Alexei Koseff is a state Capitol reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle, covering Gov. Gavin Newsom and California government from Sacramento. He previously spent five years in the Capitol bureau of The Sacramento Bee, reporting on everything from international recruiting by the University of California to a ride service for state senators too drunk to drive. 

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Is it time to get out of Afghanistan?

The news that the Biden administration plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks elicited a wide range of reactions in Washington — fitting for a conflict that has divided and befuddled the nation. With a few exceptions, the response to the move was relatively muted, reflecting a war that over time evolved from searing, front-page news into a lower-grade, if always deadly, war that many Americans forgot was being waged.

Iran’s uranium

Iran will begin enriching uranium to 60 percent purity, a top official said Tuesday, far exceeding its current level, in a defiant move following an attack on one of its key nuclear sites.

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Injections of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine came to a sudden halt in much of the country today after federal health agencies called for a pause in the vaccine’s use after discovering a rare blood clotting disorder in six recipients.

All six were women between the ages of 18 and 48 and all developed the illness within one to three weeks after being vaccinated. One woman died and a second woman in Nebraska has been hospitalized in critical condition.

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Iran on Monday accused Israel of orchestrating an attack on its main nuclear facility that stirred fears for the future of talks involving Washington and Tehran over a deal to constrain the Islamic Republic’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon. The attack at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, which destroyed a number of centrifuges and caused an electricity blackout, occurred as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was visiting Israel and was preparing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The government posted a $660 billion deficit in the month of March as the Biden administration spends money to try to accelerate the recovery from the pandemic. In total, the United States spent $927 billion and only took in $268 billion in tax revenues last month.

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Russia is reportedly amassing thousands of troops at its border with Ukraine, but the Kremlin denies that the buildup poses a threat. Is Ukraine facing the possibility of a Russian invasion?

If Russia proceeds in Ukraine, what should our response be?

Should Ukraine be allowed to join NATO?

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Former President Donald Trump lashed out at top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell during a speech before GOP donors on Saturday night at  Mar-a-Lago..Mr. Trump also said he was “disappointed” in former Vice President Mike Pence, though he didn’t project the same tension as with Mr. McConnell.

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With the rise of varients but places re-opening, the pandemic politics continue to worry many.

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