Obama seeks Hispanic inroads as California leans toward Clinton -- Bidding for Hispanic support in California's upcoming primary, Barack Obama describes himself in a Spanish-language television ad as the son of an immigrant whose success is a beacon to others. LAURA KURTZMAN AP -- 1/25/08

Proposed fire fee 'unconstitutional,' insurance commissioner says -- The state insurance commissioner on Friday opposed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed fee for fire upgrades, calling it "unconstitutional" and potentially "a bad precedent." Judy Lin in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Report: California needs more firefighting preparedness -- A state panel reviewing October's huge Southern California wildfires called Friday for more night-flying helicopters, fire engines and firefighters - welcome news to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as he champions a new surcharge to pay for fire upgrades. ALLISON HOFFMAN AP -- 1/25/08

Carona moves to suppress wiretap evidence in corruption case -- Attorneys for former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona filed a motion Friday asking a judge to throw out secretly taped conversations that helped federal prosecutors build a public corruption case against him. GILLIAN FLACCUS AP -- 1/25/08

Anger rising on campaign trail -- McCain takes shots at Romney, Clinton blames Obama for nastiness. Michael Muskal and Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Environmentalists gearing up to fight renewable energy initiative -- Many environmentalists say they would love to see a law requiring California to drastically increase it's proportion of renewable energy. Yet they have begun fighting against an initiative that would do just that. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 1/25/08

Denham takes one raise, declines another -- Since Jeff Denham was elected to the Senate in 2002, he has voluntarily cut his pay four times and usually told his constituents about it. What he hasn’t told them about is the three raises he subsequently accepted. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/25/08

Ross Johnson -- Ross Johnson’s 26 year legislative career began in 1978 – the same year Proposition 13 was approved. He was the leader of both the Assembly Republicans and the Senate Republicans, the first person in state history to be a leader in both houses. But now, Johnson, who turns 69 in September, has put aside partisan politics. Greg Lucas California's Capitol weblog -- 1/25/08

Lottery chief may owe for party -- The director of the state lottery could be held liable for "unallowable costs" related to an employee recognition dinner last fall where prizes were handed out to staff members and their guests, according to the state controller. Judy Lin in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

EBay's retiring chief may run for California governor -- Meg Whitman, who raised funds for Romney, has been asking key Republicans about the possibilities, sources say. Joe Mathews in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Stricter rules on political gifts considered -- The Fair Political Practices Commission wants to tighten disclosure requirements and could ban many contributions altogether. Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Ad Watch: Term limit bid is given a hard time, so to speak -- Two jailbirds ridicule Proposition 93 in a 30-second television advertisement by opponents of the measure to alter legislative term limits. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Walters: Term limits measure plummets -- For weeks, Democratic legislators had been crossing their fingers, figuratively at least, and hoping that Republican voters could be induced into voting for Proposition 93, a measure to modify legislative term limits and extend the careers of termed-out lawmakers. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Field Poll: Poll data grim for Bloomberg -- A quarter of California registered voters would consider voting for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg should he decide to run for president this year, while nearly two-thirds said they would "definitely not" support him, according to a Field Poll released Thursday. Dan Smith in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08 Link to the poll here

PPIC Poll: Gloomy $ outlook, thumbs down to gov’s budget -- The new Public Policy Institute of California poll of state residents finds: * 72% expect bad economic times in the coming year, up from 65% in December and 39% a year ago. -- Martin Wisckol Total Buzz weblog -- 1/25/08 Link to the poll here

Pollution appointee ousted -- In a rare move, the state Senate on Thursday morning ousted Fresno County Supervisor Judy Case from the state Air Resources Board. E.J. Schultz in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

The money comes in, the money goes out -- The campaign to preserve the casino-expansion agreements of three Riverside County tribes and one San Diego County tribe had burned through nearly $68 million through Saturday, according to a campaign-finance report today. JIM MILLER Riverside Press Ballot Watch weblog -- 1/25/08

Phone tax gets heavy backing from unions -- They have given nearly $1.9 million to the Proposition S campaign, which is seeking to preserve a tax on cellular and land line calls. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Cadaver exhibit: Who said OK? -- Cars packed the parking lot of a shuttered CompUSA store one recent weekday afternoon as schoolchildren, health professionals and the just plain curious paid $24 apiece to stare at a score of plasticized, dissected human cadavers and roomfuls of preserved body parts. Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Times/Bloomberg Poll: Americans expect a recession but also survival -- Americans are more worried about the nation's fiscal health than they are about their own pocketbooks, with a sizable majority believing the country is on the road to recession, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found. Faye Fiore in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Low-income bank accounts proposed -- Building on a San Francisco program that has become a national model, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced plans Thursday to help tens of thousands of low-income Californians open their first bank accounts. Schwarzenegger said his office will bring together bank officials, mayors and community groups in five to seven cities to create and promote starter checking or savings accounts. Ilana DeBare in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/25/08

Bretón: Ex-NBA star could rev up Sacramento mayor's race -- Kevin Johnson, the former NBA star and arguably the capital city's most famous native son, is seriously considering a run for mayor. On Thursday, Johnson confirmed his "strong" interest in challenging incumbent Heather Fargo in the June 3 election. David Townsend, a local political consultant, commissioned a recent poll gauging voter interest in a Johnson candidacy and claims the excitement was high. Marcos Bretón in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Gaddi Vasquez champions efforts to end hunger -- Some in this luncheon audience at the Irvine Marriott – local movers and shakers in their own right – remember Vasquez as a fresh-faced rookie cop at the Orange Police Department. Others see the GOP's rising Hispanic star addressing the 1992 presidential convention in Houston. And still others will never forget how he looked on Dec. 6, 1994, after he and the other county supervisors declared the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. TERI SFORZA in the Orange County Register -- 1/25/08

Big loans could get cheaper -- The economic stimulus plan worked out Thursday in Washington would provide nearly a year of cheaper loans for Californians buying or refinancing higher-cost homes, and the news elicited jubilation in the beleaguered housing and mortgage industries. E. Scott Reckard and Peter Y. Hong in the Los Angeles Times Roger Showley and Dean Calbreath in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 1/25/08

Already planning their spending -- Some area taxpayers say they may use their rebates to buy iPhones and flat-screen TVs. Alana Semuels and Leslie Earnest in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Economic stimulus a big break for home buyers -- Buying or refinancing a house in the pricey Bay Area? You could get a big break on your mortgage from the economic stimulus package announced Thursday. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/25/08

Economic stimulus: A modest effect in Silicon Valley -- So, maybe you're one of the lucky ones who's in line for a federal tax rebate under the stimulus package announced Thursday in Washington. But while you and thousands of your neighbors may get enough to buy big-screen TVs, that won't be enough to turbo-charge Silicon Valley's economy. Mike Swift in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Assembly bill tackles foreclosure problem -- Lawmakers on Thursday continued moving toward an overhaul of the subprime mortgage lending industry as foreclosures continue to oust Californians from their homes at an unprecedented pace. Steve Geissinger in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/25/08

Recession unlikely to hit Bay Area in '08 -- The Bay Area probably won't slide into a recession this year, but it will come close. That's the prediction of the Association of Bay Area Governments, which released its annual economic forecast Thursday. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/25/08

Despite terrible '07 for housing, some are optimistic for 2008 -- Interest rates and home values have plunged so far that some see signs of a revival of home sales and refinancing in the central San Joaquin Valley. Sanford Nax in the Fresno Bee -- 1/25/08

New-car sales fall in California, Silicon Valley -- Sales of new cars and trucks in Silicon Valley fell 6.3 percent in 2007, the first year-over-year decline since 2003, local car dealers said Thursday. The decline reflects sustained higher gas prices and economic worries. Matt Nauman in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/25/08

Union: Too few air traffic controllers -- The labor union representing air traffic controllers, including those at Mineta San Jose International Airport, on Thursday said that staffing shortages at air towers across the country could lead to mistakes endangering public safety. Connie Skipitares in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/25/08

Glum Mood Bodes Ill for GOP -- Just when it seemed Americans couldn't get any gloomier about the country's direction, they have. That finding, from the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, could leave Republicans the gloomiest of all, as prospects for their party darken further in a presidential-election year. JACKIE CALMES in the Wall Street Journal -- 1/25/08

Obama urged to renounce groups' ads -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama - who has criticized Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards for benefiting from "independent expenditure" and political action committees - is taking heat because some of the same kind of organizations are now spending money, organizing and putting up TV ads on his behalf in the Bay Area. Carla Marinucci, Joe Garofoli in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/25/08

Young voters seen - and heard -- Make room, Boomers: A new generation is stepping up this presidential primary season, and they're not just casting their votes on MySpace. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/25/08

Giuliani's private ventures have mixed record -- His firm's failure to finish an anthrax cleanup job, as well as other setbacks, are scattered in the post-9/11 career of the GOP presidential candidate. Bob Drogin in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Some fear the other Clinton's behavior may hurt Democrats -- Critics say the former president's forceful campaign approach -- including face-offs with reporters and criticisms of Obama -- may be just a preview. Peter Nicholas in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Obama supporters working the female vote -- With the Democratic nomination depending largely on women, the campaign is making the rounds to sway them away from Clinton. Maria L. La Ganga in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

A GOP debate with a difference -- Facing off in Florida, the candidates hardly differ — and all agree on their distaste for the Clintons. Michael Finnegan and Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Democrats may vote by race in South Carolina -- In a state where most whites are Republican, the rest don't seem to mind Obama, but they tend to favor Clinton and Edwards. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

2 high schools join LAUSD reform effort -- Westchester and Crenshaw parents and teachers vote to take the low-performing schools in a new direction. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Prop. 92 affects community college funding -- California's community colleges would get a stable level of state funding, and student fees would drop under Proposition 92 on the Feb. 5 ballot. Jean Cowden Moore in the Ventura Star -- 1/25/08

SUSD's police force one of few remaining in state -- Stockton Unified Police Chief Jim West used this anecdote recently to illustrate the problem-solving his force does, including simply transporting a troubled student who becomes less resistant to attending school at the sight of a uniformed officer. Roger Phillips in the Stockton Record -- 1/25/08

Lawyers for Carona may try to move trial out of Orange County -- Defense team informs federal court judge that several pretrial motions will be made before corruption trial can begin. LARRY WELBORN in the Orange County Register -- 1/25/08

Bosses may fire workers for using medical pot off duty, California's high court says -- The state high court's ruling weakened an already beleaguered 1996 law that prohibits the state from criminalizing the medical use of marijuana. The court said the Compassionate Use Act, passed by voters, imposed no requirements on employers. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle Crystal Carreon in the Sacramento Bee Paul Elias AP -- 1/25/08

Court ruling clouds naming of Major League players who used steroids -- A federal appeals court has for the second time generally sided with Justice Department efforts to use the names and urine samples of about 100 Major League baseball players who tested positive for steroids four years ago. Howard Mintz in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/25/08

Rehab program for doctors won't survive -- The president of the state medical board rejects attempts to keep the confidential program alive. Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times Marcos Wohlsen AP -- 1/25/08

Salmonella carried by pet turtles sickens 100 -- Most have been children. At least 24 people have been hospitalized. California has 12 reported cases. Jia-Rui Chong in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Giant step toward artificial life -- American scientists have built from scratch a synthetic chromosome containing all the genetic material needed to produce a primitive bacterium - a giant step toward the creation of artificial life. Sabin Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/25/08

Fire safety 'road map' complete -- After the 2003 infernos exposed alarming shortcomings in California's firefighting capabilities, the state now appears to be making progress toward remedies that in some cases were proposed years ago. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 1/25/08

Little energy behind state solar plant efforts -- Despite state goals to encourage alternative energy, no application to build a large solar power plant in California has been approved in 18 years, and new projects could face significant delays in the bureaucracy, the state auditor said Thursday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Ventura County growers brace for strict pesticide rules -- State cracks down on poisonous gases that are injected into fields. Marla Cone and Gregory W. Griggs in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Future of L.A. jewel is open for debate -- They've talked about -- and fought over -- the six-acre patch at the edge of the Silver Lake Reservoir for nearly a decade. Should the flat, grassy area created in the early 1950s when a stagnant reservoir cove was filled in with dirt be turned into a park? Or should it remain a fenced-in habitat for wildlife? Bob Pool in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

EPA chief grilled over California rejection -- Stephen L. Johnson tells an angry congressional panel that he wasn't pressured into denying the state's bid to curb emissions. Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times Zachary Coile in the San Francisco Chronicle David Whitney in the Sacramento Bee Lisa Friedman in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 1/25/08

Tough alien mussels threaten Bay Area waters -- The appearance in Northern California of an alien mussel, which multiplies so fast it chokes out natives species, clogs pipes and causes havoc, prompted the East Bay Municipal Utility District Thursday to ban some recreational boating in its reservoirs. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/25/08

Fishing ban sought on river -- The state Fish and Game Commission is set to consider a two-month fishing ban on the lower American River as a way to ward off poaching and preserve the steelhead trout population. M.S. Enkoji in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Capital bailing out of parkway fund plan -- In a blow to American River Parkway advocates, the city of Sacramento has backed away from a plan to boost parkway spending through a property-owner paid benefit assessment district. Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Panel backs smog plan delay -- Sacramento-area elected officials unanimously backed a bid Thursday to extend the federal deadline for meeting national clean-air standards by six years – to 2018 – saying they already had imposed almost every politically achievable smog control on local business. Chris Bowman in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/25/08

Respect bayfront plans, state told -- Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox is asking state energy regulators to respect the city's plan for redeveloping its bayfront, which includes demolishing the South Bay Power Plant and replacing it somewhere inland. Tanya Mannes in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 1/25/08

Future of Salton Sea hangs in balance -- Legislative Analyst's Office indecisive on restoration plan. Erica Solvig and Jake Henshaw in the Desert Sun -- 1/25/08

Limited water supplies will require recycling -- In the future, a growing Ventura County population is going to strain the area's water resources. With that in mind, officials said, the county needs to find ways to increase its use of recycled water to shore up resources and reduce dependency on outside sources. Zeke Barlow in the Ventura Star -- 1/25/08

L.A. trash may be gold mine -- Looking to turn trash into treasure, Los Angeles' Bureau of Sanitation has launched a plan to help generate millions of dollars from the spaghetti jars, old newspapers and shoe boxes residents throw out. Sue Doyle in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 1/25/08

Carona lawyers offer glimpse into strategy -- Lawyers for former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona said Thursday that dozens of federal prosecutors have disqualified themselves from prosecuting his corruption case -- and the defense wants to know why. Stuart Pfeifer and Christine Hanley in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

Raids suggest a deeper network of looted art -- Even after scandals, Southland museums pursued suspect artifacts, warrants say. Jason Felch in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/25/08

eBay relic listings rattle Catholics -- On Jan. 3, a would-be eBay seller posted a wheat-colored envelope fastened with a red wax seal said to contain remains of the Apostle Bartholomew. Another posting showed a beveled glass reliquary inset with pieces of five saints' earthly matter. Rebecca Rosen Lum in the Oakland Tribune -- 1/25/08