Today's top stories from sunny San Diego:

Campaign-finance proposal weighed -- SDUT
Donors could give more than three times as much money to San Diego's political candidates under a new proposal that would loosen what one campaign-finance expert calls the "toughest limits in the country."

Democrats hopeful this is their year in North County -- NCT
Democrats running in Republican-heavy North County districts often are called their party's sacrificial lambs. This November, they're hoping to be victorious dark horses. "There's something happening in the country now," said Ron Eckstein, an analyst with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a polling firm in San Francisco. "This is a big, big election."

Soledad Cross Decision Upheld -- VoSD
The city of San Diego appears to be finally free from one of its legal shackles. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has just dismissed an appeal against a judge's decision last November that the city of San Diego is no longer a party in the protracted Soledad Cross case. The case was dismissed because the plaintiffs in the case did not file an appeal on time, according to a press release just issued by the City Attorney's Office.

Record tax increase -- SDUT
Senate Democrats, heading for a major fight, proposed a new state budget today based on a record $11.5 billion tax increase from sources to be identified later.

Protesters picket Blackwater's Otay training center -- SDUT
About 70 people, many wearing green "Stop Blackwater" T-shirts, protested Wednesday afternoon across the street from the warehouse facility where Blackwater Worldwide is training Navy sailors in law-enforcement tactics.

Building report blamed in ballot loss -- SDUT
Supporters of a Chula Vista height-limits initiative that was narrowly defeated by voters June 3 are blaming the defeat on city officials for hiring a consultant to analyze the initiative's economic impact shortly before the election.

Challenge to county jury pools dismissed -- SDUT
A Superior Court judge dismissed a challenge yesterday from two lawyers for a man facing the death penalty who argued the county's system for summoning jurors was unconstitutional because it underrepresented Latinos.

A Shake-Up in the School Ranks -- VoSD
Less than three months into his tenure, Superintendent Terry Grier is shaking up the top ranks of San Diego Unified.

Airport Folks Talking Again -- VoSD
The informal group of government officials talking about Lindbergh Field's future will be talking about Lindbergh Field's future again tomorrow morning at 7:15 a.m. at the commuter terminal.

Atkins Withdraws from CEO Hunt -- VoSD
So it appears as though Councilwoman Toni Atkins has decided to withdraw her application to become the CEO of the city's Housing Commission.

Slow-growth initiative to be on November ballot -- NCT
Saying it would severely harm the city's economy and cause other significant problems, the City Council opted Wednesday to place a slow-growth initiative on the November ballot. "I've called this initiative the Economic Stagnation Initiative," Mayor Jim Desmond said. "Because what it does is stagnate economic development in the city."

Carlsbad proposing to raise many fees -- NCT
Residential water bills, boat-launch fees at Agua Hedionda Lagoon and even the cost to rent a picnic area in a city park may increase in the coming year as Carlsbad looks for ways to cover its expenses, a new city budget document indicates.

Escondido City Council struggling to finalize deep budget cuts -- NCT
Heated disagreements about whether the city should retain its federal lobbyist and provide money to the Escondido Charitable Foundation forced the City Council on Wednesday to postpone adopting an operating budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.