Local Democrats group enter Krug labor dispute
In step with history, the Democrats of Napa Valley are allying themselves with the United Farm Workers in an ongoing and heated labor dispute between the union and the Charles Krug winery.
Study: Nicotine levels in cigarettes has increased
WASHINGTON -- The amount of nicotine in most cigarettes rose an average of 10 percent between 1998 and 2004, with brands most popular with young people and minorities registering the biggest increases and highest nicotine content, according to a new study.
Zdon leaves agency with much done, and even more to do
Mike Zdon is hardly a household name, but no one has played a bigger role these past eight years in shaping Napa County's transit and highway programs.
Napa native was on the law school steps when she changed careers
A teacher was the last thing Abigail Sywyk wanted to be. Her mother was a teacher, as were her grandmother and great-grandmother.
Universities aiming to help new students avoid the 'Freshman 15'
DURHAM, N.C. -- Sunny Dawson ran two miles every other day when she started her freshman year at the University of Southern California. But the lure of the cafeteria near her dorm became too much to resist.
Town's fight to keep painting of Christ reflects national debate
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- Tokens of Christianity, including crosses and religious mottos, are found in schools and government buildings all over Harrison County. The amenities in a women's bathroom at the Board of Education offices even include a leather-bound pocket copy of "New Testament: Psalms Proverbs."
Don't keep secrets on your cell phone
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Don't tell your cell phone any secrets. It might not keep them.
Hurricane John grows into a Category 4
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- Hurricane John lashed tourist resorts with heavy winds and rain Wednesday as the dangerous storm marched up Mexico's Pacific coast, and forecasters predicted its center would brush close to land before nicking the tip of Baja California and heading out to sea.
Remnants of Ernesto put Carolina's on alert for flooding
RALEIGH, N.C. -- North and South Carolina put hundreds of National Guardsmen on standby Wednesday for fear the rainy remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto could cause severe flooding.
State and National briefs
State Senate seeks to meld flood control bills
Inspector general finds nursing homes need stronger guidelines for emergency plans
WASHINGTON -- Gulf Coast nursing homes that evacuated patients as a result of hurricanes experienced a range of problems, including transportation agreements that fell through, long trips and a lack of food, water and medicine, a report released Friday says.
Napa diner serves up satisfying comfort food
As you enter the world famous Napa Valley wine country from the south, you'll be greeted by an old-time diner. At the almost half-century old HWY 29 Cafe there is no wine list and no boutique olive oil for dipping artisan bread in before noshing upscale cuisine. And serving up the hearty food are waitresses -- not food servers and runners.
CMA nominees
Entertainer of the year: Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban.
Naguib Mahfouz, the only Arab Nobel winner in literature, dies at 94
CAIRO, Egypt Naguib Mahfouz, the first Arab writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature, died Wednesday at the age of 94, bringing tributes from literary figures and world leaders for an author who became a symbol of liberalism in the face of Islamic extremism.
English-language versions of Latin telenovelas a novel idea
SAN DIEGO -- Morgan Fairchild and Bo Derek have been going at it for hours.
Bay Area city says secondhand smoke makes bad neighbor
DUBLIN -- Smokers, beware: This bedroom community near San Francisco may soon put you in the same category as rodents, junk cars, vicious dogs and weeds.
Six other injured by military shell
BAKERSFIELD -- An explosion that killed two children and hurt six others in the front yard of an apartment complex appeared to be an accident, authorities said Wednesday.
State Senate approves minimum wage boost to $8
SACRAMENTO -- The state Senate on Wednesday approved increasing California's minimum wage by $1.25 an hour over two years, sending the measure to the Assembly for final approval.
Gov., Democrats reach landmark greenhouse gas emission deal
SACRAMENTO -- California will become the first state to impose a cap on all greenhouse gas emissions, including those from industrial plants, under a landmark deal reached Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative Democrats.
Afghan clashes leave 71 Taliban, 5 Afghan, 1 British soldier dead
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Afghan and NATO troops used rockets, planes and artillery in rolling battles with Taliban insurgents this weekend in Afghanistan's volatile south, leaving 71 militants and five Afghan soldiers dead in one of the bloodiest clashes since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. A British soldier was killed in a separate attack.
Sniper attacks kill 20 Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad, adding to Iraq's sectarian divide
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Snipers lurking on buildings and in a cemetery sprayed bullets into Shiite Muslim religious processions in the capital Sunday, killing at least 20 people in another spasm of sectarian bloodletting that many Iraqis fear is pushing them toward civil war.
Israel rejects presence of peacekeepers from countries without diplomatic relations
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that countries that don't have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state should not participate in the international peacekeeping force that will police a truce along the Lebanese border, his office said.
Pakistani apartment building collapses
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- An apartment building collapsed in a resort area near the Pakistani capital on Thursday and several people were believed trapped, police said.
