Page last updated: February 6, 2012 @ 7:02 AM
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Contra Costa Times Headlines
The cost of dying: It's hard to reject care even as costs soar

Every night Dad emptied the coins from his pockets. The special ones he placed in an album, but most went into a jar to be saved. So how could the hospital bill for the final days of this frugal man -- with carefully prepared end-of-life instructions -- add up to $323,000 in just 10 days?

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Four-alarm fire destroys abandoned warehouse, heavy smoke visible for miles

Firefighters from three counties help battle flames at abandoned, city-owned building

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Raiders and Niner fans enjoy Super Bowl that both watched with a little bit of heartbreak

Numerous Oakland Raiders fans, still angry over what they consider a bad call in a game against the New England Patriots more than 10 years ago, were thrilled to see the New York Giants prevail in Sunday's Super Bowl XLVI. Niners fans supported the team that beat them in the playoffs.

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Young doctors flock toward new specialty in end-of-life care

New crop of physicians leading the way in field of palliative medicine

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California probation officers shift focus from punishment to collaboration

Motivational interviewing is a technique under way across California and the rest of the nation aimed at better preparing probationers for life on the outside and making them less likely to become repeat offenders.

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Too many kids breathe others' smoke in cars: CDC

CHICAGO -- Texting while driving, speeding and back-seat hanky-panky aren't all that parents need to worry about when their kids are in cars: Add secondhand smoke to the list.

Brown U. student uncovers lost Malcolm X speech

Rare 50-year-old speech unearthed by Brown student

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San Jose police investigate fatal shooting of 21-year-old man

A 21-year-old man was shot and killed Sunday night in San Jose, the city's third homicide of the year, according to police.At 10:15 p.m., San Jose police responded to reports of a shooting and found the shooting victim in the rear parkiing lot of an apartment complex on Blackford Avenue, near

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Barnidge: Everyone knows California budget cuts needed, but no one wants to feel the ax

If the subject is the state budget, you know what follows: What will be cut this time? This has been an annual discussion ever since California's economy imploded and tax revenues dried up.

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Spare the Air alerts make air district public enemy No. 1 -- but there's a reason for behind those no burn days

Oh, the weather outside was frightful: Clear, sunny skies mixed with a crisp bite of cold air, no wind, and a high-pressure "bubble" keeping out clouds and precipitation.

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Man leads Vallejo police on a pursuit to Martinez

A Vallejo man was arrested Saturday after a lengthy car pursuit that ended in Martinez, Vallejo police said.The driver was identified as Gerald Brown, 20, and was arrested and booked into Solano County jail after he crashed into the gate of Tesoro Corp.

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Concord woman dies after car rolls over her in driveway

CONCORD -- A 69-year-old woman died in her driveway Sunday morning after being trapped underneath a car that rolled over her, police said.Joyce Arendtson died after medical personnel extricated her and took her to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

SF Gate/Chronicle Headlines
Berkeley considers new banks to replace Wells Fargo

Berkeleys considering saying adios to the stagecoach. Saying theyre fed up with Wells Fargos corporate ethics, the Berkeley City Council this week took steps toward cutting ties with the banking giant and investing...

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Eliana Lopez hires lawyers in Ross Mirkarimi case

San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi s wife, who so far has refused to cooperate with investigators in the domestic-violence case against him, has herself a new set of lawyers - including one who has experience with a...

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Hoekstras broken English ad draws more criticism

(02-06) 05:05 PST Lansing, Mich. (AP) -- A coalition of black ministers in Detroit is calling on U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra to apologize for his Super Bowl ad portraying a young Asian woman speaking broken...

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New Golden Gate Bridge approach hits funding snag

The carefully stitched-together funding plan for replacing the dangerous Doyle Drive approach to the Golden Gate Bridge has developed a hole that threatens to delay the $1.1 billion project just as it passes the halfway...

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Giants top Pats for 2nd Super Bowl in 4 years

(02-06) 00:24 PST Indianapolis (AP) -- Tom Brady let his final pass fly toward the scrum of players in the end zone, hoping for an incredible finish. Uh-uh, Tom. Not in this city, and not in this game. Indianapolis is a...

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Komen drops plans to cut Planned Parenthood grants

(02-03) 12:22 PST NEW YORK, (AP) -- The Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast-cancer charity on Friday abandoned plans to deny funding to Planned Parenthood. The startling decision came after three days of virulent...