Syndicated Columnists

Early 20th century political reformers such as Hiram Johnson saw the initiative process — placing measures on the ballot for voters to decide — as an antidote to a Legislature

It is perhaps the most fundamental question of the Iran war. If the goal of the war was to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and if the U.S.

The Senate recently agreed not to get paid during a federal government shutdown. Missing paychecks would be a big deal for most of us. The median senator is worth $4.4

California’s next governor — most likely former Attorney General Xavier Becerra — will inherit a raft of knotty, unresolved issues. Some, such as the high rate of homelessness and high

Happy holidays to everyone who celebrates “National Blame Someone Else Day” — which, unintentionally, may include a handful of senators expected to introduce the “American Innovation and Choice Online Act”

Lately, there have been news stories expressing alarm about the rapid progress the Trump administration is making building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Whatever the stories are nominally about

Graham Platner wants Democrats to believe that Trump voters and working-class independents will vote for him. With his gruff voice, beard and sweatshirts-instead-of-suits, Platner cuts the figure of a blue-collar

Family-owned and local businesses are the lifeblood of America, contributing trillions of dollars to the economy and standing as proud symbols of our national heritage. The health of Main Street

There’s an old story about a dog-food manufacturer who created a new canine concoction with the best ingredients and infused with the finest nutrients. It was launched into the market

When Donald Trump was filmed telling “Access Hollywood’s” Billy Bush that “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. …

California’s population exploded during and immediately after World War II, from 6.9 million in 1940 to 19.9 million in 1970, thanks to waves of migrants from other states drawn to

The primary election has come and gone. Votes are still being counted and the eventual results in close contests might not be known for weeks. However, it’s back to work

There were 61 candidates for governor on this week’s primary election ballot, one of whom will be inaugurated in January. Given the vast array of unresolved issues Gov. Gavin Newsom

Conservative graduation speakers still give better advice than speakers on the left. In 2015, after reviewing two commencement-speech anthologies featuring 18 liberal speeches and 30 conservative speeches, New York Times

Can Graham Platner, the Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, survive his sexting scandal? The first thing to know is how little we know about it. We know from a Wall

Construction of the 1,911-mile transcontinental railroad connecting California with the eastern half of the United States began in 1863, while the nation was engaged in a bloody civil war, and

As Gavin Newsom makes his increasingly frequent appearances outside the state — seemingly preparing for a 2028 presidential campaign — one of his stock messages is that California’s economy is

The campaign for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s successor may be all but over after the votes from next week’s primary are counted, even with an election needing to be staged in

Paul Rivera, a little-known former Clinton White House aide and senior adviser to the losing 2004 John Kerry presidential campaign, became famous recently as the author of the Democratic National

Gavin Newsom is trying to finish his governorship on a high note, claiming he has written “a balanced budget structurally for 18 months” that would give his successor some breathing