Weekend thunderstorms fuel California wildfires

BELDEN (AP) - A wildfire in Northern California's Plumas National Forest has now consumed more than 21 square miles although officials say calmer winds and higher humidity helped crews battling the blaze overnight. The Chips Fire was still at zero percent containment on Monday morning. The blaze jumped fire lines over the weekend, fueled by strong winds from thunderstorms. It is threatening ...

Woman tries to steal newborn in tote bag from Southern California hospital

GARDEN GROVE (AP) - A woman disguised in scrubs was caught trying to steal a newborn girl from a Southern California hospital in a duffel bag after sensors attached to the baby alerted employees, Garden Grove police said. The 48-year-old woman was arrested Monday at Garden Grove Medical Center after a hospital staffer stopped her from leaving with the baby, Lt. Jeff ...

Bay Area briefs

Man trying to rob pot operation killed OAKLAND (AP) - The caretaker of an indoor marijuana growing operation in Oakland's Chinatown district shot and killed a man early Monday after the man and two others tried to rob the operation, police said. The shooting occurred shortly before 5 a.m. after three men tried to barge into a duplex about two blocks ...

State news briefs

Couple reports finding baby's body FOLSOM . (AP) - Authorities are investigating how a baby reportedly found in the backyard of a Sacramento County couple's home died. The couple has told police they returned to their Folsom home after a vacation on Sunday and found the baby. Police are not releasing its sex or race or saying whether it had been carried to ...

Man wants to farm shellfish in federal waters

LONG BEACH . (AP) - A Southern California entrepreneur already has a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provision permit to harvest a million pounds of mussels and oysters from an underwater shellfish farm nearly five miles offshore. The project, described as a milestone in aquaculture, now needs California Coastal Commission approval.

Donner Summit’s 3,000 acres of granite peaks & wildflowers becoming open space

. TRUCKEE (AP) - In what is being hailed as a major land acquisition in the Sierra Nevada, conservation groups announced Monday they had reached an agreement to purchase 3,000 acres of granite peaks and wildflower-dotted meadows atop Northern California's Donner Summit. Under an agreement reached last week with a court-appointed negotiator, three local nonprofits will buy the 3,000-acre Royal Gorge property for ...

Fire burning at N. California refinery

RICHMOND (AP) - Residents in two Northern California cities are being told to shelter-in-place because of a fire at a Chevron refinery in Richmond. An official with the Contra Costa County Health Services says the fire, first reported at 6:40 p.m. Monday, is burning in a process unit at the facility. It is emitting black smoke over the cities of Richmond and ...

Man sentenced to prison for kidnapping son

Ex-WaMu exec gets OK as Brown's banking regulator

Can lawmakers be trusted with money?

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The Legislature resumes its session this week after a monthlong summer recess, giving the Democratic majority one last chance to persuade voters that a statewide tax increase is needed and that lawmakers can be trusted to handle the extra money wisely.

Elite colleges transform online higher education with free, worldwide reach

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offered its first free online course this spring, Ashwith Rego jumped at the chance to learn from some of the world's leading researchers - without leaving his home in India.

Red flag warnings have firefighters on high alert thanks to dry Sierra lightning

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Forecasters predicted another day of thunderstorms producing lightning but dropping little rain, which put firefighters in California on high alert again Sunday as crews lost ground on an expanding wildfire in the Plumas National Forest.

Bill seeks to tighten assault weapons law

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Legislation that has the backing of California's attorney general would close a loophole in the nation's toughest assault weapons law, making it more difficult for guns to be swiftly reloaded with high-capacity magazines.

Officer who revealed corruption gets job back

BELL (AP) - A police sergeant from the city of Bell who was forced to retire after reporting corruption in local government has been given his job back, along with a $400,000 settlement.

Boy Scout files reveal repeat child abuse

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Internal documents from the Boy Scouts of America reveal more than 125 cases in which men suspected of molestation allegedly continued to abuse Scouts, despite a blacklist meant to protect boys from sexual predators.

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