California State University to cut enrollment (AP via Yahoo! News) California State University, the nation's largest four-year public university system, expects to cut enrollment by 10,000 students this fall due to funding cuts.

Trial begins over California prison crowding (Washington Post) SAN FRANCISCO -- Attorneys for the state and inmates' rights groups clashed Tuesday at the opening of a high-stakes trial over whether California's jam-packed prisons have led to unconstitutionally poor medical and mental health care.

California bent on rebuilding despite wildfire risk (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Twice in the span of a month, wildfires have ravaged the same northeast corner of greater Los Angeles, destroying hundreds of homes and the good life offered by California's scenic beauty at the city's edge.

California Universities Will Cut Enrollment Unless State Increases Money (New York Times) Hard hit by budget cuts, the California State University system is planning to cut its enrollment by 10,000 students for the 2009-10 academic year.

Astana will train in California (AP via Yahoo! News) The Astana professional cycling team, which now includes Lance Armstrong, will stage its United States training camp in California after spending last year in New Mexico.

Brazil Forest Protection to Get Economic Aid in California Deal (Bloomberg) Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- California pledged financial aid for efforts to curb logging in Indonesia and Brazil , aiming to slow deforestation that scientists say adds to global warming.

Firefighters set for victory against California blazes (AFP via Yahoo! News) Firefighters were on course for victory in their battle against a series of devastating California infernos on Tuesday as President George W. Bush declared a federal disaster in the stricken area.

Interest surging in California's cow power (San Francisco Chronicle) It doesn't have solar power's high-tech sexiness, and it's far from clean. But cow power is slowly gaining ground in California. A Bakersfield company said Tuesday that it will build a pipeline network to collect methane generated by cow manure at three Kern...

California's emergency fire costs hit $305M (North County Times) SACRAMENTO -- The Southern California wildfires are burning a bigger hole in California's budget, adding to the state's $11.2 billion deficit, the governor's finance spokesman said Tuesday.

Poll finds little support for California sales tax hike (BizJournals) Increasing the state sales tax to help shore up California’s budget deficit was opposed by a majority of those who voted in the most recent online Business Pulse survey.