GOP struggling with November in sight

BURBANK (AP) - With November elections approaching, the California Republican Party is in trouble, struggling to pay its bills and hold its ground in a state that has been growing increasingly favorable for Democratic candidates.

Richmond refinery fire probe focuses on corrosion on decades-old pipeline

RICHMOND (AP) - Federal investigators probing the cause of a massive Chevron oil refinery fire are focusing on possible corrosion in a decades-old pipe the company inspected late last year but did not replace.

State news briefs

WOMAN DIES AFTER GETTING HIT BY CHP MOTORCYCLE: OAKLAND (AP) - A 43-year-old Hayward has died after getting hit by a California Highway Patrol motorcycle.

Fires threaten hundreds of homes on north state

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Authorities have lifted an evacuation order for residents in a rural area northeast of Fresno as firefighters gain control of a blaze sparked by a discarded cigarette.

Police embrace emerging social media tool

OAKLAND (AP) - Minutes after a shooting near the Oakland Airport this year, the gunman was on the loose. And police Sgt. Chris Bolton quickly fired off a flurry of text alerts to thousands of nearby residents through a social media tool for law enforcement agencies.

Death possibly linked to California heat

Senate kills live feed of ballot measure hearing

Escape attempt from juvenile hall linked to Guy Fieri's Lamborghini

SAN RAFAEL (AP) - At least two suspects tried to break into a Marin County juvenile detention facility in what investigators believe was unsuccessful attempt to free a teenager accused of stealing a celebrity chef's Lamborghini, authorities said Friday. The attempted break-in happened at Marin County Juvenile Hall about 4:30 a.m. Friday when staff heard banging on the walls and saw "at ...

Legal claims rolling in after refinery fire

State news briefs

SAN DIEGO DESALINATION PLANT DEAL PROPOSED:SAN DIEGO (AP) - A plan to provide the San Diego area with drinking water made from seawater has cleared a major hurdle. The San Diego County Water Authority announced Thursday that it's reached an agreement with a private company to buy enough water from a proposed desalination plant to supply 112,000 homes. The 30-year deal will ...

Muslims want fed probe of pig-leg vandalism

ONTARIO (AP) - Pig's legs were thrown on the proposed site of a Southern California mosque, and a Muslim civil rights group is asking federal officials to investigate. Worshippers said two women threw the three legs onto the driveway of the proposed Al-Nur Islamic Center in Ontario shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday and sped away in a white pickup, said Munira Syeda, ...

Man arrested for beating opossum can sue police due to it not being illegal

ANAHEIM (AP) - A Southern California man arrested with his young son for beating an opossum with a shovel can sue police officers for wrongful arrest because it's not illegal to kill an opossum, a federal appeals court ruled. In 2008, Lorenzo Oliver called Anaheim police about an opossum attacking his bulldogs in his backyard. Officers Ryan Tisdale ...

Bay Area briefs

GRAND JURY SAYS RIDERS DUMPED BEFORE DESTINATION: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco grand jury says Bay Area train and bus riders are too often dumped before reaching their destinations.

Anti-Semitism report sparks free speech fight

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - University of California students and faculty are criticizing a report to fight anti-Semitism that recommends the schools consider bans on hate speech and campus sponsorship of protests against Israel. More than 2,200 students, faculty and alumni signed a petition asking UC President Mark Yudof to disregard the report, commissioned in response to turmoil over campus discrimination. <p style="line-height: ...

State news briefs

MAN ARRESTED FOR MESSAGE ON CHICK-FIL-A : TORRANCE (AP) - A 30-year-old man has been arrested for investigation of vandalism after police say he scrawled "tastes like hate" on the side of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in a Los Angeles suburb.

Police seize $4M in pot in Bay Area raids

HAYWARD (AP) - Thirteen people are facing possible charges after a major marijuana seizure in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hayward police say they confiscated more than 1,700 marijuana plants with a street value of $4 million during raids Thursday on homes in San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Hayward. Thirteen people were arrested on suspicion of marijuana cultivation, possession of marijuana with intent to sell and utility theft. Sgt. Will Deplitch says the growers were ...

Brown vetoes semi-automatic rifle ban

Governor signs bills protecting Calif. workers

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed several bills that seek to protect California workers who are immigrants or victims of domestic violence and other crimes. SB400 from Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, prevents employers from firing an employee who has been a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Employers also must make a reasonable effort to protect victims from their abuser, such as changing a work telephone number or desk ...

Governor signs limo safety bill, vetoes another over costs

SACRAMENTO (AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed a bill requiring limousines that operate in California to have emergency exits, but vetoed another bill requiring annual Highway Patrol limo inspections, saying it fails to properly pay for them. The bills were introduced after two recent limousine fires including one in May that killed five trapped women on a San Francisco Bay Area bridge. Brown signed SB 109, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Ellen Corbett of ...

Director secretly shoots film at Disney parks

Off-duty SFPD sergeant arrested after possible DUI hit and run crash

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - An off-duty San Francisco police sergeant has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he allegedly rear-ended a parked car and fled the scene. Sgt. Thomas Haymond, a 22-year veteran with the department, was released on his own recognizance. He was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving and hit-and-run. Authorities say Haymond was in his private vehicle Tuesday night when he crashed into a parked car, which slammed into ...

Calif. man pleads not guilty in terrorism case

SANTA ANA (AP) - A California man pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of attempting to provide material support to al-Qaida and lying on a U.S. passport application to facilitate an act of terrorism.

Offshore 4.9 quake gives NorCal. a jolt

EUREKA (AP) - A moderate offshore earthquake gave a jolt to cities in far Northern California, but there are no reports of damages or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.9 quake struck shortly after 4 p.m. about 33 miles northwest of the coastal city of Eureka at a depth of about 6 miles. No tsunami warning was issued. Eureka police Sgt. Rodrigo Sanchez says the quake gave the area a sharp jolt that ...

California first state to band lead ammo

Airborne pickup truck spurs fatal So Calif. wreck

FULLERTON (AP) - An eight-vehicle accident that killed one person and injured several others in Southern California began when a speeding pickup truck crossed into oncoming lanes and then flew into the air as the driver tried to swerve back to safety, police said Friday. The crash about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles happened around 4 p.m. Thursday when the driver of a bright yellow Ford F-150 drove into oncoming lanes to pass cars ...