WASHINGTON —
Christian Walker has long been one of my favorite online personalities. Ever since I first saw him dancing in front of a “Gays for Trump” sign, he hasn’t been afraid to smack liberals xx. While his approach as a conservative commentator is not novel, he does stand out in one important way – he’s very good at it.
While standing at least once for his father’s Georgia Senate nominee Herschel Walker, he began to distance himself from politics. Although he still beats up liberals, he scolds them
Newsletter
Get our Essential Politics newsletter
The latest news, analysis and insights from our DC policy team
Enter email address
Sign me up
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
Bulk
text
Watch The Times podcast for breaking news and more
Nowadays it can be disheartening to wake up to current events. If you’re looking for a more balanced news diet, The Times podcast is for you. Gustavo Arellano, along with various reporters from the LA Times’ award-winning newsroom, delivers the best stories from the Los Angeles Times every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
The latest from the election campaign
—The 49th congressional district — which could help determine which party controls the House of Representatives — gas prices are a key pre-election consideration, according to interviews with voters and candidates, Times contributor Seema Mehta reported. Although the district’s prosperity protected some residents from high prices, the issue is part of a broader debate about the country’s energy policies — climate change response, grid stability, imported energy, the role of renewable energy, nuclear power, fracking and drilling . Such issues have dominated recent headlines — fears of blackouts during sweltering heat waves, California’s ban on selling new gas-powered cars from 2035, and fines over an oil spill in 2021 that closed beaches on the district’s northern tip.
– In the Los Angeles County sheriff’s race, retired Long Beach Police Commissioner Robert Luna has an impressive 10-point lead among likely voters over incumbent Alex Villanueva, a new poll shows, Times writer Alene Tchekmedyian reported . With just over a month until the Nov. 8 runoff, 36% of likely voters polled said they plan to vote for Luna, while 26% said they prefer Villanueva. Likely voters are those who voted in a recent election and have expressed a keen interest in voting in November.
– California voters this November will decide who will head a state agency that wields significant power over home, auto and other insurance policies, voting between an incumbent Democrat embroiled in controversy and his Republican novice, the reported Times writer Melody Gutierrez. The state’s insurance commissioner regulates a $310 billion industry and is particularly influential in helping homeowners in wildfire-prone areas maintain their insurance. The regulator also has the power to approve or reject rate increases and investigate fraud.
– A day after a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion overruling Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves across the country, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso took to Twitter to vehemently defend his support for abortion rights , reported Times writer Julia Wick. Caruso also pledged to give financial backing to a proposal just announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state leaders that would specifically enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution through the passage of a voting measure. That was on May 3rd. With just weeks until voters have their say on Proposition 1 and the Los Angeles mayoral race, Caruso appears to have spent no money on the abortion rights proposal — angering his mayoral opponent, Rep. Karen Bass pulls.
Do you like this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times
Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. become a subscriber.
The View of Washington
—The Supreme Court opened its new term on Monday by hearing a property rights complaint seeking to limit the government’s power to protect millions of acres of wetlands from development, reported Times contributor David G. Savage. The question is whether the Clean Water Act prohibits pollution of wetlands and marshes that are close to, but not necessarily part of, waterways. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson led the way on her first day on the bench by questioning why the court should limit wetland protections. She said Congress said in 1977 that wetlands “bordering” rivers and bays should be protected.
— A senior adviser to the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, will be named the US State Department’s first-ever special envoy to link local governments with national foreign policy, Times contributor Tracy Wilkinson reported. Sources told the Times that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is expected to appoint Nina Hachigian as the country’s first special envoy for subnational diplomacy on Monday. Since 2017, she has served as Deputy Mayor for International Affairs of Los Angeles under Garcetti. Prior to that, she was a foreign ministry diplomat for Asia’s premier alliance, the Assn. of the Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN.
—The rapid and disorganized withdrawal from Afghanistan a year ago put many people under Taliban rule at risk, reported Times writer Andrea Castillo. Among them are interpreters like HS, who describe themselves as “blacklisted” and say they have been wrongly prevented from obtaining visas promised to Afghans who helped US interest groups like the International Refugee Assistance Project have to say that thousands are affected. The interpreters, who spoke to The Times, said their visa applications were denied despite receiving positive reviews from their military superiors. In most cases, the refusals came after the interpreters had been fired by the private contractors that hired them.
– The Biden administration on Monday launched a week-long courtship of three of Latin America’s newest left leaders to find pragmatic common ground – rather than ideological confrontations – on a variety of issues, including immigration, drug trafficking and China’s growing influence. The reported Times writer Tracy Wilkinson. Government officials say they are confident they can maintain healthy ties with these countries even as much of Latin America continues to shift leftward. This is despite the glaring embarrassment suffered when President Biden refused to invite Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to June’s Summit of the Americas, a major event designed to demonstrate hemispheric cooperation. Several countries boycotted in protest.
The view from California
—Pedestrians beware: A new law decriminalizes safe jaywalking in California, reports Times contributor Colleen Shalby. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law the Freedom to Walk bill sponsored by Rep. Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) on Friday. The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, comes years after activists argued jaywalking rules disproportionately hit marginalized and low-income residents. Under the new law, pedestrians could legally cross the road outside designated intersections without facing severe reprimand “unless a reasonably cautious person would realize there was an imminent risk of collision with a moving vehicle or other device moving.” exclusively human power moves by.”
– It’s very rare: a California governor taking the opposite side of his state party on a major policy issue, reported Times contributor George Skelton. Not only does he take sides against the Democratic Party, he also opposes his core political base: environmentalists and much of organized labor, including firefighters. Conversely, Newsom is allied with the enemy – the California Republican Party – as well as the state Chamber of Commerce and the California Taxpayers Association.
“California is being reminded once again of the volatility of its energy supply as shutdowns at several oil refineries have pushed gas prices higher, including to all-time highs Monday and Tuesday in Los Angeles, Times contributor Grace Toohey reported. At least five plants recently faced maintenance shutdowns or slowdowns, restricting supplies of California’s special gasoline blend mandated to reduce pollution. While Gov. Gavin Newsom last week responded to soaring fuel costs by accelerating the state’s switch to its cheaper winter gasoline, energy experts say it could be weeks before drivers at the pump experience any real relief.
Sign up for our California Politics newsletter for the best in political coverage from The Times. And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and send me pictures of your adorable furbabies to erin.logan@latimes.com.
