Today's top stories from sunny San Diego:

Hospitals feeling recession's pain -- SDUT
Hospitals nationwide and in San Diego County are feeling aches and pains from the deepening recession, and some predict a worse prognosis in the coming months.

Top exec won't get 29% raise panel OK'd -- SDUT
Fairgrounds officials say yes; state says no

Teachers protest threat of layoffs due to budget cuts -- SDUT
Teachers from around San Diego County will take part in a statewide "Pink Friday" demonstration after school Friday to protest state budget cuts that could lead to sweeping layoffs.

'Immoral and Appalling' -- VoSD
Teachers union president Camille Zombro says that the San Diego Unified budget is trying to make teachers choose between "our families and our students." Zombro attacked Superintendent Terry Grier.

Charter Teachers, Fearful of Firings, Push to Unionize a Shaken School -- VoSD
A Barrio Logan school jettisoned most of its teachers last summer with little explanation. Proponents of a new union want to prevent it from happening again.

Serious crime on trolley rose last year -- SDUT
Serious crime on the San Diego Trolley and railway property rose last year, largely fueled by spikes in robbery and theft, the Metropolitan Transit System says.

HOUSING: Foreclosure crisis spreads to higher-end neighborhoods -- NCT
Local mortgage defaults hit a new record in February, as the foreclosure crisis spread from lower-priced neighborhoods deep into the well-heeled corners of North County, a report showed Thursday.

MTS proposes to reduce cuts, lift pass prices -- SDUT
San Diego transit officials have a good-news, bad-news announcement for bus and trolley riders. The good news is that the Metropolitan Transit System is scaling back plans for wholesale service cuts this year. The bad news is that monthly transit-pass prices will probably rise. 

RANCHO BERNARDO: Voters lean toward consolidating boards -- NCT
Low voter turnout raises question of relevance