House Democrats fall short in blocking food stamp reductions

Governor issues furloughs for last 2 labor groups impacting 11,000 state workers

SACRAMENTO . (AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown issued a furlough order Wednesday for more than 11,000 California workers whose unions have yet to reach a deal for a 5 percent wage cut. Brown's order forces employees to take one day of unpaid leave a month, which amounts to a pay cut of about 5 percent. Bruce Blanning, executive ...

Another California city opts for bankruptcy

State news briefs

POLICE: TRACY MOTEL OWNER, 62, KILLED BY NAKED MAN: TRACY (AP) - Tracy police are investigating the death of a motel owner who was allegedly killed by a naked man in her business office.

Peter O'Toole retires with 'dry-eyed farewell'

Appeals court to examine Calif. ballot numbering

SACRAMENTO (AP) - An appeals court is asking the California secretary of state to explain why Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative should be first on the November ballot. The Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento agreed Tuesday to examine a challenge to the decision, one day after the state's chief elections officer assigned numbers to 11 measures on the November ballot. ...

Bay Area briefs

UC tuition could rise sharply if tax measure fails

Family of soldier sues security firm over death

Injured hiker saves rescuer hit by copter blades

Firefighters try to outrun heat wave

ACLU files suit against LA County sheriff, DA for withholding evidence

$3.2M yacht sinks in Lake Tahoe marina

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (AP) - Witnesses at the Tahoe Keys Marina say they heard screeching, the sound of tearing metal, and a passenger yell "oh, no!" late Sunday night. By about 3 a.m. Monday, a three-story, $3.2 million yacht ...

S. California, Sierra experiencing heat wave

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Southern California's deserts and interior valleys broiled in triple-digit or upper 90s temperatures on Monday as a mini heat wave set in. The National Weather Service said warming brought by a strong, upper-level high centered over the Great Basin would peak on Tuesday and Wednesday. Excessive heat warnings will be in effect most of Tuesday across the deserts, ...

Eastern Sierra wildfire now 85 percent contained

BIG PINE (AP) - A wildfire burning near a main highway in the eastern Sierra Nevada is nearly surrounded. The 1,103-acre blaze west of Highway 395 in Inyo County was more than 85 percent contained Monday morning. State fire Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson says there are no active flames and crews are concentrating on dousing hotspots to ...

5 shot outside Oakland's Jack London Square

Lawmakers call for California drought declaration

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - With another dry winter looming, California lawmakers called on Gov. Jerry Brown and President Barack Obama to declare a drought emergency and federal disaster in the state. In a letter sent Monday, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Democratic Rep. Jim Costa urged the governor to take immediate action. A separate letter signed by dozens of other California lawmakers called for the same declaration. The lawmakers cited the California Department of Water ...

Tech firms profit from personal data

California among states vying for Boeing jet plant

Schools fear losing low-income funds

LOS ANGELES (AP) - New state income-verification rules could cost California schools millions in funding for low-income students, some district officials say. Hundreds of families have yet to turn in income verification forms in Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno and elsewhere, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday. Many districts are urging the state to guarantee them all funding due this year, based on last year's count of low-income students. Under the new rules, districts are ...

News from around the Bay Area

GAS LEAK THAT LED TO FIRE IN CALIFORNIA IS CAPPED: OAKLAND (AP) - Officials say a gas main leak that led to an underground fire in Oakland and forced the evacuation of several homes has been capped. No injuries were reported.

America's Cup impact below projections

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The America's Cup sailing races this year generated far less economic activity in the San Francisco Bay Area than projected, and have cost taxpayers more than $5 million, a newspaper reported. Draft figures from the Bay Area Council Economic Institute reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle show the races generated at least $364 million in economic impact. That figure rises to $550 million if the construction of a new cruise ship ...

DUI/drivers license check points set

News from around california

SAN JOSE GIVES COPS RAISES TO IMPROVE RETENTION: SAN JOSE . (AP) - San Jose has given its police officers an 11 percent raise in the hopes of stopping them from leaving the city for more lucrative jobs.

13 plead guilty to attacking Paypal servers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Thirteen people have pleaded guilty to helping briefly disable online payment service provider Paypal as part of a protest that authorities say was organized by the hacking group Anonymous. Ten of the defendants pleaded guilty Thursday to felony and misdemeanor charges of intentionally damaging a protected computer. If they stay out of legal trouble, the U.S. Department of Justice plans to drop the felony charges, and the defendants will be sentenced ...

Study: Calif. prison changes boost property crime such as auto theft

News from around the Bay Area

SUSPECT IN PLAYSTATION 4 KILLING PLEADS NOT GUILTY: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco man has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting another man who was trying to sell him a Sony PlayStation 4 gaming system.

LA deputies face federal charges

More freezing temperatures beset Calif. citrus

EXETER (AP) - California citrus growers say six nights of freezing temperatures will likely damage this year's orange crop but no disruption is expected to supplies. California Citrus Mutual said Monday that damage to mandarin and navel oranges is expected in the Central Valley but not nearly at the levels seen during cold spells in 1998 and 1990 due to improved frost protection and weather forecasting. A spokeswoman for the growers' association says the prolonged ...

News from around california

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Auto theft increased significantly in California and other property crimes also rose after the state began an initiative resulting in more inmates being released early, according to the first independent study of crime trends driven by the "realignment" program to reduce the state prison population.

More details on $24.7B twin tunnels plan