Crips co-founder denied clemency -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger refused Monday to spare the life of Stanley Tookie Williams, the founder of the murderous Crips gang who awaited execution after midnight in a case that stirred debate over capital punishment and the possibility of redemption on death row. JULIET WILLIAMS AP -- 12/12/05

Prosecutor in Williams' Case Faces Lawsuit -- As he presses for Stanley Tookie Williams' execution for four murders, a top county prosecutor faces his own legal troubles for killing a man while on duty as a reserve sheriff's deputy. Deputy District Attorney John Monaghan, 53, has urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to deny the Crips gang co-founder clemency, saying Williams committed senseless and brutal slayings in Los Angeles County. JEREMIAH MARQUEZ AP -- 12/12/05

Justices Reject Williams' Appeal -- The California Supreme Court on Sunday rejected a last-minute legal effort to block Tuesday's execution of convicted murderer Stanley Tookie Williams, while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger put off announcing any decision on whether to spare his life until today. Kenneth R. Weiss and Steve Chawkins in the Los Angeles Times Glen Martin, Mark Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle Crystal Carreon in the Sacramento Bee David Kravets AP Howard Mintz and Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury JEREMY HAY in the Santa Rosa Press -- 12/12/05

Governor Taking His Time to Make Right Decision -- As this is being written Sunday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger still has not announced his life-or-death verdict on Stanley Tookie Williams. And that could mean several things. It certainly means he is not rushing his decision, but using practically all the time available. Like governors before him, Schwarzenegger wants to be absolutely sure on this. No haunting doubts, no sleepless nights. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

Execution's strict protocol -- The procedure for executing a prisoner in San Quentin, the only prison in California with a death chamber, is bound by rigid rules dictating when and how each act must be performed -- from the moment the inmate wakes up on his last day of life until the moment he dies. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

Death penalty foes appeal for Williams' life -- With the scheduled execution of Stanley Tookie Williams approaching and no word from the governor on Williams' clemency request, prominent death penalty opponents gathered in San Francisco on Sunday to make final appeals for the gang co-founder's life. Simone Sebastian, Delfin Vigil in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

Aging, Ill Inmate Is Next in Line for Execution -- While Californians debate whether Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should grant clemency to convicted murderer Stanley Tookie Williams, a legal battle has just gotten underway over the fate of the next man set for execution in California — Clarence Ray Allen, who has a Jan. 17 date to die. Henry Weinstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

State could push for 5 executions in busier 2006 -- Williams would be the second man to die in California's execution chamber this year - after two years when no executions occurred. The pace of executions is expected to quicken next year. State officials are pushing to bring at least five more inmates to the execution chamber at San Quentin in 2006. JOHN McDONALD in the Orange County Register -- 12/12/05

Schwarzenegger's first act in office was his first mistake -- It would be a stretch to blame James Gilmore III for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's failure to erase California's chronic budget deficits - but Gilmore did play a seminal role in Schwarzenegger's first gubernatorial decision that was, as it turned out, his first and biggest fiscal error. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/12/05

Feisty union not letting up on governor -- The president of the prison guards union, Mike Jimenez, had a question for an eighth-grade class as he toured a Sacramento school last week: Who does Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a movie strongman, fear? "This lady right here," Jimenez said, answering his own question and pointing to Barbara Kerr, president of the California Teachers Association. "He is scared to death of her." Ed Mendel in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/12/05

Will backers be back in '06? -- A backlash against Gov. Schwarzenegger is growing in the Inland area as Republicans consider rescinding their support for his re-election bid and call for the firing of a Democrat he appointed. MICHELLE DeARMOND in the Riverside Press -- 12/12/05

Former eBay exec cracking down on state auctions -- State Controller and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly has been touting the revenue his office generates from online auctions of unclaimed property -- but now, critics are raising questions about some of the items being hawked. Most notably, a batch of Adolf Hitler stamps that sold for $85 in April and a Nazi cross that sold for $80 last month. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

Welcome home -- Darius Anderson arrived home from his annual Cuba-fest last week just in time to be on the edge of that shooting of a mentally disturbed man by air marshals at the Miami airport. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

The Buzz: Picturing another movie star as governor -- If you're dissatisfied with one Hollywood politician in California, you can always find another as a replacement. Angered by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's appointment of a Democratic chief of staff, the conservative California Republican Assembly launched a Web site last week urging voters to draft actor Mel Gibson for governor. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/12/05

Fear rises over storm-aid cutoff -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is requesting the extension of a fast-approaching deadline to move some 2,000 hurricane victims out of California's hotels and motels. Judy Lin in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/12/05

Evacuees plead for help with housing -- Hurricane Katrina evacuees are pleading for help in finding new housing after the federal government said it is working to abolish a hotel room reimbursement program. Paul T. Rosynsky in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/12/05

Lawyer proves powerful advocate for his Christian faith in court -- Robert Tyler believes a culture war is being waged against Christians, and the religious attorney from Temecula is using the courts to fight it. Tyler runs Advocates for Faith and Freedom, a one-man law firm dedicated to Christian causes. A handful of these firms exist in the country. JESSICA ZISKO in the Riverside Press -- 12/12/05

Culture war pits UC vs. Christian way of teaching / Religious schools challenge admission standards in court -- In a small room at the University of California's headquarters in downtown Oakland, UC counsel Christopher Patti sat beside a stack of textbooks proposed for use by Calvary Chapel Christian School in Riverside County -- books UC rejected as failing to meet freshmen admission requirements. Biology and physics textbooks from Christian publishers were found wanting, as were three Calvary humanities courses. Mike Weiss in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

In-demand language - When the San Diego Hua Xia Chinese School opened eight years ago in La Jolla, it had 45 students. Today, about 1,000 youths learn Chinese through the weekend program, which is held in rented classrooms at Miramar College and branch locations in Carlsbad and Riverside. The school plans to open a branch in Chula Vista next year. Helen Gao in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/12/05

Exit exam looms for high school seniors -- With the school year nearly half over and graduation day looming larger, many California school boards are beginning to take on an issue 20 other states have already had to tackle: What will happen to high school seniors who fail the state's exit exam? They won't receive a diploma. And they won't walk with their class at commencement. Luis Zaragoza in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/12/05

District Mulls Tainted Sites for Schools -- The Los Angeles school district's aggressive push to build schools is leading officials to consider campuses in dense, industrial and residential neighborhoods, often requiring extensive cleanup and relocation costs. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

Eyes on the prize / Offering incentives boosts attendance and test scores -- "Shake it! Shake it! Shake it!" the auditorium full of children roared, clapping their hands and stomping their feet. On stage, Linda Martley-Jordan, who tracks attendance at Malcolm X Academy in San Francisco's Hunters Point, smiled as she shook a large plastic jug full of raffle tickets. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

Mayor's up to the test -- Even as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa faces a lengthy battle for control of Los Angeles public schools, he has launched more immediate efforts to propel broad change in the district. Rick Orlov and Naush Boghossian in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/12/05

Cutting Through Haze of Governor's Stance on Coal -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the environmentalist, hates the pollution caused when coal is burned to make electricity. But Schwarzenegger, the businessman, likes the low-cost, plentiful electrons produced by coal-fired generators from Wyoming to Nevada. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

1 Million Californians at Tsunami Risk, Study -- Tsunami waves generated by a large offshore earthquake would threaten at least 1 million coastal residents in California and inundate the nation's largest port complex, according to a new report. AP -- 12/12/05

Let All Use Carpool Lanes in Off-Hours, Transit Official Asks -- Solo drivers on freeways throughout Southern California should be permitted to use carpool lanes during off-peak hours — just like motorists in parts of the Bay Area and Sacramento, the chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority says. David Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

Saluting a Pioneering Environmentalist -- Decades before voter initiatives joined death and taxes as the only certainties in California, Ellen Stern Harris invited a group of environmental activists concerned about rapid growth along the state's coastline to sit around her dining table and fashion the framework for Proposition 20. David Pierson in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

Elk Grove adds diesel to its hybrid bus line -- Elk Grove, the city that has boasted one of the cleanest transit systems in the country, has quietly added 10 old diesel buses to its commuter fleet to cope with a surge in ridership. The decision marks an about-face for a transit agency that had touted its $17.4 million all-hybrid gasoline-electric fleet as the first such city system nationally. Loretta Kalb in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/12/05

L.A. story: traffic monster devours time -- When budding actor Matt Valenti landed in Los Angeles, he was so astounded by its traffic that he did what any Hollywood player would do: He set out to make a movie. His Web site, www.trafficdocumentary.com, is now scouting the region for the film's "stars": those who can tell about the best traffic shortcuts, the worst traffic nightmares and the most dramatic traffic encounters. Is the 405 Freeway ready for its close-up? Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/12/05

Air rules target San Joaquin Valley sprawl -- It has been two years since the most frenzied debates ended over air cleanup rules for farmers and fireplace burning bans for city folk, but the interlude is over. Authorities are scheduled Thursday to possibly approve nationally unprecedented air fees on city sprawl — new houses, shopping centers and office space. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee SARAH RUBY in the Bakersfield Californian -- 12/12/05

Hospital bills -- but with interest -- Now patients who can't pay, or who have high deductibles, can get credit cards specifically for medical care. But the rates can reach 23%. Daniel Costello in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

Neediest may be hurt by new Medicare drug plan -- Some of the nation's oldest, sickest and poorest people could wind up being hurt instead of helped by Medicare's new prescription drug benefit, health advocates warn. Victoria Colliver in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

State ends some payments for managed care -- About 35,000 low-income senior and disabled Californians, including more than 6,000 in the Sacramento region, have been notified that the state will no longer pay the premiums for their managed-care health plans. Nancy Weaver Teichert in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/12/05

Laws could help unite immigrant families / Green card carriers have hardest time visiting spouses -- Karthik Balas takes great pains to make his long-distance marriage work. The San Ramon resident quit his job as an architect and started a consulting business to give himself time to visit his wife, Renuka, in India every three or four months. And he may have to keep making the $7,000 visits for another five years because of his own immigration status. Cicero A. Estrella in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

An Industry Unwilling to Play by Rules of 'Fair Use' -- Scarcely a week passes without the entertainment industry warning us that its business model is about to be exterminated by some new technology. The Internet, satellite radio and TiVo are among the mortal threats that have sent media executives scurrying to Washington with proposals to rein them in, tax them, even ban them. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

More farmers are cashing out of agriculture -- After 40 years, California's main tool for preserving agricultural land is facing its biggest test as growth and sprawl smash against protected land. Greg Lucas in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/12/05

Selling liquor creates religious conflict for Muslims -- Amin Nagi tried for years to reconcile his Islamic faith with owning a liquor store. In the end, the internal struggle and family pressure proved too much. Nagi sold the store this year and opened a bright, airy Super Discount mart in Oakland's Fruitvale district. Cecily Burt in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/12/05

Offensive Videos Pit S.F. Police vs. City Hall -- The leak of several offensive internal police videos has ignited a political firestorm in this liberal city, pitting rank-and-file officers against City Hall in what some are calling the biggest crisis of Mayor Gavin Newsom's two years in office. John M. Glionna in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

LAPD Chief Backs Cameras in Police Cars -- It would cost $25 million to equip the entire fleet, but Bratton says not acting has a higher price. Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/12/05

Drug war in Tijuana spills over the border -- Police officer Richard Deomampo didn't know he was facing a suspected associate of a major Mexican drug trafficking group when two men started shooting at him in a busy parking lot. Anna Cearley in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/12/05