Politics

Thomas J. Barrack Jr. drew worldwide attention for bailing out Michael Jackson when the singer’s Neverland Ranch was on the brink of foreclosure. A couple years later, Barrack’s purchase of Miramax studios with actor Rob Lowe and other partners vaulted him into the Hollywood elite. Barrack was chairman of Miramax for six years. Now, Barrack’s … Read more

San Francisco lawyer Harmeet Dhillon delivered a Sikh prayer at the start of Tuesday’s session of the Republican National Convention. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) When Harmeet Dhillon first ran for vice chairwoman of the California GOP, rivals whispered that the Indian-born Sikh would slaughter a goat at the lectern. On Tuesday … Read more

Mike Sexton is white and a Republican who lives in an affluent suburb of Fort Worth, where many neighbors back President Trump and some work in law enforcement. Rage wells up in his voice as he says that George Floyd, a Black man, was “basically lynched.” Shawn Ashmore is an independent who lives nearby in … Read more

Rep. Katie Porter expresses no regrets over her unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate and says her endorsement of former rival Adam B. Schiff is wholehearted and sincere. She won’t rule out another try for political office, but has no immediate plans to run. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Katie Porter is seated at Starbucks, … Read more

Former President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama look at her official White House portrait during its unveiling Wednesday. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Historically, former presidents and first ladies return to the White House during their successor’s term for the official unveiling of their portraits. That didn’t happen over President Trump’s four years … Read more

Elon Musk, who has turned the former Twitter into a fount of misinformation, joined former President Trump onstage in Butler, Pa., last weekend for an awkward moment seen round the world. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) Multibillionaires are eccentric. It’s common knowledge, like water is wet, fire is hot, “Joker: Folie à Deux” is a … Read more

Beset by differences within the Republican Party, presidential candidate Bob Dole and his advisors are now quietly struggling over what he should say about China, one of the main foreign policy issues of the 1996 campaign. Dole has been invited to give a keynote address about Asia policy later this month at ceremonies at the … Read more

Members of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol meet on Capitol Hill on July 27, 2021. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The Republican chairman of the House subcommittee examining last year’s Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection hearings said last week that some of the evidence gathered for the … Read more

Bad Bunny and other celebrities signaled support for Kamala Harris after a comedian made offensive remarks about Puerto Rico at Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at Madison Square Garden. (Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press) Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny signaled his support for Vice President Kamala Harris Sunday, sharing a video clip of Harris’ … Read more

A homeless encampment outside the West L.A. Veterans Affairs facilities in August 2021. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether homeless people have a constitutional right to camp on public property when they have no other place to sleep. Acting on appeals from city officials in California and … Read more