‘God hates Corona del Mar High School’ says church that plans to protest ‘Rent’ production -- The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas is planning to send demonstrators to protest a performance of the musical “Rent” on Friday at Corona del Mar High School. The church has gained national exposure by appearing at public events to draw attention to its anti-gay stance. Paul Hodgins in the Orange County Register -- 4/21/09

Betcha they’re gonna raise taxes -- Students at Palo Alto’s Gunn High School tomorrow will use the “California Budget Challenge” online simulator and handheld instant-response devices to come up with a balanced state budget and see how their choices will affect the state five years into the future — all inside of an hour. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 4/21/09

Bush lawyer defends waterboarding in local debate -- John Yoo, whose memos justified controversial interrogation tactics, defends the practices during a Chapman University debate. MARTIN WISCKOL in the Orange County Register -- 4/21/09

Speaker Bass okays pay hikes for Assembly staff -- Assembly Speaker Karen Bass granted a 5 percent pay increase to dozens of rank-and-file members of the Assembly staff, but she says the Assembly is still on track to reduce its overall operating budget. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

More on the Ashton Kutcher Tweeting Newsom connection -- The six-hour-old (officially) Newsom for Governor campaign that Comrade Marinucci told you about just hit the Twitter motherlode: Ashton Kutcher Tweeted about it. To wit: apluskHave you heard @GavinNewsom is running for Gov. of CA. Joe Garofoli Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/21/09

Harman blowback; DiFi weighs in -- Rep. Jane Harman has asked Attorney General Eric Holder to release all transcripts of her wiretapped calls, as California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat and chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, came to Harman's assistance. Carolyn Lochhead Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/21/09

Feinstein responds to conflict of interest allegations -- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein today dismissed as "nonsense" allegations that her efforts to bolster funding for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which protects bank depositors, aided her husband Richard Blum's real estate firm. Carolyn Lochhead Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/21/09

Roberts and Trounstine: WashTimes Probes Feinstein, Blum -- Reason #357 why Dianne Feinstein won’t run for governor: Today’s Washington Times carries a boffo investigative report detailing the senior senator from California’s legislative efforts “to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband’s real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms.” Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 4/21/09

Sen. Boxer, looking over shoulder at Fiorina, has raised $4.6 million for re-election -- Facing the threat of a challenge from a Silicon Valley heavyweight, Sen. Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat first elected in 1992, has already raised $4.6 million for her re-election campaign next year. Frank Davies in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/21/09

Villaraigosa to back Chu for Congress -- The campaign of Judy Chu for Congress announced Tuesday that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will join other mayors from the district to endorse her over state Sen. Gill Cedillo. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 4/21/09

Harris gets Steinberg endorsement for A.G. -- San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, running in a crowded 2010 Democratic field for state attorney general, picked up the endorsement today of Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. Peter Hecht SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/21/09

Newsom makes his official governor bid online -- Aiming to stake his claim to the tech-savvy young voters who helped elect President Obama, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, 41, today took to the new media to formally announce he's running for governor - by directly addressing hundreds of thousands of supporters simultaneously via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

Cheers vs. stout opposition in spat over beer, booze tax -- Jim Beall's first stab at a beer tax was downed last year by opposition and ridicule. Undeterred, the South Bay Assemblyman is back at it again — and this time, his proposal for a hefty new fee on alcohol may have a better, ahem, shot at passage. Mike Zapler in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/21/09

Yahoo to cut 600 to 700 jobs after 1Q results fall -- Yahoo says its slump worsened in the first quarter as the recession made it more difficult to sell the ads that generate most of its profits. AP -- 4/21/09

SEIU labor contract stuck in Assembly ditch -- It looks like the Service Employees International Union Local 1000 contract bill is about to get stuck in the Assembly -- and may not get acted on for at least a month. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

Prop 1A's Old Ball & Chain… Taxes -- A few weeks from now, once the voters have spoken, pundits will either be calling it the height of political genius... or a political blunder for the record books. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 4/21/09

NBC's Mike Luery latest reporter leaving Capitol coverage -- Mike Luery, a television reporter providing political coverage for NBC stations outside of Sacramento, is the latest victim of cutbacks in Capitol coverage. Shane Goldmacher SacBee Capitol Alert -- 4/21/09

A bump in the road for ‘accident tax’ -- A move is under way in the Capitol to block local districts across California from levying a fee on out-of-town, at-fault drivers to cover the locals' costs of cleaning up car crashes. The legislative discussion emerges even as a dozen locals already have imposed the charge and others are considering whether to do it. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 4/21/09

San Diego schools selling 1st U.S. tax credit debt -- The San Diego school system started taking bids Tuesday on the nation's first sale of bonds that will offer investors a tax credit but pay no interest, one of its financial advisers said. Joan Gralla, Reuters -- 4/21/09

Schwarzenegger seeks six-figure political donations -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is selling access to a pair of social soirees at his Brentwood mansion to deep-pocketed political donors willing to hand over at least $100,000 for his political fund. Shane Goldmacher in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

Walters: Two strategies to change California government -- California's never-ending budget crisis has, if nothing else, solidified broader acceptance of what until recently had seemed to be a radical notion – that the state's governance is deeply flawed and needs fundamental overhaul. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

Bill to expand secret license plate program revived -- Despite warnings of abuse, state lawmakers on Monday renewed their efforts to expand a license plate program that masks the identity of government officials and can allow them to evade traffic laws. BRIAN JOSEPH and JENNIFER MUIR in the Orange County Register -- 4/21/09

Gore: 2009 turning point in environment battle -- Former Vice President Al Gore said Monday that this year is "the Gettysburg" for the environment and that the United States will have to lead the fight against global warming if true progress is going to be made. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/09

Political fundraising tops $1 billion since Prop. 34 passed in 2000 -- Nearly nine years ago, California voters limited the size of campaign contributions to legislative and statewide candidates in an effort to curb the influence of special interests. DUANE W. GANG in the Riverside Press -- 4/21/09

Programs for mentally ill, at-risk children at risk -- It was a deal that could only be made in the state capitol: While shelving plans to increase taxes on oil companies and alcoholic beverages, legislators agreed to fill budget gaps by asking voters to raid hundreds of millions of dollars from two voter-approved programs for the mentally ill and poor children. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 4/21/09

Prop. 1E: using mental health cash for deficit -- In 2004, then-Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento helped write Proposition 63, a landmark ballot measure that taxed the richest Californians to expand mental health services for the state's poor. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/09

Prop. 1D: trimming kids' programs to cut deficit -- A decade ago, state voters approved a tobacco tax to fund services for young children in California. Now, with the state in a fiscal crisis, Proposition 1D on the May ballot would cut programs aimed at some of the state's most vulnerable residents. Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/09

More California natives are staying put -- The state's transient population is losing ground to settled families, USC study says. The changes will affect public schools, taxes and real estate. Rich Connell in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

State Republican Party leaders oppose May ballot measures -- California Republican Party leaders have voted to oppose all the budget-related measures in the upcoming May 19 special election, a move that highlights the growing rift between the state GOP and its top elected officials. Matthew Yi Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 4/21/09

12 candidates vie to replace Hilda Solis -- Experts see the contest for the new Labor chief's open 32nd Congressional District seat as a battle between two seasoned liberals, Gil Cedillo and Judy Chu. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Chu gets endorsement from Dem party -- The California Democratic Party voted to endorse state Board of Equalization member Judy Chu to replace labor Secretary Hilda Solis representing the 32nd Congressional District. The item is in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 4/21/09

Citizens can challenge state, local gun laws -- A federal appeals court ruled Monday that private citizens can challenge state and local gun laws by invoking the constitutional right to bear arms - the first such ruling in the nation - but upheld a ban on firearms at gun shows at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/09

Assemblyman blasts Orange County based recall effort -- Assemblyman Anthony Adams, R-Hesperia, has issued his formal rebuttal to the recall effort launched by Corona del Mar’s Mike Schroeder, former chairman of the state GOP, and Lee Lowrey, head of the conservative Atlas PAC. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 4/21/09

Rep. Jane Harman denies wiretap report -- The congresswoman from Venice says she didn't lobby the Justice Department on an espionage case, as reported by Congressional Quarterly. Greg Miller in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Lawmaker Is Said to Have Agreed to Aid Lobbyists -- The lawmaker, Representative Jane Harman of California, became the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee after the 2002 election and had ambitions to be its chairwoman when the party gained control of the House in 2006. NEIL A. LEWIS and MARK MAZZETTI in the New York Times -- 4/21/09

Governor candidate Garamendi touts 'education renaissance' in forum at San Jose State -- In remarks tailor-made for his audience of San Jose State University students on Monday, Lt. Governor John Garamendi — the only announced Democratic candidate for governor — said he envisioned an optimistic future for California where education would be a top priority. Sandra Gonzales in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/21/09

California’s Capitol Talks to John Garamendi -- CC: So what exactly was your special crime that caused the governor to cut your office’s budget from $2.8 million to $1 million back in February? Greg Lucas California’s Capitol weblog -- 4/21/09

DiFi to pirates: ‘Avast, ye scurvy dogs!’ -- Well, not exactly. But in a letter to President Barack Obama last week, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein did say the government should put armed security teams aboard U.S.-flagged shipping vessels operating on pirate-infested seas. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 4/21/09

Senate confirms Oaklander to Justice Dept. post -- The U.S. Senate today voted 82-4 to confirm Oakland attorney Tony West as Assistant U.S. Attorney General in charge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil division, which represents the United States, its departments and agencies, members of Congress, Cabinet officers and other federal employees in a wide range of litigation. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 4/21/09

Pot advocates nationwide light up for 4-20 -- Afternoon smoke breaks took on added meaning Monday as pot advocates observed what has become their unofficial national holiday. MICHELLE LOCKE AP -- 4/21/09

Roberts and Trounstine: How Newspapers Can Save Themselves -- Alan Mutter is a distinguished journalist and former senior editor of the San Francisco Chronicle who left newspapering in 1988 for a career in business. Alan D. Mutter Calbuzz -- 4/21/09

Steve Breen wins 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning -- Steve Breen, the editorial cartoonist for The San Diego Union-Tribune, has won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. It is the second time the newspaper has been awarded journalism's highest honor; the Tribune, a predecessor publication, also won two Pulitzers. Matthew T. Hall in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 4/21/09

Pulitzers recognize the public watchdogs -- The Los Angeles Times' series on wildfires run amok is among the winners. Tina Susman in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

California's gay marriage trailblazers look East for signs of progress -- California's legislators were gay-rights trailblazers when a majority passed the first same-sex marriage bill in the United States in 2005. Susan Ferriss in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

California receives most in federal funds -- Nearly $13.5 billion has already been awarded to California to date, according to the Obama Administration, which is almost $4 billion more than the second-most awarded state, the governor's office announced. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 4/21/09

Bigger paycheck now could cost you next year -- Most workers should be getting a little extra in their paychecks, thanks to the Making Work Pay credit included in the stimulus bill. Unfortunately, some people might have to pay all or some of the credit back when they file their taxes next year. Kathleen Pender in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/09

Villaraigosa's $7.05-billion budget calls for 10% cut to personnel costs -- Los Angeles mayor again calls for 'shared sacrifice' and a 'menu of options' including pay cuts and furloughs that may help avoid layoffs among the city's 50,000-member workforce. Phil Willon and Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times Rick Orlov and Brandon Lowrey in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 4/21/09

UC Berkeley student with TB isolated; more than 200 tested -- A UC Berkeley student remains in isolation at a hospital with tuberculosis as campus and city health workers begin testing 225 people who came in close contact with the person. Doug Oakley in the Oakland Tribune -- 4/21/09

U.S. aims to crack down on credit card issuers -- The Obama administration vows new rules to curb high interest rates and predatory practices. It faces stiff opposition from the industry. James Oliphant in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Sacramento Area’s foreclosed homes sell briskly, for less, at auction -- A pair of out-of-town auction giants sold 190 more foreclosed homes in Sacramento on Sunday, earning $21 million for lenders that repossessed them for lack of payments, the firms said Monday. Jim Wasserman in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

Federal funds help rebuild foreclosed homes -- His tie flapping in the morning breeze, Patrick Lynch gestured at a boarded-up eight-unit apartment building in Richmond's Iron Triangle with foreclosure notices still taped to an iron gate across the front door. Carolyn Said in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/09

Bank of America shows a profit but loses half a billion dollars on mortgages -- The balance sheet shows the difficulty facing BofA and other financial institutions -- despite help from the federal stimulus and bailout programs. And the pain may get worse. E. Scott Reckard in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Oracle takes on tech titans with Sun purchase -- The deal will reshape the technology industry, turning Oracle, until now a maker of databases and other software, into a hardware company that will compete with Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Cisco in the multibillion-dollar market for data centers, where companies store and retrieve information over the Internet rather than keeping it on computers inside their walls. Deborah Gage in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/21/09

Crimes suspected in 20 bailout cases -- for starters -- In the first major disclosure of corruption in the $750-billion financial bailout program, federal investigators said Monday they have opened 20 criminal probes into possible securities fraud, tax violations, insider trading and other crimes. Ralph Vartabedian and Tom Hamburger in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Measuring Obama by FDR's yardstick -- If the first 100 days mean anything, the president is looking a lot like Franklin Roosevelt. But recent history shows a lot can change after the early days of a presidency. Doyle McManus in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

2 charged in threats against UCLA research scientists -- Linda Faith Greene, 61, and Kevin Richard Olliff, 22, have been charged with 10 felonies involving incidents against scientists who use animals in their research. Andrew Blankstein and Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Oakland school district discovers new, $15 million shortfall -- After months of digging, a private auditing firm has concluded that the cash-strapped, state-indebted Oakland school district has even less money than anyone thought — nearly $15 million less. Katy Murphy in the Oakland Tribune -- 4/21/09

Controversial American River College student council faces vote -- The student council that's made headlines for opposing gay marriage and punk rock music is facing competition on the American River College campus, where student government elections begin today. Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

Student Loans: Default Rates Are Soaring -- Defaults on student loans are skyrocketing amid a weak job market for graduates and steadily rising tuition costs. ANNE MARIE CHAKER in the Wall Street Journal -- 4/21/09

Gas station reprieve rejected -- But now they fear being driven into bankruptcy if local air district officials impose hefty penalties for not complying with an April 1 deadline to install cleaner dispensing technology. Michael Gardner San Diego Union-Trib weblog -- 4/21/09

Retail gasoline prices barely budge for a second week -- A year after pump prices had already begun to soar toward records, they increase by an average of less than a penny a gallon in California and nationally. Ronald D. White in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Orange County to pay illegal immigrant $4 million in jail beating case -- County officials have agreed to pay more than $4 million to settle a lawsuit brought by an undocumented Mexican immigrant who was beaten by inmates while in custody at the Orange County jail, the man's attorney said Monday. NORBERTO SANTANA JR. and TONY SAAVEDRA in the Orange County Register -- 4/21/09

Supermarket mogul guilty of bribery, racketeering, soliciting murder -- George Torres, who started the multimillion-dollar chain of Numero Uno markets, may face life in prison on charges including bribing an L.A. planning commissioner and arranging opponents' slayings. Scott Glover in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/21/09

Ex-Sacramento County inmate wins settlement in excessive force suit -- Attorneys for a former jail inmate said Monday that Sacramento County has agreed to pay $260,000 to resolve a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging he was brutalized by sheriff's deputies. Denny Walsh in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/21/09

Cash-Strapped Cities Try Private Guards Over Police -- Facing pressure to crack down on crime amid a record budget deficit, Oakland is joining other U.S. cities that are turning over more law-enforcement duties to private armed guards. BOBBY WHITE in the Wall Street Journal -- 4/21/09