The EPA on Monday announced a series of “major actions” to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination, including an initiative to work with Congress to ensure that liability adheres to the “polluter pays” principle.

The actions include designating an agency lead for the chemicals, commonly known as PFAS, developing wastewater guidelines for PFAS manufacturers and metal finishers, and moving forward with cleanup in areas where drinking water supplies show PFAS contamination.

PFAS, dubbed “forever chemicals” by environmental advocates, are a class of human-made chemicals used in a wide range of industrial applications, including cookware, firefighting foam and semiconductors. Their structure makes them difficult to break down, and they have been linked to certain cancers, as well as impacts on the liver, heart and endocrine system.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement that the actions are guided by the principles of strengthening the science, fulfilling statutory obligations and enhancing communication.

“With today’s announcement, we are tackling PFAS from all of EPA’s program offices, advancing research and testing, stopping PFAS from getting into drinking water systems, holding polluters accountable, and providing certainty for passive receivers,” Zeldin said.

Israeli security chief to quit over Hamas attack

The head of Israel’s internal security service says he will resign in June over the failure of his agency to warn of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks — defusing an escalating battle with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar announced his resignation Monday, saying he will formally step down June 15.

“After years on many fronts, one night, on the southern front, the skies came down,” Bar said during remarks at a memorial event for fallen Shin Bet soldiers. “All systems collapsed. The Shin Bet also failed to give a warning.”

Netanyahu moved to fire Bar last month over what he said was a crisis of confidence surrounding Hamas’ attack. But the step sparked an uproar in Israel because the agency is investigating ties between the Israeli leader’s office and Qatar — a key mediator between Hamas and Israel over the war in Gaza.

Critics said the firing was tainted by a conflict of interest meant to derail that probe, a charge Netanyahu denies.

Israel’s Supreme Court froze the firing following multiple legal challenges against it and called on the sides to reach a compromise.

In his address, Bar said the court case “is not about my personal case but about the independence of the next heads of the Shin Bet.”

Revenge porn bill passes House

The House on Monday overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to criminalize the nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit photos and videos of others — including artificial-intelligence-generated images known as “deepfakes” — and to mandate that platforms quickly remove them.

The vote of 409-2 cleared the measure for President Donald Trump, who was expected to quickly sign it.

The legislation, known as the Take It Down Act, aims to crack down on the sharing of material known as “revenge porn,” requiring that social media companies and online platforms remove such images within two days of being notified of them.

The measure, which brought together an unlikely coalition of conservatives and liberals in both parties, passed the Senate unanimously in February.

Report: Gene Hackman died of heart disease

The main cause of Gene Hackman’s death was heart disease, but he was also in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease and likely had not eaten for a long time, according to a new autopsy report.

The report documents the 95-year-old actor’s poor heart health, noting he had experienced congestive heart failure, an aortic valve replacement and an irregular heart beat. He was given a pacemaker in April 2019.

Hackman’s carbon monoxide concentration was less than 5% saturation, which is within the normal range. He tested negative for the hantavirus, which is a rare but potentially fatal disease spread by infected rodent droppings.

Authorities have said Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, likely died Feb. 11 at home from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Her autopsy report hasn’t yet been released.

4 killed as car runs into Illinois school building

Four people were killed and several more were injured when a car smashed through a building during an after-school program Monday in a town outside of Springfield, Ill., police said.

Officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. to calls about a vehicle hitting three people outside, ramming through the building and then hitting another person before exiting the other side, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said. Those killed were between the ages of 4 and 18, Illinois State Police said in an emailed statement.

Several other people were hurt and taken to hospitals, police said.

The driver, who was uninjured, was the sole occupant of the vehicle, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Tarter said.

Most of N.J. wildfire contained

Three-fourths of a vast wildfire in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens has been contained, state officials said Monday.

The state Forest Fire Service said the blaze in southern New Jersey’s Ocean County had grown to nearly 24 square miles but was 75% contained. No deaths or injuries have been reported, though several buildings and vehicles have been destroyed. A 19-year-old man from Waretown is charged with arson. Prosecutors say Joseph Kling set wood pallets on fire and left the area before putting them out.

The Office of the Public Defender, representing King, said he’s “presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law.”

Man charged in Noem purse theft

A man accused of stealing a purse from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was charged Monday in federal court with aggravated identity theft, robbery and fraud.

Video captured Mario Bustamante Leiva taking Noem’s purse while she dined at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., on April 20 under the protection of Secret Service, investigators said. He later used Noem’s stolen credit cards to buy over $200 in food and alcohol at a different restaurant, according to a Secret Service agent’s affidavit.

Police and federal agents arrested Bustamante Leiva on Saturday. Court records didn’t list an attorney representing him.

The agent’s affidavit doesn’t name Noem, but the information in court records matches details of the theft from her. Bustamante Leiva, 49. also is suspected of stealing purses from two other people at other restaurants earlier this month, the affidavit says. He used a credit card stolen from one of the women to buy wine at a grocery store, the agent wrote.

Bustamante Leiva appeared to be “acting in concert” with a second suspect during one of the thefts, according to the affidavit.

— From news services