One of the most iconic towers in San Francisco's Chinatown is set to become a new cultural destination. Community and city leaders unveiled plans Thursday to transform the historic Empress of China building into a cultural campus celebrating Chinese-American art, culture and history.

A judge said Friday that he planned to approve a deal for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family who own the company to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids, allowing money to start flowing to victims as soon as next spring. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Sean Lane said he would spell out his reasoning in a hearing next week. Members of the Sackler family have been cast as villains in an overdose epidemic that has been linked to 900,000 deaths in the U.S.

An Oregon cafe that takes orders in sign language has become a cherished space for the Deaf community, providing a unique gathering place as well as employment for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. American Sign Language, or ASL, is the primary language at Woodstock Cafe in Portland, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Non-ASL speakers can use a microphone that transcribes their order onto a screen. People have moved from across the country to work at the cafe because it can be hard for pe