Free Republic

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a task force created by the Trump administration to root out waste and corruption in the federal government. To promote its mission and celebrate its accomplishments, Leo Zacky (foreground, left), a candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for governor of California teamed up with Shiva Bagheri (foreground, right), a fitness and dance instructor, community organizer and activist to perform the DOGE Dance, a lively dance set to the music of Brian Coyne's dance tune “DOGE.” The performance took place at a rally in Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills, Calif. sponsored by the...

California Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers are bracing for a $10 billion budget shortfall — even before federal spending cuts undertaken by the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Newsom and the Democrats took a near-$100 billion surplus in 2022– partly fueled by federal coronavirus funds under the Biden administration — to a near-$50 billion deficit in 2024. Earlier this year, the state was forced to borrow $6.2 billion to fund Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, which Newsom and his party expanded to cover illegal aliens. Now, according to Politico, Newsom and the Democrats are bracing...

A new poll shows that 54% of registered voters believe that Governor Gavin Newsom is focused on his own presidential ambitions, versus 26% who believe he is focused on his job and the state — a two-to-one margin. The University of California Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) poll, conducted in April among 6,201 voters, with a 2% margin of error, also found that Newsom’s approval and disapproval are at 46%. A release accompanying the poll explained: The survey … finds that Californians continue to hold very mixed and highly partisan views of the job Gavin Newsom is doing as...

Comedian says it would benefit auto enthusiasts, while environmentalists say it would increase air pollutionShould old cars get a break from California’s smog check laws? Former Tonight Show host and avid car collector Jay Leno thinks so. He’s thrown his support behind a bill in the state legislature that would exempt vehicles 35 years or older from the state’s requirement to pass a smog check test that most other California vehicles face every two years. “I know there’s nothing more annoying than Hollywood people involved in politics,” Leno said at a rally at the state Capitol last month. “But this...

Prominent farmworker activist and organizer Dolores Huerta joined several other speakers at a public meeting in Watsonville Saturday to raise awareness about the dangers of agricultural pesticide use on farmworkers, children, consumers and residents throughout Santa Cruz County. Childhood cancer rates in the county are more than 38% above the nationwide childhood cancer rate of 16.3%. This makes the cancer rate for children up to age 14 the second highest of all California counties, according to Dr. Ann López, the director of the Center for Farmworker Families. The meeting was organized by the Campaign for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture (CORA)....

About one-third of all municipal bonds issued in 2024 and outstanding through 2024 are from sanctuary jurisdictions, concentrated in large cities and states, such as California, New York, and Massachusetts...The absence of truly objective bond ratings or comprehensive risk assessments for sanctuary jurisdictions may place investors, particularly individual investors, who own a significant share of this market, at a disadvantage.

The scamdemic is the gift that keeps on giving, and it’s only a matter of time before we the taxpayers are called upon to settle the student loan bill for robots too.According to a report from SFGate, “ghost” students are on the rise at colleges across the nation, particularly in California, a dramatic increase seen after much of the education sector transitioned to remote learning during 2020.Here’s the story:When the pandemic upended the world of higher education, Robin Pugh, a professor at City College of San Francisco, began to see one puzzling problem in her online courses: Not everyone was...

Oil refinery Valero has opted to close its operations in California due to excessive regulations on energy. Located in the small city of Benicia, the town is expected to lose 400 jobs, which the mayor is calling the exit “a major hit on the city.” Everyone in California is feeling the impact of Newsom’s war on fossil fuels. Valero said its decision ” follows years of regulatory pressure, significant fines for air quality violations, and a recent lawsuit settlement related to environmental concerns.” “California has been pursuing policies to move away from fossil fuels for really for the past 20...

In a reprehensible slap in the face to the oppressed people of Venezuela, far-left members of the Democratic Party are urging President Obama to resist bipartisan efforts to level sanctions against the authoritarian government of Nicholas Maduro. Based on comments by the Administration, apparently their sympathy for the Marxist regime is shared by the White House in a startling reversal of national doctrine of supporting freedom and liberty that has endured since the US was founded in 1776. John Conyers, Democratic Congressman from Michigan, penned a letter to Obama signed by he and 13 of his colleagues urging them to...

Officials at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) are facing scrutiny for refusing to release public records related to allegations of significant wrongdoing that led to $800,000 in taxpayer-funded settlements. LAist, a local news outlet, has been denied access to documents detailing wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation claims filed by two former executives who departed the agency in 2024. The two executives are Kristina Dixon, former chief financial and administration officer, and Emily Vaughn Henry, former data and IT director. Their terminations occurred during Va Lecia Adams Kellum’s first year as LAHSA’s chief executive. LAist initiated its request for...

President Donald Trump has begun his war against Democrat-dominated, left-wing California, according to the New York Times, enacting six policies against the state in the space of just 24 hours last week.The Trump administration waited to take on Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), initially, because of the devastation of the January 7 wildfires in Los Angeles.However, that did not stop Newsom from spending $50 million to fight Trump, even while asking for federal aid.The Times reports on what happened next — on Thursday, March 26:The U.S. Education Department announced early in the West Coast morning that it would challenge a major...

On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) defended California law allowing teachers to not tell parents about students changing their gender identity by stating that under the prior law, “a teacher would be fired if a teacher did not report or snitch on a kid talking about their gender identity. I just think that was wrong. I think teachers should teach. I don’t think they should be required to turn in kids.” After Newsom criticized Democrats, host Bill Maher asked, “So, what do you say to people who say, well, this sounds all very good,...

Afederal judge excoriated officials who were unable to account for $2.4 billion in taxpayer funds meant to go toward solving homelessness in Los Angeles.U.S. District Court Judge David Carter threatened to appoint a court-ordered receiver if officials didn't improve their efforts to account for the money spent, according to an LAist report. (snip) The judge gave them until May to fulfill their responsibilities or have a receiver take over the spending. While he acknowledged that they had inherited a "mess" from former officials, Carter demanded that they take accountibility.“I am your worst nightmare,” Carter told them. “I can make your...

Mel Gibson for California governor? A poll has emerged citing him as a popular Republican candidate to run for the office although he has expressed zero interest in pursing it. In a new Lost Coast Outpost poll formulated on Wednesday, Gibson emerges as a surprising third place and the top Republican candidate with 12 percent of the vote. California Globe looked at the figures and surmised former Congresswoman Katie Porter now has a slight lead amongst all candidates, but the rest of the field is mixed: According to the poll, which was a straight straw poll with no demographic data...

Speaking of climate change fanaticism, the folks in the epicenter of hysteria – California – may be having second thoughts. Several cities have dropped planned bans on the use of natural gas for heating, hot water and cooking. A “freedom of heating” ballot initiative is planned for 2026. A January poll found the idea favored by 67% to 18% by voters. A recent survey by pollster David Wolfson found that nearly half of likely California voters are considering voting for a Republican to be their next governor. That’s amazing, because more than 1.5 million mostly Republican voters have fled the...

As LA Metro prepares for global events coming to the region and major projects on the horizon, the Board of Directors Thursday advanced an effort to increase opportunities for women in construction. In a unanimous vote, the Board approved a report and instructed staff to expand initiatives to help women, meet equity and hiring goals. Staff are expected to provide a progress update in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026. “Our goal is that we want to make the trades simpler for women,” Board Chair and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said. “Our leaning in is to make it...

An earthquake rattled Los Angeles hours after the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony wrapped up in Hollywood, according to multiple reports. The 3.9-magnitude tremor struck North Hollywood at around 10:13 p.m. on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey. Shaking was reported to be felt miles across LA, including in Pasadena, Long Beach, San Fernando Valley, Torrance, Redondo Beach and Glendale, NBC Los Angeles reported. There have been no immediate reports of injuries or damages, according to ABC 7. The Los Angeles Fire Department posted on X that they would not enter “earthquake Mode” following the quake.

Two months ago in January, comedian Adam Carolla predicted that the rebuilding process after the California wildfires would be a nightmare because of the progressive policies in the state. He said it would be near to impossible to get a building permit. It has now been 75 days since the fires. How many building permits have been issued for Pacific Palisades? FOUR. Not 400, not 40. FOUR. It looks like Adam Carolla pretty much called this one, doesn’t it? ABC 7 in Los Angeles reports: Low number of permits issued for rebuilding homes after Palisades Fire is ‘concerning’: Councilwoman More...

Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman will allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty again in Los Angeles, undoing one of the signature policies of his predecessor, George Gascón. The move comes as little surprise: Hochman campaigned on the issue almost as soon as he announced his challenge to Gascón in 2023. But it still marks a significant shift in one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in the nation. Under California law, the death penalty can only be sought in cases where a defendant is accused of murder with special circumstances. That can include multiple homicides or cases where the victim is...

Gov. Newsom is abusing the Medicaid system to pay for illegal immigrants’ health care and taking more money from taxpayers in other states.In 2024, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proudly made California the first state to offer medical care for people who entered the country illegally and reside in the Golden State. However, the cost, estimated at almost $8 billion, is being paid by all taxpayers, not just Californians.Do people in Texas, North Carolina, and hyper-taxed Illinois want to fund California’s 700,000 illegal immigrants? They don’t have a choice. Newsom is using Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid safety net program, and the federal...