'Food hubs' connect schools with farmers

TURLOCK (AP) - The school district in Turlock, surrounded by fields and orchards in one of the nation's richest agricultural regions, used to get much of the produce it served to students from national distributors who shipped fruits and vegetables from outside California.

Hollywood's summer heads south as films fizzle

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Studio executives expected their biggest summer ever this year as they loaded their lineup with huge action movies and superhero franchises.

Students face rocky path to graduation from California public higher education

LOS ANGELES (AP) - With state budget cuts forcing California's public universities to shrink their course offerings, earning a bachelor's degree in four years is becoming even more difficult for many students.

State news briefs

MAN GETS YEAR IN JAIL FOR DEATH OF HIS DOG: SACRAMENTO (AP) - A Sacramento man convicted of dragging his dog down a street while it was tied to the back of his pickup truck has been ordered to serve time in jail.

Pension deal reflects Democratic, union ties

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Union leaders grumbled this week when Gov. Jerry Brown released a compromise deal with Democrats to scale back pension benefits for the state's public employees, but it was far less than a resounding victory for the Democratic governor.

Vigil planned for SJ fireman who had heart attack

SAN JOSE (AP) - A veteran San Jose firefighter who suffered a heart attack while battling a fire at a downtown cathedral last week remained in critical but stable condition, while his fellow firefighters kept a round-the-clock vigil at the hospital where he's being cared for, fire officials said Sunday.

Up to 10,000 Yosemite visitors at risk of virus

YOSEMITE (AP) - Up to 10,000 people who were guests in certain lodging cabins at Yosemite National Park might have been exposed to a deadly mouse-borne virus, park officials confirmed Friday as rangers handled a slew of calls from frightened visitors.

State news briefs

HOSPITAL FINED $50K FOR LEAVING TOWEL IN PATIENT: FRESNO (AP) - California regulators have fined a Fresno hospital $50,000 for leaving a towel in a patient who had abdominal surgery.

Assembly passes workers' compensation changes to eliminate fraudulent claims

Assembly passes workers' compensation changes to eliminate fraudulent claims

Investigators: Sick cows not slaughtered for food

California to seek sales tax from online retailers

SACRAMENTO (AP) - California will hire dozens of specialists to enforce a new law requiring Internet merchants to collect state sales tax - an effort that could bring in more than $300 million a year for the cash-strapped state. The state Board of Equalization, which collects taxes, announced Thursday that it will spend $10 million over the next three years to hire ...

Students' English, math scores improving

Bill urges more illegal workers to pay taxes

82-year-old burglar out of prison, arrested again

TORRANCE (AP) - An 82-year-old Southern California career thief is out of prison and allegedly back to her old tricks. Doris Thompson, who has a 21-page rap sheet dating back to 1955, has been arrested for a string of burglaries at doctors' offices in Torrance. Investigators say she's netted $17,000 since March. Eighteen months ...

State news briefs

CREWS PROGRESSING ON 2 NORCAL WILDFIRES: REDDING (AP) - Officials say firefighters are making steady progress battling two wildfires in Northern California that have been burning for nearly two weeks.

Plastic ocean debris bill dies in committee

Bill would treat e-cigarettes like other tobacco

State Senate election might be headed to runoff in 16th district

LA sanitation ends plans for dump near Joshua Tree

Bill would prohibit ticket-buying software

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Music and sports fans would have one less obstacle in buying tickets to popular events under a bill advancing through the California Legislature. Legislation by Democratic Assemblyman Richard Pan of Sacramento would prohibit the use of robotic ticket-buying software. Supporters of AB329 say scalpers use the software to bombard online box offices and then resell tickets at higher prices. Lawmakers previously deleted a provision that would have allowed transfers of paperless event ...

Professor assigns students to make ad for his campaign

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco State University professor considering a run for Oakland mayor is drawing scrutiny for a class assignment that asked students to create a political campaign ad and gave them the option of developing it for him. Joe Tuman said he would use the ad if it were good, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Thursday. But ethics experts said any such use of the students' work could run afoul ...

Bay Area briefs

SWALLOWS LAWSUIT MAY DELAY PETALUMA BRIDGE WORK : PETALUMA (AP) - A lawsuit accuses state and federal regulators of causing the death of dozens of migratory cliff swallows by placing nets on a Sonoma County bridge during a highway widening project.

State releases health reform plans, pricing