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Through a federal grant, California will join 43 other states in replacing oft-maligned standardized exams.

With a federal award of $330 million, California and 43 other states joined Thursday to replace the much-maligned year-end English and math standardized tests with new nationwide tests that could better measure student learning and teacher performance.

Papers in a wrongful-death suit name Charles Glen Reep and Michael Alvarado as the policemen who fatally shot Leroy Barnes Jr. in 2009 during a traffic stop. A union had fought release of the names.

Two Pasadena police officers, whose names were kept secret after they shot and killed a parolee last year, were identified this week in federal court papers filed by an attorney representing the dead man's family.

The Justice Department says Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio failed to turn over documents it its investigation into whether his department discriminated against Latinos while pursuing illegal immigrants.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday sued a controversial and popular Arizona sheriff, alleging that his department was refusing to cooperate with an investigation into whether it discriminated against Latinos while trying to catch illegal immigrants.

NASA experts will present options and recommendations Friday evening after assessing the needs of the 33 miners trapped far below the Earth's surface.

Pedro Espada Jr., the Senate majority leader, faces a tough battle in the Sept. 14 primary, but political observers say he remains a formidable candidate to defeat.

A volcano erupted again in Indonesia early Friday in northern Sumatra, sending hundreds of villagers fleeing as it unleashed tremors and spewed powerful bursts of hot ash and debris.

Though many students are liberals on social issues, the economic reality of a weak job market has taken a toll on their loyalties.

The Directors’ Cup, a little-known but prized honor, has set off a competition to have the best broad-based sports program.

The poll indicated that support for a center planned near ground zero is tepid in its home town.

The storm closed in on North Carolina early Friday morning, pelting the state with rain and wind as towns braced for Earl’s devastating force.

The company, which had committed to setting aside $20 billion for damage claims and penalties, says proposed legislation could disrupt those efforts.

Afghanistan’s top bank official tried to calm fears of a meltdown at Kabul Bank, while scores of Afghans were unable to withdraw money from the bank.

An exhibition counters the notion that late work by Dalí is bad, and that most Dalí is late work.

Hurricane Earl weakened slightly Thursday afternoon, downgrading from a Category 3 to Category 2 storm as of 8 p.m., as it moved toward the Virginia and North Carolina coasts overnight Thursday and into Friday.

Forty-eight of California's 58 counties saw totals fall this year — nine by more than 5%, the state Board of Equalization reported. The total value fell 2.4% in 2009.

More of the shine of the Golden State's real estate market lost a bit more of its luster as the total value of California's properties fell for the second year in a row — and for the second time since records were first kept in 1933 at the depths of the Great Depression.

Employers passed all of the increases in insurance premiums this year to their employees, a survey found.

The storm closed in on North Carolina Thursday evening, pelting the state with rain and wind as towns braced for Earl’s devastating force.

An Amish man has been charged with sexual assaults, dividing a congregation that prefers to handle disputes internally.

Mexico’s military says 25 suspects have been shot dead by soldiers in a gunbattle near the U.S. border.

Some veteran peace process practitioners say Israel and the Palestinians should first aim for a partial solution because the gaps between the positions are too wide.