U.S. Agrees to Citigroup Bailout -- The federal government agreed Sunday to take unprecedented steps to stabilize Citigroup Inc. by moving to guarantee close to $300 billion in troubled assets weighing on the bank's books, according to people familiar with details of the plan. DAVID ENRICH, CARRICK MOLLENKAMP, MATTHIAS RIEKER, DAMIAN PALETTA and JOHN HILSENRATH in the Wall Street Journal ERIC DASH in the New York Times Neil Irwin and David Cho in the Washington Post -- 11/23/08

Schwarzenegger's frosty relationship with GOP lawmakers adds to budget battle -- In five years, Schwarzenegger has gone from a glad-handing governor hosting lawmakers in his smoking tent to one whose appearance at an Assembly Republican caucus in September prompted legislators to wear name tags. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Lawmakers deadlocked over car tax, budget cuts -- Not even fiscal crisis trumps partisan politics in California, where lawmakers remained sharply divided on a budget rescue plan Friday with time running out in this year's session. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Weintraub: Proposed cuts would hit disabled too hard -- As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators begin to grapple with a massive shortfall in the state budget, they will be inundated with desperate pleas from people who do not want their taxes raised or their services cut. Protesters have already begun their chants on the steps of the Capitol. Daniel Weintraub in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Calbreath: Sales taxes not best way to balance state budget -- When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unseated Gray Davis five years ago, one of his rallying cries was his pledge to cut taxes. Just last month, the governor called Barack Obama a “socialist” for his plan to raise taxes on the rich to cut taxes for the middle class. DEAN CALBREATH in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/23/08

Borenstein: State should expand what it taxes -- Californians pay sales tax on DVD rentals but not for admission to a movie theater. Gift-wrapping and tuxedo rentals are taxable, but laundry and dry-cleaning services are not. We pay sales tax on parts to repair our cars and computers, but not for the labor. Alterations to a new suit are usually taxed, but taking in the waistline of an old one is not. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times -- 11/23/08

Boren: Special budget session? It must be time to take a trip -- This is how seriously the California Legislature takes the state budget meltdown: More than a dozen legislators ducked the special session on the budget to take out-of-state junkets. Several went out of the country. Jim Boren in the Fresno Bee -- 11/23/08

Minority vote on Prop. 8 key to GOP future? -- Some California Republicans are saying they have found a key to expanding their fast-shrinking base, and it lies in the most glaring aspect of the Proposition 8 election results: the minority vote that went overwhelmingly for it. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 11/23/08

Prop. 8 is a tangle for state's high court -- This is a new case with new issues, and there's no way of guessing what the outcome will be. Only Justice Carlos Moreno seems to be signaling that he views Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. He voted to stay enforcement of the initiative while the case is being decided. Claire Cooper in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Gay-rights activists protest Prop. 8 at Capitol -- Opponents of Proposition 8 might have to go back to the ballot to reverse the ban on same-sex marriage, speakers told a crowd of about 5,000 at a loud and enthusiastic gay-rights rally in front of the state Capitol on Saturday. John Wilderm;uth in the San Francisco Chronicle Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Hollywood ponders the gay marriage fight -- After the passage of Proposition 8, some are calling for boycotts and firings. Others worry about free speech rights being trampled. Rachel Abramowitz and Tina Daunt in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Both sides in California's Prop. 8 battle look ahead to 2010 -- The gay-marriage ban issue could be back on the ballot in two years. Regardless, backers and foes are organizing supporters, waging a fierce public relations campaign and considering their next moves. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Walters: California headed for stretch of 'mediocrity' -- Surveys of Californians find them in a bleak mood – and no wonder. Not only is the economy in a tailspin – with the unemployment topping 8 percent – but even those with jobs find home equities and retirement accounts melting away. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Saunders: Whining, vendettas will do GOP no good -- In the months ahead, think tanks will convene to discuss the future of the GOP. Bor-ing, and futile. Some will argue that the Republican Party needs to move to the center. They have a point, as many economic conservatives are hungry for a candidate who treads lightly on social issues, and knows how to win office without waging culture war. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Quinn: GOP must win back Latino vote -- Of all the disasters that befell Republicans this November, none was worse than their drubbing in the Western states. John McCain's showing in California was the worst in a two-candidate race since Franklin Roosevelt beat Alf Landon in 1936. Tony Quinn in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Florez named Senate majority leader -- Dean Florez has been tapped the next state Senate majority leader, overseeing policy and procedure in California’s top house, keeping swing districts in Democratic hands and serving as an ambassador to the Assembly. CHRISTINE BEDELL in the Bakersfield Californian -- 11/23/08

Willie Brown: In this town, folks play all sides of any deal -- Writing a column does have its rewards. The cabdrivers are taking care of me like you wouldn't believe. They think I'm their champion in their fight with the hotel doormen steering business to town cars instead of cabs in return for a little something in their palms. But as you know, in this town, folks like to play all sides of any deal, especially if there is a buck to be made. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Matier & Ross: Bonds now blasting deer instead of baseballs -- Barry Bonds has put down his bat and picked up a gun in his new role as spokesman for Christensen Arms, a munitions company that specializes in high-powered hunting rifles. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

McClintock's 4th District lead widens to 1,800 votes -- State Sen. Tom McClintock on Friday surged to nearly a 1,800-vote lead in the tight congressional battle against Democrat Charlie Brown, perhaps sealing victory in the foothill 4th District. "We're not claiming victory, but we just think it's mathematically impossible for (Brown) to win," said Bill George, spokesman for McClintock. Dan Smith in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Tough times in Silicon Valley, but some hiring -- The good times are rolling to a halt in Silicon Valley, at least for awhile. Since the stock market crashed, many of the area's biggest employers - including Cisco, Intel, Applied Materials, AMD, Microsoft, Intuit, Sun Microsystems, Symantec, eBay, Google, Yahoo and SAP - have announced layoffs, cost cuts or, in some cases, both because their customers aren't spending enough. Deborah Gage in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Hard times and long lines for Southern Californians -- Some sought a cart of groceries the week before Thanksgiving, others sought a way to keep from losing their homes in the new year. By the thousands, a diverse group of Southern Californians converged on two events Saturday aimed at helping families in hard economic times. The problems, and the aid offered, were vastly different. But both reflected the worries and needs of many. Ruben Vives, Bob Pool and Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Helpers could use some help -- There will be plenty of turkey and volunteers at charities and soup kitchens around the county on Thanksgiving. It's the rest of the year that worries many nonprofit leaders. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/23/08

Desperate Southland homeowner plead case to IndyMac bankers -- On Saturday, Munn, 61, was among hundreds of Los Angeles-area financially beleaguered homeowners who packed into Van Nuys City Hall in hopes of having IndyMac Federal Bank modify their mortgage loans to avoid foreclosure. Munn has been so frustrated dealing with the bank that she hoped the nation's incoming president would hear the voices of people like herself who face losing their homes because banks won't modify loan terms. Tony Castro in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 11/23/08

PFF now U.S. Bank -- PFF Bank & Trust is now U.S. Bank. On Friday night, federal regulators seized the iconic Inland Empire institution that was started on Christmas Eve 1892 and sold it to the subsidiary of Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp - a well-capitalized financial company that is receiving $6.6 billion from the government's $700 billion bailout package. Matt Wrye in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 11/23/08

Cities lose revenue as Inland Empire auto dealerships close -- The proposed multibillion- dollar bailout of American auto manufacturers under debate in Washington could be of little help to the Inland Empire's economy and the region's car dealerships. Matt Wrye in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 11/23/08

Screen Actors Guild contract impasse could lead to strike -- After failing to negotiate with studios on payment for shows distributed on the Web, the union has decided to seek a strike authorization vote from its members. Richard Verrier in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Obama Aides Signal Deeper Cuts in Taxes and Spending -- President-elect Barack Obama has signaled that he will pursue a far more ambitious plan of spending and tax cuts than anything he outlined on the campaign trail — a plan "big enough to deal with the huge problem we face,” a top adviser said Sunday — setting the tone for a recovery effort that could absorb and define much of his term. JACKIE CALMES and JEFF ZELENY in the New York Times -- 11/23/08

Banking Regulator Played Advocate Over Enforcer -- When Countrywide Financial felt pressured by federal agencies charged with overseeing it, executives at the giant mortgage lender simply switched regulators in the spring of 2007. Binyamin Appelbaum and Ellen Nakashima in the Washington Post -- 11/23/08

Richardson to be commerce secretary -- President-elect Obama adds a prominent Hispanic and another one-time Democratic rival to his expanding Cabinet. AP -- 11/23/08

Lopez: Young diabetics at heart of school nurse dispute -- Liliana Parker, 8 years old and very cute, happened to be in front of the hippo display Friday morning at the Natural History Museum when it was time to check her blood sugar levels. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Fresno Pacific takes steps to fix budget shortfall -- Fresno Pacific University is trying to close a $2.2 million budget shortfall by slashing its contributions to employee retirement plans and stopping some workers from earning more paid vacation time for six months. The university also is selling 82 condos near the campus -- hoping to make $2 million. Doug Hoagland in the Fresno Bee -- 11/23/08

Stem cell efforts hit state roadblock -- State laws that are aimed at putting California at the global forefront of stem cell science are stymieing a promising avenue of research by creating a shortage of human eggs. Terri Somers in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/23/08

Researchers try to solve mystery of autism -- Who would have thought that Danielle Bell's Danville home might reveal clues for solving one of the biggest mysteries of modern medicine: the cause of a rapid rise in autistic children. Sandy Kleffman in the Contra Costa Times -- 11/23/08

New Suspect in Sports Doping Is, No Joke, Viagra -- When George Downey volunteered along with other lacrosse players at Marywood University to take Viagra for a study, he received a snickering nickname from his high school coach. His parents jokingly told their friends. Inquiring minds sent messages to his Facebook page. JERÉ LONGMAN in the New York Times -- 11/23/08

Don't count on gas costs staying low -- Could the era of cheap fuel be back? Oil costs one-third what it did this summer. Gasoline prices now average less than $2 per gallon, their lowest level in more than three years. Although California is a bit more expensive - about $2.20 per gallon - prices here are falling every day. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Auto show draws dreamers, optimists, car nuts -- Never mind the recession, or the fact that the nation's consumer confidence index last month fell to the lowest point since the Conference Board first measured it in 1967. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Tax hike to expand BART narrowly wins -- Voters narrowly approved a sales tax increase to help fund a BART extension into the South Bay, the latest vote tally shows. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Economy takes toll on state housing aid in Valley -- Two years ago, developers built 450 homes in Sanger. This year, the city has issued permits for just 14. Marc Benjamin in the Fresno Bee -- 11/23/08

Riders get 2 high-speed ferries for cost of one -- A pair of mothballed high-speed Washington state ferries will soon be hauling passengers between Marin and San Francisco. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Sylmar fire prompts rethinking of mobile home safety standards -- The state and county plan to research emergency evacuation plans, building codes and removal of flammable debris. Rules may get tougher. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

A time for reflection in fire-scarred Yorba Linda -- Rhythms of life shift in the upscale Southern California community as victims assess their losses, count their blessings and look ahead. Mike Anton in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Going for green travel in San Diego -- Putting eco-friendliness to the test, we discover that the city passes with its trolleys but fails in affordable hotel options. Scott Martelle in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Local fight against global warming: Activitists push for 'Cool Cities -- They came with the goal of saving the planet and left Saturday with a handy tool kit of ideas that began with how to approach City Hall. About 40 foot soldiers in the battle against global warming got their marching orders at a workshop in Mountain View offered by the Sierra Club and two other environmental organizations. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/23/08

Many Yuba, Sutter babies get bad start -- Rural areas often struggle with health care access and use, but this rice farming region just 40 miles north of the state Capitol stands apart, according to a Bee analysis of a decade of state health data. Almost half of pregnant women in Yuba and Sutter counties don't see a doctor during their first trimester, the highest rate in the state. About one in 10 don't see a doctor until the third trimester – or until their deliveries. Phillip Reese and Bobby Caina Calvan in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Psychiatric care's peril and profits -- Lapses in care at Psychiatric Solutions Inc., a major hospital chain with high earnings, have put patients at risk, regulators find. Some have even died. Christina Jewett and Robin Fields in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/23/08

Fire-prone, tax-wary -- Voters in backcountry areas most affected by wildfires provided least support for boosting firefighting funds, creating regional authority. Tony Manolatos and Craig Gustafson in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/23/08

Dry land's wet fate -- 12 Coronado homeowners say their yards are sliding into the bay from erosion linked to channel dredging, waves from Navy carriers. Janine Zúñiga in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/23/08

Story of San Francisco gay rights hero Harvey Milk finally makes it to the big screen -- At times in recent years, longtime gay activist Cleve Jones was fearful that the legacy of Harvey Milk — his late friend and mentor and a towering figure in the early gay rights movement — was fading into the mists of history. Charlie McCollum in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/23/08

A message? Witness to San Francisco rape is slain -- It was an unspeakable nightmare. As Andre Daniels was held at gunpoint outside his San Francisco housing project apartment early one morning three years ago, his wife was sexually assaulted inside their home while their two children slept. Jaxon Van Derbeken in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/23/08

Sacramento homicide spotlights gap in mental health care -- In Sacramento, he punched a 76-year-old woman in the face and kicked her in the head, twice. In Burlingame, he broke another woman's jaw and knocked out three of her teeth. In San Bruno, he smashed in the windows of a house with a shovel and threatened to kill everybody inside. Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Davis mom drives to Nebraska to abandon teenage son -- A Davis mother went to great lengths – about 1,164 miles – to leave her 14-year-old son at a hospital in Nebraska on Friday, just before that state's safe haven law was changed to stop parents from dropping off children over a month in age. Chelsea Phua in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

Sacramento's mayor-elect revives Santa Parade -- Yes, Sacramento, there will be a Santa Parade. Laurie Hensley, parade coordinator, said the event won't occur on the traditinal Saturday after Thanksgiving, but it will be held in December. Cathy Locke and Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/23/08

New programs being tested to find hidden bias in police work -- As two Santa Clara County cities grapple with accusations of racial profiling, a Stanford study is challenging traditional assumptions about bias in a project using new science that pushes police to acknowledge that everyone, in every line of work, harbors hidden, inherent bias. Jessie Mangaliman in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/23/08