Report: Calif. beach health testing slumps

Testing for bacteria in water along California beaches has dipped to its lowest level since the tests became mandatory more than a decade ago, possibly putting beachgoers at greater risk of infection, a newspaper reported Monday. The number of annual tests has dropped by nearly half since 2005, and some beaches are going untested for months at a time, the Los Angeles Times said, citing an analysis of state records.

Man who killed LA store owner won't face death

A man who robbed and killed the owner of a South Los Angeles liquor store won't face the death penalty after two juries deadlocked over his sentence. Prosecutors announced Monday they will drop efforts to have Larry Stewart sentenced to death for the 2005 murder. The 51-year-old Stewart will face life in prison without chance of parole when he's sentenced next month.

RV dealer challenges 'Twilight' star to push-ups

An RV dealership sued by Taylor Lautner over a custom vehicle is denying wrongdoing and has proposed a way to resolve the case out of court - a push-up contest. Lautner sued McMahon's RV a week ago, claiming it failed to deliver a custom vehicle in time for use on the "Twilight" star's latest movie.

Divorce trial of Dodgers owner opens in Calif.

An attorney for Jamie McCourt says her estranged husband deceived her so he could get sole ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jamie and Frank McCourt, who were both in the packed courtroom for the opening of the divorce trial, are embroiled in a nasty dispute with ownership of the team at stake.

McCourt divorce trial opens in Los Angeles

An attorney for Jamie McCourt says her estranged husband deceived her so he could get sole ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Frank and Jamie McCourt, who were both in the packed courtroom Monday for the opening of the divorce trial, are embroiled in a nasty dispute where ownership of the Dodgers is at stake.

Police ID alleged shooter in Mormon church killing

A man who was killed in a shootout with police after allegedly gunning down a Mormon lay bishop in Central California was identified Monday by police. Kenneth James Ward, 40, of Modesto walked into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Visalia between Sunday services and asked for the leader of the congregation, police said.

Google, AP reach new deal on licensing rights

Google Inc. will be able to continue posting content from The Associated Press under a new licensing deal the two companies announced Monday after months of sometimes thorny negotiations. The AP said in a statement that the two companies also will work together in ways to improve discovery and distribution of news.

50 to life for killing Fairfield councilman

A man with a lengthy criminal record was sentenced today to 50 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a Fairfield city councilman in 2008, a slaying that prosecutors called the result of mistaken identity over a $50 drug dispute. Henry Don Williams,...

Hercules man, 73, found slain in his home

A man was found slain at his home in Hercules over the weekend, authorities said today. Ricardo Sales, 73, was found by police at his home on the 1100 block of Crepe Myrtle Drive, in between San Pablo Avenue and Interstate 80, at about 3:15 p.m. Saturday,...

Man stabbed to death, wrapped in rug and dumped

Two people have been arrested in the slaying of a man whose body was found over the weekend wrapped in a rug in East Oakland, police said today. The body of Jose Ogo, 64, of Hayward was found in a rug on the 900 block of 89th Avenue at about 9:45 a.m...

S.F.s lone gun store draws neighbors fire

I just got back from Bosnia, and the only guns I saw were rusted relics in makeshift museums. Somehow the capital, Sarajevo, managed to emerge from four years of hyperviolent siege with lots of bullet-pocked buildings and mortar casings as objects dart in...

Report: Climate science panel should be better run

An international panel of scientists says the acclaimed committee studying global warming needs stronger leadership and fundamental changes. Representatives of the worlds science academies have released their report on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate...

Activists seek ban on mountaintop removal mining

Activists from the Appalachian region called on the Obama administration Monday to end the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining, saying it is destroying their land and harming their water quality. Although the administration has set out to curb the...

Bank of Alameda posts Q2 loss
NorCal Community Bancorp, parent of the Bank of Alameda, reported a quarterly loss as bad loans took their toll.

Women’s pro soccer cuts staff, reorganizes
In cost-saving moves, Women’s Professional Soccer laid off its chief operating officer and eliminated its national marketing employees.

Google invests in Mid-Pen housing
Foster City-based Mid-Peninsula Housing started construction today on Fair Oaks Plaza, a $37.6 million senior housing development in Sunnyvale that is being partly bankrolled through an investment by Google.

Judge OKs pension reform for S.F. ballot
A judge’s ruling paves the way for a November ballot measure that would increase how much San Francisco city workers must contribute to pension and health plans.

Google and AP bury the hatchet
Google Inc. and the Associated Press worked out their differences over a deal permitting Google to carry AP stories on its web pages. (GOOG)

S.F. Fed says immigrants are good for the economy
New research from the San Francisco Federal Reserve bank concludes that immigrant workers expand the economy and increase income per worker.

Wounded Fremont Officer's Condition Stabilizes
Fremont Police Officer Todd Young required more surgery Sunday, after he was badly wounded Friday in Oakland while attempting to serve an arrest warrant.

Knife-Wielding Man Shot Dead By SJ Police
Police fatally shot an apparently suicidal man who confronted officers with a 10-inch knife in San Jose Monday morning, according to the San Jose Police Department.

Woman Plunges To Her Death In Suspicious SF Fire
Police were investigating a suspicious fire that appears to have caused a woman to jump and plunge to her death from a window of a Tenderloin apartment and sent a man to the hospital with serious burns early Sunday morning.

Copper Theives Target SF Underground Vaults
The San Francisco Police Department is investigating 12 separate thefts of bare copper wire from beneath the city's streets that have occurred over the past three weeks.

Elderly Hercules Man Found Slain Inside Home
An elderly Hercules man who was found slain inside his home on Saturday has been identified as 73-year-old Ricaro Sales, a Contra Costa County deputy coroner said Monday.

Man Shot To Death Is Hayward's 12th Homicide
The Hayward Police Department is investigating a Sunday afternoon fatal shooting, police said.