California is a U.S. state spanning the southern half of the west coast. With a population of 37 million and an area of 158,402 square miles (410,000 km²), California is the largest U.S. state in population and the third largest in area.

The region was inhabited by Native Americans of Asian origin before European explorers started to make sporadic visitations during the 16th Century. California had the highest density and greatest diversity of indigenous peoples in what is now the United States. Spain colonized the coastal areas of the territory starting in 1769. As a result of the Mexican War of Independence, California became a part of the Mexican Republic in 1821. It was subsequently captured by the United States in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) which was concluded with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The California Gold Rush of 1848-1849 brought about 90,000 additional U.S. immigrants into the state, and California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850.

Although the state's sunny climate has given it a historic reputation for being laid back compared to the East Coast, the $1.55 trillion (as of 2005) California economy is larger than all but the top 7 national economies in the world ^* and is responsible for 13% of the United States' $13 trillion gross domestic product (GDP). The state's major predominant industries include agriculture, entertainment, light manufacturing, and tourism. California is also the home of several significant economic regions such as Hollywood (entertainment), the California Central Valley (agriculture), Silicon Valley (computers and high tech), and the Wine Country (wine).

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Los Angeles Times - Top News

Army psychiatrist blamed in Fort Hood shooting rampage
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:34:00 -0800
The suspect, stable after being shot himself, is accused of killing 13 and wounding 30 at the Texas Army base. It's not clear whether he is the author of inflammatory comments on the Web. Reporting from Ft. Hood, Texas, Washington and Los Angeles -- An Army psychiatrist who was about to be deployed to Iraq allegedly armed himself with two guns and opened fire Thursday afternoon on the grounds of Ft. Hood, the country's largest military base, killing 12 people and injuring 31 others.
Obama laments 'a horrific outburst of violence' at Fort Hood
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:32:00 -0800
The president, in his first public remarks on the shootings at the Army base in Texas, asks Americans 'to keep the men and women of Fort Hood in your thoughts and prayers.' President Barack Obama, lamenting "a horrific outburst of violence" in the killings today of at least a dozen soldiers and the wounding of more than 30 other people at Fort Hood Army Base in Texas, promised to "stay on this."
LAPD reduces DNA testing backlog
Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
L.A. controller's audit finds that untested evidence kits from rapes and sexual assaults have been cut by two-thirds since last fall. The Los Angeles Police Department has reduced the backlog of untested DNA evidence kits from rapes and sexual assaults by two-thirds since last fall, but City Controller Wendy Greuel cautioned Thursday that "we still have a long way to go to resolve this issue."

SFGate: Top News Stories

Murderer laughs it up as jury calls for death
hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Edward Wycoff, who spent his murder trial cracking jokes and proudly admitting he had killed his sister and her husband in their El Cerrito home, should die by lethal injection, a jury said Thursday. The jury's decision came in spite of testimony by the...
Attempted murder charges in Halloween attack
hlee@sfchronicle.com (Henry K. Lee) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800
Four young men were charged with attempted murder Thursday in a Halloween attack on two trick-or-treaters in San Jose whom they mistook for rival gang members, authorities said. Eduardo Cristobal, 18, of Milpitas was arrested Wednesday, one day after Diego...
Garamendi sworn in, backs House health reforms
drew@hearstdc.com (Drew Joseph) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:07:12 -0800
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, swore in newly-elected Democratic Rep. John Garamendi on Thursday, two days after Bay Area voters picked California's lieutenant governor to fill the seat vacated this year by former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut...

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