KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — La Soufriere volcano fired an enormous amount of ash and hot gas early Monday in the biggest explosive eruption yet since volcanic activity began on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent late last week, with officials worried about the lives of those who have refused...
LA Plans to Return Beachfront Property Stripped from Black Family in ’20s
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County plans to return prime beachfront property to descendants of a Black couple who built a seaside resort for African Americans but suffered racist harassment and were stripped of it by local city leaders a century ago, a county official said Friday. Bruce's Beach “It...
EXPLAINER: Is the US Border with Mexico in Crisis?
Nearly 19,000 children traveling alone were stopped at the Mexican border in March, smashing previous highs set during periods of heavy child migration in 2014 and 2019. Is it a crisis? Spin and semantics aside, migration to the U.S. from Mexico is increasing in a major way for the third...
LA Prosecutor Backs Bill to Remove Youth Offenses from ‘Three Strikes’ Count
SACRAMENTO — Los Angeles' new reform-minded top prosecutor said Friday that it's time to remove youthful offenders from California's tough career criminal law that can greatly extend their prison time later in life. Juvenile Cases Should be 'Based on Rehabilitation, Not on Punishment' District Attorney George Gascón, who runs the...
Amazon Warehouse Workers Reject Union Bid in Alabama
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama handed the online retail giant a decisive victory when they voted against forming a union and cut off a path that labor activists had hoped would lead to similar efforts throughout the company and beyond. After months of aggressive campaigning from both...
Mexico Expects a ‘Constant and Growing’ Flow of Migrants
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s top diplomat said Thursday his country expects to see “constant and growing” flows of migrants in coming years and estimated the United States must spend $2 billion per year in development aid to stem the tide. Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico has proposed investing...
Islamic Leaders Battle Misconception About Vaccines, Fasting
PORTLAND, Maine — Islamic leaders are using social media, virtual town halls and face-to-face discussions to spread the word that it’s acceptable to be vaccinated for the coronavirus during daily fasting that happens during Ramadan, the most sacred month of the year for Muslims. During the holy month which begins...
UK Mourns Prince Philip; Leaders Honor his Service to Queen
LONDON — World leaders and people on the street honored Prince Philip’s life of service to his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, and the British nation Friday after hearing of the death of a man who had been by the monarch’s side longer than most of them have been alive. At...
Police: Employee Kills 1, Wounds 5 at Texas Cabinet Business
BRYAN, Texas — A man opened fire at a Texas cabinet-making company where he worked, killing one person and wounding five others before shooting and wounding a state trooper prior to his arrest, authorities said. Larry Winston Bollin, 27, of Iola, Texas, was booked into the Brazos County Detention Center...
Big Sur Highway to Reopen by April 30, Agency Says
BIG SUR — Highway 1 along Big Sur is expected to reopen by April 30 because work to repair a huge piece of roadway that crumbled during a storm is nearly two months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation announced Thursday. The scenic highway snaking through California's rugged...