Politics

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, last month. (Anupam Nath / Associated Press) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used a speech at West Point to forcefully endorse having women in combat roles and emphasize the military’s obligation to defend the U.S. Constitution — ideals some fear may come … Read more

A nagging task for President Clinton in 1994 is repair of his credibility as a commander respected by veterans and the military; otherwise, how will he manage armed confrontations in Korea, Eastern Europe or other trouble spots? A President whose decisions show that he, his wife and other closer advisers still loathe the military is … Read more

Re “Compton Latinos Still on Outside Looking In,” April 16: There are 88 cities in Los Angeles County, well over 90% of which are politically and economically controlled by white people. Because of the increase in the Latino population over a short span of time, many Hispanics remain underrepresented, in both appointed and elected civil … Read more

California raw milk producer says RFK Jr. has encouraged him to apply for FDA position Mark McAfee, the California raw milk producer who has been at the center of several bird flu-related product recalls, says a transition team for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has encouraged him to apply for a position at the Food and … Read more

Adam Gray, shown in 2023 at UC Merced, was elected to a House seat in the Central Valley by 187 votes. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times) Hi, and happy Thursday. There are 46 days until President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, but hey, who’s counting? Well, we are. And, it seems, Gov. Gavin Newsom is too. … Read more

Contributions to the Treasury Department’s MyRA program can be made through direct deposit from a paycheck or a banking account. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the department is emphasizing the program in hopes that people will use some of their tax returns to begin saving for retirement. (J. David Ake / Associated Press) A recent … Read more

An investigative panel of the House Armed Services Committee has begun a probe into administrative problems at the Pentagon’s main business office in Southern California, which has been late in paying its bills to thousands of defense contractors. A House staff member investigating the agency, known as the Defense Contract Administration Service, said the subcommittee … Read more

The state Legislature’s actions in the past week should mark a watershed in California’s power crisis–a point at which the state is beginning to gain control over the situation. But much of the most complex and difficult work remains to be done, and it will not get any easier for politicians who are hard pressed … Read more

In some ways, Barack Obama’s speech on race last week was as brilliant as it was nuanced. But for all its rhetorical beauty, it was also an enormous step backward and, in the end, a rather self-serving call for more discussion about racial grievance in a country that has already done way too much talking. … Read more

Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Trump’s nominee for Labor secretary, tours a union factory in October during her unsuccessful reelection campaign (Mark Z. Barabak/Los Angeles Times) Dear readers: Hang on to your hats. I’m about to praise Donald Trump for one of his Cabinet nominees. She’s Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), who will be the nominee … Read more