Politics

Once shunned, people convicted of felonies find more employers open to hiring them In the 25 years that U.S. Rubber Recycling in Colton, Calif., has been grinding up old tires to create new products, its sales have never ballooned so fast as during the COVID-19 pandemic. As countless fitness centers closed, and millions of people … Read more

Cory Booker’s unremitting optimism, wonkish attraction to big ideas and, of course, his background as a community organizer have long drawn comparisons to another pioneering African American lawmaker who went on to bigger things: Barack Obama. Whether Booker can ultimately harness it all as successfully as Obama did is about to be tested. On Friday, … Read more

At the end of a low-key and lackluster campaign, Democratic Gov. Mark White and former Republican Gov. Bill Clements fended off challenges from lesser-known opponents Saturday, taking comfortable leads in the Texas gubernatorial primaries and setting up an expected grudge match for the state’s top job. Victories by both White and Clements would avert a … Read more

Apathy and Democratic overconfidence nearly cost California Gov. Gray Davis, left, reelection in 2002, and he was recalled the next year. Current Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat, faces similar challenges as he fights a September recall attempt. (Associated Press) In 2002, running for reelection, California Gov. Gray Davis faced a hapless Republican opponent by … Read more

In a report to be presented today to President Bush and congressional leaders, former President Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III are recommending a widespread overhaul of election practices to make it easier for Americans to vote and to guarantee that their votes are counted. Seeking to overcome the flaws that … Read more

Solar panels on the roof of Mandalay Bay Convention Center on the Las Vegas Strip. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) For the latest episode of the “Boiling Point” podcast, I invited two of the most prominent voices in California’s long-running rooftop solar debate to hash out their differences. The result helped explain … Read more

The heartburn that a prospective Donald Trump presidential bid gives to other Republican candidates will now be delivered on a weekly basis. The bombastic real estate mogul will now be joining the morning show “Fox and Friends” every Monday, the program announced. “The Donald now makes his voice loud and clear every Monday on Fox,” … Read more

Vice President Al Gore acknowledged Sunday a “miscommunication” in leading reporters to believe he and his wife were the model for the ‘70s romance novel “Love Story.” The author, Erich Segal, told the New York Times he was “befuddled” by the comments. He said he called Gore, who told him it was a misunderstanding. On … Read more

A sign is removed from the former Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City, N.J., in October 2014. The casino closed the previous month. (Wayne Parry / Associated Press) At Evo Restaurant in the now-closed Trump Plaza casino here, white linen and dusty water glasses are still set on the tables, as if someone expected, any … Read more

Starting Tuesday night, as Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election started coming into focus, anguished questions flooded social media: Could Trump overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide? Could he abolish same-sex marriages? Could he increase deportations? How about global warming? Could Trump pull out of U.S. agreements on … Read more