First Take: Welfare card use limited. Let the voting begin! Attorney general candidates to face off.

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State officials moved Monday to block access to welfare cards from cruise ships and casinos after a Times story about apparent abuses.

Carly Fiorina, with a little help from her friends, launched a new ad attacking Barbara Boxer.

Voting in the fall election is underway as county election officials began sending out millions of mail-in ballots Monday.

The state’s highest court upheld Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to furlough state workers in a ruling that could have implications for this week’s expected budget vote.

Lawmakers say they are still on track for a vote on the latest budget in state history on Thursday.

The candidates for California attorney general will meet Tuesday at noon for their first, and perhaps only, debate of the campaign. Stay with PolitiCal for live blogging from the debate, which will be held on the campus of UC Davis.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento