Hailstones up to 2 pounds fall in Northern Calif. - Some of the largest hail ever recorded in California — measuring 3 inches in diameter — plummeted from sky near Red Bluff over the weekend, National Weather Service officials said. The massive and dangerous-looking balls of ice tied California’s previous record-size hail set back in 1960 in San Diego County, the weather service said. Residents in the small community of less than 200 people reported serious damage to cars and roofs of homes...

Panthers rout Cardinals for NFC title - Cam Newton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others, and Carolina's big-play defense stifled the league's top-ranked offense in a 49-15 romp Sunday for the NFC championship. The NFL's new top man at quarterback — Newton is an All-Pro this season — will lead the Panthers against five-time MVP Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in two weeks. When Newton flew into the end zone for a 12-yard third-quarter touchdown — no, he didn't have a cape on...

Manning, Broncos stuff Pats comeback, scramble to Super Bowl

Cops give account of Mario Woods’ last moments - The final chapter of Mario Woods’ life began when he slashed a stranger for no apparent reason and ended with him staring at the barrel of a San Francisco police officer’s gun and saying, “You better squeeze that ... and kill me.” Within minutes of when he first defied police efforts to arrest him, Woods, 26, lay dead on a Bayview district sidewalk, shot by as many as 15 rounds fired by five officers. The incident was witnessed by middle scho...

Scattered showers giving way to dry conditions - Scattered showers giving way to dry conditions for Bay Area After scattered showers Saturday, rain should begin to clear out of the Bay Area, forecasters said. “We still have a slight chance for showers at the lower elevations and some snow showers tonight,” said Karl Swanberg, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Sacramento. Powerful storms that have buried the East Coast in snow are affecting air travel across the nation.

DA files bribery charges against ex-S.F. official and staffer

Two men stabbed by mob in S.F.’s Tenderloin - A man in his 20s was wounded in a vicious stabbing early Monday morning in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, firefighters said. The victim, who was not immediately identified, was stabbed around 2 a.m. near Taylor and Sutter streets before he stumbled a short distance down Taylor and collapsed in front of the Bohemian Club, officials and witnesses said. Police did not immediately say if a suspect had been identified or arrested in the sta...

Panthers open up 4-point favorites in Vegas - LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Carolina Panthers will be favored to beat the Denver Broncos and win the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. Oddsmakers didn't even wait until the Panthers finished off the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday to install them as favorites in the game two weeks from now.

Soggy Super Bowl looking likely as forecast released - Will El Niño rain on the Super Bowl? [...] long-range weather forecasts suggest the upcoming Super Bowl in Santa Clara could be a soggy affair. After nearly a month of rainstorms and showers, the Bay Area is forecast to get a bit of a break this week.

Thousands of anti-abortion protesters march down Market Street

Big win for Caltrans: Leaks plugged on Bay Bridge eastern span

'Hunker down' time as feared storm arrives in D.C. - WASHINGTON (AP) — Shoppers raided grocery and hardware stores, bishops excused Catholics from Sunday Mass and the nation's capital was shutting down Friday ahead of a weekend blizzard that has begun to blanket much of the Eastern United States. All the ingredients have come together for massive snowfall in gale-force winds, causing white-out conditions and dangerous flooding. Luckily, temperatures in most places will be just above freezin...