Politics

When Joseph E. Schmitz took over as the Pentagon’s inspector general in 2002, the largest watchdog organization in the federal government was under fire for failing to fully investigate a senior official, falsifying internal documents and mistreating whistle-blowers. He publicly pledged to clean it up. Three years later, similar accusations now surround Schmitz. For the … Read more

Drivers protest in front of the Uber Greenlight Hub in Los Angeles in 2024. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) In early 2020, thousands of drivers — led by Southern California advocacy group Rideshare Drivers United — filed claims with the state against Uber and Lyft. They alleged the companies had illegally treated them as … Read more

Three front-runners to fill the Supreme Court seat to be vacated by retiring John Paul Stevens are distinguished not just by their legal credentials but by qualities designed to appeal to particular political constituencies. One of them, Diane Wood, has strong appeal for liberals. The other two, Elena Kagan and Merrick Garland, could attract support … Read more

In this Nov. 6, 2014, file photo Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia speaks in Washington. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) The late Justice Antonin Scalia left a long legacy on the Supreme Court, from his devotion to originalism to his sharp-tongued rhetoric. But the enthusiastic hunter and fisherman also set a precedent of sorts on how to take … Read more

As he rejected a bipartisan compromise to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, President Trump asked participants in an Oval Office meeting Thursday why the United States should accept immigrants from “shithole countries” in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean, according to two people briefed on the meeting. “What do we want Haitians here for?” … Read more

Kaley Cuoco (Jason Merritt / Getty Images for NARAS) (Jason Merritt / Getty Images for NARAS) Some of California’s top celebrities got a surprise when the Los Angeles Times informed their representatives they were members of the ultraconservative American Independent Party.  The Times investigation revealed a majority of people in the party, which opposes abortion … Read more

Roger W. Johnson, the high-tech executive who jolted Orange County Republicans when he broke ranks and endorsed Democratic candidate Bill Clinton in last year’s campaign, was named by the President on Monday to head the General Services Agency. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Johnson will become the first Republican to hold a top … Read more

Members of the group Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust pose in front of the Beverly Hills sign last summer, as part of their campaign against the city’s highly specialized DuPont Clinic. (Courtesy of Survivors LA) The city of Beverly Hills is seeking more than $400,000 in legal fees from an abortion provider who accused officials … Read more

Law enforcement massed at Loma Linda University Medical Center on March 12 after false reports of a gunman in the facility’s Children’s Hospital. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Earlier this month, the Claremont Police Department received a chilling 911 report: A caller said they were holding someone captive inside a Claremont McKenna College restroom, … Read more

Rep. David Valadao of Hanford, seen here standing in a farm field in 2022, is among the GOP members of Congress from California who are being targeted by Democrats in next year’s midterm election. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Four California Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are on the target list of … Read more