Latinos reject governor's English-immersion advice -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger knew he was setting himself up for plenty of criticism when he urged Latinos to "turn off the Spanish television set" in order to learn English faster, but it was a briar patch the Austrian immigrant was happy to leap into. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/07

Bratton speaks out on melee -- Facing a distrustful media over the May 1 immigration march melee with his officers, LAPD Chief William Bratton attempted to smooth relations Friday, speaking to a national conference of Latino journalists. But Bratton, who has been booking meetings with community members nonstop for the past month, encountered a tearful reporter and tough questions. RACHEL URANGA in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/16/07

ACLU subject of protest -- About 50 opponents of illegal immigration gathered outside the ACLU office in Orange to protest the organization's lawsuit against the City of Lake Forest and for the group's stance against issues like religion and abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Lake Forest, alleging that the city infringed on day workers' right to free speech by enforcing a law that prohibits people from standing on sidewalks to solicit work. ALEJANDRA MOLINA in the Orange County Register -- 6/16/07

For Republicans, Poll Shows Perils -- The troubled bill to overhaul the nation's immigration system arrives back on the Senate floor in the coming week. That alone represents an act of either great political courage, or great political folly, on the part of the Republicans who have brought the legislation back to life. GERALD F. SEIB in the Wall Street Journal -- 6/16/07

Broad Effort to Resurrect Immigration Bill -- But behind the scenes, Mr. Reid was inundated with telephone calls, letters, faxes and e-mail urging him to bring the bill back up. The pleas came from groups as diverse as the National Restaurant Association, the National Council of La Raza, the New England Apple Council and the business software company Oracle. Farmers and ranchers from coast to coast told the Senate to get the job done. ROBERT PEAR in the New York Times -- 6/16/07

State increases ethanol content -- effect on cost of gas unclear -- California air quality regulators voted this week to boost the amount of ethanol in the state's gasoline, a move that could have big repercussions on fuel supplies and prices. The measure requires that refiners adopt a formula that raises the ethanol content of California gasoline to about 10 percent starting in 2010. It's part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's push to fight global warming. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

Energy Dept. acknowledges lab's e-mail security lapse -- Officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory sent top-secret information about nuclear weapons through open e-mail networks, fueling concerns that security lapses, long an issue at the New Mexico lab, have not been solved by the recent installation of a UC-Bechtel management team. The latest security breach was acknowledged Friday by Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman after it was revealed by two congressmen. Keay Davidson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/07

Health benefits' rising costs stymie reforms -- Becky Bikul faced a tough choice the last time her union contract was up: take a smaller raise or pay more for health insurance. The 29-year-old collections agent for AT&T opted for raises that barely keep pace with inflation, but in return received health insurance covered almost entirely by the company. Mike Zapler in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/16/07

Ed Jew ignores city attorney's probe deadline -- San Francisco Supervisor Ed Jew ignored the city attorney's deadline Friday to agree to be interviewed by investigators and to submit additional proof he lives in the Sunset District, maintaining that his hands are tied by the overlapping investigations of which he has become a target. Robert Selna, Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/07

Attorneys want to know where Jew's home is -- If San Francisco Supervisor Ed Jew doesn't live in the City, as alleged by the San Francisco District Attorney, where does he actually reside? Aaron Kinney in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/16/07

Supporters say Ed Jew is victim of racism -- The media and City Hall leaders want San Francisco Supervisor Ed Jew out of office because he is Chinese American and politically conservative, loyal supporters of the beleaguered supervisor claimed Friday. Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/07

On the right side of the bars -- Nancy De Weese goes to prison on Monday, and she seems excited about it. Up until a few months ago, De Weese, who is 42, was full-time mother of two in San Luis Obispo County. Come Monday, she will still be a mom, but she will also be a state correctional officer at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

State jobless rate inches up -- Providing further evidence that the weak housing market is slowing the economy, California's unemployment rate inched up last month amid weakening job growth. The statewide unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point, to 5.2 percent last month, the Employment Development Department said Friday. Job growth was a fairly tepid 10,800, with the manufacturing and construction industries showing declines. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

San Diego is seeing little growth in work force -- San Diego payrolls grew an anemic 0.3 percent between May 2006 and May 2007, as the county continued to suffer the effects of a declining real estate market, according to data released yesterday by the California Employment Development Department. At the same time, the local unemployment rate, which was once far below the national average, has risen from 3.7 percent to 4.2 percent, just a fraction below the national rate of 4.3 percent. In April, San Diego had a 4.1 percent unemployment rate. Dean Calbreath in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/16/07

Rising food costs -- Faced with rising food costs, some consumers are altering their shopping habits by clipping coupons, buying in bulk, bargain hunting and eating at home. The noticeable bump in prices has turned Simi Valley resident Kathy Pecoraro into a coupon clipper. Jenni Mintz in the Ventura Star -- 6/16/07

Frugality paying off at store -- Maria Flaherty has not only noticed the price of gas going up, but also the cost of her breakfast oatmeal. Inland Empire shoppers are seeing a spike in prices at the supermarket, and money-conscious consumers like Chino resident Flaherty are hopping from store to store looking for the best deals. Flaherty said she's starting to frequent atypical grocers such as Wal-mart and Target to save on certain food items. Julia Scott and Brent Hopkins in the San Bernardino Sun -- 6/16/07

Hunger pangs hitting home -- Low-income families are feeling the pinch as the high cost of housing, gas and food is starting to take its toll. A UCLA Center for Health Policy Research report states that 2.5 million low-income Californians can not afford adequate food for their families on a regular basis. In San Bernardino County, the number of low-income residents who suffer from what the report calls "food insecurity" is 145,000. Wendy Leung in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 6/16/07

The political guru wore tennis shoes -- A recently graduated college student who made YouTube videos in his dorm room has captured the attention of some presidential hopefuls. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Backers split on impact of L.A. mayor's divorce -- Time heals most political wounds, observers say. But some Villaraigosa supporters sense a loss of enthusiasm for the mayor. Duke Helfand in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Another Cunningham conspirator pleads guilty -- One of the conspirators in the corruption case of former Republican Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in the scheme. WILLIAM FINN BENNETT in the North County Times -- 6/16/07

For them, faith trumps works -- Evangelicals say Romney's Mormonism is the sticking point, not his politics. Stephanie Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Among Firefighters, Giuliani Is Hailed and Hated -- Their images are permanently etched in photographs after the fall of the World Trade Center towers, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and firefighters cloaked in the same gray dust. For months afterward, they stood together at funerals. Mr. Giuliani, in his eulogy, always asked for a round of applause to celebrate the dead firefighter’s life. MICHAEL WILSON in the New York Times -- 6/16/07

Dems agree to make earmarks public -- GOP had fought bid to delay identifying spending items. Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

New mood from new citizens -- Latino immigrants in South Florida who have traditionally registered with the GOP have felt alienated by the party, critics say. Peter Wallsten in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Cooling housing sector takes toll on employment -- The unemployment rate edges up. The construction and financial services sectors remain weak. Lisa Girion in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Labor report: Jobs down in county as housing slows -- The unemployment rate in San Joaquin County was 7.5 percent in May, down from 8.1 percent in April but above the year-ago rate estimate of 7 percent. Bruce Spence in the Stockton Record -- 6/16/07

Travelers feel passport pain -- Thousands are entangled in a U.S. system overwhelmed by new rules for air passengers. Jim Wasserman and Janet Fullwood in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

Classmates bound by war -- While most in Santa Rosa High's Class of 2001 went off to college or work, 5 went to Iraq; only 3 returned. GUY KOVNER in the Santa Rosa Press -- 6/16/07

Iraq Contractors Face Growing Parallel War -- Private security companies, funded by billions of dollars in U.S. military and State Department contracts, are fighting insurgents on a widening scale in Iraq, enduring daily attacks, returning fire and taking hundreds of casualties that have been underreported and sometimes concealed, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials and company representatives. Steve Fainaru in the Washington Post -- 6/16/07

Ending is a beginning for special-needs students -- Once unthinkable, higher learning now awaits developmentally disabled graduates of Village Glen School. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

In the Classroom, a New Focus on Quieting the Mind -- The lesson began with the striking of a Tibetan singing bowl to induce mindful awareness. With the sound of their new school bell, the fifth graders at Piedmont Avenue Elementary School here closed their eyes and focused on their breathing, as they tried to imagine “loving kindness” on the playground. PATRICIA LEIGH BROWN in the New York Times -- 6/16/07

Part of suit over charter school is dropped -- The original action had accused L.A. Unified of using deceptive means to obtain some state funds for the new campus. Evelyn Larrubia in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Firebombs found at UC Riverside; ceremony canceled -- Authorities find two homemade incendiary devices. Final exams in one building are halted and one graduation will b rescheduled. Ashraf Khalil in the Los Angeles Times DOUG HABERMAN, LORA HINES and JENNIFER BOWLES in the Riverside Press -- 6/16/07

Schools hope to erase IBM debt -- ur state lawmakers ask tech company to forgive $5 million bill for West Contra Costa district computers from '80s, '90s Kimberly S. Wetzel in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/16/07

Ouster of researcher may imperil HIV work -- Four years after UCSF officials successfully defended the controversial work of an AIDS researcher under attack by a Republican-controlled Congress, the university is ousting the veteran professor, leaving up to $1 million in his grant money unspent and the future of HIV prevention programs for transgender people in doubt. Sabin Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/07

6 King staffers disciplined with letters -- In the wake of a woman's much-publicized ER death, the communications outlined how the workers should behave in the future. Charles Ornstein and Susannah Rosenblatt in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Feds to Kindred: Fix problems -- The federal government has ordered Kindred Hospital Modesto to correct numerous deficiencies at the long-term acute care facility, where a paraplegic man died in January after he was trapped between the railing and his bed. KEN CARLSON in the Modesto Bee -- 6/16/07

Roadblock for 49ers stadium -- In a significant hurdle to bringing the NFL to the South Bay, the Ohio-based company that controls the San Francisco 49ers' proposed stadium site in Santa Clara said Friday that it opposes the project - at least for now. Mike Swift in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/16/07

Veterans endorse Trump's proposal -- A local veterans group is firmly behind Donald Trump's offer to purchase the troubled Running Horse residential and golf project, saying it would agree to move the planned Central Valley Veterans Home to accommodate the billionaire developer. Ken Robison and Denny Boyles in the Fresno Bee -- 6/16/07

San Diego Mayor vetoes 'supercenters' ban -- This was a busy week for a small black table in Mayor Jerry Sanders' office. Yesterday, the mayor's aides hauled it across town for the second time in three days, and Sanders sat behind it to veto the City Council's recent ban on large retail stores with full-service groceries. Matthew T. Hall in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/16/07

With fish out of harm's way, delta pumps to resume -- After more than two weeks of shutdowns and reduced pumping to protect an endangered two-inch fish, the Schwarzenegger administration said Friday that it will turn the massive pumps at the State Water Project back to nearly normal levels starting Sunday. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/16/07

An 11th city for Ventura County? -- Hoping to control development, an Oxnard-area pair seek to create a new municipality. But doing so won't be a walk on the beach. Gregory W. Griggs in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Hybrid buses giving free rides till July 15 -- Muni riders in San Francisco lucky enough to board a specially marked hybrid bus will get a free ride, the agency announced Friday. The free rides will be offered from 7 a.m. to noon, and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. through July 15. At all other times, passengers will have to plunk up to $1.50 into the fare box. Rachael Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/07

Birdies par for the course -- At nest site No. 17, also known as the fifth-hole tee at Wildhorse Golf Course in Davis, Kimberly West had something of a birdie binge of her own. Volunteer bird counter West tallied nine burrowing owls, a state species of special concern. Oblivious to a golfer who shanked his shot and loudly expressed his displeasure, the owls bobbed and flitted around their hole-in-the-ground home. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

Tahoe water trail in works -- A water trail that hugs the 72-mile shoreline of Lake Tahoe could become the next best way to showcase the magnificent depths of the mountain lake. The water trail would provide a designated recreational path for non-motorized boaters -- much like a land trail for hikers. The hope is that having an official water trail would encourage paddling along the shore on a days-long journey that includes camping, picnicking or hiking along the way, said Sue Rae Irelan, a recreational analyst with the California Tahoe Conservancy. M.S. Enkoji in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

Voluntary 20-percent cut in water use sought -- The Livermore-Amador Valley's wholesale water provider, along with four retail suppliers of that water, are seeking a voluntary 20-percent reduction in water use by residential and business users at least through the weekend into next week. Sam Richards in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/16/07

Prison goal: Flush control -- For those not in custody, toilets generally have a single purpose. But for prison inmates, they can be so much more. By flushing the toilets in their cells, prisoners communicate with one another, relieve boredom, protest prison conditions, dispose of contraband and even create in-cell swimming pools. Hudson Sangree in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/07

The smallest of them all -- Scoot over, Mini Cooper. Bug off, Honda Fit. See ya later, Toyota Yaris. A new car is coming to town and it's smaller than anything on the road. The two-seater smart fortwo is 104 inches long, half the size of a typical SUV. It zips along up to 90 mph and parallel parking is a no-brainer. JULIA M. SCOTT in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/16/07

Extra judges to help clear Riverside County backlog -- Chief Justice Ronald M. George says as many as 12 jurists will help ease the criminal courts calendar. Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

A day when death is on the minds of many at base -- A memorial for eight Marines follows final arguments in a hearing on alleged murders. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/07

Cyclist dies of injuries -- A 51-year-old man died at a hospital this morning from head injuries he received in a bicycle accident at a Concord strip mall on Thursday night. The Contra Costa Coroner's Office was working to confirm the man's identity and reach his family members this afternoon. Sgt. Brandon Richey said the victim was riding his bike behind the Longs Drugs in the 2600 block of Clayton Avenue when he traveled up a loading dock ramp and dropped six feet off the other side. Malaika Fraley in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/16/07

Dublin Parks Commission to discuss bike path plan -- The city's Parks and Community Services Commission will discuss Monday the city's proposed bicycle master plan. The plan will provide a guide for creating bicycle paths, including an evaluation of existing conditions, a list of recommendations of improvements and recommendations to improve bicycle parking, safety, education and enforcement. Sophia Kazmi in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/16/07