Russia’s Former “Wild, Wild East” In California

By Eliot Stein BBC    Every year, millions of travelers set out on the Pacific Coast Highway to twist and turn their way along, one of the US’s most stunning roads, as it hugs the entire California coastline.    But chances are, few of these road-trippers realize that hidden here on a secluded headland 90 …

Why Do People Hate ‘We Built This City’?

by Kevin Burton    I missed it, completely. It was totally over my head. I guess it’s just somebody’s else’s fight.    “We Built This City” by Starship was number one on the US Hot 100 40 years ago this month. It’s catchy. I liked it then, still do.    I loved the era when …

Blind Lawyer Pioneer Fought For The Disabled

by Kevin Burton     Here’s the story of a woman I had never heard of before, who could and should be put on a US postage stamp.    As a woman and a disabled person, she was way ahead of her time in effectively fighting the good fight for marginalized people. May God bless any …

A Taboo Subject: The Mental Health Of Pilots

by Catherine Ho San Francisco Chronicle    An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines on a San Francisco-bound commercial flight last month has drawn renewed attention to airline pilot mental health — a topic long considered taboo in the industry but one that has generated more scrutiny in recent years since the …