Breach prompts California to change how it moves sensitive data

The personal information of more than 700,000 people was jeopardized. Packages of payroll data will now be shipped by courier rather than put in the mail.

Reagan blood sample vial for sale, controversy included

The auction of a tube that held blood taken after President Reagan was shot in 1981 draws interest from collectors of celebrity relics and opposition from the Reagan presidential foundation.

California relies on oil firms to probe worker's death

State says Chevron and TRC Operating Co. have the equipment and technology to provide a clearer picture of what happened. Labor union is upset.

L.A. City Council OKs $7.2-billion budget

Spending plan expands library hours and increases money for pothole repairs while eliminating 400 vacant jobs, but it delays action on layoffs.

A totally Californian poet laureate

Juan Felipe Herrera, 63, is the son of migrant farmworkers and plugged in to modern culture. He'd like to make the entire state a democratic, virtual poetry workshop.

Graduating collegians cope with student debt in a weak economy

Students and graduates from several Southland campuses talk of their loans and how paying them off figures into their plans. For some, the path seems secure; for others, uncertainty is the only certainty.

Helping an indigent parent access social service benefits

Services for older adults and their families can be found through the federal government's Eldercare Locator. Also consider hiring a geriatric care manager, who can conduct an evaluation, review options and make recommendations.

New fight takes shape over term limits

Prop. 28 would allow legislators to serve 12 years in one house, rather than 14 between the Assembly and Senate. Backers say the move would give lawmakers more experience.

U.S. reaches historic demographic tipping point

Children born to Latino, Asian, African American and mixed-race parents now constitute a majority of all births, the Census Bureau reports.

UC regents discuss 6% tuition hike for next fall

They pledge to lobby hard to avoid the increase. The regents also approve the hiring of a new chancellor for UC San Diego at an annual salary of $411,084.

State Senate OKs bill to limit power of Southland water district

The legislation would bar the Central Basin Municipal Water District from storing groundwater in southeast Los Angeles County, leaving that job to another agency.

A little Brown wizardry needed to fix budget

The governor's policies have been mostly solid, but he hasn't exercised his full political muscle to get state finances in order.

Brown stymied by same budget dysfunction that plagued predecessors

California's governor is stuck between Republicans who refuse tax hikes, Democrats who resist cuts and a tangle of special interests and voter-mandated requirements on where money can be spent.

Jerry Brown's plea to voters: 'Please increase taxes temporarily'

Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal for closing California's $16-billion funding gap includes 4-day state workweeks and Medi-Cal cuts. He warns that cuts will be even more severe if voters reject tax hikes on the November ballot.

California offered piece of the action from Internet poker

Casino operators lobby hard for legalization by the state. Co-sponsors of a state legalization bill hope it could raise hundreds of millions for the budget-battered state.

Tobacco company ads take aim at Proposition 29

The June 5 ballot initiative would raise cigarette taxes by $1 a pack to fund tobacco-related disease research. Its supporters lack the funds for a comparable campaign.

Cigarette tax is a lifesaver

Tobacco companies are taking aim at Proposition 29, which would raise cigarette taxes $1 a pack. But they're blowing smoke.

Gov. Jerry Brown warns more budget cuts are coming

Brown issued the warning while delivering boxes of petitions to election officials requesting that his proposed tax hike be placed on the November ballot.

June primary is key test for state's top-two election system

Candidates are campaigning earlier, spending more money and trying to broaden their appeal as only those who come in first and second will advance to the November ballot.

Solar project in desert gets boost from California Legislature

The legislation to enable the developer to bypass local agencies in seeking approval was fast-tracked in the Assembly. Environmentalists say the proposed Calico Solar facility would be ecologically damaging.

Proposed tweak to term limits makes eminent sense

By allowing California legislators to serve 12 years in one house, Prop. 28 would instill some adult supervision and dampen political ambition, especially in the Assembly.

13% in U.S. foreign-born, a level last seen in 1920

Of 40 million born abroad, the greatest number lives in California, with large populations in New York, Texas and Florida, Census Bureau report says.