CAlifornia

A photo from May shows Gino Celli checking his parched crops near his farm near Stockton, Calif. If predictions of a strong El NiÃ±o prove true, it could presage a relief from the region's prolonged drought.

Scientists Say We Could Be Heading Into 'Godzilla El Niño'

3:32pm August 13, 2015

by Scott Neuman

It could bring much-needed rain to California and the National Weather Service says there's a greater than 90 percent chance it will persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter.

A firefighter monitors flames from the Rocky Fire as it approaches a home late last month. The wildfire has consumed thousands of acres in just over a week.

Veteran Firefighter: Rocky Fire Has 'Most Extreme Fire Behavior I've Ever Seen'

3:01pm August 10, 2015

by Kirk Siegler

The California fire is unusually intense and unpredictable. But between climate change and the impact of decades of poor management, such wildfires may be the new normal.

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Sports

WHIP The Competition: Stat-Heads Run Minor League Team, Lead It To First

8:35am August 05, 2015

It's a fantasy baseball player's dream: Taking the reins at a real ballclub. That's what two baseball writers did this year, planning to run the minor league squad based on advanced statistics.

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Enrollment counselor Vue Yang (left) reviews health insurance options for Laura San Nicolas (center), accompanied by her daughter, Geena, 17, at Sacramento Covered in Sacramento, Calif., in February.

Health & Safety

More Previously Uninsured Californians Got Coverage Under Obamacare

10:06am July 31, 2015

by Lisa Aliferis

More than two-thirds of Californians who didn't have health insurance before the Affordable Care Act took full effect in 2014 have it now. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey documents the changes.

Brian Hopson, assistant superintendent at Alameda County Juvenile Hall, stands in one of its many empty units. The 360-bed facility was full when it opened eight years ago, but is now at half capacity.

National

Meant To Keep Youths Out Of Detention, Probation Often Leads Them There

2:29pm July 30, 2015

by Soraya Shockley

Nationwide, juvenile incarceration has dropped by half since 1999 — but the probations that have replaced it hold teens to sometimes subjective standards and often include electronic monitoring.

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A town in California's Central Valley plans to transform farmland into an eco-friendly residential community. An artist's rendering shows plans for Kings River Village in Reedley, Calif.

California's Drought Spurs Unexpected Effect: Eco-Friendly Development

7:56pm July 29, 2015

by Ezra David Romero

In the state's agricultural Central Valley, planning is under way to transform peach and plum fields into Kings River Village, a solar-powered community that will send wastewater back into an aquifer.

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Christy O'Donnell, who has advanced lung cancer, is one of several California patients suing for the right to get a doctor's help with prescription medicine to end their own lives if and when they feel that's necessary.

California Judge Throws Out Lawsuit On Medically Assisted Suicide

5:35pm July 27, 2015

by April Dembosky

The superior court judge says questions raised in the case should be decided by legislatures or voters, not the court. The terminally ill plaintiffs say they'll appeal his decision.

National

Judge Says Detained Immigrant Women, Children Should Be Released

4:56pm July 25, 2015

by Scott Neuman

A federal judge has given the government 90 days to prove that holding hundreds of minors and their mothers in unlicensed secure facilities does not violate a 1997 settlement.

Rare July Rain Washes Out Bridge On I-10 In California

9:42am July 20, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

The rain cut right through the highway, forcing drivers to take long detours. There was one bit of good news with all the rain, however: It helped control wildfires.

2-4-6-8, A 401(k) Would Be Great: Calif. Law Makes Cheerleaders Employees

7:55am July 17, 2015

by Ben Adler

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that bars professional teams there from treating their cheerleaders as independent contractors. The bill came after lawsuits alleged the cheerleaders were underpaid.

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