Talking about the U.S.role in Asia, Gates told the conference Washington's commitment to its allies was as strong as ever, but that greater multilateral cooperation was needed to deal with both old and new challenges to security.

VOA: standard.2009.05.30

Proposition 8 was approved by a majority of California voters in November 2008, and has faced a series of legal challenges ever since.

BBC: Obama: Court must end California gay marriage ban

At a time when the U.S. is confronting some of the worst, most knotty foreign policy challenges ever, with destabilizing revolts in Syria and across the Arab world, and a situation in Afghanistan that seems to grow worse by the day, it is a huge setback for the CIA suddenly to have to replace its director.

FORBES: Why David Petraeus Should Not Have Resigned

Fathers are facing more challenges than ever before - from military dads coming home after deployment to unemployed fathers struggling to make ends meet.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House