By TONY BIZJAK, Sacramento Bee

Reversing a near 10-year ban, Amtrak will allow passengers to bring guns on most trains starting Dec. 15.

The change, pushed by gun rights advocates and ordered by Congress, aligns Amtrak's firearms policy with air travel rules that allow unloaded guns to be stored in locked baggage holds.

What's that gooey lump in the road ahead?

A University of California, Davis researcher, conducting a road kill census in California, says his first year analysis shows it's most likely the remains of a raccoon that was hit by a car.

This year's summer travel season is off to a chaotic start.

In Sacramento, Calif., on Sunday, flights were canceled while officials searched for a bag that set off an alarm. Dozens of tar balls, some the size of melons, washed ashore in recent days around Key West, Fla., alarming tourism officials.

Would you consider getting rid of your car and renting a neighbor's or co-worker's vehicle by the hour for errands or trips?

How about making some money letting people who live or work nearby rent your car when you don't need it?

San Francisco entrepreneur Sunil Paul believes some of us would.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - For months in Sacramento and elsewhere around the state, it has been next to impossible to score an appointment for a driver's-license test.

The state Department of Motor Vehicles' reservation system has been jammed, leaving thousands of would-be drivers frustrated.

As lawmakers sound the alarm about dangers of distracted driving from cell phones and other gadgets, cutting-edge entrepreneurs are already a step ahead this holiday season, producing a new generation of tools they claim will help you drive more safely.

Turns out California is not quite the car-crazy, motoring Mecca it's made it out to be -- at least compared to other states.New census data offer an image-busting glimpse of Golden State commuting: A smaller percentage of workers drove alone last year than in almost any other state.

Danger lurks on the road, for sure; but it may not be where we think it is.Stop signs, for instance, can lead to bad crashes. But a curvy, cliff-side road with no guardrails may have few mishaps.

Lee Bywater recently bought back a chunk of his youth -- a motorcycle. A big, loud one.With a push from his wife -- You want it, just do it! -- the Elk Grove, Calif., postal service supervisor plunked down more than $25,000 three months ago for a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic and accessories.

Call it the Zen of the slow lane, or the subtle art of savoring gas.With fuel prices climbing toward $5 a gallon, a growing number of freeway drivers are cruising -- believe it or not -- at the actual speed limit or less.Their hope, they say, is to squeeze just a few more miles out of each precious gallon, or at least feel like they are fighting back against spiking prices.