CSUB appoints first female police chief, Bakersfield Californian
A retired Kern County sheriff's commander has been appointed Cal State Bakersfield's new police chief. Claudia Fivecoat is the first female chief of police in the history of the campus.

State faces high cost of financing, Oakland Tribune
California, with the lowest credit rating among U.S. states, paid about twice as much as comparable borrowers, a penalty of $109 million, to sell one-year warrants needed to pay the state's bills.

State Sells Bonds to Stay Solvent, Los Angeles Times
Democrats and Republicans both use the sale to push their tax agendas. The controller says further borrowing depends on a budget agreement.

State can run until August on loans, Sacramento Bee
California secured a low interest rate from investors for an $11 billion short-term loan to keep the state afloat, despite poor credit ratings and warnings that the cash-strapped state is falling out of favor with Wall Street, Controller Steve Westly announced Wednesday.

The University of California Names Insider as President, New York Times
The University of California Board of Regents today chose an insider, Robert C. Dynes, to be the new president of the nine-campus university system. For the last seven years, Dr. Dynes has been chancellor at the University of California at San Diego.

San Diego Chancellor to Lead UC, Los Angeles Times
Regents unanimously back the physicist as president of 10-campus system. His low-key style is cited as necessary for the tough times ahead.

At UC San Diego, Chancellor Rose Swiftly Through Ranks, Los Angeles Times
As chancellor at UC San Diego, physicist Robert C. Dynes laid down a challenge to students each year. He invited them to a 5K race on campus and pledged to donate $25 to an undergraduate scholarship fund for each student who beat him.

UCSD chancellor will head UC system, San Diego Union-Tribune
For the second time in a decade, UC regents conducted a national search with hundreds of candidates and opted to tap the chancellor of their San Diego campus to lead the prestigious public university system.

Dynes has a special passion: diversity, San Diego Union-Tribune
The incoming University of California president, Robert C. Dynes, isn't one for long honeymoons. The most contentious time during his chancellorship of UC San Diego occurred shortly after he took office, a period when most new university presidents are building bridges.

State accepts teacher standard plan, Contra Costa Times/AP
State education officials adopted the basics of a plan Wednesday that would streamline federal standards for teachers into the state's existing credential process.

Education Effort Meets Resistance, Washington Post
Leaders of an effort backed by the Bush administration to accelerate and improve teacher training say they have met with considerable resistance from organizations allied with teachers unions and education schools, including the sabotage of a proposed new teacher certification test.

Grading This Article? First, Take Time to Learn the Rules, New York Times
We start the morning with a packet of sample papers, on which students have had 20 minutes to respond to the statement "The world is getting better all the time."

Public schools turn to upscale fundraising, CNN/AP
Fundraising at the elementary school is going beyond the car washes and candy sales normally associated with public schools, a trend seen around the nation. With public schools facing budget cuts, many are turning to the private sector.

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Education Department's Title IX Regulations, Chronicle of Higher Education
A group of wrestling coaches and representatives of other sports have lost their bid to have a federal judge throw out the U.S. Department of Education's rules on gender equity in college sports.

Takeover may sap sales, Oakland Tribune
In the battle between Oracle and PeopleSoft, the biggest winner could easily be outside competition. [CSU mentioned.]

Software Maker Rejects Oracle's Takeover Bid, New York Times/Reuters
Business software maker PeopleSoft Inc. (PSFT.O) on Thursday said its board unanimously rejected an unsolicited takeover offer from Oracle Corp. (ORCL.O), calling the bid inadequate and also citing antitrust concerns.

Other view: Much-criticized computer system serves CSU well, Sacramento Bee
A recent state audit of the California State University system's integrated technology system, known as the Common Management System, or CMS, has prompted state legislators to question the need for the project, its benefits and its implementation cost.

Steve Lopez: California Is in for a Long Summer of Political Free-for-All, Los Angeles Times
Even by California standards, these are strange times. The state has a budget gap bigger than all outdoors, Gov. Gray Davis could be recalled by Halloween, and one of his possible foes won't decide whether to run until after the release of his summer blockbuster.

George Skelton: This Angry Reader Has a Unique Perspective on Budget Crisis, Los Angeles Times
I got one of those phone calls from an irate reader. This reader I'd just written about: Gov. Gray Davis.

Opinion: Bad deeds far outweigh good faith, Fresno Bee
The Fresno State men's basketball program doesn't center just on Jerry Tarkanian, the former coach. And it's not just about sleazy street agents or ill-intentioned fans or unscrupulous players. Too bad.

Daniel Weintraub: The public is as befuddled as leaders on budget, Sacramento Bee
The good news for California's political leaders is that their collective stance on the budget pretty much reflects the sentiment of the people of this state. The bad news: That stance isn't going to solve the problem.

Opinion: A Recall Amounts to Political Fiddling as the Fiscal House Burns, Los Angeles Times
With California's credit rating already the worst in the nation and in danger of sinking lower, this is no time to create more turmoil with a coup against our elected governor. That instability could only weaken the state's standing on Wall Street.

Majority would vote to oust Davis, poll shows, San Jose Mercury News
With the campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis gathering surprising steam and the Democrat's popularity in free fall, California's chief executive is ratcheting up his last-ditch crusade to derail the potentially career-ending initiative.

Public's faith in Davis waning, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Bogged down in a dispute over a $38 billion state budget deficit, Gov. Gray Davis and legislators are losing support among Californians while a proposed recall of the governor is gaining steam, a poll released today says.

Like the State, Legislators Have Their Hats in Hand, Los Angeles Times
Fund-raising is in full flower in Sacramento, even as lawmakers attempt to hammer out an eleventh-hour budget agreement.