Mark Z. Barabak

“According to the US Army, counterinsurgency doctrine dictates 20 to 25 troops for every 1,000 inhabitants to achieve stability. In the case of Iran that would entail deploying 1.9 million people — almost all the U.S. military’s active duty, reserve and National Guard personnel”

News Analysis: Toppling Iraq's Hussein unleashed chaos. Why Iran war poses similar risks President Trump's military operation against Iran risks repeating the unforeseen consequences of the Iraq war launched by President George W. Bush in 2003.

Toppling Iraq’s Hussein unleashed chaos. Why Iran war poses similar risks

Nabih Bulos, Patrick J McDonnell

www.latimes.com/world-nation...

No 'war on drugs,' Mexican president vows, but crackdown on narcos signals turnaround Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's predecessor said the country's war on cartels helped trigger more violence. It now appears Mexico is going to war against cartels once more.

No ‘war on drugs,’ Mexican president vows, but crackdown on narcos signals turnaround

Patrick J McDonnell, Kate Linthicum

www.latimes.com/world-nation...

Struggling Democrats need to drop out of California’s crowded race for governor or risk a GOP win, party leader warns A big field of candidates makes it possible for a Republican to be elected governor. California's Democratic Party leader told unviable candidates to bow out.

Struggling Democrats need to drop out of California’s crowded race for governor or risk a GOP win, party leader warns

Seema Mehta

www.latimes.com/california/s...

California gas is pricey already. The Iran war could cost you even more Californians already pay more than the rest of the country for gas. Now the Iran war is expected to inflict more pain at the pump.

California gas is pricey already. The Iran war could cost you even more

www.latimes.com/business/sto...

News Analysis: Trump is rewriting the 'you break it, you own it' rule in Iran war It’s far from clear that the president has a coherent plan for replacing Iran’s radical Islamist autocracy with a friendlier regime.

Trump is rewriting the ‘you break it, you own it’ rule in Iran war

His message to Iranians looks like: “I’ll break it, you own it.”

Doyle McManus

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Inside El Mencho’s last hideout: Blood, bullets and a cartel boss' life of luxury The aftermath of a Mexican special forces raid that killed the notorious leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel offered a window into the life of a fugitive drug kingpin.

Keegan Hamilton visited the luxury cabin compound where El Mencho was hiding out in the mountains of Jalisco.

Rotten fruit, blood stains, discarded underwear…

www.latimes.com/world-nation...

Voter ID appears headed for California's November ballot. What you should know Voter ID appears headed for California's November ballot. What you need to know

Voter ID appears headed for California’s November ballot. What you should know

Phil Willon

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Car insurance rates are skyrocketing in California. Here's why Auto insurance rates have surged because of high inflation and soaring vehicle repair costs in the car capital of the country.

Car insurance rates are skyrocketing in California. Here’s why

Laurence Darmiento

www.latimes.com/business/sto...

Commentary: With midterm vote starting, here's where things stand in national redistricting fight President Trump set off a partisan battle over the congressional map for November's election. The result has been sound and fury in more than a dozen states, starting with Texas and California.

NEW: With the midterm vote starting, here’s where things stand in the national redistricting fight: It's something of a wash.

That said the machinations boosted @GavinNewsom, thwarted Trump and gave folks even more reason to hold politicians in contempt.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

OPINION: We must hold the line against Trump’s false election fraud claims - The Nevada Independent OPINION: We must hold the line against Trump’s false election fraud claims. Read more at The Nevada Independent.

“This is not partisan; it is patriotism, a word that has been shorn of all meaning by those cloaking themselves in the flag to undermine democracy. After following this mendacity cycle after cycle, the endgame is no mystery.”

My column:

thenevadaindependent.com/article/opin...

Commentary: With midterm vote starting, here's where things stand in national redistricting fight President Trump set off a partisan battle over the congressional map for November's election. The result has been sound and fury in more than a dozen states, starting with Texas and California.

Barabak: With midterm vote starting, here's where things stand in national redistricting fight

Commentary: With midterm vote starting, here's where things stand in national redistricting fight President Trump set off a partisan battle over the congressional map for November's election. The result has been sound and fury in more than a dozen states, starting with Texas and California.

NEW: With the midterm vote starting, here’s where things stand in the national redistricting fight: It's something of a wash.

That said the machinations boosted @GavinNewsom, thwarted Trump and gave folks even more reason to hold politicians in contempt.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Trump vowed to end wars. He is now opening a new front against Iran Trump’s military campaign in Iran is a sharp turn in tone for a president who has long been critical of open-ended conflicts in the Middle East.

Trump vowed to end wars. He is now opening a new front against Iran

Ana Cebellos, Gavin J Quinton

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Per NYT — “A government-paid, full-time SWAT team composed of four agents and two vehicles escorts Kash Patel's NASHVILLE-based girlfriend.”🤔

What a wonderful use of taxpayer dollars! 🙃 💰

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...

Trump Officials Attended a Summit of Election Deniers Who Want the President to Take Over the Midterms The meeting’s participants included Kurt Olsen, a White House lawyer charged with reinvestigating the 2020 election, and Heather Honey, the Department of Homeland Security official in charge of electi...

NEW: More evidence that those who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election are working with Trump administration officials to set the rules for the 2026 midterms. @dougbockclark.bsky.social

For America’s 250th, Should the Coin of Trump’s Realm Be Gold?

Numismatic glorification: Trump team wants his image on a second coin, this time in gold. But an obscure panel is blocking it. "Only those nations ruled by kings or dictators display the image of their sitting ruler on the coins of the realm.” www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/u...

Gavin Newsom’s “press office had two options: (1) Release the records. (2) Decline to do so.

Instead, in a perfect reflection of Democrats’ burn-the-village-down-to-save-it mentality, they chose Door Number Three. “Respectfully, f*** off.”

Carl M. Cannon

www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/202...

Commentary: Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have traveled parallel paths. Will they collide in 2028? The Democrats rose together through San Francisco politics, sharing donors and, for a time, campaign strategists. A fight for their party's nomination would bring their private jostling into the open.

Barabak: Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have traveled parallel paths. Will they collide in 2028?

It's Official: the Cybertruck is More Explosive than the Ford Pinto - FuelArc News We now have a full year of data for the Cybertruck, and a strange preponderance of headlines about Cybertrucks exploding into flames, including several fatalities. That’s more than enough data to comp...

Analysis of crash data shows that you're 17 times more likely to die in a vehicle fire if you buy Elon Musk's Tesla Cyber truck than if you had bought a Ford Pinto, the 1970s era car infamous for gas tank explosions in rear end collisions.

fuelarc.com/evs/its-offi...

Commentary: Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have traveled parallel paths. Will they collide in 2028? The Democrats rose together through San Francisco politics, sharing donors and, for a time, campaign strategists. A fight for their party's nomination would bring their private jostling into the open.

NEW: Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have long traveled parallel paths. Will they collide in 2028?

They rose together through SF politics, sharing donors + even campaign strategists.

A fight for the Dems nomination would bring their private jostling into the open.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Commentary: This Latino Republican Trump speech watch party was neither large, nor especially Latino It was the Los Angeles Hispanic Republican Club's potluck party for President Trump's State of the Union address, but there was a problem: Not many Hispanics showed up.

MY LATEST @latimes.com ‬⁩ COLUMNA: Beautiful": Watching Trump's State of Union with Latino supporters. Share, porfas!

Come for Bob Barker and "The Price Is Right." Stay for the fog of bore

Commentary: Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have traveled parallel paths. Will they collide in 2028? The Democrats rose together through San Francisco politics, sharing donors and, for a time, campaign strategists. A fight for their party's nomination would bring their private jostling into the open.

NEW: Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris have long traveled parallel paths. Will they collide in 2028?

They rose together through SF politics, sharing donors + even campaign strategists.

A fight for the Dems nomination would bring their private jostling into the open.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Trump’s immigration crackdown forces federal judges to dismiss criminal cases, including one involving the Sinaloa cartel In recent months, federal judges have dismissed criminal indictments against defendants held in immigration detention, citing issues with clients being able to access lawyers and other concerns.

Trump’s immigration crackdown forces judges to dismiss criminal cases, including one involving the Sinaloa cartel.

The policy has created a collision between Trump’s priorities and Justice Dept prosecutions

Making America Unsafe Again

Brittny Mejia

www.latimes.com/california/s...

Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump.

An NPR investigation finds the public database of Epstein files is missing dozens of pages related to sexual abuse accusations against President Trump. n.pr/4qTItsU

'El Mencho': From California drug dealer to cartel kingpin The founder of the ruthless Jalisco New Generation Cartel was killed Sunday in Mexico, authorities said, ending a criminal career that reshaped his country's underworld after humble beginnings on the ...

‘El Mencho’: From California drug dealer to cartel kingpin

Keegan Hamilton

www.latimes.com/world-nation...

One lawyer could take down California’s abortion shield. His star client is a convicted abuser Prominent conservative attorney Jonathan Mitchell wants to build a national abortion ban through California. His client is a convicted abuser of women.

Months before becoming a high profile anti-abortion plaintiff, Jerry Rodriguez had a warrant for allegedly beating his girlfriend.

Before that, he was convicted of assaulting a woman and threatening to kill another.

SF Chronicle’s Raheem Hosseini

californiasun.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?...

Commentary: Eight candidates, four minutes to run for California governor. Ready, go! Appearing before the Democratic faithful at the state party convention in San Francisco, hopefuls offered the whys and wherefore of their candidacies. There was a great deal of Trump bashing.

NEW: Eight candidates, four minutes to run for California governor. Ready, go!

Appearing at the state Dem convention in SF, hopefuls offered the whys and wherefore of their candidacies.

There was no shortage of Trump bashing and much talk of affordability.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Commentary: Eight candidates, four minutes to run for California governor. Ready, go! Appearing before the Democratic faithful at the state party convention in San Francisco, hopefuls offered the whys and wherefores of their candidacies. There was a great deal of Trump bashing.

Barabak: Eight candidates, four minutes to run for California governor. Ready, go!