The authority in charge of California’s plagued high-speed rail project is seeking almost $400 million in federal funding — even after the Trump administration yanked $4 billion from the project last year. The California High-Speed Rail Authority recently announced it had applied for $396 million from a Federal Railroad Administration Grant initiative to modernize U.S. … Read more
A former top law enforcement official is sounding the alarm on an attempt by illicit Chinese vape companies to exploit legal loopholes by replacing nicotine with an unregulated substitute to continue selling flavored disposable vapes to children. “These Chinese organized crime groups, what they realized is if they go ahead and just change the ingredients in … Read more
What the cluck. Federal health officials have issued a warning about chicken products due to potentially dangerous mislabeling concerns. The problematic poultry, sold at Kroger stores in nine states, is the subject of a public health alert courtesy of the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The agency issued the alert … Read more
Living wages could see a major boost. Since 2009, the federal minimum wage has been set at $7.25 an hour. However, Democrats in Congress have a new proposal that would see it jump to $25. But some lawmakers say it’s still not enough. The Living Wage for All Act was introduced back in April and … Read more
Democratic lawmakers complained in late May about employers not providing paid leave for painful menstruation cycles, calling it “economic violence.” “Forcing a worker to choose between paying her rent or losing a day’s pay to recover from a grueling gynecological procedure is not a choice. It’s economic violence,” Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., said during a press conference on … Read more
Your teen might need a new summer or after-school gig. Walmart — long seen as a common starting place for American teens to get their feet wet in the workforce — is being forced to crack down on a no-workers-under-18 rule in several stores, due to standards set by the US Department of Labor under … Read more
Fetty Wap has been freed from prison earlier than expected. The “Trap Queen” rapper was released from prison on Thursday, Jan. 8, after serving more than three years behind bars on federal drug charges. “I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for the love, prayers, and continued support — it truly means everything … Read more
Savannah Chrisley wasn’t messing around when it came to securing her parents’ presidential pardons. In the premiere episode of Lifetime’s new “The Chrisleys: Back to Reality” series, which aired Monday night, Todd and Julie Chrisley’s eldest daughter opened up about how she was working to free her famous mom and dad from federal prison. Todd … Read more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal. HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is ending its recognition of unions for a number of employees, and are reclaiming office space … Read more
A federal prosecutor in Washington has contacted The New England Journal of Medicine, considered the world’s most prestigious medical journal, with questions that suggested without evidence that it was biased against certain views and influenced by external pressures. Dr. Eric Rubin, the editor in chief of N.E.J.M., described the letter as “vaguely threatening” in an … Read more
Last year was tough for Acadia Healthcare, one of the country’s largest providers of mental health services. A slew of federal agencies opened investigations into whether Acadia illegally held patients against their will in its psychiatric hospitals, as described in a New York Times investigation in September. The federal inquiries rattled investors, causing Acadia’s stock … Read more
Drug-resistant gonorrhea, a form of the widespread sexually transmitted infection, is considered an urgent health threat worldwide. The United States has just lost its ability to detect it. Among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees fired on Tuesday were 77 scientists who, among other work, gathered samples of gonorrhea and other S.T.I.s from … Read more
A few days ago, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, embarked on a media tour to defend his decision to lay off thousands of his department’s workers. He announced a plan last week to cut 10,000 jobs, in addition to the estimated 10,000 jobs cut through retirements and buyouts in the early weeks of … Read more
The Trump administration on Thursday announced a massive layoff of 10,000 employees at the Health and Human Services Department, as part of a dramatic reorganization designed to bring communications and other functions directly under the purview of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The layoffs, reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, are a drastic … Read more
Johns Hopkins University, one of the country’s leading centers of scientific research, said on Thursday that it would eliminate more than 2,000 workers in the United States and abroad because of the Trump administration’s steep cuts, primarily to international aid programs. The layoffs, the most in the university’s history, will involve 247 domestic workers for … Read more
Every day, Dora Dantzler-Wright and her colleagues distribute overdose reversal drugs on the streets of Chicago. They hold training sessions on using them and help people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction return to their jobs and families. They work closely with the federal government through an agency that monitors their productivity, connects them … Read more
NEW YORK — Investigators from various federal agencies launched an “interagency operation” on Monday at the troubled lockup in New York City where Sean “Diddy” Combs is being held. The investigators from the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s Inspector General’s Office and other law enforcement agencies descended on the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Monday, … Read more
Sean “Diddy” Combs isn’t living large behind bars — but he is getting three well-balanced meals a day. The disgraced music mogul, 54, was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations at a New York City hotel on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering on Monday evening. Diddy has been sitting at MDC Brooklyn since his arraignment on Tuesday … Read more
Ten months after Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura accused him of rape and physical abuse, the rap mogul found himself standing before a Manhattan federal judge Tuesday facing sweeping charges of sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Here’s how Combs, 54, ended up being held without bail on the indictment detailing nearly two decades of depravity: … Read more
50 Cent took a shot at Sean “Diddy” Combs after his longtime rival was arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges Monday night. The “In da Club” rapper, 49, posted a picture on Instagram from his appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show” and made a crack about the $1,000 bottles of lubricant and baby oil … Read more