Stories related to: California

Organizations staunchly opposed to same-sex unions are already mobilizing to reinstate a ban on gay marriages that was struck down yesterday by California's Supreme Court, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . The coalition intends to hammer home the fact that  four judges have "overturned the will" of millions of voters who approved the ban in a 2000 vote, said a spokeswoman for a conservative group in Sacramento. More »

California gays are ecstatic about the state's supreme court striking down a ban on same-sex marriage, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. “I'm feeling the joy all over,” one gay man, and father, said. In Fresno, a gay couple applied for a marriage license from a somewhat bewildered county clerk who wondered about the “exact language” of the decision, the Bee observed. More »

The California Supreme Court legalized gay marriage today, calling state laws discriminatory, the Los Angeles Times reports. The moderately conservative body found that same-sex couple must be allowed to marry, in a case stemming from the 2004 San Francisco unions that the same judges intervened to stop. An initiative on the November ballot could yet void the ruling if passed by voters. More »

It's here. Alaska has the painful distinction of becoming the first state where gas is selling for an average of $4 a gallon, Reuters reports. The average for the rest of the US is hovering at $3.76, but Connecticut, California, New York, and Illinois could all join Alaska in the $4-a-gallon club after Memorial Day weekend. More »

California police are hunting a gang of gold thieves raiding JCPenney stores across the state, the Los Angeles Times reports. The gang has struck 11 times in 18 months to grab $2.5 million in jewelry, and they've been getting busier as the price of gold continues to climb. Cops aren't sure why the brazen thieves keep hitting JCPenney stores but suspect one of the culprits is an insider. More »

Sure, gas prices are unreasonable and the economy is hurting, but, the Los Angeles Times reports, at least now the infamous traffic isn't so bad. Hard data shows that traffic may be thinning out along LA’s freeways; accidents and commute times are also falling. Talking with local drivers, the Times got plenty of anecdotal evidence to support the theory. More »

An investment company has bailed out Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and a foreclosure auction of the 2,500-acre California property—which once featured roaming wild animals and amusement park rides—has been canceled, reports the Los Angeles Times . The financially troubled pop star bought the Los Olivos ranch in 1988 for $28 million. Jackson, who moved to the Middle East after his acquittal on sex abuse charges, will now be able to keep the estate. More »

A $1.80 tax on every six-pack of beer. An iTunes sales tax. A 25% tax on sex toys and pornographic entertainment. These are just some of the more creative measures put forth by California's Democratic lawmakers to close a budget shortfall estimated at $20 billion, the Los Angeles Times reports. More »

Officials in Malibu are taking a new approach to taming paparazzi: enlisting the help of Kenneth Starr. The city’s mayor has asked the man who investigated Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky case to bring together an anti-paparazzi think tank to draft laws seeking photographer-free “buffer zones” and perhaps a tax on pictures taken, reports the Los Angeles Times . More »

California legislators are pushing a bill banning pets from drivers' laps after a national study ranked pets, along with cell phones, among the leading causes of road distractions and a cause of thousands of accidents. A bill before the state legislature will impose a fine for driving while holding dogs, cats, or other live animals, reports the San Jose Mercury News . More »

Two of five Hillary Clinton superdelegates who spoke at a California state event said they’d consider switching to Barack Obama if the frontrunner holds his lead through the next month. While not earth-shattering, the development should be wrenching for Clinton, the Los Angeles Times say, as it showcases concerns about drawing out the primary fight too long. More »

The latest in a series of shakers to rattle the West was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that struck a rural area 190 miles northwest of Sacramento last night. No injuries or damage were immediately reported. Quakes have recently rattled Los Angeles, Lake Tahoe, and Reno, where a swarm of hundreds of tremors building in strength the past six weeks are making scientists—and residents—jittery. More »

Roughly 1,000 people abandoned 400 California homes today as firefighters battled a blaze in the Sierra Madre foothills, the Los Angeles Times reports. The fire spread through some 400 acres, and containment is not expected for days. Record-setting temperatures are to blame for the blaze marking an early start of the fire season.  "This is not a lazy fire," a fire chief said. "This fire is burning with some energy." More »

The Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel has been sold on eBay for $132,400—to a first-time eBayer and the son of a former Oklahoma City mayor, the Los Angeles Times reports. Grant Humphreys, a 32-year-old real estate developer who'd never set eyes on the crowd-pleaser, placed the winning bid yesterday just before the close of the auction that drew six bidders. More »

American Idol favorite David Archuleta, 17, must skip his high school prom this weekend in Utah to stay in the game, TMZ reports. The reality TV show's strict rules mean that every contestant is on lockdown, including Brooke White, who had to skip her sister's wedding earlier this month. More »

Laptop computers are the key to a new earthquake-sensing project in California, the MIT Technology Review reports. Researchers are working to connect home and business computers in a network that could monitor activity and even provide early warning of big quakes. Motion detectors would report shaking to a central server, letting seismologists identify unusual movement concentrated in a particular area. More »

With Passover in full swing, Jews in the San Francisco area are enduring a shortage of matzo, the Chronicle reports. Most grocers were cleaned out Friday or Saturday, the first day of the observance, and with the holiday stretching to the weekend, the observant wonder how they'll manage without the staple food. More »

The Bay Area is used to being on the cutting edge, but becoming the first to pay $4 for a gallon of gas is a milestone San Francisco could do without, the Chronicle reports. Prices are expected to nudge past the mark next week—but many Bay Area residents have already fled their cars to dodge ever-growing fuel costs. More »

Cameron Diaz's father Emilio died suddenly from pneumonia yesterday, according to TMZ. The bubbly actress found his death "shocking" since her 58-year-old father, who had a bit part in his daughter's hit There's Something About Mary , was reportedly in "terrific health" until he developed a bad case of the flu.  More »

A major earthquake is almost inevitable in California in the next 30 years, a new study says. The likely target is Southern California, which has a 97% chance of a 6.7 magnitude quake and 37% chance of a 7.5. Because it has suffered more big quakes in the last century, Northern California has a slightly lower chance of a 6.7 temblor and only 15% chance of a 7.5. More »