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San Francisco’s latest radical experiment

San Francisco, a city long associated with exotic ideas, has been experimenting with a radical notion -- cracking down on car thieves. Unlike some of the city's other adventures, this one is actually working out. Car break-ins are down 85% from 2023, and are down 50% the first three months of 2026, compared to the first three months of 2025. This is good news for residents and tourists, and bad news for auto repair shops that did a brisk business in new car windows. Smash-and-grab break-ins were such an ingrained part of San Francisco life that an argot grew up around ...

Hegseth’s holy war has become a disaster

Watching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth lead us to war against Iran reminds me, as war stories often do, of a scene in one of my favorite war movies. I'm talking about the unforgettable Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, brilliantly played by Robert Duvall, in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Vietnam War classic, "Apocalypse Now." The strutting, bare-chested Kilgore delivers one of the most memorable lines in cinematic history, as artillery explodes around him and others take cover in foxholes: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. ... Smells like ... victory." Having just returned a few ...

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Horoscope

Mars joining powerful luminaries in Aries brings an examination of that spark-plug emotion known as anger. While fear moves us away from danger, anger moves us toward the problem. It shows where a boundary has been crossed, strips away politeness and energizes action. Before denying or expressing anger, ask it to teach you something clear and true. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Challenge revitalizes you. You’re so good at picking the one that is just the right size to invigorate and not enough to discourage — for instance, by adding a time constraint or an offbeat element which ...

Hints From Heloise

Thoughtful sign puts guests at ease Dear Heloise: I spent hours crocheting edges on my guest towels, but visitors never used them. They noticed the towels, hesitated, and dried their hands elsewhere. To solve this, I wrote a short poem and placed it in clear view: “You are a guest, and we’re happy you’re here. These towels are for you, so please be dear. Use them freely when you enter here. They’re out for you, so have no fear.” The poem reassured guests; they smiled, felt welcome, and used the towels. The main lesson: A thoughtful sign puts guests at ease. — Maria S., in ...

When a wedding invite asks too much

Dear Annie: My husband and I are invited to my co-worker’s daughter’s midweek black-tie wedding at 3 p.m. My husband and I would need to leave work early to attend, and I feel it’s a burden to both take time off work and purchase or rent black-tie attire for a warm weather event in the summer. Is it acceptable to decline the invite and just send a nice gift? The couple getting married have been living together for a year, although I congratulate them for making vows to each other. I wish the couple was more understanding of the possible financial burden to their guests. Your ...