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Informs that the University of California at San Francisco can continue to display on the World Wide Web papers stolen from Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. The June 1995 ruling by the California Supreme Court; The papers' revelation that tobacco companies concealed the addictiveness of nicotine from the public for years; How the university obtained the papers; Number of users accessing the papers on the Web site; Details.

Reports on the lawsuit filed by the `Orange County Register,' publisher Freedom Communications Inc. in Irvine, California against an employee for operating a negative Web site after it subpoenaed AOL to reveal the employee's identity. Background on the case; Claims made by the paper regarding the site's effect on other employees; Questions raised concerning the application of the First Amendment in the case.

Reports on Norco, Southern California's filing of a lawsuit against the publisher of `Norco News' for allegedly harming the health and reputation of city official Michael Kulick. Publisher Lucille Oliva and writer Lois Loock as defendants; Oliva's reputation as a journalist; Background on Oliva's encounter with Kulick which happened in the latter's animal shelter; Other claims made against Oliva.

A case filed in San Francisco, California, with the Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the cities of Boulder, Colorado, and Oakland, California, as plaintiffs, seeks to force two government agencies to assess the total impact on climate of the projects they finance. Litigation may soon be the weapon of choice for those concerned about human-induced global warming. In the San Francisco case, the plaintiffs charge that the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (ExIm) have provided $32 billion in loans, insurance and loan guarantees for oil pipelines, oil drilling and other fossil-fuel endeavors that will ultimately result in the emission of 32 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the life of the projects. The lawsuit does not attempt to cancel ongoing projects but asks only that OPIC and ExIm determine the "cumulative impact" on the climate of every future project. Such a review, asserts Jon Sohn of Friends of the Earth, is required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The plaintiffs are confronted with many hurdles. They will have to demonstrate that they face harm from global warming and, in particular, from the agencies' actions. The cities contend that their water supplies are in jeopardy. Scientific uncertainties over such claims can be partly overcome by aggregating harm done over a large span of space and time, contends David Grossman, a recent graduate of Yale Law School and now a law clerk in Anchorage. In a paper to be published in the 'Columbia Journal of Environmental Law,' Grossman argues that tort litigation over global warming--in which communities or states seek damages from oil companies, electric utilities and automobile manufacturers--is entirely feasible. INSET: WHOSE FAULT IS IT ANYWAY?.

Reports on David Danforth's lawsuit against James Pavelich and David Price, his partners in the `Palo Alto Daily News' newspaper. Allegations that Pavelich and Price diverted revenue to themselves; Suppression of stories that might hurt potential advertisers; Accusation that Danforth was unfairly removed from the paper's management team.

Reports on the lawsuit filed by the `Daily Nexus', University of California of Santa Barbara's campus paper, against Governor Pete Wilson and the University of California Board of Regents for allegedly violating the state's open meeting law. Board of Regents' roll back of affirmative action in admissions after private phone calls with Wilson; Demands in the suit.

Reports on the legal challenge to California's shield law by a judge seeking `Oakland Tribune' newspaper photographer Ron Riesterer's unpublished pictures of a demonstration in Berkeley. Riesterer's reasons for not surrendering the photographs despite being charged with contempt; Other cases which tested the state's law.

Reports on the lawsuit filed by former mayoral candidate Clint Reilly to stop the sale of `San Francisco Chronicle,' to Hearst Corp. in California. Charges of the lawsuit against Hearst; Response of Hearst to the allegations about its plans for `San Francisco Chronicle.'

Reports on convicted rapist David James Robinson's lawsuit against the `The San Diego Union-Tribune' newspaper based in San Diego, California for portraying him as a child molester. Libel and slander allegations against the newspaper and San Diego County, California sheriff Bill Kolender; Conviction of Robinson in 1983 in rape cases where minors were not involved.

Deals with the charges of `San Diego Union-Tribune' against the officials of the Poway Unified School District for suppressing information related to hazing incidents. Reason for the newspaper's interest on the information about the incident; Legality of the newspaper charges.

Reports that the `San Jose Mercury News' has sued the city of Oakland and Alameda County for the release of financial documents on the projected impact of a $225 million deal. Prevention of public scrutiny of documents.

Reports on a court's ruling that a California law allowing private citizens to get quick dismissal of frivolous libel suits also protects newspapers. Law's purpose to counter the Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation; Dismissal of a libel suit against several reporters from the `San Francisco Chronicle' and the Chronicle Publishing Company.

Reports that a district judge has permitted the release of secret Police Commission transcripts of its 1993 probe into allegations that Police Chief Tony Ribera repeatedly harassed Police Officer Joan Welsh. Lawsuit filed by Welsh against Ribera; San Francisco newspapers' support on the lawsuit; Opposition of Mayor Frank Jordan and the Police Commission on the opening of the transcripts.

Reports that the University of California has won the right to distribute on the World Wide Web the internal documents and memos from cigarette manufacturer Brown & Williamson suggesting that the company was aware of the addictive and cancer-causing nature of cigarettes at least 30 years ago. Brown & Williamson's legal action to get the papers back, claiming that they had been stolen; Web site address.

Reports that Tom Bates, the mayor of Berkeley, California, has admitted to and has been fined for trashing the 'Daily Californian.' Free student paper of the University of California at Berkeley; Depositing newspaper copies into trash cans; Anger at the paper's endorsement of an election rival.

Focuses on the lawsuit filed by John Woods, editor of the periodical `Canyon Call' at the Santa Clarita Community College in Los Angeles County, California, against student body president Allison Korse after an insert attacking the paper's editorial was slipped into copies of the paper in campus racks. Discouraging of readers from voting for an Associated Student Government (ASG) ballot.

Reports that newspaper publishers have filed two separate lawsuits against the city of San Francisco, California to block the installation of multiple news racks to replace the single-paper fixtures the administration considers a street blight. Details on the lawsuits; List of newspapers involved in the lawsuit; Views of publishers on the action of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors.

Reports on a lawsuit filed by Bill Wong against `The Oakland Tribune,' publishers Alameda Newspaper Group for race discrimination in employment. Wong's termination from the company on unfounded grounds; Duration of Wong's employment in the paper.

Reports that John Burgess of the Santa Monica, California Press Democrat was replaced in the court photographers' pool following his paper's refusal to sell copies of unpublished trial photos. One photo among those in question being of convicted kidnap-murdered Richard Allan David making an obscene gesture to the media following his conviction; Response by Judy Peterson, the court's media coordinator.

Reports on the `San Francisco Bay Guardian's lawsuit against the city and county of San Francisco, California because a contractor allegedly removed nearly 50 ads from municipal buses. Seeking of reimbursement for money spent on the campaign; Alleged violation of the paper's rights and breaking of its contract for leasing advertising space.

Reports on the court victory of the `Oakland Tribune' newspaper in its lawsuit to overturn a boycott of the paper by the Oakland, California City Council. Violation of the National Labor Relations Act by the city council; Newspaper's request for compensatory and punitive damages; Council's accusation that the newspaper is anti-labor.