Occupation: Saudi Ambassador Says More Troops Needed in Iraq

Hostages: Boy held hostage in Iraq is freed + Japanese Hostage in Iraq Killed - Report

War prisons: Learning nothing from Abu Ghraib + Navy Drops Abuse Charges Against Commando + Two Guantanamo Detainees Go Before Tribunal

AFGHANISTAN: Echoes of Iraq: 3 kidnapped in Kabul. Foreign women were U.N. election workers + Seven Arrested Over Kidnapping of Foreign Aid Workers in Afghan Capital

MIDDLE EAST: 'Frail' Arafat arrives in Paris + News Analysis: Arafat's health shocks Mideast peace track + Veteran associates stand in for Arafat

Lebanese new foreign minister assert role of relations with Syria

RUSSIA: Putin Attends Soviet-Style Military Parade in Kiev

Russia to regain position of the key player in Central Asia

Russian Duma Tentatively Backs Key Reform Proposed by Putin Following Terror Attacks

EUROPE: EU leaders sign new constitution + Barroso May Replace `Some' Nominees for EU Commission (Update1) + Pope steps in for his friend Buttiglione

Germany's Radical Makeover

ASIA PACIFIC: India and Pakistan balk at bold Kashmir peace plan

New Era for Cambodia as King Sihamoni Ascends Throne + Cambodia's new king: a childhood steeped in Czech culture

AMERICAS: Colombia: Hopes rise from assets tied to drugs

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

Suicide bombers trained and ready, warns Russian security chief

Intel Overhaul Draws Yawns From Voters

From the land of the free

NSB chief admits negligence on Powell's interview

Cold War interpreters and literary translators share the secrets of their trade

Bulgaria's Parliament Speaker Urges Opening Communist Secret Police Files

Stasi work hits snag on funds

Sad spy comes in from the cold

CIA can't authenticate American al Qaeda tape

G-men catch up with McG ex-pal

Homeland Security Heroically Defends Expired Patent

USA and Europe to oust Russia from defense market

RDX Explosive patents

RDX Explosive Manufacturing Facility

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

Sept. 11 report supplement won't be out before election

9/11 report left out CIA investigation of intelligence failures

Better to delay until after Election Day

Weapons Scandal in Georgia: Christopher Deliso

The 9/11 Facts You Won't Hear Until After the Election

Oakland: Baby formula protest planned. Breast-feeding advocates to protest at maker's dinner

NAACP blames IRS probe on speech

CONNECT THE DOTS....

The Problem With Some 'Smart' Toys: (Hint) Use Your Imagination

The Wimp Factor

Scott Peterson: Peterson jury to consider second-degree murder, no death penalty

The Governor:  Gov. considers presidency + Gov.'s 'Army' Click.

Senate Race Below the Radar Click. + Tauscher up against a different challenge -- Bush administration Click.

Shelley to replace three aides.

PUC moves up deadline for more power reserves + Utilities instructed to stock up + PUC postpones request to cut electric rates

PACs funnel millions into key contests + Dems preserving leads in top races

Voting issues:   Motor-voter beware + Register late? Your vote may fizzle + Absentee ballots, late registrations burying California voting officials + San Joaquin absentee ballot scam Click. + Democrats file FCC complaint on ads+ Democrats seek FCC remedy

Propositions: Governors unite to oppose change to three-strikes law + Mel Gibson joins fight against stem cell measure + Gov. steps up opposition to Prop. 66 +  Prop. 62 ad touts support of governor + Prop. 67 ad is factual, but lacks some context + Multimillionaires fuel initiatives + Five ballot measures aim to reshape California health system + Battle Over 3-Strikes Measure Heats Up Click. + Supporting Healthcare Coverage for Workers, but Not Prop. 72 Click. (LAT Reg) + AdWatch: Proposition 1A Click.

Indian tribes: Richmond: Activist asks for casino land at discount.

LOCAL NEWS:  Pinnacles' first female condor flies free

Tomatoes in trouble + Tomatoes bringing top dollar Click.

Air pollutants may be cutting back rain Click.

San Francisco: SF hotels blast mayor's actions in labor dispute + Union: SBC to move 1,000 jobs out of SF + Cingular antennas in Portola approved. Some residents worried about effects of radiation + Glide Church offers free prostate screenings + State PUC blames PG&E for big blackout + Hotel dispute drags on + A frank farewell after 1 million hot dogs. Golden Gate Park shutdowns, detours lost him customers + Hotels lash Newsom + Relief checks on way for hotel workers + Friday fishwrap, and Migden phones home + Fox News weighs in on D5 supervisor race + Confusion seen over ranked voting. Slowdown at polls a likely result of district elections Click.

Contra Costa: Contra Costa gets ready to dole out 5,900 flu shots + Richmond Police Commission files complaint to state bar filed against city attorney Everett Jenkins for allegedly lying about settlement + Martinez: 11 clinics scheduled to dispense flu shots

Santa Clara: Two seek San Jose council seat + Santana Row developer mulls condo conversion

Alameda: Berkeley offices to close to help budget deficit + Berkeley: African American woman on track to be next fire chief + Deal has port on track for windfall + Oakland: Downtown clubs with a bit of class + Fremont: Wasserman camp wants apology + Fremont mayoral debate youth-focused + Controller paints bleak future for Oakland Coliseum + AC Transit expands discounts to Cal staff + Group wants to fix homes of disabled, low-income residents + San Ramon: Officials pushing for Valley cemetery + Pleasanton names planning director + Alameda Medical Center loses CEO + Union City delays vote on memorial for Flight 93 + Hayward council delays Foothill expansion decision + Mudslinging for 15th Assembly seat gets intense Click.

Sonoma: Half of needed flu shots expected + Petaluma: Recycling's role in garbage prices + Ukiah tries one more time for tax to fund public safety + Petaluma man has turned politics into art + Growth a major issue for Santa Rosa City Council candidates + Mendocino to get cell phone service

Central Valley: Ex-Modesto Mayor Lang dies + A dugout dance in a city he loved: Goodbye to Lang + Why Pombo must go + Deaths of Ladine, Lang leave holes in Modesto + We know Modesto's a good place; now let's prove it + San Joaquin: Contest for Congress Up for Grabs Click. (LAT Reg) + Parra's attorneys file FCC complaint Click. + Report more ammo in race between Machado, Podesto Click.

Monterey: Real 'Rain Man' charms Salinas hospital staff + Local election briefs + Students support tax measures + Campaign ads leave room for truth

Central Coast: Cambria's water tanks may collapse + ParaCruz riders find changes unsettling: Provider switch worries elders, disabled users + UC Santa Cruz astrophysicist Stan Woosley being honored + Joe Simitian faces little challenge in race for Senate seat + Bob Begun runs alone for Capitola treasurer + Rep. Anna Eshoo seeks seventh term in D.C. vs. challengers Chris Haugen and Brian Holtz

Marin: San Rafael showroom settles debt with Nissan + Hamilton auction short on bidders + Officials urge voters to approve sales tax hike + Anti-Sutter slate spends freely in health-care race

Solano: Candidate for city manager still hasn't made up his mind + Fairfield mall security boosted + GVRD takes questions, comments from public + Progress on new Benicia Bridge

Sacramento & North: These Roseville yards sprout trouble + Merger fear hits South Placer fire board race + New conductor wants symphony to be music to the ears of kids + New fence along tracks may save lives + Yuba candidates raise, shell out cash + Lincoln City: Questions arise over hopeful's service + Workshops on Tahoe forest trails planned + Yolo family panel gets new member

Southern California: In San Diego, surf-shop owner enlivens mayor's race + San Diego hits apparent impasse with auditor+ 2 More Firms Subpoenaed in Dialysis Investigation Click. (LAT Reg) + L.A. Panel Endorses Tax Cut for Businesses Click.

Explosives: Video shows cache of explosives. Munitions seen days after fall of Baghdad + MAJOR: WE REMOVED 250 TONS OF EXPLOSIVES FROM FACILITY + GIs Refused Iraqi Requests to Protect Explosives + Armed Group Claims to Have Iraq Explosives + US forces 'let weapons get looted' + U.N. Nuclear Chief Dismisses as "total Junk" Accusations That He Timed Release of Report on Missing Iraqi Explosives to U.S. Election

Flood of lawsuits expected against No Child Left Behind Act

Chilean communists sue Bush over prisoner tortures

THE 2004 ELECTION:

Kerry, Bush Tied Nationally and in Five Battleground States, Polls Show

Springsteen rallies Kerry faithful -- Bush calls opponent a manipulator. Both candidates take best shots, rush from state to state

Nader still a wild card in key states

Overseas troops can vote by fax

Florida: E-mail reveals Postal Service may have mishandled Broward ballots+ Florida voters grow cynical about electoral process as charges of irregularities persist + Hurricanes damaged Florida polling places + Fla. wants to keep election lines moving

Pennsylvania:: Pa. gov. seeks military ballots extension

Ohio: Ohio GOP loses bid to fight registrations

Intelligence on election threat quieted

Asian Americans fight language barrier in US elections

The Left's Well-Oiled Machine

BUSH/CHENEY: Cheney springs surprise visit on Hawaii + Bush campaign asked to stop using 'Still the One' + Bush Recalls 9/11 Leadership with Victim Relatives + Bush seeks Schwarzenegger's muscle, as missing explosives cast campaign shadow

KERRY/EDWARDS: Sen. Harkin: GOD Wants Kerry + KERRY ALREADY PICKING CABINET: Biden 'asked to be Secretary of State' + Kerry: 'Wake Up America' and Choose Fresh Start + Soros fends off critics, attacks Bush. Billionaire ends 3-week tour with speech in D.C. + Boss drew more than 80,000 people for John Kerry yesterday

OPINIONS:

Occupation: Household survey estimates 100,000 Iraqis have died since U.S. invasion + US, Iran and the Iraqi election game

Hostages: Kidnappers Demand Foreign Troops Quit Iraq + Three Foreigners Kidnapped in Afghanistan + Militants in Iraq abduct Polish woman, claim killing of soldiers

War prisons: Amnesty: No Change in US Torture Policy+ Ex-CIA Official Defends Detention Policies + 4 former detainees sue Rumsfeld. Chain of command blamed for alleged Guantanamo torture

AFGHANISTAN: Winds of Change Blow in Afghan Resistance Heartland

MIDDLE EAST: France sending plane for Arafat; Israel to let him back to West Bank + Arafat's poor health has MKs calling for reassessment of Israeli policy + IDF has 'day after' plan, which includes a possible burial site for Yasser Arafat + Divvying up Arafat's powers + Who will succeed Arafat?

Cairo licenses a new political party

Saudi Arabia achieves high economic growth

Al-Assad wants labor supply and demand data for the market, and merit as guide for job performance

EUROPE: Italy under mounting pressure to drop Buttiglione from EU executive

Stardom: Woohoo! Barroso WITHDRAWS Commission

AFRICA: Africa Power Firms Join to Light Up Dark Continent

Abuja's Darfur negotiations stopped, Khartoum accuses the rebels

United States Flies Nigerian Troops to Darfur

ASIA PACIFIC: China raises lending rate for first time in nearly a decade

China's requisition of farmland for tourism sows seeds of discontent

Ho Chi Minh bunker opened

Japan's Emperor Says It's Not "desirable" to Make Patriotism Compulsory in Schools

AMERICAS: UN Votes Overwhelmingly Against U.S. Embargo on Cuba + Cuba's comeback + Cuba's Banks, Exchange Houses Gear Up for Start of Large Scale Conversions to Dump Dollars

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

Click. TAPE TO AIR TONIGHT, ABC TV 6:30 EST. TERROR TAPE WARNS OF BUSH, CHENEY CONSEQUENCE; ABC 'WITHHELD' PORTIONS FROM CIA + CIA, FBI AUTHENTICATE. ABCNEWS EXECUTIVES CONSIDER POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF AIRING + ABC Defends Decision to Hold Off

Blast at Marriott hotel in Pakistan's capital, several injured

Monterey: Defense Language Institute ends era

Feds rebuff Yemeni lawyer in terror case

US deploys F/A-22 Raptor

INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS: Faster, Faster, Faster

NBC: Private Search for the Lost Georgia H-Bomb

UN asks Belarus to free US Net expert + Belarusian Spy Service Insist that the American Arrested Does Not Have Diplomatic Immunity

S Korea heightens security against China tech theft

Brazil Raids Kroll Offices in Spy Probe

Bulgaria's Parliament Speaker Urges Opening Communist Secret Police Files

Secret base opens for Ray

New trial begins for cleric in Jakarta

Blair 'used intelligence as PR tool'

Praying for a miracle at the shrines of al-Qa'ida

Kroll Defends Employees Arrested in Corporate Espionage Case

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

British sportswear firm changes image to lose neo-Nazi links

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

The Governor: Gov. Coy on How Bush Can Help California + Gov. walking fine line for Bush + Gov. plans to stump for GOP in left-leaning Bay Area + Click. Gov. promises food manufacturer cheap power to build a new plant in state + Gov. to stump in several local campaigns that have turned ugly Click. + He's Not Running, but Gov. Wants Your Votes Click. (LAT Reg) + Gov. targets Inland ballot measure re: tribes Click. + Calif. measures may sway nation + Green 'scorecard' pans GOP, gives Gov. half-marks + After a year of playing hard to get, Arnie finally agrees to stump up

Judge restores funds to help disabled speak that were cut from budget

Consumers to lose 2 allies on PUC Click.

Voting: UCD offers an early start on voting + E-voting rules likely to lead to confusion in 10 counties Click. + State: Orange County met paper-ballot test Click. + Election snafus keep on growing Click. + Ministers angry over freezing voter outreach funds to help get out vote Click. + Sacramento judge dooms election-ad reporting rule

Dep't of Corrections whistle-blower gets $500,000 to settle claims

Voters may set future of  biotech plants

Valley broadcaster defends GOP gift, others question legality

Propositions: High stakes over health care initiative + Ad against Prop. 66 warns of releases + Big Money Pours In for 3-Strikes Ads Click. (LAT Reg) + Klaas family divided Click.

Indian tribes: Ventura stars in TV ad for tribal gaming + Chumash Casino to Get Fed Review  Click. (LAT Reg) + Ruling holding tribes to state campaign finance and reporting laws upheld Click.

LOCAL NEWS: Time to set clocks back to standard time

BART initiative's failure would mean 49-cent hike

East Bay Regional Parks measure takes a new approach

San Francisco: Hotel dispute reaches City Hall, Mayor summons both sides to his office for talks + Brisbane: Lofty plans for former landfill. + Mayor lays down the gauntlet +Water level lowered at San Pablo reservoir. Potential for disaster in major earthquake spurs move but it's only a temporary fix Click. + Hotel lockout benefits are few + Newsom predicts 'long road' before deal + Medic plan gets OK + Caen: Topics plentiful at this water cooler + Ugly race getting uglier

Contra Costa: Walnut Creek: Broadway Plaza looks to luxury + Richmond: Bates campaign mailer misleads + Hercules forum will be missing three incumbents + Lafayette: Measure N draws outside interest

Alameda: Water level lowered at reservoir. Potential for disaster in major earthquake spurs move -- but it's only a temporary fix + Suit against incumbent Guy Houston focus of Dems. Assemblyman's dealings with his father's firm questioned + Burst pipe floods Fremont depot area. Millions of gallons in street but little damage to stores + License fees won't remedy Coliseum debt + Bay Area politics a hornet's nest + County study: Whites getting most contracts + Testy retorts liven rather dull Oakland City Council meeting + New CEO for Alameda County Med center in interim + City of Alameda: Harbor Island tenants must go + Fremont: Flood leaves area, spirits dampened + Union City: Council delays decision on local 9/11 memorial + Fremont: Ex-suspect says Wasserman led frame-up + Sunol Grade carpool study gets federal grant + Livermore: Race for Assembly seat heats up + Supes ban new pot clinics for 45 days

Sonoma: Democrats in tough battle to keep 7th District Assembly seat + Clearlake candidates favor new roads + Mendocino: Fight dropped over cell phone antennas + Late-arriving absentee votes may delay tally

Central Valley: 10 million battle for state Senate race. Urban sprawl, deficit at the core of one key race + Stanislaus County's future + Patterson: Mayoral candidate didn't know developer sponsored ads

Santa Clara: HP asks city to delay request on axing tree at historic site + Weimers: S.J. company's sale won't change hot dogs + Ad Reality Check: Abel Maldonado vs. Peg Pinard, 15th Senate District + Adult services resource faire + Sunnyvale official responds to letter + East Palo Alto race: Payments over suit raise concern + Info on Wheels van bringing resources to county parents

Sacramento & north: More discord in illegal home for mentally ill probe + New grant for Tower Bridge work + Lots to like, but room to improve in W. Sacramento + Measure A drive reaches $1 million + Democratic headquarters in Fair Oaks hit by vandals + Criticism of labor group is rejected

Marin: Death row expansion debated + Goat grazers add three towns to lawsuit + San Anselmo activist trains vote monitors for Nov. 2 + MMWD candidate Rubin in the money

Monterey: Maldonado, Pinard launch new ads + Pacific Grove housing project for low-income seniors under way + Smith to keep developer's contribution + Moss Landing wrecking yards escape closure + Marina candidates spar over housing

Napa: Medi-Cal rules shake up county mental health + Napa's poll workers ready for Election Day +  Mourning mom wants answers re: death of man in Napa County jail

Solano: Olympian helps save hometown pool

Central Valley: Oakdale goes to Solano to hire new administrator + Patterson hires auditor to fix mess + Big League Dreams plan gets Manteca council OK + Beneficiaries should help fund water projects + Manteca approves its fields of dreams + Salinas looks to fight off GOP challenge in 28th

Central Coast: Watsonville Home Depot opens today

Southern California: Rep. Dreier defends immigration policies Click.  + Alternative energy firm shuts doors Click. + Study cites diesel danger Click.

Bush Talks of Changing Tactics in Iraq

Rumsfeld: US Had No Plans for Iraqi Insurgency

Washington commends Syria on the Iraqi level, criticizes it at the Lebanese, Palestinian levels

Missing explosives: TV Crew Filmed 'Missing' Explosives in Iraq+ Unit Commander: There Was No Check of Explosives Bunker+ Iraqi Official: 'Impossible' That Explosives Taken Before Saddam's Fall+ US Official's Spin: Russia Probably Took Explosives From Iraq+ For first time in 3 days, Bush responds, says charges are wild + 4 Iraqis Tell of Looting at Munitions Site in '03 + U.N. Says It Warned the United States About High Explosives in Iraq After April 2003 Looting of Nuclear Complex

Bush would give dam owners special access. Proposed Interior Dept. rule could mean millions for industry

Politics, Gas Fuel Battle Over New Mexico Forest

Congress: Lawmakers fail to revamp U.S. intelligence. Leaders had vowed to make changes before election day + Budget feud snags spy bill

THE 2004 ELECTION:

Kerry, Bush Are Tied in Nine Battleground States, Reuters/Zogby Polls Show

Bush Seeks Votes in Michigan to Hedge Bets on Results From Florida, Ohio

Bush, Kerry Trade Increasingly Harsh Words

Kerry, Bush race through battlegrounds, spar over Iraq

12 ways Bush is now stealing the Ohio vote

Minn. law restricts media access to voting

Unlimited individual recount donations OK

In Pennsylvania, the race is on to mobilize voters

Arab Americans could help sway crucial states. They're turning to Kerry in Ohio and Michigan

Fewer Pledge to Swap Votes

Million dollar-plus political donors rise

JEB BUSH: POLL WATCHERS CAN, SHOULD CHALLENGE VOTERS

Florida to replace missing absentee ballots

Republicans are accused of scaring off voters as Bush looks for converts in Ohio

Flu Shot Shortage Could Sway Votes in Too-Close-to-Call Florida

BUSH/CHENEY: Recalling Rove's role in mud-splattered Alabama races + Bush's support of same-sex union support irks some in GOP Click. + Strategy of attack carries risk in swing states + W rushes last ad onto air

KERRY/EDWARDS: Seniors favor Kerry in poll + Kerry Uses Bush's Own Words to Call Him Unfit + Teresa Criticizes 'Neanderthal' Attacks On Husband

OPINIONS:

David Corn: Iraq heartache

US elections: Republicans marshal "poll watchers" to suppress working class vote

Missing explosives at Al Qaqaa: Bush caught in another Iraq war lie

In 1999, candidate Bush spoke of wanting to invade Iraq if elected Click.

Jimmy Breslin: This Bush problem stems from cells Click.

Sidney Blumenthal: Bush has fallen victim to his own hubris Click.

Dave Lindorff: Bulgegate: Bushs latest lie about what he wore to the debates Click.

Arianna Huffington: Faith abuse: When God becomes a campaign ploy Click.

Pepe Escobar: The WMD-lite scandal

Cannonfire $130 billion dollar Medicare rip-off

Where Bush's Indifference to Flu Vaccine Crisis Leads

One man battles Dubya armed with 'Fahrenheit 9/11' downloads

Cameras to Keep Watch in Hollywood

Stardom: ``THE SEKKRIT SERVICE CAME TO MY HOUSE OMG ;)´´

Worried Japanese parents to track children with military technology

UK: Secret services to be given access to ID card database

Lafayette Park blues

Haunted house has new digs at Fairfax Pavilion

Newark: Dracula fans dying to see Transylvania

Hayward: Moscow Ballet to take Chabot College stage + Chabot's arts center back on upswing

Napa Hispanics prepare Day of the Dead events

Santa Cruz: While New Year’s is organized, Halloween on Pacific Avenue rocks + Halloween happenings: Mild side + Halloween happenings: Wild side

Hunter Liggett's Hacienda to close. Designed by Julia Morgan, former hunting lodge for Wm Randolph Hearst, now owned by Army

CAT SHOT IN HEAD WITH ARROW, SURVIVES

Offshore find dates to King David's time. Archaeologist hopes 3,000-year-old wood is from ancient ship

Dora Maar and Picasso : passionate power of gazes

'Ray' Raises the Curtain on Oscar's Stage

Peter Schjeldahl on Aztec art

Samuel Beckett - Krapp's Last Tape and Beckett's Last Days

Yucatan 's Maya World Studies Center - The Maya Calendar

Several experts conduct family tree searches

Mystery Unwrapped: Texas A&M Team Uncovers Mummy Secrets

Duluth: Mounds, concerns rise at project site

Park dig gives info on ancient site

The Alchemist's Lab

Dealer deemed most powerful figure in art world

Thoroughly modern Moma

Dali's Former Personal Assistant Convicted in Spain for Touching Up Original Painting of Master

English elm 'brought by Romans'

Daily News Exclusive: I had death visions during op, Bill says

Rush & Molloy: Grim commandment at fashion bible

Lloyd Grove's Lowdown: Designer on the ball?

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Hostages: Hassan makes new video appeal + Hassan makes new appeal

War prisons: Guantanamo prisoners sue US + Amnesty hits US on terror war torture

IRAN: Iran-EU still short of agreement on Tehran's nuclear program

MIDDLE EAST: Gaza pullout OK'd, but Sharon fight seen ahead

Yasser Arafat loses consciousness: Israeli public radio

RUSSIA: Police charged over Beslan siege

Putin praises Ukraine's leader

EUROPE: Barroso backs down over EU vote + EU Commission in turmoil + Minefields loom as Turks await EU

AFRICA: Darfur talks falter over security

ASIA PACIFIC: 78 detainees die in Thailand + Thai leader under fire in deaths of Muslims

AMERICAS: Castro decision to ban dollars puts a squeeze on Cubans

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

ABC News Gives Attack Threat Tape to FBI, CIA

US rolls out most expensive jet, the F-22 Raptor

UN Terrorism Treaty Deadlocked

US nuclear commission shuts down online library

Thatcher's lawyers challenge charges

USA to use new nuclear submarines to battle terrorism

After East Germany fell, I considered escaping to Israel

Turf War Stalls Intelligence Bill

1950: Hunt for missing atomic scientist

Public says Russian spy scandal raises questions over President's trustworthiness

Key Aide to 9/11 Panel Praises Offer by House

Government Seeks May 31 Trial Date for Moussaoui

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

University of Texas creates a mini-Hollywood of its own

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

The Governor:  Gov. Will Stump for Bush in Ohio Click. + Gov. stumps for Podesto Click. + Gov. targets Inland ballot measure Click. + Hwy. 85 overseer will run Caltrans Click. + State may change terror-fund formula so as not to favor rural counties + State Loans to Dairies to Be Halted Click.

Propositions: Retail giant gives $500,000 to defeat health insurance mandate + Ad Watch: Proposition 66 Click. + Ad Watch: Proposition 72 Click. + Weighing Casinos' Winners, Losers Click. (LAT Reg)

LOCAL NEWS:   Total lunar eclipse expected to be visible this evening

Powell Cautions Israel Against Action Against Iran

Bush hits back on Iraq explosives + Troops Did Not Have Orders to Search for Explosives + Duelfer: No Order to Investigate Missing Iraq Explosives + Tip of the Iceberg + US Says Securing All Arms Caches In Iraq 'Impossible' + Embedded Reporter Saw No Explosives Search + No sign of explosives at weapons depot. But Pentagon admits U.S. troops didn't do a thorough search

White House dodges web virus

US Considers Ways to Increase Troops in Iraq

Congress: Congress Won't Pass Intelligence Reorganization Before Deadline, Aide Says

THE 2004 ELECTION:

War in Iraq Turns More Undecided Voters to Kerry Than Bush, Pew Poll Finds

New poll shows Bush, Kerry deadlocked in New Jersey

Fla. man charged with driving car at Katherine Harris

Postal Experts Hunt for Missing Ballots in Florida

Both sides appear confident, but doubts loom large backstage. Bush, Kerry adopt similar strategies in final days of race

CAROLINE KENNEDY TO BUSH: STOP INVOKING MY FATHER

Courting of Jewish vote reaches a critical phase

E-voting companies store software in national library, but scientists remain concerned

Nader fails to win spot on Ohio ballot

Daily Endorsement Tally: A Handful of Pickups for Each, but a Bigger Handful for Kerry

The Latest Electoral College Shakeup Brings Some Good News for Bush

Coalition of Latino groups sounds alarm over intimidation of voters

Parties fear dirty tricks in New Mexico grudge match

BUSH/CHENEY: Bush ad salutes sacrifice of soldiers + Conflicted Evangelicals Could Cost Bush Votes + Cheney Claims Missing Explosives No Big Deal

KERRY/EDWARDS: Edwards: Bush leads by 'fear and failure' + Kerry Steps Up 'Explosive' Attacks + Kerry says Bush sought to hide loss of Iraq arms + Down homestretch, Kerry steps up pace + Kerry winning the battle over coverage, study says + Clinton's coattails + Family Has Seen Share of Turmoil

OPINIONS:

Occupation: US Army Denies Most Compensation Claims by Iraqis

War prisons: U.S. Action Bars Right of Some Captured in Iraq + Report: U.S. Sees Some Non-Iraqis as Geneva Exceptions

MIDDLE EAST: Israel's Sharon Wins Vote in Knesset to Remove Settlers From Gaza Strip + Haaretz: Israel might accept Egyptian proposal to deploy forces in Sinai

Karami to announce on Tuesday the formation of the new Lebanese government

Egypt stance on UNSC enlargement

Egypt, Sudan seek laying out solid economic integration

EUROPE: EU chief battles to avoid veto in crunch vote

Stardom: Thank Blair's and Bush's Boy Barroso for the EU Election CRISIS

ASIA PACIFIC: Thais say 84 dead after clashes in Muslim south

Vietnam oil find fuels China's worries

LEAKGATES 

9/11 Panel Leaders Give Warning

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

The Governor:  Gov. Won't Commit to Stump for Bush + With one week left, Gov. launches final election push + Governor maintains party loyalty despite independent streak + Flap over governor's aide cancels event Click. + Governor, Newsom campaign to safeguard local tax funds, Schwarzenegger declares Democrat 'a very, very strong mayor' + Gov. & Newsom stumping together + Adviser expands consulting firm. Leader of firm on Schwarzenegger's payroll joins 2 others increasing business in capital + Gov. pokes fun at Uncle Ted

Indian tribes: An analysis of TV ad supporting Proposition 70 + Ukiah: Tribal cell call probed as terror threat

LOCAL NEWS:   Endangered condors to be released

Powell Urges North Korea to Resume Nuclear Talks; South Korea on Alert for Infiltration From the North

Bush Bestows Federal Largesse on Swing States as Election Nears

Bush would seek $70 billion more for Iraq, Afghan wars. Occupation more costly, longer lasting than anticipated + Iraqi Oil Money Can't Cover Reconstruction Despite US Predictions

Zarqawi: The Preemptive Strike Bush Didn't Make

White House Downplays Missing Iraq Explosives + Iraq Explosives Become Issue in Campaign + Pentagon Unclear When Explosives Disappeared

Lawmakers Push for Sanctions Over Syrian Role in Lebanon

RUMSFELD IGNORED FALLUJAH WARNINGS

Major Missile Study Critical of Bush Shield Program

Probe clears Ashcroft in Patriot Act tour

NASA Expert Criticizes Bush on Global Warming Policy

Fed Vice Chairman Says Iraq Not Likely to Hurt Economy

THE 2004 ELECTION:

Bush Steps Up Attacks as Iraq Explosives, Economy Give Kerry New Openings

Judge bins Florida paper trail challenge

Votes cast at wrong site unlikely to count

Click. Bush Ear Piece Updated 

AP Exclusive: Late Documents Give Better View of Bush Guard Service, but Questions Remain

BUSH/CHENEY: Bush blames poorly made shirt for bulge + Grandmother confronts Cheney on Iraq+ Bush Says Kerry Tax Plan Would Hit Small Business

KERRY/EDWARDS: Kerry Says Bush Fails U.S. Commander in Chief Test + Kerry's California Coddling Click. (LAT Reg) + KERRY/EDWARDS CAMPAIGN PREPARING CAMPAIGN AD ON MISSING EXPLOSIVES + Kerry's religious references + Hawaii: Three groups consider ads to try to trim president's edge + Is New Hampshire slipping to Kerry?

OPINIONS:

"Explosive" Revelations

Surprise, Surprise

Kwiatkowski: Five Counts Against Bush

Margaret Cho: Presidential cockfight

Robert Scheer: The man behind the Oval Office curtain Click.

Bill Gallagher: President's fake religion questioned Click.

Joshua Holland: The GOP stampede Click.

Fremont, CA school deems parent's anti-war message unsuitable

Vancouver store pulls Nazi dolls, apologizes

Vermont Antiwar Protesters' Trial Begins Thursday

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

U.S. Travel Business on Road to Recovery Click. (LAT Reg)

Blood for pork....

Halliburton posts loss, meagre pickings in Iraq

Nazif receives Canadian oil company delegation for setting up joint petrochemical venture

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

Occupation: Iraqi children must work for families' survival + Iraq Purging Tens of Thousands of Police for Corruption, Disloyalty + Clerics threaten election boycott

Hostages: Rebel militias deny holding British aid worker Hassan

War prisons: Administration Officials Split Over Stalled Military Tribunals + Guards Kept a Log of Abu Ghraib Conditions, Practices + Remember Abu Ghraib?: Justin Raimondo + Lawyers for detainees huddle at U. of C. + Liberty Beat: Republicans Make Torture Foreign Policy

AFGHANISTAN: Karzai wins presidency in tentative ballot count + India's irons in the Afghan fire + Taliban Split Over Tactics and Failure

IRAN: Iran Hints at Agreeing to Enrichment Freeze

MIDDLE EAST: Sharon defends Gaza pullout in crunch debate, 14 Palestinians killed + Israeli Cabinet OKs formula for compensating settlers

Cairo: a petition by 700 politicians vows to prevent Mubarak from a new term of office

Jordan denies convening a meeting with Israel to amend the borders

RUSSIA: Yukos scandal triggers major political reforms in Russia

EUROPE: State comes 1st, mosque 2nd in Turkey's system

AFRICA: Full Sudanese peace talks get off to a shaky start

ASIA PACIFIC: Helpless go wanting as new China booms + China's population to hit 1.5 billion people by 2030 + Behind the military leadership changeover in China + China boosts India's bid for UN council seat

AMERICAS: Colombia Destroys Stockpiled Land Mines

Corruption scandals threat fragile Central American democracies

Grenada picks up pieces, remembers its past

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

Pre-war Intel Predicted Iraqi Insurgency

US Could Shoot Down Euro GPS Satellites If Used By China In Wartime

MPs in Korea focus on cutting losses that can put ID cards in wrong hands Click.

Rutan meets remaining members of Von Braun's rocket team

Seeing Satellites With The Naked Eye

NBC: Destroying Albania’s Hidden Chemical Stockpile

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

LEAKGATES  Gary Hart: 'We said September 11 was going to happen'

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

School days: Schools cutting the fat with creative solutions + Stan State faculty has 35 vacant spots + Mill Valley District has no room for failure + 6 North Bay schools get solar grants + New Haven to host reception for new superintendent + Hayward workshop to focus on closing student achievement gaps + Two Silicon Valley elementary schools, Millikin and Faria, get a perfect score Click. + Parent battling Mountain View preschool policy

U.S. Freezes Assets of Company Linked to Cuba

Juan Cole on missing weapons and Bush's knowledge

Foreign Service Union Calls for Stronger Security After Death of U.S. Regional Security Officer

Recasting Wilderness as Open for Business

Kremlin Expressing Support for Bush, but Experts Unsure Status Quo in White House Would Benefit Putin

Powell Discusses Human Rights, Taiwan, Other Issues During China Visit

Click.  Paul Wolfowitz’s war

British Newspaper Apologizes for Bush Assassination Remark

THE 2004 ELECTION:

Bush Leads Kerry by 5 Percentage Points in Gallup/USA Today/CNN Survey President George

No Day of Rest as Candidates Push On

Religious left tries to regain ground lost to conservatives

The Battle in Pennsylvania Isn't Just for President

Latinos are a disparate swing bloc

Stephen Elliott Gets Out the Vote With Dave Eggers, Vendela Vida, and Other Literati in Ohio

BUSH/CHENEY: Bush: It is Hard to Predict the Election Outcome + Bush, Kerry and parties spending $40 million on ads in final week

KERRY/EDWARDS: Clinton Shows Kerry Big Brotherly Love in Philly + Kerry Slams Bush for 'Great Blunder' of failing to secure weapons in Iraq + Carter Says Bush Exploited Sept. 11 Attacks + New Yorker magazine breaks with tradition, endorses Kerry + Clinton rejoins Kerry campaign + Kerry Holds Lead in Key State of Ohio + Kerry turns attention from Colorado + Robert Parry: How John Kerry exposed the Contra-cocaine scandal

OPINIONS:

Bush's Hand in Abu Ghraib

Click. The New Yorker: Thirty-two-page portfolio, titled “Democracy,” by Richard Avedon

Bush Milks Incumbency For Re-Election Edge

Al-Qaida’s vote for Bush

Peter Lee: Drinking the Kool-Aid Click.

Young Rove's dreams became everyone else's nightmare

Harley Sorenson: Vote for me, suckers!

Newberry: Election prediction. Backspin

Misogyny in the election

Stardom: BLOW THEM ALL AWAY IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!

Bob Herbert: For Bush, bad news is bad news Click.

Cannonfire still on to the bulge

Greatest explosives bonanza in history

Bushism of the Day

Blair is a foreign hostage too

Clare Short: At the court of King Tony

West Texas Wahabbism

Pot Shots: Oregon Revokes Dr. Leveque's License

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond:  France's first gay TV station launches with diet of porn, "Wonder Woman" + Episcopal leader says he would elect gay bishop again + Glad to be a gay writer

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

RSS users get free feeds

Former KTVU anchor Elaine Corral weighs in on her life journey

The New York Times and the Bush "disaster"

Tortuous tangles over Japanese books + Tokyo traduces history with toxic texts

Carla Binion: The media's civic obligation; the CIA 9/11 report cover-up Click.

£5m EU project to let viewers create their own TV

BBC World lines up Michael Moore for election coverage

Columbia campaign desk

Sierra climbers asking who's taking archives from summits

Prehistoric fossils may return to Fremont

Pleasanton: Ghost stories raise hairs and funds, too

Pop Art Pioneer at San Francisco Art Museum

Livermore film fest will show 77 entries

Monterey engineers build new kennels

Capitola saves piece of history by moving cottage

San Rafael photographer leads labyrinth revival

Livermore man has a growing affection for pumpkins

Magical 'Machi' May Cure Any Ailment in Chile

Peter Schjeldahl on Aztec art

An interview with Lara Vapnyar

How Degas reworked a classic image

Archives of Western Esoterica

Japanese chefs bring French cuisine to Paris and reach for the stars

The Real Women Sculptures

Paris Hilton to Open Club Paris in Vegas

Click. Considering a vast new translation of the Pentateuch.

Dan Aykroyd Unplugged On UFOs

Dining deja vu: That ubiquitous tartare

Rush & Molloy: Usher star of love-triangle flick?

Lloyd Grove's Lowdown: Richie shops her book of 'Life' lessons

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

The Governor:  Gov. puts victory over Indian gaming measures first Click. + Job commission fights disclosure policy

Extra flu vaccine redirected by feds arrives in California early. 271,740 more doses will be distributed to counties starting on Monday

Bay Bridge adviser had company ties

Amid Shelley controversy, officials scramble to prepare for election

Jones' Senate bid running on red ink

Propositions: Prop. 63 calls on rich to fund mental health + Christopher Reeve appears in California stem call ad + Gambling propositions. Big bucks, little impact Click. + 4 Ballot Items All But Ignored Click. (LAT Reg)

LOCAL NEWS:  Savior for salmon

12 stranded hikers found safe.

Santa Clara: Flu-shot clinics + East Palo Alto rally to support changes to `3 strikes' law + Community colleges seek to spiff up with bond measures + E-vote security is tight

Contra Costa: Seeno III approved for 5 Nevada casinos after warnings + Richmond: City councilman under investigation for 2001 mailer

Central Coast: Newly created 15th Senate District, Maldonado and Peg Pinard in tight race

Central Valley: Dan Walters: Machado facing still another rough duel in state Senate campaign + Candidates present goals for Valley + Shipmates reunite in Modesto + Who will control region's future? + Howze consultant has had problems + Most of Patterson's checks cashed + Patterson will recoup $8 million more swiftly than public's trust + TV ads added to Costa's campaign Click. (FB Reg) + Parra, Gardner spar in debate Click. (FB Reg) + Tracy: Matthews raises $360,000 for race Click.

San Francisco: Mayor: Homeless are city's new symbol. Newsom outlines progress on issue in State of the City address + Daly says Grand Prix bike race should pay for police + Newsom, Alioto name homelessness panel + Campaign probe names S.F. official. Workers testify he told them to help Newsom + Kimberly, Vanessa, Rose Marie, Jo ... + City 'getting stronger'

Napa: Kaiser cancels flu shot clinics + Hwy 29/221 plan could relieve congestion + Jamieson Canyon safety experiment fails + Mondavi brothers get severance packages

Sonoma: Environmentalists back plan to spray Ludwigia + Petaluma: '50s facade going + Lakeport's Measure I would fund road repairs, parks, public services + Group lists 9 areas to preserve for salamanders

Monterey: More flu vaccine on the way + Desal project may be open to groups besides Cal Am + Salinas: Candidate Castenada plays down legal woes + Salinas City Council candidates differ on tax

Solano: Another step forward for AmCan Wal-Mart + Supporters of sales tax hike ahead 8-to-1 in fund-raising

Alameda: City of Alameda: Rental housing survey finds bias. African Americans faced discrimination nearly half the time + Magazine ranks Fremont as No. 1 for men's health + Central Station plan stirs W. Oakland + Lawmaker Guy Houston blames investment firm's collapse on dad + Pleasanton: Valley's 2005 water increase goes down the drain + Pleasanton: Hosterman is top fund-raiser + Fremont candidates state their causes + Fremont staff: Funds hinge on utility tax + Washington Hospital board incumbent in the money + Documents claim Houston was investment firm officer

Marin: New rule: Go with low flow on toilets. Water district says incoming customers must dump old johns

Sacramento & north: Power line rerouted after electric debate + Tower Bridge sidewalk plan faces another review step + Castillo ad raises abortion issue in uphill fight against Lundgren + Sutter growth plan on ballot

Southern California: Shadowed by history, Ambassador Hotel to be razed + Independent money funds hot races Click. + Couple eyes political history Click. + Vietnamese Show Clout in Funding Orange County elections Click. (LAT Reg) + Fighting This Conservancy Won't Be a Walk in the Park Click. (LAT Reg) + Hearing focuses on underinsurance Click.

School days: Job-title dispute in Peralta race + Livermore: Parcel tax would help schools + Mine field demonstration gives Napa kids a scary lesson + 2 seats open in Waugh district + Sonoma school gives in, agrees to U.S. flag in photo

Blood for pork....

ACLU wants quick release of FBI inquiry material re: Muslims

Travelers to Get One-Time Exemption From Passport Requirement

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Bush signs $136B corporate tax cut bill

Israel May Have Iran in Its Sights + Israel bides its time on Iran US not ready to rock the boat, yet + The Libya model + Iran nuclear deal tied to U.S. election + Nuclear options

Alaska drilling gets tentative OK. Land swap plan set for 110,000 acres in wildlife refuge

Afghanistan, Iraq: Two Wars Collide

Congress:  DeLay subpoenaed in Texas civil lawsuit

THE 2004 ELECTION:

Bush, With Job Approval Ratings Below 50 Percent, Remains Tied With Kerry

Reuters Poll: Bush Holds Two-Point Lead Over Kerry

Key States' Ballot Officials Feel Glare of Critical Eyes

Hunters' issues could decide vote in battleground states

Bush, Kerry bombard Ohio

Wooing Florida

Albuquerque: Voting machines have already failed

College Voters Lose Pa. Grant Money if They Vote Out of State

BUSH/CHENEY: AP AdWatch: New Bush ad heavy on symbolism + Bush ad uses wolf image to attack Kerry + Bush: Kerry Weak on Terror, Strong on Taxes + On the stump, Bush slows pace to his liking + Daily Endorsement Tally: On a Big Day for Bush, He Snags 'N.Y. Post,' 'Wash. Times,' and Others + Click. With Bush Trip, Blue New Jersey Is Flashing Red + Click. Dubya Mystery: Polls At A Loss To Explain Race + Pump-Priming, Back-Scratching: Bush to Visit Thriving Corporate Backer in Ohio

KERRY/EDWARDS: Kerry hunts literally for votes in Ohio, then appears with Reeve's widow + Kerry Campaign Shifts Its Focus to Southwest + Gingerly, Kerry plumbs politics of guyhood + The Case That Kerry Cracked + Kerry's 10,000 lawyers to fight for battleground states + Click. Waiting for Kerry, Wisconsin Man in Cap Recites Abe Lincoln + Kerry-Edwards Inches Ahead in Both Ohio and Pennsylvania + JESSE VENTURA ENDORSES KERRY

OPINIONS:

George, God here....

WILL: BUSH V. GORE TICKING BOMB

Robin Cook: Deeper into the Iraqi quagmire

Bizarro Bush: Justin Raimondo

Paul Krugman: Voting and counting Click.

Hunter S. Thompson: Fear and loathing, Campaign 2004 Click.

Ariel Dorfman: 'Brainy candidates need not apply Click.

Michael Hammerschlag: October surprise Click.

Jim Lobe: The world according to a Bush voter Click.

Steve Horowitz: They're here, they're queer, let's vote on it Click.

David Goodman: No child unrecruited Click.

John Dean: Coming Post-Election Chaos

A Primer on the International Law Governing November 2

Stardom: Anti-Bush Songs: Parody to Eminem

Juan Cole: Eminem on Bush

Click. Bush Ear Piece Updated

Click. Bush Forcing Kerry To Play ‘Me, Too’ Politics

Supreme Court may rule again in ballot nightmare

Evangelist says Bush ought to admit error

Hostages: 'If anyone can cope with this, it is Margaret Hassan'

Occupation: Iraqi Faults U.N. on Lack of Staff to Aid in Voting + Iraq ideal for graft, group warns + Sunni clerics threaten election boycott.  'Aggression' against Fallujah must end, mosque leaders say

War prisons: Sergeant in Abu Ghraib Case Pleads Guilty to 8 Counts + U.S. told to give lawyers access to terror detainees. Communication can't be monitored, federal judge rules + Appeals court to review terror suspects' extradition. Some being sent to countries accused of utilizing torture + US Holds 6 Yr Old Boy Prisoner In Abu Ghraib + U.S. Loses Ruling on Monitoring of Detainees + Pentagon Dumps Guantanamo Terrorism Trial Officers

IRAN: Iran Moving Methodically Toward Nuclear Capability + The Dangers of Playing Hardball With Iran

MIDDLE EAST: Israel Kills Top Hamas Rocket Maker in Gaza Strike

Hashemite Dynasty Shows the Flag at Gulf of Aqaba Click.

Karami, as premier designate, opens arms to everyone

Fearing enemies within, Sharon amps up security + Israel on alert as rumours circulate of right-wing plot to assassinate Sharon

RUSSIA: Russian army 'is tackling abuse' + Russian army 'riddled with sadists' + Russian Prosecutors Say Human Rights Watch Report Alleging Widespread Hazing Is Not Objective

Russia Mulls Sainthood for Soldier Killed in Chechnya

EUROPE: For you British the war has never ended, says Fischer

EU chief moves to shore up team

ASIA PACIFIC: Battle rages over Taiwan arms deal

Dalai Lama says Tibet is better off within China

AMERICAS: Castro Falls After Speech, but Recovers With Broken Knee, Arm

COLOMBIA: Kid Killers

More Venezuelans Look to Emigrate After Chavez Win

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

The Governor: Gov. leads ballot issue fights + Gov. Makes Pitch for Underdog in Fresno  Click. (LAT Reg) + Gov. backs Betancourt Click. (FB Reg) + Gov. faces hard choices on state bureaucracy revamp. Commission delivers recommendations on Performance Review + Panel supports many parts of California government overhaul + Spare some state boards, panel urges the Gov. + Board backs Shriver plan to revamp state museum

Corporate profits, taxes are surging

Garamendi: Insurance sellers targeted

Boxer finds herself in unfamiliar territory -- riding high in polls + Jones lacks money to aid Senate run + Boxer, Jones Trade Jabs as Well as Political Turf  Click. (LAT Reg) + Boxer attacks target Bush more than Jones in visit Click. (FB Reg)

UC Davis voting site will operate five days + Counties still counting new voter registrations Click.

State backing wildfire victims Click.

Propositions: Two measures won't stop gambling's roll + Three-Strikes Debate Centers on Early-Outs + Dumped by local agencies, Prop. 65 gets Florez's help Click.

LOCAL NEWS:  Rain Douses Threat of Brush Fires

Seismic upgrades to BART system in voters' hands again

10 stranded hikers found on El Capitan; four rescued

San Francisco: Mayor, hoopla in Hunters Point. Newsom previews program to help lift poor neighborhoods + Panel wants official to quit housing board + Locals wait for flu vaccine timetable

Monterey: Carmel says there are too many art galleries in city

Santa Clara: Palo Alto: Cougar spotted on rooftop + Hikers rescued from Mt. Whitney + Editorial: The mess in Milpitas + The issues behind the money in the Ruskin/Poizner race + Weimers: Neighbors mobilize for missing child

Marin: Storm grounds 'Sunshine' at Drakes Bay + Water board candidates tout their experience, goals + Hitch in plan for Fort Baker center

Central Valley: Oakdale moves to contain big boxes + Merced slows on the road less traveled + Firm will make fee mess right + Cyberpiracy allegation enters supervisor runoff + 2 climbers die on El Capitan + McNerney does his 'duty,' opposes Pombo + San Joaquin: Sample ballots missing + Tracy mall a new beat for police + Wal-Mart super center opens in Stockton

Sonoma: Weed killer urged for Laguna + Coho experiment begins on Russian River + Chanate Health Center opens + River gets salmon born to be wild. Coho bred for their DNA freed into a tributary of the Russian

Central Coast: Santa Cruz County: Bottleneck on the ballot. Voters to decide whether to raise sales tax, add 2 lanes to Highway 1 + Watsonville councilman’s top priority is to provide affordable housing: Manuel Bersamin does not want city’s youth to leave because of high rents + Scott Kennedy touts experience in Santa Cruz City Council bid + Watsonville Community Hospital manages to operate in face of strike + San Joaquin missing out on millions re: transportation fees Click.

Napa: Registrar mails a few voters wrong absentee ballots

Contra Costa: Richmond: Voters have chance to set new course. 5 of 9 council seats open -- city mired in financial problems + Richmond: 170 reasons why city is so short. Arcane accounting methods partly led to $35 million hole + UPDATE: Hikers from Lafayette found safe near Yosemite + Packs' egg donor gets her visa approved + Saving Riggs Canyon a win-win result + San Luis Opisbo: No medical marijuana distribution sites yet

Monterey: Condominium seawall price tag surges + Power cuts hurt Salinas businesses + Airport board election low-key + Travel costs fuel attack ads + Questions swirl about hangar project

Solano: Vallejo: Will Kemp take job? + Longtime Vallejo transportation chief ousted? + Optical scan voting system shown by Solano registrar + Benicians weigh two measures + AmCan council contenders outline problems, goals

Alameda: Albany wireless antenna proposal rejected + Berkeley City Council limits pot dispensaries + Democrats pounce on Guy Houston, GOP target of lawsuit + Alameda council candidate brings parks passion to race + Alameda tenants continue to protest evictions + Web site offers glimpse of Island's changing landscape + San Leandro crematory proposal reduced to ashes + AC Transit again asking voters for tax + Closed Berkeley precincts force mail-in ballots + Compost plant proposal angers Sunolians + Union City: Few issues define mayoral race

Sacramento & north: Sacramento: Hopes high for park on riverfront + North Sacramento: Curtain to go up on church-theater + SMUD forges ahead in minority-bid appeal + Growing pains figure in Galt council race

Southern California: Audit faults LA redevelopment agency's loan management + Council Backs LAX Project +McClintock Is Taking Nothing for Granted Click. (LAT Reg) + State Queries on WellPoint May Stall Deal  Click. (LAT Reg) + San Diego County's digital divide is narrowing Click. + L.A., Long Beach Port Complex Is Far From Being Shipshape Click. (LAT Reg) + L.A. developers Default on $41 Million in CRA Loans Click. (LAT Reg) + Union Set to Begin Boycott of L.A. Hotels  Click. (LAT Reg)