NEW YORK — The percentage of U.S. adults who belong to a church or other religious institution has plunged by 20 percentage points over the past two decades, hitting a low of 50% last year, according to a new Gallup poll. Among major demographic groups, the biggest drops were recorded...
Westlands Former Lobbyist Confirmed to Head Interior Department
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday confirmed acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to lead the department on a permanent basis, despite complaints by Democrats that the former oil and gas lobbyist has used his federal position to benefit former industry clients. The Senate voted 56-41 to approve Bernhardt's nomination to...
Factions Take Shape as California Advances Nationally Watched Police Shooting Bill
Even as a landmark California bill meant to prevent police shootings passed its first committee Tuesday, the fault lines among Democrats began to emerge, suggesting the measure will likely change as it moves through the Legislature. How much, though, was not yet clear. After emotional, standing-room-only testimony from Californians whose...
Walters: Three Months in, Newsom Has Only Tepid Approval
Gavin Newsom coasted into the governorship last year, defeating his Republican rival by more than a 3-2 margin. It seems a little odd, therefore, that three months into his governorship, he enjoys only tepid popular support. A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found that just 45...
GOP Attacks Schiff at First Post-Mueller Russia Hearing
WASHINGTON — House Democrats barreled ahead with their oversight of the Trump administration on Thursday at a fiery Intelligence Committee hearing where Republicans formalized their demand that Chairman Adam Schiff resign his post over his comments that there was significant evidence the president and his associates conspired with Russia. Republicans...
Dems Not Giving up on Russia Probe; Trump Visits Republicans
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump headed to Capitol Hill for a victory lap Tuesday, emboldened by the end of the government's Russia probe, even as Democrats continued to battle for release of special counsel Robert Mueller's full report and intensified their focus on other issues including efforts to save the...
Newsom Pushes for Up to $10 Monthly Tap Tax to Clean Water
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to charge California water customers up to $10 per month to help clean up contaminated water in low-income and rural areas, but he will face resistance from some legislative Democrats hesitant to impose new taxes. The Democratic governor says up to 1 million California...
Poll: US Opposition to Immigration is Declining
SANTA ANA — A growing number of Americans say immigration levels should remain the same or increase, according to a major U.S. survey, a shift that comes as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement. At the same time, the latest data from the General Social Survey — a...
Senate Slaps Down Trump Border Emergency as Republicans Defect
WASHINGTON — In a stunning rebuke, a dozen defecting Republicans joined Senate Democrats Thursday to block the national emergency that President Donald Trump declared so he could build his border wall with Mexico. The rejection capped a week of confrontation with the White House as both parties in Congress strained...
Impeach Trump? It’s ‘Just Not Worth It,’ Says Pelosi.
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is setting a high bar for impeachment of President Donald Trump, saying he is "just not worth it" even as some on her left flank clamor to start proceedings. Pelosi said in an interview with The Washington Post that "I'm not for impeachment" of...