Fabian Núñez joins Mercury (with top ex-Schwarzenegger aides) -- Former Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, who served as both Democratic foil and dealmaker with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has joined the high-powered public relations firm whose California office is currently occupied by Schwarzenegger's former campaign manager and communications director. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 11/26/08

Service union bans former California local president for life -- The Service Employees International Union orders Tyrone Freeman to repay more than $1 million that it says he misappropriated from the labor organization. Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

Huber beats Sieglock in 10th Assembly District -- Democrat Alyson Huber has beaten Jack Sieglock for the 10th Assembly District seat after a last-minute spike in ballot counting, according to a check of election offices. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

Partisan votes keep state budget in limbo -- A legislative special session that needed bipartisan cooperation to solve California's growing budget mess ended Tuesday in a flurry of partisan votes and finger-pointing - but no deal. The deadlock is expected to prompt Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who called the session this month, to call another budget session soon, possibly Monday, when the new Legislature is sworn in. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle Jim Sanders and Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee Evan Halper and Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury JUDY LIN AP -- 11/26/08

Walters: Capitol budget session: This is only a drill -- In the end, Tuesday's hours-long legislative session on the state's rapidly deteriorating budget morass was nothing more than a drill – not a power drill, nor a close-order drill, but the political version of a dentist's drill, without anesthesia. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

Weintraub: Property tax revenue might be next domino -- California's financial free fall is likely to get much worse before it gets better, spreading from the statehouse to every other level of government, including schools, cities, counties and the special districts that fight fires, maintain parks and levees and run libraries. Daniel Weintraub in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

Assuming the position: Steinberg finally takes helm of the Senate -- It was ten long months ago that Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, was elected by his caucus to be the next Senate leader. Steinberg finally takes the helm on Nov. 30, though for the last several weeks, he has been a part of the ongoing budget negotiations with Republicans leaders and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The item is in Capitol Weekly -- 11/26/08

Podcast: Capitol Turkeys -- The big accomplishment in California's statehouse on Tuesday: the maintenance crew successfully finished decorating the historic building for the holiday season. At least they did their job. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 11/26/08

Judge Jimmy's 'rehabilitation' is now complete -- One of the raps against James Hahn, when he was mayor of Los Angeles, was his lack of charisma. He had neither the glib schmoozability of Richard Riordan, nor the where’s-the-spotlight egoism of the man who unseated him, Antonio Villaraigosa. Hahn was, in the words of one ally, “too judicial,” a smart, steady bureaucrat unable to inspire the masses. David Ferrell in LA Weekly -- 11/26/08

Feinstein recalls San Francisco's 'day of infamy' -- Thirty years after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk in San Francisco City Hall, Dianne Feinstein still wonders whether she could have stopped the killings. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

Kuehl -- not Migden -- lands waste board slot -- Termed-out Sen. Sheila Kuehl has landed a high-paying job on California's waste board, securing the $132,178 per year job despite a previous report that Sen. Carole Migden would land the gig. Shane Goldmacher in the Sacramento Bee Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

Quinn: Recalling the state Supreme Court -- if it comes to that -- "We think the discussion of a recall at this point is premature. But if the court voted to overturn Proposition 8, no one would be able to stop a recall." So says Andrew Pugno, attorney for the Proposition 8 campaign. Tony Quinn in Capitol Weekly -- 11/26/08

Meet the Freshmen: An introduction to Sacramento's rookie class of 2008 -- This year's crop of legislative newbies - 11 Republicans and 17 Democrats in all - comes from a wide range of backgrounds. The item is in Capitol Weekly -- 11/26/08

Agents, park rangers, investigators launch effort for new union -- More than 2,700 sworn state peace officers have launched a bid to form their own union and break away from their current bargaining unit. The breakaway group, the Peace Officers of California, says that the larger union is dominated by a variety of non-peace officer job classifications. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 11/26/08

Court says lukewarm food hot enough for prison -- State prison rules say inmates are entitled to two hot meals a day - but it's up to prison officials to decide how hot is hot enough, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

Home prices down by record amount in September -- Home prices plunged by a record amount nationwide in September, but California's price decline in October was less than the record drop posted the previous month. The two reports released Tuesday left industry experts split on whether the market will worsen or stabilize in the immediate months ahead. James Temple in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

Sacramento-area home prices slide faster than U.S. average -- Sacramento-area home prices declined at nearly triple the national average during the past year, according to a new Loan Performance Home Price Index from First American CoreLogic. Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

Home prices keep plunging; L.A. sees some of the sharpest declines -- Third-quarter figures show a 27.6% drop compared with a year earlier. Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Francisco are also hit hard. Peter Y. Hong in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

San Fernando Valley housing market stronger -- Home sales soared in October in the San Fernando Valley as prices continued to slide, and a decrease in foreclosures provided a glimmer of hope that the housing market is stabilizing, two reports released Tuesday show. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 11/26/08

San Diego home prices still have not hit bottom -- San Diego's housing market shows little sign of hitting bottom, with the widely watched Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index for September showing prices down a record 26.3 percent from a year earlier. Mike Freeman in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/26/08

Promises of help with mortgages, but foreclosure is still most likely outcome -- Federal and state officials, eager to stabilize the housing market, have leaned hard on mortgage companies to honor their pledges to help more homeowners avoid foreclosure. But in California at least, the mounting pressure has so far produced only modest results, according to a survey released Tuesday by the nonprofit California Reinvestment Coalition. Sue McAllister in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/26/08

Homeowners say no help from lenders -- Numerous homeowners who have beseeched lenders for help with restructuring burdensome mortgages that far exceed the value of their houses say they have encountered plenty of roadblocks and found little assistance from financial companies. George Avalos in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/26/08

Cisco to shut down for 4 days to cut costs -- Cisco Systems Inc. will close most of its U.S. and Canadian offices for four days over the holidays as part of a plan to cut $1 billion in costs in the current fiscal year, the company said Tuesday. AP -- 11/26/08

As mortgages went bad, executives cashed out -- While Irvine subprime lender New Century was failing, key executives continually changed their stock trading plans and often sold within days of colleagues' trades, a Times investigation shows. William Heisel in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

Lazarus: Getting more bang for our bailout -- In exchange for billions of dollars in rescue funds, taxpayers should get to do some serious housecleaning at mismanaged companies. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

Mavericks surf contest primed to go on, despite economic hardship -- Surfing is free, but putting on one of the world's most celebrated surfing competitions is not. Organizers of the famed Mavericks Surf Contest say the economic downturn has not just affected them, but the corporate sponsors they rely on to stage the event each year. Julia Scott in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/26/08

Making painful choices -- Standing in a church food line Tuesday, Narciso and Ofelia Deleon said they never needed help before to put a meal on their Thanksgiving table. But Narciso, 49, is disabled, and Ofelia, 50, lost her job as a school aide when staff cuts were made last year. Now they're among many working people who need help for the first time. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 11/26/08

School buses a vanishing breed in San Diego County -- School buses in San Diego County are going the way of chalkboards and typewriters. A decade ago, 1,148 regular education buses traveled 19 million miles to and from local public schools. Last year, 688 buses logged fewer than 10 million miles. Chris Moran in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/26/08

San Francisco Health Commission wants fewer budget cuts -- The San Francisco Health Commission called on Mayor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday to back away from demanding $26.7 million in health cuts, saying it would mean decimating the city's safety net for the poor, homeless, mentally ill and drug-addicted. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

San Francisco considers congestion tolls on cars -- Drivers could pay $3 to enter, leave or pass through parts of San Francisco during morning and evening commutes under a proposal designed to push motorists out of their cars. Michael Cabanatuanin the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

Bay Area ferry fleet welcomes new green boat -- A brand-new San Francisco Bay ferryboat sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge during rush hour Tuesday morning on its maiden voyage. It's the first of a new fleet that is part of a big expansion of ferry service. Carl Nolte in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

EPA sued over chemicals in apple moth spraying -- Two city mayors, an environmental group and several citizens filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking a federal court to halt a pesticide spraying program aimed at getting rid of a pest moth. The pesticide was sprayed over Santa Cruz and Monterey counties last year. Jane Kay in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

Storm evacuations ordered in Orange County as rains hit -- New mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in wildfire burn areas of Yorba Linda after hours of rain have brought increased fears of mudslides in Orange County and across Southern California. AP -- 11/26/08

Yorba Linda residents resist evacuation despite debris flow warnings -- Residents in fire-scorched areas under a voluntary evacuation order are preparing for mud and debris flows but say they will not leave unless the hillside gives way. Susannah Rosenblatt in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

San Francisco Supes OK plan for thousands of new homes -- A plan allowing for thousands of new homes on San Francisco's east side while preserving industrial land and affordable housing was approved unanimously Tuesday by the city's Board of Supervisors. Robert Selna in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

San Francisco supervisors kill mayor's power plant plan -- The future of San Francisco's energy production was thrown into doubt Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors adamantly refused to give Mayor Gavin Newsom the authority to negotiate and execute a plan to retrofit a polluting power plant on Potrero Hill. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

Wood-burning ban in force for 3rd day -- Fireplaces of all law-abiding people were dark again in the Bay Area on Tuesday night after the third Spare the Air alert for the winter season was announced. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/26/08

Mercury makes bass unsafe to eat at Big Bear -- Some largemouth bass captured from Big Bear Lake had mercury levels that exceeded recommended levels but the water itself appears safe for drinking, authorities said. AP -- 11/26/08

Decision to not stock lakes irks some mountain counties -- Alpine County depends heavily on fishing. Plentiful trout in the sparsely populated area 45 miles southeast of Placerville draw anglers who, in turn, keep restaurants and hotels running. Phillip Reese and Cathy Locke in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

All he's saying is give brush a chance -- Naturalist Rick Halsey says it's absurd to prescribe burns of backcountry California chaparral. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

Landfill project's legal ills are eased -- A major obstacle that had been blocking construction of the Gregory Canyon landfill in North County has been cleared. J. Harry Jones in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/26/08

Help your city, Johnson urges residents -- In a gala draped in religion and patriotism, Kevin Johnson was ceremonially sworn in as Sacramento mayor Tuesday night. Ryan Lillis and Mary Lynne Vellinga in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

When older kids plague parents, help can be hard to find -- A Davis mother who drove all night, across 1,600 miles, to lawfully abandon her teenage son at a hospital in rural Nebraska said she was desperate because local police and child-welfare authorities wouldn't help her. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

L.A. County mental health chief says he will try to rely less on police -- Marvin J. Southard's office can't force crowded hospitals to accept its emergency patients, so it sends them to law enforcers who can. He tells county supervisors he's looking for other options. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

27,000 people expected to run for Sacramento's hungry -- As the economic downtown pushes more people to the edge, the spirit of giving thrives among local runners and walkers preparing for the 15th annual Run to Feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving Day. John Schumacher in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/26/08

L.A. County sheriff's deputy's killing remains a mystery -- Detectives hope a $95,000 reward will get witnesses to step forward in the possible gang-related shooting in August in Cypress Park. Andrew Blankstein and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

Ex-aide testifies in Carona corruption trial about reimbursements -- Elaine Vasquez, who worked for the former O.C. sheriff, says he paid back individuals for meals and reported gifts he received but not the money and gifts allegedly given by Don Haidl. Christine Hanley in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/26/08

Martinez cycling team member killed in hit-run -- A bicyclist who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on a rural road in northern Contra Costa County was a longtime electrician for The Chronicle who had taken up riding to spend more time with his sons, relatives and colleagues said Tuesday. Mark Pendleton, 49, of Martinez was struck around 5 p.m. Monday while riding south on McEwen Road near Highway 4 south of Port Costa. A northbound vehicle apparently crossed over the center line and hit him, said Officer Scott Yox of the California Highway Patrol. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle Robert Salonga in the Contra Costa Times -- 11/26/08