The California Report, KQED Public Radio

• How Did Hillary Do?

  California Democrats listened attentively to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's much-anticipated convention speech Tuesday night. What many among the group of Clinton faithful wanted to hear was a definitive rallying cry for the 2008 campaign and an iron-clad case to go out and work for Barack Obama this fall. Scott Shafer has the recap.
  

• What No Budget Means for Community Colleges

  Community colleges are one of the California institutions under the gun because of the budget impasse in Sacramento. The state's 72 community college districts have gone without $500 million dollars in payments in August alone. There is no guarantee which programs will ultimately be funded, and administrators are trying to keep their campuses running despite the uncertainty.
  

• Tobacco Savings

  California's aggressive anti-smoking efforts have paid off, big time. A new study by UCSF has found the state's tobacco control program saved $86 billion in health care costs since it began almost 20 years ago.
  

• Women and Obama

  When Hillary Clinton speaks tonight at the Democratic National Convention she's expected to make the case for supporting Barack Obama for president. Even so, polls show that many who voted for Clinton -- especially women -- aren't yet sold on Obama. We report from Denver on what Obama is up against.
  

San Francisco Chronicle

• Clintons are powerful weapon in Obama arsenal

  Hillary buttons are selling at a deep discount on the streets of Denver, but the most powerful political couple in American history has emerged from the Democratic convention as Sen. Barack Obama's most dangerous weapon. Like all dangerous weapons, Sen....

  
  

• Obama surprises Dems with convention visit

  Barack Obama, who was formally nominated Wednesday as the first major-party African American presidential candidate in history, delighted and electrified Democrats with a surprise visit on the third day of their national convention - one painted with a...

  
  

• Stocks rise following gain in durable goods orders

  Wall Street posted a sizable advance Wednesday after the government reported a larger-than-expected increase in orders for big-ticket manufactured goods that indicated the economy could be stronger than some investors thought. The Commerce Department said...

  
  

Oakland Tribune

• Bitter feelings aside, Clintons back Obama 100 percent

  Analysis:

• Bay Area junior statesmen raise their voice for Obama

  n East Bay youths discuss race, politics, generational differences

• Soul fest brings big acts to downtown Oakland on Labor Day weekend

  Organizers expect 65,000 people to flock to downtown Oakland this weekend for the annual, three-day Art & Soul Oakland festival that boasts 60 bands, six stages, art installations, a children's carnival and multicultural food.

SacBee -- Bee State News

• Caples Lake trout play hard to get for state rescuers

  KIRKWOOD, Alpine County – Any angler who has been skunked at Caples Lake would have netted some consolation Tuesday watching dozens of state Fish and Game workers trying to catch the High Sierra trout.

  
  Kun Dargi, left, and Bill Somer check nets as part of a major Department of Fish and Game effort Tuesday to rescue trout in Caples Lake.

  
  Nets were just part of Fish and Game's trout-rescue effort Tuesday at Caples Lake. Crews also used sonar fish finders and satellite navigation.

  
  Volunteer Steve Dexter holds the object of the Caples Lake exercise: an 18-inch trout.

• Heavily armed suspect held in Yreka

  He had a cache of guns, 4,000 rounds of ammo, and a pipe bomb strapped to his right leg – prepared to rain war, authorities said, on the Siskiyou County town of Yreka.

  
  Michael Solano was filled with rage at the Siskiyou County Probation Department, his wife said.

• Parolee apparently kills self after N. Sacramento homicide

  Bobbie Johnson bought beer for the guy who slept in a garage down the street from his North Sacramento home.

  
  Officer Randy Lozoya directs a North Sacramento resident past crime-scene tape Thursday. The night before, police found Anna McCaleb fatally shot and Bobbie Johnson badly beaten. Ma Phompong, who lived nearby, apparently took their truck and a rifle and fled to Fresno.

  
  Fresno police SWAT officers prepare to leave the scene Thursday where a body believed to be Ma Phompong was found dead.

  
  Bobbie Johnson had an eye socket bashed in Wednesday in the attack that killed his companion, Anna McCaleb.

San Jose Mercury News

• Burned by fire, condor sanctuary prepares to rebuild

  Biologists prepare to break ground on a new building, but two birds are presumed dead.

• Del Martin, 87, pioneering lesbian activist

  Del Martin, a strident and eloquent voice in the early gay and lesbian civil rights movement in America, died Wednesday in San Francisco not long after enjoying perhaps the hardest-won prize of her lifelong cause -- legal marriage to Phyllis Lyon, her longtime partner. Martin was 87.

• Poll finds gay-marriage ban lacking support

  A new state survey shows 40 percent of voters would eliminate same-sex marriage, but 54 percent oppose the November ballot initiative.

Los Angeles Times

• Los Angeles taco trucks can stay put again

  A judge overturns a recent county supervisors' rule limiting how long the mobile food vendors can remain parked in one spot.
  
  Taco trucks are back in full force -- at least for now.

  

  
  

• Blogger arrested, accused of posting 9 unreleased Guns N' Roses songs

  Kevin Cogill, 27, of Culver City, who admitted to allowing public access to the songs on the Antiquiet blog, was arrested today on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws.
  
  A man accused of posting nine previously unreleased songs by the rock band Guns N' Roses on a website where they could be accessed by the public was arrested at his home early today on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws, authorities said.

  

  
  

• Ex-Marine's case goes to Riverside County jurors

  The panel begins deliberations in Jose Nazario's trial. The jury hears a tape in which he appears to admit ordering the 2004 killings in Fallouja.
  
  A federal jury in Riverside on Wednesday began deliberating the fate of a former Marine sergeant accused in the killing of four Iraqi prisoners, a case that both sides argued in closing arguments could affect the United States' mission in Iraq.

  

  
  

San Diego Union-Tribune

• CCDC to expand probe for conflicts of interest

  Downtown San Diego's redevelopment authority will now investigate three years' worth of projects to determine possible conflicts of interest, following this month's revelations that former President Nancy Graham had an undisclosed business relationship with a developer.

• Manchester executive is troubled by boycott

  Officials at the Manchester Financial Group have argued for weeks that a boycott by gay rights and union groups hasn't hurt business at its two San Diego hotels, the Manchester Grand Hyatt and The Grand Del Mar.

• Man killed by police had drugs in system

  SAN DIEGO – A Los Angeles man shot to death by San Diego Harbor Police after jumping off a cruise ship last month tested positive for narcotics and was shot from behind, according to a toxicology report released yesterday.

Fresno Bee

• Settlement: OC laborers can seek jobs from streets

  A settlement between day laborers and the Orange County sheriff's office calls for authorities to acknowledge workers' rights to seek work while standing on sidewalks, according to attorneys for the laborers. Read comments

• Man rams car into Playboy Mansion gates _ twice

  One man appears determined to crash the party at the Playboy Mansion. Read comments

• Pregnant woman says Jags WR arranged assault

  A pregnant woman sued Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Dennis Northcutt on Wednesday for allegedly arranging for his cousin to beat her up at a Hollywood restaurant. Read comments

KPCC, Southern California Public Radio

• Obama Accepts Democratic Nomination

  Kitty Felde, Shirley Jahad: Senator Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination. KPCC's Kitty Felde was inside for the roll call when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Obama's acceptance. Kitty tells KPCC's Shirley Jahad about the audience's reaction.

• Democrats Get Ready for the Roll Call Vote

  Kitty Felde: The Democrats' roll call vote for the party's Presidential nominee began at three this afternoon. Party officials say they want to finish up early so they can move the elaborate podium to nearby Invesco Field for Barack Obama's acceptance speech tomorrow. But some say the real reason is to keep Hillary Clinton delegates from mussing up the vote. KPCC's Special Correspondent Kitty Felde says one delegate remembers the Democrats' last ugly floor fight from 28 years ago.

• Robo-Grasshoppers

  Bounding robo-grasshoppers offer a high-tech solution to tricky mountain rescues.

KPBS, San Diego Public Radio