Politics

Nov. 8 — George Bush is elected President. Within days, FBI begins background check of his leading candidate for defense secretary, John Tower. The probe focuses on allegations of excessive drinking, womanizing and ties to the defense industry. Dec. 16–Bush ends weeks of speculation by announcing Tower’s nomination, saying the long investigation cleared Tower of … Read more

As concerns over human trafficking build nationwide, a California coalition is pushing what appears to be the most comprehensive state effort to combat forced labor. Proposed legislation that goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee today would make human trafficking a felony offense in California and enable victims to sue their captors in state court years … Read more

Former President Trump gestures as he is introduced for a town hall event at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Mich., on Tuesday. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Former President Trump on Tuesday made his first public appearance since Sunday’s second apparent assassination attempt against him, with an overflow crowd chanting, “God bless Trump!” and … Read more

Voters leave a precinct in Sun City West, Ariz., after casting their ballots in the state’s primary election in July. (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press) The ability of nearly 100,000 Arizonans to vote in state and local elections is headed to court after election officials said they discovered an error in their system last … Read more

A congressman and a state assemblyman who have long been political allies have lashed out at each other in a dispute over how much of a Monterey Park dump site belongs on the federal Superfund list. Rep. Matthew G. Martinez (D-Monterey Park) has accused Assemblyman Charles M. Calderon (D-Alhambra) of spreading misinformation and acting irresponsibly … Read more

Vice President Kamala Harris is interviewed by members of the National Assn. of Black Journalists on Tuesday in Philadelphia. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday called former President Trump’s false claims that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are stealing and eating pets “a crying shame” and sharply criticized her opponent for … Read more

Donald Trump speaks to the Las Vegas Police Protective Assn. on Sept. 14, 2024. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) Robert A. Pape, a political scientist who studies political violence, has little doubt that former President Trump has made more incendiary comments than Vice President Kamala Harris. The problem, however, is what his research tells him: … Read more

On the heels of a $44-million computer snafu at the state Department of Motor Vehicles, the legislative analyst warned Tuesday that a lack of adequate management controls over state computer systems is producing duplication and waste that undermines the state’s $1-billion-a-year computer investment. The report says that the $44 million for a Department of Motor … Read more

President Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. HBO’s “Stopping the Steal” follows Trump’s attempts to subvert the election, leading up to the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. (Evan Vucci / AP) Getting folks to watch a documentary about the Big Lie is a Big Ask. Who wants to relive that horrible chapter in America’s political history, … Read more

Nine bills that Gov. Pete Wilson intended to veto will become law because the governor’s staff left the measures on a Capitol copying machine, failing to deliver them on time to the offices of the Assembly and Senate, Wilson’s office acknowledged Tuesday. Several measures are technical in nature, but a few bills are significant, including … Read more