Topic: San Francisco

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Golden Gate Bridge 75th anniversary: Take a knowledge challenge

The bridge that some experts once thought could never be built – San Francisco’s Golden Gate – on Sunday officially celebrates 75 years since its opening. How much do you know of the bridge’s story?
Major gay marriage cases in federal court and where they stand

Battles over same-sex marriage have been raging in the federal courts for several years. Two could reach the US Supreme Court within a year: one challenging California's ban on gay marriage under Proposition 8, and the other seeking to invalidate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Here are the cases to follow.
10 best cities to buy short sale homes

Foreclosures are tough: Homeowners lose their houses and ruin their credit, while banks get stuck with vacant, deteriorating real estate for months before selling it at a considerable loss. Increasingly, banks are finding another way: the short sale. Instead of waiting to foreclose, a bank preemptively sells a home at a deep discount and closes out the underwater mortgage, even if the house sells for less than the value of the mortgage. The result: Homeowners shed their mortgage debt, and banks unload properties more quickly and inexpensively. Here are the Top 10 metropolitan areas with the biggest average discounts on these pre-foreclosure homes, according to online foreclosure marketplace RealtyTrac. Can you guess which city is No. 1?
Apple's new iPad brings 4G, better camera, more pixels than an HDTV

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the new iPad in San Francisco Wednesday afternoon, calling it the "poster child of the post-PC world." With 4G LTE wireless, Retina display, and a high-definition camera, Apple's third tablet is no doubt the best iPad yet. But can it hold back the tide of Android competitors?
8 ways to find common ground

Gridlock plagues Washington. Polarizing soundbytes get constant play in the 24/7 news cycle. The culture wars rage on. But these Monitor op-ed writers suggest there’s more common ground than meets the eye. Here are eight powerful perspectives on the possibilities for meeting in the middle.

All Content

Obama to Romney: congratulations on winning the nomination

President Obama called GOP nominee Mitt Romney on Wednesday to congratulate him for winning enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination.
With nomination in hand, Romney turns focus on Obama

His win in Texas on Tuesday put him over the top in the delegate count, and now the entire GOP establishment is focused on November.
Southern Great Plains could run out of groundwater in 30 years, study finds

A new study looking at key aquifers beneath the Great Plains and California's Central Valley suggests that areas of Texas and Kansas are drawing groundwater at an unsustainable rate.
Android clears court review of patent claims

Android did not infringe Oracle patents, court rules, in a major blow to Oracle. Android ruling means Oracle won't collect billions of dollars in royalties from Google.
Retirement: 3 ways to enrich it without adding money

Retirement planning is about more than saving money. It's about what you're going to do. Here are three ways to stay active in retirement.
In Gear
Worst traffic in America? Hint: It's not Los Angeles.

Congestion forces drivers in this warm-weather city to waste an average 58 hours a year. L.A. and San Francisco take the next two spots for worst traffic.
Golden Gate Bridge 75th anniversary: Take a knowledge challenge

The bridge that some experts once thought could never be built – San Francisco’s Golden Gate – on Sunday officially celebrates 75 years since its opening. How much do you know of the bridge’s story?
Gay marriage: Judge overturns DOMA, stepping up pressure on Supreme Court

A federal judge struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which precludes gay couples from receiving federal marriage benefits. She is the third federal judge to do so, suggesting that the Supreme Court might need to step in soon to clarify its position.
Major gay marriage cases in federal court and where they stand

Battles over same-sex marriage have been raging in the federal courts for several years. Two could reach the US Supreme Court within a year: one challenging California's ban on gay marriage under Proposition 8, and the other seeking to invalidate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Here are the cases to follow.
Change Agent
First Graduate helps students aim for higher education

The nonprofit First Graduate program helps students become the first in their family to attend college.
Ready for summer? Family vacation season opens with Memorial Day

The summer travel season, whether its visiting Coney Island, Disneyland or Yellowstone, opens Memorial Day weekend. Time to schedule those flights and check the highways for this year's family vacation.
Latin America Monitor
Look who got a US visa: Raúl Castro's daughter

Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban President Raúl Castro, will travel to California this week on a US visa to attend a conference. But many Cuban scholars were denied entry, writes a guest blogger.
The difficulty of supporting activists such as Chen Guangchen in China

Being a qualified lawyer gives lawyers who support activists such as Chen Guangchen a measure of protection, but they are still vulnerable to all kinds of official pressure.
Solar eclipse: How to safely watch this evening's 'ring of fire'

During this evening's 'ring of fire' solar eclipse, what should be a spectacular display will be seen across much of the American West. Here's how to watch it safely.
Focus
The gay marriage paradox: as acceptance rises, so do legal barriers

President Obama's embrace of gay marriage mirrors growing support among many Americans, but states continue to ban it. The US Supreme Court could play a key role.
White births in US no longer a majority

White births in the US have been surpassed by racial and ethnic minorities, according to newest Census data.
A Sense of Direction

This first-rate travel book is – like all the best travel books – most fascinating when it has the author at its center.
Change Agent
Journalist Kevin Fagan looked for solutions to homelessness

His newspaper series on the homeless in San Francisco emphasized solutions – what really works and what doesn't. The result: constructive changes.
Obama backs gay marriage: How it plays with Christian church leaders (+video)

The response from Christian church leaders ranged from "giddy" to "deeply saddening" when asked about President Obama's new support of gay marriage. Will it fire up evangelical Christians to vote against Obama in November?
Latin America Monitor
Slain American's legacy continues in Nicaragua

Ben Linder, the only US citizen killed by US-backed contras during Nicaragua’s war in the 1980s, continues to inspire a new generation of foreign activists working with the country's poor.
A filmmaker breaks down ballet stereotypes

Documentary filmmaker Bess Kargman followed the rigorous world of ballet competition for her new documentary 'First Position.'
My dinner with Reagan

Prepping for a speech to a full ballroom, he acknowledged his nervousness.
How one man may have foiled a devastating cyberattack against America

Researcher Justin W. Clarke discovered a vulnerability in an industrial networking system used by American power grids and the Pentagon. Now, after public pressure, the manufacturer is promising a fix.
Occupy May Day: Can the protest movement spring back to life?

Occupy Wall Street has big plans for May Day, including marches and strikes, but faces big challenges: It is still largely decentralized, and has lost its hold on the hearts of cities and support of the public.
Opening day for Occupy Wall Street: Act 2

Occupy Wall Street protesters plan demonstrations in more than 100 cities, hoping to rekindle the movement after months in relative hibernation.