Politics

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) arrives to speak before Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) at a campaign event on Nov. 4 in Atlanta. (John Bazemore / Associated Press) The swift sinking of former Rep. Matt Gaetz as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general showed Thursday that Republicans are still capable of finding fault with Trump’s choices, … Read more

Rep.-elect Sarah McBride of Delaware leaves a meeting of House Democrats on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press) House Speaker Mike Johnson declared Wednesday that lawmakers and staff will have to use restrooms corresponding with their biological sex, a statement directed at Sarah McBride, the first transgender person to be elected to … Read more

President-elect Donald Trump’s famous hostility to media outlets that criticize him has raised trepidation about his choice for FCC chief. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President-elect Trump’s nomination of Brendan Carr as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is bringing both hope and fear to the media industry. For media executives, the hope … Read more

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at NHTI Concord Community College in October in Concord, N.H. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press) The Senate on Wednesday rejected attempts by Sen. Bernie Sandersto block sales of offensive weapons to Israel for its war in Gaza over mounting civilian deaths there. The Vermont lawmaker and a small group of … Read more

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida emerges from a meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members at the Capitol on Wednesday. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast … Read more

Former acting Atty. Gen. Matt Whitaker waves as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 15. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has chosen former acting Atty. Gen. Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO, the … Read more

Boichik Bagels employee Iris Gonzalez holds a pumpernickel bagel with lox and a tomato slice at the Boichik factory in Berkeley on Nov. 14. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times) I’m having trouble tearing my eyes from the bagel-making machines — the industrial device that rolls the dough into the perfect shape, round with a … Read more

There’s plenty of evidence in recent memory to back up the conclusion that Congress seems allergic to most tough votes. And few topics are more politically combustible than illegal immigration. With that in mind, mark your calendars for early March. That’s when some 800,000 American residents — none of whom are citizens — lose their … Read more

Daniel Lurie, center, ran for mayor as a change agent, saying revitalizing San Francisco requires a new approach to political leadership. (Jeff Chiu / AP) In his victory speech three days after winning election, surrounded by hundreds of supporters in Chinatown, mayor-elect Daniel Lurie declared a new day in San Francisco. “Your call for accountable … Read more

Mark Ridley-Thomas at an interfaith service in March 2023 before his criminal trial. On Nov. 21, 2024, his lawyers will argue before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in their long quest to overturn the jury’s guilty verdict on corruption charges (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) For more than three decades, Mark Ridley-Thomas … Read more