In the vast Mojave Desert, the Mountain Pass mine might look like any other barren landscape, but it holds a crucial piece of America's past and future. This mine was once the world's top supplier of rare earth elements, essential for modern tech and military tech. Back in the 1980s, it provided nearly two-thirds of the global demand for these vital materials. Howeve...
The Justice Department (DoJ) is going through big changes. Some say these changes are not good. The number of lawyers working there has dropped a lot. About 5, 500 lawyers and other workers have left since the current administration started. This includes people who were fired, quit, or took early retirement. The DoJ used to have around 10, 000 lawyers, but now there...
With just two weeks left in the college football season, the College Football Playoff (CFP) picture is starting to take shape. The Week 13 games didn't shake things up too much, but there were a few key matchups that gave us a better idea of who might make the cut. One of the biggest games of the week was Oregon's win over Southern California. This victory pretty mu...
The Trump administration has big plans for offshore drilling. They want to open up areas along the coasts of California, Florida, and Alaska for oil and gas exploration. This move is part of a larger push to boost U. S. energy production and jobs. But not everyone is on board. California and Florida, both heavily reliant on tourism and clean beaches, are strongly op...
The Supreme Court recently stepped in, halting a lower court's decision that suggested Texas's new congressional map might be racially biased. This temporary block, signed by Justice Samuel Alito, will stay in effect for a few days while the court decides if the Republican-friendly map can be used in the upcoming midterm elections. The conservative-leaning Supreme C...
The Bay Area is seeing a rise in threats against local leaders. In October, someone was charged with sending hate-filled emails to Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. The emails included violent language and racial slurs. They even threatened to harm police officers and other officials. This isn't an isolated incident. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently passed a law t...
Meta Platforms, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has been accused of hiding research that showed its products negatively impact users' mental health. In a legal battle, school districts in the U. S. claim Meta shut down a study called "Project Mercury" after it found that taking a break from these platforms reduced feelings of depression, anxiety, lonelines...
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has been accused of hiding research that shows their platforms can harm mental health. This came to light in court documents from a lawsuit filed by U. S. school districts against Meta and other social media companies. In 2020, Meta conducted a study called "Project Mercury. " They worked with a survey company to see ...
California's move to set a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers has sparked a heated debate. On one hand, workers are seeing better paychecks, but on the other, restaurant owners are feeling the pinch. The state's fast-food industry is still standing, but it's not all smooth sailing. Workers like Zane Marte have seen a real difference. Marte, who worked at Jack in...
Parents are raising concerns about potential early cases of infant botulism linked to ByHeart baby formula. While health officials are currently investigating over 30 cases since August, some families claim their babies fell ill much earlier, possibly as far back as November 2024. California health officials have confirmed that six infants in the state were treated ...