Bay Area News (BETA)

Frank McCourt, the beloved raconteur and former public school teacher who enjoyed post-retirement fame as the author of "Angela's Ashes," the Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of woe about his impoverished Irish childhood, died Sunday of cancer at age 78. Until...

Bay Bridge lights off after test Here's the deal: Earlier this month, whenever Kevin Herglotz drove across the Bay Bridge, he saw that lights on the span's new portion were on "regardless of what time of day. At first I thought maybe they were being tested or...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state's top legislators who are trying to close out a budget deal did not meet Sunday night as planned because of an apparent scheduling snafu and will instead aim to meet today. The so-called Big Five - the governor,...

Preparing for the 6.2-mile Aids Walk in Golden Gate Park on Sunday are, from left, David Barber, Sherrie Taylor and Karen O'Donoghue as about 25,000 participants raised more than $3.5 million for AIDS...

Ana Sarver jogs 5 miles along the Contra Costa Canal every day. But water from the 10-foot-wide channel, just a few steps from Sarver's front door in Pleasant Hill, doesn't flow through her taps. Her water comes from the Mokelumne River basin - 100 miles away...

The CHP's change in strategy puts more officers on the freeway.

SANTA CLARAWhat: Planning CommissionWhen and where: 7 p.m. Wednesday, City Council chambers, 1500 Warburton Ave.

Club America won 5-4 in penalty kicks after the teams played to a 1-1 draw in regulation before a crowd of 31,026 at Stanford Stadium on Sunday.

The World Football Challenge, a six-team round robin international soccer tournament, transformed the brainy Stanford University campus on Sunday into a rowdy, horn-blaring, international sports Mardi Gras, where thousands of Club América yellow jerseys and flags dueled with Inter Milan's royal blue and black.

On Saturday, relatives welcomed the family as they docked at Brisbane Marina, officially ending a 40,000-mile voyage that began in September 2006.

An evacuation order was implemented in Brentwood Sunday night and a portion of Highway 4 was shut down due to a four-alarm fire burning at an auto dismantling yard on Brentwood Boulevard.

Monterey County sheriff's deputies arrested two of three suspects allegedly involved in a burglary in San Lucas Sunday afternoon, according to the sheriff's office.

Bobby Abreu was fooled by Brett Anderson's nasty slider on a fourth-inning strikeout. In the seventh, Abreu waited for the same pitch and delivered.

Search and rescue personnel decided Sunday afternoon to scale back the search for a man who never returned from a hike Thursday in the rugged Skeggs Point area of unincorporated San Mateo County, a sheriff's sergeant said.

Two homicides in Oakland early Sunday morning claimed the lives of an 18-year-old man and a 49-year-old man, a police spokesman said.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sue Burns, the majority owner of the San Francisco Giants who was close friends with home run king Barry Bonds, has died. She was 58.

Fire officials have issued a shelter in place alert after a fire broke out in Brentwood early Sunday evening.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two homicides in Oakland early Sunday morning claimed the lives of an 18-year-old man and a 49-year-old man, a police spokesman said.

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Firefighters controlled a five-alarm fire more than two hours after it started at a Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in San Mateo Saturday night, and one firefighter was injured while battling the blaze, a San Mateo County fire dispatcher said this morning.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland police are investigating a fatal shooting that was reported in the city early Sunday morning. The shooting was reported at about 12:10 a.m. in the 1400 block of Chestnut Street, according to police.

Evacuations were ordered in Brentwood Sunday night due to a four-alarm fire burning at an auto dismantling yard.

New details are emerging following Saturday's Muni train crash in the city that left dozens of people hurt.

Negotiators for BART management and its 2,800-plus union workers will return to the bargaining table on Monday after the transit agency's two largest unions rejected management's offer by overwhelming...

Most people head to the zoo to see the wild life, but it will have a green feel to it this Sunday.

Looking for a Sunday freebie? Look no further.

Frank McCourt, the author of "Angela's Ashes", an "epic of woe" died Sunday.

The operator of a Muni train that crashed Saturday is coming under scrutiny.

The family of a captured Idaho soldier prayed for his safe return Sunday.

The measure of what humanity can accomplish is a size 9 1/2 bootprint.

For the first time all week, Tom Watson showed his 59-year-old nerves Sunday.

Assembly Speaker wasn't sure whether a flight could get her to Big 5 meeting in time

Man, 55, believed to be in rugged Skeggs Point area

Propane tanks reportedly exploded in four-alarm fire

National Transportation Safety Board wants to know why the operator, who was among the seriously injured, had switched to manual mode

Authorities negotiating with Mexico for man's return in death of girl, 16, found behind a restaurant in 2003.

Ray Shaw, the chairman of American City Business Journals, the parent company of the San Francisco Business Times, died Sunday morning due to complications from a bee sting. He was 75 years old.

Outsourcing company Igate Corp. fell out of compliance with Nasdaq rules calling for a majority of its board members to be independent, the company said Friday.

NeurogesX Inc., which won approval from European regulators for its pain patch and then a partnership with Astellas Pharma, got notice from the Nasdaq market that it doesn't comply with the exchange's rules following the resignation of a key director.

The California Employee Confidence Index dropped 3.1 points to 46.1 in June, according to staffing company Spherion Corp.

Starbucks Corp. said it will give a free pastry to customers buying any beverage on Tuesday before 10:30 a.m. (SBUX)

Ray Shaw, the chairman of the parent company of the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, died Sunday morning due to complications from a bee sting. He was 75.

A commission has been created to explore ways for the University of California system to maintain its quality and access to the system while still addressing its huge financial challenges.

Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, is poised to take over Eddie Bauer and keep most of the retail chain’s 370 stores open.

Blockbuster Inc. has moved deeper into consumer electronic sales by partnering with portable media manufacturer Archos to sell the Archos 10 netbook, a mini-laptop that will allow users to conveniently play movies and other entertainment. (BBI)

VIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Friday it received a delist warning from Nasdaq because it doesn't meet the requirement for $2.5 million in minimum stockholders' equity. (VIAP)

The CHP's change in strategy puts more officers on the freeway.

Grape grower, Silicon Valley mogul and car-racing team owner says it's all about the journey.

Today's hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.Carnival hours: Noon until fairgrounds closingHorse racing: Post time is 12:45 p.m.Fair admission: $10 for those 13 to 61; $8 for those 62 and older; $6 for children 6 to 12; free for children younger than 6.

Sonoma resident, first to test the lunar module in space, wants NASA to get over, and move beyond, the moon.    From fear to sex: Apollo 11 landing shaped views of America, space    Local events |   Watch: Restored videos    Forum : Share you memories of Apollo 11    More on the Apollo 11 anniversary

Temporary measure might become permanent, some fear.

Assembly Speaker wasn't sure whether a flight could get her to Big 5 meeting in time

Man, 55, believed to be in rugged Skeggs Point area

Propane tanks reportedly exploded in four-alarm fire

National Transportation Safety Board wants to know why the operator, who was among the seriously injured, had switched to manual mode

n Panel conducted first round of interviews last week; acting leader says he was among those who met with group

The CHP's change in strategy puts more officers on the freeway.

Regional commission removes warning and reaffirms college's standing

Incumbents Smith, Apodaca and Nagy each intend to seek re-election.

Temporary measure might become permanent, some fear.

FREMONT SENIOR CENTERLUNCHServed at noon at the center, 40086 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, 510-790-6610. Seniors, $4; nonmembers, $6.Monday: Flank steak, baked potato, salad, vegetable, bread, dessert.

The CHP's change in strategy puts more officers on the freeway.

n Local chain of beauty stores finds now a good time to grow

A bunny named Greg? Why not? The only problem is that "Greg" is a bit vanilla for this exotic bunny with beautiful espresso-black fur and a high-octane energy level.

REP. CYNTHIA DAVIS of Missouri, who is chair of the House Special Standing Committee on Children and Families, has received a plethora of negative publicity recently regarding her opposition to free and reduced-cost lunch programs.

A recent graduate of Mills High School in Millbrae won a scholarship due to his love of the Japanese language and culture.Faisal Hamid, who will attend Yale University in the fall, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program Alumni Association of Northern

The CHP's change in strategy puts more officers on the freeway.

Four 199-foot structures would help finance a new library

Sonoma resident, first to test the lunar module in space, wants NASA to get over, and move beyond, the moon.    From fear to sex: Apollo 11 landing shaped views of America, space    Local events |   Watch: Restored videos    Forum : Share you memories of Apollo 11    More on the Apollo 11 anniversary

Temporary measure might become permanent, some fear.

FREMONT SENIOR CENTERLUNCHServed at noon at the center, 40086 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, 510-790-6610. Seniors, $4; nonmembers, $6.Monday: Flank steak, baked potato, salad, vegetable, bread, dessert.

We were all educated over these past few days in the ways of budget politics. Pun fully intended, of course. On this week's Capital Notes Podcast, we examine the status of sputtering budget talks (at least, as of our taping on late Thursday afternoon). Most notably, the battle over Proposition 98 -- Test 1, maintenance [...]

A pretty good jab at the folks in the state Capitol came in today from Treasurer Bill Lockyer, a written statement on the deficit negotiations that now seem slower, not faster. Lockyer says, in part: "With every passing day, the State's credit rating moves closer and closer to the junk pile. If the Governor and Legislature dump [...]

If you took out a calculator, added up some numbers, and hit "equals," you'd expect an answer that was indisputable, right? Now imagine there were certain buttons on the calculator that would make the math turn out differently. Or suppose you and a friend just agreed the calculator's result was flawed and from now [...]

That was the assessment of Assembly Speaker Karen Bass as negotiations over the state's massive budget deficit ended tonight with no deal, a major change in tone from earlier in the day when a deal seemed imminent. The 'Big Five' meeting of legislative leaders and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger ended just before 10:00 p.m., with Democrats saying [...]

The buzz around the state Capitol grows louder this afternoon that a deal is close at hand on a $26.3 billion solution to California's gaping budget deficit. Of course, it ain't over 'til it's over... which means a likely long day for negotiators and those of us left in the Capitol press corps. The details [...]