Free Republic

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Ryan Seacrest's new year is looking good so far. The "American Idol" host and radio disc jockey signed a deal with E! Entertainment Television that includes producing and hosting the channel's red-carpet awards coverage. Seacrest, who joined Dick Clark for ABC's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" on Saturday and has called Clark a role model, appears to be emulating the veteran producer with the three-year, E! contract announced Tuesday. Seacrest will be executive producer of E!'s "Live From the Red Carpet," starting with the Golden Globes on January 16. He'll share hosting duties with designer Isaac...

San Francisco -- State Finance Director Tom Campbell is stepping down after less than a year in the job to join the campaign team promoting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "year of reform" ballot initiatives. Beginning Thursday, Campbell will take unpaid leave from the Department of Finance to help Schwarzenegger sell his initiatives, which will go before voters in a Nov. 8 special election. The Republican governor wants to cap state spending, strip lawmakers of the power to draw political boundaries and lengthen the probationary period for teachers from two years to five. "Gov. Schwarzenegger is working to change California for the...