EL CAJON, Calif.— The government sent investigators Tuesday to examine a Prius that sped out of control on a California freeway, and Toyota said it wanted to interview the driver as the besieged automaker dealt with a high-profile new headache that raised questions about the safety of its beloved read more..

NASA needs to go somewhere specific, not just talk about it, skeptical U.S. senators told the space agency chief Wednesday. President Barack Obama’s proposed budget kills the previous administration’s return-to-the-moon mission, sometimes nicknamed read more..

LOS ANGELES — With a 13-year head start on Michigan, California’s efforts to transform marijuana from illicit to prescription drug offers a clear lesson: It ain’t easy. read more..

The problem is so expansive that several experts contacted by the Mercury News wouldn’t even hazard a guess. So just how broke is California? A quick, unscientific look around the Golden State suggests that the total deficit for all those agencies could rival state government’s $20 billion budget gap. Amid California’s harshest slump since the Depression, officials from one end of the state to … read more..

SAN FRANCISCO & OAKLAND, California - Thousands rallied in front of San Francisco’s City Hall, as part of a statewide Day of Action against the $17 billion cuts on public education funds over the past 2 years. read more..

STILLWATER — Officially, Oklahoma State will say goodbye to one player Obi Muonelo when Senior Day arrives Saturday. Unofficially, it’s a different story. James Anderson, a junior with NBA ambitions, will take what are expected to be his parting read more..

Jaycee Dugard finally speaks to the public for the first time since her horrific ordeal she went through for 18 years. New home videos of Dugard show a portrait of a healing family. A mother and her two daughters baking cookies, riding horses and read more..

San Francisco’s Planning Commission voted late Thursday to approve a controversial plan to renovate the Masonic Center into a modern entertainment venue and almost double the number of evening shows in one of San Francisco’s historic neighborhoods read more..

SACRAMENTO (The Borowitz Report) - Anti-gay California State Sen. Roy Ashburn today demanded a sweeping recall of the vehicle that drove him to a gay nightclub this week. Sen. Ashburn, a Republican who has consistently voted for anti-gay legislation read more..

A helmet worn by U.S. skier Bode Miller in the Vancouver Games is being auctioned off to help raise money for a woman who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The five-time Olympic medalist’s helmet is being auctioned through eBay to help Pam read more..

The clock is now ticking. On Sunday, March 7, 2010, ABC will televise the 82nd annual Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, beginning at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET with hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. If you find read more..

“I am greedy,” guard Patrick Christopher said. “I want it all.” Pac-10 title, season sweep of Stanford, ruining old buddy Landry Fields’ Senior Day, NCAA Tournament invite Actually, the Bears (20-9, 12-5 in the Pac-10) should “easily” make the read more..

California’s unemployment rate grew slightly to 12.5 percent in January, the state Employment Development Department reported Friday. But the state also revised its December job numbers to show that about 300,000 additional jobs were lost last month. read more..

The long-sluggish labor market finally shows gains in numerous sectors. The unemployment rate, however, rises to 12.5% from 12.3% as more people resume job-hunting. California employers added 32,500 to their payrolls in January, a sign that the state’s moribund labor market might finally be stirring to life. read more..

Concerns about the state’s long-term fiscal challenges fuel shift toward national diversification in Californians’ tax-free bond portfolios. California and its local governments have long counted on a large captive audience for their debt: Many of the buyers are high-income individual investors who live here and find the federal and state tax exemption on California municipal bond interest too … read more..

The man who authorities say shot and wounded two police officers outside the Pentagon before he was fatally shot Thursday had a history of mental health problems, authorities in the man’s home state of California said Friday. read more..

A new ranking of America’s least obese cities shows healthy habits make for skinnier residents in several Colorado and California cities, which dominate the top 10. read more..

The California state Legislature is considering a new proposal to establish a registry of names — similar to widely used sex offender databases — to track and make public the identities of people convicted of felony animal abuse.  read more..

SACRAMENTO — Angered by increases in tuition and cuts in state financing, thousands of students, parents and faculty members protested across California on Thursday at colleges, universities and even elementary schools to plead for help with the state’s education crisis. read more..

With three keynote talks and twenty-four different workshops to choose from, it’s one of the best one-day writers conferences in California. For more information go to OC Christian Writers Conference . read more..

WASHINGTON - Couples waited in line for hours Wednesday to apply for marriage licenses on the first day same-sex unions became legal in the nation’s capital. Cheering erupted from the crowd when the first couple signed in at the city’s marriage read more..

The conference is being held on March 22-24, 2010 at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose, CA, USA. The Keynoters offer comprehensive perspectives about design, process, and tool methodologies. The Keynote speeches are on Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday read more..

NEW YORK, March 3 (Reuters) - A former Atheros Communications Inc ( ATHR.O ) executive pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy and fraud charges in the Galleon hedge fund insider trading case. Ali Hariri, a former vice president of the Santa Clara read more..

This system represents a workable, successful business model that has been duplicated with medical groups, IPAs and medical facilities throughout California .  HPN is dedicated to quality, affordable health care and putting patients’ wellness first read more..

NEW YORK — Toyota says it will spend $250 million on bonuses to assist employees at a factory in California that is slated to be closed. Toyota Motor Corp., which is working to repair its image in the U.S. following recalls and congressional read more..

San Diego police say the mother of a man suspected of killing 17-year-old Chelsea King had a message spray-painted on her garage saying the girl’s blood is on her hands. Officer Brad Ruff says the message was found Wednesday, a day after authorities read more..

The White House on Tuesday said Obama will move quickly to fill the vacancies on the seven-person board. The president’s picks will be in position to influence when the Fed raises interest rates and how aggressively it takes on its post-financial read more..

March 2 (Bloomberg) — Jerry Brown , the California attorney general who was twice elected governor in the 1970s and went on to become Oakland’s mayor, plans to announce today that he is running to succeed Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger , according to a person with direct knowledge of Brown’s plans. read more..

California’s solar industry is celebrating a ray of good news: the cap on so-called “net metering,” which allows homes and businesses to earn credit for any excess solar power they generate, has been doubled. read more..

March 2 (Bloomberg) — Chevron Corp. reported a failure in a unit at its 245,000 barrel-per-day Richmond, California, oil refinery. The company “lost a process plant with minor flare activity,” according to a report to state regulators filed today. read more..