As Congress returns, so does the Epstein scandal
WASHINGTON — The ghost of Jeffrey Epstein is back in Washington as Congress prepares to return for the fall.Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called an early start…
Puerto Rico ex-Gov. Wanda Vázquez pleads guilty to campaign violation
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez pleaded guilty Wednesday to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also…
After lengthy delay, L.A. Mayor Bass names new city film liaison
More than two and a half years after she took office, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has fulfilled a nagging campaign promise to film industry…
Democrats eye new presidential primary calendar in 2028
MINNEAPOLIS — The Democratic National Committee is seriously considering scrambling the party’s 2028 presidential primary calendar. And South Carolina — the state that hosted the Democrats’ first-in-the-nation…
L.A. City Council balks at request for $5 million for law firm in homelessness case
The Los Angeles City Council stopped short on Wednesday of giving another $5 million to a law firm hired to defend the city in a…
Padilla sidesteps questions about a possible run for governor
SACRAMENTO — U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) on Wednesday brushed aside questions about whether he might jump into California’s 2026 governor’s race, but declined to rule out…
Top Florida official says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ will likely be empty within days
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A top Florida official says the controversial state-run immigration detention facility in the Everglades will likely be empty in a matter of days, even…
Kilmar Abrego Garcia requests asylum in the U.S., hoping to prevent his deportation to Uganda
WASHINGTON — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose case has come to encapsulate much of President Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda, wants to seek asylum in the United States, his…
Trump foes find themselves targeted by top housing regulator
WASHINGTON — When Bill Pulte was nominated as the country’s top housing regulator, he told senators that his “number one mission will be to strengthen and safeguard…
Denmark condemns ‘unacceptable’ interference after report of Trump-linked operatives in Greenland
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark’s foreign minister had the top U.S. diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least…
Trump administration seizes control of Washington’s Union Station from Amtrak
WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that his department is taking management of Union Station, the main transportation hub in Washington, away from Amtrak, in…
How each of the proposed California congressional districts could change
Gov. Gavin Newsom spearheaded a bold overhaul of California’s congressional map, a move that could dramatically shift the state’s political landscape.A Times analysis of recent…
Poll finds partisan split in California on U.S. direction under Trump
California voters are heavily divided along partisan lines when it comes to President Trump, with large majorities of Democrats and unaffiliated voters disapproving of him…
Trump’s pick for Nevada U.S. attorney is an assault on justice
The parade of Trump terribles is a long one, starting in Washington and stretching clear across this beleaguered nation.A bumbling Defense secretary who lacks the…
Hiltzik: Do you really want Trump directing monetary policy?
It’s probably safe to say that almost no one following the news believes that Donald Trump has a solid, defensible reason to fire Federal Reserve…
Donor, now a regulator, leads effort to accuse Trump foes of fraud
WASHINGTON — Behind a White House effort to saddle President Trump’s political foes with accusations of mortgage fraud is a 37-year-old home construction executive with a deep…
Trump claims to have ended the war in Congo. People there say that’s not true
GOMA, Congo — President Trump claims that the war in eastern Congo is among the ones he has stopped, after brokering a peace deal between Congo and…
Law firm that sent L.A. a big bill in homeless case wants $5 million more for its work
The high-powered law firm that racked up big bills working to keep the city of Los Angeles from losing control over its homeless programs is…
Inquiry into former Trump prosecutor Jack Smith is based on ‘imaginary premise,’ lawyers say
WASHINGTON — A watchdog investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith over his prosecutions of President Trump is based on an “imaginary and unfounded” premise, Smith’s lawyers…
Federal judge tosses Trump administration’s lawsuit against Maryland’s entire federal bench
BALTIMORE — A federal judge on Tuesday threw out the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Maryland’s entire federal bench over an order by the chief judge that stopped…