Gloria Hillard

Last year, two sisters took in Arefa, a badly burned Afghan girl, while she received medical treatment in the U.S. The sisters were ecstatic to host a goofier and wigglier Arefa during a return visit this summer, but they say the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan may make future reunions difficult.

Senior Softball USA has 33,000 members and is growing. As part of our Summer Night series, we head to southern California, where the Mightys play. It's a group of senior women who love the sport and love to swear in excitement. But no chewing tobacco.

Los Angeles International Airport has 30 comfort dogs assigned to assist weary and stressed-out travelers. The airports in San Jose and Miami are using dogs, too. Many passengers say it's helpful to see a smiling dog at the end of the security check-in.

National polls show a growing acceptance of gay men and women, but the transgender community often feels left out of the discussion. Young transgender people face discrimination in all aspects of life, and many find themselves on the streets.

More than 1,000 sick and dying sea lion pups have been found stranded since the beginning of the year, from Santa Barbara to San Diego. As scientists try to figure out why, one animal rescue worker says that in nearly three decades on the job, he's never seen anything like it.

A 48-acre area in California that housed more than 200 species of birds was stripped bare by the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the land. The Corps says the clearing was necessary to improve flood control and discourage homeless camps and drug dealing, but some are questioning whether the agency violated rules that protect wetlands and waterfowl.

In Los Angeles, where the car is the major mode of transportation, hit-and-run accidents involving pedestrians occur almost daily. But these crimes can be the most difficult for law enforcement to investigate and solve.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. — blamed for the groundwater pollution case made famous in the movie -- is offering to buy homes in Hinkley, Calif., again, this time in areas previously believed to be unaffected by the contamination. Many families, some who have lived in the town for generations, are packing up.

Women in California prisons for killing their abusive partners may get a chance at freedom. Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that allows new evidence to be considered in decades-old cases.

Arefa, 6, suffered a life-threatening wound on her head as well as severe burns when her family's tent in Afghanistan was engulfed in flames from an IED. Doctors treating her at a hospital in Los Angeles say her struggle to stay alive for three years is nothing short of a miracle.