LOS ANGELES — Just over a mile from where Patricia Flores has lived for almost 20 years, a battery smelter plant spewed toxic elements into the environment for nearly a century. Exide Technologies in southeast Los Angeles polluted thousands of properties with lead and contributed to groundwater contamination with trichloroethylene,...
Rwanda-Backed Rebels Advance in Eastern Congo, Thousands Flee
Panic swept through eastern Congo's second-largest city on Saturday as residents fled by the thousands, scrambling to escape the looming advance of Rwanda-backed rebels. The morning after M23 fighters entered the outskirts of Bukavu — a city of about 1.3 million people that lies 63 miles (101 kilometers) south of...
Kyle Larson Eyes Elusive Daytona 500 Win After Hot Start to 2025
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The winning for the Larson family hasn't slowed down at the start of 2025 as former NASCAR champion Kyle Larson watched his son, Owen, lead his team to victory in the Daytona 500's annual prerace fishing tournament. The 10-year-old pulled a 4.58-pound fish from Lake Lloyd...
White South Africans Rally for Trump, Claim Racism Victimhood
PRETORIA, South Africa — Some white South Africans showed support for President Donald Trump on Saturday and gathered at the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria to claim they are victims of racism by their own government. Hundreds of protesters held placards that read "Thank God for President Trump" and displayed other...
EEOC Seeks to Drop Gender Discrimination Case, Signaling Policy Shift
The federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws has moved to dismiss its own lawsuit on behalf of a worker allegedly fired for his sexual orientation and gender identity, arguing that the case now conflicts with President Donald Trump's recent executive order, according to court documents. The Equal Employment Opportunity...
IRS Will Lay Off Thousands of Probationary Workers Mid-Tax Season
WASHINGTON — The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency's plans, and cuts could happen as soon as next week. This comes as the Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the...
Judge Sentences Walmart Shoplifters to Wash Cars in the Parking Lot
GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters, ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring arrives. Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart and rewards shoppers who could...
Treasury Watchdog Audits Musk DOGE Team’s Access to Payment System
WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General on Friday said it was launching an audit of the security controls for the federal government's payment system, as Democratic lawmakers raised red flags about the access provided to Trump aide Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team. The audit will...
Trump Order Threatens Federal Funds for Schools With COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
WASHINGTON — Schools, colleges and states that require students to be immunized against COVID-19 may be at risk of losing federal money under a White House order signed Friday by President Donald Trump. The order is expected to have little national impact because COVID-19 vaccine mandates have mostly been dropped...
Poll: Where US Adults Think the Government Is Spending Too Much
WASHINGTON — Many U.S. adults believe the federal government is overspending — but polling also shows that many Americans, including Republicans, think the country is spending too little on major government programs such as Social Security. The polls from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research suggest that as President Donald...