College Backs Off on Penalty for Late Fees, Los Angeles Times
At Cal State Fullerton, those who failed to cover the sudden increase brought on by the budget crunch are allowed to attend class.

Computer virus hits Cal Poly, area businesses, San Bernardino Sun
A virus-like worm that has disabled tens of thousands of computers worldwide has hit the Cal Poly Pomona campus with a vengeance, disabling 400 computers, officials said.

UC clerk faces embezzlement charges, Sacramento Bee
A UC Davis accounting clerk will be in Yolo Superior Court today to face formal charges of identity theft, embezzlement and grand theft, campus police said.

State Budget Cuts Cause Pain For School System, Long Beach Grunion Gazette
At every level of education in Long Beach, the challenge remains the same — continue to provide high-quality education, and do it with less money.

State test scores will reveal which schools make the grade, San Luis Obispo Tribune
Results released today; educators predict low marks.

LMC tuition hiked 63% Fees increase to $18 per unit, Contra Costa Times
With the stroke of a pen in Sacramento this week, tuition at Los Medanos College went up again.

Community colleges fill up quickly, Sacramento Bee
Budget cuts and enrollment increases mean students fight for required classes.

As Belated Converts, Schools Keep Vigil for Internet2, New York Times
In its early days, the Internet was essentially the domain of the government and universities. Few elementary and secondary schools were connected to the worldwide computer network by the time the Internet spread to the masses as a commercial enterprise in the mid-1990's.

Increased Spending on College Sports Does Not Increase Net Profits, NCAA Report Says, Chronicle of Higher Education
Spending money on sports won't guarantee a college winning teams, more revenue, or a better reputation, according to a report released on Thursday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Economy helps ease teacher shortage, Contra Costa Times/AP
The nationwide teacher shortage that once had school districts scrambling to find enough instructors to fill classrooms has eased significantly as the economy has cooled, according to groups that track education employment.

College charges student grandmother's tuition fee, CNN/AP
That old-time tuition, it's good enough for Rebecca Dupont. The 18-year-old is paying just $325 instead of $19,940 for her first year at private Hood College.

Among the Ivy, a Campus Tour Guide That Beeps, New York Times
Cornell's electronic tour is part of a research project that explores the next generation of "context-aware" computers - devices that can orient themselves in the real world and provide information about what is around them.

Editorial: Skimping on colleges, Los Angeles Daily News
When state leaders signed off on a worthless "compromise" budget last month, they postponed the pain as much as they could, delaying serious cuts in spending or tax increases.

Editorial: Tarnished team, Sacramento Bee
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the gubernatorial candidate who's vowed to "clean up Sacramento," has recruited for his team a passel of political operatives with some serious dirty laundry of their own.

Dan Walters: Does Bustamante have what it takes to face 'Terminator'?, Sacramento Bee
The only real job of California's lieutenant governor, someone once observed, is to check the newspaper each morning, make sure the governor is still alive and then find a service club to address.

Letters: Lower Admissions Standards Make Some Students 'Failures', Chronicle of Higher Education
Those involved in the debate about the University of Michigan's undergraduate-admissions policy have failed to mention graduation rates when examining the practical aspects of the policy that gave 20 points on a 150-point scale to applicants from certain ethnic or racial backgrounds.

Davis says he'll survive recall, Long Beach Press-Telegram
Governor says GOP effort part of pattern of stealing elections.

Davis' Allies Weigh Backup in Bustamante, Los Angeles Times
Labor unions, environmental groups and senior Democratic leaders have grown increasingly concerned about Gov. Gray Davis' chances of keeping his job and are intensifying discussions over whether to endorse Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante as a backup plan for keeping the governor's office in friendly hands.

Davis' support plunges, Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gray Davis is now less popular in California than Richard Nixon was during Watergate, and nearly six in 10 of those likely to go to the polls Oct. 7 said they'll vote to recall him.

Recall debate set for top contenders, Sacramento Bee
Saying the recall election against Gov. Gray Davis has "too much sex appeal" to ignore, the head of the California Broadcasters Association announced plans Thursday for a 90-minute debate in Sacramento among top contenders on the Oct. 7 replacement ballot.

Prop. 54 to stay on recall ballot, Sacramento Bee
Judge says there's no legal reason to delay a vote on the racially charged issue.

4 recall challenges remain in courts, Fresno Bee/AP
While the California Supreme Court dismissed five cases last week challenging the recall vote of Gov. Davis, four other lawsuits remain alive, seeking to delay all or part of the Oct. 7 vote until March.

NOTE: For additional political coverage, visit the Rough & Tumble website.