By MIKE ZAPLER

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been warning for months that California’s budget is hurtling toward the proverbial cliff — the point where the state cannot pay its bills.That time is about to arrive, and the fallout could be severe and far-reaching, particularly if the legislative budget stalemate lasts.

In February, state Controller John Chiang will suspend $3.7 billion in payments for at least 30 days. Further, IOUs in lieu of payments could be issued soon.

CBS News has learned that the family of the octuplets born this week outside Los Angeles filed for bankruptcy and abandoned a home a little over a year-and-a-half ago.

Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman says the mother is in her mid-thirties and lives with her parents.

There’s been no mention of the octuplets’ father, Kauffman observes.

by David Goldman

You’ve probably noticed: The Obama administration and Congress are talking about spending an unprecedented sum of money to try to revive the economy.

President Obama and House Democrats laid down the marker with an $825 billion package of spending and tax cuts.

Dozens of proposals. Hundreds of pages of legislation. Billions of dollars.

What are some of the headline proposals, and what is the debate all about? The legislation is a work in progress, but here is an overview.

News organizations concerned about access issues at the Obama White House

Representatives from Obama’s press office held a conference call with photo editors, who are concerned that the administration prefers distributing photos taken by a White House photographer in cases where photojournalists have been permitted access in the past…

…Television network bureau chiefs also protested the exclusion of video cameras from the second oath of office…

…Four reporters witnessed the oath of office and shared their observations with others, and a White House photo was released.

“We think it was done in a way that was upfront and transparent,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a briefing when questioned why video cameras were not present.

What goes around, comes around. How enamored are the media with their messiah now?

By Carrie Peyton Dahlberg

Worried that Kaiser Permanente may be letting unlicensed staffers make medical decisions, the state is investigating the giant HMO’s call centers and plans to demand documents that Kaiser has refused to surrender.

The probe began in response to a nurse’s complaints that mishandled calls are leaving Kaiser patients vulnerable to misdiagnoses and delayed care.

The investigation is also shedding light on a 2003 state law that was intended to block just what Kaiser is still doing – using a semi-automated system to let people with no medical training determine how quickly a patient is seen.

First time for me, visited 43things.com and while there took their personality quiz.

Interesting.

Here’s the result:

You are a Spiritual, Self-Improving Builder

0.28% of the 69,669 people who have taken this quiz are like you.

Grumps

/yeah, I know, His Obamaness was coronated today, but this weirdness might cleanse the palate…
…and 0.28 PERCENT is a real, classy minority to find myself in… I can dig it!