Capitol and California

A builder of the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge failed to disclose that a 19-foot section of concrete in the foundation of the span's signature tower had not hardened before it was tested.

Hours after a needle fed another round of toxic chemotherapy into her veins, Sandra Knott wondered aloud whether she would survive to don the crisp uniform of a state correctional officer again.

Nearly 30 Nisei veterans were honored with Congressional Gold Medals Saturday.

It took more than a half-century, but this megalopolis that long ago turned its back on cheap street trolleys like the Red Car in favor of car-choked concrete superhighways is finally getting its rail mojo back.

Inmates with serious mental illnesses deemed incompetent to stand trial are languishing in California jail cells for months as they wait for state hospital beds to open up, according to advocates, jail officials and family members.

California researchers have discovered that there may be a silver lining to an invasive and toxic seaweed that is killing some of Hawaii's coral reefs: It seems the seaweed contains compounds that could treat human diseases.

When Assemblyman Roger Hernández was stopped on suspicion of drunken driving after pulling into the parking lot of a Concord hotel two months ago, he had a question for the police officer who stopped him.

Republican Assembly candidate Barbara Ortega blasted her GOP opponent Peter Tateishi in a campaign flier this month as someone whose secret to success is living off taxpayers.

In a major case involving gay rights at CalPERS, the nation's largest public pension fund has been ordered to offer its long-term care insurance program to same-sex partners of California workers.

It doesn't take a botanist or even a nature nut to identify yellow star thistle along a favorite hiking trail. Every outdoor enthusiast has felt the familiar stab of introduction.

A legislative committee Friday held back a sweeping measure that would have extended some job protections to rank-and-file state workers and given civil servants explicit preference for work the state needs to have done.

A bill that would have required the state's minimum wage to automatically adjust every year based on inflation was killed Friday in the Assembly.

At bridge birthday bash, Brown recalls freebie perk While Gov. Jerry Brown was in San Francisco on Friday for a celebration of the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th anniversary, someone pointed out a bit of history.

CalSTRS is investing $820 million in the apartment business by purchasing a collection of East Coast assets from defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

Gov. Jerry Brown tucked provisions into his budget that would limit payouts in wildfire liability cases, potentially saving timber companies and other major California landowners hundreds of millions of dollars as federal prosecutors pursue record-high damages in court.

The largest state employee union will negotiate with Gov. Jerry Brown early next month, spurred by his proposal to put state workers on a shortened workweek that would cut their pay 5 percent.

Dallas-based Comerica Bank's California Economic Activity Index broke a streak of flat readings in March, rising nearly two points to 101.

The words "happy" and "Roman Empire" don't usually show up in close proximity, but leave it to Gov. Jerry Brown to go in that direction.

This year's California elections will test the theory that having independently drawn districts and a top-two primary ballot will result in a less polarized, more collegial and more relevant political structure.

As federal super PACs continue to pour money into the presidential and congressional contests, state-level independent committees are spending big to influence the outcome in California's legislative races.

The honeymoon is ending for Gov. Jerry Brown. For the first time in a major California poll since Brown took office, a plurality of likely voters disapproves of the job he is doing, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday.

Citing the retailer's Mexico bribery scandal, CalPERS is joining with other big shareholders trying to oust members of the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. board of directors.

Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to furlough state employees has a big expense: It adds tens of millions of deferred dollars to California's state worker pension costs.

Gov. Jerry Brown's press secretary, Gil Duran, recently sent a video of a crying baby to the author of a critical editorial. He called legislative Republicans "basically moronic."

Even for a president who has lost some of his luster, donor-rich California remains a generous state.

A bill that would ban minors in California from getting sexual orientation change therapy and require adults to provide written consent is running into trouble at the Capitol.

The California School Boards Association has endorsed both Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative and a rival measure on the November ballot, calling the dual backing "an unprecedented move."

As the state budget's deficit widens, Gov. Jerry Brown is being thrust into a three-front political battle.

All the world's a stage. Gov. Jerry Brown, burdened by persistent budget deficits and with much of his agenda still unfulfilled, has tried in recent weeks to lower expectations for his second year.

One week after Gov. Jerry Brown proposed slicing state workers' pay by 5 percent, the Democratic governor and legislators find themselves targeted for a "share the pain" salary cut.