AC transit asks voters for more cash, to offset projected $20 million shortfall. Click here for the story.

story and audio slides by KRISTINE WONG and BAGASSI KOURA Thousands of fans packed Oracle Arena to cheer on six church choirs vying for a spot in the finals of “How Sweet the Sound,” a competition for the best church choir in the country. As the choirs sung, shimmied, and swayed their way through the evening, the groundswell of music moved the multigenerational crowd to clap, dance, and raise their hands in devotion.

By KRISTINE WONG In recent months, Americans have seen their financial credit system crumble. According to U.C. Berkeley economist Martha Olney, the root cause of this crisis was the millions of subprime mortgages that went into default over the past few years, when monthly payments rose to unaffordable levels. This resulted in a glut of homes on the market, which decreased housing values. Decreased housing values created a crisis of epidemic proportions, as those who had borrowed against the value of…

  audio slides by MAGGIE FAZELI FARD and KRISTINE WONG Sept. 21 — Neighbors in Temescal spent the day cleaning up Temescal Creek, as part of the California Coastal Cleanup Day.