Sac State building will display old, teach new technology, Sacramento Bee
Hole in the ground: It's not much more than disturbed earth now, but just wait. There's a new building starting to rise on the freeway side of the Sac State Library that promises an eyeful.

CSUS offers to help, Sacramento Bee
The Center for Small Business at California State University, Sacramento, is accepting requests from companies in the Sacramento metropolitan area for free management assistance in the coming academic year.

CSULB heart-saving efforts honored, Long Beach Press-Telegram
Two Cal State Long Beach staff members will be honored in Sacramento today by Gov. Gray Davis for their efforts to acquire user-friendly heart defibrillators credited with saving two lives on campus.

Chico State one of top universities in the West, Chico Enterprise-Record
Chico State University was ranked one of the top public universities in the West by the U.S. News & World Report.

'Get smart, get help or get out': Chico State to consider tougher booze rules, ways to engage' freshmen, Chico Enterprise-Record
Chico State University will be considering a policy requiring students to get sober or get out, enrollment on campus will be flat for at least two more years, and faculty have to do more enhance the freshman-year experience, according to the school's interim president.

SJSU leader: State budget puts strain on students, San Jose Mercury News
California's budget woes will create havoc in public higher education and eventually prevent thousands of qualified students from being admitted to the state university system, San Jose State University's interim president warned Thursday.

Different Drums, San Jose Mercury News
When Grambling State University's marching band takes the field at Spartan Stadium for Saturday's Literacy Classic halftime show, Bay Area fans will get a taste of what has become a dazzling tradition among the nation's historically black colleges and universities.

UC Berkeley remains No. 1 on annual ranking of public universities, Stanford tied for 5th, Oakland Tribune
University of California, Berkeley retained its spot as the nation's top-ranked public university in U.S. News & World Report's annual college ranking, although it shares top billing with the University of Virginia, which ranked second in the last survey.

Budget Woes Strike Hard at UC-Berkeley, San Jose Mercury News
Students will see cutbacks this fall.

UC Pays Almost $1-Million to Settle With Los Alamos Whistle-Blower, Chronicle of Higher Education
The University of California system has paid $930,000 to a former Los Alamos National Laboratory employee to settle his complaint that it retaliated against him for blowing the whistle on problems at the weapons lab.

As colleges increase fees, more must apply for aid, San Francisco Chronicle
Students are flooding financial aid offices at colleges and universities in the Bay Area, hoping to get loans and grants to help them cover the cost of dramatic fee increases approved just weeks before school started.

Budget reform promise puts Davis in hot water, San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Gray Davis, who vowed three weeks ago to quickly appoint a commission to help tackle the state's budget problems, has yet to name anyone to the panel, angering some lawmakers who voted for this year's spending plan based on his assurances.

Busted budgets could leave officials liable, state warns, Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gray Davis' administration is letting its top officials know that if they break their budgets, the money could come out of their own pockets.

Virulent e-mail virus plagues state agencies, Sacramento Bee
The fastest-growing e-mail virus ever attacked every state agency and department across California, swamping computers with hundreds of thousands of infected e-mails, said Kevin Terpstra, spokesman for Gov. Gray Davis' information technology office. One agency reported receiving a bad e-mail every three minutes.

Exit test isn't yet put to rest, Orange County Register
Garden Grove will require it. Other county districts may do the same.

Record Industry Will Sue Only Students Who Download 'Substantial' Numbers of Songs, Chronicle of Higher Education
The recording industry's campaign of lawsuits against people who violate copyright will not target college students who download a few songs, the president of the Recording Industry Association of America has told Congress.

Harvard, Princeton Tie for No. 1 College, Associated Press
For the fourth consecutive year, Princeton University has topped the U.S. News & World Report annual ranking of "America's Best Colleges," this time sharing the top spot with Harvard University, which was second last year.

Weintraub Weblog: That wacky state budget, and Arnold on illegal immigrants in schools, Sacramento Bee
Arnold said the California budget is so “crazy” that he’ll need a 60-day audit to figure it out. Some suggest that this shows his ignorance of state policy. But as someone who has spent the last 15 years studying the budget, I think Arnold is more right than wrong. And LA Weekly digs up an Arnold quote from a Q and A during the Prop. 49 campaign last year.

Lopez: And Now for Something Entirely Different Amid the Recall: Facts, Los Angeles Times
When asked for specifics Wednesday on how he's going to rescue California, the candidate for governor proclaimed that the public is tired of figures, and just wants someone to rein in the outrageous taxing and spending that has driven this poor state to the brink of disaster.

Editorial: Second-Graders Matter, Los Angeles Times
The most recent school scores provide some of the best evidence that testing second-graders is a worthwhile endeavor. Their year-to-year performance helps the state track trends through the grades and gives valuable signals about what works and what needs to happen next.

Davis Seeks to Reveal His Warmer Side, Los Angeles Times
Trying to counter bland image, governor speaks off the cuff and takes questions from the audience. He has little to lose, some analysts say.

As Bustamante Gains, Davis Inches Toward Backing Him, Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gray Davis edged closer to abandoning his me-or-nothing strategy against the recall, as key Democrats rallied behind the backup candidacy of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante to hedge against losing power in Sacramento.

Groups say no to recall but yes to Bustamante, Sacramento Bee
The Democratic congressional delegation and the California Teachers Association each said they will simultaneously lend their support to the Democratic lieutenant governor and oppose the effort to oust Davis.

Chance Has Looked Kindly on California's No. 2 Official, New York Times
Lt. Gov. Cruz M. Bustamante has a knack for being at the door when opportunity knocks.

Actor chided on gun control, Sacramento Bee
Feinstein challenges Schwarzenegger on assault weapons.

Simon Finding Himself Muscled Out of Spotlight, Los Angeles Times
Despite his efforts, Simon, who lost the race for governor to Gray Davis last year, is increasingly overshadowed by Republican rival Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose celebrity commands an army of reporters whenever he appears in public.

State GOP leader fears Republicans may lose out by diluting their votes, San Bernardino Sun
The increasing likelihood that Gov. Gray Davis will be recalled pleases state Senate Minority Leader Jim Brulte, but California's top Republican worries the top four Republicans running to replace him will split the vote and allow Democrats to retain control of the office.

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

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