Brown OKs allowing nurses to prescribe pill

LOS ANGELES (AP) - During a visit to a Los Angeles Planned Parenthood clinic, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that allows nurses to dispense birth control, making it easier for women to get contraceptives.

Con artists add to woes of grieving family

SEBASTOPOL (AP) - Police are searching for a thief and a con artist who ripped off a Northern California family grieving over the death of a son who died last month after drinking a hallucinogenic tea in Peru.

LA preps for freeway Carmageddon II

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Carmageddon II" - the sequel - is coming to one of the nation's most crowded freeways, and authorities are hoping its subtitle won't be "The Traffic Strikes Back."

Bay Area news briefs

High-security nuclear material leaves Livermore

Novel courts handle low-level crime cases in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - In most courtrooms, spontaneous applause could get you thrown out.

Endeavour swans California skies in whirlwind tour

Pressure mounting after fifth fatal Vallejo police fatal shooting since May

VALLEJO (AP) - An outcry has intensified for independent investigations against the Vallejo police following the shooting death by officers earlier this month of a man outside his home - the city's fifth fatal officer-involved shooting since May. Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis this week is calling for state Attorney General Kamala Harris to launch an inquiry ...

Brown signs bill allowing sale of home-cooked food at stores, farmers’ markets

Gang member to be exonerated of murder

Sports News Brief

LAW WILL BOOST CALIFORNIA'S SPACE TRAVEL INDUSTRY: SACRAMENTO (AP) - With the space shuttle Endeavour's final flight capturing the attention of Californians, Gov. Jerry Brown announced he had signed legislation intended to boost the fledgling private space travel industry.

Voters cool to idea of restricting unions

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Another attempt by conservatives and corporate interests to limit labor unions' ability to collect dues for political purposes is being viewed skeptically by California voters, according to a poll released Friday. The Field Poll found that just 38 percent of likely voters support Proposition 32 on the Nov. 6 ballot while 44 percent intend to vote against it. A ...

California unemployment rate dips to 10.6%

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's unemployment rate dipped slightly in August to 10.6 percent, down from 10.7 percent the previous month, the state reported Friday. The numbers from the Employment Development Department are an improvement over California's 11.9 percent unemployment rate a year ago and show the state's economy is continuing its slow recovery. The state added 12,000 ...

Feds launch formal electricity trading probe

FOLSOM (AP) - Federal regulators have intensified an investigation into JPMorgan Chase & Co. electricity trading in California. The California Independent System Operator, a Folsom-based agency that runs the state's power grid and oversees last-minute electricity sales, said earlier this year that the big electricity trader might have figured out a way to exploit vulnerabilities in the state's $8 billion-a-year electricity market. ...

Bay Area briefs

Police wound suspect; shooting spurs SF protest

State news briefs

METAL THIEVES TARGETING MODESTO FIRE HYDRANTS: MODESTO (AP) - Metal thieves are targeting Modesto fire hydrants, putting residents at risk and costing the city thousands of dollars.

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