California has a new clout in Congress -- Many lawmakers are in key positions to act on environmental and other measures that could benefit the state. Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Arnold Schwarzenegger weighing political future -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger still has two years left in his term, but the former actor already appears to be preparing for his next role - likely on the world stage. In January, he will address the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Switzerland. That event follows an international summit on reducing greenhouse gas emissions he convened earlier this month in Beverly Hills Juliet Williams AP -- 11/30/08

Governor's legacy still open question -- Five years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger took over a state drowning in red ink, brimming with confidence that he and the Legislature would forge a bipartisan solution that would put California back on sound financial footing. John Marelius in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/30/08

Steinberg had a long wait to lead California Senate -- Darrell Steinberg is in de facto charge of the California state Senate, which means that at the moment, he's in charge of a legislative train wreck. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

Darrell Steinberg has his work cut out for him in California Senate -- The Democrat has ambitious goals and a can-do reputation, but the state's fiscal mess and polarized Legislature present huge challenges for the incoming president pro tem. Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Parra spends campaign funds on 'strategic' flurry of activities -- Assemblywoman Nicole Parra may have found the perfect antidote to life in the Assembly doghouse – travel to political bashes in Maui, Las Vegas, Chicago and New Orleans, courtesy of political donors. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

Walters: California fiscal crisis spurs push for reform -- If there is a silver lining in California's prolonged budget crisis, it's a new awareness that it reflects a broader civic malaise. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

What will it take to break Capitol budget gridlock? -- As the Legislature's latest attempt to fix the state's fiscal mess ended once again in a bout of partisan sniping and no visible progress, something surprising happened: Hints began to emerge of the possible contours of a compromise. Mike Zapler in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/30/08

Holwerk: It takes an entire state to make a budget debacle this big -- With insolvency just over the horizon, the folks who work in and around the state Capitol have begun to play one of their favorite parlor games: Pin the tail on the donkey – or on the elephant, depending on your party affiliation. David Holwerk in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

Willie Brown: George Moscone empowered San Francisco's diversity -- There's no doubt that Harvey Milk made history and changed gay politics forever, and he's certainly deserving of a biography like the new movie "Milk." But many people forget that it was George Moscone who made San Francisco the city it is today. Willie Brown in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Diaz: As the Capitol spins, the deficit grows -- It seems that one of the axioms of Sacramento politics is this: If you can't get something done, the next best thing is to succeed in blaming the other party. A classic example emerged last week after the Legislature failed to do anything in its "special session" to reduce the $11 billion shortfall in the current fiscal year. John Diaz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Saunders: When the warmest year in history isn't -- Here's another reason why people don't trust newspapers. When science reporters write about, say, hormone therapy or drinking red wine, they report on studies that find that hormones or red wine can be good for you, as well as studies that suggest otherwise. Any science involving complex organisms is rarely black and white. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Faces of our fathers: The braceros' legacy of labor, a cry for justice -- Angela Leon de Orozco sat quietly in the bustling lobby of the Mexican consulate in San Jose, a black and white scarf covering her head. The 89-year-old widow remembered life after her husband, Jose, left their poor village as a "bracero" to harvest crops in the United States during World War II. Joe Rodriguez in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/30/08

Border smuggling shift: Arizona to California -- Analysts say the immigrants encountering ever-increasing enforcement in the Arizona desert are bouncing back to California's traditional smuggling corridors, which offer shorter, cooler treks to cities and highways. The Border Patrol, meanwhile, takes immigrants caught in Arizona to San Diego for deportation, hoping to break their ties to desert smugglers and daring them to try again against the border's toughest fences and highest concentration of agents. Dan Keane AP -- 11/30/08

Some Mexican Americans head south to find work -- The family of Teresa Martinez, a preschool teacher in Stockton, is living proof of how the nation's economic storm is uprooting immigrants with family ties on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Susan Ferriss in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

Reverse mortgages a lifeline for seniors -- Seniors traditionally have used reverse mortgages to maintain their standard of living in retirement by tapping into their home equity, but older homeowners increasingly are using the loans to avoid sliding into foreclosure. Emmet Pierce in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/30/08

Auto slump hits hard in car-mecca California -- The Saturn dealership, closed two weeks ago, is still jammed with cars; signs at the curb promote a red-tag sale. The Ford dealership, closed since June, sits empty, stripped clean. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

Ship cargo volume slumping at West Coast ports -- Cargo volume at West Coast ports, after years of being dominant in U.S. maritime trade, is slumping, clearly the result of the worsening global economic crisis but also because Gulf Coast and East Coast ports are gaining favor, shipping industry executives say. George Raine in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Drastic cuts among some biotech companies -- Taking a cue from nature, some biotechnology companies are reacting to the funding drought by becoming like spores - forms of suspended life that can wait until future rains of new money allow them to reconstitute themselves and grow again. Bernadette Tansey in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Low prices help lead to Pure Digital's success -- Nestled in an alleyway off San Francisco's Union Square, above a home furnishing store, sits an unlikely consumer electronics dynamo whose recent rapid success has giants Sony and Samsung racing to catch up. Ryan Kim in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Hoteliers fight for tourism dollars -- Bay Area hotels are in neck-and-neck competition to woo overnight visitors. But in that struggle to lure tourism and convention business dollars, Oakland is having a hard time keeping up. The odds recently worsened when the city pulled the funding for the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is the city's public relations firm in charge of drumming up tourists despite a fast-shrinking budget. Angela Woodall in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/30/08

Valley casino future unsure -- The Las Vegas company that wants to build a $250 million casino off Highway 99 near Madera is struggling financially and may have trouble lining up money to fund the project, gaming industry analysts say. Chris Collins in the Fresno Bee -- 11/30/08

PFF's downfall closes chapter in Inland Empire history -- The demise of PFF Bank and Trust isn't just the end of a bank. It's the end of an era. The rise and fall of the Inland Empire's most historically significant - and oldest - financial institution is a story that goes hand-in-hand with the region's economy. Matt Wrye in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 11/30/08

Golden State offers Obama a dream team -- Speculation is practically an Olympic sport in politics and few events on the political calendar draw more buzz than the post-presidential election appointments scramble. Lisa Vorderbrueggen, Josh Richman, Matt Krupnick and Denis Cuff in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/30/08

Obama looks to FDR as pacesetter -- In his first 100 days in office, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt reorganized the nation's banking system, created the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Civilian Conservation Corps, raised farm incomes, ended the gold standard and helped millions of homeowners avoid foreclosure. Zachary Coile in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

St. Joseph's members back priest -- Several people attending Mass on Saturday evening at St. Joseph's Catholic Church said they support a Modesto priest who is urging parishioners to go to confession if they voted for Barack Obama. Ken Carlson in the Modesto Bee -- 11/30/08

One Man’s Military-Industrial-Media Complex -- Barry R. McCaffrey is among the retired military officers working as network analysts. DAVID BARSTOW in the New York Times -- 11/30/08

Promise of college for all Californians shrinking -- In 1959, as California enjoyed the fruits of more than a decade of post-World War II prosperity, state leaders created the Higher Education Master Plan to make sure every Californian had access to college. Connie Llanos in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 11/30/08

Obama inauguration is all the buzz at L.A. schools -- Some lucky students will get to go to Washington for the historic event, which is expected to draw an unprecedented number of young visitors. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Uncertain future for UC estate -- The mansion sits atop a hill at 70 Rincon Road, Kensington. It's a Mediterranean-style manor built at the turn of the century and surrounded by exquisite gardens. The mansion's location affords impressive views of the Bay and has been home to five presidents of the University of California system. Marta Yamamoto in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/30/08

I'm not a terrorist, says San Jose State professor who puts his life online -- Hasan Elahi has spent most of the past six years trying to prove that he isn't a terrorist. This is odd in a way, because during that time no one has ever said publicly that the San Jose State University assistant professor is a terrorist. Except Hasan Elahi. Bruce Newman in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/30/08

Sierra Nevada climate changes feed monster, forest-devouring fires -- Driving home from Lake Tahoe, Leah Wills watched the column of ash-gray smoke from the Moonlight fire grow and grow – until finally she was under it. Tom Knudson in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

Gold Line extension to L.A. Eastside stirs hopes, fears -- Some residents say they would welcome more upscale retailers. Others worry the character of the neighborhoods will change. Hector Becerra in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Sacramento could get boost from green economy -- For Sacramento, the light at the end of the economic tunnel may be green. The largest solar-panel factory on the continent is taking shape in McClellan Park. Economic development officials say more than half the companies checking out the region are in clean-tech. And state government is rolling out the nation's most ambitious energy-efficiency and renewable power programs, making it a huge potential ally – and customer – for the green economy. Jim Downing in the Sacramento Bee -- 11/30/08

John Wayne Airport continues expansion project despite dismal state of airline industry -- The Orange County airport is undertaking a $652-million project that includes a new passenger terminal and a parking structure with at least 2,000 spaces. Not everyone, however, is on board. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Bay Trail advocates want state to help close gap in Richmond -- Supporters of a regional trail are turning to the state to pressure Chevron to give land and money for a public path at the oil company's Richmond refinery. Katherine Tam in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/30/08

Despite lower gas prices, many still use public transportation -- Even with gasoline falling below $2 a gallon, it seems people are still looking for relief through public transportation. In the past year, Metrolink, Foothill Transit and Omnitrans have seen a ridership boom as gas prices raced toward $5 a gallon. Mark Petix in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 11/30/08

Borenstein: CNA stands in way of reason on insulin injections -- In court papers, the girl is identified only as "A.A.," a student in the San Ramon Valley school district. Five years old when the lawsuit was filed in 2005, A.A. is diabetic. She requires testing of her blood glucose eight to 10 times daily and insulin injections four to five times. When A.A. was first enrolled in kindergarten, the school principal told her mother that she would have to be on-call at all times to administer the insulin. Daniel Borenstein in the Contra Costa Times -- 11/30/08

San Francisco food policy heading in a healthy direction -- San Francisco's food policy - proposed by the mayor earlier this year as a way to bring healthy, sustainable meals from regional farms to city residents - is morphing into what will likely be a series of proposals that could someday change the way the entire Bay Area eats. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Higher deductibles affecting healthcare -- As employers' profits nose-dive with the economy, health insurance deductibles, co-pays and premiums for workers all rise. Tom Kisken in the Ventura Star -- 11/30/08

Internet searching stimulates brain, study says -- Can Googling delay the onset of dementia? A new UCLA study, part of the growing research into the effects of technology on the brain, shows that searching the Internet may keep older brains agile - it's like taking your brain for a walk. Heidi Benson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

Lopez: Never say die, even to cancer -- The diagnosis: lung cancer, spread to the brain and kidneys. The treatment: radiation, chemo, brain surgery and a healthy dose of Dave Wheeler's hippie-activist brand of militant defiance. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Growing research suggests being gay is not 'a choice' -- Compared with straight men, gay men are more likely to be left-handed, to be the younger siblings of older brothers, and to have hair that whorls in a counterclockwise direction. Mike Swift in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/30/08

A full picture of Milk -- In conjunction with a new film about slain San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, items belonging to the gay rights pioneer -- including the suit he was wearing when he was killed -- are being exhibited. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Internal Affairs: Condi conspiracy afoot at Stanford? -- IA loves nothing more than a fat, juicy conspiracy theory. Hence our disappointment in this story out of Stanford last week — not that it didn't seem promising. Denis C. Theriault, Tracey Kaplan and Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 11/30/08

Emeryville mayor facing city, state probes -- The mayor of Emeryville, who describes himself as "tired of being broke," is under investigation by the city attorney for accepting a consulting contract with a company recently hired to provide Internet service to five municipal buildings. Shaleece Haas in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 11/30/08

First AME pastor's spending examined -- The pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the oldest and most prominent black congregations in Los Angeles, used church credit cards to pay for at least $122,000 in personal expenses over a three-year period, including jewelry, family vacations, clothing and auto supplies, according to documents and church sources. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Delays plague L.A. County's anti-gang program -- Los Angeles County leaders, who more than a year and a half ago promised to revamp their $105-million-a-year gang intervention effort, are still months away from a new strategy, hobbled by repeated delays and haggling over details. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times -- 11/30/08

Officials failed to spot abuse in case of beaten, starved girl -- A breeze drifts in through an upstairs window, doing little to fade the acrid smell of fresh white paint in the empty bedroom. The workers needed three coats, they said, to hide the splattered blood. Hilary Costa and John Simerman in the Oakland Tribune -- 11/30/08

Despite the violence, Tijuana bicyclists keep a Wednesday night tradition alive -- Patrol cars with flashing lights and blaring sirens sped down a major boulevard in the Rio Zone on a recent Wednesday night. But as officers rushed off in search of their suspect, Paseo de los Heroes was suddenly transformed. In place of police, dozens of cyclists chatted and laughed as they slowly pedaled past. Sandra Dibble in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 11/30/08