L.A.'s Mid-Wilshire neighborhood could be election bellwether

The 2.8-square-mile area west of downtown has picked the mayor in every vote since 2001. This year, interviews suggest that it also shares the apathy and ambivalence of voters elsewhere in the city.

Salt Lake City has highest rate of same-sex couples raising kids

More than 25% of gay or lesbian couples in the Utah capital and its outskirts are rearing children, a new study says. Among states, Mississippi is tops with 26%.

L.A. County supervisor outlines a new jail proposal

Zev Yaroslavsky advocates tearing down part of the Men's Central Jail and building a facility to house inmates who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs.

Murray didn't have a signed contract with AEG

Testimony reveals emails discussing pay and employment details with the doctor who administered the fatal dose of propofol to Michael Jackson.

Bank official's boyfriend held in $565,500 robbery

Reyes 'Ray' Vega and two others are accused of staging a holdup in which a fake bomb was attached to the assistant manager.

Patient care workers set to start walkout at five UC hospitals

Respiratory therapists, nursing aides and surgical technicians are striking over staffing, pay and pension reform. Citing safety, a judge rules that about 450 employees cannot take part.

Edison agrees to pay $37 million in 2007 wildfire

The utility would admit that it failed to prevent a company from installing cable on utility poles that sparked a blaze that burned 3,836 acres.

Crime rates fall in sheriff's patrol areas, report finds

Deputies should try to gain the public's trust by focusing on gang intervention rather than relying on suppression, study says.

Man's murder conviction is reduced to voluntary manslaughter

In an unusual move, judge finds that Robert Redd feared for his life when he fired the shot that killed houseguest Joseph Rubalcaba in Pico Rivera in 2011. The ruling shocks the victim's family.

City of San Francisco, worker unions protest Kaiser premium hike

In an unusual show of unity, they're demanding that the healthcare provider come up with an alternate proposal and explain the reasons for rate increases.

'Maldonado for governor' off to a bad start

The Republican who dares to consider going up against Brown will have to do better than his mistaken example of the problems with inmate realignment.

Letters show rift over San Onofre nuclear repairs

Letters show inability of Southern California Edison and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to agree on a long-range repair plan for the facility, off-line since January 2012.

Funding to L.A. magnet school restored

L.A. Unified reverses a decision that cost a top-performing campus about $300,000 in anti-poverty funding after parents found evidence of a bureaucratic error.

UC hospital strikers' numbers to be decided by court

As patient care workers plan a two-day walkout at the five facilities, UC says it will do everything possible to ensure patient safety.

Oakland police struggle to rebuild — using fewer resources

'Working smarter' and reorganization can go only so far. It's not clear that the public is ready to make the investment.

Stolen-artifacts case has cost much, yielded little, critics say

No museum officials or collectors involved in the Southern California probe have been indicted, and no seized objects have been returned to their countries.

What's in millennials' wallets? Fewer credit cards

Boom-bust cycles leave the millennial generation more wary of credit card debt and more prone to thrifty lifestyles.

Spending in L.A. mayor's race breaks records

By Saturday, the expenditures had exceeded $33 million, with outside money playing a dominant role heading into Tuesday's election. The biggest single donor is Working Californians, a pro-Greuel "super PAC."

Mayor candidates on transportation: innovation vs. tried and true

L.A. mayor candidates Garcetti and Greuel have similar track records on city transportation problems, but there are a few notable differences.

Little attention paid to race in huge community college district

Incumbent Nancy Pearlman is being challenged for her L.A. Community College seat by David Vela, a political aide, in a low-profile race. The candidates have sharply different profiles.

Do we love L.A.? We don't always vote like it

The weather should be nice (what else?) for Tuesday's municipal election, so roll out of bed and start humming Randy Newman. Maybe we'll hit 25% turnout.

Wendy Greuel, Eric Garcetti dash across L.A. to shore up support

The controller appears in South L.A. with Magic Johnson and Rep. Maxine Waters. The councilman, who leads in a new poll, warns workers not to take victory for granted.

W Hollywood penthouses: All the glitz, none of the grit

For those who will live in the posh abodes, there'll be no need ever to come in contact with the grungier realities of Hollywood.

USC made its offer to neuroscientists a no-brainer

The school's 'all hands on deck' effort to lure Arthur Toga and Paul Thompson from UCLA included money and the prospect of new collaborations, as well as less tangible personal perks.

Garcetti's lead over Greuel at 7 percentage points in mayoral race

Latest survey also shows 11% of likely voters still undecided, meaning the dynamics of the race could still shift before Tuesday's runoff.

Democrats seeking office have their eye on Sacramento

Lawmakers and candidates are increasingly feeling they can accomplish more at the state level than in Washington, where many would be serving in the minority.

Troubled youths deserve more effective discipline than suspension

There is no simple fix for disruptive behavior, but we owe it to struggling students to focus on ways to keep them in the classroom, not shut out of it.

Political savvy vs. education skills in L.A. school board runoff

Antonio Sanchez, 31, has the former, which has helped him attract big support from labor, while Monica Ratliff, 43, has the latter, making her the favorite of educators.

Ex-Compton fire official charged with arson, theft

Marcel Melanson, once considered a charismatic department hero, pleads not guilty to stealing expensive radios while a battalion chief and denies setting a fire to cover up the theft.

Nearly $2 million raised in council's 1st District runoff

Business and labor groups have helped push spending on the Cedillo-Gardea race to more than four times that of previous campaigns in the small district near downtown.