Word Up Wednesday

Californians Are Paying a Record 60 Cents More for Gas than the Rest of the Nation

California motorists are paying 60 cents more for a gallon of gas than motorists nationwide - apparently the biggest gap ever.

The Oakland Tribune


Body Found in Florin Road Parking Lot

A man was found dead Wednesday morning in a parking lot along Florin Road in South Sacramento.

KCRA.COM


The Public Eye: UC cuts staff, hikes tuition -- and hires a new lobbyist

Tough times and weak state finances have knee capped the University of California: thousands of layoffs, class offerings and library hours cut; faculty furloughs, and a possible 31 percent hike in tuition fees.

The Sacramento Bee


Arden Fair Bands Wearing Hoods Inside the Mall

In an effort to cut down crime, Arden Fair mall will ban patrons from wearing hoods over their heads to block their faces.

The Sacramento Bee


Johnson Suspected to Fully Recover

UC star will be able to play again after weightlifting accident, doctor says, adding his fitness saved his life.

LA Times


Aid flows to tsunami-hit Samoas; death toll at 120

Police searched a ghastly landscape of mud-swept streets, pulverized homes and bodies scattered in a swamp Wednesday as dazed surviors emerged from the muck of an earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 120 in the South Pacific.

SF Gate


iPhone apps help track sex offenders, spot crime

Tracy Rodriguez of Houston, Texas, is not a trained private investigator or police officer. But with a gentle tap on her iPhone screen, the mother of three can access information revealing the sex offenders who live within a 10-mile radius of where her children practice sports or watch movies.

CNN


Colleges pushed to treat problem gamblers

Colleges and universities should take more steps to curb problem gambling by piggybacking outreach efforts onto campaigns against alcohol and drug abuse, a national task force said Tuesday.

SF Gate


Q&A: How Schwarzenegger-backed tax plan would effect Californians

Despite opposition from business and labor groups, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger embraced a blue-ribbon panel's recommendation Tuesday to flatten the state income tax, eliminate part of the sales tax and install a new form of consumption tax on most firms.

The Sacramento Bee


Obama Facebook Poll: "Should Obama be Killed?" Pulled From Site, Secret Service Investigate

A poll was posted on Facebook asking users to vote "should Obama be killed?"

Huffington Post