WASHINGTON — Millions of retirees will get a modest 1.6% cost-of-living increase from Social Security in 2020, an uptick with potential political consequences in an election year when Democrats are pushing more generous inflation protection. The increase amounts to $24 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates released Thursday...
Walters: High-Octane Ballot Measures Lining up for 2020
Gov. Gavin Newsom this week vetoed a perennial effort by his fellow Democrats to hamstring business and conservative groups’ use of statewide ballot measures. Assembly Bill 1451 would have prohibited qualifying ballot measures by paying professional circulators on a per-signature basis, but gave Democrats’ union allies a carveout. Paraphrasing former Gov....
White House Fighting Impeachment by Stalling and Attacking
WASHINGTON — As House Democrats fire off more subpoenas, the White House has launched a high-stakes strategy to counter the impeachment threat to President Donald Trump: Stall. Obfuscate. Attack. Repeat. One of the administration's first moves: the State Department on Tuesday barred Gordon Sondland, the U.S. European Union ambassador, from appearing before...
Democrats Subpoena White House in Impeachment Inquiry
WASHINGTON — The impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump widened on Friday into a constitutional battle between the executive branch and Congress, as Democrats subpoenaed White House officials and the president signaled his administration would not cooperate. Trump said he would formally object to the impeachment investigation, even as he...
Diplomats Pushed Ukraine to Investigate, Dangled Trump Visit
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. diplomats encouraged Ukraine's newly elected president to conduct an investigation linked to Joe Biden's family in return for a high-profile visit with President Donald Trump. It soon escalated into what one diplomat feared was a "crazy" swap that risked vital U.S. military aid. That's according to...
Stockton’s Free Cash Initiative: Where Did the Money Go?
SACRAMENTO — The first data from an experiment in a California city where needy people get $500 a month from the government shows they spend most of it on things such as food, clothing and utility bills. The 18-month, privately funded program started in February and involves 125 people in...
$500 a Month for Free: Data Shows How People Spent the Money
SACRAMENTO — The first data from an experiment in a California city where needy people get $500 a month from the government shows they spend most of it on things such as food, clothing and utility bills. The 18-month, privately funded program started in February and involves 125 people in...
Walters: Unions Win Big, to What Avail?
California’s labor unions scored big wins in the just-concluded legislative session — to the surprise of precisely no one. Democrats’ huge gains in last year’s legislative elections, coupled with the election of Gavin Newsom, who had strong union support, as governor, foretold what would happen. The biggest of union victories, Assembly...
Judge Temporarily Blocks Law Aimed at Trump's Tax Returns
SACRAMENTO — A U.S. judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a California law aimed at forcing President Donald Trump to release his personal income tax returns in order to appear on the 2020 primary ballot. U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. issued a written opinion saying the law likely violates...
Democrats Warn White House to Expect Subpoena on Ukraine
WASHINGTON — House Democratic leaders warned the White House Wednesday to expect a subpoena demanding documents on President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, accusing the administration of “flagrant disregard” of previous requests and saying that refusal could be considered an impeachable offense. Separately, the Democrats accused Trump of “an incitement...