Two international shipping firms have admitted they illegally dumped waste oil and engine sludge from vessels that docked in New Jersey, Delaware and California.

The National Park Service on Thursday celebrated the 50th anniversary of Alcatraz Island's closure as a federal penitentiary with an exhibit of newly discovered photos of the prison's final hours.

Commercial beekeepers and environmental organizations filed a lawsuit Thursday against federal regulators for not banning the use of two pesticides they say harm honeybees.

An Anaheim police officer was legally justified when he shot and killed a 25-year-old man in July in the first of two shootings that caused weeks of angry protests in the city's streets, the district attorney said after an investigation.

A jury in the civic corruption trial of former elected officials in the blue-collar, California city of Bell resumed deliberations Thursday, with at least one member indicating in a note that an improper guilty verdict might have been reached earlier.

State senators on Thursday recalled former legislator Nicholas Petris as a monumental figure in California politics who championed some of the state's most enduring policies during nearly four decades in the Legislature.

A California woman and her two sons are back together after the boys were kidnapped and held for ransom in Mexico for more than a year.

The Oakland school board has voted to shut down three of California's highest-performing public schools amid allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement.

Democrats have regained their supermajority in the Senate after the chamber's newest member was sworn in.

A Reuters social media editor accused of conspiring with hackers to deface a Los Angeles Times story has posted a statement on Facebook saying he did not commit the crimes he's accused of.

A California woman and her two sons are back together after the boys were kidnapped and held for ransom in Mexico for months.

The Senate Energy Committee on Thursday endorsed President Barack Obama's nomination of Sally Jewell to be Interior secretary, moving her nomination to the Senate floor for an expected vote next month.

Knott's Berry Farm has installed an evacuation system on its Windseeker ride, which was shut down after riders were stranded 300 feet high twice last year.

A couple tied up by rogue former police officer Christopher Dorner at a Southern California mountain condominium are seeking the $1.2 million reward offered for his capture.

Rather than deal with a lawsuit that many predicted the city would lose, La Habra has repealed an ordinance that prevented day laborers from soliciting work on the city's sidewalks.

An Arizona consulting firm is suing Val Kilmer for more than $128,000 in back fees.

The National Parks Service is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the day Alcatraz Island closed as a federal penitentiary with a new photo exhibit and talks by former prison guards.

A 14-year-old Los Angeles honors student has died after inhaling a computer keyboard dust cleaner, apparently to get high.

Modesto police have shot and killed an elderly man they say held his wife hostage at their home during an overnight standoff with officers.

A former hedge fund manager has been indicted in Los Angeles on federal fraud charges for an alleged stock manipulation scheme that bilked investors out of $200 million.

A Los Angeles-based health care company is entering into a joint venture with CharterCare Health Partners, the owner of two Rhode Island hospitals.

A landslide continues to close northbound lanes of the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles and it's unclear when they'll reopen.

Authorities in San Diego County say a 15-year-old girl hid in a closet and called police while three burglars ransacked her home.

Additional security is expected a San Mateo high school after an anonymous threat was made against the campus on Facebook.

San Diego County schools are being urged to watch out for signs of meningitis following an outbreak in nearby Tijuana, Mexico that's killed six people.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid barely changed last week, while the average over the past month fell to a fresh five-year low.

As funding for public health clinics dries up, visits to hospital emergency rooms in Sacramento County are increasing.

A Southern California man with a history of child abuse has been accused of torturing his two children for misbehaving.

Details are emerging about the National Park Service's ambitious plan to overhaul Yosemite Valley.

The Air Force Academy plans to hold a funeral service Friday for an Air Force pilot who died after a training mission over the Adriatic Sea.

After an internal review, the Pasadena Police Department has concluded that officers responding to a robbery report acted lawfully and within department policy when they fatally shot a 19-year-old suspect who turned out to be unarmed.

Simon and Garfunkel's song "Sounds of Silence," which was written amid the turmoil following President John F. Kennedy's assassination, will join Chubby Checker's 1960s dance hit "The Twist" as two of 25 recordings selected for preservation at the Library of Congress.

The commission that sets salaries for the governor, lawmakers and statewide elected officials indicated it is not inclined to raise their pay even if there is a budget surplus.

The protesters gather at noon every Friday in front of the Montpelier post office, sharing signs made up years ago to tell their little part of the world why they oppose the latest war involving the United States.

Orange County prosecutors say a man has been convicted of beating his lover to death with a decorative rock with religious symbols on it, then stealing his car, TV and other valuables.

After an internal review, the Pasadena Police Department has concluded that officers responding to a robbery report acted lawfully and within department policy when they fatally shot a 19-year-old suspect who turned out to be unarmed.

Nicholas Petris, who served in the California Legislature for 37 years representing Oakland and other East Bay cities, has died.

Vallejo police say a standoff with an armed man ended after officers entered the home and the suspect was found dead.

A San Diego County Indian tribe says a federal court decision to rescind a gambling compact will save it nearly $100 million in either returned payments to the state or future costs.

As Jay Leno lobs potshots at ratings-challenged NBC in his "Tonight" monologues, speculation is swirling the network is taking steps to replace the host with Jimmy Fallon next year and move the show from Burbank to New York.

YouTube says more than 1 billion people are now visiting its online video site each month to watch everything from zany clips of cute kittens to sobering scenes of social unrest around the world.

Two large dogs that had been condemned to death for helping to kill four alpacas will be allowed to live in new homes outside Oregon.

Vallejo police say a tense standoff with an armed man ended after officers stormed a house with an armored vehicle and the suspect was fatally shot.

Authorities have arrested 10 people for their alleged roles in a drug conspiracy that involved marijuana grow houses across Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Authorities say they've seized more than 200 casino-style gambling machines from businesses advertising themselves as Internet cafes in San Bernardino County.

State investigators say Kaiser Foundation Health Plans improperly denied some patients timely access to mental health care, which may have worsened their conditions.

A company that relays excerpts of Internet news articles to its customers violates copyright laws, a judge said Thursday in a decision that gave The Associated Press a victory in its attempts to protect its online news content.

Six people were arrested, assault rifles were seized and thousands of marijuana plants were uprooted Wednesday after a three-year investigation by a state drug task force uncovered a pot-trafficking ring.

An Anaheim police officer was justified and acted lawfully when he shot and killed a 25-year-old man in July in the first of two shootings that caused weeks of heated protests in the city's streets, the Orange County district attorney said after an investigation.