Topic: California

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Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes

Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal

The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
20 most obscure team nicknames in pro sports

Most pro team nicknames make sense at some level. But there are a fair number of head-scratching nicknames. Here are 20 with explanations on their selection:
Fortune 500: Top 10 companies in 2013

Fortune has released its annual list of the largest corporations in the United States, and there were a few notable changes in this year’s group. Here are the Top 10.
GMO, Organic, and seven other food labels you should know

A quick, easy guide to nine commonly seen (and misunderstood) food labels, from 'GMO' to 'grass-fed.'

All Content

Amid North Korea crisis, US scrubs missile test to avoid 'misperception' (+video)

Calling off the missile test – which had nothing to do with North Korea – is just one way the US is quietly trying to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
California court bans use of smart phone maps while driving

A California court rules that using your smart phone for directions is just as illegal as texting while driving.
Annette Funicello was a Mouseketeer, beach-movie star

Annette Funicello appeared on 'The Mickey Mouse Club' in the 1950s and starred in a series of movies with Frankie Avalon. Annette Funicello died April 8.
The New Economy Shareholders ask firms: What are your politics?

One in three shareholder resolutions this year deal with companies' political spending and activities. Is it political 'trench warfare' or do shareholders need to know the politics of their companies in the wake of Citizens United decision?
Readers Write: What real US tax reform could look like

Letters to the Editor for the April 8, 2013 weekly print issue: If the US only taxes individuals (not businesses) with a personal income tax and a retail sales tax, the savings to governments, businesses, and families would be enormous. Another idea: Do away with income tax, initiate a three-tier flat tax with no exemptions, and then initiate a national sales tax.
Dempsey: Pentagon prepared for potential North Korean action

Though he doesn't foresee North Korea taking serious military action, Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Pentagon has bolstered its missile defenses to be prepared.
A teen’s immigration reform: Seeing amnesty as long shot, he self deports

An undocumented San Diego teen who graduated from an elite prep school saw uncertainty in his future and no sure thing in immigration reform and amnesty – so he did 'the right thing' and made the decision to self deport.
Cover Story Immigration reform: What the last 'path to citizenship' did for immigrants

Congress is considering comprehensive immigration reform, including amnesty, work visas, and guest worker programs. What this path to citizenship could mean for 11 million illegal immigrants can be seen in the 1986 amnesty of 3 million legalized in the last major immigration overhaul.
Stay or go? Embassies in North Korea weigh warning.

North Korea is warning that it can no longer guarantee diplomats' safety in Pyongyang as international tensions mount.
'Mountain Man' Troy Knapp: Real survivalist or run-of-the-mill burglar? (+video)

Troy James Knapp, who evaded capture for seven years in the vast southern Utah wilderness, told arresting deputies, 'Good job, you got me,' before regaling them with outlaw tales.
Cabin burglar: How Utah sheriffs caught a six-year fugitive

Cabin burglar caught in Utah: A suspect who lived in the mountains on the run for six years, Troy James Knapp, was caught this week. The so-called "cabin burglar" lived off the land and in Wasatch Mountain cabins.
Cthulhu fhtagn! Indescribably terrifying microbes named for Lovecraft monsters.

Eldritch scientists at the University of British Columbia have named Cthulhu macrofasciculumque and Cthylla microfasciculumque, a pair of sightless, writhing, unfathomable horrors twisting and groping through the ensanguined interiors of half-mad termites, for the unspeakably hideous abominations of the adjective-crazed pulp writer.
Amid attacks on law enforcement, prosecutors rattled but resolute

The national wave of attack on law enforcement officials amounts to an 'attack on the rule of law' that shows 'prosecutors really aren't lawyers, but warriors.' Many are taking extra precautions.
How much do you know about California? Take our quiz.

There's California and then there's the rest of the United States. If you have Hollywood, the Golden Gate, earthquakes, volcanoes, Death Valley, and the Lakers, what else do you need? If you're a Californian, see how well you know your state. If you're not, see if you can pass yourself off as one.
Microsoft: Facebook Home is cool. But a lot of those ideas are ours.

Facebook Home, a new suite of Android apps, was unveiled at a big press event yesterday. And one Microsoft exec is saying that we've seen it before.
Global News Blog Good Reads: Christian Middle East exodus, online ed, drone strikes, and Japan's prisons

The round-up of Good Reads for this week includes a look at the plight of Christians in the Middle East, how online classes are faring, a visual timeline of US drone attacks, and why Japan's crime rate is so low.
Decoder Wire Uproar over Obama comment on Kamala Harris: political correctness run amok?

President Obama sparked a mini-tempest when he called California's Kamala Harris the 'best-looking attorney general in the country.' At least he also called her brilliant, dedicated, and tough.
'The Company You Keep' never quite figures out what it wants to be

'Company,' directed by and starring Robert Redford, is equally preachy and melodramatic.
Modern Parenthood Target dress apology: Industry experts should not require Twitter policing

The Target dress apology started on Twitter, after a shopper took a snapshot of a piece of plus sized clothing in the color 'Manatee Grey.' The standard size of the same piece was 'Dark Heather Grey.' The Target dress apology shows that a slew of people in Target command center weren't paying attention.
Energy Voices Californians support coal despite LA plan to ban it (Sponsor content)

Californian support for clean coal power is in stark contrast to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan to remove coal from the city's electricity mix by the year 2025, Tracey writes.
Is Facebook smartphone just a new way to collect data about you? (+video)

Facebook's smartphone launch raises alarms with consumer advocates who worry that more ease for consumers also means less privacy, as Facebook extends its capacity to mine personal data.
Tax VOX Stockton to enter bankruptcy. What happens next?

Stockton, Calif., will be the largest US municipality to enter bankruptcy. The question, Gordon writes, is: Who will be left holding the bag?
Jay Leno leaving 'Tonight,' has NBC learned transition lessons?

Jay Leno leaving: NBC's hand was forced, to its perspective, by ABC when that network put Jimmy Kimmel in the time slot shared by Leno and CBS' David Letterman earlier this year.
Sea lion boogies down, overturns theory (+video)

Ronan, a California sea lion with a knack for keeping a beat, challenges theories about the nature of rhythmic ability.
Opinion: Liberal hypocrisy on Bloomberg's moneyed fight for gun control

President Obama heads to Colorado today in his push for gun control – a cause NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent millions to support. Liberals who usually oppose the influence of money in politics are now praising Bloomberg. Such hypocrisy undermines their cause.