When we furnish a room, many of us carefully measure to be sure the couch isn’t too wide or the dining room table too long. We draw a horizontal map, determined to fit everything in without crowding. But design experts do something more: They think vertically. Kitchen and bath designer Matthew Quinn, principal of Design […]

What were they thinking? Through plastic smiles or gritted teeth, moms have to suck it up sometimes when Mother’s Day means a gifted toilet, unsolicited wash tub or anti-aging cream. It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day if some mom somewhere wasn’t disappointed or downright piqued at gift time. Many aren’t looking to break the bank, though […]

President Barack Obama’s campaign is trying an early “all of the above” strategy against Republican Mitt Romney, criticizing his character, wealth and policy positions in broadsides that may become more focused as the fall election nears. Romney’s record offers both opportunities and dilemmas for Democratic strategists. His widely known shifts in key positions over the […]

Filmmaker George Lucas appears to be moving forward with plans to build low-income housing on the Marin County property where he originally proposed erecting a new film studio. Lucas abandoned the studio plans last month following opposition from some neighbors who complained about its size and raised concerns about traffic. But the San Francisco Chronicle […]

The queen of soul is taking her place in the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Aretha Franklin is one of six people who’ll be inducted into the Hall on Aug. 14 in Hendersonville, Tenn. She’ll be joined by bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs, family group The Hoppers, contemporary Christian singer Dallas Holm, the late TV […]

When it comes to compiling a list of the great songwriters of the past 50 years, Victor Willis’ name likely wouldn’t merit more than an asterisk. Far better known as the cop in the novelty disco act the Village People, Willis is also remembered for a number of drug-related troubles in the early 2000s that […]

You may love dance and electronic music, but Santigold hates it. The singer-rapper, who has collaborated with Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys and Mark Ronson, says she wishes the sound wasn’t so popular. “I really don’t like that music, that sort of Euro-dance music, Ibiza-style. I’ve never liked it, even when it was kind of new […]

A defense attorney for the man accused of killing relatives of Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson told jurors during heated closing arguments Wednesday that prosecutors failed to prove their case. The state’s attorneys retorted in sometimes embittered remarks that the defense was clearly desperate in the face over overwhelming evidence. Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson sobbed […]

Atlantic Recording artist Tank celebrates the release of his new album, THIS IS HOW I FEEL, which arrives in stores and online today. The album — which is the R&B veteran’s fifth studio collection — features the singles Compliments (feat. T.I. & Kris Stephens) as well as Lonely, a collaboration with fellow R&B star Chris […]

The obesity epidemic may be slowing, but don’t take in those pants yet. Today, just over a third of U.S. adults are obese. By 2030, 42 percent will be, says a forecast released Monday. That’s not nearly as many as experts had predicted before the once-rapid rises in obesity rates began leveling off. But the […]

A pill that has long been used to treat HIV has moved one step closer to becoming the first drug approved to prevent healthy people from becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that Gilead Sciences’ Truvada appears to be safe and effective for HIV prevention. It […]

When rapper G. Dep turned himself in for a nearly 2-decade-old shooting, he told police he wanted to clear his conscience. He found out Tuesday what the consequences would be: 15 years to life in prison, the minimum term for his murder conviction. A judge, prosecutors and even the jury foreman said he deserved credit […]