Politics

Donald Trump has made opposition to multilateral trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement and the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership a staple of his case against Hillary Clinton. And he quickly took the conversation there Monday. He says she supported the former, which the U.S. entered into during her husband’s administration, and the latter, … Read more

Andrew Yang shakes the hand of a supporter after making his final pitch ahead of the Iowa Democratic caucuses, the first test for the crowded field of 2020 presidential hopefuls. (Tyrone Beason / Los Angeles Times) Just as Andrew Yang winds up to his closing pitch to an audience that’s packed a social hall in … Read more

24 days left to register to vote before the May 7 deadline. 53 days left until the June 5 primary election. Gender: Now that a woman stands in serious contention for the governorship of California, the buzz is all about gender and Dianne Feinstein and women in politics. Consider this one: Robert Shrum is the … Read more

Backers of Proposition 65, the anti-toxics initiative on the Nov. 4 ballot, say their purpose is to turn the current system for regulating hazardous chemicals upside down. The history of regulating toxic substances, they say, is a pathetic tale of paralysis by government and industry, largely because no one has had any incentive to move … Read more

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) walks through the U.S. Capitol in Washington in February. The junior senator is among the congressional Democrats fighting to close a Medicaid coverage gap that left millions of Americans without healthcare because several states refused to embrace Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Pres) For … Read more

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrates with Noelle Hunter, center, at an election night party in Louisville, Ky. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Ask Mitch McConnell’s campaign what helped secure the Kentucky senator’s reelection, and they’ll give a surprising amount of credit to a two-time Obama voter. And no, not Alison Lundergan Grimes. It … Read more

Reporting from Washington and Los Angeles — A long-sought new federal courthouse for downtown Los Angeles, delayed for years by cost concerns and disputes over its size, could become an early casualty of the congressional drive to reduce the budget deficit. A bill by Rep. Jeff Denham, a Republican from California’s Central Valley, would put … Read more

Since 1991, the auto and steel industries have given $5.7 million in campaign contributions and Congress has repeatedly voted not to impose tougher car fuel-efficiency standards. Makers of brand-name drugs contributed $18.6 million and Congress allowed them to hold on longer to their lucrative patents. In the 1996 election cycle, the tobacco industry gave $9.8 … Read more

A vehicle travels along the U.S. side of the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Ariz. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press) The picture of who will be in charge of executing President-elect Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration and border policies has come into sharper focus after he announced his picks to head Customs and Border Protection and … Read more

Gov. Jerry Brown hands a copy of a bail bill he signed to state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, along with Assemblyman Rob Bonta, right. Also seen are Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, left, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, left, and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP) California Gov. Jerry Brown has … Read more