Kirk Siegler

Democrats have proposed several bills in response to last month's deadly attack near the University of California-Santa Barbara. One dubbed the"gun violence restraining order gets a hearing Tuesday.

Las Vegas police are now confirming that law enforcement officials made three prior contacts with the suspects of a recent shooting spree that left five people dead, including two police officers. Authorities found no indication during those visits that Jerad Miller and his wife, Amanda, planned to carry out violence. The couple's anti-government and anti-law enforcement sentiments continue to be the focus of the investigation.

While it appears the 2009 attack at Fort Hood was different in many ways from what occurred Wednesday, the latest attack is drawing attention again to security measures there.

In a warming world, extreme droughts are predicted to become more common. Amid the historic drought gripping California and much of the West Coast, scientists are studying how states can manage with a lot less water in the future.

Now is a good time to spot gray whales off the coast of Southern California, but scientists have been seeing an unusually high number of other whales. "The fact that we're getting a chance to see at this time of year fin whales, blue whales, is really a mystery," says a marine biologist.

Thirty-four firefighters died in the line of duty this year. The unusually high number is sparking a larger conversation about the dangers firefighters face as more homes are built in and around drought-stricken forests.

The Los Angeles County supervisor wants to create an independent commission to oversee the department following charges of inmate abuse and racial profiling.

Colorado enacted several tough gun control measures after the shooting in Newtown, Conn. — and then voters ousted two lawmakers who backed those laws. One former senator says he has no regrets, while the man who helped remove him is now focused on other gun rights supporters.

On Monday, federal prosecutors announced indictments against 18 current and former deputies of the L.A. Sheriff's department for corruption and civil rights abuses inside the nation's largest municipal jail system.

Railroads are increasingly becoming the preferred means of shipping the masses of oil being produced in North Dakota and surrounding states. The railroad industry is eager to fill in for the lack of pipeline capacity. But some say the train growth needs to slow down.