Judge rules California inmate transfers are illegal -- A state judge ruled Tuesday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to transfer inmates out of state to relieve severe prison overcrowding is illegal. The governor said he would immediately appeal, citing the potential for some convicts to be released early. DON THOMPSON AP -- 2/20/07

Speaker, LA mayor criticize staff proposals on highway funding -- Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Tuesday criticized spending recommendations for part of the transportation bond voters approved in November, saying they would shortchange or ignore some of the state's most congested freeways. STEVE LAWRENCE AP Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/20/07

Obama swing through LA attracts A-list celebrities and cash -- Checks from Hollywood's A-list stars such as George Clooney, Eddie Murphy and Barbra Streisand added up to an expected, one-night take of $1 million for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who wowed an audience of thousands during a campaign stop here Tuesday. MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP -- 2/20/07

A year after execution stayed, state still hammering out new plan -- One year ago, condemned prisoner Michael Morales was set to be executed for the brutal murder and rape of a Lodi teenager. Instead, he won a reprieve that eventually became a California death penalty moratorium with no end in sight. DAVID KRAVETS AP -- 2/20/07

Slicing The Transportation Pie -- More than 5 million California voters said yes on November 8 to Proposition 1B, the multi-billion dollar transportation bond. Now, more than three months later, the inevitable battle has begun: who gets how much money, and for which badly needed transportation projects? John Myers KQED weblog -- 2/20/07

Governor's plans stir up business rift -- Proposals on issues such as healthcare have executives at odds. Some election allies fear a switch of positions. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

Skepticism on prison plan -- A new plan by the state to accommodate its burgeoning population of mentally ill prisoners has received a tepid response from a federal court monitor, with its two key proposals appearing to be in serious trouble. Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Prison black market thrives with cigarette ban -- There is no if or butt about it: California's ban on tobacco in prisons has produced a burgeoning black market behind bars, where a pack of cigarettes can fetch up to $125. Jeremiah Marquez AP -- 2/20/07

Illegal immigration debate gets do-over -- Lawmakers are expected to take up the fierce debate over illegal immigration again this year with a host of bills to deny or expand benefits to the undocumented. HARRISON SHEPPARD in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/20/07

Campaign funds under scrutiny -- Sacramento is looking to close several loopholes in its campaign finance code, including banning candidates from spending public funds on out-of-state travel and giving the cash to their own business or family member. The caveat: The crackdown applies only to the tiny percentage of candidates who are taking matching city campaign funds. It's unlikely to affect incumbents or other well-funded politicians. Terri Hardy in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Presidential candidates take notice -- An ideologically polarized state Capitol rarely agrees on anything of significance, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators of both parties are almost unanimous about pushing California's presidential primary from June to early February. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Obama dazzles Dems in swing through Bay Area -- Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, whose weekslong campaign for president has electrified crowds across the nation, told a sold-out audience Monday in San Francisco that the country's leaders haven't been willing to face up to the nation's problems. Carla Marinucci, John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle Mary Anne Ostrom in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/20/07

Coming To California -- With California in the process of moving its primary near the front of the pack and neighboring Nevada hosting on Wednesday the first presidential forum of the season for its second-in-the-nation caucuses, candidates are heading into the Golden State. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 2/20/07

Hunter not 1st House member to seek presidency -- Morris Udall. Dick Gephardt. John Kasich. Bob Dornan. Jack Kemp. James Garfield. Dennis Kucinich. What these gentlemen have in common – other than having all served in the House of Representatives – is that each ran for the White House while he was still a congressman. Only one of them made it. And he got shot. Dana Wilkie in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/20/07

Mail voting gets election clerks' stamp of approval - others wary -- Following Oregon's lead, there's a push to test the system for all balloting in the state. Judy Lin in the in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Supreme Court's new tilt could put Scalia on a roll -- It has been two decades in the making, but this is the year Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court's most outspoken dissenter, could emerge as a leader of a new conservative majority. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

Debit cards for immigrants -- Workers without Social Security numbers can use the program to deposit paychecks, make purchases and send money home. Erika Hayasaki in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

Group launches ads calling for pardon of border agents -- A grass-roots organization and a media consulting firm launched a campaign Monday seeking a presidential pardon for two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican national during a 2005 incident. Sara A. Carter in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 2/20/07

College fees squeeze -- For the fifth time in six years, students in the University of California and California State University systems face the possibility of fee hikes this fall. Gone are the days when students in the Golden State weren't expected to pay for their education. Charlotte Hsu in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/20/07

UC Merced expansion plans -- Endangered fairy shrimp, those tiny vernal pool dwellers that have bedeviled planners at UC Merced for years, are flexing their protected status again. Tanya Schevitz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/07

Scrutiny lax on national colleges, critics say -- A consumer report once found that only 15 percent of University of Phoenix first-time students nationwide completed undergraduate programs, but California regulators last year exempted the school from reporting graduation rates. Judy Lin in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

How San Diego State Aims to Be Unique -- Like the toothpaste aisle at the grocery store, the selection of M.B.A. programs has never been greater or more diverse. And like Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Procter & Gamble Co., business schools must work harder than ever to create new and improved products and promote their distinctive benefits to prospective customers. RON ALSOP in the Wall Street Journal -- 2/20/07

Anxiety High: Moving for Schools -- It isn't uncommon for parents to search beyond their neighborhood for the best school. The O'Gormans searched the entire country. SUEIN HWANG in the Wall Street Journal -- 2/20/07

Dropout deluge alarms officials -- Could preventing a high school student from holding a job if he doesn't have good grades keep him from dropping out? Would offering a struggling middle schooler extra counseling and after-school programs keep her on the path to graduation? What about giving high school students more access to college-prep classes and high-level career training? Could that stop them from leaving before they earn a diploma? Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Give him an A for ambition -- Steve Barr may not be a household name, but he is doing more these days to shake up public education in Los Angeles than anyone but Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

CSU woos black students in 'Super Sunday' drive -- As the music of God's gospel reverberated through the pews filled with parishioners, outside in God's lobby recruiters stood ready to lead them onto a higher path. The path of higher education. Alejandro Alfonso in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/20/07

Stings often effective, controversial -- The sting that led to the arrest of a high school principal has renewed the controversy over whether such operations entrap otherwise lawful citizens. COURTNEY BACALSO in the Orange County Register -- 2/20/07

Collector snags five Steinbeck 1st editions -- For a John Steinbeck collector like Walnut Creek's Jim Dourgarian, the chance to buy books the Nobel Prize-winning novelist autographed for his sister was worth a half-hour phone call. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/07

Tutoring program connects volunteers with children -- Michonne Paul is 59, but she has an uncanny ability to see fractions and basic geometry through the eyes of a 10-year-old. Katy Murphy in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/20/07

High-tech play enlisted to fight teen obesity -- Gabby Barela's ponytail swung wildly, and her bangs fell over her eyes as she hopped, shuffled and tapped to "Wonderful Night" by Fatboy Slim. The Redwood City 15-year-old's gaze was locked on a video screen telling her where to put her feet on the Dance Dance Revolution floor pad. This is suburban Woodside High School's new gym class. Ilene Lelchuk in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/07

Valley rice farmers take a hard line -- A splinter group of more than 200 Sacramento Valley rice farmers is claiming that even experimental plantings of genetically modified rice jeopardize key export markets. The group, Rice Producers of California, plans to release today a market study that documents the powerful opposition to such technology in several key export destinations: Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Turkey. Jim Downing in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Aspirin usage taken to heart -- Nearly all American women are in danger of heart disease or stroke and should be more aggressive about lowering their risk - including asking their doctors about daily aspirin use, the American Heart Association said Monday in new guidelines. MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP -- 2/20/07

Residential care homes go largely unmonitored -- After Inez Bernberg's Alzheimer's disease was compounded with a debilitating case of pneumonia in 2005, her daughter decided that it was time to seek help in caring for her 88-year-old mother. Zeke Barlow in the Ventura Star -- 2/20/07

Leaders to beg for rethinking of road funding -- When voters last fall approved a $20 billion bond measure to fix California's aging highway system, supporters heralded it as the biggest transportation investment in more than 15 years. They were right. But the state's traffic needs are so great that the dollars are just a drop in the bucket -- as officials were painfully reminded last week. Gary Richards in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/20/07

L.A. Mayor wants 405 project in fast lane -- In a drive to get state transportation officials to fund a long-delayed freeway-widening plan, Villaraigosa asks motorists to speak out. Andrew Blankstein and Charles Proctor in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

Highway windfall revives debate -- A surge of new highway money from a $19.9 billion transportation bond has renewed political infighting over whether Caltrans should use government or private engineers, bringing warnings of possible project delays. Ed Mendel in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/20/07

Coalition scores freeway victory -- While much of the region is likely to remain famished, three cities along Interstate 10 are set to devour a large slice of the transportation pie on its way to San Bernardino County. Fontana, Rialto and Colton are joining forces with San Bernardino County to secure precious state and federal dollars for improvements along the freeway. Stephen Wall in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/20/07

Federal energy loan delays tied to lack of staff -- All that's standing between the United States and the world's first cellulose ethanol plant is an obscure Washington office staffed by one federal contractor. Michele Heller in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Far-flung suburbs want good life too -- Southern Californians who live in new developments seek fancier places to dine and shop but have to persuade businesses to come to them. Amanda Covarrubias and Ashley Powers in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

Could machines be man's best friend? -- Researchers say robots soon will be capable of performing child care, driving for the elderly. Betsy Mason in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/20/07

Bend in Rules Helps Leipheimer Retain Lead -- Call it the hometown advantage. After a major crash on the finishing circuit of Stage 1 of the Tour of California threatened to upend the overall standings, the race officials bent the rules in a way that allowed the hometown hero, Levi Leipheimer, to keep the race leader’s jersey for a second day. EDWARD WYATT in the New York Times -- 2/20/07

Crowds pump up riders as big race begins -- The cowbells came in mighty handy Monday as the finest cyclists in the world spun their titanium wheels through 97 miles of prime cow country. There was sunshine, clear skies and a pretty good headwind, strong enough to blow the scent of the cow pastures into the faces of the 144 washboard-bellied Tour of California pedalers in their skin-tight jerseys. Steve Rubenstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/07

Call for drug-free cycling -- Greg LeMond wants to believe his beloved sport is clean. He really does. The three-time Tour de France champion said it'd be great if cycling fans knew that what they're watching is the result of athletic skill and hard work rather than performance-enhancing drugs. But LeMond, a former Rancho Murieta resident, isn't naive. Tim Casey in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

Innovative clean-water plan a hit -- San Mateo County's plan to get old medicines out of people's homes and keep them from washing into the watershed has taken off. Rebekah Gordon in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/20/07

Neutrality On the Net Gets High '08 Profile -- Bloggers and other Internet activists made their marks in the past two presidential elections chiefly by building networks of political enthusiasts and raising money for candidates. Now, they are pushing aggressively into policymaking -- and not just over high-profile issues such as Iraq. Charles Babington in the Washington Post -- 2/20/07

Web site chronicles Matsui's crusade -- The late lawmaker fought to win reparations for interned Japanese American citizens. Clint Swett in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/20/07

L.A. Mission's march carries a message of hope -- The Los Angeles Mission's yearly event focuses on the plight of the needy and tries to inspire them to turn their lives around. Tony Barboza in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

Diocese's bankruptcy threat upsets abuse victims in San Diego -- San Diego's Catholic churches may file in face of lawsuits over alleged sexual abuse by priests. Critics call it an attempt to avoid disclosures. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/20/07

Zodiac obsession lives on -- It's the Bay Area's hottest cold case. Who was the Zodiac killer? Nearly four decades after the serial murderer held the region hostage with a bloody spree punctuated by a morbid cat-and-mouse game with police, newspapers and the public, fascination with that question only grows. Mary Anne Ostrom in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/20/07

Peacemakers to walk most violent areas -- Monday was the first day of training for some East Oakland residents, who will be peacemakers on the streets. They'll walk some of Oakland's most dangerous street corners to talk criminals into changing their ways. They'll help parolees adjust to life outside prison. But Olis Simmons, their trainer, urged them to see a transformation of self -- as much as that of the neighborhood. Jim Herron Zamora, Matthai Chakko Kuruvila in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/07

Dual roles keep investigator-minister’s life in balance -- James Morris operates amid the extremes of good and evil. He works full time - sometimes 60 hours a week - as a homicide investigator for the Oakland Police Department. And he is a minister who teaches Sunday school and takes to the pulpit at least once a month at a small West Oakland church. Jim Herron Zamora in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/20/07