Politics

Jon Huntsman, to quote one Eric Clapton, has a rock ‘n’ roll heart. “My initial passion in life was to be a rock ‘n’ roll musician,” the possible GOP presidential candidate told graduates at the University of South Carolina–an early primary state if you’re scoring at home–on Saturday. “In my late teens you wouldn’t have … Read more

Kamala Harris waves while boarding Air Force Two Sunday in Los Angeles. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press) Vice President Kamala Harris wrapped up her final California fundraising swing before the November general election on Sunday at a star-studded event in downtown Los Angeles. Donors were asked to contribute between $500 and $250,000 to attend … Read more

A governor candidate forum is held by the National Union of Healthcare Workers on Sunday in San Francisco. Former state Controller Betty Yee, left, California Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and state Sen. Toni Atkins participated in the event. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) Four of the top Democrats … Read more

Doctors from the Alabama Fertility Clinic take photos of the votes as state lawmakers in Montgomery vote on an IVF bill in March. (Butch Dill / Associated Press) Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Sunday that requires large health insurance companies to cover in vitro fertilization — a win for reproductive health advocates amid … Read more

Gov. Gavin Newsom, photographed here during an interview in 2022. (Ana Ramirez/The San Diego Union-Tribune) Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed SB 1047, an artificial intelligence safety bill that would have established requirements for developers of advanced AI models to create protocols aimed at preventing catastrophes. The bill, introduced by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), … Read more

Former President Trump speaks at a campaign event Saturday in Prairie du Chien, Wis. (Morry Gash / Associated Press) Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump’s latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her “mentally disabled.” Trump escalated his personal attacks … Read more

When the history of presidential politics is written, the laugh’s on Dan Quayle. At least in New Hampshire. A quiz prepared for each and every fourth-grader in the Granite State, part of the curriculum celebrating New Hampshire’s lead primary, asks this question: “Do you know the name of the senator from Indiana [that George Bush] … Read more

A demonstrator holds a sign at the California Republican Party Convention in Anaheim in 2023. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press) Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a right to abortion in 2022, providers across California have seen an increase in protests outside their clinics and have scrambled to increase security measures, lobbying cities to … Read more

JD Vance and Tim Walz will debate Tuesday night. (J. Scott Applewhite / Gene Puskar / Associated Press) Many voters know little about Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the men selected to be one heartbeat away from the presidency. That’s not uncommon for vice presidential candidates, who rarely have a major … Read more

A fly that rested on Vice President Mike Pence’s head is probably the thing most remember about his match-up with Kamala Harris — which, like every other vice presidential debate, had no bearing on the outcome of the White House race. (Associated Press) There is no end of put-downs that attach to the job of … Read more