Political Columnist
Ruben Navarrette, Jr. is a contributor to CNN, a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post Writers Group and host of the podcast Navarrette Nation. He is the author of A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano.
Recapping One Year Later Each of One Year Later’s hosts choose their favorite episode.
What does the film 'Coco' mean for the Latino community? The film Coco has resonated with Latinos in the US who have been battered by the anti-Latino rhetoric coming out of the White House. Can a Pixar hit and it's loveable protagonist boost a community's self esteem?
Immigration crackdown shifts to country's interior As a candidate, President Trump promised to round up and deport "bad hombres." But a spike in deportations and arrests are also sweeping up immigrants with deep ties to the United States and minor or no criminal history. Seizures in the interior of the country have increased 42 percent over last year. Grassroots groups and clergy have stepping up to try to shield immigrants.
Elitism in America Much of the criticism of liberals after the 2016 election revolved around coastal elites and the media being disconnected from white working class Americans. Are the "Blue Coasts" still mocking the flyover states -- and helping empower Trump in the process?
Are immigrant workers bad for the working class? Populists on the Left and Nativists on the Right seem to agree on one thing: that a ready supply of immigrant workers is undermining American workers. But with unemployment at new lows, are US workers just scapegoating immigrants?
What’s next for Roy Moore? Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for US Senate in Alabama is facing allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. The Washington Post published a blockbuster story last Thursday featuring allegations from four Alabama women whom Moore allegedly made sexual contact with or tried to seduce in the 1970s, when he was in his 30s and they were teenagers. The youngest, Leigh Corfman, was 14 at the time. Monday, another accuser, represented by attorney Gloria Allred, brought claims against Moore — this time concerning sexual assault.
Politics After Paris The Syrian refugee crisis has become a political football since the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday . Republican presidential candidates and governors are now saying the U.S. needs to stop taking in Syrian refugees.
GOP Debate The GOP presidential candidates gathered at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley yesterday. One of the hot topics was immigration. But they touched on a lot of issues during the three hour debate.
Republican Debate Roundup The first Republican Presidential debate raised more questions than it answered. Did he really say that? What did he mean? Do those two hate each other as much as it seems? And the main question: What is happening in the Republican Party? One thing is clear - the debate was a ratings bonanza. According to Nielsen, 24 million people tuned in, making it the most watched primary debate ever.
GOP Debate Preview The first Republican debate takes place this Thursday night. Ten of the 17 contenders for the GOP presidential nomination will face off on Fox News, but all eyes will be on Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump.
Courting Latino Voters If you compare the field of Democratic and Republican presidential candidates - they couldn’t be more different. The Democrats have a clear front-runner. The Republicans have a dozen or so candidates fighting to distinguish themselves from the pack. One thing both parties do have in common - they’re aggressively courting the Latino vote. According to the Pew Research Center, 25 million Latinos were eligible to vote in the midterm elections. And that number is expected to be even higher in 2016.
Villaraigosa Won't Run for Senate Antonio Villaraigosa announced today that he would not enter the race for Barbara Boxer’s seat in the US Senate. The former mayor of Los Angeles said, "I am humbled by the encouragement I've received from so many to serve in the United States Senate, but as I think about how best to serve the people of this great state, I know that my heart and my family are here in California, not Washington, DC."
President Obama Opens a Door to Cuba More than 50 years after the US ended diplomatic relations with Cuba, President Obama made history today — renewing ties that were ended before he was born. There have been 18 months of secret negotiations, ended by a phone call with Raoul Castro, the President of Cuba. The Administration will open an embassy in Havana, ask Congress to end the trade embargo and use other means to improve Cuba's human rights record. We hear how the deal came about, the role of Pope Francis, and sample political reaction.
Can LA County fix its voting issues before November? Election Day is less than five weeks away. Maybe voting will go off without a hitch. But over the past 10 years, elections in Los Angeles County have been marred by problems that have led to a lot of voter confusion at the polls. In the first of a two part series, KCRW’s Saul Gonzalez looks at recent breakdowns in L.A. County’s elections, and how election officials plan to solve them with a massive election modernization program.
Left, Right & Center Live: Decisions, Decisions A special live broadcast of Left, Right & Center from INFORUM at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco
Are state-mandated gender quotas legal? California becomes the first state to impose gender quotas on corporate boards, but will the new law make it through legal review? It’s a close race for the 25th Congressional seat in Ventura County, as Democrats try to flip the district from red to blue. A wine from the Central Coast plays a lead role in “Somm 3,” and artists debut performances inspired by the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides.