Recent graphics from the Los Angeles Times

Oregon GOP Primary

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Nebraska GOP Primary

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Super PAC spending

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:38:36 -0700

Independent political organizations known as "super PACs" are the wild cards in this year's election, the product of a series of court rulings, including the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision in January 2010.

Private enterprise sends a payload to the space station

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

An unmanned flight to the International Space Station this month will be the first rendezvous by a privately developed vehicle. The flight will test the Dragon spacecraft's ability to resupply the space station now that the space shuttles are retired.

Iowa comes to Los Angeles

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:33:13 -0700

To tow the 45,000-ton battleship Iowa from where it has been undergoing refurbishment in Richmond, Calif., to San Pedro, movers will use a 7,200-horsepower tug. The tow will take three to four days.

Same-sex marriage

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The next battles over same-sex marriage will center on a quartet of measures on the November ballot in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. Meanwhile, polls indicate that more Americans support same-sex marriage than before.

North Carolina GOP Primary

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Indiana GOP Primary

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

West Virginia GOP Primary

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Florida battle

Sun, 06 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Florida's battered economy makes winning the state a difficult proposition for President Obama. And winning there is a touchstone for the GOP. Every Republican elected president has carried the state since 1928. MORE: Predict a winner: Battleground states | Fractious Florida weighs heavily on presidential campaigns

Predict a winner: Battleground states

Fri, 04 May 2012 09:51:01 -0700

The 2012 presidential election is likely to be decided by voters in a small number of swing states. The Times has identified these states in play — shown below in gray — based on polling data and other factors, and we'll update the list from time to time as polls shift. Click a state until it turns to your choice: Democratic, Republican or back to contested. See which combinations lead a candidate to the 270 electoral votes needed to claim the White House.

Los Angeles in flux

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The city’s demographics have changed dramatically in the two decades since the 1992 riots. An expanding Latino population moving west has displaced blacks leaving their historic center in South Los Angeles. The maps show concentration of the four main racial/ethnic groups in 1990 and 2010.

Shuttling a shuttle

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:07:55 -0700

During the space shuttle program, NASA used a specially modified 747 to move orbiters from Edwards Air Force Base back to Cape Canaveral, Fla. when conditions prevented a landing at Cape Canaveral. A similar process is being used to deliver the shuttles to their new homes at various U.S. museums. Later this year, the shuttle Endeavor will be flown from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to Edwards and then transported over city streets to its new home at Exposition Park’s California Science Center. Return to story

Who should play Mick Jagger and Keith Richards?

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:36:37 -0700

South Los Angeles liquor stores

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Community opposition has prevented most of about 200 liquor stores burned in the 1992 Los Angeles riots from reopening. Korean ownership, which was concentrated in South Los Angeles, has also dwindled in the last two decades.

Rail service pushes west

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Almost 60 years after the Pacific Electric Railway stopped running trains between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica, Metro will open the approximately $930-million first phase of the Expo light rail line this weekend.

Presidential campaign contributions, by state

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:17:10 -0700

President Obama has far outstripped his Republican challengers in the competition for dollars so far this year, with the vast majority of donations to his reelection effort coming from California and New York. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads the GOP pack in fundraising. Click on the buttons below to view the state-by-state breakdown of total campaign contributions to each candidate so far. Map: Presidential campaign contributions, by county | Campaign 2012: Money & Politics

Presidential campaign contributions, by county

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:13:21 -0700

The largest share of President Obama’s campaign contributions so far have come from California, thanks largely to the millions of dollars he’s raised in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties. The contributions to his Republican opponents are more diffused throughout the state. Map: Presidential campaign contributions, by state | Campaign 2012: Money & Politics

New York GOP Primary

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A rapidly expanding curfew area

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Local officials quickly expanded the dusk-to-dawn curfew area that restricted all pedestrians and vehicles from public streets or areas as the 1992 riots spread from an initial flash point in South Los Angeles.

Connecticut GOP Primary

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Rhode Island GOP Primary

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Delaware GOP Primary

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Pennsylvania GOP Primary

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Saga of a drug kingpin

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Documents obtained by The Times/Tribune Washington Bureau tell how Jesus Audel Miramontes-Varela went from smuggling thousands of pounds of marijuana to being a valued FBI informant. In these excerpts, paraphrased testimony from Miramontes-Varela ("CHUBEN") describes how he kept several African lions while in charge of the "Plaza" in Namiquipa from 2002 through 2008, and his later eagerness to talk to the FBI.

Natural solutions with a few new curves

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Ken Radtkey and Susan Van Atta’s house goes far beyond the usual energy-efficient appliances and green building materials. The house is built into a berm that acts as a natural insulator and blends architecture with landscape. It’s oriented with seasonal shifts of the sun in mind, and it’s designed to funnel rainwater across gardens and into cisterns for use as plant irrigation later.

Where they are now

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

On the night of March 3, 1991, Rodney King led police on a more than 110 mph chase through the San Fernando Valley. A resident captured what happened next on tape: several LAPD officers dealt more than 50 blows to King while he was handcuffed on the ground. When the officers were acquitted on April 29, 1992, riots broke out across Los Angeles. Here's a look at some key figures. Full coverage | Timeline | Front pages | Photos

Newest fighter

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Transit vision for Southland

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

An extension of Measure R’s sales tax increase would fund several L.A. transit projects.

Weekend 2: If you like...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:37:33 -0700

Los Angeles Times music writer Todd Martens helps you find your way at Coachella 2012. Full coverage | Timeline: 1999-2012 | Share your stories

Coachella 2012: survival guide

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

From weather to toilet paper, we've got you covered. Full coverage | Timeline: 1999-2012 | Share your stories

Shuttling a shuttle

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Controversial deadly force

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Since Charlie Beck became LAPD chief, the Police Commission has found officers in eight cases violated the department’s deadly force policy. In all but two cases, Beck either did not impose any punishment or gave the officers a reprimand. Below are summaries of the incidents with links to the commission's findings.

Violence in state hospitals

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The U.S. Department of Justice sued California six years ago to improve treatment at four state mental hospitals, but by two key measures, conditions worsened. Patients in three of the hospitals committed more assaults, and many patients were confined significantly longer. Read the story: California state mental hospitals plagued by peril

'Jersey Shore' vs. 'Shahs of Sunset'

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Return of a classic

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Sunday's screening of "How the West Was Won" at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood will feature vintage Cinerama projectors and a vintage sound dubber, with a few modern touches: Three separate films are played in the original projectors. Modern xenon lamps replace old carbon arc lamps. New platters hold the film, which used to be held on vertical reels.

Must-see music for Weekend 2

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

You have three days and nights. What to do? Times pop music critic Randall Roberts has the sets you just can't miss. Full coverage | Timeline: 1999-2012 | Share your stories

Tsunami warning system works

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

A global tsunami warning system now in place did its job Wednesday as two large earthquakes in the Indian Ocean triggered alerts to nearby coastal cities. The quakes this time did not cause major damage. How the system works:

The 1992 L.A. riots

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:29:59 -0700

Browse through The Times' front pages from the 1992 L.A. riots with the right and left buttons.

Meeting of the Twains

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

U.S. unemployment rate by state

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Ending a streak of solid job gains in the prior three months, employers added a modest 120,000 new jobs in March. The nation's jobless rate inched down to 8.2% from 8.3% in February, the Labor Department said Friday.

Use the map below to explore state-by-state rates through February, the most recent figures available.

Wisconsin GOP Primary

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Washington DC GOP Primary

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Maryland GOP Primary

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Coliseum Commission

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission oversees management of the stadium and adjacent Sports Arena. It is a joint authority of the state and the city and county of Los Angeles; each government appoints three members.

Louisiana GOP Primary

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Racehorse deaths and injuries

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

At California racetracks in 2010-11, 186 horses died in racing and training accidents. Among the major thoroughbred tracks, Santa Anita had the highest death rates during racing. After drainage problems, Santa Anita switched from synthetic back to a dirt surface last season.

Illinois GOP Primary

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

New green lane for bicycles

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Motorists driving on streets with new green bike lanes must be aware of the rules of the road. A new lane on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles illustrates some typical situations.

Alabama GOP Primary

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Hawaii GOP Caucuses

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Mississippi GOP Primary

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700

Mission to the sun

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800

In 2018, NASA plans to launch a spacecraft called Solar Probe Plus to study the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, and its expansion into space, known as the solar wind.

Kansas GOP Caucuses

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Wyoming GOP Caucuses

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800

Ohio GOP Primary