SF restaurant known for 'rudest waiter' closing

Jobless rate rises after 2 months of decline

Bay Area briefs

UC Berkeley behind stadium fund-raising goal BERKELEY. (AP) - The University of California, Berkeley is behind its fund-raising goal to pay for the $321 million renovation of its football stadium. The university was aiming to raise $270 million by summer 2013 for the Memorial Stadium project, but so far has only $35 million in cash. University officials say there ...

Around the state

• PG&E fined $16.8M for failing to check gas pipes: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California regulators upheld a $16.8 million fine against Pacific Gas & Electric for the utility's failure to adequately check for gas leaks in its pipelines as required by state law.

Southern California teacher fired over porn video acting

OXNARD (AP) - A Southern California science teacher was fired Wednesday night for performing in a pornographic video, school district officials said. Oxnard School District trustees voted in closed session to dismiss Stacie Halas, who taught seventh- and eighth-graders at Richard B. Haydock Intermediate School. Veronica Robles-Solis, the board president, said the trustees voted unanimously to dismiss Halas. <p style="line-height: 18pt; background: ...

Ryan Seacrest is heir apparent to Dick Clark's pop music influence

Suspended SF sheriff disputes DA's version

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi disputed prosecutors' version of events that led to domestic violence charges against him, saying much of the case was a fabrication and he was the victim of politics. Mirkarimi was accused of bruising the arm of his wife, Venezuelan actress Eliana Lopez, during a dispute on New Year's Eve. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor ...

Older Asian, Hispanic populations growing

State news briefs

STOCKTON (AP) - The civil lawsuit accusing a Central Valley priest of child abuse is continuing despite the fact that the priest has fled to his native Ireland. The Diocese of Stockton learned this week that Michael Kelly left the country. A civil jury had found Kelly, a former priest in the diocese, liable for the molestation of an altar boy who ...

Analysis: Prison medical costs too high

Lottery pulls ad with slap-happy Lady Luck

LA police union sues over unlicensed driver policy

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles police officers' union has sued the city and police chief over a new policy that allows some unlicensed drivers to keep their cars instead of having them impounded for 30 days. The Police Protective League sued Wednesday in Superior Court. The suit asks the court to block Chief Charlie Beck's new order, which was endorsed ...

Bay Area briefs

TRANSIT WORKER GAVE NEEDY TEEN BART TICKETS: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco transit worker is in trouble for giving a needy teenager free BART tickets to get to school.

Around the state

&bull; More bee swarm encounters in Bay Area: VACAVILLE (AP) - A Vacaville elementary school was briefly invaded by tens of thousands of bees in what beekeepers say is a rising number of encounters between bee swarms and people in the San Francisco Bay area.

San Diego scientist uses physics to dodge $400 traffic ticket

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A University of California San Diego scientist was able to use his math and physics knowledge to argue his way out of a $400 traffic ticket.

Magnitude-4.8 quake shakes SoCal coast

SANTA BARBARA (AP) - A magnitude-4.8 earthquake jolted the Southern California coast Wednesday morning, but no significant problems were reported. The 7:38 a.m. temblor was centered 3 miles west of Isla Vista in Santa Barbara County and occurred at a depth of 5 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Shaking was felt as far away as Bakersfield in the southern San Joaquin Valley and in Los Angeles. Santa Barbara County authorities received no reports of ...

Capital News

Independent review for Caltrans

Senate passes series of gun, ammo bills

Bay Area briefs

POLICE RECOMMEND MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST FATHER: PALO ALTO (AP) - Police are recommending vehicular manslaughter charges for a Northern California father whose two daughters died after he nodded off and crashed his SUV.

Lice appear to be behind deer balding

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - An invasion of aggressive lice appears to be behind the balding of deer across California and may even be linked to deer deaths, according to state wildlife officials who are studying the hair loss. Since 2009, researchers have collected hair and blood samples from more than 600 deer and elk with symptoms ranging from a scruffy-looking coat to almost complete baldness, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday. So far, the hair ...

Mickey returns to Fantasyland in high-tech show

State news briefs

NO INJURIES IN APPARENT DRY-ICE DISNEYLAND BLAST: ANAHEIM (AP) - Officials say what appears to be dry ice in a plastic bottle caused a small explosion at Disneyland, bringing evacuations but no reports of injuries.

State Side

FREEWAY SANDSTORM CAUSES MULTIPLE WRECKS, 6 HURT: LANCASTER (AP) - The California Highway Patrol has closed a freeway north of Los Angeles after a sandstorm in Lancaster led to several car wrecks that injured six people.

Calif. bill would expand who can perform abortions

Justin Bieber investigated for reckless driving

CALABASAS (AP) - Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives are investigating Justin Bieber for reckless driving after witnesses, including former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, complained. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore says at 8 p.m. Monday Bieber allegedly drove his white Ferrari at freeway speeds in his north Los Angeles County gated community. Johnson was outside with his 3-year-old daughter who was preparing to get into a small electric car when Bieber zoomed by. Johnson followed Bieber to ...

Norcal News

PG&E SUED OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CANAL BREAK: COLFAX, (AP) - Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has been hit by a pair of lawsuits over its handling of a canal failure two years ago that forced thousands of Placer County residents to ration water.

Bay Area briefs

3 WOUNDED IN SAN FRANCISCO SHOOTING: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Francisco police have arrested three people in connection with an early morning robbery attempt that left three others with gunshot wounds.

209 News

BODIES PULLED FROM WATERWAY WEST OF STOCKTON: STOCKTON (AP) - San Joaquin County Sheriff's officials are searching a waterway west of Stockton where an SUV crashed over the weekend.

Wal-Mart guilty in hazardous waste case