San Francisco

The $2.25 billion in federal stimulus funds awarded this week to the California high-speed rail project ensures that construction can proceed on a 520-mile route between Anaheim and San Francisco within three years, rail officials said Thursday. Mehdi Morshed, executive director of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the infusion of federal dollars would pay for completion of the project's engineering and environmental reviews and provide a significant amount of seed money to start building the system by September 2012, as required by the federal grant.

WHERE TO STAY IN SAN DIEGO Old: The U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway; (619) 232-3121, www.usgrant.net. Built in 1910, the 270-room Grant stands in the middle of downtown. It got a $60-million face-lift between 2004 and 2006. Its dignified public rooms befit a place that has hosted 14 presidents; lobby displays extol the heritage of the current owners, the casino-operating Sycuan Indians of San Diego County. Upscale features include the Grant Grill restaurant. However, if you want to swim, you have to use the Westin's pool across the street.

Elected leaders here Tuesday took a step unusual for politicians: They sided with felons. With no debate, supervisors unanimously urged the city and county to delete the question about prior convictions from public employment applications. The resolution is not binding. And it does not prevent employers from conducting criminal background checks or asking about prior felonies during job interviews.

The Zodiac, the hooded serial killer who menaced the Bay Area 40 years ago, has so fascinated the public that major motion pictures, books and blogs have been devoted to sifting through clues for his identity. Just when you thought every angle had been covered, along comes Deborah Perez, who announced at a raucous sidewalk news conference in San Francisco that the Zodiac was her dad and she rode in his car when he went out to kill.

Even here, in the capital of true believers in one thing or another, Paul Gillespie stands out. The veteran cabby and former president of the San Francisco Taxicab Commission is one of the reasons this city's taxi fleet is vying to be the most environmentally correct in the country. After years of advocating for hybrid taxis, Gillespie, who says he has "the carbon footprint of an Ethiopian child," now has proof that they are green in more ways than one.

Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who is the greenest of them all? Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has a plan to slash his city's planet-warming greenhouse gases to 35% below the 1990 level by 2030, and make L.A. the "cleanest and greenest city in the country." San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has a blueprint to cut his city's greenhouse gases to 20% below the 1990 level by 2012, creating "the greenest large city in the United States of America."

California Shuttle Bus, which runs express buses between the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, began offering fares as low as $5 each way Monday. Previously, one-way tickets cost $45. The move came a day after competitor Megabus, which touted fares as low as $1, shut its Los Angeles hub because of low ridership. Only a few seats on each vehicle that California Shuttle Bus operates on the route will sell for $5; the highest price for a ticket will be $49.

Southwest Airlines Co. will resume flights to San Francisco this fall after a six-year absence because changes at the city's airport have cut aircraft delays and reduced costs. Southwest will return to the city "in a meaningful way" in early fall, the airline said Friday. No details were released on which cities Southwest might fly to from San Francisco.

On her first visit to California as first lady, Michelle Obama on Monday helped volunteers construct a school playground here on a site that has been barren for years. "Imagine the changes that happen with the creation of this park," Obama said, speaking at Bret Harte Elementary School. "Kids who were never able to play on a swing set will get the opportunity to play."

A state that sells themed license plates pleading "Save the Manatee" even as it keeps paving and filling its wild spaces is hardly one to talk about endangered anything. But Florida Gov. Jeb Bush had his little jest during a Cabinet meeting, joking that the people of San Francisco may be endangered, and "that's probably good news for the country." The remark came to Bush's lips as he was considering environmental land and surveying a map of places with plenty of varied wildlife species.

Every year, millions of people find themselves craving a vacation from greater Los Angeles. Many of these people don't want to cross state lines or climb mountains or contend with deserts, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, redwoods, Gold Country or Mickey Mouse. Which leaves them facing this question: San Francisco or San Diego? Or, as some people would phrase it: Think or swim? It is a per-capita fact that one city has more surf shops and the other has more college graduates. But there's more to this choice than that.

WHERE TO STAY IN SAN DIEGO Old: The U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway; (619) 232-3121, www.usgrant.net. Built in 1910, the 270-room Grant stands in the middle of downtown. It got a $60-million face-lift between 2004 and 2006. Its dignified public rooms befit a place that has hosted 14 presidents; lobby displays extol the heritage of the current owners, the casino-operating Sycuan Indians of San Diego County. Upscale features include the Grant Grill restaurant. However, if you want to swim, you have to use the Westin's pool across the street.

The $2.25 billion in federal stimulus funds awarded this week to the California high-speed rail project ensures that construction can proceed on a 520-mile route between Anaheim and San Francisco within three years, rail officials said Thursday. Mehdi Morshed, executive director of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the infusion of federal dollars would pay for completion of the project's engineering and environmental reviews and provide a significant amount of seed money to start building the system by September 2012, as required by the federal grant.

at Pepperdine 83, San Francisco 68: Five players scored in double figures to help the Waves start 3-0 in the West Coast Conference for the first time since 2002. Lorne Jackson led the way with a career-high 21 points. Pepperdine (7-12 overall) and 17th-ranked Gonzaga, the only unbeaten teams in WCC play, will meet Thursday in Spokane, Wash. Dior Lowhorn had 14 points for the Dons (7-12, 2-2). at Loyola Marymount 81, Santa Clara 70: Ashley Hamilton scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds as the Lions (10-9, 1-2 West Coast Conference)

The Proposition 8 same-sex marriage trial that starts today can be watched live at federal courthouses in Pasadena, San Francisco, Portland, Ore., Seattle and Brooklyn, N.Y. The broadcast is expected to start at 8:30 a.m. Public access at remote viewing locations will be on a first-come basis. No photographs or recordings of the broadcast will be permitted. The trial is expected to last about three weeks. Video of the trial also will be available on YouTube.com, and the nonprofit group that launched the lawsuit said it would provide updates on its website, www.equalrightsfoundation.

During their Super Bowl years a decade ago, the St. Louis Rams were called "the Greatest Show on Turf." Now they're the greatest show under turf. The Lambs (1-15) were buried, 6-28, by San Francisco on Sunday to win the Bottom Ten title over Detroit (2-14), which deserves a career achievement award for going 2-30 over the last two years. St. Louis' offensive offense averaged just under 11 points per game, lowest in the league. The Lambs were even outscored this season by Oakland, which had the distinction of scoring one third-quarter touchdown all season.

The No. 2 toothless Detroit Lions aren't in contention for very many honors these days, but they have achieved one distinction -- worst team of the decade. Averaging a bit more than four victories per season, the Lions have posted a mark of 42 wins and 117 losses dating back to 2000. Next crummiest are the Cleveland Browns at 56-103 and Oakland ("Commitment to Ridiculousness") Raiders at 62-97. The Lions also have a chance for another distinction -- worst team of the year. All they need is a loss to Chicago, combined with a victory by the No. 1 St. Louis Lambs over San Francisco, to win the Bottom Ten title.

at Atlanta 31, Buffalo 3: T.O. reaches 1,000 receptions, complains he would have 2,000 if he ever had a decent quarterback. at Cincinnati 17, Kansas City 10: There is no appropriate witticism to make when a team makes the playoffs five days after burying a teammate. at Cleveland 23, Oakland 9: A confused Al Davis immediately begins devising a way to stop Jim Brown next season. at Green Bay 48, Seattle 10: How dramatic would a Green Bay-Minnesota playoff game be?

ALAMEDA, CALIF. New Year's Eve on the USS Hornet When, where: Dec. 31, USS Hornet Highlights: Aboard this historic aircraft carrier, three dance floors come alive with big-band music as attendees get dance lessons, party favors and a panoramic view of San Francisco's skyline from the flight deck. There will also be a midnight countdown and a silent auction; the event is black-tie optional but period, swing and formal military attire are encouraged.

San Francisco officials are debating whether to make this famously liberal city the first in the nation to require retailers to prominently post the amount of radiation emitted by cellphones. Although there is no scientific consensus that the ubiquitous devices cause health problems, Mayor Gavin Newsom plans to call for an ordinance next month that would require the conspicuous display of radiation levels wherever the phones are sold. Some hail the proposal as evidence of San Francisco's long tradition of environmental activism; this was the first city in America to ban plastic bags and prohibit a class of chemicals called phthalates from use in children's products.