We discuss the nonvanishing of the family of central values L( 1 2 , f ⊗ χ), where f is a fixed automorphic form on GL(2) and χ varies through class group characters of an imaginary quadratic field K = Q( √ −D), as D varies; we prove results of the nature that at least D1/5000 such twists are nonvanishing. We also discuss the related question of the rank of a fixed elliptic curve E/Q over the H...