WASHINGTON — The NAACP wants Black Americans to steer their buying power toward companies that haven't pulled back from diversity, equity and inclusion programs under conservative pressure, and the nation's oldest civil rights organization is listing which brands have stood by — or reversed — past commitments to DEI. The...
Rape Lawsuit Against Jay-Z and Diddy Dropped, Legal Battles Continue for Combs
An Alabama woman who said she was raped by rappers Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs when she was 13 withdrew her civil lawsuit against both men on Friday, according to court filings. The unidentified woman in December added Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, to a lawsuit she had...
Big Homeowner Rate Hike From State Farm Shot Down by California Regulator
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara rejected State Farm's request for "emergency" rate increases, setting up what could be a highly consequential showdown with the state's biggest insurer — and going against the recommendation of his staff experts. Lara, who has been urging insurance companies to write policies in the state...
Draymond Green on the State of the NBA: It’s ‘Boring,’ the Warriors Star Says
OAKLAND — Draymond Green had just spoken for a few minutes Saturday morning about the state of the game, about how he believes it's officiated differently than it once was, how stars don't get the benefit of being stars like they did in the past. And then the four-time champion...
DOJ Seeks to Drop Corruption Case Against NYC Mayor Eric Adams
NEW YORK — The Justice Department asked a court Friday to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, with a top official from Washington intervening after federal prosecutors in Manhattan rebuffed his demands to drop the case and some quit in protest. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil...
US Deports Immigrants to Venezuela After Judge Blocked Transfer to Guantanamo Bay
EL PASO, Texas — Three immigrants who won a restraining order against the federal government to avoid transfer to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba were deported this week on direct flights to Venezuela, according to court documents published Friday. The three men were deported Monday, the day after...
Abortions To Resume In Missouri After A Judge Blocks Restrictions
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Abortions are set to resume in Missouri after a judge blocked regulations that had restricted providers even after voters approved enshrining abortion rights into the state's constitution. Friday's ruling came after a Kansas City judge ruled last year that abortions were now legal in the state but...
Legislative Immunity: A Privilege in Most States—Lawmaker’s Speeding Ticket May Change That
PHOENIX — When a police officer gave state Sen. Mark Finchem a speeding ticket, the Arizona Republican didn't need to worry about the consequences. That's because the Arizona Constitution shields state lawmakers from any civil process and arrest for anything but treason, felony and breach of peace during legeslative sessions...
Trump’s EPA Reforms Cast Doubt on Toxic Site Cleanups
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...