Judging from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s preliminary budget, he seems to be sticking to an agreement he made with the University of California last year. But fulfillment of that compact is still months away, if the governor is able to keep the agreement at all. Read more...

Yahoo unveils free software SUNNYVALE “”mdash; Internet giant Yahoo Inc. is offering to help consumers and office workers sift through the digital mishmash stored on their computers with a free software product to be introduced Tuesday. Read more...

After 17 years, faculty members voted 141 to 108 against an academic diversity requirement last month. But the faculty must remain committed to the concept of diversity and both sides should work quickly to ensure the issue doesn’t slip away into another 17 years of debate. Read more...

Starbucks Coffee Company released a new drink nationwide on Jan. 8, and as it exposes consumers to more than the average cup of coffee, executives are hoping people will start to wake up and smell the drinking chocolate. Read more...

Sporting lovely beaches and inexpensive accommodations, friendly people and a rich culture, Thailand is a winter break dream vacation come true for students studying abroad. No University of California study abroad student was standing on those clean white beaches when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit in the Indian Ocean the day after Christmas, creating a tsunami that took the lives of over 156,000 people and caused vast amounts of property destruction throughout South Asia and the east coast of Africa. Read more...

Two months after their long-time leader Yasser Arafat passed away, the Palestinians held elections to pick his replacement on Sunday. Palestinians and Israelis have mixed views on how far the election and transfer of leadership will affect the situation in Israel, and half a world away, students and faculty at UCLA also have strong and divergent opinions on the issue. Read more...

The University of California will receive an increase in state funding this year for limited growth in enrollment and small increases in staff salaries, though students will still see their fees rise by 8 percent, under the budget plan proposed by Gov. Read more...