CA Liberals React to Obama's Afghanistan Plan
In California, political progressives are struggling to accept the proposed troop surge in Afghanistan. Apparently, there's not a huge groundswell of opposition taking to the streets in California. Demonstrations this week have been lightly attended, but in living rooms and kitchens across the state there's a lot of protest and gnashing of teeth.
High Speed Rail Hits Speed Bumps
This week, the High Speed Rail Authority rescinded its approval of an environmental study for the section that would run between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley. It's another speed bump for boosters of a proposed high-speed electric train line that would whisk riders from San Francisco to L.A. in two and a half hours. About a year after California voters approved a $10 billion bond measure to jump start the project, we report on the backlash.
National Novel Writing Month
Both accomplished authors and unemployed people with a lot of time on their hands took up the challenge of National Novel Writing Month this past November. They wrote -- or tried to write -- 50,000 words in 30 days.
Book Review: "In My Father's Shadow"
Orson Welles was one of Hollywood's great artists. His 1941 film "Citizen Kane" still tops best-ever movie lists. Now a new side of him comes alive in the memoir "In My Father's Shadow" by his daughter, Chris Welles Feder. Carolyn Kellogg has a review.
Music Under the Radar
It's not enough to grab the latest Britney Spears or Miles Davis compilation for the sophisticated music lover on your shopping list. You need something under the radar to score points this holiday season. Our music critics Steve Hochman and Andy Gilbert discuss three of their top picks for 2009.