WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Sunday plans to sign into law a measure that boosts Social Security payments for current and former public employees, affecting nearly 3 million people who receive pensions from their time as teachers, firefighters, police officers and in other public service jobs. Advocates say the Social Security Fairness Act rights...
With a Nod to Her Mentor Shirley Chisholm, Rep. Barbara Lee Exits Congress as a Renegade Herself
WASHINGTON — Rep. Barbara Lee has always stood apart, a matter-of-fact renegade with a long list of firsts. In high school, she was the first Black student to integrate her Southern California cheerleading squad. During the Democrat's more than two decades in Congress, she has been the only Black woman...
EV Demand Leads Automakers to Strong 2024 Finish
Automakers closed 2024 with strong sales in the United States in the final three months of the year, helped by a surge in demand for electric models. The gains were led by General Motors, which said Friday that its fourth-quarter sales rose 21% from a year earlier, to more than...
Why 2025 Will Be a Pivotal Year for Mayor Karen Bass and LA
Here comes the hard part. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has plenty to be proud of in her first two years as the chief executive of the largest city in the largest state in America. Violent crime is down. Public transit ridership has fought its way back up. She's replaced...
From Georgia to Washington, Memorials Trace Jimmy Carter’s Life
AMERICUS, Ga. — In a few days, Jimmy Carter will be celebrated in a towering cathedral in Washington by fellow American presidents, noted humanitarians and other world leaders. But before all of that, a hearse carrying the remains of Carter, the nation’s 39th president, paused Saturday outside a farmhouse in...
Is Your Car Spying on You? What It Means That Tesla Shared Data in Las Vegas Explosion
NEW YORK — Your car is spying on you. That is one takeaway from the fast, detailed data that Tesla collected on the driver of one of its Cybertrucks that exploded in Las Vegas earlier this week. Privacy data experts say the deep dive by Elon Musk's company was impressive,...
Can California Keep ICE Away from Schools? Lawmakers Want to Try as Crackdowns Loom
California lawmakers are proposing steps to protect K-12 students and families from mass deportations — although the real value of those proposals may be symbolic. A pair of bills in the Legislature — AB 49 and SB 48 — aim to keep federal agents from detaining undocumented students or their...
Elon Musk Announces Algorithm Change to Reduce Negativity on X
Elon Musk has announced an upcoming "algorithm tweak" aimed at promoting more informative and entertaining content on the platform. The change comes in response to what Musk perceives as an excess of negativity being pushed on X. Algorithm tweak coming soon to promote more informational/entertaining content. We will publish the...
Indie Filmmaker Jeff Baena, Aubrey Plaza’s Husband, Found Dead at Los Angeles Residence
LOS ANGELES — Indie filmmaker Jeff Baena, who was married to his frequent creative collaborator Aubrey Plaza, has died. He was 47. Baena was found dead around 10:30 a.m. Friday at a Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office. The circumstances remained unclear Saturday. The...
Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill at Least 21, Hospital Workers Say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 people, including at least two children, on Saturday in Gaza, hospital staff said, while a new effort at ceasefire talks was underway in Qatar after nearly 15 months of war. A small boy cried over his father, and a...