Ohio's train derailment is yet another example of the devastation that toxic spills inflict on poor communities. What can be done to prevent the next one?

As the fast-food industry collects signatures on a ballot measure to push back on a bill that would improve wages and conditions for workers, some voters allege that they were lied to by petitioners.

The Oscars ceremony celebrates the best the industry has to offer — but the nominated films are rarely box-office hits, and viewership of the awards broadcast has declined. Will we see a rebound?

Californians have long moved to Nevada in search of new business and personal opportunities. But a massive business park near Reno is drawing in businesses like never before.

When California voters legalized cannabis, growers vowed a break from decades of worker exploitation in the state's agricultural industry. A Times investigation found otherwise.

Faced with high levels of worker stress, anxiety and burnout, many companies pledged that employee mental health would become a top priority.

When you think of Black ballerinas, names like Misty Copeland or Janet Collins may come to mind. But did you know that a classical ballet dancer from L.A. named Bernice Harrison predated both of them?

Drag performers are more visible than ever after decades in the underground, but will recent protests, threats of violence and restrictive laws set them back?

One year into the Russia-Ukraine war, here’s what has happened and what lies ahead.

California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced this week she will not run for reelection next year, ending a legendary career that saw her go from San Francisco City Hall to Capitol Hill.

The historic Cecil Hotel in downtown Los Angeles reopened in 2021 with a commitment to make it easy for unhoused people to stay there. So why are so few doing so?

An earthquake as devastating as the one that hit Turkey and Syria this month has been forecast to hit Southern California for decades.

The Colorado River is supposed to end at the Gulf of California, but hasn't done so for decades.

Teenager Piper Rockelle and her friends created a multimillion-dollar YouTube empire. A lawsuit threatens it, and ask questions about whether what young influencers do for a living constitutes "work."

For decades, NFL teams actively discouraged Black players from playing quarterback, the sport's marquee position. We go through this shameful history — and celebrate this year's historic Super Bowl.

California's Imperial Valley has some of the lowest rainfall in the state, yet uses the largest allotment of Colorado River water. How did such an arid part of the state become an agricultural powerhouse?

Black people have been part of the American West for centuries. But mainstream cowboy culture long downplayed their contributions, even as they exist in the present day.

The average retail price for a dozen large eggs has skyrocketed in the last year. What's happening?

For over a century, Native American tribes along the Colorado River have seen other entities take water that had nourished them since time immemorial. With the depletion of this vital source for the American West, Indigenous leaders see an opening to right a historical wrong.

In a span of 25 hours, encounters with Los Angeles police officers resulted in the deaths of three men of color. Could a change in tactics long asked for by activists have prevented them?

A gunman shot and killed 10 people during a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, California. How the massacre is sparking concerns about public safety and conversations about anti-Asian hate — and renewing calls for gun control.

The main way the American West harvests the Colorado River for its water use is through dams that create reservoirs. But those reservoirs are quickly drying up because of climate change. Can knocking some dams down help?

For decades, Republicans across the country looked to California for conservative stars and ideas even as the GOP lost its way in the state. Not anymore.

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman is trying to transform his country, but the social liberalization comes with the harsh crackdowns on dissenters.

The Colorado River begins in the Rocky Mountain snowpack, which provides the water that starts off the river on its epic journey. But as the American West gets hotter, the snowpack at the start keeps getting smaller and smaller.