McCourt says he took out Dodger loan to help wife

Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has testified he took a $60 million loan against the value of the land around Dodger Stadium to pay mortgages on his estranged wife's six homes. McCourt testified Friday for a fourth day as he battles Jamie McCourt over ownership of the Dodgers, the stadium and surrounding property.

Calif. mosque informant refiles lawsuit vs. FBI

A former FBI informant who infiltrated a Southern California mosque has revised his lawsuit against the U.S. government and a local police department, saying they violated his civil rights and were negligent. Craig Monteilh filed amended complaint in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on Thursday, two days after a federal judge dismissed the remnants of a complaint he filed earlier this year. The personal trainer and convicted felon is seeking $10 million in damages.

Appeals court sets hearing in Jackson estate case

A California appeals court has scheduled a hearing for Michael Jackson's father to argue he deserves a role in his son's estate. The Second District Court of Appeal on Thursday set an Oct. 6 date for Joe Jackson's attorneys to argue his case.

Audit: Calif. 'smart meters' mostly accurate

An independent analysis of the electronic meter-reading system operated by California's largest utility says the devices are highly accurate, despite thousands of customer complaints. The report on Pacific Gas & Electric Co.'s "smart meter" program was released Thursday at a meeting of the California Public Utilities Commission. The regulators had ordered the five-month review.

Feds consider allowing fingerprint program opt-out

Immigration officials say they will consider San Francisco's request to pull out of a program that automatically sends them the fingerprints of arrested foreigners. Sheriff Michael Hennessey has repeatedly asked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to let the county opt out of the program, called Secure Communities, which has been in place since June.

Defending champ Sluman headlines First Tee Open

Two-time defending champion Jeff Sluman will be joined Champions Tour money leader Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson and three other tournament winners at the First Tee Open. Gil Morgan, Hale Irwin and Scott Simpson will be in the field of 78 pros matched with a select group of juniors ages 15-18 and 156 amateurs in the seventh annual event.

Former Democratic lawmaker signs on with Whitman

Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is getting an assist from a former Central Valley lawmaker to court Democratic and independent voters. Former state Assemblywoman Nicole Parra was once a Democrat who contemplated defecting to the GOP but is now registered as a decline-to-state voter.

Police search landfill for missing Hercules man

The search for a missing Hercules man took a grim turn today, as police shifted their attention to a Pittsburg landfill and 3,000 tons of garbage in searching for his body. Frederick Sales, 35, a nursing aide at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, has not...

Killing spree suspects downhill slide

After Efren Valdemoro met Cindy Tran during a flirty encounter more than two years ago at a Vallejo beauty salon where she cut his hair, he struck her co-workers as kind and giving. He used to bring us coffee and Filipino desserts. He was very generous,...

Deputies ask for help in East Bay pot killing

Alameda County sheriffs investigators are asking for the publics help in locating two men charged with murdering a man they apparently suspected of plotting to steal their marijuana. Mohammed Kahn, 47, and Manuel Trujillo, 62, know they are being sought in...

Suspect in cop shooting returned to East Bay

The suspect in the shooting of a Fremont police officer in East Oakland has been returned to Alameda County after his arrest near the Mexican border over the weekend, records show. Andrew Barrientos, 20, an alleged gang member from Union City, is scheduled...

Skull, other remains found near Golden Gate

A human skull and other bones have been found in a cove in the Marin Headlands, and efforts are under way to recover additional remains, authorities said today. The skull was first spotted by a kayaker at 7:30 p.m. Monday in a cove below Battery Spencer, near...

Watch those gas pumps; prices expected to fall

Gasoline prices have been falling for weeks, and they could go even lower as autumns leaves begin to drop. The national average for a gallon of unleaded regular was $2.681 on Friday, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. Thats...

Blog host Vox to close down
Blog hosting service Vox will shut down at the end of September, the San Francisco-based company said in an announcement Friday.

Facebook testing Twitter-like 'Subscribe' feature
Facebook is testing a "Subscribe" feature that lets people follow a user or page, similar to Twitter's follow feature, according to reports.

Topcon expands in Europe
Topcon Positioning Systems Inc. has opened a European facility – Topcon Positioning Iberia -- in Madrid, Spain.

Nanosys opens Korean facility
The nanotech materials company Nanosys Inc. has opened a subsidiary in Korea to support its business in Asia.

Yahoo teaming with Vestel Group to bring Web to TV in Europe
Yahoo is partnering with the European TV manufacturer Vestel Group to deliver TV, movies, video and other content in Europe, the companies announced Friday. (YHOO)

CarePayment buys Vitality Financial
The health care financial services company CarePayment Technologies Inc. has bought Vitality Financial for an undisclosed sum.

Stranded Boaters Rescued In Suisun Bay
Seven boaters who were stranded overnight after their vessel became grounded in Suisun Bay were rescued Friday morning, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said.

Helicopter Crash Shuts U.S. 101 In Salinas
The California Highway Patrol was directing traffic off of U.S. Highway 101 after a helicopter crashed onto the roadway near Salinas Municipal Airport, an officer said. The helicopter, which landed upside down in the roadway, was blocking both southbound lanes of Highway 101 just south of Airport Boulevard, CHP Officer A. Paulson said.

2 Sought In Fremont Kidnap, Murder
Authorities are looking for two men suspected of murdering and kidnapping another man whose body was discovered last week in the Niles Canyon section of Fremont.

Fremont Officer Shooting Suspect Back In Bay Area
A suspected gang member accused of shooting a Fremont police officer who tried to arrest him in Oakland last Friday was brought from San Diego County to Oakland Thursday, Alameda County Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. J.D. Nelson said.

Pittsburg Landfill Search For Missing Man
Investigators searched a Pittsburg landfill Friday morning for the son of a murdered Hercules man in the latest twist in a bizarre multiple murder case unraveling in the Bay Area this week.

Dead Suspect May Be Linked To 4 East Bay Slayings
The co-worker of a woman found dead in her boyfriend's car after a fatal East Bay police chase said Thursday that she spoke with the victim during the pursuit. The high-speed chase ended at a Richmond strip mall on Tuesday night, when officers shot and killed murder suspect Efren Valdemoro.