SJ Valley farmer ousted from major hospital board after Obama racial slur

RIVERDALE (AP) - A prominent San Joaquin Valley farmer has been forced to step down as head of a major hospital board after making a racist statement about President Barack Obama in an email. The Fresno Bee reported on Monday that Mark Borba used the term last month in an email exchange with Westlands Water District Manager Tom Birmingham that was copied ...

Mojave Desert Joshua trees in unusual heavy bloom on desert

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK (AP) - Joshua trees, those spiky sentinels of the Mojave Desert, are having a blossom bonanza and nobody is quite sure why. Millions of the trees have been bursting into bundles of greenish-white flowers in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. Just about every tree has bloomed this spring when usually far fewer do and they produce fewer flowers, ...

State mounts joint raid on Calif. jobs

Bay Area briefs

FORMER LIVERMORE LAB WORKERS SUE LIVERMORE (AP) - A jury is hearing from former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory workers who say they were unfairly targeted due to age, salaries and other issues. The Oakland Tribune reports 130 ex-employees are suing lab management, claiming wrongful termination and breach of contract. They are seeking restitution for the loss of their jobs and incomes. <p style="line-height: ...

Bill seeks to punish Scouts for gay ban

Brown trip gives Newsom chance to shine

SF Exploratorium set to open in new $300M digs

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Exploratorium, San Francisco's interactive science and activities museum, is set to open at its new $300 million digs along the bay with more space and new exhibits, including a rain chamber that will allow people to experience past storms. The museum held a walk-thru for members of the media Tuesday. It is scheduled to open to the ...

Ventura County fire contained; mop up underway

FILLMORE (AP) - Ventura County firefighters have contained the remnants of a wildfire that burned two homes and threatened more than 100 others in Fillmore on Tuesday, officials said. The 148-acre fire was 100 percent surrounded by noon, with full control expected Wednesday, said Mike Lindbery, county fire spokesman. The fire broke out Monday afternoon in a mobile ...

209 News

MODESTO LOSES 140 JOBS: MODESTO - The news isn't good for workers at Post cereal's Modesto plant.

Assembly OKs bill limiting high-cost school bonds that can’t be paid off early

Water tunnel plans call for highway rerouting

RIO VISTA (AP) - A proposal to construct two huge water diversion tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta includes plans for rerouting three, two-lane highways - previously undisclosed projects that carry a preliminary price tag of at least $265 million, a newspaper reported. Highway 160 in Sacramento County would be detoured around three water intakes proposed as part of the tunnel project, ...

State news briefs

THOUSAND OAKS THIEVES STEAL $4 FROM STORE: THOUSAND OAKS (AP) - At least three burglars knocked in the door of a Ventura County produce market, fled with cash, and led police on a high speed vehicle chase that ended when their car smashed into a fence.

Feds violated law in Monterey oil leases

Powerful winds lash California

Court: Motorist can't use hand-held map

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Steven Spriggs was stopped in a traffic jam near downtown Fresno and thought nothing of whipping out his iPhone 4 and clicking on the map feature to see if there was an alternate route around the construction mess.

State news briefs

LA schools consider banning defiance suspensions

Dad wants evidence in girl's stabbing

State Senate OKs ski safety legislation

Bay Area briefs

FEDS TO PROBE REPAIR WORK ON BAD BAY BRIDGE RODS: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The Federal Highway Administration on Monday said it is investigating the state's response to broken steel seismic safety rods on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

State news briefs

15 OF 23 CAL STATE CAMPUSES CHARGE GRADUATION FEES: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Graduating students at more than a dozen California public universities will have to hand over money before they are handed their diplomas, a newspaper reported.

End near for evangelical radio network?

Girl , 7, escapes kidnapper's car trunk in Sacramento

Ginsburg: Roe gave abortion opponents a target

CHICAGO (AP) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she supports a woman's right to choose to have an abortion, but feels her predecessors' landmark Roe v. Wade ruling 40 years ago was too sweeping and gave abortion opponents a symbol to target.

Person of interest named in jogger killed by pit bull pack

PALMDALE . (AP) - Sheriff's authorities said a man who was arrested this week on suspicion of growing marijuana is now a "person of interest" in the death of a 63-year-old jogger who was mauled to death by a pack of pit bulls in the Mojave Desert.

Los Angeles, Paris project aims to track big city carbon footprints

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Every time Los Angeles exhales, odd-looking gadgets anchored in the mountains above the city trace the invisible puffs of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that waft skyward.

Relentless thief still taking Tahoe crawfish traps - 160 stolen so far

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (AP) - It's not that easy to catch crawfish in Lake Tahoe. Turns out, it may be harder to keep them.

Black student targeted with racist note

IRVINE (AP) - University of California, Irvine officials pledged to work on race relations on campus this week after a black student found a hand-scrawled note in her backpack calling her a slave, making it the second racist incident that has offended black students in recent weeks.

Mom: Accused boy, 12, ‘could never’ hurt sister

VALLEY SPRINGS (AP) - A day before a 12-year-old boy was arrested for the stabbing death of his 8-year-old sister, his mother described him as "protective" of his younger sibling.

State lawmakers debate how to spend $900M in new revenue from loophole

SACRAMENTO (AP) - California schools are expecting a boost from the $900 million to be raised over the next year through the closure of a corporate tax loophole, but Gov. Jerry Brown is locked in a disagreement with state lawmakers over how to hand out that money.

Chris Brown’s scary curbside art irks LA neighbors; city cites him for ‘signage’

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Grammy-winning musician Chris Brown's neighbors are unhappy with what some are calling frightening art he's chosen to have painted along the curb of his Hollywood Hills home.