Congressman Doolittle, wife profited from Cunningham-linked contractor -- A week before former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham was sentenced to prison, he stressed to the court that a number of other lawmakers also helped arrange federal funding for the defense contractors who bribed him. None of the lawmakers Cunningham mentioned by name – Reps. Katherine Harris of Florida, Virgil Goode of Virginia and John Doolittle from the Sacramento suburb of Granite Bay – has been accused of criminal wrongdoing. Dean Calbreath in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/19/06

Gov.'s Campaign Cash -- Millions on public events and private jets. Thousands on top-tier catering and expense auditing. Well-funded foes could gain an edge. Robert Salladay in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Governor pastes on a political smile -- Despite his big setback on the multibillion-dollar public works bond, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has reason to keep smiling -- it's good politics. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/19/06

Schwarzenegger, like Wilson, could play the immigration card -- The Republican governor of California was in trouble as he contemplated his chances of winning a second term. Early polls said well over half of the state's voters were inclined to turn him out, and two prominent Democratic officeholders were vying to succeed him. He suffered from defection among Republican voters, stemming from ideological quarrels with conservatives who considered him to be a RINO (Republican In Name Only) who was too liberal on spending, abortion and environmental regulation. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/19/06

What went wrong with bond plan -- With his proposal for a major public works bond package dead for the June ballot and in danger of not happening at all, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now looks like a hapless leader who not only cannot get along with Democrats but also can't depend on his own Republican allies for votes when he needs them. Daniel Weintraub in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/19/06

Moderate Republican PAC has forged close ties with Schwarzenegger -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could find a lot of reasons why the Legislature turned away his public works plan to spend billions of dollars on highways, schools and levees, but Paul Folino wasn't one of them. MICHAEL R. BLOOD AP -- 3/19/06

CHP policy shifts aided governors -- As the petition drive to recall Gov. Gray Davis gained steam in the spring of 2003, the California Highway Patrol responded by shutting down signature gathering at Department of Motor Vehicle offices across the state, a Bee investigation has found. John Hill in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/19/06

Too bad we finally have the government we deserve -- Unless incumbents do something really stupid, they are guaranteed to be in office until term limits force them out or they decide to retire and use their connections to become highly paid lobbyists. Jim Boren in the Fresno Bee -- 3/19/06

Affluence of 50th District reflected in candidates -- Shaped like a lopsided heart, the 50th Congressional District beats with the rhythm of wealthy white families who work hard and vote conservatively. Many of the candidates hoping to represent them aren't much different. Dani Dodge in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/19/06

Electoral College put to the test -- An East Bay lawyer, a Stanford professor and a former Bay Area congressman are among those trying to change how U.S. presidents are elected, and to basically do away with a constitutional institution. Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/19/06

Thousands Protest War's 3rd Anniversary -- While some brought anti-war placards and petitions to Hollywood on Saturday, a group called Veterans for Peace crafted 100 flag-draped coffins from cardboard cartons and carried them down Sunset Boulevard to mark the more than 2,300 U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war. Sara Lin and Deborah Schoch in the Los Angeles Times Glen Martin, Carrie Sturrock, Meredith May in the San Francisco Chronicle Herbert A. Sample in the Sacramento Bee Lisa M. Sodders in the Los Angeles Daily News Paul Burkhardt AP JUSTIN M. NORTON AP HongDao Nguyen in the San Jose Mercury Bruce Lieberman in the San Diego Union-Trib Michelle Maitre in the Oakland Tribune Stephanie Hoops in the Ventura Star -- 3/19/06

Town still stands by Marines -- Support in Twentynine Palms hasn't waned, but some say the mood has changed. DAVID HERMANN and DAVID OLSON in the Riverside Press -- 3/19/06

Some troops headed back to Iraq are mentally ill -- Besides bringing antibiotics and painkillers, military personnel nationwide are heading back to Iraq with a cache of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications. The psychotropic drugs are a bow to a little-discussed truth fraught with implications: Mentally ill service members are being returned to combat. Rick Rogers in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 3/19/06

White House no longer sees quick end -- When the U.S.-led coalition attacked Iraq three years ago, the Bush administration was brimming with confidence that this would be a war only in the sense that a lot of bombs would be dropped and the military would seize, temporarily, a foreign capital. It was going to be swift, high-tech, clean. James Sterngold in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/19/06

3 years after invasion, way out of Iraq unclear -- For a long time, many Americans worried whether Iraq was becoming another Vietnam. Now, as sectarian strife between Shiite and Sunni Muslims spreads, a grimmer and more disturbing question is emerging: Could Iraq become another Lebanon? James Rosen in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/19/06

Growing Diversity Fuels a War of Words -- A Hawthorne official's plan to require English on most business signs is seen by some as part of a wider societal backlash against immigrants. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Border issue exposes GOP rift -- Bill Frist versus Arlen Specter. Bill Frist versus John McCain. Bill Frist versus Arlen Specter and John McCain. Talk about March madness. DENA BUNIS in the Orange County Register -- 3/19/06

Lockyer criticized over sunshine law -- California Attorney General Bill Lockyer touted his support for open government at a League of Women Voters event Saturday in honor of Sunshine Week. But news editors and a reporter who participated in the discussion, including Chris Lopez, executive editor of the Contra Costa Times, said the state public records law has too many loopholes. Rebecca Rosen Lum in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/19/06

Abusers allowed to keep guns -- The day before William Hoffine killed his teenage son, the San Diego man was served with a restraining order requiring him to surrender his firearms. But Hoffine did not turn in the guns. Instead, he used one of the weapons - a Glock .45-caliber pistol - to shoot Evan Nash 14 times, emptying one magazine of bullets before reloading and firing again at point-blank range. MONICA RHOR in the Orange County Register -- 3/19/06

For her, life was too short for anger -- Trini Padilla probably won't remember Irma Felix, the grandmother who cared for him just after he was born. His first five days on this earth were her last. But the rest of his family will never forget the tiny 44-year-old woman who was as outspoken as she was generous, as loving as she was tough, as resilient as she was vulnerable. MONICA RHOR in the Orange County Register -- 3/19/06

Mourning a son who 'never got a chance' -- There is no way to ignore the pain that skulks amid the bright colors of Lucy Nash's San Diego home. It murmurs in the air, like a sense of loneliness hovering in a crowd. This is a house filled with the markings of a child who will never again cross the doorway, never again clamber into the treehouse in the front yard, never again log on to his Apple computer. MONICA RHOR in the Orange County Register -- 3/19/06

A Cast of Many on the Phone Lines -- The headset protocol for Hollywood's movers and shakers: 'My people will listen in on your people.' Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Feingold: Introducing Mr. McDean? -- Shades of Dean and McCain are seen in the strategy of a Wisconsin senator who may run for president in 2008. Maura Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

GOP Spenders Think Voters Dismiss Deficits -- Fiscal conservatives may be upset with increased spending, but Congress just can't say no. Joel Havemann and Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Feds let fined off the hook -- The amount of unpaid federal fines has risen sharply in the last decade. Individuals and corporations regularly avoid large penalties for wrongdoing - sometimes through negotiations, sometimes because companies go bankrupt, sometimes due to officials' failure to keep close track of who owes what under a decentralized collection system. Martha Mendoza and Christopher Sullivan AP -- 3/19/06

State's poor missing out on millions in refunds -- County social service officials and advocates for the poor have a message for low-income, working people: File your tax forms. You may qualify for a check from the federal government. But they're not just telling people about the earned-income tax credit and other money poor workers may qualify for. They're helping people fill out their tax forms — for free. Michele R. Marcucci in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/19/06

Is bar set too high for schools? -- Critics say lawmaker's push to change definition of 'proficient' amounts to lowering standards. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/19/06

At-risk students running for their lives -- Today, the two teens are among 51 Oakland high school students tackling the Los Angeles Marathon, a grueling 26.2-mile test of physical and mental endurance that can leave runners battered and blistered but with a soaring sense of accomplishment. Jafet and Jessica are part of Students Run Oakland, a program that aims to show inner-city kids how much they can do. Janine DeFao in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/19/06

Struggling for autonomy -- After skirmishing for years with the burgeoning charter movement, Los Angeles Unified has mounted an intense drive to block a breakaway effort at Parkman Middle School by partnering with the teachers' union to loosen bureaucratic control. Naush Boghossian in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 3/19/06

Extending Promise of Higher Education -- A new program offers one-year scholarships aimed at a much broader swath of teens in the Ventura College service area. Gregory W. Griggs in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Exit Exam Comes Down Hard on the Class of 2006 -- The high school seniors, who grew up in seemingly different worlds, have a common goal: They must pass the state's new high school exit exam this week or they will be denied diplomas in June. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Anxiety mounts -- The public school class of 2006 is the first required to pass the test of basic math and English to claim a diploma. While Kimberly has passed the math portion, she fell short on the English portion last time by a mere five points. Tuesday, she will try again -- for the fifth time. Luis Zaragoza and Becky Bartindale in the San Jose Mercury -- 3/19/06

Time running out -- As Valeria Somarriba walks across Mt. Diablo High's campus on a rainy March afternoon, the 17-year-old admits to having test anxiety that causes her brain to "blank out." Sarah Jane Tribble in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/19/06

UC Irvine -- As the new chancellor, Drake is winning many over. He can emerge as a hero -- or as a leader who missed the chance to make things right. Kimi Yoshino in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Costs rise, hurt colleges' plans -- Two years after voters approved a half-billion-dollar bond measure for Chabot-Las Positas Community College District facility improvements, college officials say skyrocketing construction costs have left them more than $275 million short to carry out their building and renovation plans. Eric Louie in the Contra Costa Times -- 3/19/06

Tempting fate: Living on the edge -- In recent years, the city of West Sacramento has told residents, builders, anyone who would listen that it had three or more times as much flood protection as other communities in the region. The claims don't hold as much water as they should. Deb Kollars in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/19/06

Homeowners largely ignore quake insurance -- When Charlie Bott got an earthquake insurance offer in the mail recently, he stared long and hard at the bottom line – then threw it away. “It was way beyond anything you pay for house insurance,” said Bott, a nuclear engineer and expectant father. So, like millions of others, he's hoping the Big One doesn't strike – or if it does, the government will come to the rescue. Scott Lindlaw AP -- 3/19/06

Salmon fishing is under threat -- Those good times have gone bust this year. The third straight season of poor chinook returns to Northern California's Klamath River to spawn have federal fisheries managers considering closing 700 miles of coastline to salmon fishing for this year's May through October season, despite plentiful stocks elsewhere. They have already closed this year's spring season, and forecasts for next year are not good. Jeff Barnard AP -- 3/19/06

Delta national park -- UC Berkeley architecture students propose a national park to protect the region. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee -- 3/19/06

Pick for Interior More Charm Than Substance -- Gov. Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho is well-liked as a down-to-earth guy. But some doubt his ability to get the job done, citing a list of unfinished plans. Tomas Alex Tizon in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Senator Could Play a Smarter Hand on Energy -- Jeff Bingaman is a personable, hard-working and very smart senator. But the New Mexico Democrat doesn't appear to be much of a poker player. Ronald Brownstein in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Energy: Flush with profits, companies spend billions to hunt for crude -- Beneath them, beneath the seabed, lay oil. A lot of it, enough to produce 125,000 barrels per day, according to Chevron Corp. estimates. To reach it, the ship needed to punch a well more than 26,000 feet -- about 5 miles -- below sea level, nearly as far down as Mount Everest is up. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/19/06

Royalty waiver on some oil has lawmakers blowing their tops -- Oil companies have an added incentive to drill in the Gulf of Mexico -- they don't have to pay royalties on some of what they produce there. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/19/06

Days are long but pay is good for gulf offshore oil workers -- A picture of Russell Rocha's three daughters sits pinned to a wall in the Discoverer Deep Seas' cafeteria. For half of each month, that's as close as he'll get to them. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/19/06

Two-mile march honors injured airman -- People gather to show support for Elio Carrion, who receives a blessing at his church. GREGOR McGAVIN in the Riverside Press Caroline An in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 3/19/06

Higher crash risk seen for older private pilots -- At 50, Philip Semisch learned to fly. He took aerobatic lessons on his 60th birthday. When he turned 70, he flew gliders. Another aviation milestone followed just a few years later. He crashed. Semisch walked away with bruises and a few stitches. RYAN PEARSON AP -- 3/19/06

Wineries pouring it on to lure upscale clients -- Welcome to the Napa Valley. Not you, Bubba. Long a destination for visitors wanting to picnic in California's idyllic Wine Country and then cap the day off with a little winery hopping, the bucolic region of rolling vineyards, romantic estates and boutique wineries saw 4 million tourists in 2005. Stacy Finz in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/19/06

New LAPD Digs, Old Name? -- Some question whether the next headquarters should still recall the era of a controversial former chief, William Parker. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 3/19/06

Cops: Counselor brought gun to work at juvenile hall -- A counselor at juvenile hall was placed on administrative leave after he was arrested for having a gun on the grounds of the facility, officials confirmed Friday. Ricci Graham in the Oakland Tribune -- 3/19/06