In a society where headlines of violence are almost commonplace, the families of the perpetrators are largely unheard from. But now some relatives have decided to share their stories.

Mitt Romney won handily in the Nevada caucuses with the help of groups he has struggled to persuade before, including strong Tea Party supporters and very conservative voters.

The casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has relayed assurances that he will donate millions more toward defeating President Obama even if his candidate is not the nominee, associates said.

At the University of Washington, 18 percent of the freshmen are foreigners, and each pays about three times as much as students from Washington State.

The Chester Upland district’s fiscal woes – so severe that it cannot afford to pay teachers past the end of this month – are compounded by a charter school with which it shares its financing.

Officials and residents in the Mississippi River flood plain known as the American Bottom say the Army Corps of Engineers overreacted after Hurricane Katrina.

In ending its combat role in Afghanistan a year earlier than expected, the United States will rely more on special forces that hunt insurgent leaders and train local troops, officials say.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s No. 2 executive, considers herself a role model for women. But her call isn’t simply about mentoring and empowering; it’s also a business strategy.

Charlie White, the state’s top elections official, may lose his job after being found guilty of six felony charges, including perjury, theft and voting in another precinct.

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An unexpectedly rosy jobs report set off a chain reaction Friday, upending economists’ gloomy predictions for the coming year, leading to a surge on Wall Street and potentially boggling the political calculus of the 2012 presidential campaigns.

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Does religion make people nice?

Mitt Romney’s tax returns prompt this question. According to those documents, which he released recently, Romney gives at least 10 percent of his earnings of about $20 million a year to the Mormon Church.

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In recent days, we have heard President Obama lecture college presidents about cost control, and we have seen a vaunted Stanford professor quit to pursue teaching students by the millions online — at minimal cost.

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Nearly two years ago, the University of Virginia mourned and tried to comprehend the death of Yeardley Love, a fourth-year student from the Baltimore area who played on the lacrosse team. On Monday a trial is set to start for her ex-boyfriend George Huguely V, who also played lacrosse at U-Va. and is charged with her murder.

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“ Academically Adrift,” a 2010 book, shook the Ivory Tower to its foundations with evidence that a substantial share of college students show no significant learning gains between their freshman and senior years.

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The nation’s leading breast cancer advocacy group has gone into full damage-control mode.

Executives of the embattled Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation held conference calls with affiliates Saturday to discuss a new strategy for working with supporters, a first step in rebuilding trust after last week’s public relations fiasco surrounding Komen’s off-then-on-again decision to fund Planned Parenthood.

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When Hurricane Frances swept through the Caribbean in 2004, it wiped out populations of little anole lizards living on seven tiny islands in the Bahamas.

Instead of mourning the loss, Harvard University biologist Jonathan Losos spied an opportunity: He could, for the first time, test a controversial 70-year-old idea in evolutionary biology.

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Two key federal agencies have recommended that the Interior Department reject a controversial coal lease proposed for an area near Bryce Canyon National Park, arguing it could impair visibility at the park and harm imperiled animals living in the region.

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Beth Jarosz, head demographer for the San Diego Association of Governments, also talks about the benefits and challenges of a graying population in San Diego County.

A 35-year-old man was jailed on suspicion of punching and kicking a dog at its owner’s Pacific Beach home, San Diego police said.

Following in his father’s footsteps at the prestigious law firm Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye, Theodore “Ted” Cranston embarked on a legal career that earned him national recognition in the field of estate planning and accolades as a leader in community service to San Diego.

A robber with a pistol held up Rose Donuts north of El Cajon Saturday evening, sheriff’s officials said.

Sam Popkin is a political-science professor at UC San Diego. He is the author of the forthcoming book “The Candidate: How to Win — and Hold — the White House.” This is his take on the Nevada caucuses, provided to U-T San Diego:

The former chairman of the San Diego County and California Republican parties says Mitt Romney is the certain GOP nominee barring an unlikely shift in dynamic.

Illegal immigration is a contentious topic in the United States, but it can be a touchy subject in Mexico too. This is especially true in northern border cities such as Tijuana, which receives hundreds of deportees each day.

A 42-year-old motorcyclist traveling west on state Route 76 was severely injured Saturday afternoon when his bike veered into an eastbound lane and collided with an SUV pulling a utility trailer, the California Highway Patrol said.

About 1,000 middle school students participated Saturday in the Science Olympiad at Rancho Bernardo High School. The top competitors will move on to a regional event in Los Angeles.