Articles by Olga R. Rodriguez

Associated Press

Family of California Veteran Who Died After Officer Knelt on His Neck Settles for $7.5M

Family members of a Navy veteran who died in 2020 after a police officer pressed a knee to his neck for nearly five minutes while he was in a mental health crisis have settled a federal lawsuit against the Northern …

Farmworker Who Survived Mass Shooting at California Mushroom Farm Sues Company

A migrant farmworker who survived a mass shooting last year at a Northern California mushroom farm has filed a lawsuit against the farm and one of its owners, saying they failed to keep him safe from the colleague who authorities …

California Proposal to Ban Youth Tackle Football Clears Legislative Hurdle

California lawmakers who want to ban tackle football for kids under 12 to reduce brain injuries gained ground this week in the Legislature but still face a very long field and a clock that is ticking. Though it was a …

Kaiser to Pay $49M in California for Dumping Private Medical Records, Medical Waste

Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $49 million as part of a settlement with California prosecutors who say the health care giant illegally disposed of thousands of private medical records, hazardous materials and medical waste, including blood and body parts, …

Kaiser to Pay $49M in California for Dumping Private Medical Records, Medical Waste

Kaiser Permanente has agreed to pay $49 million as part of a settlement with California prosecutors who say the health care giant illegally disposed of thousands of private medical records, hazardous materials and medical waste, including blood and body parts, …

San Francisco Archdiocese Declares Bankruptcy Amid Hundreds of Sex Abuse Lawsuits

San Francisco’s Roman Catholic archdiocese filed for bankruptcy this week, saying the filing is necessary to manage more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials. The Chapter 11 protection filing will stop all legal actions against the …

California Town of Paradise Deploys Warning Sirens as 5-Year Anniversary of Deadly Fire Approaches

California residents driven from their homes by one of the deadliest wildfires in recent history had one request before they would rebuild in the small mountain town of Paradise: warning sirens to bolster town emergency systems that failed some people …

Chicago Flooding a Reminder of Vulnerability of Major Cities During Extreme Weather

Heavy rains that flooded Chicago neighborhoods, rendered freeways impassable and wreaked havoc on NASCAR street races downtown Sunday are serving as stark reminders of urban centers’ vulnerability during extreme weather events. After a historic deluge in April in Fort Lauderdale, …

Suspect in Shootings in Northern California Was Agricultural Employee

An agricultural worker killed seven people in back-to-back shootings at two mushroom farms that had employed him in Northern California and the massacre is believed to be a “workplace violence incident,” officials said as the state mourned its third mass …

‘Bomb Cyclone’ Brought Damaging Winds, Rain to California

Damaging winds and heavy rains from a powerful “atmospheric river” pounded California on Thursday, knocking out power to tens of thousands, causing flash flooding, and contributing to the deaths of at least two people, including a child whose home was …