All Society
- Gun laws: How much do you know?
Test your knowledge on where you can and can't carry concealed weapons in the United States and other facts about guns.
Cover StoryGun nation: Inside America's gun-carry cultureWhy Americans now carry handguns in so many public places, from parks to college campuses. Is it making the country safer or more dangerous?
'Shahs of Sunset' reality show: Is this what Iranian-Americans are like?'Shahs of Sunset' purports to introduce Americans to the culture of Iranian-Americans. But by casting an ultrarich family, some say, it will seem more like 'Keeping up with the Kardashians.'
Pat Robertson backs legal marijuana. Will other conservatives follow?Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson has called for legal marijuana, saying the US incarceration rate is taking a social toll. Advocates call it an important moment, but critics dismiss it.
Los Angeles Times joins the crowd, erects pay wall for the news onlineThe Los Angeles Times is offering a wide range of online subscriptions. But will pay walls save ailing print newspapers or just guarantee their ultimate demise?
Justin Bieber birthday: He got a Fisker Karma electric car. Should you?A Justin Bieber birthday present – the $100,000 Fisker Karma – is causing a bit of a stir. Maybe it should. Fisker is trying to pioneer the luxury electric car. One critic calls the Karma 'beautiful.'
Davy Jones, cast as lead singer for 'The Monkees,' was heartthrob for millionsDavy Jones, who died at his home in Florida at the age of 66, was best known for his lead role with 'The Monkees,' which pioneered techniques exploited by other TV shows for years.
Support for gay marriage rises among California voters, poll findsAn accelerating shift is under way among California voters on gay marriage, with 59 percent now in favor of allowing it, a new Field Poll suggests. That's up from 49 percent in 2009.- How the 1 percent lives: Yes, the rich take more candy from kids, study findsA Berkeley study conducted seven tests to gauge the ethical behaviors of different economic classes. It finds that the rich are more likely to cut somebody off in traffic and lie to get ahead.
Billy Crystal in blackface: Are the Academy Awards out of touch on race?Many African-Americans were, at best, rubbed the wrong way by the Academy Awards telecast. The performance by Billy Crystal was just one of the complaints.
With Oscar winners 2012, Hollywood stays in its comfort zoneNostalgia and historical fare carried the day at Sunday's Academy Awards. 'The Artist,' a black-and-white silent film celebrating Hollywood history, topped the list of Oscar winners 2012.
At 2012 Academy Awards, 'The Help' appeals across party lines (+trailer)Sometimes Republicans and Democrats have different film tastes. Last year, it was "True Grit" vs. "The King's Speech." But this year, Americans across party lines are enjoying "The Help," the film about African-American maids during the civil rights era, a Christian Science Monitor/TIPP poll shows.
Academy Awards 2012: why Oscar winners are often head-scratchersAcademy Award winners aren't always the ones the viewing public expects – or wants. But the secretive Academy likes it that way. Don't forget, you're not in the Oscar club
'Act of Valor' glorifies Navy SEALs. But can they act? (+trailer)Act of Valor: War movies in wartime inevitably are controversial. "Act of Valor" – the movie about US Navy SEALs – is bringing mixed reviews from professional film critics and moviegoers.
'Act of Valor': Does Navy SEAL film reveal too many secrets?'Act of Valor' is a fictional account of a potential terrorist attack on American soil. The film uses 'real-life' active duty US Navy SEALs. Critics warn the film may give away sensitive intel.
National Enquirer ignites furor with Whitney Houston casket photoIf and when to depict the dead are questions that vex ethicists and newsrooms everywhere. Whitney Houston casket photos on the cover of the tabloid National Enquirer are taking that debate public.
'Diddy' as TV mogul? Why new network could face steep challenges.'Diddy,' a.k.a. Sean Combs, will head one of four new minority-owned networks on Comcast. But with the TV landscape changing, 'Diddy' will have to do something special to stand out.
Mardi Gras: a guide to five of the biggest New Orleans parades Parades known as krewes form the backbones of the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans. Here are five of the biggest ones.
Interracial marriage rate doubles in 30 years: how US attitudes have changedAbout 15 percent of all new marriages in the US in 2010 were between spouses of different race or ethnicity, according to a Pew Center report. In 1980 it was 6.7 percent.
2012 Westminster dog show: some viewers barking over 'Best in Show' choiceThe Pekingese, which won Best in Show at the 2012 Westminster dog show, is adorable to many. Some view the waddling ball of fur as a wonder of nature. Others ask, is that really a dog?
