California short $1 billion in tax revenue, controller says -- Personal income tax receipts coming into the state in January fell $1.3 billion below Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's revenue estimates in the spending plan he released last month, the state controller said Tuesday. AARON C. DAVIS AP -- 2/6/07

Six journalists fired at Santa Barbara News-Press -- Six journalists have been fired from the Santa Barbara News-Press for placing a sign over a freeway overpass urging people to cancel their subscription to the newspaper, an attorney for the newspaper said Tuesday. AP -- 2/6/07

Influential coalition backs universal health care -- Several powerful players in California's medical community announced they had formed a coalition Tuesday to urge lawmakers and the governor to reach agreement on a universal health care system. STEVE LAWRENCE AP -- 2/6/07

Schwarzenegger appoints former lawmaker to head agency on aging -- Lynn Daucher, 60, a Republican from Brea, chaired the Assembly's Committee on Aging and Long Term Care during her six years in the Assembly. Her run for the state Senate failed in November when she was defeated by former Assemblyman Lou Correa, D-Anaheim, in the Senate's tightest race. AP -- 2/6/07

Court Says Wal-Mart Must Face Bias Trial -- A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest private employer, must face a class-action lawsuit alleging as many as 1.5 million former and current female employees were discriminated against in pay and promotions. DAVID KRAVETS AP -- 2/6/07

Waxman Raps Ex-Iraq Chief Over Aid Funds -- House Democrats, taking charge of investigations now that they control Congress, grilled the former U.S. occupation chief in Iraq on Tuesday about the way he doled out up to $12 billion of Iraqi dollars without accounting for the money. LARRY MARGASAK AP -- 2/6/07

Democrats Lay Siege to Iraq War Plans -- Democratic critics of the Iraq war seized the offensive at both ends of the Capitol on Tuesday, disclosing plans for a symbolic rejection by the House of President Bush's decision to deploy additional troops and filing legislation in the Senate to require withdrawal of U.S. military personnel. DAVID ESPO AP -- 2/6/07

Pelosi Settles Battle Over Climate Panel -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has agreed to a compromise that ends a three-week turf battle with one of her most powerful and senior committee chairmen over a special panel on climate change. H. JOSEF HEBERT AP -- 2/6/07

Boxer slams EPA -- Sen. Barbara Boxer, the new head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, lambasted the head of the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday over "environmental rollbacks" in a hearing that was equal parts political theater and substance. David Whitney in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/6/07

Assembly Dems hard at work in Napa, tackling "pressing" policy matters -- "Building on our success: the road ahead." That's the theme of the Assembly Democratic Caucus' policy summit this week at the posh Silverado resort in Napa. Matthew Yi Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 2/6/07

Cruz Bustamante: Power Broker -- The city council in the turkey-and-cow town of Livingston, which is near Winton and Delhi, votes tonight on whether to hire former Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as its $10,000-a-month lobbyist. Robert Salladay LA Times weblog -- 2/6/07

Schwarzenegger strategists merge -- Navigators, LLC, a consulting firm that includes former gubernatorial political strategist Mike Murphy and ex-communications director Rob Stutzman, will team up with Wilson-Miller Communications, Inc., which counts Schwarzenegger fundraiser Marty Wilson as a principal and former gubernatorial spokeswoman Julie Soderlund as a newly hired managing director. Stutzman will move the Navigators' office to Meridian Plaza at 14th and L. Dan Smith SacBee Capitol Alert -- 2/6/07

Subjects of Schwarzenegger's recorded jabs resist counterpunching -- State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, a former high school teacher, has heard his share of insults. So when Perata, a Democrat from Oakland, learned that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had called him a liar and a "very sick man" in a conversation with aides last year that was published by The Times on Sunday, he wasn't especially offended. Peter Nicholas in the Los Angeles Times Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee Tom Verdin AP Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune -- 2/6/07

Big profile makes you big target -- Love him or hate him, Arnold Schwarzenegger's larger-than-life persona dominates the political consciousness of California, but once you get past the governator, the state's most interesting politicians are two mediagenic mayors, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and Gavin Newsom of San Francisco. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/6/07

Coalition to support a California healthcare plan -- Groups with a stake in universal access will back Schwarzenegger's goal if not his exact proposal. Jordan Rau in the Los Angeles Times Tom Chorneau in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

GOP faults Democrats on prison overcrowding -- Hearings delayed so courts will take over system, lawmakers charge. Andy Furillo in the Sacramento Bee E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register -- 2/6/07

Leo T. McCarthy: 1930-2007 -- Leo T. McCarthy, the son of an Irish bar owner who rose to become speaker of the California Assembly for six years and lieutenant governor for a record 12 years, died Monday of a kidney ailment. McCarthy, 76, died at his San Francisco home with his wife and children present. Greg Lucas in the San Francisco Chronicle Aurelio Rojas and Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/6/07

Presidential Primary By Mail? -- As talk heats up of a February 2008 presidential primary here in California, local elections officials from around the state say they will ask that all the ballots be cast by mail. John Myers KQED weblog -- 2/6/07

San Francisco mayor to seek treatment for alcohol abuse -- Gavin Newsom, who last week acknowledged an affair with the wife of a longtime aide, said his decision won't affect his official duties. John M. Glionna in the Los Angeles Times Charlie Goodyear, Robert Selna in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

Mayor says he has stopped drinking -- won't step down -- Rumors about Newsom's drinking have long swirled around his administration. They reached a head in December after the mayor appeared to have been drinking when he arrived at San Francisco General Hospital to pay his respects for a police officer who had been killed in the line of duty. Cecilia M. Vega and Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

Admission part of damage control -- San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's announcement that he will seek alcohol counseling and stop drinking -- after acknowledging an affair with his appointments secretary and wife of his campaign manager -- was an excruciating but necessary step to rescue his future, political damage-control experts said Monday. Carla Marinucci, John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

A union boss with some A-list clout -- Tom Short, the son of a Cleveland union boss, is not on power lists. He rarely strolls red carpets with stars. But he ranks among the most influential and feared figures in Hollywood. His clout is evident on film and television production sets every day. Richard Verrier in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Blogger jailed for defying grand jury sets record / He's U.S. journalist imprisoned longest in contempt of court -- Josh Wolf, a blogger who refused to give a videotape of a San Francisco anarchist protest to a federal grand jury, achieves an unwanted distinction today, when he becomes the longest-imprisoned journalist for contempt of court in U.S. history. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

Law now entitles all workers in San Francisco to paid sick leave -- Huber Herrera coughed into his sleeve. He ran over to a trash can to dispose of some tissues. He no longer had a fever, but he'd had one over the weekend when he showed up for his shift in a downtown San Francisco restaurant. Ilana DeBare in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

Federal relief on the way to state / Low-cost loans will help citrus growers affected by freeze -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 18 California counties disaster areas in the aftermath of prolonged freezing temperatures last month that damaged more than $800 million in citrus crops. George Raine in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

The sad $tate of politics -- Democratic activists in California complain that the swelling field of presidential candidates is treating the Golden State like a political ATM - charging thousands of dollars for the same access given freely in other venues. TONY CASTRO in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/6/07

FBI probe of Perata appears to slacken -- Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata has spent nearly $1 million defending himself against a federal probe into whether he illegally funneled money to family and close associates. But more than two years after the harsh light of suspicion first fell on the 61-year old East Bay Democrat, the FBI investigation appears to have fallen quietly into a black hole of obscurity. Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/6/07

Considering Ronald Reagan -- Today is Ronald Reagan' birthday. Most would judge his governorship to have been one of the better in the Golden State, a constructive tenure that was significantly more pragmatic than his ideological reputation would suggest, marked by a trademark optimism not unlike what we see today in Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bill Bradley NWN weblog -- 2/6/07

A Hollywood 101 course for Capitol Hill -- Stars descend on Washington today to teach lawmakers about the industry's economic importance. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Bottom line for Bush's '08 budget: contention -- Democrats find a lot to dislike about tax policy, Pentagon spending and cuts in Medicare. Joel Havemann and Maura Reynolds in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Democrats pan Bush spending plan -- President Bush's $2.9 trillion federal spending plan, forecasting a balanced budget by 2012, was sent Monday to the new Democratic Congress, whose leaders immediately criticized it as wildly unrealistic and harmful to the middle class. Edward Epstein, Zachary Coile in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

For California, Bush's budget gives and takes -- He proposes cutting funding for CalFed flood control and a jail repayment program, but would add money for other projects. Molly Hennessy-Fiske in the Los Angeles Times Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee LISA FRIEDMAN in the Los Angeles Daily News DENA BUNIS in the Orange County Register -- 2/6/07

Studying Bush's plans for federal financial aid -- President Bush on Monday proposed modest increases in federal financial aid for college students and surprisingly sharp cuts in government aid to student loan companies. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

Energy efficiency, aid to poor suffer in priority shuffle -- Under a 2005 energy bill signed by President Bush, an array of programs was promised more money. But when Bush unveiled his new budget Monday, some of these programs — including energy assistance for low-income families and energy efficiency — lost out. Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Big boost in funds for national parks -- 'We're thrilled' -- Visitors to California's 25 national parks will see more rangers patrolling nicer parks under a federal budget that the Bush administration said includes the largest spending increase ever sought for the National Park Service. Chuck Squatriglia in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

Democrats Face Limits in Changing Bush’s Budget -- With its military spending increases, reductions in popular domestic programs and calls to extend tax cuts, President Bush’s $2.9 trillion budget for 2008 drew fire from Democrats the minute it landed on Monday. STEVEN R. WEISMAN in the New York Times -- 2/6/07

Cost of troop buildup not in budget -- The Bush administration's $142-billion war budget for next year leaves out money for the planned troop buildup in Iraq, a strong indication that the Pentagon views the increase as a short-term tactic to stem the escalating violence in Baghdad. Peter Spiegel in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Edwards' stiff healthcare medicine: taxes -- In a White House bid, the Democrat proposes coverage for all -- by repealing cuts for high-income people. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

As New ‘Cop on the Beat,’ Congressman Starts Patrol -- Halliburton? Tobacco executives? Vice President Dick Cheney? You’ve been warned. Representative Henry A. Waxman, the California Democrat who is the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is promising the sort of oversight that the Bush administration has not experienced before. PHILIP SHENON in the New York Times -- 2/6/07

GOP bats down resolution debate -- Senate Democrats fall shy with their criticism of Bush's Iraq strategy. Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 2/6/07

Politicians Are Doing Hollywood Star Turns -- As Hollywood closes in on Oscar night with its attendant round of awards galas, politicians are popping up everywhere but the podium, and “the envelope, please” might just mean the kind with a check inside. DAVID M. HALBFINGER in the New York Times -- 2/6/07

Officials at odds over new limits for sex offenders -- Attorneys for the governor, attorney general and local prosecutors said yesterday they couldn't agree how to enforce tough new residency restrictions on sex offenders approved last year by California voters. Don Thompson AP -- 2/6/07

Schools chief to focus on gap in achievement -- State schools chief Jack O'Connell plans today to call for a new emphasis on closing the achievement gap in California's schools -- helping those students from low-income and other disadvantaged households who struggle to do well in class. Harrison Sheppard and Steve Geissinger in the San Jose Mercury Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 2/6/07

High stakes for young test takers -- Entrance exams for private middle and high schools can cause as much angst as the SAT. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Raise protest at CSUN planned -- Dozens of instructors, students and staff at CSUN plan to demonstrate Wednesday to protest stalled contract talks and recently approved raises for administrators. SUSAN ABRAM in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 2/6/07

4 new models make list of 12 most environmentally friendly -- Kermit the Frog may have been right about the difficulties of being green, but a growing number of automakers are trying. An annual online rating of what's "green" and what isn't, published today, has four new models on its list of the dozen most environmentally friendly vehicles for 2007. John O'Dell in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Electric vehicles generate buzz -- High-performance models planned include an SUV and sports cars. Enthusiasts are excited and skeptical. John O'Dell in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Clean-air plan would hike fees for late-model vehicles -- $4 increase would support steps to cut greenhouse gases. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/6/07

Four get probation, house arrest for Long Beach attack -- Four girls were sentenced today to probation and house arrest in the Halloween night beating of three white women in Long Beach. With today's action, eight youths have been sentenced in the incident. The remaining convicted defendant will be sentenced Tuesday. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

L.A. police chief takes aim at gang crime -- Police Chief William J. Bratton said Monday he is putting the finishing touches on a plan to reverse the recent increases in gang-related crime in Los Angeles. Gang crime climbed 14% last year. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

San Jose site weighed for state prison -- California State Prison, San Jose? Several Republican legislators seeking to ease inmate overcrowding said Monday they are exploring turning several state-owned developmental centers into prisons, including Agnews in North San Jose, until California builds more cells. Edwin Garcia in the San Jose Mercury -- 2/6/07

Orange County assessor cleared in racial-discrimination suit -- A jury finds that two promotion-seekers were equally qualified and that color was not an issue in promotion. Christian Berthelsen in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

L.A. County may rehire Janssen -- With no takers for the top administrator's job, supervisors could give the role more clout to get him to come back for a year, documents say. Susannah Rosenblatt in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

Riverside is sued over the deaths of two men shot by police -- In neither case were officers' lives in danger, says the attorney who filed the claims. Jonathan Abrams in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07

L.A. County sheriff says criminals face more jail time -- Lee Baca says that no longer housing state prisoners will mean male inmates can serve up to 50% of their sentences. Stuart Pfeifer in the Los Angeles Times -- 2/6/07