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

Record crowd for Obama inauguration?
California Supreme Court to hear challenges to gay-marriage ban

Opponents argue that the ballot initiative amounts to a revision of the state constitution.
Letters to the Editor

Readers write about a return to a gold standard, suppressing piracy through rule of law, how a tax on gas would help the Big Three automakers, and why California's Prop 8 should be reconsidered.
USA
Waxman unseats Dingell as House energy committee chair

To the delight of many environmental groups across the country, California Democrat Henry Waxman has ousted fellow Democrat John Dingell of Michigan from his post as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Garden 'siteseeing' in England and the US

Garden blogs in the US and England
California wildfire lessons: Steps by homeowners cut damage

Fireproofing existing homes and enforcing limits on brush allowed some communities to survive.
Letters to the Editor

Readers write about prejudice in the US, the benefits of returning to the gold standard, and American ideals.
Opinion: A road map for Detroit

Don't scrap the US auto industry. Overhaul it. Here's how.
Why Yahoo's Jerry Yang stepped down

His performance showed that not every start-up whiz can be a turnaround CEO.
Obama promises "new chapter" in climate leadership

Barack Obama delivered a brief video message Wednesday to the Governors' Global Climate Summit in Beverly Hills, Calif., in which he unequivocally affirmed the scientific basis of climate change and vowed to take action on cutting carbon emissions, in spite of the troubled global economy.
Today’s unsettling comparison to ‘the great dying’

250 million years ago, rising greenhouse-gas levels set off catastrophic changes.
Letters to the Editor

Readers write about whether marriage is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, reverting back to the gold standard, and the benefits of cycling to work.
Reviews of "I See You Everywhere" and "The Flying Troutmans"

Two new novels center on the complex, competitive love between sisters.
USA
Letters to the Editor

Readers write about s government bailout for US automakers, the importance of an interfaith dialogue, and the need for a long-term solution to the problem of nuclear waste disposal.
Schwarzenegger says California must prepare for warming

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has directed state agencies to prepare for the impacts of global warming – particularly rising sea levels – on the state's economy, water supply, and natural resources.
Marriages follow the ups and downs of the economy

During tough economic times, couples find that financial problems can affect their marriage.
More Mail Bag matches

Readers write about the pen pals they found through the Monitor's old Mail Bag column.
USA
Opinion: California's same-sex marriage case affects all of us

It forces us to consider why we have rights.
State and city budgets falling fast

Shortfalls are beginning to hit local government services across the country.
Stop outsourcing my customer-service calls to India

When I call to make an airline reservation, they think I’m ordering chicken tikka when I’m just trying to get an aisle seat.
USA
Gay activists protest Mormon church

Beyond the anger over the church's support for a gay-marriage ban in California, some seek dialogue.