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JEWEL SAMAD
) Poll: 75% of Californians back water restrictions Few local water agencies have forced customers to cut their water use amid the ongoing drought, but a new poll shows a large majority of Californians support mandates to turn off the tap. |
 ( ) Oakland: Toxic algae closes Lake Temescal  The East Bay Regional Park District closed the popular summer swimming destination after tests showed high levels of a toxin associated with blue-green algae. |
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Patrick Tehan
) A's finally cut the cord on struggling reliever Jim Johnson Oakland A's reliever Jim Johnson, a $10 million offseason acquisition, is designated for assignment. |
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Doug Duran
) Sideboard shines in new, bigger Danville location One of Danville's most popular restaurants moves from cramped quarters at the former Danville Hotel to a spacious new location but continues serving up delicious, high-quality sandwiches, salads and pastas. |
LOCAL NEWS  (ARIC CRABB) Rescued birds find new home in Richmond Eight black-crowned night herons and snowy egrets were released along the western bank of Point Pinole Regional Shoreline Park in Richmond. |
Celebrities  (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP) Surprise! Justin Bieber in news for his music The troubled singer releases clips of 11 new tracks on Instagram, hinting at prospect of new album. |
SPORTS 49ers notebook: Aldon Smith 'feeling great' at start of camp San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith, who might face NFL discipline after off-field incidents, looked in his natural element Thursday, suiting up in a No. 99 jersey and menacing quarterbacks on the practice field. |
Spotlight  (
JOHN GREEN
) Bay Area s snobbiest small cities? (Cast your vote) Palo Alto and Walnut Creek make the list compiled by real estate blog Movoto based on home prices, household income, cultural amenities, educational achievement and more. |
BUSINESS  (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo) Facebook stock soars, as company briefly passes IBM in market value Facebook's one-day stock surge also added about $1.6 billion to the personal wealth of founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whose company holdings are now worth more than $33 billion. |
 This barren, desert prison is where O.J. Simpson lives  Some here call it the 'O.J. House,' the only gated community in a vast stretch of desert rich in gold and silver, pioneer trails and proud, isolated towns north of Reno. |
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JOHN GREEN
) Bay Area s snobbiest small cities? (Cast your vote) Palo Alto and Walnut Creek make the list compiled by real estate blog Movoto based on home prices, household income, cultural amenities, educational achievement and more. |
(Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP) Surprise! Justin Bieber in news for his music The troubled singer releases clips of 11 new tracks on Instagram, hinting at prospect of new album. |
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JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO
) Kawakami: Kaepernick shoulders blame for loss  Colin Kaepernick's late-game interception allows the Seattle Seahawks to hold off the San Francisco 49ers and advance to the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos |
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Nhat V. Meyer
) Purdy: Brutal heavyweight fight went way of Seahawks This was a wicked, awful, exhausting game for both the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. |
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JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO
) Thompson: 49ers defense shows fight even after Bowman injury The San Francisco 49ers defense was not as dominant as it needed to be Sunday. But when things looked most bleak against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game, the defense got the ball back to the offense with a chance to win. Twice. Even without the unit's best player. |
