It’s the best news you’ve probably never heard. Oakland, long synonymous with gun violence, is suddenly emerging as a national leader in the field of violence prevention. Since 2012, shootings are down more than 50 percent and are on pace to reach their lowest levels in decades. California leaders have...
AP Exclusive: Most Mormons Back GOP, but Fewer Support Trump
WASHINGTON — About two-thirds of Mormon voters nationwide favored Republicans in the midterm elections, but President Donald Trump's approval rating among members of the faith lagged behind, according to a nationwide survey of midterm voters. And as Republican Sen. Mitt Romney prepares to join the new Congress in January, most...
My Turn: California Republicans Missed the Future
A decade ago, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sounded an alarm when he candidly told delegates at a Party convention that Republicans were “dying at the box office.” It hasn’t gotten better. The California Republican Party has seen a dramatic drop in its number of registered voters and elected officials. We have...
My Turn: Voters Showed Their Hearts With Support for People With Mental Illness
It’s an amazing story, really. A testament to the priorities – and the hearts — of California voters. Earlier this month, more than 6.5 million people voted in favor of Proposition 2, the initiative that will generate billions of dollars to build supportive housing, linked to services and treatment, for...
Federal Judge: Florida Is ‘Laughing-Stock of the World’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal judge slammed Florida on Thursday for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems, and said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. "We have been the laughing-stock of the world, election after election, and...
Commentary: The Politics of California’s Killer Wildfires
Californians – most of us, anyway – loath President Donald Trump and the state’s voters punished him this month by flipping as many as half of its Republican-held congressional districts. Donald Trump feels the same way about California and with the votes still being counted, he lashed back by blaming...
Record 42 Latinos to Serve in Congress; 1 Race Undecided
WASHINGTON — More Latinos will serve in Congress next year than ever before — at least 42, with one House race to be decided. With Latinos reaching an unprecedented level of representation on Capitol Hill, The Associated Press was able to document that 34 percent of Hispanics voters approve of how Donald...
Long Lines, Machine Breakdowns Mar Vote on Election Day
ATLANTA — Problem signs that arose during weeks of early voting carried into Election Day as some voters across the country faced hours-long lines, malfunctioning voting equipment and unexpectedly closed polling places. Some of the biggest backups were in Georgia , where the governor's race was among the nation's most-watched midterm contests and was...
Voters Face Long Lines, Machine Snafus, ‘Mosh Pit’ Crowds
ATLANTA — Long lines and malfunctioning machines marred the early hours of voting in some precincts across the country Tuesday. Some of the biggest problems were in Georgia, a state with a hotly contested gubernatorial election, where some voters reported waiting up to three hours to vote. At a polling...
US Sending 5,200 Troops to Border, Double Syria Deployment
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is deploying 5,200 troops to the Southwest border in an extraordinary military operation a week before nationwide elections in which President Donald Trump wants voters to focus on what he calls an "invasion" — a slow-moving caravan of Central American migrants. The number of troops being...