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Thirty-one workers were rescued, some hoisted to safety in a cage, after a tunnel collapsed at a Los Angeles construction project Wednesday night, officials said and video showed.

There were no injuries in the incident in the Wilmington section of the city, where a wastewater management project was underway, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

“Tonight, we were lucky,” LAFD Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva told reporters. More than 100 firefighters responded to the scene, he said.

The collapse of the 18-foot in diameter tunnel was reported at 7:58 p.m., Villanueva said. It occurred around 5 to 6 miles away from the entrance, the LAFD said.

Helicopter footage from NBC Los Angeles showed a large circular concrete structure at the site, leading to a work area below with construction equipment.

A crane lifted a yellow cage with some workers inside at least twice, dropping them safely on the surface, the video showed.

Twenty-seven workers were trapped after the collapse, and four others went in to assist, Villanueva said.

“The workers had to climb through debris” and rescuers came to them to help them out, Villanueva said.

The LAFD said that preliminary reports indicated the workers had to scramble over a 12-to-15-foot-tall pile of loose soil after the collapse to meet rescuers.

The workers were operating a tunnel boring machine when the collapse occurred, Robert Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager for the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, told reporters.

“A section that they have already built had squeezing ground and had a collapse, a partial collapse,” he said. The men were able to reach a vehicle that brought them to the shaft site, he said.

Mayor Karen Bass went to the scene and said she was relieved all the workers were safe. She called the first responders “L.A.’s true heroes.”

“I was so concerned that we were going to find tragedy. Instead, what we found was victory,” Bass said.

Wilmington is a neighborhood in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, near the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The Secret Service suspended six people without pay after the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump last July, an official with the agency told NBC News.

Following an investigation into the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in which a gunman’s bullet grazed Trump’s ear, the agency issued the suspensions, which included both people in supervisory roles and line-level agents. The suspensions ranged from 10 to 42 days without pay. It is unclear when the agents were formally suspended.

NBC News has reported that multiple Secret Service officials were placed on leave for their actions before and after the assassination attempt. They included the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, which was tasked with coordinating security with local law enforcement ahead of the rally.

Almost immediately after the assassination attempt, lawmakers of both parties questioned the security failures that gave a 20-year-old gunman the opportunity to target and shoot Trump and kill firefighter Corey Comperatore, in what federal officials called an act of potential domestic terrorism.

Less than two weeks after the incident, Kimberly Cheatle stepped down as director of the Secret Service amid bipartisan calls for her resignation. At the time, she said she took “full responsibility for the security lapse.”

In an interview with ABC News before she resigned, Cheatle said there was a “short period” of time between when the gunman was initially flagged as suspicious and when he began shooting. A Senate briefing later revealed that Secret Service agents first spotted the gunman on a rooftop 10 minutes before Trump took the stage and 20 minutes before he opened fire. Secret Service personnel also faced criticism for how long it took to remove Trump from the stage after he was shot.

In December, a House task force investigating the incident made nearly a dozen recommendations for the Secret Service, including recording all radio transmissions and logs and creating new roles “for high-pressure moments.” In a 180-page report, the task force determined that the Butler shooting was “preventable” but concluded there was not a “singular moment or decision” by the Secret Service that enabled the gunman to “nearly assassinate” Trump.

The House investigation, however, praised the response of the Secret Service to the second assassination attempt on Trump in September in West Palm Beach, Florida, crediting it for demonstrating “how properly executed protective measures can foil an attempted assassination.”

LOS ANGELES — San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas, who leads more than 1.5 million Catholics in Southern California, has formally excused parishioners from their weekly obligation to attend Mass following immigration detentions on two parish properties in the diocese.

The dispensation is a move usually reserved for extenuating circumstances, like the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. But Rojas says it’s necessary because the fear of being apprehended and possibly deported has swept communities, including Catholic churches.

“There is a real fear gripping many in our parish communities that if they venture out into any kind of public setting they will be arrested by immigration officers,” Rojas said in a statement Wednesday.

“Sadly, that includes attending Mass. The recent apprehension of individuals at two of our Catholic parishes has only intensified that fear. I want our immigrant communities to know that their Church stands with them and walks with them through this trying time.”

Save for a serious reason, Catholics are obligated by their faith to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. In May, the Diocese of Nashville in Tennessee issued a similar statement following immigra

tion enforcement actions in the area, excusing those fearful of attending Mass from their holy obligation, though it was not named as a formal dispensation.

Rojas is an immigrant himself. He was born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He has been consistent in his support of immigrants and said when he assumed this role that it would be one of his top priorities.

In early June, the Trump administration significantly ramped up immigration arrests and raids in Southern California, particularly in Los Angeles, with federal agents conducting sweeps in workplaces and public spaces and apprehending hundreds.

Last month, as federal agents made arrests and the federal government deployed the National Guard to maintain order amid protests in Los Angeles, Rojas issued a statement calling out federal agents entering parish properties and “seizing several people,” creating an environment of fear and confusion.

“It is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — which guides us in all that we do,” he said. “I ask all political leaders and decision-makers to please reconsider these tactics immediately in favor of an approach that respects human rights and human dignity and builds toward a more lasting, comprehensive reform of our immigration system.”

Created in 1978, the diocese serves over 1.5 million Catholics in Riverside County, which is 52.5% Latino, and San Bernardino County, which is 56.4% Latino, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Members of local parishes who are in the U.S. without documents have made positive contributions to their communities “with no other issues than their legal status,” the bishop said.

“Most of them are here because they wanted to save their families; they had no other option. I believe that they would love to be legalized, but who can help them?”

Rojas said he knows these people would be in church but for the threat to their safety and their family unity.

“With all the worry and anxiety that they are feeling I wanted to take away, for a time, the burden they may be feeling from not being able to fulfill this commitment to which our Catholic faithful are called,” Rojas said.

Pastor Omar Coronado with Inland Congregations United for Change, a faith-based nonprofit serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties, called the bishop’s decree “an extraordinary act of moral courage and pastoral care.”

At a time when so many families are living in fear and uncertainty, the Bishop’s voice offers not just protection but hope,” he said in a statement. “We’re deeply grateful for his leadership in reminding us that faith is not meant to hide behind walls, but to stand with the vulnerable.”

The Diocese of San Bernardino is the nation’s fifth-largest Catholic diocese and second-largest in California next to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which is the largest in the country with about 5 million members. Neither the Los Angeles Archdiocese nor the neighboring Diocese of Orange, which serves about 1.3 million Catholics, has issued similar dispensations.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Orange said they have in recent weeks taken steps to support the immigrant community, including asking priests to bring Communion and celebrate Mass in the homes of those who are fearful of leaving their homes. The diocese has also shared protocols with parishes and Catholic schools to help them prepare and respond properly to the presence of immigration officials on church or school grounds, he said. In addition, the diocese is also coordinating efforts to have priests and deacons accompany and spiritually support people at immigration court hearings.

Parishes under the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are also continuing to “provide outreach to families and individuals that have been impacted,” an archdiocese spokesperson said.

NEW YORK (AP) — As job-seekers look for work in a challenging environment, an increasing number are falling victim to job scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

The scams start innocuously, often with a tailor-made text or WhatsApp message, and the scammers take time to build trust with the victim before cashing in on the relationship.

“Most of the people who end up losing money to a scammer are behaving pretty rationally,” said Kati Daffan, assistant director of the Federal Trade Commission’s division of marketing practices. “Scammers are sophisticated, and they keep changing their tactics.”

Reported losses to job scams increased more than threefold from 2020 to 2023. In the first half of 2024, they topped $220 million, according to the FTC. Gamified job scams, or task scams, represented a significant portion of that growth. About 20,000 people reported experiencing gamified scams in the first part of 2024, compared to 5,000 in all of 2023.

Daffan said that that the number is certainly an underestimate, because many people don’t report their experiences of job scams to law enforcement or government trackers.

“Only 4.8% of people complain,” she said.

Here’s what to know:

How the scams work

The scam typically begins with an unexpected text or WhatsApp message from a “recruiter” offering online work, according to the FTC. The mystery texter will say you can “make good money” by “product boosting” or doing “optimization tasks” for an online platform or in an app, which might involve liking videos or rating product images.

This “job” promises to earn you money from “commissions” per click. Once you complete the tasks, you’ll see an increasing tally of “earnings” on the platform or in the app. These earnings are fake.

Eventually, the app or platform will ask you to deposit your own money, typically in crypto, to complete more tasks and withdraw your (non-existent) earnings. But if you do make the deposit, you lose your real money, and you never receive the illusory pay.

Who gets targeted

Eva Velasquez, CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said these types of scammers typically prey on job-seekers who are new to the job market, people who have been out of the job market for some time (such as homemakers re-entering the workforce, whose children are grown), and immigrants, who may be less familiar with the employment landscape or who face language barriers.

“Often the job will have an easy interview or no interview, promise to let you work from home, and let you start right away,” Velasquez said. “Sometimes they’ll start with praise, and the person will feel their skills are recognized. ‘Oh, you think I’m great? Tell me more.’”

Velasquez emphasized the vulnerability of people looking for work, especially given ongoing economic uncertainty, who may choose to accept a role even if it initially feels shady.

“Sometimes the ask is to leave phony reviews for products,” she said. “The scammers are probably selling those reviews illegally, but a job-seeker might look at a line and say, ‘I’ll cross that line. I’ve got to eat.’”

Tips for spotting a task-based scam

— Ignore any generic and unexpected texts or WhatsApp messages about jobs, no matter how specific or complimentary the messages.

— Never pay to get paid, or to get a job. That requirement is a red flag that the position is a scam.

— Don’t trust employers who says they’ll pay you to rate or like things online, without an above-board process for using the actual products or services you’re rating.

A 67-year-old hiker died Tuesday in the Grand Canyon, park officials said Wednesday as forecasters in the region warned of excessive and life-threatening heat.

The hiker, from Alvarado, Texas, was found unresponsive on the South Kaibab Trail below Cedar Ridge around 11:50 a.m., and efforts to resuscitate him failed, the National Park Service said in a statement.

The death is under investigation, but the park warns hikers to be very careful because of the summer heat and to avoid hiking from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can exceed 120°F (49°C) in the shade, creating extremely hazardous conditions for hikers,” the park warned in a statement Wednesday.

The death was announced Wednesday as the Southwest and other parts of the country, including in the Grand Canyon, were under heat warnings.

Phantom Ranch, a lodge at the bottom of the canyon, had a forecast high of 110 degrees for Thursday and 113 degrees for Friday, the National Weather Service said.

The hiker who died, who was not identified by park officials, had been trying to reach the Colorado River to stay at Phantom Ranch. Reportedly, he had turned around at Skeleton Point and was headed back up the trail before he was found unresponsive and authorities were called, the park service said.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport broke a record high temperature for Wednesday’s date with a reading of 117°, the weather service said,

In Colorado, Denver International Airport hit 100 degrees, tying a record set in 2022 and becoming the first 100-degree day of the year, the agency said.

More than 7 million people were under excessive heat warnings in the Southwest, including in Phoenix, Wednesday afternoon, according to the weather service’s website.

Red flag warnings‚ which are for high heat and dry conditions that can help wildfires spread, covered around 4 million, including Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that tackling redrawing the state’s congressional maps would be part of an special legislative session later this summer as Republicans seek to hold on to their narrow U.S. House majority in next year’s midterm elections.

Abbott issued a press release saying that session, slated to begin July 21, would address 18 different policy items the state legislature didn’t get to during its regular session, which wrapped up last month. That list included:“Legislation that provides a revised congressional redistricting plan in light of constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.”

The announcement comes weeks after The New York Times reported that members of President Donald Trump’s political operation had privately urged Texas Republicans to redraw their maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Republicans currently hold a slim 220-212 advantage in the U.S. House. And in Texas, the GOP already controls 25 of the state’s 38 congressional districts. Padding the GOP’s current majority by even just a few seats in Texas could complicate Democrats’ ability to take control of the chamber in 2026.

The redistricting process typically occurs at the start of each new decade, when new census data is available. Texas’ current maps, which were drawn in 2021, are still being fought over in court, with a lawsuit alleging they discriminate against Black and Latino voters.

Democrats were quick to criticize Texas Republicans’ plans.

“While Texans battle tragic and deadly flooding, Governor Abbott and House Republicans are plotting a mid-decade gerrymander,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., posted on X ahead of Abbott’s formal announcement. “They should be modernizing emergency response — not rigging maps.”

Republicans control the governorship, legislature and Supreme Court in Texas, which could ease their path to passing and implementing new maps.

Other items lawmakers will tackle during the special session include an array of measures related to the deadly flooding over the weekend in the state’s Hill Country region that left more than 100 people dead, such as flood warning systems and natural disaster preparation and relief funding.

“We delivered on historic legislation in the 89th Regular Legislative Session that will benefit Texans for generations to come,” Abbot said in a statement. “There is more work to be done, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country. We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future.”

A California mom charged in the death of her toddler was getting lip filler injections when she allegedly left the child in her car amid temperatures that topped 100 degrees, court records obtained Wednesday show.

Maya Hernandez was charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of willful cruelty to a child in the June 29 death of the 1-year-old boy and the hospitalization of a 2-year-old who survived.

Hernandez, 20, has pleaded not guilty, NBC affiliate KGET of Bakersfield reported. She is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Court records did not list a lawyer who could speak on her behalf.

According to a report from the Bakersfield Police Department, Hernandez “admitted that it was irresponsible to leave her kids in the car, and she thought about it when she got out of the car but had no justification as to why she left them.”

The children were left in their car for more than two hours while Hernandez got the cosmetic procedure at a spa in Bakersfield, roughly 110 miles north of Los Angeles, the report says.

The outside temperature reached 101 degrees while she was at the appointment, according to the report, which notes that such heat can raise a vehicle’s internal temperature to 143 degrees.

Hernandez told officers that she left her 2022 Toyota Corolla running with the air conditioning set to 60 degrees, according to the report. She said she gave her kids candy, crackers, milk and a cell phone to watch.

She’d asked the nurse who was performing the procedure if she could bring her children in, according to the report, and was told she could leave them in the waiting room.

She did not bring the children inside and told police that she was “concerned about the time,” the report states.

Hernandez said she was certain the vehicle would stay on because she had previously stayed in the car for extended periods, the report states. But authorities learned from a local Toyota shop that the car automatically shuts off after an hour of inactivity.

Hernandez told officers that she did not check on her children between 2 and 4:30 p.m. while she was inside, the report states.

She told officers that when she returned to the car, one of the children was foaming at the mouth and shaking, according to the report. She performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and called 911, the report states.

When the child arrived at a local emergency room, the boy had an internal temperature of 107 degrees and no signs of life, according to the report. He was pronounced dead shortly before 6 p.m.

The older boy had a temperature of 99 degrees and was able to eat food and drink liquids, the report states. A nurse at the hospital told police that children older than 2 can better regulate their body temperature because they can sweat.

The boy was listed in stable condition and placed in protective custody, the Bakersfield Police Department said in a news release.

During a meeting with the leaders of several African nations at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump took a pause to compliment Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s English.

“Well, thank you,” Trump said after Boakai spoke. “And such good English, that’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”

“Where were you educated? Where? In Liberia? Well, that’s very interesting. It’s beautiful English,” he added. “I have people at this table, can’t speak nearly as well.”

Liberia, located on Africa’s West Coast, uses English as the country’s national language.

Though the country has a sizable indigenous population, many who live there are descendants of freed American slaves who were sent to Africa in the early 19th century. The country’s capital, Monrovia, was named for James Monroe, the 5th U.S. president and a supporter of the effort to establish Liberia as a state for freed American slaves. (Monroe himself was a slave owner.)

Liberia was founded as both American abolitionists and slaveholders sought to resettle the rising number of free Black people in the early 1800s. Black and white Americans debated whether people of all races could integrate in the U.S. The American Colonization Society purchased a strip of land on Africa’s west coast and began shuttling Black people to the colony in the 1820s.

In 1847, Liberia established a Constitution modeled after America’s and declared independence. In its Declaration of Independence, Liberia charged the U.S. with the racism, violence and inequality that forced them to leave and create a new nation.

It is now Africa’s oldest modern republic and the second oldest Black-led republic in the world, following Haiti, which was founded in 1804 after overthrowing the French.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s not the first time that his comments about an African leader or an African nation have drawn controversy.

During the president’s first term, in 2018, he referred to Haiti and African nations as “shithole countries” during a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators.

The comment drew swift condemnation from African and Haitian officials at the time.