Co.'s Sunrise Powerlink, the big question is whether the fire in the bellies of many opponents of the power line will diminish. J. Harry Jones in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/21/06

Activist considered soul of opposition to backcountry transmission line -- Kelly Fuller kept her cool yesterday as San Diego Gas & Electric revealed a proposed route for the Sunrise Powerlink, a new transmission line she strongly opposes. She kept her cool mostly, that is. Craig D. Rose in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/21/06

Review Sheriff Badge Issue -- The state attorney general's office will review the practice by some top Southern California law enforcement officials of issuing honorary badges and identification cards to political supporters and other members of the public, authorities said Monday. Stuart Pfeifer and Lance Pugmire in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/21/06

Former Lynwood Mayor Gets 16 Years in Scam -- Ex-Lynwood official Paul H. Richards II set up a sham corporation in a scheme that could have made him more than $6 million. Jean Guccione in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/21/06

Onetime Clerk Is at Center of Lodi Trial -- Naseem Khan has gone from a quiet job at an Oregon convenience store to the witness stand as FBI informer. Rone Tempest in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/21/06