Gubernatorial Debate: October 7 -- This afternoon, the governor's campaign accepted the invitation to debate Angelides in an event to be televised by the California Broadcasters Association from the campus of CSU Sacramento. The moderator will be CBA President Stan Statham, who says the one hour debate will be carried live by as many as 50 television and radio stations across the state. John Myers KQED weblog Dan Weintraub SacBee Weblog -- 9/8/06

Tapegate? -- Does Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger regularly tape his conversations with aides? That's the chatter in the wake of the story this morning in the Los Angeles Times, which quotes snippets of a conversation with Chief of Staff Susan Kennedy and his reference to "hot" Latin blood? Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 9/8/06

Governor Apologizes for Remarks About Latina Lawmaker -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today apologized for saying the lone Latina Republican lawmaker in California had a "very hot," fiery personality because of her ethnicity, a comment captured on audio tape last spring in his private office. The governor made his apology in Santa Monica standing next to Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City), the lawmaker Schwarzenegger and his chief of staff discussed. Garcia's parents were from Puerto Rico. Robert Salladay and Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/8/06

Escalation time -- The Democrats are now moving to escalate the reaction to Schwarzenegger's comments. They are rolling out UFW co-founder and civil rights acitvist Dolores Huerta and the National Latino Congress to attack the governor for his "racially charged" comments. Dan Weintraub SacBee Weblog -- 9/8/06

Governor could double aides' pay -- Without the knowledge of most state lawmakers, a last-minute bill amendment that allows Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to approximately double the salaries of his top appointees was slipped into a legislation ratifying a new contract with California Highway Patrol officers. The bill, which passed overwhelmingly in both houses of the Legislature, contains two short paragraphs allowing the Department of Personnel Administration to boost the pay of Schwarzenegger's Cabinet secretaries, department directors and commissioners to as much as 125 percent of the governor's salary, which climbs to $206,500 in December. Greg Lucas, Mark Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Governor's Candid Moments Caught on Audiotape -- In the sanctuary of his Capitol office with an audio recorder rolling, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger describes Republican legislators as the "wild bunch" and, referring to a Latina lawmaker, casually says that "black blood" mixed with "Latino blood" equals "hot" — a fiery personality. The governor is heard on a six-minute recording, obtained by The Times, of a meeting with some members of his inner circle last spring. At the time, Schwarzenegger was struggling to persuade Republican lawmakers to embrace his plan to place billions of dollars in borrowing on the November ballot. Robert Salladay in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Angelides campaigns at key Latino gathering -- Hoping to retain favorable support from Latino voters, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides late Thursday addressed one of the largest and most significant Latino gatherings in the nation in three decades. Edwin Garcia in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/8/06

Bush TV Ad Falling Flat For Angelides -- Not everything works. A private poll conducted for one of the other statewide Democratic candidates indicates that the $2 million-plus TV ad buy trumpeted by the California Democratic Party on its gubernatorial nominee Phil Angelides’ behalf has fallen somewhat flat. Despite the expensive attempt to link Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with unpopular President George W. Bush, Schwarzenegger continues to hold a 12-point lead over his challenger. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 9/8/06

McPherson seeks donation blackout -- Secretary of State Bruce McPherson vowed Thursday to sponsor legislation banning lawmakers and the governor from fundraising during key periods when the fates of hundreds of bills are decided. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/8/06

Limits on Firms' Donations to California Pension Panel Eyed -- The board that oversees California's teacher pension fund is poised to ban financial firms that it does business with from making large political contributions to its members and the governor. Implementation of such a ban, which could cost candidates for governor and other statewide offices millions of dollars in campaign cash, was set in motion Thursday with a unanimous vote of the board's corporate governance committee. Over the next two months, staff attorneys will craft statutes, subject to board approval, that would put the new rule into effect. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times Gilbert Chan in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/8/06

The $46-Billion Questions Await State's Voters -- Up and down the November ballot, Californians face choices about vast sums of money: how much to spend, how much to borrow, how much to generate by raising taxes. Together, the proposals would open a $46-billion gusher of spending on highways, schools, levees, hospitals, housing, parkland and more. They would add $84 billion in debt and interest to state budgets over the next 30 years. Taxes, mainly on oil and tobacco, would rise by more than $3 billion a year. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Legislature approves bills on wrongful convictions -- California lawmakers, seeking to reduce the chances of innocent people going to prison, have approved proposals to require that interrogations of violent-crime suspects be tape recorded, and to set new guidelines for eyewitness identifications at lineups and photo displays. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Governor frustrates gay rights warriors, but it works for him -- Those who wage political war over gay rights don't appreciate noncombatants, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is learning as he deals with a flurry of measures passed by a pro-gay rights Legislature. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/8/06

Nine Journalists' Phone Records Targeted in H-P Probe of Leaks -- Nine journalists' phone records were targeted as part of an investigation of leaks from Hewlett-Packard Co.'s board, including the personal phone records of a Wall Street Journal reporter, Pui-Wing Tam, according to the company and the California attorney general's office. The item is in the Wall Street Journal Ellen Nakashima in the Washington Post DAMON DARLIN in the New York Times David Streitfeld, James S. Granelli and Joseph Menn in the Los Angeles Times Verne Kopytoff in the San Francisco Chronicle David Lazarus in the San Francisco Chronicle Pete Carey and Nicole C. Wong in the San Jose Mercury -- 9/8/06

Bid to Ease Term Limits Is Bounced From L.A. Ballot -- A Superior Court judge today removed a measure from the Nov. 7 ballot that could have eased term limits for the Los Angeles City Council, ruling that the proposal violated the state Constitution. Judge Robert H. O'Brien found that the measure illegally combined the term limits proposal with new restrictions on lobbyists. The Constitution prohibits asking voters to decide separate issues in the same ballot question. Steve Hymon in the Los Angeles Times KERRY CAVANAUGH and RICK ORLOV in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 9/8/06

Among his own, Doolittle is above reproach -- John Doolittle is with his people. The sixth most powerful Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives speaks to the Auburn Dam Council and an enthusiastic audience. The advocacy group shares his long, unquenched drive for a flood control and hydroelectric dam on the American River. Loyal constituents clamor for his attention. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/8/06

Strike Threatens Rebound in San Francisco Tourism -- Tourists have been flocking here all summer, plunking down credit cards to cover rising room prices and filling hotels at the highest rate since 9/11 and the dot-com bust. But for the second time in two years, the city is bracing for a potential strike at 13 of its largest hotels that could cost millions in tourism dollars. Kimi Yoshino in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

House GOP Makes Border Security Its Priority -- House Republican leaders announced Thursday that rather than negotiate the type of sweeping overhaul of immigration law that President Bush had called for, they instead would hold an unusual hearing next week to help fashion a tightly focused "border security package." Nicole Gaouette in the Los Angeles Times Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Immigration revamp put on back burner -- A comprehensive immigration overhaul appears dead for the year, as House Republicans on Thursday announced plans to push ahead with border security measures and leave everything else for another time. Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/8/06

Reagan Aide Stockman Targeted in Fraud Probe -- To old hands in Washington, David A. Stockman will always be the long-haired numbers cruncher who led the cheers for Reaganomics but nearly lost his job for privately denigrating the administration's budget at the same time he sold it to the public. Carrie Johnson in the Washington Post -- 9/8/06

Dems pledge to protect Social Security in rally -- Congressional Democrats rallied Thursday outside the Capitol to launch their "Golden Promise" to protect Social Security from the Bush administration's privatization plan. Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune -- 9/8/06

Police and Religious Leaders Plead for Peace, Tolerance as 9/11 Anniversary Nears -- Southern California law enforcement officials joined religious leaders Thursday in urging peace and calm in advance of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Sam Quinones in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

L.A. to Get Key Role in Terrorism Battle -- LAPD Chief William J. Bratton revealed plans Thursday to create a national anti-terrorism academy in Los Angeles where law enforcement officers from around the country could learn to identify threats and prevent attacks. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Net neutrality meets election-year reality -- The network neutrality debate galvanized Internet companies and users for much of the year, but quieted down over the summer while Congress was in recess. But even though lawmakers have returned to Capitol Hill, don't expect the issue to be settled soon. Tom Abate in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Mystery Fuels Huge Popularity of Web's Lonelygirl15 -- Lonelygirl15 appears to be an innocent, home-schooled 16-year-old, pouring her heart out for her video camera in the privacy of her bedroom. But since May, her brief posts on the video-sharing site YouTube and the social networking hub MySpace have launched a Web mystery eagerly followed by her million-plus viewers: Who is this sheltered ingenue who calls herself "Bree," and is she in some sort of danger — or, worse, the tool of some giant marketing machine? Richard Rushfield and Claire Hoffman in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Governor Signs Preschool Funding Bill -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday signed legislation that provides $50 million to expand preschool opportunities for thousands of low-income children. The money will target preschools operated by school districts and nonprofit organizations in neighborhoods where students score in the lowest three deciles of the Academic Performance Index. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle Clea Benson in the Sacramento Bee STEVE GEISSINGER in the Los Angeles Daily News ERICA PEREZ in the Orange County Register -- 9/8/06

L.A. schools get windfall via lawsuit -- Los Angeles Unified's schools in low-income areas will get at least $53 million - and as much as $82 million - to enhance their technology programs under an antitrust settlement with Microsoft Corp., officials said Thursday. NAUSH BOGHOSSIAN in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 9/8/06

Doctors Feverishly Seek to Halt Planned Cuts in Medicare Fees -- The Bush administration and Republican-led Congress are headed for a political confrontation with an influential constituency: the 700,000 doctors who treat seniors in the Medicare program and are frantically trying to stave off a planned cut in their fees. Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Reactions are mixed to Medicare drug plan -- Pharmacists and physicians view Medicare's prescription drug benefit as a mixed bag for beneficiaries, according to a national survey released Thursday. Victoria Colliver in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

West Nile warning system -- California cases of West Nile are down by two-thirds this summer -- an improvement gained in part with the help of thousands of citizens who filed dead bird reports, which tell cities and counties where to direct their mosquito control programs. Sabin Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Doctor who gave sprinter stimulant may lose license -- The former medical director at BALCO, the laboratory implicated in an international sports-doping scandal, has been accused of gross negligence for allegedly giving the prescription stimulant modafinil to a champion sprinter without ever examining her. Lance Williams, Mark Fainaru-Wada in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Measure would keep ultrasound machines from parents' homes -- Almost one year after actor Tom Cruise told television interviewer Barbara Walters that he had purchased a personal ultrasound machine to monitor his and fiancee Katie Holmes' fetus, California lawmakers are asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign a bill that would limit sales of the machines to licensed medical professionals. Kimberly Geiger in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Agency: No levee repair on our dime -- The Bureau of Reclamation told a House panel Thursday that it does not want its money paying for levee repairs in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The testimony of William Rinne, the agency's acting commissioner, came in opposition to legislation by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, that would transfer $10 million a year from the bureau's budget to a state program that reimburses local reclamation districts for levee repairs and funds other levee work in the Delta. David Whitney in the Sacramento Bee -- 9/8/06

Caltrans: Limit hybrids in carpool lane -- Worried about increased congestion, a new Caltrans report recommends capping the number of hybrids that can be driven solo in state carpool lanes at current levels. That conclusion may create a dilemma for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a hybrid supporter, because a bill on his desk would allow more hybrid owners special access to the diamond lanes, for a longer period of time. Gary Richards in the San Jose Mercury Kiley Russell in the Contra Costa Times -- 9/8/06

Ventura County's Home Sales Down 27% -- Despite plummeting home sales and rising apartment rents, Ventura County's economy remains healthy due mostly to low unemployment and growing incomes for workers. Sales of existing homes for the first six months of 2006 were down 27% over the same period last year, according to a new economic report. And overall price appreciation remains flat, as the market continues to cool. Gregory W. Griggs in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Housing Slowdown Takes Its Toll -- Economists believe cooling in the housing market to extend into next year and many forecasters in the latest WSJ.com survey predict no change -- or an outright decline -- in home prices next year. PHIL IZZO in the Wall Street Journal -- 9/8/06

New Power Plants May Get Leeway on Smog -- The South Coast Air Quality Management District is expected to vote today on a plan that would allow major new power plants across Southern California to buy air pollution credits designed for hospitals, fire stations, sewage plants and other essential service providers. Janet Wilson in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

House votes to outlaw slaughter of horses for human consumption -- The House overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday banning the transport and slaughter of horses for human consumption, which would end a practice critics label inhumane that was first outlawed by California voters in 1998. Zachary Coile in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

DNA confirms oysters are not native to bay -- DNA analysis of some unusual oysters found recently in San Francisco Bay show they are a type of non-native Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, which are not known to have colonized California waters in significant numbers, biologists said Wednesday. Carl T. Hall in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

Ferret owners may ask voters to legalize pets -- Rebuffed for another year in their campaign to legalize pet ferrets in California, owners of the furry creatures are debating whether to take their case directly to voters through a ballot initiative. California's Legislature adjourned last week without passing a bill that would have legalized ferrets if a study concluded the animals do not threaten native species. Denis Cuff in the Contra Costa Times -- 9/8/06

Ruling on Web site access for blind -- A retailer can be sued for making its Web site inaccessible to the blind, a federal judge in San Francisco has ruled. Run by the nationwide Target stores chain, www.target.com is covered by federal and state laws that entitle people with disabilities to have equal access to business and government services, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel ruled Wednesday in refusing to throw out a suit against the company. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06

L.A. Lacks a System to Track Complaints Against Firefighters -- The Los Angeles Fire Department doesn't have a system for tracking criminal and civil complaints filed against firefighters, a problem that has come into sharp focus in the weeks since a fire captain once accused of domestic abuse was charged with murdering a female acquaintance. Lisa Richardson and Andrew Blankstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Wheels Wobble but Justice Rolls On -- A persistent witness, a determined lawyer and a sleepy suspect struggle to straighten things out. John Balzar in the Los Angeles Times -- 9/8/06

Crafty thieves capitalize on construction boom -- Oakland is in the midst of a booming building cycle unrivaled by any other city in the Bay Area, with more than 20 major construction projects across its downtown landscape alone. But as is the case with most things, prosperity can create a new set of problems. Chip Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 9/8/06