Politics

It is one of the many oddities of California law that in order to pass a state budget or raise taxes, the Legislature must win two-thirds approval in both houses. This unusual “supermajority” rule is a big part of the reason the Legislature has missed the legal deadline for a new state budget in 16 … Read more

For three years, John Huang loomed as the central figure in the 1996 Democratic campaign fund-raising controversy triggered by millions of dollars in tainted contributions to help reelect President Clinton. And for three years, Huang has had virtually nothing to say in public. That changed Wednesday when a low-key and respectful Huang appeared before a … Read more

Negative campaigning isn’t working any more, at least not for George Bush. Four years ago, he questioned his opponent’s character and patriotism, hammered at the trust issue and said virtually nothing about what he’d do as President. And it worked. Now, running the same campaign, the President is miserably far behind. The difference isn’t just … Read more

President Biden speaks to allies from the East Room of the White House on Friday during a virtual Munich Security Conference. (Associated Press) President Biden tried to reassure U.S. allies Friday that he is turning the page on his predecessor’s “America first” approach, and restoring a foreign policy that values cooperation with the world’s major … Read more

U.S. Marines in southern Iraq in March 2003. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) Matthew Hoh was a 28-year-old Marine captain assigned to the Pentagon in late 2002, just as President George W. Bush was laying the groundwork for war in Iraq. Like many of his generation, Hoh was steeled in his patriotism by the … Read more

Paddy McGuire, Democratic Mason County auditor, left, greets Republican challenger Steve Duenkel at a candidates forum Oct. 13 in Shelton, Wash., as county Commissioner Sharon Trask looks on. Duenkel, who espouses baseless election fraud claims, won the election. (John Froschauer / Associated Press) As voting experts were cheering the losses of election conspiracy theorists in … Read more

The ruling was a victory for President Trump, as the court set aside the orders of judges in Washington who said the administration had overstepped its power. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The Supreme Court ruled Monday the Trump administration may use a wartime law to deport alleged members of a foreign crime gang, but … Read more

During Gray Davis’ term as governor, California’s state budget has gone from a record surplus to a record deficit. When the state treasury was flush with cash, the governor and lawmakers from both political parties pushed state spending to new heights. In part, that money was spent to expand programs — especially in education — … Read more

Presidential candidate Donald Trump, left, and vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance react to a speech during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Former President Trump’s top rivals in the Republican Party lined up behind the 2024 nominee on Tuesday, promising he would “make America safe again” from violent … Read more

President Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on Monday. (Associated Press) Mixed messages on trade from the Trump administration threw markets into further turbulence on Monday, leaving investors, foreign governments and the president’s own allies desperate for an offramp from a dramatic increase in global tariffs scheduled to go … Read more