The tiger remains our top local story of the day. Jean Ortiz (jortiz@VenturaCountyStar.com) is following the story on many fronts: policymakers looking ahead to make sure this doesn't happen again; officials trying to determine the tiger's owner and hoping to file charges; and the continuing outrage from the community on the shooting of the animal. It will all be wrapped up in her story tomorrow.

Our other local Page One story will be by Jean Moore (jcmoore@VenturaCountyStar.com) on the increase in college freshmen who believe racial discrimination is no longer a problem in this country. Jean talks to local students who have seen and felt discrimination.

Three big stories dominate the wires today and will be on Page One tomorrow: Pope John Paul II is hospitalized and undergoes a tracheotomy operation; President Bush and Russian President Putin meet in Slovakia and disagree over the direction of Russia's democracy; and bombings take more than 30 lives in Iraq.