Nearly four years after doctors declared Marielle Santos McLeod free of colon cancer, she has yet to feel liberated from the burden of medical expenses.

McLeod, who lives near Charleston, South Carolina, is still paying off chemotherapy bills that followed her 2017 diagnosis. She also now faces an onslaught of out-of-pocket costs for follow-up ...Read more

The social media ad for a 2-ounce tonic called "Feel Free" caught Melanie Clark's attention because it promised she could eliminate drinking from her life while still feeling a buzz.

"It was just advertised as a healthy, natural botanical drink," Clark said of the advertisement, which featured a guy paddleboarding down a stream.

It spoke to ...Read more

On one corner of Calle Enramadas in Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, a group of homeless elderly people gather daily. What used to be a colorful strip of lively businesses have now become shelters for hungry old people who, on the verge of fainting, ask for a glass of water so they can keep walking in the sun.

Exhausted and...Read more

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — For much of its history, Santa Monica has been the subject of glamorous picture postcards: The fun of the pier, the beauty of the beach, the innovative shopping meccas and tourist spots.

But in recent years, the city has endured its share of unflattering images: empty storefronts on the once-bustling Third Street ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — A year after the installation of speed cameras in San Francisco, drivers in the city are slowing down, data shows, and experts say the technology could have a similar effect once cameras are installed in Los Angeles.

According to a one-year analysis of data collected from San Francisco’s 33 camera locations and other traffic-...Read more

By the time she was hospitalized in 2020, Pearlene Darby, a retired teacher, had suffered open sores on both legs, both hips, and both heels, as well as a five-inch-long gash on her tailbone. She died two weeks later at age 81 from infections and bedsores, according to her death certificate. Her daughter sued the nursing home, alleging it had ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — For more than a decade, Los Angeles County's response to the exploding humanitarian crisis on its streets has been guided by a 33-year-old joint powers authority that collects millions from the county, city and federal and state governments and uses the funds to administer homeless programs such as shelters, permanent housing and...Read more

Every time you get behind the wheel, you’re in control of your car, but that could change in the next few years as a federal law takes shape.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021, directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require new vehicles to include technology that ...Read more

Google tracks the vast majority of cellphones in the United States, collecting your location, usage and device data through installed software and apps. The tracking occurs by various autonomous processes you cannot see or stop, even when you turn off location history, and Google and other companies keep that data for years. Outside of your ...Read more

The city of El Cajon has sued the state of California over its so-called sanctuary laws, arguing that offering undocumented immigrants drivers’ licenses and workplace protections, as well as prohibiting local police from working with immigration agents, amounts to illegal enticement under the federal statute that outlaws human smuggling.

The ...Read more

The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with some Democratic backing on Wednesday, as the new director unveiled plans to roll back Biden-era firearms regulations.

Robert Cekada, shortly after being confirmed as director in a 59-39 vote on the Senate floor, appeared ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump told Axios he will not lift a naval blockade of Iran’s ports until he secures a deal with Tehran to address the country’s nuclear program, extending a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz that has caused a global energy crisis.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking ...Read more

Supreme Court justices pressed the federal government Wednesday about whether the president’s racist remarks about immigrants should factor into legal challenges to the Trump administration’s terminations of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians, in a case that will have significant consequences for South Florida, the heart of ...Read more

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Residents and visitors caught feeding bald eagles or other wild animals — even feral rabbits — may now be subject to hundreds of dollars’ worth of fines.

In a 9-3 vote Tuesday, the Anchorage Assembly approved a new law banning the human feeding of birds of prey and other wildlife. The municipality can now fine those ...Read more

MIAMI — The three-day wildfire roaring through Everglades National Park is not losing steam as fire crews have yet to contain the blaze, which has scorched more than 8,600 acres. While authorities say the fire poses no threat to residents, a coming wind-direction change will blow its smoke over South Florida homes and businesses overnight.

As...Read more

A judge scheduled a June trial for a 16-year-old boy charged as an adult with raping and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister onboard a cruise ship in November.

A grand jury indicted the teen, identified in court records by his initials, T.H., on April 10 on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery. He’s accused of ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new ordinance allowing a religious blade inside Sacramento City Hall went into effect Tuesday, and members of the Sikh community who carry the article of faith packed the council chambers for the occasion.

Some members of the Sikh community carry five religious items as a formal recognition of their religion. One of ...Read more