Occupation: Legal Flaws Threat to Saddam Trial + Iraqi Candidate Names Not Released for 'Security Reasons' Click. + Iraq's Mrs. Anthrax has cancer

AFGHANISTAN: Afghan Minister Quits Over Censorship of Speeches

MIDDLE EAST: Israeli calls for wider pullout + Jerusalem at heat of conflict Sharon Deputy Calls for Wider Withdrawals From West Bank

Egypt announces success in the mediation between Libya and Saudi Arabia

RUSSIA: Russian Army’s 2005 Shopping List + Russia: The Kremlin's Oligarchs

UKRAINE: Yanukovych Resigns Post As Ukraine PM + Jonathan Steele on US influence in Ukraine

EUROPE: Lithuania shuts down atomic unit

Blair refuses to convene G8 summit

Man Wielding Camera Tripod Strikes Italy's Berlusconi; No Major Injuries

AFRICA: Sudan, Rebels Sign Landmark Peace Deals

Uganda's full ceasefire deal indefinitely postponed: mediators

ASIA PACIFIC: Musharraf reneges on pledge to resign as head of army. He says change now would be dangerous

In Rare Glimpse Behind Sri Lankan Rebel Lines, Guerrilla Base Lies in Ruins After Tsunami Disaster

AMERICAS: Guatemala: A tenuous calm where death once stalked

Locked Exit Doors Prevented Escape From Buenos Aires Nightclub Fire That Killed 175 People, Say Officials, Survivors

Calvo: Colombia's Private War

African-Based Religions Surge in Brazil

Race to Lead OAS Highlights Group's Growing Clout

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

FBI to Probe Mystery Lasers Aimed at Planes

Pentagon Boots Official Over WMD Claim

Space Tiff Signals Rapid, Alarming Freeze in US-Russia Relations

Chem Attacks an Easier, but Less Deadly, Terror Recipe

Click. UK Army spy site warns of "unit's terror link"

Saudi Arabia: Two Most Wanted Terrorists Killed

U.S. & Japanese Forces Train Together

CIA goes public in classified ads

CIA looking for medical doctors

Two Agencies Melding Minds on Intelligence

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Supplying troops in Iraq, profits clothed in sadness

Dire times for United pilots' pensions. Federal agency petitions to take over $1.4 billion in costs

Click. Last chance to apply for Medicare pharmacy discounts

Plenty of fun set for big year for Disney

Hormel buys Farmer John, Clougherty Packing Co. for $186 million

A modern prefab house fills the bill

2004 "a flat year" for biotech industry

GE Completes $500 Million Sale of Global Outsourcing Operations Stake 

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Justice Department revises legal definition of torture

Justice Thomas leads court in getting gifts, ethics disclosures show

Colombia Extradites Rebel Leader 'Trinidad' to U.S.

Anna Nicole's Lawyer Vows to Appeal Ruling

The Legal System and Clergy Abuse in 2004: Reasons for Victims to Be At Least Somewhat Optimistic

Buffett firm helps with SEC probe

UK: Militant fathers intimidating court staff

4 Allegedly Rolled Back Own Prices at Wal-Mart

No Big Payout for Elderly Lottery Winner

Court targets abuses by immigration lawyers

High-Profile Murders Have Called Florida's Probation System Into Question

Judge Allows Wal-Mart Immigrant Janitors' Lawsuit to Proceed

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Calif. prepares first execution in 3 years after appeal rejected + Plea for clemency sent to governor

Youth Authority reins in wards after two escape + CYA suspends work project after escapes

Sacramento: Builder warned by state to drop racketeering suit + Sacramento regulators say Comcast owes $400,000 in franchise fees + Greenville teen likely killed by train + State Comp Ins. Fund files suit to ensure insurance adequately covers staff from outsourcing firms

San Francisco, San Mateo: Third Bayview shooting victim dies + S.F. slayings soar in '04 + Click. Murdered man's wife accused of taking $1.8M.

Alameda: Thieves swindle Oakland teacher for $500 + Oakland: Loaded ammo clip found on jetliner

New Oakland Police Chief will face a tough initiation + Authorized passenger carried clip + Robbers strike twice in Warm Springs + Sheriff's detectives thaw cold cases

Santa Clara: Police Blotter + S.J.'s 2004 homicide rate lowest in years

Contra Costa: Alert is issued for Richmond teen after carjack + Influential Richmond police officer retires

Sonoma: Merchants say fur protests backfired + Petaluma wetlands Alliance shifts focus + Housing for mentally ill delayed + The year in review

Solano: Police, fire officials warn against gunfire, fireworks + Emergency flights taking longer to reach Vacaville + Vallejo Police Calls

Monterey: Cars vandalized in Chualar, Spreckels

Central Valley: Selection of Nesler jury set Jan. 12 + Man's ferocious injury kicks off debate + Law & Order

Southern California: Violent crime down sharply in L.A. in past year + Court orders new hearing for strip club
+ Court rules against panel + Listen Up, Politicians: It's Ears Before Ayes + Rounding Up New Ideas for Trial Courts + Santa Ana Couple Slain in Their Home; Man Sought + Businessman Held Over Alleged Threat to Judge

The Governor:  Death-row inmate asks Gov. for clemency

Editorial: Rents out of reach

Bill would require birth control sales + License gone for good on 3rd DUI?

Editorial: Embrace the Ugly Ripe

LOCAL NEWS:  The new year will come storming in

PG&E offers outage wake-up calls

Sacramento & north: Grocery workers would take hit + CHP official seeks workers' comp + Top 5 stories of 2004 + Fire reinstatements raise brows + Rivers called repository of sunken boats + Elvis has left the region - for a banking job in Alabama + R.E. Graswich: Looking back at '04: Secrets revealed, wrongs righted, friends lost + Airport concourse is evacuated + Six missing Woodland men rescued in Mendocino forest + Highway 20 crash victim is identified + Yuba-Sutter jobless rate hits 13%

San Francisco, San Mateo: How San Francisco went national in '05 + S.F.: Buddha arrives in the Mission. German Lutheran church now serves growing Asian community + S.F. slayings soar in '04

Alameda: Bernal designs go to Pleasanton council + Christine Gualt of Castro Valley wins medals for her bravery in Iraq + Oakland welcomes challenge of pandas +" Fremont man recounts his tsunami experience + Stage set for fight over Oakland Airport proposals + Tight-lipped Alameda city manager Jim Flint opens up on the way out + Supervisor Scott Hagerty quits Coliseum Authority + Cabbies continue fight against fees + Protecting Oakland is a labor of love + Center offers work, hope to day laborers + Alameda County focuses on attracting business + Farm workers' son welcomes readers to 'Tavo's World' + Pipeline construction dilemmas to subside + Second pet saved after dog killed on interstate + Alameda ferry service resumes

Santa Clara: FIREFIGHTERS PROVIDE FAMILY WITH FOUNDATION OF COMFORT + Los Altos nursing home ousts pair of live-in companion dogs East Bay parks have money worries

Contra Costa: Child care training may face overhaul + Martinez to vote on police pensions + Walnut Creek: Woman found dead in house

Marin: Marin's $45 million royal secret + Marin family was nearly swept away

Sonoma: Merchants say fur protests backfired + Petaluma wetlands Alliance shifts focus + Housing for mentally ill delayed + The year in review

Napa: Local residents escape deadly tsunami + Teen exchange student from Calistoga safe from Thailand's deadly tsunami disaster + 2004- The year that was in Napa + Robert Redford joins Land Trust of Napa County's Advisory Council

Solano: Mare Island lifts barriers, draws crowd + To Benicians, a little green was big deal + - County tried, then discarded touch-screen voting + - Comcast gives customers free access to Asian news

Monterey: Sunset's new chief to meet Carmel City Council + Service set for Seaside soldier killed in Iraq

Central Valley: Merced grad remains missing + Turlock couple's family escapes harm + Listen, Sayeth The Dragon + Mike Farrell of 'MASH' to speak at MLK event + Del Rey's end won't stop group + Council urged to revisit construction slowdown + Rain can't keep Hmong from celebration + News & Notes + Around the Region + Community Briefing

Central Coast: Businessman sets sights on library crisis + Watsonville couple buys new home with help from nonprofit + County public health nurse retires after 32 years + Santa Cruz parade denies entry to troop supporters

Southern California: Click. Longtime Haven's Black Population Dwindles + Frye's Backers Issue Appeal to City Council + Protest Spirit Has a Home in Laguna + Workshop Offered on Caring for Feral Cats

School days: Applications pour into Cal State University + Sonoma County preparing students for global workplace + Two top-10 lists for state schools

TSUNAMI: Scientists in Pacific 'saw' event unfold + Tsunami Death Toll Climbs to 150,000; Donations to Victims at $1.2 Billion + UN says warning systems could be working in southern Asia within a year + A diver's account from the sea + Click. Digital Globe Satellite Images of Tsunami + 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

CONNECT THE DOTS....

Millionaires Flocking to Yellowstone Club

Dog therapist explains it all to you: "You have to treat the entire dog"

Electricity? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Electricity

Blood for pork....

New weapons around the world

AP Enterprise: Top Homeland Security Contractors Had Recent Run-Ins With Government

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

Respiratory illness taking grim toll at nation's boot camps

Spain back to the barricades over Civil War archive

Canada suspects new mad cow disease case. Positive test comes after U.S. says normal cattle trade can resume

Suspect Cow Won't Affect Imports, U.S. Says

INEEL-designed System Assists Army With Chemical Weapon Destruction

Prominent Wildlife Experts Die in Colo. Highway Crash

More Than 10% of Preschoolers Are Overweight

Eli Lilly Said to Know of Prozac Risks

Snow leopard project faces finish

Genetic Shortcut To Breeding Super-healthy Salmon

Cassini Scientist Sees Evidence That Saturn's Outer Rings Could Be Disappearing

The Secret Life Of Acid Dust: Team Discovers Large, New Class Of Airborne Particles Unaccounted For In Climate Models

After Combing The Scientific Literature, Researchers Conclude Head Hair And Fur Aren't The Same

Increased Asthma Found Among Iowa Children Living On Hog Farms

How Platelets Help Cancer Invade Other Tissues

Return Of The Staphylococcus Aureus 'Superbug'

Loss Of Fruit Fly Retinal Protein Delays Blinding Light Damage

Science's Breakthrough Of The Year: Salty, Acidic Soup Could Have Supported Life On Mars

New Model Of Cancer Syndrome Could Lead To Treatments

Alcohol Vulnerability Linked To Action Of Insulin

New Route To Parkinson's Found In Cells' 'Garbage Disposal' System

Witnessing Event Can Produce Same Fear Response As Experiencing It, NYU Study Shows

Team Engineers Cell-deforming Technique To Help Understand Malaria

Study Medication May Improve 'Wearing-Off' Effects Of Parkinson's Drugs

University Takes National Lead On Earthquake Study

Vitamin E In Plant Seeds Could Halt Prostate, Lung Cancer, Says Purdue Scientist

Stanford Study Questions Accuracy Of Ads For Body Scans

Lilly Documents Link Prozac to Violence, British Medical Journal Reports

FDA Approves Pfizer Drug for Diabetes Pain, but Not for Seizures

Surgery Restores Man's Tears; 'Imagine Sandpaper Scratching Your Eye Every Day'

Apple buzz: $499 computer

Accidents Waiting to Happen: Rural Roads In Southeast Are Deadliest In Nation

Gladwin County Man Invents Snow Boat Recognized by Time Magazine

THE BUSHWORLD...

US pledges $350m in tsunami aid

Bush Foreign Policy Team to Focus on Iraq, Allies

Bush Downplays Sunni Election Boycott

US-Funded Arabic Station to Offer Iraqi Election Night Coverage

U.S. Aid Generous and Stingy

Bush Breaks Silence on bin Laden

Pentagon Misses Goal for Missile Defense System

Social Security Underestimates Future Life Spans, Critics Say

Carrier and Jets to Go in Bush's Military Budget Cuts

Federal Lawsuit Filed Challenging Nebraska's Corporate Farming Ban

After 100 Years, Forest Service Still Focus of Debate

Congress: L.A.'s party animals in Congress + Click. Conflict-of-interest woes involving House and Senate members have resulted in wrist slaps and promises -- but little actual reform.

Democrats: A bluer shade of New England + Rep. Patrick Kennedy Says No to a Senate Bid in 2006 in Rhode Island

Vote fraud: Gregoire certified as next governor + Contesting it: Uncharted territory + Jamieson: Re-do would create 'Dino-zilla' + Ohio Justice to Remain on Vote Challenge+ Rally Jan. 3 in San Francisco to urge Sen. Boxer to contest Ohio vote + Ohio Candidates Seek Second Presidential Recount

OPINIONS:

Heather Wokusch: 'Stingy? Not with WMD and war Click.

Molly Ivins: 2004: How 'bout a do-over? Click.

Jonathan Chait: Billions for pork as science is slashed Click.

Patrick Cockburn: The bullet and the ballot

John Dean: Jim Haynes As a Stalking Horse In Torturegate: Why President Bush Renominated Him for A Federal Appellate Judgeship

Can I Quietly Reverse My Pro-War Position?

A Vietnam Grunt Looks at Iraq

The Wreath Blair Didn't Lay

Confused About Democracy: Alan Bock

The price of Ukrainian democracy

Bush administration targets medical care for the poor

Who's To Blame?

Risk and privatized Social Security

MILITARY City Plans a Texas-Size Send-Off for Guard Troops Headed to Iraq

Travis unit leaves today to help out in Tsunami area

INFANTRY: Essential Arab Phrases for the Combat Soldier

COMBAT SUPPORT: Putting Commercial Games in Uniform

For families of war dead, a final choice

Navy's Final Gem: an Emerald

Antarctica: Casualties of cold war in a cold place

Army chief joins order of chivalry

Terrorism: Troubles with Germany's Star Terror Witness

Soldier Shot While Allegedly Vandalizing Homes

Report: Academy Scandal Investigator May Have Known of Allegations in Mid-2002

LEAKGATES  Did FBI Use Pentagon Analyst to ‘Sting’ AIPAC?

Robert Novak "Failing as a Journalist" in Plame Affair?

Single US ID Moves Closer to Reality

US Muslim Rights Group Seeks Probe Over Fingerprinting for Religious Profiling

Department of Justice issues first-ever medical guidelines for treating sexual-assault victims - without mention of emergency contraception, standard precaution against pregnancy after rape Click.

Political pitfalls of a Japanese war shrine

Columbian paper unveils human rights violations in Polisario-controlled camps

Columnist Pipes Calls for Crackdown on Civil Liberties for all Muslim-Americans

Click. 26th MEU enhances urban warfare capabilities in New Orleans

A Merry Prankster Keeps On Chuckling

Santa Cruz parade denies entry to troop supporters

Lake Superior State University's 2005 List of Words Proposed for Banning

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond:  New year, new laws: Gay couples to acquire new rights

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

Iraq vs. Tsunami: Duplicity of the media

Federal Complaint Charges 'L.A. Times' Disclosed Patient Info

Readers Defend "Traitor" Al Neuharth--and Freedom of Speech

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

ARTIE SHAW: 1910-2004. Bandleader was last of the swing-era giants

I'm still damn good (at age 48), says Navratilova

Berkeley p

photographer captures the soul of jazz

Stories of Man, Carved in Detail Through the Ages

Report: Martha Stewart loses decorating contest in prison

Kamiel Proost

Zen Gardens

Longbow-Archers

Pre-Raphaelite Passion + Medieval and Arthurian Pre-Raphaelite art

Women in Greek Myths

John Lahr on Neil LaBute

Alex Ross on William Bolcom

Restored Egyptian pyramid to reopen + Chephren pyramid open

Thanks For The Memories: Cinematic Portrayal Of Amnesia Is Profoundly Misleading

Happy dis-mas, Martha

Ben Widdicombe's Gatecrasher: Do you know your 2004 gossip?

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: Iraq attacks claim more lives as plans unveiled to protect voters + Gas shortage fuels resentment in Iraq

MIDDLE EAST: Sharon, Peres Reach Deal on Israel Unity Government

RUSSIA: A Spinning Yukos Goes (Almost) Full Circle

UKRAINE: Ukrainian election commission rejects appeal of Sunday's vote by Viktor Yanukovych + Organizer of Viktor Yanukovich's election campaign found dead in Kiev

EUROPE: In Europe, Islam Fills Marxism's Old Shoes

AFRICA: Vote Fraud Fuels Nigerian Oil Delta Strife

ASIA PACIFIC: China's Luster Fades

Pakistani president tells nation he'll stay on as army chief; accuses opposition of 'threatening' democracy

TSUNAMI: Indian Officials to Investigate Newspaper Report That Early Warning on Tsunami Fell Through Cracks + Islands so remote that no one knows if there are survivors + Five million people in 11 countries lack the basic requirements for life + France urges Paris Club moratorium on debt owed by tsunami-hit countries + Tsunami death toll hits 123,000 + Berlusconi calls for G8 tsunami talks

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

U.S. Attorney Assails Lawyer Lynne Stewart in Terror Trial + Push to jail terror lawyer

FBI Probes Laser Beams in Plane Cockpits

Head of CIA analysis unit joins exodus of top officials in shake-up + FBI Names 6th Counterterrorism Chief Since 9/11

Saudis hunt bombers' accomplices + Saudi Says Kills 10 Militants in 2 Days of Raids

Trial of bin Laden driver may affect Hussein case

Chilling report details al-Qaida surveillance techniques

ETA Attacks Cost Spain Billions

In Iraq, a clear-cut bin Laden-Zarqawi alliance

Feds claim Trenton man aided Nazis in Ukraine

MILITARY Ft. Lewis Remembers Six Strykers Killed in Mess Tent Suicide Blast

Improved armor, care keep wounded troops alive

Daley's son ships out

Air Force Academy Ignored Rape Allegations

For China masses, an increasingly short fuse

Why We Shouldn't Ban Hezbollah TV

Muslims See Imam's Case as an Omen

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Republican Judge Takes Aim at Bush Terror Policies

Yakama tribal lockup again under federal scrutiny

Can you copyright a stick figure? Chinese court says yes, fines Nike

Anonymous lawyer's blog

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Hundreds of new laws set to take effect

U.S. court refuses to block execution of Donald Beardslee set to die Jan. 19 + Improper jury instruction didn't affect verdict

Death row inmate on row 17 yrs, dies of complications from cancer

New year, new laws: Hybrids stall on way to car-pool lane

U.S. court refuses to block execution of Donald Beardslee set to die Jan. 19

Hybrids can't use carpool lanes despite signing of new state law Click.

Plaintiffs in Suit Claim Wal-Mart Fudged on Study Click.

Buyers are snatching up pricey .50-caliber rifles soon to be outlawed in California Click.

Sacramento & north: Marjie Lundstrom: Charm vs. clutter: Highway 99 may be on the road to a face-lift 2 CYA inmates flee Cal Expo work assignment + Happy the donkey can bray away, judge rules + Civil claims re: alleged sexual assault by firefighters at Porn Start Costume Ball + Ramcho Cordova: Fourth suspect in slaying sought + Stockton psychiatrist sues county

San Francisco, San Mateo: Woman, 50, mistakenly gunned down in Bayview home. Police believe killing may be related to 2 shootings earlier in day + Redwood City: $12,000 gift makes up for Grinch-like theft of Salvation Army kettles

Alameda: Livermore gas station robbed + Livermore: Rapist gets six years for teen's attack + Police say robbery, assault in Union City wasn't random + Bullets found on Oakland jet

Santa Clara: Suspect freed in death of fetus

Contra Costa: Concord stabbing leads to arrest

Marin: Marin woman's killer loses appeal of death sentence

Sonoma: New law bans camping or living in vehicles in unincorporated Sonoma County Click. + Police say SR man fatally shot by friend + Ukiah: Jobless claims called fake, 4 indicted + Money stolen from Petaluma Salvation Army returned

Napa: Death certificates offer few clues on murders

Solano: Publicized cases find closure + Vallejo Police Calls

Monterey: Health group head indicted + Woman evades abduction attempt + Residents caught in dark courthouse + Father pleads not guilty

Central Valley: Out-of-town judge likely to hear case + Law & Order

Central Coast: Girl admits to stabbing outside S.C. High Southern California: Lawsuit says actress Debbie Reynolds, son breached lease contract + Prosecutors subpoenaed 12 San Diego officials in pension probe + Thieves steal artifacts from Mojave desert museum+ Dog finds molester evidence + Jackson trial summonses on way

The Governor: Board of Ed member resigns before confirmation hearing + Ex-CalPERS president blames Gov for ousting + CalPERS' ex-chief howls on + State works on tsunami plans

Legislative 'Pork' OKd in Boom Leaves Bad Taste in Lean Times

Click. Two recent moves by Bush administration and U.S. Forest Service may leave communities throughout the Sierra at too great a risk from fire. + Agriculture official planning review of Sierra forest decision

State victims fund rebounds Click.

Disney fends off CalPERS Click.

LOCAL NEWS:  East Bay Regional Park District struggles to maintain support

Sacramento & north: First Night Stockton set to ring in the New Year + Concern over levee collapses growing Click. + Crash victim, 85, identified + Stockton psychiatrist sues county + Marjie Lundstrom: Charm vs. clutter: Highway 99 may be on the road to a face-lift

San Francisco, San Mateo: Union: Lockout hurt hotels + S.F. man killed in hit-and-run + Union links cutbacks to fatal fire. S.F. firefighters contend station 'brownouts' may be putting lives at unnecessary risk

Alameda: 1,200 mourn Greek Orthodox church leader. He was noted for folk-dance festival, ecumenical work

Santa Clara: Herhold: Tsunami's wrath touches Stanford

Contra Costa: Martinez holiday bash is alcohol-free

Marin: Disputed paintings in Mill Valley removed + Rainstorms help fragile salmon set record flow

Sonoma: Small twister damages SR home; heavy rain expected today + North Coast pastor Monaghan dies at 90 + SR woman, trapped underwater, had given up

Napa: Local residents escape deadly tsunami + Teen exchange student from Calistoga safe from Thailand's deadly tsunami disaster + Actor Redford appointed to Land Trust's advisory group

Solano: Benicia woman hopes to make injured troops more comfortable + Local News Briefs + Fat cat or mountain lion

Monterey: City opts to put hotel tax hike on ballot + Local group to rebuild Indian village + New ambulance bids sought + No word from local sailor in Thailand

Central Valley: Ridiculous ban on 'ugly' tomato sales +Wounded soldier's buddy is off to Iraq + Country man won't sell land for any price + Valley's ideas for state parks sought + News & Notes + Around the Region

Central Coast: Take me to the river: Santa Cruz First Night 2005 celebrates flow of life + County cuts deal to turn dump gas into power + Sacramento lawyer pays for Pajaro mother’s humanitarian mission to Jordan + Bond seals deal for affordable housing units + High-speed chase leads to Highway 1 crash; driver gets away + Nightmare tow job on Highway 17 turns into good deed + Preservation group buys Watsonville’s historic Redman House

Southern California: Troubled LA hospital could lose funding after failing inspection+ Southern California gets twister, more rain, as new storm nears+ Hertzberg's Gimmick + Sepulveda dam functioned just as it was designed

School days: Schools chief calls universal preschool a priority for 2005+ Think you can't afford college in 2005? Think again, experts urge + State education chief praises Marin public schools

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

U.S. Stands Firm on Canadian Beef Imports Despite Suspected Mad Cow Case

Canada Finds Suspected New Case of Mad Cow

New Study Shows How Mad Cow Prions Hitch A Ride Into Intestine

False Positive Screening For Cancer Found To Be Frequent And Costly

Simple Science Could Have Saved Thousands

How safe is the water?

More Than One Can Conceive

Captive shark feasting on record

Vitamin D deficiency tied to host of dangers

Einstein's century

UCI May Have Prescription for Improving Latino Healthcare

Researchers Control Chemical Reactions One Molecule At A Time

A Genetic Difference At The Opiate Receptor Gene Affects A Person's Response To Alcohol

$43 Million Grant From Gates Foundation Brings Together Unique Collaboration For Antimalarial Drug

Space Scientist Proposes New Model For Jupiter's Core

Purdue Scientists Hunt For 'Secret X' To Treat Liver Cancer

UCSB Makes Important Advances In Studies Of Retinal Detachment

The Human Eye Cannot Spot The Offside Rule

Research Led By UGA Professor Reports First Routine Tool Use By Wild Capuchin Monkeys

Satellite Tags Show How White Sharks Travel

Drinking Dangers in Older People

On Pins and Needles: Acupuncture for Arthritis Relief

Lifting heavy weights all the time is not the best way to build muscle

Doctors Link Common Chemotherapy Drug To Jawbone Necrosis

Efficiently Organic: Researchers Use Pentacene To Develop Next-generation Solar Power

Kinder, Gentler Procedure Gives Superior Results For Stem Cell Transplants

CT Imaging Can Help Diagnose And Define Occult Recurrent Cancer

Ice Cores Disagree On Origin Of White River Ash Deposit

UCSC Engineers Develop Assistive Technologies For The Blind

Winds, Ice Motion Root Cause Of Decline In Sea Ice, Not Warmer Temperatures

Cumulative Trauma In Adulthood Can Worsen Health In Later Years

Very High Prevalence Of Virus Linked To Cervical Cancer Found In Adolescent Women

Microbe's Genome Reveals Insights Into Ocean Ecology

Surgery Helps Relieve Migraines

Windows XP users Phelled by new Trojan

Microsoft revokes Passport service

Cheap Cell Calls Have a Price

Satellites Plus Software Equal Best-ever Mediterranean Heat Map

Scientists 'PAD' Their Way To New Metal-oxide Film Technology

THE BUSHWORLD...

Bush 'Undermining UN with Aid Coalition'

Pentagon Official Who Disclosed Russia-Iraq Arms Link Ousted + Freeze: Pentagon not talking to Israelis after China standoff

Bush Takes Rare Step of Debating bin Laden

U.S. rule of Pacific waves faces challenge from China

Shred the Roadmap to Salmon Extinction

Poll: War Bad for Business

Pentagon Offers $60 Billion in Cuts Over 6 Years

Extensive early warnings, next a global warning system?

How the 2005 economy could affect Bush's big plans

Bush strategies called better bang for buck. Major parties spent more than $2 billion in '04 campaign

No Longer a Superpower

Time to Bring Out the Tar & Feathers?

U.S. to Defend Foresters Sued by Developer

Congress: New Congress will confront funding disaster relief

Feinstein's federal anti-gang drive resumes

US Congress Working on Tsunami Aid Package

How five newcomers could change Senate

G.O.P. to make ethics inquiries harder to begin Click. + House GOP wants tighter rules for ethics investigations. Panel chief may lose post for allowing criticisms of Delay

Democrats: To boost party support, strategists tell Democrats to look West Click.

Vote fraud: Democrat Declared Wash. Governor-Elect + Gregoire declared governor-elect, but Rossi wants new vote + Mark Halvorson & Kirk Lund: 'We may never know what happened in the Ohio vote Click.

OPINIONS:

An Arctic threat

Bush's 'Healthy Forests' plan more bad news for California

Poll: War Bad for Business: Jim Lobe

Blowback in Britain: How Iraq Tore the UK Apart

Who's Whipping Up Iran Hysteria?

America's Maginot Minds

Treason's Greetings!

Elections - Mission Accomplished again

Bush's response to South Asia disaster: indifference compounded by political incompetence

Catherine O'Sullivan: Is George W. Bush a psychopath — literally? Click.

Greg Mitchell: Some readers want to lock up Al Neuharth Click.

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

How Setbacks Sent a Family Tumbling Out of Prosperity

IPOs come rocketing back in 2004

Disney wins bid on proxy access

Wal-Mart anti-suit tactics assailed

Celebrex Prescriptions Plunge After Risk Found

EBay latest to dump Microsoft's Passport

China and Latin America trade

Parmalat

Microsoft loses in court again; Could its bundling strategy be coming apart?

CONNECT THE DOTS....

Chris Cane: Fully recovered and ready for '05

An emerging philanthropic trend: the 'giving circle'

Toys With A Switch: Barney, Elmo And Others Repaired, Modified For Kids With Disabilities By Case Engineers

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond:  Gay partners receive legal responsibilities + California: New benefits for gay couples + Highlights of new state law on benefits for gay couples + Arkansas judge voids ban on gay foster parents + Montana High Court: Gay Couples Due Same Benefits as Unmarried Opposite-Sex Couples

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

A year of writing dangerously

'The Sun' Asks Judge to Lift Ban on State Workers Speaking To Reporters

"Slate" is brought in chains to NY

You go to war with the press you have

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

Historic Redman home in Watsonville to be restored

Sean Penn Finds Truth in Tale of Would-Be Assassin

They year in comics

Iran, Russia To Study UFO Wave

New Yorker's Diary by Bruce Feirstein

At The Theater With John Heilpern

Battle over inspiration for Middle Earth

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: Ramsey Clarke to defend Saddam

MIDDLE EAST: Staking Their Claim to a 'Greater Israel'

Morocco passes draft law criminalizing torture

Militants Set off Car Bombs, Clash With Police in Saudi Capital

RUSSIA: Putin aide calls Yukos sale a 'swindle' + Russian Gas Giant Gazprom Consolidates Stakes in Arctic Oil, Gas Fields

UKRAINE: Ukraine's presumptive new leader fears government will cut last-minute deals + Yushchenko Backers Block Cabinet Building + Confrontation Looms in Ukraine Over Premier's Plans to Return + Passion Led American on Road to Kiev + A fight between millionaires and billionaires

EUROPE: German jobless face rude awakening in '05

AFRICA: A Marshall Plan is not what Africa needs

ASIA PACIFIC: Wal-Mart's China operation a study in contrasts

Talk Swirling of North Korean Regime Collapse + Portrait of a family at war: Kim Jong Il purges relatives after alleged coup bid

Talks With India End on Upbeat Note

TSUNAMI: Death Count Exceeds 70,000 as Bodies Wash Ashore + Sounding the alarm is a costly, inexact science + Death toll could double from diseases + Early data on Asian quake went unnoticed in Vienna + At the epicenter, a perfect wave-maker was created + Experts Say Corpses Do Not Increase Risk of Disease + Tsunami May Affect Two Civil Wars

AMERICAS: Haiti pays former soldiers who overthrew Aristide

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

C.I.A. Deputy for Analysis Is Being Removed + Another Shoe Drops at CIA + Another Top CIA Official Forced Out

Getting An Education in Jihad

FBI Probes Laser Beam Directed at Cockpit

China spying on Canada

Nuclear Capabilities May Elude Terrorists

Attack With Dirty Bomb More Likely

China’s navy fans out in the Pacific

Saudi Police Capture Two Militants in Jeddah Shootout

Cambodia Jails JI Suspects for Life, Frees Egyptian

South Korean with U.S. Army Defects to North

Agencies clash on fingerprint database

Terror Case Against 7 Men Underway in Cambodia

Pius XII barred Jewish children returning home

CONNECT THE DOTS....

When nature's wrath is history's reminder

Rape, religion and artistic freedom

Xymphora on what was America's worst year?

Appeal: A lifesaving remedy plus a regular source of income. And it all comes from one plant

Experiences Make People Happier Than Material Goods, Says University Of Colorado Prof

What to Do With Gift Cards You Really Didn't Want

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Case reveals previous allegation against former Nevada priest

Merck CEO May Testify in Vioxx Suits

Survivors of Holocaust Struggle for Pensions

Mass. governor to file death penalty bill

Washington: Child molester sentenced to 30 years

Houston Will Tow the Line on Roadside Breakdowns

Colombia Cartel Suspect Is Seized

Russian Man Found Shot Dead in Cancun

Vang pleads not guilty

Killing A Woman to Kidnap Her Fetus: Why This Is An Especially Appalling Murder

Disappearance of Executive Clemency in Capital Cases: What Has Happened to Mercy in America?

Family Files Lawsuit in Case of Woman Killed by Experimental AIDS Drug Regimen

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Click. Companies initiate to limit lawsuits against businesses to purge pre-existing cases from, despite assertions by consumer groups that Proposition 64 should not apply.

Paternity standards revised under new law

New year, new laws: One hurdle gone for drug felons

Lunch and the law

Casino's makeup rule upheld. Court says fired woman didn't prove sex discrimination

Sacramento & north: Trial error may block execution in '83 case re: Redwood City man + Victim's loved ones show anger at hearing re murder of James Dee Hurst + Tough lessons for Elk Grove family of slain man + 3 bombs found at Lincoln home sites

San Francisco, San Mateo: Simple case turned catalyst. BALCO unwittingly triggered sweeping anti-doping movement + S.F.: 2 slain in separate incidents / Man shot getting into car; woman killed by intruders + Judge denies request to dismiss BALCO charges + S.F. + Family's lawsuit cites city, cops in fatal police shooting + Judges weigh bid to derail execution of Peninsula man for double murder + Judge in BALCO case will let defendants argue statements to investigators illegally coerced

Alameda: Oakland: Homicide rate plummeting. Down 23% to date, and police expect decline to continue +Owners of pit bulls sought after attack on pet terrier + Police seek owner of found gifts + Hayward crash kills girl, 14, hurts 4; alcohol suspected

Santa Clara: Salvation Army kettles stolen + Clues sought in car-lot arson + Police Blotter

Contra Costa: Walnut Creek man ordered to pay millions to victim. Real estate scam cost Moraga college $121 million pledge + Judgment ordered in St. Mary's scam + Robbery was likely the motive in Antioch slaying + Boyfriend likely was target in shooting + Two arrested in variation on Nigerian cash swindle

Marin: Suits by disabled target Marin malls + Lawyer says jury swayed in choosing death sentence re: 1981 slaying in Marin

Solano: Bizarre deaths stun locals

Monterey: Salinas: 5 yr-old boy eludes capture after home invasion robbery

Central Valley: DreamLife CEO's bail to remain $800,000 + Bad habit is 'key' to a ticket + Tracy foundation writes bad checks to cancer victim + Farmers heartened by ruling + Law & Order

Central Coast: Santa Barbara: 2 brothers sue Franciscan Friars for sexual abuse, 1989 to 1994 + Cops and Courts

Southern California: Orange County imam agrees to leave U.S. + A Wet Canvas and Meticulous Documentation + Disney Float Knocks Woman Unconscious + Newport Police Kill Man Who Brandished Gun

The Governor: Gov. gets real on cost of his staff + Hey, Gov., the GOP Won, but He's blind to values mandate in urging a broader party + Gov. rushes to fill water boards + State water boards need replenishing

Legislature: Fee helps snuff out tobacco sales to minors + Effort to protect car buyers revived

California tsunami threat: Whom to warn, and how? Click.

Perata's troubles stuff of dramas

Lobbyists' Spending Spree, $1.4 billion first half of 2004

Laptop computers stolen from state water agency

Forecast for 2005: More fights over water on horizon

Indian tribes: Tribes, environmentalists in casino clash + Casino harmful to birds, group says

LOCAL NEWS: 

Sacramento & north: Two awards for Cal-EPA headquarters + Stranded climber rescued on Shasta + For feral felines, she's the cat's meow + Sacramento: Two people die in separate accidents + Lost climber rescued on Mount Shasta

San Francisco, San Mateo: S.F. coastline susceptible to huge quake-triggered waves + S.F. Firehouse sales talk makes chief burn. Hayes-White douses idea of cashing in on historic home + San Mateo: Ocean novice drowns. Midwest transplant was trying new wetsuit + Home fires injure 4 in Vallejo, S.F. Damage may be close to $1.8 million + Fires raise concerns over brownouts + San Mateo County sues natural gas companies + Medical center watchdogs not giving up yet + 2004: A Year of Mayoral Triumph + Ghost of Politics Past + Market Economics

Alameda: Oakland: Casino harmful to birds, group says. Gambling palace proposed near Arrowhead Marsh + Fremont: Truck driver dies in fiery I-680 crash Trucker dies as fire engulfs cab+ Plane makes history with futuristic ideas Oakland: Outside audit of Overtime costs wasteful + Island's retiring city manager hits on highs, lows + Police seek owner of found gifts

Santa Clara: Stanford business student missing on Thai island + Gene tracking stirs debate + Palo Alto finds power in trash + Beer, sports key to salon for men + Firm puts Moss Landing water plant plans on hold + Details of fatal swim revealed + Roadshow: Cell lot set for SJ airport

Contra Costa: Hercules secures state housing grant

Marin: Sausalito: Can-do real estate agent is undaunted by stroke, but bills pile up + JCC workers relieved that friends in Asia are safe + MGH to offer injured grandmother surgery

Sonoma: DeLoach winery rises from ashes

Napa: In winter, only a few winery workers remain + AmCan family homeless, but together after Christmas Day fire + Actor joins Napa Land Trust advisory board

Solano: Dixon: Concord woman dies in I-80 wreck + Home fires injure 4 in Vallejo

Monterey: Sunset Center OKs fivefold rent hikes + New ambulance bids sought + Fire hits apartment in Soledad + No word from local sailor in Thailand + County hopes breeching not need in Carmel river + Concern Los Padres Dam will spill

Central Valley: Breathe easier, valley — dust reduction coming + Area responds with aid to victims + 96 Merced grad listed as missing + Outgoing ag secretary sees bigger rift on issues + Story of Sikh Faith Shared at Camp + Queen's trip to Turlock near + News & Notes + Around the Region + Mites killing off bees in Fresno + Bakersfield girl orphaned by car accident + San Joaquin: $500,000 supports breast-feeding + San Joaquin County water districts buoyed by tobacco-tax money settlement+ Tracy's Kaiser clinic set to open + + Manteca: Unattended candle starts fire

Central Coast: Aptos woman sends aid to victims in her native Sri Lanka + Holiday donations fall short in Santa Cruz + New dental director puts teeth into community effort + Downtown Santa Cruz revving up to ring in New Year + Firefighters bid farewell + Long-term fix still needed for Pajaro levee + Loaded big-rig overturns on Highway 17 + SPCA, radio host boost aid to boy + Local News Briefs + Coast Lines + Santa Cruz dance plan naughty or nice?

Southern California: Hahn's complaint + L.A. Valley missing at Rose Parade+ 4,000 to Get Call for Jackson Jury+ New City Atty. on the Offensive in San Diego + Area politicians no rebels + Orange County: Taking On the Issues Here and in Iraq + Boyle Heights: Husband Sought in Woman's Beating Death + L.A. police Seek Drive-by Killer of Man in Car + The 5 and Whine

School days: Four-day schedules under consideration in schools + San Francisco parents race to pick right schools + San Juan schools in severe financial crisis + San Juan: As new board corrects course + Musty Old Gym Routine Gets Benched in Favor of Fun

Genetic 'overdrive' that made the human brain special is discovered

Prominent cardiologist criticizes drug ads directly to consumers

Don't block this drug, Nevarapine

New observations rule out asteroid-earth impact in 2029

OBSERVATIONS RULE OUT ASTEROID - EARTH IMPACT IN 2029

FDA OKs Genzyme Drug for Childhood Leukemia (after other drugs fail)

The transplant miracle still holds many perils

Russia Ends Free Rides for U.S. Astronauts

Cassini spacecraft alters course to avoid Saturn moon

FDA Links Dog Deaths to Drug Novartis

Russia flies to Mars in 2014, USA's Martian mission slated for 2030

Why hospitals are forbidding women who had C-sections from having vaginal births

Strange Ocean Wave Patterns Raise Questions About Beach Erosion

Going To Extremes: Pulsar Gives Insight On Ultra Dense Matter And Magnetic Fields

Dwarf Mistletoe Reveals Its Sexual Secrets

New Monkey Discovered In Northeastern India

Study Finds Lemons, Lilac Among Top 10 Smells That Predict Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers Develop MRI Technique To Study Brain Anatomy In Invertebrates

Silent Risk Of Osteoporosis In Men With Prostate Cancer

Risk Of Tuberculosis Doubles In First Year Of HIV Infection

Femtosecond Laser Technique Opens New Opportunities For Research On Neural Regeneration

A Designer Drug for MS

New Study Shows Early Ritalin May Cause Long-term Effects On The Brain

Study Provides Clues To Alcohol's Cancer Connection

Few Americans Are Aware They Have Chronic Kidney Disease

Free Nicotine Patches Increase Short-Term Smoking Quit Rates

Stroke Risk Is Greater For Migraine Sufferers, Especially Those On Oral Contraceptives

New Easy-to-read Road Signs Based On Penn State Research UNC Scientists Develop Promising New Assay For Studying Cancer-causing Breaks In DNA

Study Suggests Akt3 Protein Is Key To Melanoma's Resistance To Chemotherapy

Unsafe Gun, Poison Chemical Storage In Homes Can Turn Holiday Visits Deadly

Toxic Proteins Affect Memory

International Study Shows Select Improvements In US Math And Science

Timing Scavenging To Prevent Age-related Blindness

Medication May Reduce Incidence, Severity Of Mouth Sores In Some Cancer Patients

Business users worry that open-source could mean open season for lawyers

Gillmor: Valley tech highlights of '04

Car locator could help forgetful motorists - and turn a profit, too

The BitTorrent Effect

THE BUSHWORLD...

Powell: Iraq Insurgency 'Will Not End'

Armitage discusses in Damascus the participation of Iraqi Sunni in the elections

Bush announces coalition. U.S., Australia, India, to aid Asia

Bush says Iraqi election marks crossroads

U.S. aid grows as do questions about Bush

WASH POST: Vacationing President 'insensitive' + Tony Blair goes on vacation too

Bush approval rating at historic low.

U.S. to investigate how 2 airlines turned holiday weekend into havoc

Group, feds reach Mo. water agreement

WHEN WILL U.S. REACH UNSUSTAINABLE CASUALTY RATE IN IRAQ?

Congress: Tauscher to try for crib law

Vote fraud: Group holds fast to Kerry cause with Beacon Hill vigil

OPINIONS:

Bush's activist bench

The Birth of a 'Latino Race' instead of `Other Race'

Robert Kuttner: 'You can't blame 'Uncle Sam' for what Bush does' Click.

Michael Hammerschlag: 'Could America go bad? Click.

Ward Reilly: 'General Curious George, CIC' Click.

We Must Leave Iraq: Justin Raimondo

The Neoconnerie: Ilana Mercer

Who's in Charge of Russia Policy?: Pat Buchanan

Bye, Bye Unipolar World: Jim Lobe

Expect No Mideast Miracles

Avert Your Eyes With Shame

Pat Morrison: The perfect candidate for Iraq Click.

US Congress uses Alice in Wonderland logic to sell cuts in college grants

Michael Goodwin: Scoundrel year

MILITARY Needing Cash, Veterans Sign Over Pensions

Veterans return to fight for pensions

Complaints flare over soldiers' mental health care Click.

Investigation after British soldier is found dead

Troops battle with words

Army Seeks to Save Marriages Torn Apart by War

LEAKGATES Spain: Madrid Commission confirms conspiracy of lies used to justify Iraq War

Talks with Sikhs backfired on theatre

Bonfire of Turner's erotic vanities never took place

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Crude Oil Rises as Saudi Arabia Explosions Boost Concerns About Security

Video sales bolster film studios

'Found money' figures into housing demand in area

Outrageous Fortune for executives a Fannie Mae as they escape

$2 billion in federal contract money for small businesses instead went to large businesses

Push by Disney Investors Loses Weight of SEC

Focus on Enron Shifting to Trials of Former Execs

Co-Owners Pritzkers of Failed Chicago Bank to Get Millions

Lionel Gets One-Month Extension on Loans

Loral Is Expected to Miss Satmex Payment on Satellites Mexicanos

PeopleSoft Founder Duffield Resigns as CEO + Oracle completes regime change at PeopleSoft

Flight Attendants Sue Northwest so rank and file can observe contract negotiations

Cushy Severance for B of A Chairman

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond: Same-sex retirement benefits lag + Arkansas Judge Strikes Down Ban on Placing Children in Homes With a Gay Person Present

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

AP Gets A First Look at Tsunami Damage in Sumatra, By Copter

Officials Refuse Paper's Request for 'Stun-Gun' Officer's Records

Juror Gets Newspaper in Hot Water in Death Penalty Case

L.A. Community Newspaper Chain The Wave Files for Protection from Creditors

Univision to Buy Puerto Rican Stations

6 Members of Elite Navy Force Sue News Agency Over Photos

Chris Suellentrop: Bush's don't-ask, don't-tell press conference Click.

Click. Clarence Page: Bush's lump of coal for students.

New York City "legal" harassment of New York IndyMedia.org

Blog of the year goes to extremes

Whitney: Falluja and Media

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

Private collector shares her Jewish artifacts with public

General's Daughter may get makeover

Susan Sontag: Remembering an intellectual hero by Christopher Hitchens

Four museums in Palm Springs offer out-of-sun fun

Trisha Brown's lyrical fusion

London's theaters, a year to sing about

A Royal Academy with no drama?

30 years of Midwestern humor

Tony Kushner

John Lahr on Neil LaBute

Ann Hodgman on miniature-drink makers

Virtual Portmeirion

Macho movies of '04 + Baby, it's cold inside the theater  + Toga party +  Reasons to disbelieve +  Taking sides
+  Discovery channel +  The snow globe

Man arrested for stealing Munch Scream

What The Assassination of Richard Nixon Gets Right

Ben Widdicombe's Gatecrasher

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: Top Sunni Party Quits Election + U.S. faces speculation over Iraqi elections credibility + Top Sunni Party Pulls Out of Iraq Vote+ Shi'ite Leaders Split: Religious vs. Secular Govt

IRAN: Iran 2004: The Resistance and the Western Anti-War Movement

MIDDLE EAST: Committed to the Battle With Israel + Israel, Seeking to Give Abbas a Boost, Frees 159 Palestinians + Palestinian Women Triumph at Polls

RUSSIA: Putin acknowledges state's implication in Yukos intrigue + Update 1: Former Yukos Chief Assails the Kremlin

UKRAINE: Uncovering Ukraine's True Colors + Ukrainian prime minister refuses to admit defeat. He says millions were disenfranchised + Yushchenko regrets Russian stance + Yushchenko Calls for Blockade of Ukraine Government Building

EUROPE: Go-ahead for Balkan oil pipeline

AFRICA: Mission to assess Somali damage

Region blamed for Ivorian horror

ASIA PACIFIC: Asian Americans: The road to Double Happiness

Meanwhile: The unsung genius of India's reforms

Former Philippine President Says Successor Fears His Popular Power, Prosecutors Have No Evidence Against Him

AMERICAS: Looking Away as a Democracy Dies in Ecuador Colombia hostage search goes on

Aid flow triggers Clinton warning

Chile ready to bury Pinochet

Chavez predicts energy deals with China to boost trade to $3b

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

Bin Laden Tapes Raked for Inadvertent Leads

FBI director names Willie T. Hulon counterterrorism chief

Dept. of Homeland Security Pushes More Secrecy

Pentagon: Rumsfeld Misspoke on Flight 93 Crash

US Spied on Pakistan's Nuclear Scientist for Three Decades

Counterterrorism agencies recruiting

Port security said being short-changed

America finally makes amends for Nazi Gold Train looting

ETA attacks cost Spain billions

Intelligence analysts in high demand

What's going on? Cell phone vandalism in Texas

U.S. Ponders How Much Monitoring Needed Against Attack

Analysts See Shift in Bin Laden's Rhetoric

The FAA's Terrorist Road Map

Blood for pork....

U.S. Troops Answered Occidental Oil Firm's Pleas in Colombia

Navy Renews CACI Contract + CACI employees tortured prisoners at Abu Ghraib

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

Thousands still missing; fears of epidemic grow

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Northrop Grumman to settle

Worldwide Warez hunt nets first conviction

Lawsuit claims Children's Motrin causes severe side-effects

Lawsuit claims Children's Motrin causes severe side-effects

Can a Parent Be Guilty of Neglect Simply Because She Is Victimized in the Presence of Her Children?

Rosa Parks center of legal storm

Woman charged with killing pregnant woman and taking fetus appears in court

Click.  Wisconsin attorney general to handle Vang case

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Two firms fined over workers' comp fees

New year, new laws: Needle policy to be eased

1,607 drunken-driving arrests in Bay Area crackdown. 125 law enforcement agencies involved in holiday campaign

New jury selection process will debut at Jackson trial

Toll lanes could help drivers buy time. Bay Area officials embrace HOT trend in transportation

Sacramento & north: Rapist's suit against county gets go-ahead

Alameda: Oakland: Robbery suspect photo aired + Oakland man charged in slaying of cousin will enter a plea today + Warm Springs: Parolee, wife charged with selling drugs in 2 counties + Police find pipe bomb in stolen car + Dog survives mauling by two pit bulls + Overdue rental car leads to arrests + Hayward couple looks for dog's attackers + Oakland to settle sex suit against police officer for $175,000 + Teen arrested after girlfriend reports being stabbed, beaten

Santa Clara: Arson likely in torching of 8 vehicles + Sex offender's move faces further delays

Contra Costa: Verse awaits OK to move into Contra Costa residence + Judge orders $12.7 million award in St. Mary's investment scam + No perjury charge for Brentwood Councilman Petrovich + Verse's move has futher delays

Marin: Nonprofit offers legal counsel when public defender can't

Sonoma: Santa Rosa: 2 more arrests in Christmas Day killing + Sixth man held in SR Christmas brawl

Napa: Exit door is swinging at Napa police + Familiar faces leaving the force

Central Valley: Law & Order + Manteca cops defuse bomb, investigate stabbing

Central Coast: Witness’ safety prompts early testimony + Judge Morse leaves Watsonville with fond memories + Barton to take over South County court post

Southern California: Police Arrest Doctor in Fake Art Sting + Youth's Death Spurs Call for Tougher Driving Laws + An Island of Peace on the Peninsula + Gang Charges Added in Fatal Knife Attack + Arson Possible in Church Blaze + Muslims Meet Congressman to Protest Imam's Detention + Mexico Extradites Suspect in O.C. Killing + Teacher Is Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Molestation + Torrance: Victim to receive half of alleged molester's estate + Orange County man arrested in art fraud sting + Riverside: Defense requests two juries in teen sex slaying case + Bell Gardens, Calif., company recalls dried lily flowers + Murder charges filed in Orange County road rage death + Teacher sentenced in LA after pleading guilty to molest charges + Fences and roots don't deter theft of valuable plants

The Governor: Gov. and wife give all California military personnel in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, prepaid telephone cards + New finance chief Tom Campbell called a quick study. Ex-congressman praised as a smart solution-seeker + Gov.'s support could help build more toll roads

Senator Perata's financial labyrinth scrutinized + Chart: Perata money flow (PDF)

U.S. West Coast vulnerable to same geologic forces + California Not Prepared for a Tsunami

Lockyer Releases Records, Schedules

Critics: FPPC lacks teeth

Editorial: Origins of pension bloat

Firms that paid no state taxes set to get $82 million in refunds + Tax refunds to firms spark anger + 3 firms that paid no taxes to reap huge state refunds

Sheep ranchers to vote on board

Indian tribes: Click. A group of Nisqually Indians seeks to clear the name of Leschi, the tribe's last chief.

LOCAL NEWS:   Toll lanes could help drivers buy time. Bay Area officials embrace HOT trend in transportation

Quail fans try to boost numbers

Sacramento & north: Costly cleanup after tug sinks, spills fuel at port + Patient's status is now just click away + For brothers, friendly competition is fare game + Man killed in Christmas crash ID'd as Antelope resident + Car hits tree, killing Elk Grove man + Man dies after auto, truck collide + Mall owners try to widen appeal + Jack Sirard: Placer Sierra, on roll, sees big future + Peabody's struggling

San Francisco, San Mateo: Free, extended Muni service for revelers on New Year's Eve + Moss Landing: Plans delayed for desalinization + Young man dies while apparently surfing near Montara State Beach + San Mateo County sues natural gas companies + Medical center watchdogs not giving up yet

Alameda: Unincorporated areas seek aid + Pardee to seek signatures for measure after holidays + Preservation group selling memories to raise funds + Hayward: Flag hoisted in honor of sailor's retirement + Livermore Center to open soon + Lai-Bitker works for jobs in unincorporated areas + Personal Raiders seat licenses, the sequel

Santa Clara: Bay Area Asians launch massive relief effort

Contra Costa: Open space is finally free in Walnut Creek

Marin: Marin Red Cross staffer joins humanitarian blitz

Sonoma: Early morning quake rattles Geysers area + Michele Rosen of cheesecake fame dies + Sixth man held in SR Christmas brawl + Sonoma County flu shot clinics still in demand + Dr. Gina Ramirez-Azcarraga's patients at Southwest Community Health Center + Sebastopol man witnesses tsunami's wrath + Tsunami no stranger to Crescent City + Guerneville fur fight gains momentum

Napa: Election 2005: Houghton wants to make Napa more family friendly + Blake ready to speak to the concerns of majority

Central Valley: Valley's Indians mourn victims Sergeant's battle plan now directed at crime + Graffiti now big problem for Merced, residents say + 97-year-old Sonoran, bypass booster dies + News & Notes + Around the Region + Community Briefing

Central Coast: Geologist: Tsunami not likely on Santa Cruz coast, Tsunami hit Santa Cruz in 1964  + Local scientist heading to disaster site + Judge Morse leaves Watsonville with fond memories + Barton to take over South County court post + 100 room inn considered in Hearst San Simeon conservation development + Santa Barbara: Beenie Babies Mogul donates to repair hazardous pier

Southern California: Grief Hits Home in Southland + Club Fans Fight Proposed Takeover of Florentine Garens for fire station site + Click. Ailments force an Orange County nun to scale back involvement in the AIDS information bank she founded -- the largest of its kind in the world + Freeway Project to Extend 405's Carpool Lanes + 6 Inland Cities See a Path on Red Car Route + 4 Injured at Disneyland Parade + Orange County's rocky look-alike + Hahn says investigations are taking too long

School days: Hmong teens learn English in their own environment + Parents protest closure of 2 elementary schools in San Jose + Tougher rules for school fire sprinklers debated + Vallejo Unified still dishing out unearned health benefits + Schools Replace Milk Cartons With Bottles + Research program is a step up for students

MILITARY Court-martialed commander released from San Diego Navy brig

Pentagon Is Pressing to Bypass Environmental Laws for War Games and Arms Testing

William Pfaff: An army in decliners at Abu Ghraib

Try a tiny melon or rainbow carrots with more nutrients than nature provides

Amid dramatic lifestyle changes, Transplant recipient Matt Callison is thankful for his donor's gift

Oil spill isn't worst scourge raised by grounded ship. Alaska biologists frantic to contain predatory rats

Ecstasy to be tested on terminal patients. FDA ruling might lead to use of other psychedelic drugs

Tiny particles 'threaten brain'

Workers struck by lung diseases

Test to spot early liver disease

Technique to detect cancer spread

UK women travel to Romania for egg donation

Orthofix Gets FDA Approval for Bone-Growth Stimulator

FDA Approves New Drug for Severe Pain

Treating Varicose Veins With Radiofrequency Or Laser Heat

Historic Himalayan Ice Dams Created Huge Lakes, Mammoth Floods

New Antibiotic Target Could Mean The End Of Pneumonia Brain Imaging Reveals New Language Circuits

Increased Suicide Rate Is Possibly Linked To Chemicals Released From Nearby Asphalt Plants, Study Suggests

Contractor Ignorance Kills Earthquake Victims In Seismic Zones, Says U. Of Colorado Professor

Discovery Of Compound Could Enhance Cancer Treatments With Fewer Side Effects

Nevada Seismology Researchers Develop Model That Estimates Impact Of Large Earthquake In Los Angeles

Study By US, Hebrew University Scientists Sheds Light On How Bacteria Persist Despite Antibiotics

Gastrointestinal Disorders Are Associated Significantly With Sleepless Nights

O Christmas Tree: Your Bark May Fight Arthritis

Conduct Disorder, Alcoholism May Have Different Origins in Teens

Breast milk may help patients

Bronx Zoo to remove hundreds of animals from Georgia island

Cassini's goodbye Huygens picture

Virgin soars to new frontier

Cassini Shows Before And After Look At Saturn's Moon Titan

World's Most Powerful Infrared Camera Opens Its Eyes On The Heavens

Giant Telescope Will Keep An Eye On Planets In Other Solar Systems

NASA Finishes Redesigned Shuttle Fuel Tank

Nanotechnology boost for medical diagnosis

Tsunameter could avert disasters + Fair warning is possible

When Heads Knock, Helmet Listens

Steam engines could be eco hope

TSUNAMI: A Third of the Dead in Undersea Quake Are Said to Be Children + Warning Center, Alert for the Quake, None for a Tsunami + Tsunami's eerie warning sign

THE BUSHWORLD...

Bush Biking, Relaxing at Ranch

Bush gala has big donations pouring in

Reelection Honeymoon With Voters Eludes Bush, Polls Say

Syria's Foreign Minister Dismisses U.S. and Iraqi Accusations It Is Aiding Insurgents in Iraq Amid Fresh Allegations of Support

Bush's Germany Visit Seen as Chance to Ease Tension

Alberto Gonzalez revisited

Social Security: Plan for Social Security relies on an immediate, familiar Bush strategy + Another Day, Another Social Security Plan + The Chilean Miracle: Less Than Meets the Eye

Congress: Ethics committee to investigate McDermott for illegally recording telephone conversation + Congress, Paranoia and Horse Manure + If There's a Cause, There's a Caucus + Arianna Huffington: W's goal: A rubber-stamp Senate

Democrats: Privacy Piracy? What Howard Dean May Bring to the DNC

Vote fraud: Ohio Recount Ends, Shows Vote is 300 Closer + Ohio official refuses interview over vote + GOP wants King County vote data + Secretary of State Aims to Dodge Deposition + Richard Hayes Phillips: Another third rate burglary Click.

OPINIONS:

Bush Sending the Wrong Message as Chaos Smolders in Iraq

Scheer: A Devil's Island for Our Times

Govt Spending Can't Buy Security: Ivan Eland

Mass Murder, the Unknown Ideal: William Raspberry

Bereaved Parents' Trip to Iraq: Jim Lobe

Osama Must Be Pleased

Conservative Sadists

Four Ways to Find Out What's Really Up in Iraq

Helen Thomas: The buck never stops at the top

Ron Suskind: The cabinet of incuriosities Click.

Winning the war after the war

Xymphora opines on Rumsfeld's Freudian slips

Re-engineering America for tomorrow

The Chief Weirdo at the Pentagon: Rumsfeld Must Go

The American Empire Goes For Broke, Maybe Literally

Before There Were Tsunamis, There Was Wolfowitz

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Stocks in U.S. Rise as Confidence Climbs; Indexes at Highest Since 2001

Investment Folio for Average Joe

Bechtel to cut 200 more jobs from S.F. headquarters

Apple's Steve Jobs Tops List + What Bay Area executives made last year

Clouds Start to Lift for Comair and U.S. Airways

Older players driving sales of video games

Fannie Mae CEO set for huge payout

Chinese TV maker cites California company in losses

Second funding helps soothe savage beast

Cattle Video Stirs Kosher Meat Debate

Bravo, American Dissidents!: Mendo Henriques

Chinese Labor Activist Runs Radio Protest

Disappearing the Anti-War Movement at the NYTs

CONNECT THE DOTS....

Click. Checking in on two unusual homeless New Yorkers.

Islamic holy books highlight sex

50 ways to fix your life

N.Y. supermodel held on for dear life for 8 hours in raging surf

The Death of Reggie White: an Off the Field Obituary

Be Careful Not to Get Too Much Education: It's Happened to a Lot of Good Christians

'Today people regard convict ancestry as a badge of honor'

Tank girls: the frontline feminists

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond:  The battle over same-sex marriage: S.F. can't challenge 'mental disorder' argument. Judge won't allow city to submit opposing evidence + Mayor orders golf club fined over gay benefits + Campus club seeks right to exclude gays

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

Video of disaster sought by competing networks

Navy SEALs Sue AP Over Alleged Abuse Photos

Vt. Paper's Anthrax Scare Leads to Lockdown, and Maybe Legal Action

Maryland Governor Seeks Dismissal of 'Sun' Lawsuit

Study: Craigslist Costs Bay Area Papers $50M in Ad Revenue

Silicio, Woman Who Took Iraq 'Coffins' Photo, Has No Regrets Click.

Press Clips: 2004, From the Dean Scream to Abu Ghraib

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

First Night planners of Monterey ready to revel

Susan Sontag, Leading Intellectual, Dies at 71

Marin's Sean Penn sees similarities with 9/11 and his new film

John Lahr on Neil LaBute

Alex Ross on William Bolcom

Ben Widdicombe's Gatecrasher

Medieval mural's tales of sorcery

Legalizing 'noodling': Missouri Approves Fishing With You Bare Hands

Lady and the lamp

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: Iraq Rejects US Vote-Adjustment Talk + Iraqi Official: Vote May Be Delayed in Some Areas

Slain soldiers' mothers reaching out to Iraqis. Delegation bringing cash, relief supplies to Fallujah refugees

War prisons: US Disclosures Signal Wider Detainee Abuse + CIA resists request for abuse data

IRAN: Iran's Air Force Ordered to Defend Nuclear Facilities From 'Flying Objects'

MIDDLE EAST: A Camera's View of the Mideast Conflict

UKRAINE: Yushchenko's Disease: A Tale of Two Poisons + Yanukovych Vows Challenge in Ukraine + Former Reagan aide is new First Lady of Ukraine

EUROPE: Uzbeks Vote, but There's No Opposition

ASIA PACIFIC: India Pursuing Energy Sources in Some of the Diciest Places

Pakistan, India in peace talks overshadowed by Asian quake

Trying to Curb Graft in Vietnam

Hong Kong Papers Report Riot in China

The factory nuns of urban China

ASIA TSUNAMI: 22,000 Dead, Millions Homeless in Asia + Inundated: 'It was like the sea stood up and walked to your door' + Collapse of seabed launches deadly waves. Subduction event 6 miles beneath ocean is rarely seen on such massive scale

MILITARY  Special Forces soldiers track remnants of Taliban, al-Qaida (Dec. 26)

Most Sought After Headgear

Whatever became of General Draughon's sword?

Go Ahead, Try to Disappear

Group Heads to Jordan to Wage Peace

LAPD: We Know That Mug

US Latinas seek answers in Islam

Is your car spying on you?

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....
 

Bin Laden Tape Names Zarqawi His Iraq Deputy + Purported Bin Laden Tape Calls for Boycott of Elections

Intelligence agencies face staff shortage + Hunt for intelligence analysts

Univ. California Davis scholar sues CIA for Vietnam papers

Scientists study, test life span of H-bomb

Japanese to Develop Ballistic-Missile Attack Warning System

Secret Rendition Not So Secret Anymore

When Is a Terror Group Not a Terror Group? When US Says So

French bin Laden Inquiry to Widen

Training for the 'War on Terror'

Russia and China plan war games

Mystery Of Rudolf Hess Finally Solved

Arafat's Death Spurs Militant Rocket Race

Drone doggies and more

U.S. has done little to shut down A. Q. Khan's nuclear smuggling network

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Click. Some law firms have formed special units to search for digital data and help their clients manage it.

Rehnquist must loathe opening morning papers these days

Fiction foreshadows reality

Accused girls' coach found dead in cell

Scores of Texas nurses are drug, sex offenders

The Post-September 11 Compensation of Different Victim Groups: Comparing the RAND Corporation Study with the Special Master's Report

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Bringing Her Lone Star Power to fix CYA

Formerly a Ward of the Court, then Homeless, He Has a Life Plan

To Protect the Elderly, UC Doctor Pioneers Programs, Networking Ideas

Citing Prop. 64, Firms Seek to Kill Lawsuits

Sex offender site popular but not perfect

New year, new laws: Children under 6 must sit in car's back seat + New laws on guns, domestic partners and tanning beds on Jan. 1 + New laws taking effect Jan. 1 at-a-glance

Investigators on hot run in six cold homicide cases + Burglary suspect's getaway halted

Santa Clara: San Jose: Man booked in death of fetus. Pregnant woman says boyfriend kicked her + The steep price of driving drunk + Pair of probes concern some in San Carlos

Contra Costa: Wells for irrigation may have to be removed + De La Salle abuse cases settled for $6.3 million + Alcohol-related arrests increase

Sonoma: Santa Rosa: 4 arrested in holiday brawl death + Windsor: Police Are Stumped by Attacks on Town's Trees + Man dies following Christmas Day shooting

Solano: Two stabbed in fight; alleged assailant jailed + Man accused of wielding meat cleaver

Monterey: Man sought in Watsonville abduction attempt + King City man shot. CASA workers sought

Central Valley: Law & Order

Central Coast: Atascadero man faces life in prison

Southern California: SoCal actor released from Pakistan prison returns to LA + Report on Indian Wells land deals raises questions + LA may settle discrimination lawsuits filed by gay police officers + Man accused of Ontario murder could be faking mental illness + New Query Follows Gun Lawsuit + Marine Suspected in Slaying Is Fatally Shot After Pursuit

The Governor:  Partisanship Back in Play at Capitol + Environmentalists oppose proposed changes to State Water Project to allow local water wholesalers to run part of massive state aqueduct, reservoir system + Hypocrisy on State's Spending Mandates + New car-donor law has charities wary Critics: FPPC lacks teeth

California senator seeking a new state budget cap

Former governor Jerry Brown wants to keep politics in the family

Indian tribes: Tribal Money Linked to GOP Fundraising

LOCAL NEWS:  Minting Bay Area history

Man-made risk for condors not out of woods yet

Sacramento & north: CSUS plays name game + A bird in the hand ... + Ranger's legacy is adventure + Back-seat driver: Folsom Dam Road's permanent closure not a done deal, feds say

San Francisco, San Mateo: Final Mass at Sacred Heart. Historic church closes due to retrofit cost, low attendance

Alameda: Hotel union leader Blanca Limon stands steadfast + Hairstylist in Albany marks 30 cutting years + Historic Bal Theater tries movies again + Oakland: Ashland youth-recreation programs get funding + Fruitvale church gives back to its community

Santa Clara: Closing time for City Hall eatery

Contra Costa: 'Extreme' family donates help in Martinez + Proposed homes irk secluded neighborhood + + New tax prompts pact for eBART

Marin: Thrill of discovery for Audubon birdwatchers + Novato mayor wants meeting changes + Hacker shuts down Mill Valley community Web site + Longtime county official Joseph Coffrini dies at 70 on Christmas

Sonoma: Guerneville fur fight gains momentum + Night meetings of Sonoma supervisors to change + County offering 80 flu shots a week to newly eligible + Bodega Bay fishermen call for local boatyard + A good excuse to go shop where anti-fur protestors are protesting

Napa: More employers offer free workplace language lessons + Napa companies look to plans for 2005

Solano: AmCan family gets out through windows when fire erupts

Monterey: Development battles continue + Military briefs

Central Valley: Does immigration need force or hope? + Families find a place to live their finances can live with + Dooley will lead food firms + Valley's growth hot again in 2004 + Tuolumne River journey shows the damage done + Hilmar Cheese must fix mess, pay fines now + State parks officials aiming to expand Valley holdings+ Bush administration to pay $16.7 million to Central Valley farmers, irrigation districts whose water deliveries were cut to protect endangered fish + Steinbeck's Hometown to Close Libraries + Stanlislaus transportation agency finally makes right turn + Short Take: Finley gives valley voice in VA hospital location

Central Coast: Pajaro feels sting of farmworker hiatus + Teen earns invite to Bush’s big day + King City financial boon, Naples news

Southern California: L.A. Urbanites Still Want Cars + Baby Boy in Need of Organs Dies + Plan to Cut Port Smog to Be Unveiled + A Savvy Housing Group Expands + Toxins Harm O.C. Water, Suit Alleges + Before the Parade Passes by, LaBonge Gets L.A. in Line for Rose Parade + Citrus, Avocado Firm Is Set to Branch Out+ Push on to keep Edwards Airforce base + Citrus, Avocado Firm Is Set to Branch Out

School days: UC System: Tobacco industry research grants spur debate. A ban would violate academic freedom, say many on faculty + Tests Are History at This High School + Mt. Diablo: Battles rage over school district boundaries + Oakland schools face more big changes + Rio District Ordered to Pay Fired Official+ Lecture series enthralls students + Parents battle San Jose school closures + A winter of discontent at Tri-City schools + Vallejo's school system flunked finances in 2004 + Sudden fiscal revelation stunned board members + Students Recruited to Be Country Doctors + Young Teachers Make a Difference in Tough Schools

CONNECT THE DOTS....

How will we face the future?

Stardom: WAVES of MUTILATION

Online games play with politics

Why some politicians need their prisons to be full

MIT: Magnesium May Reverse Middle-age Memory Loss

Transplant patient's climb back to health peaks with once-unthinkable trip to slopes

Sudden oak death quarantine expanded to Oregon, Washington

Coaches Help Children Move Past Illnesses

Study aims to cut cost of heart patients' care

Typhoid Fever Genomes To Help Scientists Seek Better Vaccinesto The Unknown

Research Points To New Theory Driving Evolutionary Changes

Peace-Loving Primates' Population Plummets

Research Studies Effects Of Soy Baby Formula On Intestinal Development

CU Speech Pathologist Studies Device That Helps Reduce Stuttering

Herpes: To Suppress or Not to Suppress

Fighting Breast Cancer Recurrence

Undermining the Effectiveness of Aspirin Therapy

Emerging Class Of Viruses Found To Change Shape To Infect Humans

Stowers Researcher Publishes DNA Double-strand Break Repair Discovery

Major Climate Change Occurred 5,200 Years Ago: Evidence Suggests That History Could Repeat Itself

Some Don't Like It Hot: Unraveling The Molecular Basis Of Thermotaxis

New Pathway Identified In Angiogenesis

Nearsighted Children May Benefit From Rigid Contact Lenses

Fewer Calories Could Slow Alzheimer's

Drug Combo Slows Heart Disease

Lymphomas Need Distinct Care

Infants, Children Prefer Sounds Over Pictures And Only Slowly Become Visually Oriented, Studies Find

Worm inspires 'comfortable' test

Target found to stop gallstones

Hope for mass-produced lab blood

Scientists 'map' key brain genes

Google Designs an Engine for Eggheads

China launches Cernet2 high-speed Internet backbone

New Santy Worm Threatens More Sites

Seeing the family over the Internet

Google vs. Yahoo

Software helps the tone deaf

Worming Into Apple

Huygens Begins Its Final Journey

Greenland Ice Cores Offer Glimpse Of Weather System History

NASA Study Finds Tiny Particles In Air May Influence Carbon Sinks

New Desalination Technology Taps Waste Heat From Power Plants

New Railroad Across Tibet Conquers Permafrost Using Crushed Rocks

Cassini's goodbye Huygens picture

THE BUSHWORLD...

Bush spending last week of 2004 in Texas

Bush Plan Could Imperil Tax Write-Off for New York

Click. Bonds posted by companies with federal oil and gas leases cover only a small fraction of costs of plugging wells and restoring land once fuel is extracted, leaving taxpayers with cleanup bills Bush faces GOP fight over guest workers

College Republicans allegedly misled donors: Some thought money was going to GOP Click.

Concerned Women for America even takes on allies on the right when they're seen as soft Click.

Congress: New GOP Senators May Back Filibuster Limits + Salazar calls for bipartisan cooperation + GOP sets up Senate collision on judges

OPINIONS:

Holiday gift for timber industry + Forest Non-Planning

Bush Sending the Wrong Message as Chaos Smolders in Iraq

Neocons and the Cult of State

Slam-Dunk Tenet Gets a Medal

Families Pay the Price

The Emperor's Same Old Clothes

The Fallacy of '39: Justin Raimondo

Linda McQuaig: History will show U.S. lusted after oil Click.

Hugh Cortazzi: Democracy by cookie cutter Click.

Bush's win-win plan to protect the oceans

Naomi Klein: The US must pull out of Iraq

Blood for pork....

When bullets fly, some firms swoop in

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Dollar Declines to Record $1.36 Against Euro as U.S., Europe Allow Slide

Crude Oil Drops by Almost $3 a Barrel on Forecast for Milder U.S. Weather

Camouflaged ads sometimes succeed

Two Airlines Can't Get Past Holiday Turbulence

Forget Free Trade: US Interventionism Brings Back Oil Nationalization

New owner of IBM's PC unit adapts to being a multinational firm

Many consumers unaware of routine 'bounce loans'

Clawing back satellite demand

Company Of The Year: Amgen

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond:  Gay marriage amendment not coming soon + Lesbian minister to challenge defrocking + Atlanta Mayor Fines Golf Club for Refusing to Obey Domestic Partners Law

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

'Washington Post' Reporter Caught in Earthquake Drama

Pentagon Channel targets troops

Editor Regrets Letting Reporter Pose as Prostitute

'St. Louis Post-Dispatch' Blogger Outed, Suspended

Click. The world press finds local angles to Sunday's tsunami disaster.

Satellite Radio Posts Subscriber Gains

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

Mexican riders spur each other on to victory

From farm worker to author

Children's art museum seeks pieces for exhibit

Hayward residents relish in their Hollywood moment

Latest search for Earhart's plane to depend on technology

'Smart house' has brains, beauty

Penn Museum Archaeochemist And International Scholars Confirm 9,000-Year History Of Chinese Fermented Beverages

How to Write Your Name In Mayan Glyphs

J. M. Synge - The Abbey and The Playboy of the Western World

Discovery of ancient village derails bridge repair

Six Things You Should Know About The Photo Market

Rare portrait of Charlotte Bronte

Donkeys bray their way back into vogue

Bogus biblical relics roil Israel Museum

Moviegoers flock to 'Fockers'

Ben Widdicombe's Gatecrasher:

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: Iraq Election Is Difficult in U.S. as Well + Iraqis' Dismay Surges as Lights Flicker and Gas Lines Grow

AFGHANISTAN: New Karzai team has warlords out, technocrats in. Afghan president remakes Cabinet, picks Western-oriented Pashtuns for key posts

PAKISTAN: Two Officers Convicted for Musharraf Life Attempts

MIDDLE EAST: Palestinians quit state for homeland. Onetime Californians return to Bethlehem saying despite its troubles, life is better there + Lengthy election cycle for Palestinians starts on an exuberant note. Municipal balloting pits Hamas against Fatah for first time + IDF to oust troops who obey rabbis rather than officers + Hamas vies for power against Fatah faction + Erdogan ends visit to Syria: we will work to double trade

RUSSIA: Putin blasts U.S., Europe for disputing Ukraine vote. Russian president expresses doubts on election in 'fully occupied' Iraq

AMERICAS: Gunmen Kill 23 in Attack on Bus in Honduras

Colombian Rebels Kill Catholic Priest - Church

Castro walks in public after knee injury

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

On counterterror front, little 'chatter' to sift through

Israel detains nuke whistleblower

U.K. Freezes Assets of Group Linked With Saudi Arabian Dissident Al-Faqih

Bowling Alley Will Return Arafat Funds

Click. BBC reporter Frank Gardner tells how Saudi gunmen shot his friend and left him for dead

Report: US Considering Strikes Into Syria

With the Pope ailing, who is really running the Vatican?

Supercomputer to Test Aging Nukes

Inside the Ring

UN Security Council puts al-Faqih on terrorism list

U.S. air marshals dodge suit Nazis

Mladic bunker secrets revealed

Departure of Three Top U.N. Officials Gives Annan Opportunity to Clean House

HOW LOW

THE LAW

GOES....
 

China strengthens its antipiracy laws

Exotic bird smuggling a growing problem

Testing cell phones ties up 911 / CHP: Call someone else with new gift

Connecticut's ex-governor faces prison after guilty plea. He took gifts from contractors who did business with state

Authorities Link Maryland Arsons to Racing Club

Vets Hall volunteers prepare traditional feast

Taking California's DNA Law to Rest of Nation

Feds take aim at government corruption

Drug courts are not a right, justices rule

Adopted boy sent back to biological mom

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Condemned double murderer's life hangs on legal shoestring

Workers' comp fraud tips sought

Sacramento & north: Man found dead in Sacramento jail + Drivers dodge classes on DUI + Suspected ambulance thief arrested + Asian gang members can be tried again + Winters woman dies in head-on crash

Alameda: Man denies involvement in soccer fight + Cops: Bickering, fanned by alcohol, led to shooting death + Oakland man back from Texas to face a murder charge Ex-Albany cop sues department + Alameda driver is held in Richmond + Perata's home quietly searched + Argus sues for firefighters' morale report + Note-toting robber hits Livermore bank + Man arrested in shooting of cousin inside apartment

Santa Clara: Don't dial 911 to test new cell, CHP says + Couple spur tenants to rid complex of gangs and graffiti + Drunk driving campaign on record pace + Man charged with kicking ref + Police Blotter + Dad faces charges in fatal crash

Contra Costa: Pleasanton eatery's owner faces charges re: sexual batter, writing bad checks + Richmond residents sue for leak at refinery + Concord: 3 ex-students settle abuse lawsuit. Catholic brothers allegedly abused them years ago at De La Salle

Napa: Jessup Cellars may file Chapter 11 bankruptcy to keep creditors at bay

Solano: Vallejo Police Calls + Vacaville man accused of molesting two girls

Central Valley: Stopping inebriated motorists + Witnesses: Teens driving 80 mph before 108 crash + Police probe DreamLife break-in + Date set for ruling in Geragos accusation + Meth house creates 'environmental mess' + Man is held in stabbing

Southern California: Gardena police shoot carjacking suspect at Hustler Casino + Former Brando business manager alleges sexual harassment + Police to stop using Taser guns at troubled Drew/King hospital + Long Beach man pleads innocent in plot to kill his estranged wife. + San Diego city manager, others subpoenaed in SEC probe + Massive Overhaul of Ailing Hospital King/Drew Urged + Harassment Claim Filed Against Marlon Brando's Estate + Painful Gift for the Children of a Slain Woman + Use of Taser Spurs Change + Suspect Arrested in Fatal O.C. Toll Road Altercation+ Orange County: Wal-Mart Reopens After Arson Fires + Rape Case Against 3 Teenagers Dismissed + Westminster: Man Sentenced in Fatal Hit-and-Run + Police I.D. Man Killed by Officers Near Placentia Store + Suspect Named in Killing of 2 Brothers + Kids safe; aunt in custody after abduction incident + Four men being held in Burbank stabbing

Scott Peterson: Date set for ruling in Geragos accusation

The Governor:  Gov. proposes new worker compensation rules + Gov.'s semi-candor + Gov. fudges on release of calendars + Maria Shriver helps troops phone home Click. + Gov., Shriver Give Troops Gifts

Shelley Reconsidering Voter Registry Plan + Shelley's office filled with political appointees

State's oversight of doctors blasted. Report criticizes Medical Board as slow, secretive

In GOP They Trust

New year, new laws: Don't try to scoot by with no license

Workers comp injury rules on fast track

Click. Starting Jan. 1, many California employers will be required to provide sexual harassment training for supervisors, and some insurance providers will extend health coverage to domestic partners

Dan Walters: West Hollywood's birthday underscores municipal trends

LOCAL NEWS:  Wellness Community founder Harold Benjamin dies at 80

A tale of two bridges. If France can get a breathtaking new span ahead of schedule and for a relatively modest price, why can't the Bay Area? Well, let's start with the $8 toll. + Caltrans' Bay Bridge fiasco

Eureka! Caviar from California

Sacramento & north: Cat-leash rule riles homeowner + Baker's fortunes rising + Winters woman dies in head-on crash+ R.E. Graswich: Sacramento Mayor to get personal police driver in 2005? Perhaps, or perhaps not + Citrus Heights: Sheriff's deputy rouses family to flee burning home + Man dies after his Jeep hits tree

San Francisco, San Mateo: St. Mary's celebrates big birthday + Quake repairs move slowly + Senator Boxer halts strike at S.F. seniors' home + Supervisor proposes wheelchair access solution + Tinsel Thomas, Anderson's tale

Alameda: Donations sought for drowned cop + Fire destroys Island home, injures one + Pair coming down to Earth after a Mile High adventure + Oaklanders bark at mayor over parks, dog-walking sites + Neighbor rescues ill man from fire + Tri-City homes brighten holidays + Union City leisure services schedules drop-in recreation program + Animal shelter welcomes 'miracles after miracles' + The following is a list of holiday light displays in the Tri-Valley area

Santa Clara: Partnership cleans up apartments + Peninsula motor home a haven for reunited family + Trash sorters enlist legislator + Vacationing deputy drowns in Hawaii + Wage dispute unresolved + Autistic kids move to the beat + Mr. Roadshow: BART, bullet would make S.J. major hub

Sonoma: Homes may replace golf range + New SR route under 101 weighed

Napa: HOPE gives just that to Napa homeless Wine Train must pay $1.3 million to winery + Napa senior facility hits hard financial times + AmCan councilwoman barred from Wal-Mart talks + Santa reveals VIP list for Napans

Solano: Benicia: Daughter's illness, death send couple into tailspin + Pair comes through for community + AmCan may attempt to lure high-tech industries + Local activist wins battle over use of city building + Local News Briefs + Touro gets federal grant to help train teachers

Monterey: Seaside soldier dies in Iraq + Alternatives to demolish Marsh's explored + Home renovation stalled

Central Valley: Procrastinators hitting stores on eve of the eve + A service fit for a hero set for Modesto Marine + Delivery Lights Up Holiday + Holiday greetings push buttons

Central Coast: Healthy Kids program offers health coverage to poor families + Parking lot owner apparently backs off towing cars +Decorations earn holiday cheers + Downtown Santa Cruz business mood ‘really good, upbeat’ + Low-income residents get cool gift + Gracias, Santa!’ + Santa Cruz actor gets Scorsese treatment in ‘The Aviator’

Southern California: Mass desert cleanup at Baker continues month after gas pipeline burst + Massive Overhaul of Ailing Hospital King/Drew Urged + A Trauma Center to the Rescue + Canoga Park Shifts From Aerospace to Retail Hubs + U.S. Funds Tunnel Study in Orange County + Shell Oil to Pay $1 million for cleanup in San Diego Click.

School days: San Francisco School board members jockey for presidency + Feds slashing aid to college students + School reformer to leave Oakland district + NAACP questions UCSC job practices + Santa Cruz: PCS principal wants exit to be smooth process: Keating hopes to implement honor code + Sierra Joint Community College chief should quit, trustee says

Artificial disk an alternative to spinal fusion. Recipients give positive reports but insurers still have doubts Orbiter

Earth's Safe Zone Became Hot During Legendary Solar Storms

Scientists Solve The Mystery Of How Botox Attacks Nerves And Eliminates Wrinkles

Microbe's Genome Promises Insight Into Earth's Carbon And Sulfur Cycling

Researchers Find High Levels Of Potentially Toxic Heavy Metals In Herbal Medicine Products

Success Of Experimental Herpes Vaccine Builds Momentum For Human Clinical Trials

UF Study: Bigfoot Myth Persists Because It Depicts Humans' Wild Side

Discovery Of Compound Could Enhance Cancer Treatments With Fewer Side Effects

Undermining the Effectiveness of Aspirin Therapy

Symptoms of ovarian cancer can mimic some GI disorders

Yo-yo Diet Redistributes Toxins In Body Tissue; Olestra Plus Caloric Cut Boosts Toxic Excretion

NASA Helps Visually Impaired Students Touch The Sun

New Study Suggests Levodopa May Slow Progression Of Parkinson Disease

FDA Statement On Iressa

Vaccinating Wildlife Can Reduce Human Risk For Lyme Disease

Decreased Sensitivity In The Brain To Estrogen May Help Explain Menopausal Changes

Iceberg Poses No Threat To Antarctic Personnel

Diabetes: A Link Between Oral And Overall Health?

Celecoxib Shows Surprising Activity Against Estrogen Receptors

Your Brain And You: Penn Researcher Forecasts Ethical Challenges Ahead For Neuroscience And Society

Superconductors Ready to Ramp Up for the Real World

Apple seeks soft landing for iPod

Which Search Engine Firm Is Coming Back?

I Want My Internet TV

Sprucing Up Open Source's GPL Foundation

UC Berkeley Researchers Field Testing Low-altitude Robo-copters

European Space Agency's Huygens Probe Set To Detach From Cassini Orbiter

Russia Launches Supplies to Astronauts in Orbit

Saturn's mysterious moon beckons to craft. Probe to separate from mother ship tonight as perilous 3-week voyage to Titan begins

Asteroid gets initial elevated risk rating, but impact unlikely

THE BUSHWORLD...

Powell Advised Bush to Add Iraq Troops

Bush Recycles Judicial Nominees

New year to bring Medicare transition

Democrats: Clinton Opens New Unit at N.Y. Hospital + Sen. Kennedy visits wounded soldiers

Vote fraud: GOP to fight Gregoire victory + Emotions run high over recount

OPINIONS:

World feels bullied by Washington Click.

Chris Floyd: Poison pen Click.

Rebecca Solnit: Hope at midnight Click.

Andrew Greeley: No peace on Earth during unjust war Click.

Bob Herbert: Families pay the price Click.

Steve Weissman: How Uncle Santa diddles Dems from Ukraine to Venezuela Click.

Richard Walter: Back to the '50s? We'd rather pass Click.

The Devil's Christmas: Justin Raimondo

Restoring Christmas: Alan Bock

Mother Pleads to Pentagon: Tom Griffin

US Out of Iraq: Al Neuharth, USA Today

Thanks to the Lords, Libs, and the Law

Groups Fight Internet Wiretap Push

Revisiting past human rights violations to win the bet of the future, intellectuals and political leaders

Federal Judge Dismisses New York's Bid to Force Bike Rally to Get Permit

CONNECT THE DOTS....

Click. How to avoid holiday arguments with pro-war relatives (Pt 1) by Dr. Teresa Whitehurst

Stardom: Keeping the X In XMAS

Siblings of ill kids find connection

Gold Tempts Nicaragua Children to Risk Lives

Blood for pork....

Army weapons on black market

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

UES Breakup Approved by Russia as Putin Seeks to Deregulate Energy Market

Dollar Drops to Record Amid Speculation ECB Won't Step In to Weaken Euro

His rug business is flying high

Click. Richest Penthouses in NYC

MILITARY David Letterman entertains troops in Iraq for Christmas Eve

GIs savor holidays before heading to Iraq

PX offers taste of home for holidays

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

FDA's Approval Policy Pits Speed Against Safety

One year after Mad Cow questions linger

FDA/CHIRON Flu Fiasco: Shortage Turns to Surplus

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond: California court hears same-sex marriage arguments + Lawyer says gays are 'unfit' + Judge Hears Debate on Gay Unions

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

Argus sues for firefighters' morale report

CLIFT: 10 UNDERCOVERED STORIES OF 2004

100 most useful websites

Press Clips: Jack Newfield, 1938-2004

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  
 

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

A Man's Quest Reverberates Up and Down State

How to introduce your children to the real magic of a Victorian Christmas

Archeologists uncover pool believed to be site of Biblical miracle

Israel finds Jesus miracle sites

Folk art of Mexico

On The Town With Rex Reed

At The Theater With John Heilpern

The King William's College quiz

Rush & Molloy: I saw Mommy dissing Santa Claus

Lloyd Grove's Lowdown: 'Today' has missing Paige

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: Spate of parties crowds ballot despite violence. Behind closed doors, contenders gear up for public campaigns + Foreign Team Will Watch Vote in Iraq From Jordan

AFGHANISTAN: Afghan president names Cabinet + Karzai replaces warlord minister

IRAN: Iran's Military on Standby to Defend Nuclear Sites

MIDDLE EAST: Palestinians vote in landmark municipal elections, row over Blair conference

RUSSIA: Putin Defends Yukos Deal as 'Perfectly Normal' + Putin claims the right to re-nationalize Yukos + Putin: Is U.S trying to isolate Russia?

UKRAINE: How Did the Blogosphere Get Fooled on Ukraine? + Interpreting Ukraine: Beyond 'Good' and 'Evil'   + Report from Kiev: Yushchenko's Not Quite Ready for Sainthood + Vote monitors deploy in Ukraine, Putin sees 'double standards'

ASIA PACIFIC: Nepal Army Kills 22 Maoists, Rebel Blockade Begins

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

Insurgents Have Better Intel on US Forces

FCC amends Nextel deal to clear reception

Stanford lab safety studied

DARPA Funds Dozens Of New Urban Warfare Tools

A grisly Christmas tale

Dutch Intelligence Agency Warns That Radical Islam Spreading

Counterterror Officials Say There's Little Specific 'chatter' About Any New Plot

Where Osama bin Laden went wrong

North Korea's nukes: advanced, but hidden

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Suspect who killed mother, took baby, ‘burned some bridges’

Connecticut's Rowland Faces Prison in Corruption Case (Update2)

Social workers 'ignored' child's abuse before 2003 murder, panel rules

Miami Police Use Taser to Subdue Wheelchair-Bound Man

Police Use Taser on 14-Year-Old Boy

Police Officer Tasers 12-Year-Old Special-Needs Student

Israeli Prosecutors to Indict Antiquities Collector Next Week

Prosecutor Says Man With Pyrotechnics Expertise Was Ringleader in Md. Arson Spree

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Reno man, self-described leader of Aryan Nations in S.F. and Nevada, admits he sent threatening e-mail

Governor pardons 3 ex-cons. He breaks 6-year moratorium on forgiving criminals

Judge: Condit Foe's Videotaped Deposition Can Go Public Click.

R.J. Reynolds Settles Lawsuit with Attorney General, Setting Teen Ad Limits Click.

Report Critical of CYA Click.

Divorce Cases raises questions on records laws Click.

Teens accused in Aspen beating of California runaway, arrested on East Coast

Sacramento & north: Ex-Amador church volunteer gets jail for molesting teenager + Alleged tagger 'Crooks' taken into custody + Police: Plasma TVs popular among burglars this season + Nursing home fined $80,000 in death + Two held in pot bust after robbery

San Francisco, San Mateo: Heading off homicide. S.F. police say a surge in killings has slowed because they're jailing 'the baddest of the bad' + Police tackle San Bruno robberies + New judge in San Mateo -- Cliff Cretan

Alameda: Dublin: Camp Parks stops suspicious vehicle + Berkeley: Methadone blamed in Cal student's death + Hayward: Boy allegedly taken by dad is found safe + Oakland: Second man charged in mail carrier attack + Livermore bank robber gets away + Oakland: Mean streets claim a dad, son + Call to 'Riders' witness by union blasted + Boy found safe in Oakland; hunt for dad goes on + City cops, CHP nab 19 sought in DUIs + Shooter fires into home, killing 5-year-old + Union City cops seek public help in homicide + Suspected kidnapper nabbed at Raiders DUI crackdown

Santa Clara: Repairing lives torn by domestic abuse + In chase, CHP car hits two vehicles

Contra Costa: Judge dismisses suit aimed at San Ramon school district + Richmond: Victim pleaded with killers, police say + Molestation suspect Gallo caught

Marin: Murder mystery has Marin link + Sausalito suspect accused of stealing 6,660 bottles of wine

Sonoma: Fisherman may not avoid jail time + Three arrested in SR stabbing + 17-yr-old boy faces life in prison for murder prompted by sexual advances of former evangelist preacher

Solano: Vallejo's Police Calls

Monterey: Salinas: Father charged with felony child endangerment for buying alcohol for 17-yr-old after her DUI + Details emerge around shooting

Central Valley: Cops say site isn't a license to harass + Condit foe can't avoid spotlight + State goes after stores for unpaid fees + Day care center seen as casualty of school closure + Doubts emerge on Soquel Creek-Pajaro Valley water project

Southern California: Orange County man pleads guilty in credit card scam + Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband sues for breach of contract for losing job + Man arrested in East Los Angeles bicycle shooting of two brothers + Car Window Shootings Prompt CHP Hunt Click.

Blake trial: Doctor: Blake's cries for help seemed feigned

Jackson trial: Jackson case to debut Santa Barbara's new jury selection process

Scott Peterson: Geragos hit with contract lawsuit + Laci Peterson's mother: 'Closure will only occur...when I die'

The Governor: Tantalizing peek at Gov.'s calendars. Budget meetings vie with interviews with Access Hollywood + Gov.'s employees total just fewer than 185 Click. + Gov.'s calendar shows lots of fund-raising, media events + Gov. will pursue lunch change through channels Click. + Gov. Leaves State for Vacation Click. + Stolen laptop of Gov.'s press secretary hunted Click. + Gov. makes time for contributors

Feinstein raps Fed plan to cut $9 million from wildfire prevention efforts Click.

A wise pause on nurse ratios + Access to data leading to better convalescent care Click.

Second-guessing Prop. 71

Legislature:  FBI took senator's records on same day son's house was raided + Perata Served with FBI Warrant Click. + Partner law survives activists' challenge

LOCAL NEWS:  Audit rips Caltrans on bridge costs.  Agency concealed the soaring price tag for Bay Bridge span + State auditor's report at a glance

Santa Rosa woman, Maureen Middlebrook, heads Golden Gate Bridge district

Sacramento & north: Marysville: Bok Kai Temple to be saved by grant + Donations are drying up for surplus bookstore

San Francisco, San Mateo: SFO's $2 billion transit maze. Some visitors puzzled by links to trains + Stickers help Hunters Point kids + Mayoral mansion mired + Neighborhood Business: Solar power to the people

Alameda: RIP: Francis Pierce Lathrop -- developer + Fox Theater rehab plan + Indian a first for Fremont council + Oakland council authorizes settlements in cop misconduct cases  + Niles key district in mayor's race

Santa Clara: Toll plan puts solo drivers in carpool lane + Liquor sales raise residents' alarm + Seniors see red over remodel + Consider buyout for councilman

Contra Costa: Lafayette: Couple remembered fondly by friends. Killed by avalanche on Austrian vacation + Call home saves soldier's life + San Ramon: 'Secret ballot' policy examined + Coast Guard cutter returns home + Duncan Canyon now twice rejected by Pinole

Marin: County votes deeper shade of blue than rest of state + Sausalito firm sells its first cloned pet + Retirement delay boosted former Novato police chief's pay + Greenbrae doctor Wm Silverman, pioneer in neonatal disease

Sonoma: Drug rehab program heavily in debt + SR plans fire station in southwest business park + New rules aim at oak killer + $760,000 at stake in Healdsburg billing error + Fur protests threaten to split Guerneville

Napa: Facts and figures about Constellation Brands and Mondavi  

Solano: Textile worker injured on job + Dixon racetrack plan progresses + Coffey barred from Wal-Mart meetings + High-paid Solano officials get big bonuses + Grocers sponsor food bank

Monterey: Shark hits 100th day at grateful aquarium. Adds to survival record -- and to gross receipts + GREAT WHITE LEARNING EXPERIENCE + Caddie hopes to get back on fairway + Heater sparks house fire in Seaside

Central Valley: 3 killed in 108 crash + Daniloo St. was almost on the map + Loophole bigger than broadside of a barn + Warmhearted Firefighters + Neighbors' generosity brightens holidays + Turlock again proves it works well Together + Son giving gift of life to mother + Nonprofit sets sights on Capitol Hill

Central Coast: Santa Cruz family disputes wacky TV portrayal + Gov. pardons local man: Retired UCSC technician’s bust for drugs forgiven + Watsonville company buys Israeli security firm

Southern California: Mass desert cleanup continues month after gas pipeline burst + San Diego: Media's Role In Mayoral Recount Prompts Charges of Partisanship Click. + Attacks on L. A. Mayoral hopefuls get nasty Click. + L.A. Planning Director Says He Will Retire Click. + Massive overhaul of aging King/Drew hospital urged Click. + Eastside L.A. Hospital In Trouble Click. + Brea: Hundreds evacuated after arson fires at store

School days: Students to Bear More of the Cost of College + Education crisis looms in California's future + L.A. Unified Selects Special Counsel Click. + Grant's trustees OK merger + Rombeck: S.J. revamps community classes + SFSU gets $1M donation to boost scholarship program + Vallejo: Teams formed to address school recovery + Colleges trying to fill up classes

CONNECT THE DOTS....

Martha Stewart's Christmas message. Inmate lobbies for prison reform

Some Latino churches are using the story of the Holy Family's search for shelter to address issues of discrimination Click.

As More of Life Gets Digitized, Questions Raised About What Happens in Death

Cancer Research Yields Clues to Gray Hair

FDA Urges Caution Using Cox-2 Inhibitors, Other Anti-Inflammatory drugs + FDA asks for Crestor ad to be stopped

Exercise helps, but losing weight essential.

Scientists Solve The Mystery Of How Botox Attacks Nerves And Eliminates Wrinkles

Neural Crest Stem Cells In Skin Could Provide Alternative To Embryonic Stem Cell Use

Sandia To Begin Testing Innovative Arsenic-removal Technologies In Socorro, N.M.

Hypertension: On The Pill? Tell Your Dentist

FDA Approves Drug For Use In Cataract Surgery

Aging Universe May Still Be Spawning Massive Galaxies

Gene Therapy Reduces Skin Cancer To Sunburn In Mouse Model

Engineers Aim To Mend Broken Hearts

Acupuncture Relieves Pain And Improves Knee Osteoarthritis

'Purple Berries' Rank High In Antioxidants, USDA Study Says

'Signal' That Enables Malarial Parasites To Target Blood Cells

Melatonin Supplements Offer Little Or No Benefit For The Sleep Deprived

Safety Of Childbirth After C-section Examined

Fleeting Images Of Fearful Faces Reveal Neurocircuitry Of Unconscious Anxiety

Researchers Find Circulating Tumor Cells In Long-term Cancer Survivors

Can The Standard Course Of Radiation Therapy Following Lumpectomy Be Shortened?

Poison Digs Its Own Grave

Global Pattern Of Blindness Changes With Success In Tackling Infectious Disease And As Population Ages

Parachute system aims to save planes

Stardom: Blame it on RIO

GM recalling more than 700,000 minivans

Build your own Apollo rocket!

Scientists Find Atomic Clues To Tougher Ceramics

Glass Gives Up Secrets Under Pressure

Research Demystifies Quantum Properties Of Exotic Materials

THE BUSHWORLD...

Bush to Re-nominate Controversial Court Picks

Tough Questions on U.S. Prisoner Abuse Still to Come

Governors ask Bush not to cut Medicaid

Rumsfeld tells media he feels grief 'to my core' + Rumsfeld: Iraq Election Won't Quell Violence + Rumsfeld Is Already on His Way Out

New pat-down procedures at airports. Feds say screeners won't touch women between their breasts

New rule for forest planning. Environmentalists fear jump in logging + Administration Overhauls Rules for U.S. Forests

U.S. to release $100M in heating aid

Nursing home quality-improvement program to expand, White House says

Apologetic Kerik quits Giuliani's firm

Congress: Feinstein wants end to Electoral College and will seek constitutional amendment

Democrats: Democratic party leadership rethinking abortion Click. + An Encounter with Sen. Schumer: a Very Dangerous Democrat

Vote fraud: Dem grabs lead in wild Washington race. GOP won't concede in back-forth tally of vote for governor + King County tallying disputed ballots + Third time may be charm for Gregoire + Voters glad their ballots finally will count + Cannonfire reports

OPINIONS:

Social Security Pump and Dump

Torture at the Top: Ari Berman

Merck's Merry X-mas

Gene Lyons: Bush backers made a sucker's bet Click.

Jason Vest: Merry Christmas, Mr. Rumsfeld Click.

Bush as Time magazine's "2004 Person of the Year": why him?

The power struggle in Ukraine and America's strategy for global supremacy

First we vote, then we kick you out

Letter to Bush from Santa

Whose war is it now?

MILITARY Suicide Rate Among Marines Highest in Five Years

Air Force further reprimands top lawyer

Ft. Bliss Training Was Poor, Members of Guard Unit Say

'L.A. Times' Uncovers Another Guard Unit That Went to War Unprepared

Personal misconduct cited for spike in Navy firings

Korean-Americans in LA protest China's human rights policy

US Seeks to Silence Arab Democracy Activists

Pirate radio broadcast calls for inauguration protests Click.

Adoption reality show 'Who's Your Daddy?' sparks furor

UPDATE: Massive response after USATODAY founder calls for U.S. pullout in Iraq

Stars sign letter in support of playwright in hiding

Coming next from Michael Moore: Sicko, the film

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Livermore collection firm in the running for IRS work

Wall Street workers reap bonus bonanza

Report: Regulator focuses on Fannie Mae pay

Upward mobility

100-Year-Old Mexican Leads Coffee Growers to Success

Disney Revamps Executive Pay Policies, Favoring Restricted Stock Units Over Options Grants

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond: Tradition vs. equality argued in S.F. court

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

Freed journalists return as French policy is questioned. Fear of U.S. attack part of their ordeal

Indecency on the Air, Evolution Atop the F.C.C.

Radio station owner faces $220,000 fine

Galloway brings Zapatista to book

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

Cat has 10 lives, thanks to $50,000 cloning. In a first, Texas woman pays Sausalito firm to duplicate her recently deceased pet

Signs that your party is serious

George Eliot: 'The Sage of Unbelief'

Grammatron

NY Play 'Fat Pig' Tackles What May Be the Last Taboo

Emirate's Falconer's Club

Dam is threat to Iran's heritage

Lloyd Grove's Lowdown: We'll never have Paris again Rush & Molloy: Playmate still baring teeth at heiress

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: How Blair flew into the heat of conflict

War prisons: Documents cast doubt on probes into killings of Iraqi prisoners by GIs. Deaths of prisoners not fully investigated

MIDDLE EAST: Blair hails Mid-East peace move

In-fighting clouds Labor vote to join Sharon coalition. Palestinians honor Arafat at end of mourning period

Saudis rebuke Libya over 'plot'

RUSSIA: Putin dots all "i's" about Chechnya and Yukos on his visit to Germany

AFRICA: 4 million dead in Congo

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

A softer bin Laden?

Stanford to review safety at SLAC

Pan Am 103. Why did they die?

Ban on terror-group training upheld. Appeals court alters earlier ruling after Congress revises law

Tanzanian man pleads guilty to LA mall terrorist hoax

NAVAL AVIATION: Chinese Mystery Deepens

Iran's Nuclear Program May Trigger the Young Turks To Think Nuclear

STRATEGIC NUCLEAR WEAPONS: Russia Trades Quantity for Quality

KOREA: Who Guards the Palace Guard Up North?

THE BALKANS: Everyone Cracks Down on Albanian Terrorists

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Entertaining Web Sites Promote Products Subtly

Ads in the spotlight, drugs under a cloud. Hard sell to public called into question

New chapter looms in tale of 2 wine firms

Diller unchained

Real Estate Hunters Go Old School

Shareholders Approve Sale of Mondavi to Constellation

Fannie Mae Shares Rise After Ousting of Raines, Howard; Mudd Takes Charge

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

Rare Pneumonia Found Among US Soldiers in Iraq + US troops suffer rare illness

Scientists want to see a stockpiling of antiviral drugs

MILITARY Army Reserve irked by soldier's fund-raiser. Bay Area man is selling 49ers keepsakes to raise cash for equipment to take to Iraq

Getting Used to Home Takes Time for Troops

Sexual assaults in Air Force go underreported

Tuition break for military dependents may continue

Peacekeeping Vehicles Doomed

Navy Has Relieved at Least 80 Commanders for Performance Problems

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Ruling on Microsoft is upheld by EU court

Mexican city outlaws indoor nudity

Britain: Law lords' terror ruling provokes constitutional crisis

Why It's Unconstitutional to Teach "Intelligent Design" in the Public Schools, as an Alternative to Evolution

Arsons Were Notoriety Ploy, Defendant Says

Iran Confirms Death Verdict Against Young Woman Convicted of Prostitution, but Denies She Is Mentally Disabled

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Billionaire Burkle employs new law in bid to seal divorce records under new State law

Official attacks prison's segregation policy

Medical pot user fights to keep driver's license + DMV delays testing marijuana user + Medical pot advocate sees act of 'retaliation'

Hospital settles with patients: $395 million. Lawsuit said Tenet performed hundreds of needless surgeries

Sacramento & north: R.E. Graswich: Waters irked at judge's refusal to cite homeless man for camping in park + Cold case revived by DNA + Man killed on Hwy. 99 was from Los Molinos + Dispute ends in fatal shooting + Man killed on dirt bike is identified

San Francisco, San Mateo: Search dogs to the rescue + Who's Your Daddy?

Alameda: Amber Alert canceled for Hayward boy + 4 sought in girl's death + Methadone overdose killed student at Cal + Mayor could change his mind on city's mounted patrol + Fremont: Trespassers plow through nursery + Mall worker robbed of store's deposit + Modesto CEO charged in bilking of clients + Rural helipad could be grounded

Santa Clara: No contest plea in rape of daughters

Contra Costa: Suspects in Antioch killing are found on Oregon farm + Suit filed in death of father who died fighting with unlicensed security guard

Marin: Jury backs ex-Marin firefighter + Daylight burglary baffles police in Belvedere

Sonoma: Graton teen convicted of murder + What Brett's mom would like to hear + Santa Rosa woman foils burglary suspect + Woman's arrest on suspicion of DUI fourth in 2 months

Solano: Massage parlors stung in Vallejo + Warning issued about fake charities

Monterey: Fired deputy wants job back + Bus driver at fault in crash, CHP says + O'Shea wants state to take case + Salinas: Resident shoots, kills home invader

Central Valley: Daniloo affidavit alleges DreamLife scheme + Deputy-run report harsh on top aide + Delta recovers stolen laptop + Modestan held in killing amid drug sting + Family calls for clues in slaying

Central Coast: Dreams cut short in shooting victim’s death

Southern California: Jurors hear Robert Blake and witnesses to his wife's death + Suspended LA priest ordered to trial in sex abuse case + Gunman shooting at vehicles on Southern California freeways + Brutal Death of Blake's Wife Described

Scott Peterson: Could Scott Peterson Have Avoided The Death Penalty? Why Mark Geragos Should Have Put Peterson on the Witness Stand

The Governor: Dems call for Gov to persuade Bush to give back California's "fair share" of federal taxes, to allow state to erase deficit without huge cuts or tax hikes + Gov. to unmask his staff + Gov.'s health care reform plan for the poor is ready Click. + Gov. sued by California 's largest nursing union as it moved to uphold landmark hospital staffing ratios he recently blocked Click. + Dan Walters: Gov.'s mild advice snowballs into hot-button issue + Insider navigates Gov. into a swamp

State Wants Money Back from non profit Click.

CalPERS right about clean air standards

Hetch Hetchy's management found wanting. Audit spells out PUC's costly missteps in water and power system

California company recalls gas control valve recall due to fire hazard

Loretta Lynch's legacy

Value words, a linguist advises Democrats

Legislature: Reservist Umberg who won Assembly seat returns home from military service Click.

Indian tribes: Gov. won't OK casinos in East Bay, letter says

LOCAL NEWS:  Crabbers want a law

Bay Area: Household water use projected to level off. Any rise in demand on Hetch Hetchy tied to businesses

Sacramento & north: New law may slam door on city hood + Del Paso trustees OK merger with Grant + Feds sign off on widening of Tower Bridge sidewalks + Judge's order halts Teichert mining project near Lincoln

San Francisco, San Mateo: Giants seek tax break on 4-year-old stadium + Menlo Park considers relocating auto dealers + Burlingame entrepreneurs bank on thrill of racing + Burnout, office swaps

Alameda: Oakland city clerk resigns + Oakland: Sheriff's deputy drowns on vacation + Island poet John Isles wins NEA prize + San Leandro to restore 1800s streetlamps + Tong back at Newark City Hall + Fremont: Commuter train collides with truck + Council changes ante for card rooms

Santa Clara: Valley transit fares to rise again + Helping was crash victim's nature + Residents in new development get their grassy patch of open space + Milpitas city manager resigns post at meeting

Contra Costa: Lafayette couple die in avalanche. Parents of 2 sons on skiing vacation in western Austria + Martinez: Community services chief quits under fire

Marin: Battle brewing over school tax + Two victims of fatal crash in Novato identified as Santa Rosa residents

Sonoma: Bush, general salute wounded Boonville soldier + Night out in SF ends in fatal crash

Napa: Consolidation continued in wine industry in 2004 + St. Helena to redo part of flood plan

Solano: Benicia makeover opportunity begins within + Skateboarders, BMX fans, dogs will share park + Downtown Vallejo stages holiday event + Federal grant supports food, shelter programs

Monterey: Emergency funds drop

Central Valley: Bakersfield: Dean Gardner faces more charge Click. + Farmers have until year's end to turn in plans to clean the air Click. + Turlock supercenter ban upheld + Stanislaus: Want a shot? Flu vaccines are available + County OKs fire district oversight + Oakdale approves 'big-box' standards + Oakdale district shutters pipeline + Red-light cameras not yet functioning + Farmers win endangered-species water fight

Central Coast: Service honors homeless victims + Mother of slain Pajaro Marine heads to Middle East on peace mission + Families join neighborhood posada march + Grant aids family services

Southern California: On child killed, one injured in Huntington Park apartment fire + Rivals Fire at Hahn's Record Click. + San Bernardino: 'Rising Star' steps down Click. + D.A.'s office probing campaign donations Click. + Paso Robles: Quake-hit city on the rebound, booming again + Hahn, rivals spar over environmental issues

School days: College chief picked for U.N. job + Need a hand on SAT? Just call + Planting seeds for scholarships + Merced board OKs concept of UC campus community +Kids Get With The Program at Creative Arts Camp + Napa school district seeking oversight members + CSU Monterey Bay losing leader + SCC satellites likely to offer degree classes + Philadelphia Schools Experiment Seen as Leader

Vaccine 'may stop heart disease'

News about side effects puts doctors in a pickle. What do they tell their worried, confused patients?

Stem-Cell Method May Cheat Death

Study Resolves Doubt About Origin Of Earth's Oldest Rocks, Possibility Of Finding Traces Of Ancient Life

New Warning For Strattera

First Blood Test To Diagnose Paralyzing, Blinding Disease

Injectable Gel Could Speed Repair Of Torn Cartilage

Researchers Present Saturn Lightning Findings

Cell's Tiny Power Source Critical For Synapse Function

Chemicals Found In Cherries May Help Fight Diabetes

The Real World: Recognizing Mental Illness in Young Adults

Sense and Sensitivity: Understanding Food Allergies in Kids

More Than Seizures: Helping Children with Epilepsy Learn

Symphony Of Colours In The Tarantula

Researchers Discover New Gene In Colon Cancer: A Naturally Occurring COX-2 Inhibitor

Moth Joins Battle To Cut Mimosa Down To Size

Another Step Towards Understanding The Causes Of Narcolepsy

Research In Yeast Yields Missing Link In DNA Maintenance Machinery

Old T Cells Cripple Immune Function In The Elderly

High-flying Observatory Reveals Land Changing To Desert

Blocking Molecules Protects Health Of Implants

Research Explores Addiction As Computational Process

Manipulating Our Memories Of Food Can Influence What We Choose To Eat, UCI Study Suggests

Latest Census Finds More American Pika Populations Disappear As Climate Warms

Jefferson Scientists Find Way To See Breast Cancer Activity From Outside The Body

Strokes: Dental X-rays Reveal More Than Cavities

Anger, Negative Emotions May Trigger Stroke

Big day 'can't slow cancer death'

Talent 'changes way brain works'

Huge rocket makes maiden flight

A new satellite is monitoring Earth's thin blue shield

DIET: Cancer Research Group Offers Free Weekly Recipes by E-Mail to Promote Better Health

Speech Takes on Search Engines

Santy worm makes unwelcome visit + Google recovers after virus hits + Toxic web links

Brussels blow to Microsoft upheld + Europe to Get Retooled Windows

The Future's Bright For Diamond Dust

Ultrawideband Spec Battle Takes Shape

Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century

Chinese Software Maker Watchdata Plans IPO Worth Up to $100 Million

THE BUSHWORLD...

Iraq blast dims Bush's hopes

Bush Social Security plan worries GOP

U.S. Cutting Food Aid Aimed at Self-Sufficiency

Water rights decision sends powerful message

Imported drugs' safety questioned. Contents of reports may indicate Bush won't hurry on issue

Bush, NAACP leader meet to discuss strained relations

GOP corporate donors cash in on smut

Big cities get big boost in anti-terror grants. New threat criteria force cuts in funds for smaller towns

Regulators take aim at mattress fires

U.S. forest plan would lessen restraints

Bush's tax overhaul may be incremental

Even Republicans Doubt Bush's Social Security Plan

Don't Count on Immediate Tax Overhaul

Science, Commerce Mingle at NIH + Public Pays for Expert's Advice, and So Do Firms Research Stalls as Experts Work for Rival

Congress: Fewer U.S. Lawmakers Visit Iraq, and Those Who Do Find Dangers Increasing

Democrats: Democrats Claim Win in Washington Gov.'s Race

Vote fraud: Democrats: Gregoire wins by 8 votes + Recount dispute goes to high court + Click. Rick Perlstein: The case of the Ohio recount + Election Observers Rule Out Computer Tampering + Election fraud discovered

OPINIONS:

Rumsfeld's spying ambitions

Now They're After Rummy: Justin Raimondo

Fallujah: Little Stalingrad: William S. Lind

'Peaceful' Regime Change in Iran?: Jim Lobe

Shock, Awe, and the Human Body: William Pfaff

A Catastrophic Success

Morford: Amazon.com Is For Republicans

US crisis in Iraq sparks Republican attacks on Rumsfeld

Post-9/11 memo argued for unlimited presidential war-making powers

Molly Ivins: Iraq reality check

Huffington: Will the GOP nuke the Constitution?

Down and Out in Discount America

Throw Down Your Cross

Déjà vu for the delusion of medals

What Social Security 'crisis'? 

Bush monkey portrait causes a stir in New York + Banned artwork of Bush suddenly gets bigger audience

School Yuletide Observances Shift into Neutral Click.

Teen sues after school banned Confederate flag prom dress

Playwright goes into hiding and blocks plan to perform work

CONNECT THE DOTS....

Drug firms are on the defense as Michael Moore plans to dissect their industry Click.

Mysterious cleansings keep Mars rover humming

Stardom: SANTY Arrived Early

Pravda.Ru's portrayal of the "Kursk" tragedy serves a basis for a film

Blood for pork....

Click.  Halliburton Names KBR Four Killed in Mosul

American firm pulls out of Iraq

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond: Parties backing state's marriage law have little in common + Straight family-man Herrera an improbable gay rights defender + Court won't block California's domestic partners law + Most gay couples decline city refund re: marriage license + Dates in California history important to same-sex marriage debate + Onward Christian ex-gays

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

Schram: Press fails to press Bush

Failure of the Washington Press Corps

Click. Publisher seeks trademark status for Examiner

On Second Thought, Maybe 'The Tennessean' Would Distribute Bibles

Proposed AP Ethics Policy Draws Some Guild Concerns

A Minnesota Town's Multitasking Newspaperman: Editor, Publisher, and Mayor

Top Papers Editorialize on Mosul, Realism, and Iraqi Elections

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

THE EDINBURGH CASTLE PUB, LONG A WATERING HOLE FOR WRITERS, HAS PUT TOGETHER ITS FIRST ANTHOLOGY

Island poet John Isles wins NEA prize

Unique Ancient Portrait

Find tied to Jesus' first miracle

Roman Face Cream Reproduced

The Boy from Rotterdam

Nancy Franklin on the biology of Beatles listeners

Dave Eggers on Monty Python

The Leonard Bernstein Collection

St. Machar's Cathedral, Aberdeen

Da food ain't fit ta eat in dis joint, Martha sez on website

Rush & Molloy

Lloyd Grove's Lowdown

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

War prisons: ACLU: FBI ruse used in Guantanamo abuse + SEAL acquitted of abuse charges + FBI agents saw detainees abused by U.S. military. Federal memos on Guantanamo, Iraq released by ACLU + FBI: Military Wrapped Detainees in Israeli Flags

MIDDLE EAST: Arafat Cabinet chief says he knows when leader was poisoned

Settlers endorse call for civil disobedience. Evictions by Israel in Gaza, West Bank

RUSSIA: Putin Makes Abrupt Reversal on Ukraine + Chinese could take role in exploiting Yukos main asset: Putin+ U.S. Protests Sale of YUKOS Unit + Putin's corruption

UKRAINE: US Programs Tread Thin Line in Ukraine

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

Security Drill at Weapons Plant Raises Safety Questions

CIA loses bid to keep record secret

Surveillance is daunting in Internet's dark alleys

Report: foreigners defeat border security with stolen passports

Appeals court reinstates terror indictments

Study spells out high toll on city in LNG attack

Schools Forward Private Information to Military Recruiters

Northrop Grumman to Provide Biometric Technology to UK

Activists, Human Rights Leaders Suspicious in Murder of U.S. Union Leader in El Salvador

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

U.S. government returns smuggled parrots to Mexico

Child porn suspect suicide tally hits 32

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

Cutter Boutwell returning to port with drug haul from off Guatemala

State sues securities company

State won't appeal ruling allowing brokers to publish real estate on web without license

Sacramento & north: Sacramento officers cleared of abuse + Woodson, Anderson arrested in incident + Capital getting a new college + Senior citizen woodworkers hammered by theft of tools + Finalists picked for lieutenants' jobs + Shooting by SWAT team investigated + Tenet agrees to $395 million settlement with Redding patients

San Francisco, San Mateo: Reward set in '03 jewel heist + $50,000 reward in huge jewel heist + Consultant charged with fraud felony + Amphlett ahead in war on gangs

Alameda: Oakland police slow to reform, study says + Police link Highway 13 fatality to alcohol + Fremont family's gift: an eviction notice + Fremont finalists now a fab four + Police investigate two in carjacking + Housing co-op, neighbors wait for suit's result + Testimony ends in suit against co-op + Teen recounts strip search done in parking lot + Pleasanton: Robbery suspect escapes + Testimony finished in student co-op trial + Internal investigations by Police Dept. ignore evidence, report says + Taming an `Animal House'

Santa Clara: Driver shot while fumbling with revolver + Parents file suit in teen's death

Contra Costa: Pattersons sue maker of RU-486 + Sheriff's deputies seek man in Bay Point stabbing death + County works on pension crisis

Marin: Novato man sues Nortel over pay + Disabled activist, attorney ordered to justify lawsuits

Sonoma: Sebastopol plan for police car idled + Mobile home park rent freeze approved

Solano: Mother of convicted killer gets more time to pay restitution

Monterey: Ex-DOJ staffer pleads not guilty to practicing law without license + Lawyer pleads not guilty + Second arrest made in slaying

Central Valley: Blood donors told to watch for ID theft + Red-light cameras still not snapping + Fine for leaving keys in car is rejected + Deputies working to identify 2 bodies

Central Coast: Capitola teen makes splash in surf world + Soquel Creek Water District customers face rate hike

Central Coast: Judge’s ruling allows FLOW to be heard in water rate case

Southern California: Prosecutors open inquiry into campaign money funneled to LA mayor + Judge clears way for start of Jackson trial by rejecting motion for delay + Details of marriage central in Blake trial + Prosecutors open inquiry into campaign money funneled to LA mayor + Judge clears way for start of Jackson trial by rejecting motion for delay + Jurors hear opening statements in Robert Blake murder trial + Buyer of missing Arizona couple's yacht allegedly linked to drug sales + Former Carson mayor sentenced for taking contract bribes + 7 Arrested in Hog and Dog Competitions + D.A. Opens Inquiry on Donations + Judge Affirms Park Eviction + Card Stores Settle Credit Card Receipt Case + Man Wanted in Murder Killed in Shootout + Judge Quashes Big Award in Girl's Death + Gangbusting agency

Scott Peterson: Web site by Peterson's lawyer seeks 'real killer' + Laci's image belied peril, a syndrome all too typical + Geragos Web site says money needed to find real killer

The Governor:  Gov. seeks funds for lab's laser project + Gov. backs off on lunch rules + Plan for emergency order dropped after high volume of calls expressing concern + Gov. offers bold promise on electricity

Audit emphasizes why Shelley needs to go

Garamendi's Executive Life deal still a political headache

Democratic adviser Garry South called turncoat

Indian tribes: Tribes turn to charter schools for help + Casino garage nearly ready; liquor license pending

LOCAL NEWS:  Tentative deal heads off a grocery strike vote

Is a bridge game afoot?

Hidden Fault May Contribute To Bay Area Earthquake Risks

San Francisco, San Mateo: Barbara Brown's soup kitchen started out of a car 2 decades ago + City attorney wants PG&E to pay penalties for outage + Newsom wants Prop. 63 funds spent mostly on chronically homeless + Daly joins protesters at mayor's office + Health officials issue alert about rare sexually transmitted disease +City: Punish PG&E + Yee to run for state Senate + Parks closures on way + San Carlos bails on South County Fire + Nevin's term ends as new doors open+ Consultant charged with fraud felony + Amphlett ahead in war on gangs

Alameda: Panel slams rezoning for personal heliport + Hayward gets a taste of Hollywood + Famed Bay Area contractor Lathrop dies + Berkeley skating rink may face closure + Alameda poet John Isles wins coveted NEA award + Hospitals, SEIU Local 250 to establish training fund + Check out holiday lights in the Tri-City area + Taxi drivers' protest delays vote on limo services + Construction on Livermore to S.F. pipeline nears its end + Berkeley to close offices again to save money op trial + Internal investigations by Police Dept. ignore evidence, report says + Taming an `Animal House'

Santa Clara: S.J. ranks No. 7 for expensive rents + Bringing back a lost language Chochenyo + East P.A. weighs drafting policy for liquor sales + Low-cost bonds to boost housing + Valley's entrepreneurs must be out in garage

Contra Costa: Contra Costa Community services chief quits under fire + Pardee will wait to circulate project petitions + County works on pension burden

Marin: Grant to help protect native plants + Liberatore at Large

Sonoma: Sebastopol plan for police car idled + Mobile home park rent freeze approved

Solano: Giuliani's goodbye

Monterey: Otter mural can be painted over

Central Valley: Crash kills life of party at 16 + Fallen Modesto Marine hero of Fallujah battle + City staff still sorts through fee mess in Patterson + The personal touch critical for some lawmakers' letters

Central Coast: Capitola teen makes splash in surf world + Soquel Creek Water District customers face rate hike

Southern California: San Diego officials to testify in SEC probe + Riverside fire officials determine cause of last year's Mountain Fire + Library Gets a Warm Welcome + Alarcon Proposes Contributions Limit + Gadfly's Messages Tout Moore for Mayor + Tower in Deadly Crash Was a Menace to Incoming Fullerton Flights, Pilots Say + GAO says feds near blunder on courthouse or else

School days: Santa Clara: Move to carve up East Side District + Skipping school not always path to techie riches + U.S. Slips in Attracting the World's Best Students + Group protests CSUH change + Personal cost of teaching in Bay Area + Ideological diversity in short supply on college campuses + Swamped By Depression, Feelings Of Guilt, Panic

Scientists Study Fish Oil Diet In Bid To Cut Heart Attack Risks

Reshaping medicine with gene tests

Naproxen is latest painkiller suspected of health risk

Acupuncture found to relieve arthritis in knee

Exercise Program Specially Fit to Needs of Mentally Ill People

Lake Tahoe Warmer, Study Finds

Drug makers revamping clinical-trial system

Cloned Gene From Sea Animal May Prove Key In Cancer Drug Development

50,000-year-old Plant May Warn Of The Death Of Tropical Ice Caps

Baby Songbirds And Human Infants Learn Sounds In Similar Ways

Nuclear-powered Mission To Neptune Could Answer Questions About Planetary Formation

McGill Researchers Identify New Way To Reduce Cholesterol Levels

A New Model For Child Survival In Africa

Researchers Report Early Success Using Saliva To Detect Oral Cancer

A New Vaccine Against Enteritidis Salmonella

New Tuberculosis Antibiotic May Shorten Treatment Time, Fight Drug-resistant Strains

Physicians May Need To Dig Deeper When Treating HIV-related Lymphomas

Dream Home: Malaria Parasite Renovates To Suit Its Tastes

3.6 Million Philippine Flood Victims Threatened By Outbreaks Of Diseases

What Should Celebrex And Bextra Patients Do?

Children's Hospital Boston Launches Major Genetic Study Of Autism

DNA May Hold Key To Information Processing And Data Storage

In Wake Of Lyme Disease Vaccine For People, Mice May Be Next In Line

Novel Cellular Pathway Increases Sensitivity Of Body's Immune Detective

Rapid Progress Reported In Emerging Field Of Molecular Electronics

Gravity May Lose Its Pull

THE BUSHWORLD...

U.S. Says 'Enemies of Freedom' Seek to Derail Iraq

W. House Expects Probe of Iraq, Guantanamo Abuses

Drug-Import Safety Costs, Risks Outweigh Savings, U.S. Task Force Reports

Bush Vows Intelligence Director Will Have Real Power

U.S. Seeking Talks with Iran - Iran Official

Bush faults Iraqi forces. He acknowledges mixed results from U.S. training

W rues Kerik demise, lets vetters off hook

Seniors can claim a $600 drug credit

FAA on air traffic controller hiring spree

Social Security reverses on marriages

Woman pleads guilty to threatening Bush

FDA: Options Open on Naproxen, Celebrex

Congress: 9/11 panel looks to revamp Congress. Offshoot group's lobbying campaign to begin next month

Democrats: Who can lead the Democrats?

Vote fraud: Gregoire: Let's accept recount + In the Ohio Recount, the True Villian Is Slipping Away

OPINIONS:

Bush-speak, a glittering world of fantasy

Bush's press conference remarks have very little to do with reality

Richard Cohen: Soc Sec 'crisis' is Bush's new WMD

The politics of the Christmas story

Remembering Rumsfeld's Rules

A Shameful Silence on Torture

Why Rummy Should Stay

Saddam Didn't Do It Alone

Bush Lied While Americans Died

Admitting the Truth

CONNECT THE DOTS....

Why Men Are Attracted To Subordinate Women

Invisible bias

With Peterson Trial Over, One Question Remains: Why Murder Over Divorce?

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Vintners Courted as Wine Sales Flourish

SBA has new view of 'small'

USGS Estimates Undiscovered Oil & Gas In Yukon Flats, East-Central Alaska

Purdue Engineers Define 15 Dimensions Of 'E-Work'

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

'Hot' times in the city: People get radioactive

Articles about AIDS drug trial prompt outrage in Africa. Fraud alleged in tests of medicine to treat pregnant women

San Francisco gay marriage and beyond:  S.F. gay marriages head to court. Judge will begin hearing arguments Wednesday on constitutionality of California's ban on same-sex unions + Those who filed suit

The Pen Is Mightier.... 

'Times-Dispatch' of Richmond, Va., Runs Early On-Scene Report on Mosul Attack

Washington Post to Buy Web Magazine Slate

Gallup: Online News Hasn't Beaten Old Media -- Yet

Columnist Jack Newfield is Dead at 66

Minneapolis Paper Refuses Gay Pride Ad, Draws Discrimination Complaint

Bible Society Wants to Distribute More New Testaments via Newspapers

Wellesley Women's Review shuts down

Sixth Harry Potter Book Due Out in July

TV Reporter Sentenced for Contempt Decides Not to Appeal

Today's papers

Gauguin, Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers
Enlarge  

Daily picture from the Metropolitan

Modern muralists act as renaissance painters

Who Should Tell History: The Tribes or the Museums?

Flamenco. Heart's desire of Japanese dancers

Labyrinthos - Labyrinth Resource Centre - Caerdroia

Henrik Ibsen - Playing With A Doll's House

Lloyd Grove's Lowdown: Trump tenants: Fired up

Rush & Molloy: Penn's 'Surprise' was just murder

Page Six

Liz Smith

Cindy Adams

Your daily braindrop

Word of the day

Occupation: Security for aid workers - a missing link

War prisons: U.S. Panel Reverses Pentagon on 'Enemy Combatant'

MIDDLE EAST: Freeing 170 Palestinians -- an Israeli nod to Egypt. Gesture may reflect warmer relations -- some deride accord

Moussa: Mubarak's warning on attacking Iran reflects strategic vision

Mubarak: Palestinian State would be created by 2008

Egyptian pope goes into seclusion

UKRAINE: Ukraine rivals cross swords in TV debate

EUROPE: Germany gambles on amped-up push for renewable power

Spanish suffer lack of sleep as globalisation ends siesta

AFRICA: Sudan rebels reject Libyan proposal on Darfur, talks end Tuesday

US Gravely Concerned About Darfur

AMERICAS: Cuba Wraps Up Military Defense Exercises

Schulz: Bolivia Water War

Chilean court OKs Pinochet arrest, trial

INTELLIGENCE AGENTS AT WORK AND AT PLAY....

New National Guard team prepares for the biggest attacks

Spyblog

Click. A tell-all book about U.N. peacekeeping stirs up controversy

Click. Technical Analysis of the UN Bugging Device

New Law to Spread the Use Of CIA's Analysis Approach

Outsourcing Detention

Osama's coiled for strike, says terror expert

Telltale technologies

Alleged Aide of Libyan Al-Qaida Operative Arrested in Pakistan

Yemeni Youths, Some Seeking Martyrdom, Head to Iraq to Join Insurgents

Blood for pork....

Firm accused of Iraqi fraud disputes federal suit. No U.S. money allegedly taken, lawyers argue

MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK....

Water Investing Enters The Mainstream

Analysts Bet Pfizer's Celebrex Won't Be Withdrawn

Disney Settles Dispute With SEC

Shift to Foreign Stocks Sapping the Dollar

Diageo Wins Bid for Chalone

After Disney's Ovitz trial, ushering in a new era of humility in Hollywood Click. US housing rentals unaffordable to Poor

Outsource or perish

BIOWARFARE  WATCH....

Automated Water Safety Sensor Units Detect Currently Unmonitored Biological Agents

Lung Cancer Linked to Gulf War Fires

HOW LOW
THE LAW GOES....

Church abuse victims' tactics add to controversy

Tentative Unocal deal could alter behavior of multinationals

House of Cards for Black Law Students

Women Reach Out After Doing Time

DEA offers $5 million reward for Mexican drug kingpin

NASA hacker jailed for six months

Report: China to Start Holding Jury Trials

U.S. Agrees to Nazi 'Gold Train' Settlement

Many New or Expectant Mothers Die Violent Deaths

Reward offered in occultist murder case

Westar Trial Ends in Hung Jury for Former Chief Wittig and Vice President

Martha Stewart's Camp Cupcake holiday plans

CALIFORNIA BREAKING LAW NEWS....

California Sues Brokerage Firm for Fraud on Same Day SEC Announces Settlement Over Similar Allegations

Salespeople profit from 'horror' of probate + Seniors' assets an easy target

New Year's New Laws. Vote-by Fax, Marriage-by-Proxy Legal Click.

More needs to be done about disability pension fraud

After a death, a long wait for a death certificate

Sacramento & north: Grocery talks go down to wire + Smud looks to grow west + Conaway Ranch's sale is a surprise

San Francisco, San Mateo: Beardslee's execution date set

Alameda: Police link San Leandro fatality to alcohol + Man arrested on suspicion of mortgage fraud + Church told to hand over priest files + Fremont man robbed, stabbed + Fremont brawl leads to 7 arrests

Marin: Explosives found near trail above Mill Valley + Dynamite discovery troubles residents. TNT detonated after hiker finds military-style cache + Longtime Marin activist appointed to State Bar board

Solano: Over and out + Vallejo Police Calls

Monterey: Heroin use alleged against Monterey paramedics in wrongful death case + Girl who abandoned baby, released from custody + Wild boars excavating lawns + Three gifts born from tragedy + A pitch to help youth

Central Valley: Waterford man killed in bedroom + Dispute turns fatal, police say

Central Coast: Family time eases jail time

Southern California: San Diego: Immigrant smugglers recruiting gamblers + Opening statements expected in Robert Blake trial + Hearings focus on Michael Jackson's past, request for trial delay + San Diego man sues U.S. Forest Service employees under mafia law + San Diego: First Amendment does not protect taking police uniform off for profit LA hospital could lose federal funding over police stun gun use on mental patients + A Child Is at Heart of Blake Case+ DNA Query in O.C. Child Slaying+ Actor Josh Brolin arrested for domestic battery+ 5 Held in Heist of 198 Pounds of Cocaine + Robert Blake trial gets underway + Prosecutor: Blake Obsessed with Child, Hated Wife + Lawyer for Jackson Seeks Trial Delay, Says He Was 'sandbagged' by Prosecution

Scott Peterson: Archives offer details of murder of Scott Peterson's grandfather Seeing parallels in '96 execution + Lockyer has been notably subdued

The Governor:  State may get new militia + Credit card bill for California skyrockets + California National Guard members eye state pension + Gov.'s solar program would be costly + Gov. readies try at changing government

Shelley's screwups + Legislature can't ignore Shelley's bungling