Politics

Michael A. Brown, son of the late Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown, pleaded guilty Thursday to the misdemeanor charge of making $4,000 in illegal contributions to Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s 1994 reelection campaign. In what he described in a prepared statement as a “mistake,” Brown, 32, admitted making twice the legal limit of contributions … Read more

South Sudanese soldiers patrol in Juba, the capital, on Feb. 13. (Brian Inganga / Associated Press) The United States once cheered the creation of South Sudan as an independent nation. Now the Trump administration has abruptly revoked the visas of all South Sudanese, saying the country’s government has failed to accept the return of its … Read more

Every day, the borders that separate America from the rest of the world continue to dissolve. The last few weeks’ headlines have been an extended testimonial to this interdependence. Our stake in the world economy was dramatized early last week when industry analysts reported that in 2003, foreign auto manufacturers captured a larger share of … Read more

Assemblywoman Sheila Kuehl, a onetime television actor, talked about losing a TV series because she was gay and “the horror that’s involved in knowing you will be the target of discrimination.” Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) cited his bisexual brother, who died of AIDS, in urging his colleagues to put an end to gay-bashing. An anguished … Read more

Rep. Jim Nussle stood in the ornate House chamber earlier this year explaining how the federal budget process works to a group of wide-eyed high school seniors who had been chosen as the nation’s young leaders of tomorrow. “I told them it is very simple,” recalled Nussle (R-Iowa), the youngest member of Congress at 31. … Read more

As a candidate in 2016, Donald Trump speaks with farmers in Boynton Beach, Fla. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Moving to offset the impact his trade war has had on rural America, President Trump has bypassed Congress to send some $20 billion in aid to farmers, mostly going to a bundle of states that are … Read more

President Bush’s first surgeon general testified Tuesday that his speeches were censored to match administration political positions and that he was prevented from giving the public accurate scientific information on issues such as stem cell research and teen pregnancy prevention. “Anything that doesn’t fit into the political appointees’ ideological, theological or political agenda is ignored, … Read more

Under Trump, Texas firm pushes to restart Santa Barbara oil drilling. Is it skirting California laws? More than 50 years ago, a catastrophic oil spill along Santa Barbara’s coastline served to galvanize the modern environmental movement and also helped to usher in one of the state’s strongest conservation laws: the California Coastal Act. Now, as … Read more

The mega-prison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (Salvador Melendez / Associated Press) Last month, President Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law giving him immense powers to deport noncitizens in a time of war. His use of that law was aimed at Tren de Aragua, a … Read more

A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a sign near attendees of President Biden’s fundraiser Saturday night at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times) As former President Trump’s motorcade coursed through Beverly Hills, Newport Beach and San Francisco last week, packs of MAGA hat-wearing, flag-waving fans lined the posh streets and … Read more