Sunday aggregator

A few things on the Web today:

Convention roundup: Drawn by California's new prominence in the nominating process, a parade of Democratic White House hopefuls took turns Saturday skewering President Bush and vowing to end the war in Iraq, as they auditioned before hundreds of the party's most ardent activists. ... Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut (pictured below) said the U.S. should not fund any further escalation, or "try to police a civil war" — a sentiment echoed by Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio (pictured with wife, Elizabeth, left.) LA Times.

Ted Costa on redistricting: "The double standards of politicians are sometimes wondrous. Take for example Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez's redistricting proposal. He is scrambling to find a way to sabotage redistricting while appearing to 'do something.' His passion right now is to get himself relieved of term limits so he can remain speaker for another six years. Sacramento Bee.

Poker political power: With numbers like that, the San Francisco-based Poker Players Alliance is becoming a political player, and it's acting like one. It commissioned a poll showing that angry poker players helped defeat one of the law's chief sponsors, Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa), who narrowly lost in the November elections in what the alliance called a "green-felt revolution." Now, Bolcerek is aiming for a membership of 1 million as the group tries to persuade Congress to exempt poker from the online gambling law. LA Times.

Rail slowed, stopped: For more than a decade, policymakers have debated, studied and scoped out a high-speed rail line that would whisk travelers between downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2 1/2 hours. But, this year, the $40-billion dream of building a Japanese- or European-style bullet train through the Central Valley may find itself stopped in its tracks. LA Times.

Health care progress: As Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democrats begin negotiating a plan to revamp the state's health care system, an unlikely band of interests is forming to demand change, raising the hopes of reform advocates that Schwarzenegger will deliver on his promise of universal health care this year. Mercury News.

Casino cash: There's so much money in Indian gaming in California that it's difficult to figure out just how lucrative the industry really is. But here's a hint: One Southern California tribe is spending $20 million to persuade the state Assembly to approve expanded casino operations. If the Morongo Band of Mission Indians is willing to put that much money into a public relations campaign, how much do you think the gambling tribes stand to gain if the latest gambling compacts are approved by the state?I'm just guessing here, but it has to be several billion dollars. Jim Boren, Fresno Bee.

Millender-McDonald: Funeral services will be held Monday for Rep. Juanita Millender- McDonald, D-Carson/Long Beach, who died of cancer April 21 at the age of 68. The services will be held at noon at Second Baptist Church, 2412 Griffith Ave., Los Angeles. Millender-McDonald was a longtime member of the church. Press-Telegram.

(Photos: Denis Poroy/AP)