Wall Street gloom tarnishes plans for Silicon Valley workers' golden years
As Americans retirement plans have dwindled — by $2 trillion alone the past 15 months — a growing legion of workers face a harsh, wearying reality: Those golden years, and their idyllic promise of leisure, may continue to remain just beyond reach.

War of words in presidential campaign intensifies

Alex Brandon

In recent days, the GOP campaign launched a series of searing stump speeches and ads that some experts call racially tinged. Others dismiss concerns, say political criticisms are valid.

SJSU: A homecoming destination for NorCal blue-chips

Nhat V. Meyer / Mercury News

They never intended to be here. They were blue-chip Northern California recruits, destined for bigger things with their pick of marquee colleges.

Both sides in San Jose's 'Little Saigon' furor plotting next moves

Nhat V. Meyer / Mercury News

A day after city and county officials announced that San Jose Councilwoman Madison Nguyen's critics had submitted enough valid signatures from voters in her district to qualify a recall vote, Nguyen and her supporters were reeling.

Vote: Should council members be subject to recalls?

Breaking News submit a news tip
	Stanford wins a thriller, 24-23 - 10/11/2008 05:52 PM PDT Billy Graham hospitalized in NC after fall at home - 10/11/2008 10:50 AM PDT Source: Chrysler, GM discuss merger, acquisition - 10/11/2008 08:17 AM PDT San Francisco police investigating fatal shooting in Bayview District - 10/11/2008 08:15 AM PDT Japanese businessman in murder plot found dead - 10/11/2008 08:18 AM PDT Young boy fatally struck while riding razor scooter - 10/11/2008 08:18 AM PDT Police arrest two men after long high-speed chase - 10/11/2008 07:59 AM PDT

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Tomato stunt '08
Were the exotics worth fooling with? Sure. It s always fun to try new things in the garden.

Celebrity photos
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Katja Decker-Sadowski, Krysten Ritter get fashionable in LA; plus Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith and more.

Local News


	Same-sex marriage battle brings large, committed armies on both sides Both sides in the Proposition 8 campaign say California"s battle over same-sex marriage may be determined by more than 20,000 volunteers working both sides of the issue. Clerks furious over 'bride and groom' change Same-sex marriage page \| Widget \| RSS


	Finally, 'Little Saigon' banners fly over San Jose Pedestrian badly injured in Gilroy crash Both sides in San Jose's 'Little Saigon' furor plotting next moves Fleet Week: High winds postpone Parade of Ships; lack of rain heightens wildfire risk Police suspect San Jose's 'most dangerous robbers' in a decade in 25 robberies

Sports


	Stanford wins a thriller, nears bowl bid When it ended, Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh raised his arms in victory, exchanged a few high fives and hugged a player.


	Kawakami: Ellis suspension lifts curtain on Warriors brass Raiders planning to open things up Warriors suspension will cost Ellis $3 mil SJSU routs Utah State 30-7 No. 1 Oklahoma upset by No. 5 Texas

Business


	Wall Street gloom tarnishes plans for Silicon Valley workers' golden years As Americans retirement plans have dwindled — by $2 trillion alone the past 15 months — a growing legion of workers face a harsh, wearying reality: Those golden years, and their idyllic promise of leisure, may continue to remain just beyond reach. Vote: How ready are you for retirement? Cassidy: Don't look! It's a 401(k)! Finance officials offer few specifics Worst week for Dow \| Bailout news


	O'Brien: Has this week changed the world forever? Stocks got slammed, but was it a 'crash'? Tech Notebook: Applied Materials works to please governor Rescue 2.0? Nations to take ownership stakes in banks Review: Tiny flash drives improve their security

Nation & World


	Afghan intel says attack on Afghan prison thwarted KABUL, Afghanistan—Afghanistan's intelligence service said Saturday it broke up a Taliban plot to attack the country's most notorious prison with a wave of suicide bombers, while the government named a new interior minister to lead the country's fledgling police. Full Story Officials: 3 killed in missile strike in Pakistan Official: Greek tanker hijacked near Somalia About 2,500 flee chemical leak in western Pa. Police say Austrian rightist Haider dead at 58 Turkey's military attacks rebels in northern Iraq

Life & Style


	'Vertigo' — a film that burrows into your subconscious Organizers of an Oct. 17 Stanford symposium on the Hitchcock masterpiece imagined banning film "specialists" from the proceedings in order to keep the "invisible club" of devotees in charge. As it turns out, specialists will be there: Richard Allen, editor of "The Hitchcock Annual" and chair of cinema studies at New York University, is among the speakers. But the organizers are also leaving room for the public, regular movie lovers, to talk about the film"s sticking power and impact on their own lives. Hitchcock's granddaughter recalls his love of Bay Area and Santa Cruz Mountains Gym Class Heroes defy the usual categories Miss Manners: San Francisco Bay Area literary events Book review: 'Home' takes on a family's connections to a town - and each other

Celebrities


	Jolie: Obama win would be 'nice' for family BERLIN—Angelina Jolie isn't giving away who she's backing in the U.S. presidential election, but she does have good things to say about Barack Obama. Full Story Singer Lisa Marie Presley gives birth to twins Tim Robbins gets star of Hollywood Walk of Fame Cloris Leachman named Rose Parade grand marshal Automakers push key vehicles through fall TV shows Publication of 'Jewel of Medina' delayed in UK

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ABC7: Coastline stays pristine

Sonoma land trust purchases coastline to keep it undeveloped.

Your favorite Halloween haunts?

We plan to scout out of some of the Bay Area's most famous haunts. Tell us your favorites.

Election 2008

Follow our special section for updated news and more from the 2008 presidential election. Get the latest on local races here.

Government Salary Data

Read the story and search our database of more than 383,000 state employee salaries by name, department or salary level.

2008 MLB Playoffs

Live scores, news, odds and more in the march to the World Series.

Opinion


	Editorial: Time for serious budget reform In Sacramento, where every day is Groundhog Day, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislators are once again seeing the shadow of another fiscal crisis. They signed this year"s state budget less than a month ago, and "” surprise "” they"re already billions short of balancing it amid a whopper of a recession. Editorial: We recommend Opinion: It's time to bail out Main Street, too Dan Walters: Health-care wrangling goes for naught in Sacramento Opinion: Can McCain still win? Charles Krauthammer: Judge Obama by the crowd he ran with

Columns


	Kawakami: Ellis suspension lifts curtain on Warriors brass They were not going to let this go, let it slide, let the whole thing pass with a sigh and a knowing chuckle. Gym Class Heroes defy the usual categories Roadshow: E85 fuel will be sold in the Bay Area beginning next week Fleet Week: High winds postpone Parade of Ships; lack of rain heightens wildfire risk O'Brien: Has this week changed the world forever? Tech Notebook: Applied Materials works to please governor