Presidents

On their 1995 debut album, the Seattle-based Presidents of the United States of America punctured the depressed heft of grunge with hyperkinetic songs teeming with froggies, chickies and kitties. The album sold 2 million and spawned three hits, and the Presidents became fast frat-house favorites. At the El Rey Theatre on Sunday, the band looked weary as it whipped out its trademark two- and three-string guitars.

By a 356-61 vote, the House adopted an amendment to keep intact a wide range of perquisites for former Presidents. The measure trimmed only $58,000 from a $1.23-million outlay for ex-Presidents in fiscal 1987. Although appearing as budget- cutting, this actually was a maneuver to block a proposed deep cut into the outlay for Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter and Lady Bird Johnson, the former First Lady.

Children from Glendale, Calabasas, Van Nuys and Westlake Village will be among the 4,800 Southern California students expected to participate this week in a Presidents Day celebration. The event at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills will feature actors portraying Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Betsy Ross and will include presentations on the Civil War, the American Revolution and the history of the American flag.

Trustees of the Cal State University system Tuesday approved 4% salary raises for the 23 campus presidents and five other top officials. The move, retroactive to July, was strongly opposed by the faculty union, which is in stalled salary negotiations with the university. "I'm disappointed. I think it sends a signal to everybody that the priorities of the board are with a relatively small group of people," said John Travis, president of the California Faculty Assn.

Kim Jong Il likes to eat sashimi carved from a live fish. He hates anchovies on his pizza. He insists that the grains of his rice be absolutely uniform in size and color. The North Korean leader might be one of the world's most enigmatic figures, but thanks to a growing and eclectic body of books and articles that detail Kim's epicurean habits, more is known about what he eats than nearly any other head of state.

For decades, the face of the NAACP in the Valley was that of longtime Pacoima resident Jose De Sosa. From 1978 to 1994, De Sosa served as president of the San Fernando Valley branch of the NAACP. As president, De Sosa led campaigns that resulted in fundamental changes in Los Angeles Police Department practices. Born in Panama, De Sosa lived in New York and later served in the U.S. Air Force.

Walter G. Howald has been elected president of the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees. Howald, a lawyer, has served on the board for 20 years. He was reelected to a fourth term in November 2002. Fellow board members unanimously elected him president last month. Paul Berger was elected vice president. The district includes Coastline Community, Golden West and Orange Coast colleges.

The nation's opposition standard-bearer, John Kufuor, won a historic presidential election as the West African nation voted for change after two decades of rule by Jerry J. Rawlings. With more than 90% of votes tallied from Thursday's runoff election, officials said Kufuor had 57%, compared with 43% for Vice President John Atta Mills, a Rawlings protege. In New York, U.N.

A former army officer, rebel and warlord was sworn in as the new president of Somalia in an attempt to unite the nation under a central government. Abdullahi Yusuf took the oath of office from the speaker of the new parliament, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden. The heads of government from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti and Yemen attended the ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, and voiced their support for the new president.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled a hearing next week on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other naturalized Americans to serve as president. Taking a small step on a proposal that is considered a political long shot, the office of committee Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch, the amendment's sponsor, announced the Oct. 5 hearing Tuesday night with little fanfare.