Welty to report on liquor program, Fresno Bee
Reductions in abuse by CSU students will be presented to trustees.

Quake project serves 2 goals, Press-Enterprise
Cal State hopes minority students involved in the research will warm to geology.

Californian Rocket Scientists Fire Up Aerospike Engine, SpaceDaily (online)
A team from California State University, Long Beach , in partnership with Garvey Spacecraft Corporation , successfully conducted a static fire test of an aerospike rocket engine in the Mojave desert.

Cal State desert program gets manager, Press-Enterprise
Former Los Angeles Unified School District board member Leticia Quezada has been named manager of the new Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Cal State San Bernardino's Palm Desert Campus.

Senate GOP Offers Cuts to Close Gap, Los Angeles Times
Coastal Commission would be eliminated as Republicans target environment programs. Portions of plan may be used in the final budget.

Judge urges settlement of lawsuit that claims UCLA dumped donated bodies, Fresno Bee/AP
A judge Tuesday urged a settlement of a lawsuit that claims UCLA's School of Medicine wrongfully dumped donated bodies, saying it would be "financially ruinous" for both sides to continue when as many as 8,000 plaintiffs potentially are involved.

Science for the girls of summer, San Francisco Chronicle
Camp programs encourage them to pursue careers in technology.

2-nation education program to expand, San Diego Union-Tribune
Mexico and California officials yesterday announced the expansion of a binational education program that targets limited-English speaking Latinos. The program features a Spanish-based curriculum provided by Mexico via the Internet.

Unusual Course Suggests: Give Peace a Chance, Los Angeles Times
A Santa Paula school offers lessons on alternatives to violence, and teaches about historic activists such as Gandhi and King.

Reading, Writing and Special Attention in Queens, New York Times
Although Ms. Murphy's class is divided into three groups based on reading levels and other skills, it is nearly impossible to determine which of the 6-year-olds receive special education services.

Opinion: Future of AmeriCorps, USA Today
Aug. 1 looms as the last day for John Franklin's five-person AmeriCorps crew, who perform community service in exchange for college tuition paid by the federal government. That's when the number of jobs AmeriCorps sponsors in Maine shrinks from 163 to 10 — part of a nationwide reduction in the program from a current 67,000 positions to 30,000.

Editorial: Budget dumbness, Sacramento Bee
On Sunday night Assembly Republicans, the chamber's minority party, got to present their tax-lite vision of California's future.

Peter Schrag: What's the state of California -- are we all crazy?, Sacramento Bee
The questions have been flying thick and fast in the past couple of weeks: Does the recall campaign against Gov. Gray Davis signal the beginning of a wave of dissatisfaction that, like the tax revolt of 1978, will sweep the country? Or is this just another form of California craziness that reaches no farther than the Sierra?

Editorial: Bargaining time, San Diego Union-Tribune
Although Republicans certainly didn't expect their budget proposal to be approved by the Democratic-controlled Assembly, they did present a spending plan that was – and still is – worthy of serious consideration.

Opinion: Bush moves on private school choice, San Diego Union Tribune
President Bush probably surprised many in the school choice movement when he used a recent visit to a predominantly African-American charter school in the nation's capital to declare his support for private school vouchers.

Theresa Keegan: Our children lose yet again, Contra Costa Times
While most Americans were celebrating our inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness during the Fourth of July, the National Education Association was doing its best to make sure the right to an adequate public education will remain elusive.

Opinion: Chaos in the recall? Blame backers of Gov. Davis, Ventura County Star
Chaos will surely come to California government, warn prominent businessmen and Democratic politicians, if the drive to recall Gov. Gray Davis reaches the statewide ballot either this fall or next spring.

Editorial: Next Step for School Exit Exam, San Jose Mercury-News
Should students have to master basic skills to graduate from high school?

For Issa and Recall Drive, Long Shot May Pay Off, Washington Post
The Golden State is broke, drowning in a record $38 billion deficit. Davis, who was elected to a second term in November, is suddenly at risk of being removed from office. Issa is caught up in the growing frenzy like no one else.

Recall Vote in California Said to Be a Certainty, New York Times
Gov. Gray Davis of California, who was re-elected only eight months ago, appeared likely today to face a recall election as early as this fall after his political opponents declared that they had more than enough signatures to put the question on the ballot.

Davis Allies Explore Challenge, Los Angeles Times
While seeking ways to block a recall election, strategists also believe they can convince voters it's not the answer.