California PUC launches probe of San Onofre outage

The probe will look at the costs already incurred in the long-running outage at the nuclear power plant resulting from defective replacement steam generators.

Before historic L.A. movie house is remade, it offers a last peek

The Tower theater in downtown L.A., long a filming location, will be transformed into a concert venue. Final behind-the-scenes tours of the building are scheduled for Saturday.

Nearly 160 civilian workers in LAPD may be laid off

Clerk-typists would bear the brunt of the cuts. A final decision on the layoffs will be made by Dec. 14, Police Chief Charlie Beck said.

Cats at Venice complex get a reprieve

A judge bars removal of 20 to 35 cats that were due to be removed in advance of a $150-million renovation of the Lincoln Place apartments.

Pershing Square vision? Not so good

Pershing Square occupies a square block of prime downtown land. It was L.A.'s first park, once a grassy playground for fashionable couples. Now it's a concrete playpen for the homeless.

California watchdog sues Arizona group over secret donors

The suit is part of an effort to reveal who contributed to the Arizona nonprofit, which gave $11 million to a group campaigning for one California ballot measure and against another.

At Orange County golf course, birdie ... eagle ... shark

A bird drops a 2-foot-long leopard shark near the 12th tee at San Juan Hills Golf Club. Employees returned it to the ocean.

Too young for tai chi? Chinese Americans try line dancing

Kit Cheung's dancers use scoots, shuffles and Montana kicks to any sort of music. 'If it has a beat, we'll dance to it,' he says.

Monitoring of L.A. County juvenile justice system extended

Federal oversight will continue for at least an additional year after the county Probation Department fell short on some reforms at juvenile probation camps.

Riverside council critic arrested after talking too long

Karen Wright ends up on the floor in handcuffs but is given a citation instead of going to jail. 'She speaks on every single discussion item at every public meeting every time,' the mayor says.

Support plunges for Prop. 30, Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative

Only 46% of registered voters now support Prop. 30, a drop of 9 percentage points over the last month, and 42% oppose it.

California to start regaining control of prison healthcare

Court's overseer says 1st steps will include handing over authority to the state to staff and equip new facilities. He says full state control could occur in 2 years.

L.A. law would bar stores from selling commercially bred pets

Council tentatively adopts ordinance that targets puppy mills and will prevent thousands of euthanizations in city shelters. Animal rights activists sought the ban.

Great white shark is blamed for fatal attack on surfer

A shark expert makes the determination after examining the body of Francisco Javier Solorio Jr. and the board he was using at a beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Suspect held in fiery attack on man

The parolee is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the victim as he sat outside a Long Beach store. Police say no motive is known.

Keep secret Arizona money out of California politics

A California PAC that opposes Prop. 30 and supports Prop. 32 received $11 million from an Arizona nonprofit. But who really gave the money?

L.A. schools chief urges union cooperation on federal funds

Supt. John Deasy seeks teachers' backing on a grant application that could bring $40 million to LAUSD. The union fears the grant won't cover all the costs of implementing the district's proposal.

Man whose false report led to police shooting won't be charged

D.A.'s office says Oscar Carrillo's claim he was robbed by an armed man was one of several factors that led to the Pasadena police slaying of unarmed Kendrec McDade.

Downey officer justified in shooting fleeing man, D.A. says

Officer Steven Gilley shot Michael Nida in the back on Oct. 22, 2011, in a case of mistaken identity. The D.A.'s report says Nida repeatedly resisted arrest and fled police three times.

3 family members killed, 2 wounded in Downey shooting attack

Authorities don't know why the family was targeted and said they are searching for the gunman, who allegedly fled in a Camaro stolen from one of the victims.

Reaching out to illegal immigrants a core strategy for LAPD chief

Charlie Beck says his controversial stance is grounded not just in a sense of fairness, but in the practical realities of crime-fighting in heavily Latino L.A.

Judge rejects former Bell police chief's bid to double pension

Randy Adams was seeking a pension of $510,000 a year. The judge says the Bell City Council never approved his $457,000 annual salary.

Prop. 39 would recoup $1 billion California lost in tax breaks

Proposition 39 would alter how income tax on businesses is calculated, with firms outside California paying more.

Man killed by shark in Santa Barbara County

The 39-year-old was surfing when he suffered a massive bite on his upper torso. A friend witnessed the attack.

L.A. city, county officials seek review of 911 dispatches

Officials aim to review procedures for dispatching rescue units after The Times finds lengthy delays in response times near city borders.

U.S. to study cancer risks near 6 nuclear plants

San Onofre is among the facilities to be studied in the $2-million pilot program conducted by the National Academy of Sciences.

L.A. budget advisor urges 200 layoffs

Miguel Santana recommends eliminating 200 jobs, including 50 in the city attorney's office, which is the subject of a union lawsuit over furloughs.

Campaigns are largely silent on needs of military members, vets

Obama and Romney's offers to do more aren't helping the 8,000 homeless vets in the L.A. area. Sexual abuse in the services is another pressing issue that needs more attention.

Jury gets murder case in woman's '81 disappearance from Torrance

The prosecution cites inconsistent recollections by the husband, while the defense says there is no definitive evidence against him. No body was ever found.

Hate crimes up 15% in L.A. County

White supremacists and gangs are among the reasons for the increase, which contrasts with a statewide decline. Blacks are the most frequent target.