Schwarzenegger: Chertoff commits to touring Calif levees -- Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will visit California to tour Sacramento's levees and assess the need for federal help, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday after meeting with the secretary. ERICA WERNER AP -- 2/27/06

Cal State to offer education doctorates -- The California State University will offer its first doctorates in education next year after working out a deal allowing the system to award advanced degrees. CSU which has 23 campuses and more than 400,000 students is the nation's largest public four-year university system. But under California's Master Plan for Higher Education, only the 10-campus University of California has been allowed to grant doctorates. AP -- 2/27/06

A Sixth CHP Officer Is Killed -- A 10-year California Highway Patrol veteran died after he was struck by a car driven by a suspected drunk driver in the Cajon Pass, the sixth CHP officer to die in the line of duty in five months. Jennifer Oldham in the Los Angeles Times DUANE W. GANG in the Riverside Press Megan Blaney in the San Bernardino Sun -- 2/27/06

Governor's Allies Block Broad Rebuke -- The state GOP declines to fully embrace his fiscal policy and calls on him to put more Republican judges on the bench. Michael Finnegan and Robert Salladay in the Los Angeles Times John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee Kate Folmar in the San Jose Mercury SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON in the Orange County Register John Marelius in the San Diego Union-Trib JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press -- 2/27/06

Governor gets mixed grades -- Republican convention backs Schwarzenegger but doesn't support his public works idea. Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/27/06

Governor Misses Chance to Beef Up GOP Support -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger shunned an opportunity over the weekend to toss out some red meat to Republican activists in open revolt against his policies. It was a mistake. The feeding would have been inexpensive — not costing him politically, but giving hungry GOP convention delegates something tasty to chew on. It could have tempered their intraparty predator instincts. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/06

Governor touts plan for state -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used a national television interview Sunday to promote his plan to spend $222 billion on a massive public-works program in California. ERICA WERNER AP -- 2/27/06

The Buzz: Who's pushing the buttons for a right turn? -- And one particularly searing flier put together by the California Young Americans for Freedom superimposed the face of Schwarzenegger on the famous 1974 photo of hostage Patty Hearst holding a machine gun in front of the banner of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

Deadline looms for bond measure -- Hope fades for getting a deal on a giant public works program in time for the June ballot. Clea Benson in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

Infrastructure plan doesn't fly -- With the U.S. trade deficit hitting a record high of more than $725 billion in 2005, why is California poised to spend tens of billions of dollars on transportation projects specifically designed to facilitate shipments of imported goods through our major seaports, while all but ignoring the transport needs of the state's exporters? Jock O'Connell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/06

Highway program moves ever closer to pork barrel politics -- Anyone who's familiar with private land development and public transportation construction knows that the two are intrinsically connected and their symbiosis creates greater potential for political chicanery. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

When cops probe immigrants -- Costa Mesa to identify border violators, and some fear it's a trend. Susan Ferriss in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

Illegal immigration: Off the back burner -- Mike McGill has been walking door to door for his Assembly campaign, and while his election isn't until June, one thing has become perfectly clear. "Home after home after home after home indicated that illegal immigration was the burning issue," the Republican said. MARTIN WISCKOL in the Orange County Register -- 2/27/06

Governors Stay Focused on the Border -- A growing number of governors — from along the border and beyond — are sharpening their complaints about the flood of immigrants pouring into their states, pushing the Bush administration and Congress for action. AP -- 2/27/06

State's port managers don't worry governor / But he supports delay to evaluate Dubai deal -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said Sunday he has no problem with many port terminal operations in California being foreign-run, but he endorsed a 45-day delay for a broader security review before a state-owned firm from the United Arab Emirates assumes management of some facilities at several big Eastern ports. Edward Epstein in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/06

Many bills but few laws -- Barely a month into the session, Congress has introduced more than 150 bills that would do everything from preserving American Indian languages to appropriating federal funds to clean perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. But whatever happened to the hundreds of bills from last year - particularly ones introduced with such fanfare by Southern California lawmakers to repeal the phone tax, create health programs for minorities and, yes, to clean up perchlorate? The short answer: Not much. Lisa Friedman in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/27/06

Costa's seat stands unchallenged, for now -- A week ago, Fresno Democrat Jim Costa made the obvious official by announcing he would seek a second term in Congress. With 11 days remaining until the filing deadline, a Republican challenger has yet to emerge, leaving open the possibility that Costa could get a free ride to re-election in the 20th Congressional District. John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 2/27/06

Democrats pick Ohio as a fall battleground -- On Capitol Hill, Rep. Deborah Pryce is chairwoman of the Republican Conference, making her No. 4 in the House leadership structure and the highest-ranking woman in her party. Margaret Talev in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

Bush Policies Are Weakening National Guard, Governors Say -- Governors of both parties said Sunday that Bush administration policies were stripping the National Guard of equipment and personnel needed to respond to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, forest fires and other emergencies. ROBERT PEAR in the New York Times -- 2/27/06

Fire Victims Feel Burned by Lawmakers Tied to Insurers -- Consumer protection laws derailed by a small panel of state lawmakers with a fondness for campaign contributions, pricey meals and golf. Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/06

Eroding confidence: House members see levee woes firsthand -- Two influential leaders of the House of Representatives studied Sacramento area rivers and levees from every vantage point this past weekend, and on Sunday declared their commitment to helping solve the area's flooding risks. Deb Kollars in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

Going to Church in Quest for Students -- Seeking to boost the enrollment of black youths, Cal State officials urge parents in South L.A. to push their children to go to college. Jessica Garrison in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/06

Exit exam a test of determination / Language barrier adds unfair burden, critics say of requirement -- For a 16-year-old, Iris Padilla's resume looks pretty good: Not only is she already a senior close to completing all the credits needed to graduate from Richmond High, she's president of a Latin American culture club and is active in political and religious clubs at school. Next year, Iris wants to go to college and study psychology. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/06

A Textbook Debate Over Hinduism -- Some adherents seek changes in information taught to sixth-graders. Their critics object. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/06

City kids find green germane -- It's something of a running joke among the kids at San Francisco's Galileo High School, says science teacher Lisa Franzen. She asks her students: Who cares about the environment? They answer: old white hippies. The subtext, of course, is that the school's students -- young and many colors other than white -- feel left out of the picture when it comes to environmental matters. Glen Martin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/06

Online academy planned for fall -- A South County high school teacher plans to start an online high school this fall with many students who take all their classes on their home computers. Howard Dickson's plan is eventually to have thousands of students statewide enrolled in a school that he will run from an office in Chula Vista. Chris Moran in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 2/27/06

Diploma not ensured with test reprieve -- Although last-minute legislation exempts special education students from a requirement to pass California's exit exam before graduating high school this year, many of those seniors aren't in the clear. Mt. Diablo Unified School District and other area school district officials say they want all seniors who haven't passed the two-day test to attempt it again next month and in May. Sarah Jane Tribble in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/27/06

District chiefs hard to find in stormy times -- How does this job sound? You'll be the leader of a school district where you'll work with challenging bosses, conflicting political agendas, convoluted federal regulations, shrinking budgets and a demanding public. Plan on long hours and a short tenure. Jean Cowden Moore in the Ventura Star -- 2/27/06

Out of Tragedy, a New Life -- After a hospital prayer, parents of a brain-dead child in Florida decided to donate his heart. It went to one of a pair of ailing L.A. twins. Kurt Streeter in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/06

2-day strike ends at John Muir hospital -- More than 400 workers at John Muir Medical Center's Concord campus returned to work Saturday after a 48-hour strike over their health care benefits and staffing at the hospital. Simone Sebastian in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/06

Plan B Battles Embroil States -- Filling a void left by the Food and Drug Administration's inability to decide whether to make the "morning-after" pill available without a prescription, nearly every state is or soon will be wrestling with legislation that would expand or restrict access to the drug. Marc Kaufman in the Washington Post -- 2/27/06

Border protections imperil environment / Last wilderness area south of San Diego could be damaged -- One of the last stops before you hit the Pacific Ocean on the American side of the U.S.-Mexico border is the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Eilene Zimmerman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/06

Scientists to speak on decline in species -- A key congressional committee today for the first time will hear the leading explanations for why the Delta ecosystem appears to be in an alarming downhill slide. The hearing in Stockton was convened by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, more than nine months after the crisis was first reported in the Contra Costa Times. Mike Taugher in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/27/06

Cost of housing among area's top woes / Survey cites it as major reason 2 of 5 residents consider leaving -- You're not the only one dreaming of ditching the Bay Area for a Midwestern college town or a coastal city in the Southeast. Two out of five residents of the nine-county region have given serious thought to moving away -- mostly because of high housing costs, according to a survey released today by a business and public policy group. Kelly Zito in the San Francisco Chronicle Kiley Russell in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/27/06

Work is just a 90-minute walk away -- Every Friday, Bakar, 38, leaves his car at home and walks more than four miles to Pleasant Hill, where he is the marketing director for AssetMark Investment Services Inc., a financial company. But 90 minutes to go four and a half miles? Mike Adamick in the Contra Costa Times -- 2/27/06

Toll increases won't curb use, history shows -- At least a few commuters returning from Orange County this afternoon likely will drive up to the 91 Express Lanes, see the higher tolls that took effect today and decide to forgo the faster ride in order to save a few dollars. PHIL PITCHFORD in the Riverside Press -- 2/27/06

Governor Names Interim Prison System Chief -- Jeanne S. Woodford will fill in after Roderick Q. Hickman's resignation. Finding a replacement will be tough, Schwarzenegger says. Jenifer Warren in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/06

State's prison czar resigns -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's top prison administrator has resigned after two stormy years overseeing a troubled correctional system that Schwarzenegger has struggled to turn around. Mark Martin, James Sterngold in the San Francisco Chronicle Dan Goodin AP Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

Drug law's failures spur get-tough call -- Five years after Californians revolutionized state drug sentencing by adopting Proposition 36, the widely supported initiative is facing a major overhaul because it's graduating only a fourth of those ordered into treatment. Laura Mecoy in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

Ballot success in state didn't spread -- Five years ago, Proposition 36 supporters hailed its approval as a resounding rejection of the nation's war on drugs and a harbinger for similar laws around the country. Since then, only one state - Hawaii - has adopted a comparable law mandating treatment instead of jail for drug offenders. Laura Mecoy in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

A life rebuilt -- Yuba City man gets treatment - and beats his demons. Laura Mecoy in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/27/06

High court to assess sentencing in state -- Uncertainty surrounds thousands of prison sentences in California after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would decide whether the state's 29-year-old sentencing system violates a defendant's right to a jury trial. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/27/06

Jail bond stalls -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's $4 billion jail-building bond proposal, which could keep criminals behind bars in overcrowded counties such as San Joaquin and Calaveras, has stalled in the Legislature - much to the chagrin of local officials. Hank Shaw in the Stockton Record -- 2/27/06

Moorpark's Ambience on Ballot -- The city's voters will decide Tuesday the fate of a residential project that some contend would ruin the area's small-town feel. Gregory W. Griggs in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/27/06

Cyberthieves Silently Copy Your Passwords as You Type -- Most people who use e-mail now know enough to be on guard against "phishing" messages that pretend to be from a bank or business but are actually attempts to steal passwords and other personal information. But there is evidence that among global cybercriminals, phishing may already be passé. TOM ZELLER Jr. in the New York Times -- 2/27/06

Former Los Angeles Times publisher Otis Chandler dies at 78 -- Otis Chandler, the former publisher of the Los Angeles Times who transformed his family's provincial, conservative newspaper into a respected national media voice, died early Monday. He was 78. Chandler had been suffering from a degenerative brain disorder known as Lewy body disease, said Tom Johnson, who succeeded Chandler as publisher. GARY GENTILE AP -- 2/27/06