Today's Fresh Meat

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Schwarzenegger is exploring ways of influencing the presidential primary, from issue forums to joint appearances at fundraisers. "He is payingattention to what the candidates are saying, and he is very concernedabout the nation's energy issues," said Schwarzenegger's communicationsdirector Adam Mendelsohn.

Paul Seave's role as gang czar is drawing controversy. Law enforcement groups say statewide efforts tocurb gang violence are not enough, while others are less thanenthusiastic about their prospects.  “Practically nobody would thinkthat what we really need is a gang czar,” said Franklin Zimring, acriminal law expert at UC Berkeley.

A private research group has ranked Oakland as the nation's fourth most dangerous city. Each year the ranking by Congressional Quarterly Inc. is dismissed by criminologists, so don't take it too seriously.

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