Holiday Jobs

There wasn't any holiday cheer in new unemployment numbers released by the Labor Department. More than half a million jobs were lost in November -- many more than analysts expected. The news will come as no surprise to anyone in the market for a seasonal job this year. Competition for holiday jobs is stiffer than at any time in recent memory. Reporter: Rachel Dornhelm

Disappearing Languages

The late UCLA professor Peter Ladefoged was the Indiana Jones of spoken language. For almost 50 years, the phonetics researcher traveled the world with recording equipment, on the hunt for obscure and disappearing languages. This month, his colleagues at UCLA completed a four-year project to create a digital public archive of his field recordings. Reporter: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez

• More: UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive - listen to disappearing languages

CD Review -- Chanticleer

We've certainly covered golden oldies before, and we've examined the evolution of the California sound. But the latest CD from vocal ensemble Chanticleer delves deep into the musical history of the Golden State. Pop music critic Steve Hochman explains.

• More: Chanticleer Official Site - check tour schedule

Food Safety

Recent scares over melamine-laced cookies from China and salmonella-tainted Mexican jalapenos have raised stark questions. Who's monitoring the safety of imported food? And does the system work?Reporter: Amy Standen

• More: Reporter's Blog

Tattoo Removal Clinics

Some mistakes are easy enough to correct. But undoing joining a gang, getting a tattoo or both is easier said than done. Now, at dozens of clinics around California, there's help for ex-gang members and others who want to erase the symbols of their troubled past. Reporter: Jacob Fenston

• More: Photo Slideshow