 (Doug Duran/Staff) Tri-Valley Haven helps families find a second life Victoria Choate, of Livermore, now a volunteer with Tri-Valley Haven's Buenas Vidas Thrift Store, returned to the nonprofit to volunteer. It seemed a natural place to go when she had to select a place to do community service, She benefited from the nonprofit's help, having lived in the agency's shelters as an 8-year-old and when she was in her mid-30s. |
 ( ) Hercules volunteer returned from Philippines, inspired by people's faith and resilience amid typhoon's devastation Joseph Catindig, a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo, was part of an advance team of nurses setting up clinics and treating victims in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. |
 (Robert Rogers/Staff) Neighborhood House of North Richmond seeks fresh start amid financial turmoil After years of financial turmoil left the agency struggling under mounting debt and dwindling resources, Neighborhood House of North Richmond has new leaders who say the historic social service institution is on the mend. |
 Five tablet apps for the (very) young set With an endless cavalcade of new apps for the iPad and its Android rivals, we decided to poke around for five great apps that could benefit kids aged 1 to 5 years old. With the help of pediatricians, app reviewers, schoolteachers and parents, we struck gold. |
BUSINESS  (
J. Scott Applewhite
) As Fed chief, Janet Yellen set to become one of world's most powerful women Janet Yellen, who spent decades teaching at UC Berkeley and six years running the Federal Reserve's San Francisco region, would be the first woman in the post -- which holds vast sway over the global economy. |
SPORTS  (
Nhat V. Meyer
) San Francisco 49ers defeat Seattle Seahawks 19-17  Frank Gore's 51-yard-run sets up late field goal to give 49ers a 19-17 victory over Seattle Seahawks in NFC West showdown.
|
LOCAL NEWS  (
Jim Gensheimer
) Historic San Jose church reopens after years of hurdles The congregation of San Jose First Methodist Church on Sunday honored two members who helped rebuild the historic downtown institution after a devastating fire more than two decades ago. |
 (Amber Arnold/AP Photo/Wisconsin State Journal) For $60 you can hire a 'professional snuggler' Wisconsin's ultra-liberal capital city is a place where just about anything goes, from street parties to naked bike rides. But city officials say a business is pushing even Madison's boundaries by offering, of all things, hugs. Full Story |
 (
) Travel top 10: World's best cities for winter vacations Some of the world's cities shine brightly in winter. And they aren't likely to be overrun with tourists between now and February. If you're looking to get away soon, check out this list from CNN Travel of the 10 best cities for a winter vacation. |
 (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Evangeline Lilly upset with magazine's 'butt' reference Women’s Health surprised “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” actress with her cover shot. |
 (
) Bay Area residents live longer; here's why Bay Area residents are among the nation's longest-lived people, surviving on average more than a decade longer than residents of rural Kentucky, West Virginia or Mississippi. |
 (
Jeff Vendsel
) Mi Pueblo files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Mi Pueblo, the festive Bay Area supermarket chain and icon of family-grown Hispanic businesses, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday, citing a dispute with its primary lender, Wells Fargo. |
