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• President Obama meets with Chinese president today

  June 7, 2013 5:09 AM

  President Obama kicks off a two-day summit in California with China's president Xi Jinping today. This is the first time Mr. Obama has met with President Xi since he took over as China's president. Experts say the summit will feature a wide range of issues focused on the economy... more »

• 12-year-old California boy charged in homicide

  May 13, 2013 3:07 AM

  The 12-year-old brother of a California girl found stabbed to death in her home last month will be charged with homicide. Police took the boy into custody this weekend and said they will charge him with homicide in his sister's murder. Leila Fowler, 8, was found stabbed to... more »

• Man crashes car into California Walmart, beats customers

  April 1, 2013 4:38 AM

  A man crashes his car through a Walmart in California, then starts beating customers. The vehicle went all the way inside the store. It crashed into grocery carts and a produce display yesterday morning. Police say the driver then got out and started hitting people with a blunt object. Four... more »

• Feds search CA doctor's office in painkiller probe

  March 23, 2013 6:40 PM

  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Federal authorities have searched the office of a doctor suspected of prescribing Vicodin and other painkillers to patients who had no medical need for them. The Los Angeles Times reports the raid took place Friday after undercover agents posing as patients at Dr. John Dimowo's office... more »

• Emergency: How would your assisted living facility respond? Play Video

  March 4, 2013 8:21 PM

  The decision to put her parents into assisted living came fast for Joan Saucerman about a year and a half ago. "Much quicker than we would have anticipated," says Saucerman. When looking, she said care was high on the list of things she was looking for. "I think... more »

• Court blocks California law banning gay therapy

  December 22, 2012 10:25 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A federal appeals court on Friday put the brakes on a first-of-its-kind California law that bans therapy aimed at turning gay minors straight. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency order putting the law on hold until the court... more »

• Strategy, timing key to states' pot legalization

  December 2, 2012 1:27 PM

  SEATTLE (AP) - In the late-1980s heyday of the anti-drug "Just Say No" campaign, a man calling himself "Jerry" appeared on a Seattle talk radio show to criticize U.S. marijuana laws. An esteemed businessman, he hid his identity because he didn't want to offend customers who - like so many... more »

• Canon City cops nab fugitive from Colorado Springs

  November 29, 2012 6:49 PM

  FREMONT COUNTY - Officers with the Canon City Police Department arrested a Colorado Springs man Tuesday who had open warrants from both the Springs and California. The officers were responding to a report of shots being fired at the North 9th Street Storage facility when they found Roger Wayne... more »

• Marijuana DUI a concern, especially after Amendment 64 Play Video

  November 21, 2012 7:48 PM

  Not all is Golden in the Golden State; there are concerning numbers on California drivers under the influence. After Amendment 64 passed in Colorado, local leaders have been sounding off about public safety worries, driving included. Out of 1,300 California drivers who were voluntarily tested by the state... more »

• Voters excited to cast ballots after long election season Play Video

  November 6, 2012 1:13 PM

  Election Day, 2012; News 5 met with some of the first voters in Colorado as they were leaving the polls. For most of them, this is a different election season than they've seen before; from the amount of ads to the tone of the conversation -- both between voters as... more »

• California mom scares robber with a shotgun, saves her daughter

  August 29, 2012 6:51 PM

  You don't want to mess with one brave mom in California. Tuesday morning, Brianne Rodriguez was greeted by a robber. That man threw her to the ground and kicked her, but when he went for her daughter, Rodriguez sprang to action. "I said, 'I've got to save my kid,... more »

• More email surfaces in Calif. professor arson case

  August 10, 2012 9:14 PM

  NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) - A university professor who wrote emails outlining a plan to attack the California high school that his late son attended before committing suicide wrote an additional email that described his attempts to burn the school and the assistant principal's home. Local media reports the email... more »

• Southern California shakes from another earthquake

  August 8, 2012 12:52 PM

  Another moderate earthquake has shaken a wide area of Southern California. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 9:33 a.m. Wednesday quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.5 and was centered near the Orange County city of Yorba Linda. A magnitude 4.4 quake centered in the same area struck late Tuesday... more »

• Google takes aim at Mexico's drug cartels

  July 18, 2012 3:55 PM

  WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) - Google, so far, has won the search engine wars. Now it wants to take on Mexico's powerful drug cartels and other global crime. Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt has a keen interest in the cartel problem in Mexico - and is discussing the issue with... more »

• FDA approves highly anticipated weight-loss pill

  July 17, 2012 8:40 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a new weight loss drug from Vivus Inc. that many doctors consider the most effective therapy in a new generation of anti-obesity pills designed to help patients safely shed pounds. The agency cleared the pill Qsymia for adults who... more »

• Feds close largest pot shop on the planet

  July 11, 2012 4:46 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - An Oakland medical marijuana dispensary that's been billed as the largest pot shop on the planet is being targeted for closure by federal prosecutors in Northern California. Harborside Health Center spokeswoman Gaynell Rogers said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag's office has threatened to seize the property where... more »

• Average price of 4-year university up 15 percent

  June 12, 2012 4:19 PM

  When those college tuition bills come in, be prepared for sticker shock. The average cost of attending a four-year public university increased by 15 percent over a two-year period, fueled by state budget cuts and tuition increases of 40 percent or more at universities in Georgia, Arizona and California. The... more »

• Ex-Indian Army officer kills family, self in Calif

  June 10, 2012 1:32 AM

  [SELMA, Calif. (AP) - A former Indian Army officer wanted in a 1996 killing in the disputed Kashmir region has killed his wife and two of their children in their California home before apparently taking his own life. Authorities say Avtar Singh called Selma police at around 6:15 a.m. and... more »

• FBI Agent gone missing; possibly suicidal

  May 13, 2012 8:39 AM

  BURBANK, Calif. (AP) - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials and other law enforcement personnel are searching a rugged mountain area for an FBI agent who had not been seen for more than 24 hours and was said to be despondent and possibly suicidal. KABC-TV reports that Los Angeles-based Special... more »

• Calif. FBI agent missing, possibly armed, suicidal

  May 13, 2012 12:59 AM

  BURBANK, Calif. (AP) - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials and other law enforcement personnel are searching a rugged mountain area for an FBI agent who had not been seen for more than 24 hours and was said to be despondent and possibly suicidal. Local media reports that Los... more »

• College student left, forgotten in DEA holding cell

  May 2, 2012 1:54 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating how a California college student ended up being forgotten in a holding cell for five days. A law enforcement official briefed on the investigation said Daniel Chong, one of nine suspects swept up in an April 21 drug raid in San... more »

• Calif. gov mulls change to lethal injection method

  April 26, 2012 8:59 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Gov. Jerry Brown is ordering California prison officials to explore using a single drug for lethal injections instead of three, in an effort to restart long-stalled executions in the state. Brown's order was contained in a two-page appeal of a Marin County judge's decision last year... more »

• Man suspected in shooting on hunger strike

  April 25, 2012 5:01 AM

  OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say the man suspected of killing seven people at a California Christian college is on a hunger strike. Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. J.D. Nelson said Monday that One Goh has not eaten since his April 3 arrival at the Santa Rita Jail in... more »

• Cops find charred body in CA home after standoff

  April 13, 2012 7:36 PM

  MODESTO, Calif. (AP) - Police say they've found a body inside the fire-gutted California home where a suspect had barricaded himself after fatally shooting two people. Modesto police spokesman Chris Adams says the body was found Friday in the rubble of the home, where a raging fire had broken out... more »

• Carbon dioxide leak sickens workers at food plant

  March 30, 2012 8:23 PM

  VALLEJO, Calif. (AP) - Hospital officials say one worker is in serious condition while all others have recovered from exposure to a carbon dioxide leak at a Northern California food processing plant. More than 70 workers were sent to hospitals Friday after authorities say they were exposed to the leak... more »

• Tree falls on house, kills 8-year-old girl

  March 19, 2012 2:46 PM

  ARNOLD, Calif. (AP) - Authorities in Northern California say a 100-foot-tall tree fell onto a house and killed an 8-year-old girl who was sleeping inside. The Record of Stockton reports the tree fell in the Calaveras County town of Arnold shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Fire officials say the storm-weakened... more »

• Stoned driving epidemic puts wrinkle in pot debate

  March 18, 2012 12:41 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Angeline Chilton says she can't drive unless she smokes pot. The suburban Denver woman uses medical marijuana to ease multiple sclerosis symptoms and says she'd never get behind the wheel right after smoking. But her case underscores a problem that no one's sure how to solve: How... more »

• Colo. murder suspect not allowed to leave state

  March 11, 2012 10:37 AM

  BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (AP) - A judge is denying a murder suspect's request to leave the state as prosecutors consider asking that the man accused in the death of his wife be held on bail greater than the current $50,000. The Summit Daily News reports that a judge Thursday denied Dale... more »

• Bill tying lawmaker pay to budget gets 1st hearing

  March 7, 2012 11:02 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers would have to forgo their pay and benefits if they don't agree on a budget on time under a proposal that gets its first hearing in the state Senate Wednesday. Democratic Senate President Brandon Shaffer, the bill sponsor, said the idea resonates with constituents because... more »

• Colorado holds off Cal for 70-57 win

  February 26, 2012 9:33 PM

  BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Austin Dufault and Spencer Dinwiddie each scored 15 points, Andre Roberson grabbed 15 rebounds and Colorado beat California 70-57 on Sunday, dealing a blow to the Golden Bears' Pac-12 title aspirations. Cal (23-7, 13-4) entered the day tied with Washington for the top spot in the... more »

• California shooting may be case of workplace violence

  February 17, 2012 1:35 AM

  LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) - The FBI says an immigration agent shot and injured another agent and was then killed by a third colleague in a federal building in Long Beach. FBI Special Agent Steven Martinez says the shooting occurred at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday. There were conflicting early reports... more »

• Trader Joes is coming to Colorado

  January 18, 2012 6:35 PM

  Trader Joes, the specialty grocery store with a cult-like following across the country, is coming to Colorado. The company, from Monrovia, California filed papers with the Colorado Secretary of State's office Monday to do business in the state by "April 1, 2012." A group of fans had set... more »

• Buffs basketball team suffers first Pac 12 loss

  January 13, 2012 3:12 AM

  BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) - Harper Kamp scored on a baseline layup with 49.7 seconds left, Allen Crabbe made three late free throws and California overcame one of its worst offensive performances of the season to beat Colorado 57-50 on Thursday night. Kamp finished with 14 points and eight rebounds and... more »

• Flood of government data fuels rise of city apps

  November 26, 2011 2:09 PM

  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When Ben Berkowitz wanted some graffiti on his street cleaned up, he called the city. They put him on hold. As he sat there, he found himself thinking that his neighbors had probably called in with the same complaint, but he had no way of knowing.... more »

• Police: 5 killed in Calif. home care facility fire

  November 6, 2011 6:50 PM

  MARINA, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say five people were killed in a fire at a California home care facility for the disabled. Police Lt. Rick Janicki says four bodies were found shortly after the blaze, and a fifth body was found by investigators Sunday morning. The fire was... more »

• Survey: US gas prices up 5 cents in past 2 weeks

  October 23, 2011 2:30 PM

  CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) - A survey says the average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has risen nearly five cents over the past two weeks. The Lundberg Survey of fuel prices released Sunday puts the price of a gallon of regular at $3.47. Costs have seen similar... more »

• Officer shot in Sacramento, Cali

  October 23, 2011 9:36 AM

  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say a Sacramento-area police officer was shot and critically wounded following an attempted traffic stop, and a suspect was arrested. The Sacramento Bee reports that the officer was hit by several bullets from what police believe was a lone shooter. The shooting came... more »

• Police ID suspect in hair salon shooting

  October 13, 2011 4:34 AM

  SEAL BEACH, California (AP) -Seal Beach police have identified the suspect in a salon shooting massacre that left eight people dead and one critically wound. Police Sgt. Steve Bowles says 42-year-old Scott Evans Dekraai of Huntington Beach was arrested Wednesday and booked on suspicion of murder. Police say Dekraai... more »

• California banns tanning beds for under-18

  October 9, 2011 5:48 PM

  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California has become the first state to make it illegal for teenagers under 18 to use tanning beds. Gov. Jerry Brown said Sunday that he has signed SB746 into law. It goes into effect Jan. 1. Currently, children 14 and under cannot use tanning beds in... more »

• Suspect in murdered councilman killed in manhunt

  October 2, 2011 9:39 AM

  FORT BRAGG, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say a man suspected of killing a Fort Bragg councilman and county land trust official was fatally shot by officers after he raised his high-powered rifle in an encounter six miles east of the Northern California town. Mendocino County Sheriff Thomas Allman said... more »

• Amtrak collides with truck

  October 1, 2011 9:50 AM

  ANTIOCH, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say several people were hurt Friday evening when an Amtrak passenger train collided with a truck at a rural crossing in Northern California. Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham says several people on the train suffered "minor to moderate injuries." She said she did not know... more »

• Western farmers meet with Interior secretary

  September 14, 2011 10:35 PM

  DENVER (AP) - The director of renewable energy for the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union says transmission lines could be an economic development tool for farmers and ranchers. Bill Midcap likens transmission lines to railroads or interstate highways. He and others met on Wednesday with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar,... more »

• Perry leaves Texas wildfires, heads to GOP debate

  September 7, 2011 4:42 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has left the wildfires raging in his home state and arrived in California for a Republican presidential debate. Perry suspended his campaign Sunday as his state battles a series of still-raging wildfires that have destroyed more 1,000 homes. He left Texas again... more »

• Republican debate tonight

  September 7, 2011 7:44 AM

  The Republican Presidential candidates will debate in California today. Polls show Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in the lead. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman is trailing. Gov. Perry could miss the debate though, because of the wildfires in his state. He is... more »

• California now fighting fires

  September 7, 2011 7:33 AM

  TEHACHAPI, Calif. (AP) - Firefighters have been aided by winds that pushed a 20-square-mile blaze toward already burned land in Southern California, but the fire remains a threat to hundreds of homes. The fire, which has blackened more than 13,000 acres, started Sunday near the town of Tehachapi when... more »

• Perry undecided on GOP debate because of wildfires

  September 6, 2011 12:49 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Gov. Rick Perry isn't yet saying if he plans to take part in a Republican presidential debate in California or stay in Texas to deal with wildfires that officials say destroyed more than 1,000 homes in a week. Perry says he is "substantially more concerned"... more »

• Fort Carson hosting "Run for the Fallen"

  August 18, 2011 3:56 PM

  Fort Carson, Colo. - Fort Carson is hosting a run to remember fallen soldiers Saturday at 8 a.m. at Iron Horse Park. The Run for the Fallen honors the men and women who have died while serving in Overseas Contingency Operations. Participants will wear runners' bibs displaying names and... more »

• Marines rescued after 4 hours in the Pacific

  August 11, 2011 6:20 PM

  SAN DIEGO (AP) - Two Marines are in serious but stable condition at a Navy hospital after spending four harrowing hours in the chilly Pacific Ocean. They ejected last night from their F/A-18 Hornet jet as it went down. The two Marines drifted in their flight suits, yelling and... more »

• Calif. governor calls for Obama to step up to GOP

  August 7, 2011 6:25 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - California Gov. Jerry Brown is calling for President Barack Obama to respond to Republicans in what he calls "a very powerful way" during the upcoming presidential election. Brown says the Republicans are gearing up to destroy Obama during the campaign, and he says that, in response,... more »

• San Diego officer dies; suspect left suicide note

  August 7, 2011 5:36 PM

  SAN DIEGO (AP) - San Diego's police chief says an officer shot in the face in an apparently unprovoked attack has died, and investigators have found a suicide note left by the suspect who fired the gun. Chief William Lansdowne says 36-year-old Jeremy Henwood, a four-year veteran of the... more »

• Obama fundraisers postponed amid debt limit talks

  July 25, 2011 10:57 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has postponed several fundraisers because of the ongoing talks over raising the debt limit. Campaign officials say Obama had to cancel plans for fundraisers in California and Washington state in recent weeks, along with an event at the New York home... more »

• Small plane crashes into Calif. hospital; 2 dead

  July 8, 2011 12:26 AM

  WATSONVILLE, Calif. (AP) - Authorities say a small plane has crashed into a community hospital in central California, killing two people on board the plane. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford says a single-engine plane crashed into an office building at the hospital shortly after takeoff from nearby Watsonville... more »

• NASA prepping next Mars spacecraft for fall launch

  June 23, 2011 8:55 PM

  PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - NASA's next roving spacecraft to the surface of Mars has arrived in Florida after a cross-country flight to undergo final testing. A C-17 cargo jet carrying the rover nicknamed Curiosity took off from March Air Force Base in California and arrived Wednesday night in Florida.... more »

• Cal and South Carolina are Tuesday winners at College World Series

  June 22, 2011 3:21 AM

  OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - No. 9 batter Derek Campbell drove in two runs, closer Matt Flemer pitched scoreless ball after freshman Kyle Porter's solid start and California beat Texas A&M 7-3 Tuesday at the College World Series. The Aggies (47-22) went two games and out and are 2-10 in five... more »

• 'Flights Over Neverland' for Jackson anniversary

  June 20, 2011 11:28 AM

  SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) - Helicopter flights over Neverland Ranch in California are being booked for the second anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. The singer was 50 when he died on June 25, 2009. He owned the Neverland Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley for years. Oxnard-based Channel... more »

• Yahoo email outage frustrates free service's users

  April 28, 2011 3:31 PM

  SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) - Yahoo's email service has suffered an outage that may be preventing a large number of users from getting into their inboxes. The company apologized for Thursday's breakdown without specifying how many people were affected. Twitter's online messaging service was filled with complaints about the inconvenience.... more »

• California bill would ban sale of shark fins

  February 14, 2011 3:41 PM

  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Less than one week after Chinese New Year, California legislators have introduced a bill to ban the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins used in a traditional soup. If successful, the proposed ban announced Monday would follow a similar measure enacted in Hawaii last... more »

• LA mayoral staffer accused of attacking officer

  January 23, 2011 6:23 PM

  LOS ANGELES (AP) - A staff member in the Los Angeles mayor's gang-reduction office has been arrested on suspicion of attacking police officers during a scuffle at a nightclub. Police Lt. Jim Gavin says Blanca Martinez-Navarro was booked early Sunday for battery on a peace officer. Similar charges were... more »

• Vail Resorts acquires Northstar-at-Tahoe in Calif.

  October 26, 2010 8:45 AM

  BROOMFIELD, Colo. (AP) - Vail Resorts has acquired Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort in California for $63 million cash. The Broomfield, Colorado-based company said Monday it acquired the stock of the companies that operate Northstar-at-Tahoe from Booth Creek Resort Properties LLC and other sellers. Vail Resorts will lease the land on... more »

• Recreational marijuana use on California ballot

  October 20, 2010 12:29 PM

  PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - President Barack Obama's drug czar says federal officials haven't ruled out taking legal action if California voters pass a ballot initiative to legalize recreational medical use. Director of National Drug Control Policy Gil Kerlikowske is in Southern California on Wednesday for a visit to a... more »

• Mayor resigns after purse-snatching arrest

  October 19, 2010 2:52 PM

  SAN GABRIEL, Calif. (AP) - A suburban Southern California mayor has resigned days after his arrest for a purse-snatching and wild ride through streets with a woman clinging to his sport utility vehicle. San Gabriel Mayor Albert Y.M. Huang says in an e-mail Tuesday to The Associated Press that... more »

• Crystal Cathedral files for bankruptcy

  October 18, 2010 6:57 PM

  GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (AP) - Crystal Cathedral has filed for bankruptcy in Southern California after months of trying to overcome mounting debt. The megachurch, birthplace of the "Hour of Power" televangelist broadcast, announced its filing Monday as it deals with a $55 million debt. The Orange County-based church, founded... more »

• Colorado voters get another heavy-ballot year

  October 13, 2010 8:18 AM

  Colorado voters are seeing it again: Nine proposals on the November ballot that would transform state policy on everything from bail practices to limits on government borrowing. To help voters wade through the issues, the state has issued a 100-page-plus voter pamphlet. Early voting starts Monday. Colorado... more »

• West coast vintners hope late harvest makes fine wine

  October 11, 2010 9:47 AM

  Growers along the West Coast are rushing to pick grapes after a cool summer led to a late harvest. Jon Emmerich of Silverado Vineyards in California's Napa valley says the harvest is running about three weeks behind because workers were waiting to let the grapes ripen. Growers in... more »

• Law punishing fake heroes may go to Supreme Court

  October 11, 2010 8:39 AM

  The Justice Department is battling to save a federal law that makes it illegal to lie about being a war hero. A federal appeals court in California and a federal district court in Denver have both ruled the Stolen Valor Act is unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. Government... more »

• 10 injured in California rollercoaster accident

  October 8, 2010 8:33 AM

  Authorities say 10 people have been injured in a rollercoaster accident at Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County. Fire Authority Capt. Greg McKeown says the accident happened Thursday night on the Pony Express but the injuries were minor. He says two rollercoaster trains collided in the station where park... more »

• Gene test aims for better heart disease detection

  October 5, 2010 10:22 AM

  It's not a perfect test. Yet researchers report a key step for the first gene test aimed at reducing unnecessary angiograms - expensive and somewhat risky procedures that hundreds of thousands of Americans have each year to check for clogged arteries. Most of these exams, done in hospital cardiac catheterization... more »

• Another day of searing heat on tap for California

  September 28, 2010 8:28 AM

  Temperatures will start to edge down in California today but not before another day of scorching heat. Forecasters say it won't be quite as bad as yesterday when a blistering fall heat wave broke records across the state, including an all-time high of 113 degrees in downtown Los Angeles.... more »

• 10 states sell half of imported crime guns

  September 27, 2010 8:23 AM

  A report being released Monday by a mayors group finds that nearly half of the guns that crossed state lines and were used in crimes in 2009 were sold in just 10 states. Colorado is not one of the states. Those states accounted for nearly 21,000 guns connected to... more »

• Experts say aging pipelines are in place below populated areas

  September 14, 2010 8:52 AM

  Last week's explosion of a gas pipeline in San Bruno, California has shed light on a situation that experts say exists in many communities across the country. The section of pipeline that ruptured was built in 1956 -- when the neighborhood contained just a handful of homes. Since then,... more »

• Heat keeping crews from California homes

  September 10, 2010 3:51 PM

  A California fire official says a quarter of the homes burned an enormous blaze sparked after a gas line ruptured are still too hot to search. San Bruno Fire Chief Dennis Haag said crews are going door to door in the neighborhood near San Francisco. At least four... more »

• Death toll fluctuates in California blast

  September 10, 2010 12:50 PM

  Fire crews flooded the ruins of burning homes with water early Friday after a massive explosion sent flames roaring through a neighborhood near San Francisco, killing at least four people and destroying more than 50 houses. The death toll fluctuated as authorities began assessing the damage early Friday. ... more »

• Death toll climbs to 6 in California blast, fire

  September 10, 2010 12:57 AM

  A massive explosion sent flames roaring through a neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco on Thursday night, destroying more than 50 homes, leaving six dead and injuring dozens. The explosion shot a fireball more than 1,000 feet in the air and sent frightened residents fleeing for safety... more »

• Telescope alert! Asteroids to make close swipe of earth

  September 7, 2010 4:09 PM

  If you enjoy keeping an eye on the night sky, here's one you won't want to miss--two asteroids are about to pass by earth closer than the moon. The newly discovered asteroids were spotted by astronomers at Mount Lemmon Survey in Tucson, Arizona. They'll pass earth Wednesday within eleven... more »

• California delays Bo Derek confirmation to horse board

  August 26, 2010 8:36 AM

  The California state Senate has delayed confirming actress Bo Derek to a commission that oversees horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at racetracks in California. A spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg says the delay comes because the Democrat from Sacramento wants more time to consider all four... more »

• Xcel, subcontractor, blamed for worker deaths

  August 25, 2010 3:55 PM

  Federal investigators say Xcel Energy and its contractor failed to adequately plan for hazardous work before a hydroelectric plant fire that killed five workers in Colorado. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released its final report on the October 2007 fire on Wednesday. The work included taking flammable solvents... more »