Thousands of Protesters Expected Across Southland -- Thousands are expected to attend a candlelight vigil and procession today in downtown Los Angeles to urge Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul. It is expected to be one of the largest marches among a number planned around the state. The national "Day of Action" comes two weeks after 500,000 people, according to police estimates, marched in Los Angeles to protest proposed immigration legislation. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Bay Area rallies -- Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators are expected to participate today in rallies in the Bay Area and across the nation to call attention to immigrants and their fight for human rights. Delfin Vigil in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/10/06

San Jose Rally -- A march for immigrant rights planned for this afternoon in East San Jose could draw as many as 20,000 people, leaders said Sunday. Kimra McPherson in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/10/06

Santa Ana -- Hundreds of people are expected at a rally here today, part of protests planned across the country called the "National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice." The protests come in the wake of large demonstrations in San Diego, Dallas and other cities Sunday in support of immigrants. PEGGY LOWE and FERMIN LEAL in the Orange County Register -- 4/10/06

Immigration Activists -- Hundreds of thousands of immigrant rights activists are expected to participate today in a coordinated campaign of nationwide protest that organizers say will be the largest of its kind in the nation's history. As many as 200,000 protesters are expected on the National Mall in Washington as part of a rally that acquired new urgency among immigrant rights groups after a compromise bill to overhaul immigration laws collapsed amid partisan rancor in the Senate last week. Greg Miller in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

50,000 throng San Diego downtown in immigrant-rights march -- Tens of thousands of people marched through downtown San Diego yesterday afternoon in support of immigrant rights, waving flags and chanting slogans in what appears to be the largest public demonstration in city history. Leslie Berestein in the San Diego Union-Trib PAUL EAKINS in the North County Times -- 4/10/06

Biggest demonstration draws 500,000 to Dallas -- Demonstrators flying banners of immigration reform marched in cities across the nation yesterday to demand citizenship and a share of the American dream for millions of illegal immigrants who have run a gantlet of closed borders, broken families, snake-eyed smugglers and economic exploitation. Robert D. McFadden in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/10/06

Groups moved fast to organize -- Meeting in a small classroom at a local university, activists gave themselves two weeks to see if they could organize the largest march in San Diego's history. With yesterday's massive turnout, they may have succeeded. Norma de la Vega in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/10/06

An Immigrant Writes -- President Reagan memorably described his "shining city on a hill" as a place that "hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." Perhaps because he'd been a border state governor, Reagan understood the challenges and the opportunities presented by immigration. He believed, as I do, that we can have an immigration policy that both strengthens our borders and welcomes immigrants. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER in the Wall Street Journal -- 4/10/06

School threats led teen to commit suicide -- Dozens of people descended on an Ontario church Sunday afternoon to show their support for family members of a teen who relatives say committed suicide after being threatened with jail for his involvement in recent immigration protests. Jannise Johnson in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 4/10/06

Governor to focus on global warming -- With his plan to build new schools and roads stalled, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is turning his focus to combatting global warming -- a burgeoning political issue that aides and pollsters say could be election-year gold for a governor in need of a major accomplishment. Mark Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/10/06

State seen as 'leader of the pack' on clean air -- In Michigan, where automakers still reign, the Rev. Charles Morris cites Scripture and California policy as he campaigns for curbs on tailpipe and smokestack emissions linked to disruptions in global weather patterns that can threaten water, power and food supplies. “California is the leader of the pack,” says the Catholic priest who tends a parish in Wyandotte, just outside Dearborn. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/10/06

Westly Goes Wide -- State Controller Steve Westly today expanded his television advertising in the Democratic primary race for governor of California into all media markets throughout the state. He will be on the air in all markets through the June 6 primary, sources say. His rival for the nomination, state Treasurer Phil Angelides, has bought no air time anywhere in California this week. Sources around the candidate say his campaign may stay dark until late this month. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 4/10/06

Governor selling vocational ed - and may be succeeding -- His other attributes and liabilities notwithstanding, Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves much credit for becoming the only recent California governor to value and promote vocational education - and his timing couldn't be any better. For years, a college-oriented educational and political elite - pandering to parents who universally consider their progeny to be budding doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers - has been consciously dismantling the state's once-exemplary system of job-oriented education. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/10/06

CD 50 Scandal hangs over race -- Linda Dealy, a loyal Republican Party activist and a trusting, unsuspecting neighbor, can't gaze at the house across the street without getting a sickening feeling. The Del Mar house was home to a local and national hero, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, the former "Top Gun" fighter pilot who went on to win eight consecutive terms in Congress. It later became the talk of the neighborhood when Cunningham sold it at a vastly inflated price to a defense contractor, who then dumped it for a $700,000 loss. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee Dani Dodge in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/10/06

SD 35 -- If last year's Orange County special elections are an indication, most of the ballots in Tuesday's polling to fill the vacant 35th state Senate seat have already been cast. And if Dana Point Councilwoman Diane Harkey is to have a chance against Assemblyman Tom Harman when walk-in ballots start being cast, she's probably going to have to be well ahead on the absentee ballots already completed. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 4/10/06

AD 41 -- For the past six years, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Woodland Hills, has made it her mission to improve the environment, and most of the major candidates looking to succeed her hope to continue that legacy. The race for the 41st Assembly district features five Democrats, two Republicans and a Libertarian seeking their parties' nominations in the June primary. Harrison Sheppard in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 4/10/06

AD 17 -- Cathleen Galgiani isn't the incumbent in the 17th Assembly District race, but she might as well be: The Stockton Democrat is collecting PAC money like a sitting lawmaker and has raised more cash than the two Republicans challenging her combined. Hank Shaw in the Stockton Record -- 4/10/06

Jerry Brown: He's back -- In the foyer of his modest campaign headquarters, Jerry Brown proudly displayed a striking, life-size tile mosaic that was given his dad, Edmund G. "Pat" Brown, when he left the state attorney general's office 47 years ago to become governor. "I'm going to be able to bring it back into the building and put it up on the wall," said Brown, who just as pridefully offered that his late father had done "a hell of a job" as attorney general. Herbert A. Sample in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/10/06

More Jerry -- Since Mayor Jerry Brown's election in 1998, the mayor has seen his popularity among African Americans splinter, amid complaints from some black leaders that he has left them behind. They argue that Brown has done nothing to ensure that the city's African Americans share in the benefits of the development boom that has been the hallmark of his administration. Chip Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/10/06

The Buzz: CTA's endorsement of Republican a surprise -- After the California Teachers Association railed against Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's special election agenda last year, it was a shock when the group last week endorsed a Republican, Bruce McPherson, for secretary of state. CTA President Barbara Kerr said it was the first time she could recall CTA endorsing a Republican for statewide office. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/10/06

Face of Long Beach Politics to Change -- For a dozen years, Beverly O'Neill has been the face of Long Beach politics, a mayor so well known that she won her third term as a write-in candidate. O'Neill rallied the port city through tough years, when its shipyards and aerospace plants shrank or closed. Now the feel-good mayor is stepping down, and five candidates are on the ballot to replace her Tuesday. Nancy Wride and Deborah Schoch in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Lobbyists look for cutting edge -- Veteran Sacramento attorney and lobbyist Gene Livingston last fall merged his 15-person law firm and government affairs business with Greenberg Traurig, a major Miami-based firm with a growing team of lobbyists in state capitals across the nation. The deal came while Greenberg Traurig's name was earning unflattering headlines in the national media after the firm fired its star Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff in 2004, amid allegations of corruption and fraud. Andrew McIntosh in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/10/06

Group seeks activist's release -- A delegation of 100 people from Little Saigon is expected to visit the South Korean consulate in Los Angeles this morning seeking the release of Chanh Huu "Tony" Nguyen, a local political and human rights activist, who supporters say is being detained in Seoul on behalf of the Vietnamese government. MARLA JO FISHER in the Orange County Register -- 4/10/06

With a Tax Rallying Cry, GOP Tries to Drown Out Woes -- Burdened by an unpopular war and divisions over immigration and other issues, Republicans are turning to an old standby — taxes — to unite the party and boost its prospects in the midterm elections. From Washington to Sacramento, strategists say the issue can help put the GOP back on offense while energizing Republican loyalists, whose turnout is crucial to the party's November success. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Christians Sue for Right Not to Tolerate Policies -- Many codes intended to protect gays from harassment are illegal, conservatives argue. Stephanie Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Bush, Cheney Urged to Discuss Leak Case -- President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should speak publicly about their involvement in the leaking of classified information so people can understand what happened, a leading Republican senator said Sunday. AP -- 4/10/06

Silicon Valley's new job market: (specific) help wanted -- Yahoo's Sunnyvale campus is feeling so 1999 these days. The company hired more than 3,000 workers last year -- about the same number it had in all just three years ago. Perks are in vogue again, with the addition of free coffee bars, haircuts and car washing. Employees must park so far away that the company started a valet parking service. Chris O'Brien in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/10/06

Tech makes comeback -- The Bay Area's technology industry in 2005 cruised well beyond its doldrums of years past. Sales and profits generated by the region's largest high-tech firms in 2005 were robust enough to help Silicon Valley put its dismal sales and red ink of recent years in the rearview mirror. George Avalos in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/10/06

Poll: San Jose a good place to live -- Traffic snarls, record housing prices and job losses may grab headlines, but none of them seem to overly worry San Jose residents, according to the city's latest community survey. Crime was considered the most serious issue facing city government by 13 percent of those interviewed, with traffic at 11 percent. But no single issue -- including housing costs, education, cost of living and employment -- was dominant in the 2005 survey. Janice Rombeck in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/10/06

L.A. Schools -- The Los Angeles Board of Education is locked in a high-stakes legal battle over a $100-million insurance policy it bought to cover the rising costs of cleaning school construction sites contaminated with toxic substances. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Tough classes,eager pupils -- Beth Griffiths has a conflict. Her school's Science Olympiad team is heading to Indiana for a national competition next month. That's good. Deepa Ranganathan in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/10/06

Battle Lines Drawn Over Mercury in Shots -- States push for bans in children's vaccines. But leading medical groups are pushing back. Myron Levin in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

UCSD, Australia form biotech team -- Scientists from the University of California San Diego and Australia will work together on stem cell projects under an agreement expected to be announced this morning. Collaboration will focus on stem cell research. Terri Somers in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/10/06

Healthcare Bill -- Two miracles took place in Massachusetts last week. First, the Legislature approved the nation's most ambitious effort to expand access to health insurance. Second, the plan emerged from a process of creative bipartisan collaboration between Republican Gov. Mitt Romney and an overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature. Ronald Brownstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Lots of bills, no accord on health care -- California lawmakers this year are considering a long list of health care bills with approaches ranging from creating a government-run, single-payer system to giving people tax breaks on health savings accounts, an individualist approach favored by the Bush administration. Like the Massachusetts plan, two different California bills would require state residents to have health insurance or pay penalties. So far, there appears to be little common ground. Clea Benson in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/10/06

bird flu -- The middle-aged man with severe respiratory illness told his doctor he had just returned to Northern California from a chicken farm in Vietnam. That rang the first alarm bell. Scott Lindlaw AP -- 4/10/06

No standard for cities on pot issue -- Nearly a decade ago, California voters legalized marijuana for medical purposes. The Compassionate Use Act of 1996 allows patients to grow, possess and use marijuana on the recommendation of a doctor. It has meant relief to many who suffer from chronic pain and from illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, AIDS and many others. Tom Lochner in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/10/06

Valley levees remain in peril -- A storm expected to drench the San Joaquin River system shifts south instead, but the danger won't end when the rain stops. Deb Kollars in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/10/06

Vast territory patrolled by fewer wardens than ever -- An essential corps of California cops has dwindled by nearly half, to 1950s levels, in a crisis that is leaving gaps in everything from homeland security to protecting endangered species, state officials have acknowledged. The wardens call themselves the ``thin green line'' that is growing thinner all the time. Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 4/10/06

The Day the Earth Shook -- Wednesday, April 18, a century ago, began warm and sultry, with a crescent moon. "Earthquake weather" is what the old-timers call it. Twenty-two minutes before dawn, not quite daylight. "As fair a morning as ever shown upon the world," Ernest Simpson, editor of The Chronicle, remembered. Just past 5:12, the earth slipped along 296 miles of the San Andreas Fault. Carl Nolte in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/10/06

Risk of quakes adds spice to life -- In researching his book about the 1906 earthquake, author Simon Winchester studied the tectonic plates, the fault lines, the geological underpinnings of this "fragile, enchanting-looking place" called San Francisco. A single adjective kept running through his mind: vulnerable -- terribly, fatally vulnerable. Joan Ryan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/10/06

Earthquake shacks survive a century -- Noreen Farrell always thought her house was something special, but she didn't know it was a slice of San Francisco history until the day she spotted a stranger out front taking photographs. LISA LEFF AP -- 4/10/06

Hybrids Find Cold Shoulders -- When California allowed solo occupants of hybrid cars to use carpool lanes last year, many thought they were merging onto a narrow strip of car culture heaven. But increasingly, hybrid owners say they feel like the victims of road rage. Amanda Covarrubias in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Capitol Corridor -- Perhaps it's the stunning San Francisco Bay views from its riders' elevated seating. Maybe it's because, as one of its directors boasts, "it's the only place you can have a drink while going 80 miles per hour." Erik N. Nelson in the Oakland Tribune -- 4/10/06

MTA warns of hikes -- Although it gets a penny for every dollar spent in Los Angeles County - fueling more than half its $2.8 billion budget - the MTA lacks enough money to run its expanding public-transit system and warns of looming fare hikes and route changes. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 4/10/06

Exxon Valdez -- Oil that spilled when the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground on a jagged rock in 1989 still lingers on and just below Alaska's surface. So does the resentment, and state hearings on the continued effects of the 11-million-gallon spill are reviving the pain and anger of the people affected by the spill. AP -- 4/10/06

surveillance cameras -- Government surveillance hasn't quite reached the degree of interloping foretold in George Orwell's novel “1984,” but it's growing significantly in the name of public safety. Mobile cameras have become commonplace in public places, capturing faces and places to help authorities prevent or solve crimes. Mark Arner in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/10/06

Ballpark duty puts major-league strain on police OT -- The San Francisco Police Department's overtime crunch is fast becoming a hair-pulling exercise affecting everyone from the Giants to tourists to Bayview residents -- even heads of state. The latest chess move starts with AT&T Park. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/10/06

49er Site -- Big, complex urban redevelopment projects always go more smoothly when they stay below the radar screen. Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

LAX Image -- Unhappy near the bottom of J.D. Power's annual survey, the airport plans to spruce up its looks and service. Jennifer Oldham in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/10/06

Officer cites 82-year-old woman for being too slow to negotiate busy street -- Mayvis Coyle, 82, was shuffling with her cane across busy Foothill Boulevard while a traffic police officer watched and waited. And watched and waited. Even before Coyle finished crossing the intersection at Woodward Avenue, he had scribbled a $114 ticket for crossing against a don't-walk signal. "I entered the crosswalk, it was green," said Coyle, of Sunland, who is fighting the infraction issued Feb. 15. "It turned red before I could get over. There he was, waiting, the motorcycle cop. "He said, `You're obstructing the flow of traffic."' Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 4/10/06