Senate Passes Bill to Ban BPA Chemical in Baby Products

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- A bill to ban the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) from baby bottles and sippy cups was passed by the California state Senate on Tuesday.

The Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act (AB 1391) aims to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of baby bottles and sippy cups that contain BPA at a level above 0.1 parts per billion in the state of California.

The bill will next be sent to the state Assembly for final "concurrence," before Governor Edmund Brown can sign it into law.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Honda Reports Strong Sales in California

(TORRANCE, Calif.) -- Honda's U.S. headquarters is located in Torrance, Calif., and judging by figures released Tuesday by the California New Car Dealers Association, home field advantage seems to be playing in the Japanese automaker's favor.

Honda sales are up 15 percent in California from a year ago to just over 80,000 vehicles sold through the first six months of 2011. It represents nearly eight percent of the automaker's total sales in the United States so far this year, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Honda reports it has sold 600,000 cars in the first half of the year, keeping it on par with its pace from a year ago.

The Accord is currently the top-selling sedan in the California market, while the CRV is the most popular choice among buyers when it comes to sport utility vehicles.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Former Lakers Player Arrested in Homicide Investigation

(LOS ANGELES) -- Professional basketball player Javaris Crittenton was arrested Monday in California in connection with the murder of a woman in Atlanta.

Crittenton, who formerly played for the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers, was reportedly arrested at John Wayne Airport in Orange County around 8 p.m. PST, accused of fatally shooting Jullian Jones outside her Atlanta home on August 19.

Authorities say Crittenton was targeting a man he thought had stolen jewelry from him when he shot Jones shot multiple times; she later died at a hospital.

Crittenton is charged with being a fugitive from justice in relation to the homicide.

While playing for the Wizards, Crittenton pleaded guilty to a gun possession charge in 2010, after he and teammate Gilbert Arenas had a locker-room dispute that saw both players brandishing guns. Crittenton currently plays in the NBA Development League with the Dakota Wizards.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Advocates of Intelligent Design Claim Victory in Lawsuit Settlement

(LOS ANGELES) -- The California Science Center has agreed to pay $110,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by American Freedom Alliance for violating AFA's First Amendment free speech rights, according to a release by the Discovery Institute on Monday.

AFA filed the suit in a California Superior Court claiming viewpoint discrimination and breach of contract when the CSC canceled a scheduled event because it portrayed intelligent design (ID) favorably. ID focuses on explaining living things and features of the universe through an intelligent cause -- a divine one -- rather than the assumption of natural selection.

According to William J. Becker, the lawyer for the AFA, it is the first case that has acknowledged ID as being protected by the freedom of speech.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Federal Judge to Hear Arguments on Prop 8 Video

(SAN FRANCISCO) -- A federal judge in San Francisco will hear arguments over whether a video of the controversial Proposition 8 trial should be released to the public on Monday.

The Prop 8 trial was presided over by Judge Vaughn Walker, who was sued for showing part of the video in a University of Arizona lecture.

Many same-sex couples are pushing for the video's release, since the Prop 8 trial was open. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling, however, previously banned the use of the cameras in the trial.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio