On Friday, the Trump administration laid off about 1,350 employees at the State Department. A number of news reports described the staff cuts as “devastating.” Others suggested the downsizing will
When 20 children were murdered two weeks before Christmas in Newtown, Connecticut, my worldview shifted. To me, the violent shooting deaths of babies who were contemplating sugar plums and Santa
Here in the sanctuary city of L.A., it’s political theater as usual. Last week, Mayor Karen Bass complained on camera about the sweeping immigration enforcement raid in the city’s MacArthur
For stumping political candidates, vowing to build affordable housing remains one of their biggest rallying cries. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris promised 3 million new housing units over four years, along
We know many Democrats were stunned when Donald Trump won a second term as president. We know many are still angry about it. But we’re just now learning how angry
If anyone still harbors doubts that Gavin Newsom is contemplating a run for the White House in 2028, this week’s sojourn into South Carolina for some schmoozing with local politicians
July is National Hot Dog Month, a time to honor one of America’s most beloved, misunderstood and delicious foods. On July 4 alone, Americans consumed an estimated 150 million hot
I was leaving immigration court the other day, feeling fairly good about the fact two of my clients had avoided deportation orders, when I heard the words, “Christine Flowers, you
If you really want to appreciate America, leave. That’s right. Get out. Go somewhere you’ve never been for two weeks. See how the rest of the world lives. It’s not
“A Classic Childhood Pastime Is Fading,” blared a recent headline in “The Atlantic.” The article lamented the fact that the number of youngsters (ages 7 to 17) who report having
Has it really been less than a month since Elon Musk flew off the handle, trashed his benefactor, the president, pledged to kill the administration’s top legislative priority, and, on
Jerry Brown once described reform of the California Environmental Quality Act as “the lord’s work” but he, like other recent governors, was not willing to invest enough political capital to
During his first governorship a half-century ago, Jerry Brown acquired a reputation for making abrupt changes of position, sometimes contradicting himself. The starkest example occurred in 1978 when Proposition 13,
When I’m in Italy, I tend to focus on all things Italian. I consume ridiculous quantities of pasta. I drink Italian wines, although I did slip in a Bailey’s on
California’s self-designated deadline for achieving net zero emissions of greenhouse gases is 20 years away. But what is happening — or not happening — in multiple arenas now may determine
What were the Democrats in New York thinking? Eight months after being humiliated by Donald Trump, they’ve chosen a devout socialist to run for mayor of arguably the country’s most
There are four holidays that occur in quick succession and symbolize our love of country: Memorial Day, D-Day, Flag Day and July Fourth. The first and the last are the
After California became a U.S. state in 1850, its Legislature grappled with how state and local governments would be structured. One decree was that counties, beginning with Los Angeles, would
This column is about the current dreadful state of the Democratic Party. But begin with this extraordinary fact: At this time eight years ago, in the first year of Donald
Editor’s note: This column was written before U.S. forces bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend. It could just be me, but 2025 is starting to look like 1980. If