Legislative Analyst: Community colleges fail to remedy student deficiencies -- Many students who are behind in their skills are not overcoming their deficiencies in the state's community colleges, according to a study by the Legislative Analyst's Office released Monday. Deb Kollars in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

Gore endorses Obama -- Al Gore made his debut in the 2008 presidential campaign Monday night, encouraging voters to back Barack Obama because "take it from me, elections matter." NEDRA PICKLER AP -- 6/16/08

Clinton Insiders Take Umbrage at Solis Doyle Move -- The nomination fight is over, but the warring between the Obama and Clinton campaigns lives on. Anne E. Kornblut in the Washington Post -- 6/16/08

Peripheral Canal budget battle -- Guarding against a unilateral move by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to build a revised Peripheral Canal, key lawmakers have inserted special provisions in the state budget to prevent an end-run around the Legislature and voters. Michael Gardner San Diego Union-Trib weblog -- 6/16/08

Oil prices fuel fury from the pulpit -- Some clergy question the car's role in society as gas costs keep some of the faithful away from services. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Midwest flood's nationwide effect likely to be higher food prices -- likely to be higher food prices With farmers in stricken areas unable to cultivate soybeans and corn and cutting back herds to save on feed, consumers already seeing rising costs in grocery aisles can expect to pay more. Jerry Hirsch and P.J. Huffstutter in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Are Dems talking about McCain’s age in ‘code’? -- In a campaign year marked by flare-ups surrounding comments that have offended one group or another, John McCain and Barack Obama have moved on to the next sensitive battleground: the question of McCain’s advanced age. CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN Politico -- 6/16/08

Working The Book, Day 3 -- It’s sayings like the one above that go to the heart of how the sausage is made under the statehouse dome here in Sacramento. So let me decipher. The “book” is officially the Conference Committee Agenda, the unreasonably thick document that’s a micro examination of state government spending, agency by agency. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 6/16/08

Reports show investments of California House members -- Rep. Laura Richardson's murky real estate situation was no clearer Monday after the annual release of congressional disclosure reports, which offer a peek into House members' finances. ERICA WERNER AP -- 6/16/08

McCain urges end to ban on offshore drilling -- Sen. John McCain said Monday the federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling should be lifted, and individual states given the right to pursue energy exploration in waters near their own coasts. DAVID ESPO AP -- 6/16/08

Groups ask court to halt gender-neutral marriage licenses -- A conservative legal group has asked a Sacramento court to order the California agency that oversees marriages to stop issuing gender-neutral marriage licenses. Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation says his group filed a petition Monday on behalf of county supervisors from four California counties. AP -- 6/16/08

L.A. Cardinal Mahony, other church leaders again reject same-sex marriage -- California will issue the first licenses to gay couples today. Mahony and other Roman Catholic bishops sign a statement emphasizing that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Rong-Gong Lin II and Jean-Paul Renaud in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Dellums: The Sweet (Expensive) Life in Oakland -- Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is talking raising taxes and shutting down non-essential City Hall services for several days in his crime-wracked city to trim expenses...but maybe he should look to cut back on his own generous personal and political spending first. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/16/08

Al Gore to endorse Obama -- After remaining neutral throughout the Democratic primary season, former Vice President Al Gore is officially backing Barack Obama's presidential run, and will appear with him at a Michigan campaign event Monday night. Rebecca Sinderbrand CNN Lee Cowan and Athena Jones NBC Jeff Zeleny in the New York Times -- 6/16/08 www.algore.com

Bush backer pens pro-Obama book -- The conservative Evangelical biographer of George W. Bush and Tom DeLay has moved on to a new subject: Barack Obama. And his new book, due out this summer, may lend credibility to Senator Obama's bid to win Evangelical Christian voters away from the Republican Party. BEN SMITH Politico -- 6/16/08

Southern California housing market still under siege -- Median prices drop 27% from a year ago. High-end purchases are slow and buyers are pushing for bargains. Foreclosure-related sales influence many markets. Roger Vincent in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Prisons suspend teeth extraction policy -- Less than a week after Jeffrey Thompson was grilled by the Senate Rules Committee, he announced the state's prisons were changing their dental policies for women seeking to see their children. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/16/08

Second President Bush floats prospect of a third -- For only the second time in nearly three decades, there won’t be a Bush on the presidential ballot this November. But that absence may not be a permanent one, the current White House occupants hinted Sunday. Rebecca Sinderbrand CNN -- 6/16/08

Charlie Crist’s short, misspeaking speech -- OK, I know I’ve suggested Florida Gov. Charlie Crist might be a good strategic running partner pick for John McCain, because of importance of winning Florida. But Crist’s speech at the county GOP’s Flag Day dinner Friday doesn’t seem to be bolstering his stock. MARTIN WISCKOL Register Total Buzz weblog -- 6/16/08

State Republicans see opportunity amid crisis -- They hope to use their leverage over the state budget to roll back policies implemented by Democrats and the governor. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

California weddings one more step on long road -- When Senior Assistant Attorney General Christopher Krueger was leaving home to represent the state in opposing same-sex marriage during a historic hearing before the California Supreme Court in March, his wife kissed him on the lips and said, "Good luck, but I hope you lose." He did. The justices voted 4-3 in May to strike down the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Jim Doyle in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/08

Man picks up papers to start Barnett recall -- Someone in Kern County thinks County Clerk Ann Barnett’s actions in recent weeks warrant a recall. A man picked up forms to initiate a recall election from the county elections office Friday, County Elections Chief Sandy Brockman has confirmed. Barnett has gained national media attention over a controversial decision to end wedding ceremonies at the county clerk’s office as of Friday in the wake of a legal ruling allowing same-sex marriages. STACEY SHEPARD in the Bakersfield Californian -- 6/16/08

Lesbian pioneer activists see wish fulfilled -- Lesbian rights pioneers Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, together for more than half a century, will get married in San Francisco City Hall this evening wearing the same pastel-colored pantsuits they donned four years ago when they wed the first time. Rachel Gordon in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/08

Path to today's gay marriage ceremonies took resolve, time -- For those joining in gay marriages today, the road from outlaw status to respectability was paved in the Legislature over three decades. Aurelio Rojas in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

Quiet reflection on wedding issue -- For some religious leaders, gay marriage is a simple issue: It's either a fundamental right or an unholy union. For others, the court ruling that legalizes such marriages in California beginning this evening presents more of a spiritual struggle. Anne Krueger and Angela Lau in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/16/08

Same-sex marriages set stage for further legal action -- Legal experts say California's same-sex weddings could be fertile ground for a bumper crop of lawsuits and government claims from coast to coast. Josh Richman in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/16/08

The Buzz: State Bar of two minds on Senate bill -- The Executive Committee of the Environmental Law Section of the State Bar of California is in support of SB 1550, which is a bill by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, and has something to do with corporate disclosure requirements and climate change. Steve Wiegand in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

High court set to render major gun-rights ruling -- One momentous case down, another equally historic decision to go. The Supreme Court returns to the bench today with 17 cases still unresolved, including its first-ever comprehensive look at the Second Amendment's right to bear arms. Mark Sherman AP -- 6/16/08

Hollywood studios are editing their home-video strategy -- Some are testing offering online and cable rentals on the same day as DVD releases to boost sales. Dawn C. Chmielewski in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Comfortable retirement a fading dream for many -- Ruth Britton enjoys her part-time work as a college instructor. But, at 69, there are plenty of other things the Greenbrae resident would like to do - volunteer, write, take classes, travel. The problem is, with the cost of living rising and the value of her investments falling, Britton can't do without the money she gets from teaching. Sam Zuckerman in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/08

More fathers juggling careers, kids -- Video cameras whirred softly, capturing the movements of the singing sock puppets. Backstage, Del Rey Elementary's fifth-grade puppeteers grinned at one another, and reveled in cheers from classmates and the scores of fathers and mothers filling the auditorium. Jackie Burrell in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/16/08

By 2015, a regional job surge is forecast, but it poses a quandry -- A fresh jobs forecast for the Sacramento region shows tens of thousands of new openings coming our way, but not all are the type public schools are emphasizing. Deb Kollars in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

McClatchy plans 10 percent cut in jobs -- The McClatchy Co., battered by declining profits and revenue, announced a 10 percent companywide cut in its workforce today, including the Sacramento publisher's first-ever across-the-board layoffs. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

Oil hits record near $140 a barrel on dollar -- Oil futures are hitting a new milestone near $140 a barrel, a dramatic surge analysts attributed to the weakening dollar. JOHN WILEN AP -- 6/16/08

Women voters lining up behind Obama -- McCain hopes to lure Clinton loyalists. But polls show they are staying Democratic. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Political patterns favor Obama, scholars say -- To the political scientists who study historical patterns and trends, there is nothing more certain than Barack Obama's victory in November. But their predictions are not bringing great joy to many Democrats. George E. Condon Jr. in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/16/08

Obama's Mideast Experts Emphasize Talks -- In fine-tuning his foreign-policy agenda, Barack Obama is turning to a core group of Middle East experts who have spent more than a decade, in Democratic and Republican administrations, exploring avenues to engaging Iran and Syria. JAY SOLOMON in the Wall Street Journal -- 6/16/08

A Delegator, Obama Picks When to Take Reins -- In the months leading up to Senator Barack Obama’s big loss in the Pennsylvania primary, he was a detached manager: around, but not meddling. Rarely on early-morning conference calls with his senior advisers, he delegated most decisions to others and did not immerse himself in all of the nuts and bolts of running for president. JEFF ZELENY and JIM RUTENBERG in the New York Times -- 6/16/08

Obama Calls for More Responsibility From Black Fathers -- Addressing a packed congregation at one of the city’s largest black churches, Senator Barack Obama on Sunday invoked his own absent father to deliver a sharp message to black men, saying “we need fathers to recognize that responsibility doesn’t just end at conception.” JULIE BOSMAN in the New York Times -- 6/16/08

In ’74 Thesis, the Seeds of McCain’s War Views -- About a year after his release from a North Vietnamese prison camp, Cmdr. John S. McCain III sat down to address one of the most vexing questions confronting his fellow prisoners: Why did some choose to collaborate with the North Vietnamese? Mr. McCain blamed American politics. DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK in the New York Times -- 6/16/08

Lieberman irks Democrats by criticizing Obama -- Joe Lieberman is fast becoming the Democrats' public enemy No. 1. The four-term Connecticut senator, who came tantalizingly close to being Al Gore's vice president in 2000, not only has been campaigning for his pal, presumed Republican nominee John McCain, now he's publicly criticizing the Democrats' standard-bearer, Barack Obama. ANDREW MIGA AP -- 6/16/08

Obama Goes One on One, Battling ‘Just a Speechmaker’ Label -- Standing before Senator Barack Obama at a campaign event Thursday in Wisconsin, a young man asked him earnestly, “What does life mean to you?” JULIE BOSMAN in the New York Times -- 6/16/08

Walters: School intervention bill sparks sharp split -- What we call "public education" in California is an amorphous collection of countless specific programs, pots of money, governmental entities, political stakeholders, laws and regulations – not to mention, of course, about 6 million kids who are supposed to be educated to take their places in the adult world. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

Oprah gives advice to Stanford graduates -- Oprah Winfrey told more than 4,000 Stanford University graduates on Sunday to harness their power to their passions, trust their hearts and stand for something greater than themselves. Chris Cadelago in the San Francisco Chronicle Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/16/08

Drexel University has big plans for Sacramento area -- Drexel University, a 117-year-old private school in Philadelphia, has begun recruiting students for a new Sacramento campus that will open in January at the foot of Tower Bridge. Drexel is introducing itself to Sacramento with a program geared for working adults who seek master's degrees. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

West Nile's early start has officials stumped -- The discovery of 133 dead birds so far this year with West Nile virus is a caution flag for health officials that the disease's season is starting earlier in Sacramento and throughout California. Jane Liaw in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

Research illuminates how stem cells may work -- UC Berkeley scientists are a step closer to understanding how a series of molecular switches can turn on or off the regenerative power of stem cells that normally build new muscle tissue after it has been damaged. Sabin Russell in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/16/08

Japan, Seeking Trim Waists, Measures Millions -- Japan, a country not known for its overweight people, has undertaken one of the most ambitious campaigns ever by a nation to slim down its citizenry. NORIMITSU ONISHI in the New York Times -- 6/16/08

'Pro-Life' Drugstores Market Beliefs -- When DMC Pharmacy opens this summer on Route 50 in Chantilly, the shelves will be stocked with allergy remedies, pain relievers, antiseptic ointments and almost everything else sold in any drugstore. But anyone who wants condoms, birth control pills or the Plan B emergency contraceptive will be turned away. Rob Stein in the Washington Post -- 6/16/08

The Big Fix: Speed limit cut to 45.5 -- As the first day of commuter traffic hits the southbound closure of Interstate 5 through downtown today, Caltrans officials have lowered the construction zone speed limit to 45.5 mph. A state Transportation Department spokesman said the new speed limit may sound "goofy, but it's a psychological ploy to get your attention." The item is in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

Air officials ask public to help cut ozone pollution -- Air officials are appearing at City Council sessions and meeting with businesses all over the San Joaquin Valley to pass the word: It's time for car pools, four-day workweeks and maybe even prayer to fight ozone. Officials are talking to church groups, hoping that ministers will sermonize about avoiding activities that create pollution. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 6/16/08

Why gas costs more, more, more -- This much is certain: Gas prices will not be dropping. Weeks of record-setting prices for gasoline — which reached $4.42 a gallon in California recently — have helped cement that notion. Fewer than 10 years ago, gas was 99 cents a gallon. But since May 2004, when the U.S. average first topped $2, the upward movement has been fairly steady. The $3 plateau was topped in September 2005, and the U.S. average rose above $4 this week — as it moved closer to $5 in the Bay Area. Matt Nauman in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/16/08

L.A. County hopes to fend off drought with cloud-seeding program -- The plan is to begin this winter over the San Gabriel Mountains. Critics say the process is dubious and could trigger mudslides. Deborah Schoch in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Breathing easier -- Butte County towns, one amid trees and the other with ranching roots, take stock after destructive fires. Ryan Lillis in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/16/08

Human cost of Brazil's biofuels boom -- The country is a key producer of ethanol. Many of those cutting the sugar cane used to make the fuel are said to endure primitive conditions. Patrick J. McDonnell in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Developers envision a shopper-friendly Inglewood -- Plans for a new retail center on Market Street and Florence Avenue could revitalize the downtown area that once bustled with activity. Maria Hsin in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

A's stadium idea is dead, but city still wants land -- Three years ago, San Jose started buying up expensive downtown parcels to build a stadium in hopes of luring the Oakland A's. Joshua Molina in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/16/08

Dumbarton rail bridge project faces long haul -- Already slowed by mounting costs and a looming legal tussle, a $600 million project to connect the East Bay to the Peninsula with a Caltrain rail bridge is in danger of stalling in its tracks. Will Oremus in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/16/08

Driven to new ways -- Drive slower. Car pool with friends. Use cruise control, if you must. Those stinging rules on how to save gas and cash haunt us every day. But pocketbook gouging, as some would describe it, is only the iceberg's tip of a larger societal phenomenon surrounding skyrocketing fuel prices. Matt Wrye in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 6/16/08

Bike sales In higher gear -- Amid a slumping economy bogged by record fuel costs and wallet-sapping inflation, area bicycle retailers are reporting strong and often record revenue growth. Some shop owners, and economists observing the phenomenon, suggest that residents long accustomed to cheap fuel, thirsty engines and lengthy commutes are adjusting en masse to the reality of high gasoline costs. Robert Rogers in the San Bernardino Sun -- 6/16/08

Fire, rain, love, marriage -- and an idyllic Modjeska Canyon to intensify it all -- Residents have reeled with each new natural disaster, but spirit and teamwork are intact. Janet Wilson in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Illegal dumping plagues some Los Angeles neighborhoods -- City crews try to keep up with the garbage and debris, but residents say piles of trash fester for weeks at a time. Robert J. Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

DWP official disputes bias accusations -- Raman Raj, now the utility's No. 2 executive, said he left in 2001 not because of discrimination cases but because he was seen as being too close to mayoral candidate Villaraigosa. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08

Gay marriage ruling boosts firm that sells interchangeable figures for wedding cakes -- The Costa Mesa company had problems selling the mix-and-match figurines before the court decision. Now orders are pouring in. Paloma Esquivel in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/16/08