Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES -- For many women, morning sickness can be one of the most miserable parts of pregnancy. Unfortunately, new research reported Wednesday suggests that there is little women can do other than grin and bear it, because there appear to be no effective treatments.

LOS ANGELES -- A survey of students at 16 California middle schools shows Latino kids are more likely to smoke, drink or use marijuana than their peers in other ethnic or racial groups. In probing for the reasons for substance use, researchers found that Latino youths may lack confidence in their ability to say "no" to peers.

ATLANTA -- Another offshore oil facility caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico Thursday morning, sending 13 workers into the water to be rescued by boat, and sending enough petroleum into the water to create a mile-long-by-100-foot-wide sheen, according to the US Coast Guard.

LOS ANGELES -- Enough with the two-a-days, coach-speak, NCAA committee of distractions, poll posturing and depth charts -- it's time for Hawaii and USC to strike up the sand.

LOS ANGELES -- Most reports about seasonal influenza cite an average of about 36,000 deaths in a typical season, but that number is both too high and grossly misleading, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

SONOMA, Calif. -- A fan of off-road truck racing, Travis Wells accepted a friend's invitation and drove from his Anaheim home to watch the trucks compete on a Saturday evening in an isolated patch of California's Lucerne Valley.

LOS ANGELES -- They are all in the twilight of their careers, now -- still playing but recognizing only too well that the days are fast dwindling.