Trump has pardoned 10 men; who are they?
By Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times
May 23, 2019
The ability to grant pardons is among a president’s most unchecked powers. Pardons have corrected injustices, and they’ve caused outrage. But historians consider some of President Donald Trump’s pardons among the most controversial ever granted. Experts say many of his pardons follow a pattern...
This Memorial Day, veterans take on another threat: rising cancer deaths in the ranks
By Tara Copp, McClatchy Washington Bureau
May 23, 2019
WASHINGTON — On Memorial Day 2013, Coleen Bowman was a new widow. Her husband had died four months earlier and she wanted support to face that first military holiday of remembrance. So she registered for TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and spent the weekend with hundreds of other ...
Bernhardt’s schedules show undisclosed contacts with industry
By Jacob Holzman, CQ-Roll Call
April 8, 2019
Recently posted versions of acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s daily schedules contain at least 260 differences from his original schedules, with the newest records showing meetings previously described as “external” or “internal” were actually with representatives of fossil fuel, ti...
Week ahead: Barr testifying on DOJ budget, likely to get grilled about Mueller report
By Lindsey McPherson, CQ-Roll Call
April 8, 2019
All eyes will be on the House and Senate Appropriations committees this week, but not necessarily because of President Donald Trump's fiscal 2020 budget blueprint. Attorney General William P. Barr is scheduled to testify Tuesday in the House and Wednesday in the Senate about the Justice Department's...
US labels Iran’s Guard Corps as terrorists, boosting pressure
By Nick Wadhams and Margaret Talev, Bloomberg News
April 8, 2019
The Trump administration designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps a "foreign terrorist organization" on Monday, a move aimed at further isolating Tehran that could end up complicating U.S. alliances with Iraq and Lebanon. "We will continue to increase financial pressure and raise the costs on the...
Trump’s lawyers ask US appeals court to end emoluments lawsuit
By Andrew Harris, Bloomberg News
March 19, 2019
Donald Trump, as president and a private citizen, asked a federal appeals court to put an end to lawsuits challenging his ability to make money from his Washington hotel even if some of the revenue comes from other governments. Democratic attorneys general from the District of Columbia and Maryland say...
Supreme Court upholds government’s authority to detain and deport immigrants for past crimes
By David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times
March 19, 2019
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Trump administration’s power to arrest and hold legal immigrants indefinitely if they had past crimes on their records that could trigger deportation, even if they served their time years ago or were convicted of minor drug offenses. The justices, by a 5-4 vo...
Michael Cohen files suit against Trump Organization over legal fees
By Larry McShane, New York Daily News
March 7, 2019
Longtime Trump fixer Michael Cohen is ready to bite the hand that wouldn't cover his legal costs. Cohen, in a Manhattan Supreme Court filing, charged Thursday that the Trump Organization reneged on a July 2017 agreement to cover his attorneys' fees and costs in connection with the lawyer's legal representation...
White House prepares for Robert Mueller’s report — whatever it says
By Noah Bierman and Chris Megerian, Los Angeles Times
March 7, 2019
The White House made a quiet but notable personnel change a few weeks ago, moving a veteran staff attorney to a press office that is preparing a response to the much-anticipated final report from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, whatever it says, whenever it comes. The transfer of Steven Groves...
Midwestern populist Sen. Sherrod Brown decides against running for president
By Janet Hook and Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times
March 7, 2019
Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Ohio progressive who offered Democrats high hopes of recapturing voters in the Midwest, announced Thursday he would not be running for president. "I will keep calling out Donald Trump and his phony populism," Brown said in a statement. "I will keep fighting for all workers...
As the Democratic Party moves left, can Sanders still stand out?
By Alex Roarty, McClatchy Washington Bureau
February 27, 2019
WASHINGTON — Bernie Sanders’ boundary-pushing policy agenda defined the septuagenarian senator as a fresh, revolutionary candidate to legions of young and progressive supporters, helping carry him to unexpected success in his first try for the presidency. He won’t have it as easy the second time a...
Fired-up Iowans want a winner but disagree on who can beat Trump
By John McCormick, Sahil Kapur and Emma Kinery, Bloomberg News
February 27, 2019
The deep desire among Democrats to beat President Donald Trump in 2020 is filling the chairs in Iowa homes and meeting halls as candidates parade through the state. Even though the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses won’t be held for another 11 months, large and energetic crowds more typical o...
Second TV journalist, Telemundo’s Daniel Garrido, is abducted and detained in Venezuela
By Meg James, Los Angeles Times
February 26, 2019
A second television journalist working for a U.S. media outlet was abducted and detained for several hours Tuesday in Caracas, Venezuela. The correspondent, Daniel Garrido, was later released. Garrido is the Venezuela correspondent for Telemundo, the Spanish-language network owned by media giant NBCUniversal....
No military threat at southern border, top US general says
By Patrick Kelley, CQ-Roll Call
February 26, 2019
The U.S. military commander tasked with defending North America said Tuesday that there is no military threat at the southern border, where President Donald Trump has deployed troops to assist law enforcement in stemming illegal border crossings. "It is not a military threat," Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy,...
House passes resolution overturning Trump’s border emergency declaration
By Sarah D. Wire, Los Angeles Times
February 26, 2019
The House's approval Tuesday of a resolution to override President Donald Trump's emergency declaration at the southern border sets up a difficult vote for Senate Republicans. Three Republican senators have said they plan to support the resolution, just one shy of the four GOP votes needed to pass...
Trump-Kim Summit rekindles dream of Korean rail link with Asia
By Kyunghee Park and Youkyung Lee, Bloomberg News
February 22, 2019
At South Korea's northernmost train station, the tracks stop abruptly ahead of the demilitarized zone that marks the North Korean border. A sign reads: "The steel horse wants to run." That may soon become a reality as U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un prepare for a second summit...
Rep. Steve King says he has been cyberbullied
By Emily Kopp, CQ-Roll Call
February 22, 2019
Rep. Steve King was defiant in an interview with Iowa public television this week, insisting he won't apologize for the racist remarks and actions that cost him all of his committee assignments and endangered his reelection. "I have nothing to apologize for," King told a roundtable of reporters on...
Democrats embrace tax-the-rich label after years of ducking it
By Laura Davison, Bloomberg News
February 22, 2019
Some of the top Democratic presidential candidates are trying to make a name for themselves by calling for higher taxes on the wealthy. And for some wealthy donors, that's not a problem. Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont are focusing their 2020 campaigns on trendy...
In Syria, US-backed militia trying to evacuate civilians trapped by Islamic State
By Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times
February 19, 2019
A U.S.-backed militia has sent trucks to the edge of Islamic State's dwindling territory in eastern Syria to evacuate hundreds of civilians as well as surrendering fighters, many of them foreign-born, commanders said Tuesday. About 200 families remain trapped in Islamic State's last remaining slice...
‘Incompetence and malfeasance’ led to voter suppression effort, Stacey Abrams says
By William Douglas, McClatchy Washington Bureau
February 19, 2019
Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams told a congressional subcommittee examining ways to boost voting rights that a toxic combination of "incompetence and malfeasance" led to a systemic voter suppression effort in Georgia. "Incompetence and malfeasance operates in tandem...
Bowing to Congress, Trump scales back proposed space force
By David S. Cloud, Los Angeles Times
February 19, 2019
Bowing to bipartisan concerns in Congress, President Donald Trump retreated Tuesday from his plan to create an independent space force in the Pentagon, proposing instead to consolidate the military's space operations and personnel in the Air Force. The scaled-down plan would still establish a new...
Supreme Court weighs census question that could undercut California’s power
By David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times
February 15, 2019
The Supreme Court meets behind closed doors Friday to weigh a question that could shape the political power of California for the decade ahead. At issue is the Trump administration's plan to ask all households for the first time since 1950 whether occupants are U.S. citizens. State officials and...
Trump’s take on trade echoes Ocasio-Cortez’s brand of socialism
By Shawn Donnan, Bloomberg News
February 15, 2019
On the face of it, self-declared socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Donald Trump have little in common when it comes to economic policy. He's been cutting taxes. She wants the rich to pay more. He wants more coal-fired power plants. She has plans for a Green New Deal. And then there's trade. Trump...
Venezuela’s opposition acts like a government and makes plea for money
By Franco Ordonez, McClatchy Washington Bureau
February 15, 2019
In a display of their ability to act as a government, several Venezuelan opposition leaders traveled to Washington on Thursday to share first steps of their plan to lead the country out of its humanitarian crisis, and to ask the international community for money to do it. It's the first time the government...
Hearts are heavy, attendance is light at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
By Colleen Wright, Miami Herald
February 15, 2019
Just like last year, it was a beautifully sunny, crisp Valentine's Day in Parkland. There were media trucks lined up like a train for half a mile. Students, parents, teachers held each other. They were still trying to make sense of why a former student would carry out the deadliest school shooting...
Even in best-case scenario, opioid overdose deaths will keep rising until 2022
By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
February 11, 2019
In the nation's opioid epidemic, the carnage is far from over. A new projection of opioid overdose death rates suggests that even if there is steady progress in reducing prescription narcotics abuse nationwide, the number of fatal overdoses _ which reached 47,600 in 2017 _ will rise sharply in the...
With clock ticking on another potential government shutdown, Trump blames Democrats
By Laura King, Los Angeles Times
February 11, 2019
President Donald Trump sought Sunday to pre-emptively cast blame on Democrats if an impasse over his demand for a border wall leads to a second partial government shutdown this week. Stopgap funding for about one-third of the government is due to expire at midnight Friday, and congressional negotiations...
‘No wiggle room’ to deny request for Trump’s tax returns, expert says
By Doug Sword, CQ-Roll Call
February 8, 2019
Lawmakers heard from an expert Thursday who said there is "no wiggle room" for the Treasury secretary to deny a request for President Donald Trump's tax returns from one of the tax committees. A refusal to provide the tax returns would be "uncharted territory," said George K. Yin, a professor at the...
Family separation blasted by both parties at oversight hearing
By Chris Cioffi, CQ-Roll Call
February 8, 2019
Democrats on a House subcommittee demanded answers Thursday from Health and Human Services officials regarding how many children were actually separated from parents during the "zero tolerance" policy last spring at the southern border, after a report found that thousands more children could have been...
How the Green New Deal is shaping the race for president
By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times
February 8, 2019
Even as climate change has rapidly evolved from an abstract threat to a tangible crisis, political candidates have struggled to make it a central focus of campaigns dominated by more immediate voter concerns. Now, the political conversation is catching up. Climate change issues, and more specifically...
‘Mr. President, get real:’ Democrats reject Trump’s alarm about socialism
By Lindsey McPherson, CQ-Roll Call
February 6, 2019
Republican efforts to label the Democratic Party as socialists reached a new level Tuesday night as President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to further that partisan message — prompting groans and grimaces from Democrats. “We are alarmed by the new calls to adopt socialism in ou...
Q&A: Howard Schultz may run for president, and some folks are steaming mad about it
By Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times
February 6, 2019
Howard Schultz, who turned Starbucks into an international hot-beverage behemoth, is brewing up a possible run for president, and, no, that’s not the last bad coffee pun you will hear between now and when he decides. The Seattle billionaire announced he was exploring a possible 2020 run as an indep...
Harris and Warren gain early 2020 edge with nomination calendar
By Sahil Kapur, Bloomberg News
February 6, 2019
The first contests to pick the Democrat who’ll challenge President Donald Trump in 2020 play to the strengths of Sens. Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, giving each a significant edge when voters begin winnowing the field of contenders. Both are talented fundraisers who set down markers by jumpi...
Trump says trade deal hinges on Xi meeting
By Shawn Donnan, Andrew Mayeda and Laura Curtis, Bloomberg News
January 31, 2019
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he may soon meet with China’s Xi Jinping to finalize details of a possible trade deal as he declared negotiations in Washington were making progress. “Meetings are going well with good intent and spirit on both sides,” Trump said in a tweet Thursday....
Before, they were beaten; now Zimbabwe protesters are being shot
By Antony Sguazzin, Brian Latham and Pauline Bax, Bloomberg News
January 30, 2019
The Zimbabwean military's move to end Robert Mugabe's almost four-decade reign in 2017 sent jubilant crowds pouring into the streets of the capital hoping for better times after years of economic stagnation and repression. In the ensuing months, those dreams have been dashed. Since Emmerson Mnangagwa,...
No, this polar vortex doesn’t disprove global warming
By Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press
January 30, 2019
It's a question on many blue lips this week, as the Midwest braced for below-zero temperatures for its daily high on Wednesday: How can global warming be true when it's so cold? Even President Donald Trump, in a tweet late Tuesday, seemed to question the coexistence of climate change and an arctic...
Trump congratulates Juan Guaidó on assuming power, amid unrest in Venezuela
By John T. Bennett, CQ-Roll Call
January 30, 2019
President Donald Trump Wednesday morning spoke by phone with Juan Guaido, whom he has recognized as Venezuela's interim president, amid violence and political unrest there. Trump called Guaido to "congratulate him on his historic assumption of the presidency and to reinforce President Trump's strong...
Senate GOP unveils omnibus bill to fund wall, reopen government
By Jennifer Shutt, CQ-Roll Call
January 22, 2019
Senate Republicans have released a $354.5 billion fiscal 2019 spending package that includes $5.7 billion for border wall construction as well as temporary relief for enrollees in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and immigrants receiving Temporary Protected Status. The 1,301-page...
Giuliani compounds Trump’s Russia woes in conflicting interviews
By Shannon Pettypiece, Bloomberg News
January 22, 2019
A lawyer's job is to make a client look innocent, if not to prove it _ something President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been struggling with in recent days. In a string of interviews, Giuliani has walked back a series of potentially damaging statements where he implied there were tapes of...
The Naval Academy is deteriorating so badly, its mission to train midshipmen is under threat
By Danielle Ohl, The Capital Gazette
January 22, 2019
Leaking pipes. Moldering walls. Condemned offices and balconies. Plumbing that can't handle its load and a stormwater system dumping unfiltered rainwater into the Severn River. These aren't the issues of a long-abandoned factory. They describe the current condition of the Naval Academy. Infrastructure...
Historic southwest Atlanta church vandalized on MLK Day
By Chelsea Prince, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 22, 2019
A historic church in southwest Atlanta was found vandalized Monday while its members were celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Isaiah Waddy, the pastor of Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, told Channel 2 Action News it was the first incident of its kind in the nearly 56 years the church...
Supreme Court rules for Trump’s ban on transgender troops in the military
By David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times
January 22, 2019
The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside nationwide orders from three federal judges and ruled the Defense Department could now enforce President Donald Trump's policy that effectively bans transgender people from serving in the military. The justices acted on a 5-4 vote, over dissents by Justices Ruth...
Trump citizenship question on 2020 census blocked by court
By Bob Van Voris and Chris Dolmetsch, Bloomberg News
January 15, 2019
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's plan to put a question about citizenship on the 2020 census, which will help determine U.S. elections, congressional seats and federal funding decisions for a decade. The ruling comes after a two-week trial in Manhattan that the government sought...
Dug-in Trump to Dems: ‘Only a wall will work’ as shutdown enters 25th day
By John T. Bennett, CQ-Roll Call
January 15, 2019
A day after appearing to downplay the stature of his proposed southern border wall, President Donald Trump sent a message to congressional Democratic leaders: "Only a wall will work" as a partial government shutdown over his demands enters its 25th day. Trump sent mixed messages about his proposed...
Trump attorney general pick William Barr says Mueller is not on a ‘witch hunt’
By Del Quentin Wilber, Los Angeles Times
January 15, 2019
William P. Barr, President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, told a Senate panel Tuesday that he did not believe special counsel Robert S. Mueller III was on a "witch hunt" and said he would consult with ethics lawyers on whether he needs to step aside from supervising the probe in light of...
If Democrats are looking for fresh, new faces, why are these septuagenarian white guys so popular?
By Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times
January 10, 2019
After congressional elections in which Democrats in record numbers chose to elevate women, minority and gay candidates, casting ballots for diversity and youth in district after district, the list of presidential hopefuls most exciting to Democratic voters is a bit curious. At the top, several polls...
A $3 billion problem: Miami-Dade’s septic tanks are already failing due to sea rise
By Alex Harris, Miami Herald
January 10, 2019
Miami-Dade has tens of thousands of septic tanks, and a new report reveals most are already malfunctioning _ the smelly and unhealthy evidence of which often ends up in people's yards and homes. It's a billion-dollar problem that climate change is making worse. As sea level rise encroaches on South...
Cybersecurity may suffer as shutdown persists
By Gopal Ratnam, CQ-Roll Call
January 10, 2019
The partial government shutdown may be making some key federal departments and agencies running with skeletal staffs more vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches, experts said. Meanwhile, the House Homeland Security Committee, which oversees the Department of Homeland Security, said it remains in the...
U.S.-China trade talks end on an optimistic note, but differences remain
By Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2019
As trade talks closed on Wednesday afternoon, after continuing into an unscheduled third day, optimism boosted global stocks amid hopes that an all-out trade war might be avoided before a March 1 deadline to reach a deal. But differences remain, likely to be handled in talks between more senior officials...
Steyer sidesteps Warren’s criticism of billionaire campaigns
By John McCormick, Bloomberg News
January 9, 2019
Billionaire Tom Steyer refused to say whether he would use his own fortune to fund a potential 2020 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination ahead of a scheduled announcement about his political plans. "If you look at look at what I've done over the last six years working full-time in grassroots...
Pompeo makes unannounced visit to Iraq, hears pleas for support
By Nabih Bulos and Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times
January 9, 2019
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Wednesday made an unannounced trip to Iraq as part of his Middle East reassurance campaign, and heard pleas for more help in fighting Islamic State militants. Pompeo is attempting to explain to Arab allies President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to withdraw...
Trump attorney general pick will let Mueller finish Russia probe, Lindsey Graham says
By Niels Lesniewski, CQ-Roll Call
January 9, 2019
The incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he is confident President Donald Trump's nominee to be attorney general is committed to letting the special counsel probe led by Robert S. Mueller III run its course. William P. Barr, who previously served as attorney general during the...
Democrats sets Jan. 29 deadline for acting AG Whitaker to testify
By Griffin Connolly, CQ-Roll Call
January 9, 2019
House Democrats sent a letter Wednesday to acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker demanding that he appear before the House Judiciary Committee by Jan. 29, saying that the government shutdown is no excuse for delaying his testimony. Whitaker previously wrote to Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York...
UC San Diego starts referring to Latinos as ‘Latinx’ in cultural shift
By Gary Robbins | The San Diego Union-Tribune
December 3, 2018
The "gender specific" terms Latino and Chicano are being selectively replaced with "Latinx" and "Chicanx." The change was promoted by students, social justice activists and the LGBTQ community, which are trying to get people to look beyond conventional notions of gender, sex and appearance.
Trump seeks to end recounts in Florida’s Senate and governor elections, and alleges fraud without evidence
By Eli Stokols | Los Angeles Times
November 12, 2018
President Donald Trump on Monday called for a halt to recounts in Florida, where Republican candidates for Senate and governor lead. He alleged without evidence that Democratic candidates' gains were the result of fraud. The president's statement, in a morning tweet, contradicted Florida officials...
Calif. white supremacists vowed to ‘reimagine’ racist movements with new look, tactics
By Alene Tchekmedyian and Brittny Mejia | Los Angeles Times
October 25, 2018
From the beginning, the founders of the so-called Rise Above Movement had a goal: to reinvent what it meant to be a white nationalist. Members of the Southern California group were instructed to blend in at political rallies with polo shirts, khakis and military-style haircuts. They were told to avoid...
EPA aims to triple pace of deregulation in coming year
By Jacob Holzman | CQ-Roll Call
October 18, 2018
The Environmental Protection Agency released a plan for eliminating regulations next year that would likely dwarf its current rule-cutting pace. The agency expects to finalize approximately 30 deregulatory actions and fewer than 10 regulatory actions in fiscal 2019, according to the Trump administration's...
Study: The more equal women and men are, the less they want the same things
By Deborah Netburn | Los Angeles Times
October 18, 2018
Imagine an egalitarian society that treats women and men with equal respect, where both sexes are afforded the same opportunities, and the economy is strong. What would happen to gender differences in this utopia? Would they dissolve? The answer, according to a new study, is a resounding no. The...
Help wanted: Haley’s exit leaves White House without one of its best messengers
By Anita Kumar and Emma Dumain | McClatchy Washington Bureau
October 10, 2018
The departure of Nikki Haley, one of the most polished messengers of President Donald Trump's policy, will leave a void in a chaotic White House where, after two turbulent years, few officials remain who are trusted by Republicans of all stripes. Haley, the former governor of South Carolina who has...
Senate narrowly approves Brett Kavanaugh to Supreme Court, cementing conservative majority
By Jennifer Haberkorn | Los Angeles Times
October 8, 2018
The Senate on Saturday narrowly confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, securing a historic conservative majority on the nation's highest court after a tumultuous confirmation process marked by partisan rancor, tearful testimony and tense allegations of sexual assault and bad faith. Kavanaugh...
Sen. Jeff Flake calls Trump’s mockery of Ford ‘appalling’
By Griffin Connolly | CQ-Roll Call
October 3, 2018
Sen. Jeff Flake called President Donald Trump's comments at a Mississippi campaign rally mocking a woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault "appalling." Christine Blasey Ford testified last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted...
Tesla’s Elon Musk settles with SEC, to pay $20 million fine
By Karen Casto | The Mercury News
September 30, 2018
Tesla CEO Elon Musk will give up his position as chairman of the company's board and pay a $20 million fine to settle a fraud complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency announced Saturday. He will remain CEO. The SEC sued Musk Thursday for misleading investors when he said...
Trump won’t ‘micromanage’ FBI’s Kavanaugh investigation, press secretary says
By Laura King | Los Angeles Times
September 30, 2018
President Donald Trump is not seeking to "micromanage" the FBI's investigation of sexual-misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the White House press secretary said Sunday. Democrats raised concerns that important lines of inquiry were off limits to investigators. The...
Graham: Kavanaugh criticism ‘the most despicable thing’ he’s seen in politics
By Emma Dumain | McClatchy Washington Bureau
September 27, 2018
Sen. Lindsey Graham had kept quiet during Christine Blasey Ford's testimony that she was sexually assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 1982. But by the time it was his turn to speak during Kavanaugh's rebuttal before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the South Carolina Republican became...
Jeff Flake remains conflicted on Kavanaugh nomination ahead of Friday vote
By Niels Lesniewski | CQ-Roll Call
September 27, 2018
Sen. Jeff Flake, a member of the Judiciary Committee, sounded very conflicted Thursday evening following a meeting of the Senate Republican Conference on the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. While the plan is for the judiciary panel to meet to markup the nomination Friday morning, the...
Botham Jean’s family to sue city of Dallas and former police officer, attorney says
By Dana Branham and Jennifer Emily | The Dallas Morning News
September 26, 2018
The family of 26-year-old Botham Jean plans to sue the city of Dallas and the former Dallas police officer who shot him in his own apartment earlier this month. Attorney Lee Merritt said Allison and Bertrum Jean plan to file a federal lawsuit claiming excessive use of force by Amber Guyger. The...
Trump denounced ‘globalism’ at the UN — but what does that word really mean?
By Laura King | Los Angeles Times
September 26, 2018
It was hardly the first time President Donald Trump had expressed his disdain for "globalism" — but his latest condemnation made the world sit up and take notice. "America is governed by Americans," he told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. "We reject the ideology of globalism, and...
Led away in handcuffs, Bill Cosby will serve 3 to 10 years in prison for sexual assault
By Jenny Jarvie | Los Angeles Times
September 25, 2018
Slowly, Bill Cosby removed the jacket of his navy pinstripe suit, undid his necktie and rolled up his sleeves before being handcuffed and led from the courtroom. "This is it; this is the day," said Tamara Green, a 70-year-old Cosby accuser who had traveled from San Diego to Pennsylvania to watch the...
Sen. Tim Scott could change his mind on backing Kavanaugh
By Emma Dumain | McClatchy Washington Bureau
September 25, 2018
Sen. Tim Scott still backs Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the Supreme Court, but the South Carolina Republican also said he could change his mind. Scott's view is markedly different from most other GOP senators, who are not wavering in their support for Kavanaugh as he battles allegations of sexual misconduct...
Kavanaugh’s accuser commits to Thursday testimony
By Todd Ruger | CQ-Roll Call
September 24, 2018
Christine Blasey Ford is now scheduled to testify Thursday morning at the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding her sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The committee announced the rescheduling of Kavanaugh's continued confirmation hearing Sunday. The hearing had been...
Disneyland Resort hotel workers approve a new contract with a $15-an-hour minimum wage
By Hugo Martin | Los Angeles Times
September 24, 2018
After months of demonstrations and protests, hotel workers at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim overwhelmingly approved a contract that boosts hourly salaries by at least 40 percent over two years and clears the way for staff to get bonuses that were promised last year. The five-year contract establishes...
GOP congressman jokes Ruth Bader Ginsburg was groped by Abraham Lincoln
By By Lindsey McPherson | CQ-Roll Call
September 21, 2018
South Carolina Republican Rep. Ralph Norman opened an election debate Thursday by cracking a joke that attempted to play off the controversy over the sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. It did not go over well, according to a report from The Post and Courier. Norman,...
Duke Energy confirms new coal ash spill in North Carolina
By Will Doran | The News & Observer
September 20, 2018
Duke Energy reported over the weekend that enough coal ash had spilled near one of its Wilmington power plants to nearly fill up an Olympic-sized swimming pool — and that a second coal ash site near Goldsboro was experiencing flooding but hadn't spilled yet. But Wednesday night, environmental activists...
Analysis: Primary challengers aren’t always more partisan in Congress
By Shawn Zeller | CQ-Roll Call
September 19, 2018
It's often said that conservative challenges to Republican incumbents in primary elections — the prime example being Dave Brat's victory over House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014 — have led to more polarization in Congress, with the challengers less willing to compromise than their predecessors. Now...
Rising waters continue to frustrate rescue efforts and residents, FEMA chief says after NC tour
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske | Los Angeles Times
September 18, 2018
Rivers continued to rise out of their banks across the Carolinas on Tuesday, frustrating rescue efforts and residents hoping to return home. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, acknowledged the difficulties following a tour of flooded...
Obscure Pentagon fund nets $2 billion, sets pork senses tingling
By John M. Donnelly | CQ-Roll Call
September 18, 2018
The Pentagon will soon have received about $2.3 billion in the last nine years — money the military never requested — for a special fund intended to help replace earmarks after Congress banned them, our analysis shows. Buried deep inside the $674.4 billion Defense spending measure for fiscal 2019...
Why even moderate Democrats are moving left and changing what it means to be centrist
By Alex Roarty | McClatchy Washington Bureau
September 17, 2018
Betsy Rader's political agenda includes a check-list of liberal priorities: She unequivocally supports abortion rights, believes in universal health care, talks forcefully about the importance of gay rights, and — per an aide — is "incredibly dismayed" by President Donald Trump's immigration policy. So...
Brett Kavanaugh and accuser say they will testify about assault allegations
By Jennifer Haberkorn | Los Angelas Times
September 17, 2018
Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh's carefully planned confirmation — once seen as a sure bet — slipped into limbo Monday after he and the woman accusing him of a decades-old sexual assault offered to testify about the allegations. The Senate now appears increasingly unlikely to move ahead...
Violence Against Women Act extension included in stopgap spending deal
By Katherine Tully-McManus | CQ-Roll Call
September 14, 2018
The Violence Against Women Act, which was set to expire Sept. 30, will be extended through Dec. 7 under a stopgap spending bill released Thursday. "Any program, authority or provision, including any pilot program, authorized under the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 shall continue...
Household incomes hit new high, but rate of health coverage flattens
September 12, 2018
With unemployment steadily declining and more people working full time in year-round jobs, household incomes in the United States rose moderately last year, and the nation's poverty rate fell to the lowest point in more than a decade, according to new federal government data. But in another important...
FDA cracks down on e-cigarette makers amid ‘epidemic of nicotine addiction’ among youth
By Melissa Healy | Los Angeles Times
September 12, 2018
Responding to an "epidemic of nicotine addiction" among young Americans, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced a comprehensive crackdown on e-cigarette manufacturers, directing the industry's giants to draw up detailed plans for halting sales to minors and threatening to pull a...
Document details Dallas officer’s account of shooting; victim’s attorney tells different story
By Nichole Manna | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
September 11, 2018
An arrest affidavit released Monday afternoon gives additional details of what happened the night a Dallas police officer shot and killed a 26-year-old man inside his apartment. Amber Guyger, 30, is charged with manslaughter in the death of Botham Shem Jean on Thursday night. She claimed she mistook...
LA’s only LGBTQ-focused coffee shop fights to survive
By Laura Newberry | Los Angeles Times
September 11, 2018
Before she leaves her house in a dress or skirt, or anything else perceived as feminine, Willow Fields braces for a hard day. At best, she expects to be gawked at and misgendered by cashiers and ride-hailing drivers. At worst, she fears becoming the target of violence in a country where at least 28...
Wind and solar farms can make their own weather, including rain over the Sahara
By Karen Kaplan | Los Angeles Times
September 6, 2018
You already know that using solar and wind power can influence the climate by reducing our dependence on heat-trapping fossil fuels. Now scientists say these renewable forms of energy can change the climate more directly — and do it in ways that might surprise you. If wind turbines and solar panels...
Republicans aren’t asking Kavanaugh about abortion; Graham’s going there
By Emma Dumain | McClatchy Washington Bureau
September 6, 2018
Most Senate Republicans are avoiding mere mention of Roe v. Wade during this week's hearings on whether Brett Kavanaugh should become a Supreme Court justice. Sen. Lindsey Graham isn't one of them. The South Carolina Republican is readily, even eagerly, wading into the abortion debate. A senior member...
Kavanaugh sticks to his position on guns, dodges questions about abortion, presidential power
By David G. Savage, Jennifer Haberkorn, and Sarah D. Wire
September 5, 2018
WASHINGTON — Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Wednesday defended his broad view of gun rights and restrictions on abortion for young immigrant women, but refused to say whether a president can be ordered to answer questions in a criminal investigation. Facing senators during a second day of his confirmation h...
Nike took a calculated risk with Colin Kaepernick ad, experts say
By Samantha Masunaga | Los Angeles Times
September 5, 2018
Nike Inc.'s decision to feature Colin Kaepernick in its latest "Just Do It" advertising campaign predictably blew up the internet. In one video, Nike shoes were set on fire. John Rich, half of the country music duo Big & Rich, showed that his soundman had cut Nike's iconic swoosh off his socks....
Attorney general announces review of social media platforms after hearing
By David Pierson | Los Angeles Times
September 5, 2018
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill questioned top executives at Facebook and Twitter on Wednesday about their companies' ability to thwart foreign interference, and hinted that industry regulations may be coming. The "size and reach of your platforms demand that we, as policymakers, do our job, to ensure proper...
Why sexual assault survivors are fuming over DeVos proposal
By David Jesse | Detroit Free Press
August 30, 2018
Proposed changes to how the nation's colleges and universities handle sexual assault investigations left sexual assault survivors and victim rights organizations sputtering mad, claiming the moves would tip the playing field toward those accused of sexual assault. "Is ruining lives your version of a...
California legislators advance bill to set strongest net neutrality protections in U.S.
By Jazmine Ulloa | Los Angeles Times
August 30, 2018
California lawmakers advanced an ambitious proposal Thursday to prevent broadband providers from hindering or manipulating access to the internet, bringing the state closer to enacting the strongest net neutrality protections in the country. The legislation by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would...
Huge monitor lizard terrorizes Florida family with repeat visits
By Wayne K. Roustan
August 29, 2018
A terrified Florida family has enlisted the help of trappers, hunting dogs and state wildlife officers to try to catch a monitor lizard that has made repeated visits to their home in Davie. It's an estimated 7 feet long, weighs approximately 150 pounds and has shown up in their backyard at least three...
3 big reasons behind Andrew Gillum’s upset victory in Fla. gubernatorial primary
By Anthony Man and Skyler Swisher
August 29, 2018
Andrew Gillum's supporters and campaign team spent the final weeks of the primary campaign telling anyone who would listen that their candidate was surging, and would end up as the Democratic nominee for Florida governor. Few people listened. Then, on Tuesday night, he upset the presumed frontrunner,...
CFPB student loan ombudsman resigns, blasts Mulvaney
By Kellie Mejdrich | CQ-Roll Call
August 27, 2018
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Student Loan Ombudsman Seth Frotman resigned Monday, citing political differences at the agency under Acting Director Mick Mulvaney.
Several slain in mass shooting at Florida video game tournament
By Monique O. Madan and Glenn Garvin | Miami Herald
August 27, 2018
Among the dead was 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore, a defeated contestant in the tournament. Police say he killed himself after opening fire on other competitors.
Former Vatican envoy accuses Pope of hiding sexual abuse allegations
By Tracy Wilkinson and Simon Roughneen | Los Angeles Times
August 26, 2018
The former envoy's 11-page broadside rocked the Roman Catholic world as Pope Francis finished a two-day visit to Ireland.
Makers of driverless cars want Congress to free them from state safety standards
By Eliza Fawcett, Los Angeles Times
July 12, 2018
The House passed a bill last fall and similar legislation is pending in the Senate. Both aim to boost the driverless car industry by streamlining rules and preventing states from imposing their own safety and performance standards.
Parkland students who survived shooting file federal lawsuit
By Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel
July 12, 2018
The lawsuit specifically names Broward County, retired school resource officer Scot Peterson, Broward Sheriff's Office Capt. Jan Jordan and campus monitor Andrew Medina as defendants.
US withdraws from UN Human Rights Council
By Tracy Wilkinson | Tribune Washington Bureau
June 19, 2018
WASHINGTON _ The Trump administration announced Tuesday it is withdrawing from the U.N. body that oversees human rights around the globe, saying the 47-nation council has shown an "unconscionable" bias against Israel and a blind willingness to ignore abuse elsewhere. The decision to leave the U.N....
Diplomats hustle to prepare for still-uncertain Trump-Kim summit in Singapore
By Eli Stokols and Tracy Wilkinson |Tribune Washington Bureau
May 30, 2018
The Trump administration moved on multiple fronts Tuesday to prepare for a possible nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore next month, as U.S. diplomats scrambled to revive the meeting that Trump had publicly scrapped last week. Most importantly, the White House said Secretary...
Study: Hurricane Maria’s death toll 70 times higher than Puerto Rican officials have reported
By Karen Kaplan and Amina Khan | L.A. Times
May 29, 2018
Officials in Puerto Rico say that 64 people lost their lives after Hurricane Maria slammed into the island in September. A new report says that estimate is off _ by about 4,600. If the analysis is correct, it means that for every hurricane-related death that's currently on the books, another 70 fatalities...