Gerald Ford -- who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal-shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America's history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday. He was 93. AP -- 12/26/06

Star Tribune to be sold -- Newspaper publisher The McClatchy Co. said on Tuesday that it will sell its flagship Star Tribune to the private equity firm Avista Capital Partners for $530 million, a sharp drop from the $1.2 billion it paid to acquire the newspaper just eight years ago. JOSHUA FREED AP -- 12/26/06

The diversity machine -- One of the great untold stories of the past decade is the rapid rise of the California State University system as an elevator for moving ethnic minorities into the middle class. While a lot of attention has been paid to the end of affirmative action at the University of California, the CSU has quietly become an engine for ethnic upward mobility. Dan Weintraub SacBee Weblog -- 12/26/06

Gov. Bustamante, We Hardly Knew Ye -- As the year draws to a close, it is time to reflect on the successes of the Gov. Cruz Bustamante Administration. Under the leadership of Gov. Cruz Bustamante, California enjoyed peace and extraordinary prosperity. State coffers swelled with sales tax revenue, thanks in large part to the huge post-holiday sales surge. The state’s violent crime rate actually declined slightly. Patt Morrison in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

State Legislature: Dems, GOP may not be willing to deal -- After putting together deals on several major issues in 2006, California legislators are singing the praises of bipartisanship and cooperation as they begin their 2007 session. STEVE LAWRENCE AP -- 12/26/06

Blizzard of bills awaits lawmakers -- State lawmakers introduced 132 bills after they made a brief return to the Capitol earlier this month -- just a trickle in what will be an onslaught after the New Year, but enough already to reveal how contentious 2007 may become. Gay marriage. Universal health care. Redrawing political maps. The Legislature will have plenty of opportunities to debate social issues, legislation that pits powerful special interests against one another, and bills that might mess with political power in Sacramento. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/26/06

New year brings host of new laws -- If you go out on New Year’s Eve, don’t let anyone ride home in the trunk. Among the hundreds of new laws that take effect in California on Jan. 1 is a statute that expressly outlaws people from either riding in trunks of a car or knowingly allowing them to do so. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 12/26/06

Schwarzenegger to undergo surgery in L.A. today on broken leg -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital Sunday in preparation for surgery early this morning on his right leg — broken in a skiing accident in Sun Valley, Idaho, the governor's office announced. Peter Nicholas in the Los Angeles Times Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/06

Why L.A. jail cells have revolving doors -- A strained justice system and a flawed rehab law feed the cycle of repeat offenders. Megan Garvey and Jack Leonard in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

Staples Center -- it's been a beacon of light in the redevelopment of downtown LA, drawing hundreds of thousands of people to concerts and sporting events each year. But there are new questions about the safety of Staples Center, questions investigated by producer Frank Snepp and NBC4's Paul Moyer. KNBC TV -- 12/26/06

Ruling leaves casino oversight gap -- A legal and political debate is simmering over who is minding the store in the $23 billion Indian gaming industry after federal authorities halted periodic audits of tribal casinos in California and other states. At issue is the authority of the National Indian Gaming Commission in the wake of an appellate court ruling that declared the NIGC has no legal oversight in regulating standards for slot machines or other Nevada-style casino games. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/06

State moving toward global lottery? -- Recent developments indicate the state-run lottery may be headed toward participation in a gigantic global online gaming system — with giant jackpots — never envisioned by California voters, a watchdog group says. Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/26/06

Genocide victims' memorial to take a sweeping approach -- Assemblyman Lloyd Levine says he came to understand his Jewish cultural roots and comprehend a horrific epoch in history on a trip to Israel in 2004. He was at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, transfixed by cubes stacked like children's play blocks. Each depicted children who died of Nazi genocide. A somber voice intoned their names as 1.6 million beams of light reflected the toll of young lives taken. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/06

Afghan heroin's surge poses danger in U.S. -- Supplies of highly potent Afghan heroin in the United States are growing so fast that the pure white powder is rapidly overtaking lower-quality Mexican heroin, prompting fears of increased addiction and overdoses. Garrett Therolf in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

New year, old debate over gay marriage -- Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage, saying the voters or the courts should decide the issue. Schwarzenegger, who generally supports expanding gay rights, hasn't changed his views on marriage, his aides said last week. Bill Ainsworth in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/26/06

Gay wedding industry is booming -- Despite bans, same-sex couples are spending an estimated $1 billion a year on ceremonies. Dionne Walker AP -- 12/26/06

L.A. tops Silicon Valley in giving -- When it comes to charity, wealthy people in the Los Angeles area are more generous than their counterparts in Silicon Valley and other parts of California, according to a study to be released today. Molly Selvin in the Los Angeles Times George Raine in the San Francisco Chronicle Deborah Lohse in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/26/06

Tech hiring is still solid -- Companies are looking to fill specialty positions, even as the area's big employers are trimming workers. Clint Swett in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/06

FTC gets broader authority to pursue foreign spammers -- FTC gets broader authority to pursue foreign spammers. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

Anti-gang injunction polarizes a town / West Sacramento's experience may hold lesson for San Francisco, which has adopted similar strategy -- The court injunction against the Norteño "Broderick Boys," named for the neighborhood where many of them live, has stirred controversy since a judge issued it nearly two years ago, dividing residents who feel safer because of it from those who see it as racial profiling. West Sacramento's experience may be a lesson for San Francisco, where City Attorney Dennis Herrera secured the city's first anti-gang injunction last month and is preparing to ask for more. Demian Bulwa in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/26/06

Sonoma County limits vehicle impounds -- Sheriff stops taking cars of unlicensed drivers, most of them Latino migrants. JOSE L. SANCHEZ JR. in the Santa Rosa Press -- 12/26/06

Soldiers resigned to fighting unpopular war in dangerous province -- Weariness and resignation echo through the low brick buildings and training fields of the Fort Stewart Army base as Root and his comrades at the 2-7 infantry battalion of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division are gearing up for their third combat tour in Iraq since 2003. Anna Badkhen in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/26/06

Reformers cite middle school needs -- After focusing for years on younger and older students, educators in L.A. and elsewhere are looking for new ways to curb the dropout rate. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

Chico State offers new programs -- California State University, Chico, is one of 12 CSU campuses to offer the new professional science master's degree, or PSM, and the only one to have a program in environmental sciences. Christine Vovakes in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/06

More hospital growing pains -- The Sisters of Mercy founded east Sacramento's Mercy General Hospital in 1925. In the last half-century, the hospital's growth has generated a good deal of controversy. Todd Milbourn in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/26/06

Up to the challenge -- Turning around Alvarado Hospital won't be easy, but brothers say their past has prepared them. Keith Darcé in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/26/06

Kaiser held in contempt over access for disabled -- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan has been found in civil contempt of court for failing to meet the terms of a consent decree requiring its Oakland hospital to be more accessible to the disabled. Alan Lopez in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/26/06

Yucca dump doomed? -- While supporters vow to plow forward with plans for a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain, Nev., critics hope Democrats will be able to kill the project — which would take highly radioactive material transported through the Southland — when they take control of Congress next month. Lisa Friedman in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/26/06

As Atlantic warms, more fires predicted in West -- Researchers predict a decades-long increase in widespread fires across the Western United States in the coming years, based on a new study that reviews the link between sea-surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean and the ferocity of wildfire seasons in the West. Douglas Fischer in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/26/06

Battle over the hills rages near Brea -- Aera Energy is proposing to build 3,600 homes in the undeveloped hills just north of Brea that now buffer that city from Los Angeles County. Leaders in Brea and several surrounding communities see it as an ominous proposal that could lead to choking traffic and the destruction of sprawling hillsides. ERIC CARPENTER and JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER in the Orange County Register -- 12/26/06

Before the ocean rises -- Two years after Indonesia's devastating quake, Orange County's disaster plans put it on course toward being the state's first 'TsunamiReady' county. LAYLAN CONNELLY in the Orange County Register -- 12/26/06

Harvesting the sky -- A wind-energy plant on Kumeyaay land is generating electricity and opportunities. Chet Barfield in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/26/06

This couple already had 'for poorer' -- Hollywood homeless agency helps with housing, employment and even arranges a wedding. 'Only good now,' groom says. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

Overwhelmed by the Masses -- With Christmas falling on a Monday, weary priests at San Gabriel Mission endure two-day, 18-service marathon. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

Heeding a call to duty, Jews move to Israel -- Yonatan Cooper had a hot new sports car, a swank apartment near Beverly Hills and a job he loved in politics. But this week, the 24-year-old New Jersey native plans to trade it all in for a choice that has startled some of his closest friends and family: He has decided to emigrate to Israel and aims to serve as a paratrooper with the Israel Defense Forces. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06

San Bernardino County is a pot hot spot -- The devious mountain landscape almost masked a big mystery from a random hiker who stumbled upon 1,500 marijuana plants one day in July. While it was a significant find, sheriff's deputies familiar with the rugged terrain ventured farther into the Angelus Oaks woods and found about 53,000 more plants, one of the largest busts in county history. Melissa Pinion-Whitt in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/26/06

Determined to bring last Nazis to justice -- The tip came in an e-mail from the home office in Los Angeles, the headquarters of a human rights organization that promotes tolerance around the world. Paul Pringle in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/26/06