The California state budget for the upcoming fiscal year signed
by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger incorporates numerous vetoes and
adjustments by the governor, including the reduction of $3.8
million in funding from a statewide initiative for labor studies
departments at University of California campuses.

A slightly revised state budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year was
approved Thursday by the California state assembly, despite
unpopular additions including a proposed increase in student fees
at University of California campuses.

Sixteen proposed programs for the 2005-2006 year have already
been approved by the UCLA Center for Community Partnerships as a
part of its “UCLA in LA” project.

Students planning to study abroad in Europe within the next few
years may have to allocate a bigger budget in order to compensate
for the dropping rate of the dollar in comparison with the
euro.

Current university students could save hundreds or thousands of
dollars by consolidating their student loans in order to lock in
the historically low interest rates.
Economic experts predict that current interest rates of 2.77
percent will jump about 2 percent after this year’s 91-day
treasury-bill auction in May.

Recent administrative action that would allow a 1,540-pound
increase in the amount of plutonium stored at Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory is causing concern over the possible health
hazards to surrounding residents.

Studies and projects done by HIV/AIDS activists and researchers
from all over the world were presented Friday at Kaufman Hall at a
conference titled “AIDS in Africa.”
The symposium, presented by the UCLA AIDS Institute, consisted
of three panels, speakers Stephen Lewis and Laurie Garrett, and
performances by Iddi Saaka and Peter Carpenter.

Current research being done by the UCLA AIDS Institute to
address the problem of AIDS in Africa will be presented at a
symposium today in Kaufman Hall.

Chancellor Albert Carnesale led an undergraduate student
discussion in Ackerman on Wednesday, examining the threats
presented by nuclear weapons and international reactions to
them.
Carnesale is a former advisor to both the Department of Defense
and the CIA, and he is a well-respected expert on national
security.

Student and citizen concern over the threat of a military draft
prompted a panel discussion Saturday morning at the James West
Alumni Center.
Orange County Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, a ranking member of
both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Homeland
Security Committee, presented the first address on the subject.