Lawmakers exchange barbs over abortion bill over study of nurse practitioners’ role

No charges for San Diego man, 88, suspected of aiding suicide of sick wife

SAN DIEGO (AP) - An 88-year-old man who was arrested shortly after the death of his wife on suspicion of aiding in her suicide won't be charged with any crime, San Diego County prosecutors decided Wednesday.

State news briefs

DEVELOPER PROPOSES MASSIVE THEME PARK IN TRACY: TRACY (AP) - A developer is proposing to build a $1.2 billion entertainment hub in Tracy that would be four times bigger than Disneyland. City officials gave James Rogers and Spirit of California LLC the exclusive right to negotiate for 628 acres north of Tracy. <p style="line-height: 18pt; ...

More high school students pass exit exam for sixth straight year

Judge ends lawsuit over. inmate dental care

Assembly votes to ban hunting for bear or bobcats using hounds

SACRAMENTO (AP) - A hotly contested bill that would ban the use of dogs to hunt bears and bobcats in California moved a step closer to becoming law. The state Assembly approved SB12212 on a party-line vote after a lengthy debate, sending it back to the Senate for concurrence. Proponents of the ban say dogs chase the animals ...

Costs of big wildfire season hits struggling state governments hard

Bill would help injured student athletes at high profile California universities

Calif. health officials warn of lead in licorice

LOS ANGELES (AP) - California health officials are warning consumers not to eat black licorice twist candies made by Red Vines because they contain too much lead. California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ron Chapman says tests found that packages with a best before Feb. 4, 2013 date have lead levels that exceed state standards. Chapman says ...

Spending missteps make Brown tax plan a hard sell

Brown jokes about 'Moonbeam' label in JPL visit

Bill seeks to reduce police, student confrontation

SACRAMENTO . (AP) - California State University campuses would be required to designate liaisons between student protesters and campus law enforcement under a bill approved by the Assembly. Lawmakers say it is a response to recent confrontations, most notably the pepper-spraying of student demonstrators at the University of California, Davis in November. The bill does not apply to ...

Metal thieves find markets at illegal scrap yards

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Metal thieves who have stripped wires from streetlights and statues from parks have found markets at illegal scrap yards in Southern California, authorities said. With copper prices soaring, California authorities reported an epidemic of metal thefts. Crooks have torn up train tracks, stolen air conditioners from schools, and earlier this summer made off with a 200-pound brass bell ...

Bill would lower cost of chemo pills

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Patients undergoing chemotherapy would pay less for pill-based treatments under legislation sent to the governor Wednesday over the objections of some health plans and insurers. The state Assembly passed AB1000 on 51-12 vote. It would prohibit health plans and insurance policies from charging more for covering oral chemotherapy than for the intravenous treatment. <p style="line-height: ...

Senate OKs bill targeting unvaccinated students

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The California Senate has approved a bill that would require parents to visit the doctor's office before enrolling their children in school without vaccines. The bill by Democratic Assemblyman Richard Pan of Sacramento passed the Senate Wednesday on a 21-14 vote. It now goes back to the Assembly for a final vote. AB2109 would require ...

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

OC seeks state permission to charge for rescues

OC seeks state permission to charge for rescues

Injured volunteer seeks payment from lost hiker

6 plead not guilty in school embezzlement

Driver impaled by metal rod on I-580 near Livermore.

Snacking deputy's crash costs Santa Clara County $5M

Brown defends California's business climate

State news briefs

POSTAL WORKER SENTENCED IN MAIL THEFT: SAN CARLOS, Calif. (AP) - A San Francisco Bay area postal worker accused of stealing thousands of pieces of mail to obtain credit cards has been sentenced to 18 months in jail.