Opinion

n Egging -more-

LA VERNE — A wildfire in the foothills above Los Angeles jumped from 8,000 acres to 12,000 acres in just a few hours Tuesday, sending smoke pouring over the sprawling metropolitan area and triggering public health warnings. -more-

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is seriously considering lowering the nationwide terror alert back to code yellow because of disruptions in the al-Qaida terrorist network, including the arrest of a suspected Sept. 11 plotter, government officials said Monday. -more-

n Carjacking -more-

OAKLAND – Firefighters remained at the scene of a four-alarm fire Friday that tore through roughly 10 acres of brush in the Oakland Hills Thursday evening, a spokeswoman for the Oakland Fire Department said. -more-

TEL AVIV, Israel — A Palestinian blew himself up on a crowded bus Thursday in downtown Tel Aviv, killing at least five other people and wounding 49, the second suicide bombing in two days. In response, Israeli tanks charged into Yasser Arafat’s West Bank headquarters. -more-