Thunderstorms could help or hamper California firefighters

Bay Area briefs

POLICE: BURGLAR MADE OFF WITH STEVE JOBS' WALLET: PALO ALTO (AP) - The burglar who broke into Steve Jobs' house made off with the Apple Inc. co-founder's wallet with a dollar inside and his driver's license in addition to Apple gadgets and jewelry, according to a police report released Tuesday.

Fire crews making progress battling series of Northern California wildfires

State news briefs

Lawsuit filed over Brockovich chemical

GOP lawmaker resigns chairmanship after tax vote

Video shows vapor cloud before refinery fire

Computer problems trigger delays at DMV offices

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The computer network at the California Department of Motor Vehicles went down for several hours Tuesday, triggering delays as clerks at field offices throughout the state processed driver's licenses and registrations by hand. DMV spokeswoman Jessica Gonzalez said the problem was fixed around noon Tuesday and state workers were catching up on the backlog created by network problem. She ...

Congressman Cardoza resigns

Bay Area briefs

Home of late Steve Jobs burglarized

New geek chic: Mohawks in, pocket protectors out

Californians told to go easy on air conditioning

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Californians were urged to ease off the air conditioning to conserve electricity, and schools in inland areas closed early Tuesday as the state sweltered through another day of triple-digit heat. Operators of the state electricity grid declared a Flex Alert, calling on people to set their thermostats at 78 or higher and to avoid using major appliances until ...

State news briefs

WOMAN CHARGED WITH LEAVING BABY, TOT IN HOT CAR: LOS ANGELES (AP) - Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed charges against an 18-year-old mother who allegedly left her 2-week-old daughter and 1-year-old son in a locked car to go dress shopping last weekend in the midst of California's heat wave.

Brown’s twin tunnels better than nothing

If there's such a thing as a sure thing in politics, it is this: If the water plan announced late last month by Gov. Jerry Brown ever passes the state Legislature, it will surely become ...

Camp aims to lift clown frowns during slow economy

Camp aims to lift clown frowns during slow economy

Vulnerable inmates ordered out of 2 Central Valley prisons

Nesting swallows could delay Petaluma bridge work

State news briefs

SANTA CLARA THREATENS AMBULANCE TERMINATION: SAN JOSE. (AP) - Santa Clara County officials are threatening to terminate the contract of an ambulance company that they say has repeatedly responded too slowly to emergencies.

Killer on the loose: Valley Springs on lockdown

Lawmakers consider moratorium on oil fracking in San Joaquin Valley

3 divers killed over weekend abalone diving off California

SF Bay Bridge has bolts similar to banned bolts

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has more than 1,200 bolts made from galvanized steel that is virtually identical to a high-strength alloy that a nationwide group of transportation officials banned for use on bridges because the bolts can crack, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday.

Fatal stabbing of girl, 8, prompts manhunt

VALLEY SPRINGS (AP) - Residents of a rural Northern California county were being told Sunday to keep their doors locked and report anyone considered suspicious as authorities continued the search for the killer of an 8-year-old girl.

Some are overlooked in overhaul

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Carlos Gonzalez has lived nearly all his 29 years in a country he considers home but now finds himself on the wrong side of the border - and the wrong side of a proposed overhaul of the U.S. immigration system that would grant legal status to millions of people.

California weighs first state ban on lead ammo

SACRAMENTO (AP) - In November, one of the oldest condors in Central California died from lead poisoning after being found with tiny bullet fragments and a .22-caliber slug in his gullet that he apparently swallowed with a mouthful of meat.

Rolling Stones rock small LA club

LOS ANGELES (AP) - For one night only, the Rolling Stones were an up-and-coming band again.

OC officials keep inmate alive they want to ultimately execute

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A man charged with raping and killing a woman 30 years ago is being kept alive in Orange County with dialysis treatments until officials can win permission to execute him.

Bills aim to protect privacy in drone age

SACRAMENTO (AP) - California lawmakers are attempting to stay ahead of science fiction-style technology as increasingly nimble unmanned aircraft are considered for use in tracking fleeing suspects and monitoring crowded public spaces.