Plain English

Hagia Sophia controversially converted from museum to mosque | Learn the English expression ‘a tiny sliver’

30 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" For the second time in its history, Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, a prized, architectural jewel, will be converted into a mosque. Turkey’s conservati...

Retail apocalypse 2.0: malls converted into e-commerce warehouses | Learn the phrasal verb ‘spread out’

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" While brick and mortar retail struggles through the pandemic, online shopping is surging. E-commerce giants are buying warehouses like they’re hot...

Can malls and hotels survive the pandemic? | Learn the phrasal verb ‘to make up for’

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" Hospitality and retail are two of the hardest-hit industries by the pandemic. Travel will eventually come back, but will it be back soon enough to r...

Egypt and Ethiopia in troubled waters over Nile dam dispute | Learn the English expression ‘sit well’

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ethiopia plans to fill an enormous reservoir, but Egypt is worried it will threaten its main water supply | Learn the English expression ‘sit well’...

'Better Call Saul': A prequel as good as the original | Learn the English expression ‘live in someone’s shadow’

16 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" It is almost a fact that a movie’s sequel can never be better than the original. But fans and critics alike agree that Vince Gilligan’s prequel ...

Covid month seven: updates from around the world | Learn the English term ‘downplay’

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" As we enter month seven of the coronavirus’ existence, the world is in an awkward position. Europe is opening its borders, but only to an exclusiv...

The Segway scooter is no more | Learn what it means to be a ‘flop’

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" The Segway scooter was supposed to revolutionize personal transportation. But after its highly hyped launch in 2001, the scooter has struggled to fi...

Illegal fireworks displays lighting up the US | Learn the English expression ‘in a bind’

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" Fireworks have long been a summer tradition for Americans. But with many official fireworks displays cancelled this summer, Americans have turned to...

The era of private space travel is upon us | Learn the English expression ‘dry spell’

02 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" For the first time ever, a private company – Space X – sent an astronaut into space. As people are getting more comfortable with the idea of pri...

Thousands of crew members are stranded at sea | Learn the English expression ‘grind to a halt’

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" After months at sea, an estimated 200,000 crew members’ contracts are ending. But these seafarers are unable to step foot on land due to quarantin...

Edward Hopper’s isolationist paintings resonating in social distancing era | Learn the expression ‘on the outskirts’

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

** YOUR LAST CHANCE ** to join Plain English Plus+ as a Founding Member and pay the lowest price ever! PlainEnglish.com/Plus Edward Hopper was a 20th ...

China proposes controversial Hong Kong security law | Learn the English expression ‘stacked against’

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

** YOUR LAST CHANCE ** to join Plain English Plus+ as a Founding Member and pay the lowest price ever! PlainEnglish.com/Plus As part of the agreement ...

Will university campuses be empty this fall? | Learn the English expression ‘holding pattern’

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Universities are in a uniquely difficult position preparing for classes after the pandemic. Some institutions have already announced that they will ha...

Police responding to protesters’ demands for reform | Learn the English expression ‘set in motion’

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As protests enter their third week in the US, police departments are beginning to respond to protesters’ calls for action. Protesters have seen sign...

George Floyd’s death sparks protests across the world | Learn the phrasal verb ‘call for’

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eight minutes and 46 seconds: the amount of time George Floyd was pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, ultimately leading to his deat...

Fans are eager to have live sports back, but it will be a while before they will be able to sit in the stands. Plus, learn ‘drown out.’

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sports leagues are navigating their returns under coronavirus restrictions, budget cuts, and without fans for the foreseeable future. Some leagues had...

Funerals in the age of COVID-19 | Learn the English expression ‘all walks of life’

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The United States has just passed a grim milestone: 100,000 deaths officially attributed to COVID-19. The death care industry is completely overwhelme...

Summer of the RV | Learn the phrasal verb ‘stock up’

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

RVs might just be the perfect way for a family to travel and vacation in 2020. Think about it: they’re social distancing approved because you don’...

Rare wild horse species thriving in radioactive Chernobyl | Learn the English expression 'fend for yourself'

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Chernobyl accident – the worst nuclear accident in history – left the surrounding land permanently scarred for what scientists thought would b...

Pandemic unleashing a wave of loneliness | Learn the English expression ‘set in’

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you’re at-home quarantined with your family, alone in your apartment, or just seeing the same small group of people at work from six feet aw...

South Korean pop culture is having a moment | Learn the English expression ‘spring into action’

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

South Korean pop culture is booming: from K-pop bands like BTS, to award-winning movies like Parasite, to innovative K-beauty brands that use snail ex...

Who are the world’s hottest new celebrities? Scientists | Learn the English expression ‘rise to the occasion’

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Coronavirus scientists are experiencing newfound fame across the globe, as virologists and epidemiologists are now the national faces of the crisis an...

Reopening the world: first steps | Learn the phrasal verb ‘die out’

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After weeks of shutdown, countries are preparing to reopen. Restaurant servers will have to wear masks, shops will have stricter capacity limits, and ...

Where in the world was Kim Jong-un? | Learn the phrasal verb ‘pore over’

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kim Jong-un went weeks without public appearances, and the world is still wondering what he was up to. There is widespread speculation, including that...

Netflix is winning quarantine | Learn the phrasal verb "pull back on"

08 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The cameras stopped rolling a while ago, and the TV industry is struggling to fill their lineups at a time when more eyeballs are glued to TVs than ev...

Why Zoom video calls are so exhausting | Learn the phrasal verb “come through”

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We’re not commuting to work, not busy running from place to place, and definitely not breaking any Fitbit step records. So why are we feeling so tir...

The post-pandemic workplace | Learn the English expression “big picture”

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Working from home is the name of the game for most people still able to work right now. Many companies that were reluctant to provide work-from-home f...

How to stop procrastinating and start doing | Learn the English expression “on your plate”

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For most people, procrastination is an occasional problem. But for about twenty percent of us, it’s more than that: it’s something more serious. I...

Why do we procrastinate? | Learn the English expression "buckle down"

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We have something important to discuss today. It might even change your life. But first, when is the last time you cleaned your bathroom? Or went thro...

Wuhan lockdown restrictions lifted | Learn the English expression "pent up"

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After 76 days in lockdown, the Chinese government is beginning to lift restrictions in Wuhan. People are returning to work, factories and public trans...

Updates on Notre-Dame, Mt. Everest, NYC Subway and more | Learn the English expression "under way"

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we review the latest news on six previous topics: a public spat over the Notre-Dame restorations; Mt. Everest is strengthening safety measures;...

Tokyo's Olympic ambitions are frozen in time | Learn the phrasal verb “call off”

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

#Tokyo2020 will now officially start in 2021. The Olympics are a big deal for any host nation, but Japan in particular invested more money, more hope,...

What’s the COVID-19 end game? | Learn the English phrase “stuck with”

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We are only a couple weeks into social distancing, self-quarantining, and trying to flatten the curve, and people are already antsy to get back to nor...

Developing world on the brink of coronavirus impact | Learn the English expression “by and large”

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If you thought the coronavirus was bad in the rich world, it could be many, many times worse in the developing world. Flattening the curve will be a m...

Guyana is bracing for an oil boom | Learn the English phrase “on par with”

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a new oil producer on the block. Guyana, a tiny nation of less than a million people, and the third-poorest nation in South America, just di...

How to stay sane in quarantine | Learn the English expression “for the time being”

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Millions of people worldwide are adjusting to life under quarantine. While everyone’s day-to-day might look different depending on where you are in ...

Coronavirus pandemic halts entertainment industry | Learn the phrasal verb "come into contact"

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Stadiums are empty. Sports channels have no events to cover. Cruise ships are docked. Broadway is dark. Movie sets are quiet. The entertainment indust...

Italy starts life under lockdown to slow coronavirus | Learn the English phrase “out and about”

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Italy is the first nation to impose a nationwide quarantine in an attempt to contain the coronavirus. The Italian government imposed serious constrain...

Pablo Escobar’s former hippo herd is threatening Colombia | Learn the English phrase “to give rise to"

20 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1980s, Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar imported four hippos from Africa for his private zoo. After Escobar’s death, the hippos were too big...

America’s former vice president is back from the dead | Learn the phrasal verb 'write off'

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a disastrous start to the Democratic primaries, former vice president, Joe Biden, completed one of the most dramatic political turnarounds in re...

Swarms of locusts endanger East Africa's food supply | Learn the English phrase 'know-how'

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we review the latest news on five previous topics: Hong Kong, the yellow vest protesters, Alex Trebek, Boeing, and Trump's challen...

Should governments allow safe-injection sites for drug users? | Learn the English phrase 'grapple with'

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Safe-injection sites are places where individuals can bring their own drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, and take them with clean needles unde...

Scientists discover a new ‘ghost’ ancestor from human DNA | Learn the English phrase 'for the most part'

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

By analyzing the DNA of living men and women in today’s West Africa, scientists have discovered a new branch of humanity. Until recently, our knowle...

Global economy starts to feel coronavirus effects | Learn the English phrase 'silver lining'

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The coronavirus has already taken a significant human toll, with tens of thousands infected and over 2500 deaths worldwide. But in addition to the hum...

Inside the direct-to-consumer revolution | Learn the phrasal verb 'try on'

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What do brands like Warby Parker eyeglasses, Bonobos pants, Casper mattresses, and Harry’s razors have in common? They are all part of the direct-to...

More than just hipsters, Brooklyn is a city unto itself | Learn how to use, 'you can tell'

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the fourth in our series of destinations, we visit Brooklyn, one of the five boroughs of New York City. Brooklyn is known for its thriving art and ...

Cable rupture slows internet in Africa | Learn the English phrase 'slow to a crawl'

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In late January, two of the biggest undersea cables serving Africa unexpectedly broke, resulting in slowed internet speeds for hundreds of millions of...

Revealed: most effective way to guard against coronavirus | Learn phrasal verb 'guard against'

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The paper face mask is now trending in Asia and globally as people scramble to protect themselves from the deadly coronavirus. Tens of thousands of co...

Americans snooze through Trump's impeachment | Learn the English phrase 'take over'

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The third-ever impeachment of an American president didn’t appear to change much in American politics. Throughout the proceedings, most Americans ei...

Sports world mourns Kobe Bryant | Learn the English phrase 'eligible for'

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kobe Bryant, one of the world’s biggest sports superstars, along with his teenage daughter and seven others, were killed in a helicopter crash outsi...

Human body temperatures are dropping | Learn the English phrase 'average out'

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For 150 years, the conventional wisdom has been that the normal human body temperature is 98.6 degrees. But new research suggests that the new normal ...

Coronavirus researchers racing to develop vaccine | Learn the English phrase 'to put something in perspective'

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The latest coronavirus that broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan has already infected hundreds, killed dozens, and spread across the world. Research...

Domino’s Pizza to open 850 stores in Italy | Learn the English phrase 'win over'

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Domino’s announced plans to open 850 American pizza chain stores in the birthplace of pizza itself. While many people – including local Italians –...

Prince Harry and Meghan step down from royal duties | Learn the English phrase 'work something out'

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shocked the world and the rest of the Royal Family with their announcement to step down from their roles as senior roya...

First things first: Japan debates a name change | Learn the English phrase 'bend to'

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" Japan announced it is reversing the way Japanese names are written in English by putting the family name first, the same way they are written in Jap...

Quest to care for animals in Australia | Learn the English phrase 'in the face of'

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" The latest Australian wildfires are some of the most dangerous and destructive fires in recent history. The fires have already burned millions of ac...

Father of preventative medicine is still working at age 100 | Learn the English phrase 'play a part'

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" Dr. Jeremiah Stamler is credited as the father of preventative medicine, and he is still working at 100 years old. Dr. Stamler spent his career rese...

Former Renault-Nissan CEO escapes Japan | Learn the English phrase 'take a hit'

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" Carlos Ghosn, former Renault-Nissan CEO, was awaiting trial in Japan for a number of white-collar crimes. Japanese officials kept delaying his trial...

Premium economy: more ‘economy’ than ‘premium’ | Learn the English phrase 'to come in handy'

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" In between economy class (in the back) and business class (in the front), airlines have created a new class of service called ""premium economy."" T...

Is a supernova on the horizon? | Learn English expression 'ebb and flow'

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" Betelgeuse, the star that represents the hunter's shoulder in the constellation Orion, is dimmer than it has been in almost 100 years. Stars of that...

So long, Big Bird: Puppeteer Caroll Spinney dies | Learn phrasal verb 'cut back on'

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

" Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who played Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and other characters on television's ""Sesame Street"" died at age 85. For almo...

Cookie announcements: the most annoying thing on the internet | Learn phrasal verb 'show up'

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Cookies, the little bits of text that are stored in web browsers that tell sites things about ourselves and our behaviors, have long been a part of ...

Landing on autopilot | Learn English phrase 'prone to'

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Garmin, the company that once dominated GPS navigation in cars, has developed an automated landing system for small planes. The system is designed t...

UK elections: how the parties fared | Learn English phrase 'for good measure'

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Britain's historic election will upset the balance of power in Parliament, as the Tories will have an 80-seat majority to press their Brexit plans. ...

Boris wins big in vote dominated by Brexit | Learn English phrase 'wind at your back'

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" The UK's Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, won a convincing victory in Parliamentary elections on December 12 on the strength...

Tom Hanks plays American icon Mr. Rogers perfectly | Learn English phrase 'get down to business'

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Over the course of 31 years and over 900 half-hour episodes, Fred Rogers was a friendly television neighbor and mentor to generations of American ch...

London attacker stymied by brave bystanders | Learn English phrasal verb 'hold off'

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" A man wielding two knives attacked conferencegoers at a building near the famous landmark London Bridge. Bystanders used whatever they could - inclu...

Court finds Picasso's handyman had stolen artwork | Learn phrasal verb 'zero in on'

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" A French appeals court has found that Pierre Le Guennec, the former handyman to Pablo Picasso, was in possession of stolen work by the famous artist...

30-year anniversary of Berlin Wall's fall | Learn English phrase 'take something for granted'

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" November 9 marked thirty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the concrete and razor-wire barrier that sliced through the German capital, symbol...

The rise of alcohol-free cocktails and beer | Learn English phrasal verb 'pop up'

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Beverage makers, restaurants and bars are working hard to attract a new demographic of drinkers: those who don't drink at all, or who want to cut do...

NFL recovered from controversy in time for 100th birthday | Learn English phrase 'turn a corner'

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

America's most popular sport is football, and the National Football League is preparing to turn 100 years old next year. Just a few years ago, it look...

Inside the world's most intense haunted house | Learn English phrasal verb 'to get yourself into'

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" McKamey Manor will lock you in a coffin, bury you alive, attack you with spiders, pull out your fingernails: anything that perfectly matches up with...

How delivery-only kitchens aid experimentation | Learn English phrasal verb 'keep up with'

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" In the second part of a two-part series, we introduce our fictional restaurant, ""Mariscos by JR"" and we talk about how off-site kitchens can help ...

'Ghost kitchens' and the insatiable demand for delivery | Learn English phrasal verb 'whip up'

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Demand for food delivery is booming around the world and restaurants are looking for new ways to satisfy customers who want to eat at home. Increasi...

How streaming is changing pop music | Learn English phrase 'stick around'

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Long, mellow song intros are a thing of the past in the age of streaming, as artists scramble to catch your attention in the first 30 seconds of eve...

Soccer fans in for a culture shock at Qatar World Cup | Learn English phrasal verb 'look on'

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Qatar, a tiny, oil-rich nation with a sweltering climate, few sports fans, and a dodgy record on human rights, is preparing to host the world's bigg...

NYC to shutter infamous Rikers Island jail | Learn English expression 'uphill battle'

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" The jail at Rikers Island, which houses 7,000 short-term inmates per night, will close by 2026, following a vote in the New York City Council. The j...

TikTok reaches 1 billion downloads | Learn phrasal verb 'serve up'

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" The latest social media app on the scene is TikTok, with over a billion downloads. TikTok features user-generated videos no longer than 15 seconds: ...

WeWork's stunning near-collapse | Learn English phrase 'fall from grace'

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" In a story that will be studied in business school for ages, WeWork, the world's biggest co-working office company, lost 80 percent of its value and...

Biopics breathe new life into music legends | Learn English phrase 'pass off as'

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" The latest trend to hit the silver screen is the musical biopic, a genre of film that traces the life of a singer or band members. Recent hits like ...

Midnight marathon at sweltering athletics championships | Learn English phrase 'come under fire'

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" The world's top track and field athletes battled the sweltering heat of Doha, Qatar, at the 2019 championships. The marathon started at midnight so ...

Differences between living in Canada and the US | Learn English phrase 'every now and then'

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Life in Canada and the United States is similar in many ways, but there are differences. In today's episode, Jeff describes the ways in which life b...

Trading stocks is now free* in the US | Learn English phrase 'follow suit'

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" After years of intense competition, several discount stock brokers are now offering free stock trades in the United States. This will give smaller i...

Porsche challenges Tesla with its all-electric Taycan | Learn English phrase 'live up to'

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Porsche is diving into the electric market with its new performance Taycan, a sports car that looks like the classic 911 and is expected to challeng...

New spray aims to extend avocados' shelf life | Learn English phrase 'to go bad'

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" A new product from the startup Apeel Sciences aims to extend the shelf-life of avocados and other fruits and vegetables. The product is a natural sp...

Is there a future for traditional travel agents? | Learn English phrasal verb 'come around'

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Do travel agents have a future? It's tempting to say that they do not due to budget online booking tools and the wealth of information on the intern...

Collapse of British travel agency leaves travelers stranded | Learn English phrasal verb 'come through'

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" British travel agent Thomas Cook, which traces its history back to 1841, collapsed suddenly last week, stranding 150,000 on foreign vacations. The B...

Japanese workers wake up to a nap's benefits | Learn English phrasal verb 'kick in'

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" A new trend in Japan's hard-charging, competitive office culture: reserving the nap room for a 30-minute break. Sleep cafes are opening in Tokyo and...

'Downton Abbey' film picks up where series left off | Learn English phrasal verb 'shy away from'

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" The British hit show Downton Abbey, which traces the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and the crew that serves them, has moved to the big sc...

Subscriptions are coming to a movie theater near you | Learn English phrase 'in the sweet spot'

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" A company offering unlimited movies in theaters for just $10 a month has gone out of business, but the subscription model is here to stay, as large ...

Confronting the opioid crisis in America | Learn English phrase 'root out'

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Abuse of legal and illegal opioids has become a public health crisis in the United States; overdoses of opioids now kill more people than car crashe...

Update episode: the latest news on 5 previous topics | Learn English phrase 'thorn in your side'

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Today we present the latest news on five previous topics: French President Emmanuel Macron has recovered from the gilets jaunes protesters; Hong Kon...

Lung illnesses from vaping | Learn English phrasal verb 'take up'

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Over 450 people, mostly young, have fallen ill with lung disease after using electronic cigarettes. Five have died, including a 15-year-old in New Y...

Greenland and influence in the Arctic | Learn English phrase "float an idea"

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" US President Donald Trump suggested he would be interested in buying the world's largest island. Although Denmark has no desire to sell Greenland, t...

The mustache is making a comeback | Learn English phrase 'all the rage'

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Don't look now, but the mustache is making a comeback. If the 1990s were about goatees and the 2000s were about beards, then the mustache is now rea...

FAST VERSION of Episode 186 on international money transfer

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Let's speed things up a little! One key benefit of Plain English Plus+ is a faster version of every episode. Test your listening comprehension with a...

Why is sending money across borders so slow and expensive? | Learn English phrase 'on hand'

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Sending money via money-transfer agents or even large banks is slow and expensive. To make a transfer work, several banks charge fees; the process t...

Brazil struggling to respond to Amazon fires | Learn English phrase 'up to the task'

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" A sharp increase in the number and scale of forest fires in the Amazon is threatening the world's largest rainforest. The fires have a variety of ca...

New meatless burgers actually taste good | Learn English phrase 'in keeping with'

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are two companies chasing a new trend: veggie burgers that taste like the real thing. Fast-food chain Burger King n...

New suicide barrier at Golden Gate Bridge | Learn English phrase 'in your prime'

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

" The Golden Gate Bridge is a marvel of engineering and the symbol of San Francisco, but it is also a magnet for suicides: over 1,700 people have jump...