Liberal and conservative justices seemed to grasp the cruelty and futility of fining or jailing people simply for sleeping outdoors when there aren't enough shelters.
The annual parade in Pasadena may cast an overly rosy glow on the Southern California region, but neither is it the ruin that some might like to believe.
Floodwaters in California, debate on Capitol Hill, strikes that paralyzed Hollywood, war in the Middle East: Times staff photographers documented a turbulent year.