Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts — the scion of an American political dynasty who became an iconic liberal legislator — died Wednesday of complications related to a cancerous brain tumor.

San Diego's First 5 Commission has named long-time county employee Barbara Jimenez as its new executive director.

Federal officials are asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to cancel furloughs for employees who are paid with federal funds so payments to thousands of disabled Californians aren't delayed.

San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Terry Grier says he will take the Houston superintendent job once the contract is finalized. He made the announcement to a group of district administrators at a back-to-school event today.

A heat wave is expected over Southern California later this week. San Diego’s inland temperatures could break 100 degrees and desert highs could reach record levels by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

UC San Diego researchers say deadly heat waves are becoming more frequent in California. The research predicts climate change will make the events more common in the future.

Chula Vista’s Park View Little League team is remaining focused as the squad prepares for the semifinal round of the Little League World Series.

Nearly 60 percent of college students polled by San Diego State University agreed their age group uses social networking sites for narcissistic, self-promoting and attention-seeking reasons, it was announced today.

California agriculture authorities have declared success in one of several battles against the Mediterranean fruit fly. The Food and Agriculture Department said it is lifting a quarantine in 93 square miles of San Diego County's Spring Valley.

The Coen Brothers have never been ones to rest on their laurels. They quickly followed their Oscar-winning "No Country For Old Men" (2007) with "Burn After Reading" in 2008, and now they already have another film finished, "A Serious Man" (opening October 2). Check out the trailer courtesy of Focus Features.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday that a massive school closing wouldn't stop the spread of the swine flu virus, saying vaccinations must be the defense against a menace that one report said could infect up to half of the population.

As part of our series on America's national parks, we'll talk about the importance of parks for communities.

The median price of homes statewide rose 3.9 percent in July, compared to June, and in Los Angeles prices rose 6.1 percent, according to figures released today by the California Association of Realtors.

As we celebrate National Parks Founders' Day, we'll talk about the history of America's national parks.

San Diego's only national monument, Cabrillo National Monument, is celebrating National Parks Founders' Day and San Diego County Public Lands Day with exhibitors from county parks at the lighthouse and visitors center.

Most homeless people in America are too poor to buy their own health coverage, but many also don't qualify for Medicaid, the government-run health program for the poor.

The San Diego Port District will not halt construction of a new cruise ship terminal downtown, in spite of a lawsuit filed by a group of waterfront activists.

San Diego Unified School Superintendent Terry Grier has about three weeks to consider whether he wants to stay in San Diego or accept an offer to become superintendent in Houston.

Several seniors with disabilities are suing the state for cutting skilled daycare services for adults. The lawsuit claims thousands of seniors with Alzheimer's disease and other debilitating conditions will be at risk.

The 30th annual bike ride from Rosarito to Ensenada will roll on this year. An injection of cash from the state of Baja California will allow the tradition to continue.