Free Republic

As an immigrant, I’m disgusted by the behavior being revealed in Tim Walz’s Minnesota… But whatever is going on there, the corruption in Gavin Newsom’s California is a thousand times worse. Our Employment Development Department paid out at least $20 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits during the pandemic — over a billion alone in the names of state and local prisoners, even inmates on death row. The corrupt “homeless industrial complex” grabbed $24 billion in state spending, as crony nonprofits and developers pocketed taxpayer cash while homelessness increased. Working families who pay into the system cannot afford groceries, rent or...

During her address at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit on Wednesday, Berry took aim at the Democratic Governor's recent decision to veto Assembly Bill 432, which would have extended insurance coverage for menopause-related care and treatment in California. “In my great state of California, my very own governor, Gavin Newsom, has vetoed our menopause bill not one, but two years, in a row,” the 59-year-old actor and women’s health advocate said, “but that’s OK because he’s not going to be governor forever,” she told the audience. She then added: “With the way he’s overlooked women—half the population—by devaluing us...

“He’s a fighter, that’s what we need!” a top-tier producer, and reliable Dem ATM over the decades, told Deadline of Newsom. “I just wish more Democrats, like Schumer and the leadership (in Congress), would emulate him, not take any sh*t from Trump,” the producer added of Newsom and his Trump 2.0 strategy of throwing punches online and off line at the authoritarian “loser” White House. With legislation like the January 1 effective ICE unmasking “No Secret Police Act” and his landslide Proposition 50 redistricting victory last month mentioned, admiration for Newsom’s fightin’ ethos is a sentiment echoed throughout town time...

EXCLUSIVE: Later this week, Gavin Newsom will once again command a portion of the national spotlight. Set as the marquee interview for the New York Times‘ annual DealBook Summit, the California governor is attracting a lot of big league attention of late all across the nation. Back on the West Coast, and in Hollywood in particular, the Donald Trump-battling Newsom is also increasingly viewed as ready for his close-up as a favorite of influential and deep-pocketed industry donors for the 2028 White House race. “He’s a fighter, that’s what we need!” a top-tier producer, and reliable Dem ATM over the...

In an effort to shock Democrats out of their romantic delusions regarding what socialism has done to humans around the world, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) introduced a resolution to denounce socialism. In the "whereas" section, the resolution listed the evil accomplishments of this ideology which included: "its collapse into totalitarian dictatorships that repressed individual liberty and resulted in the famine and mass murder deaths of over 100 million persons, and the widespread poverty of the survivors." Contrasting the dismal history of socialism with the values for which the United States of America was founded: "the sanctity of the individual,...

California’s move to abandon a plan revamping the state’s antiquated 911 system, after spending hundreds of millions on the project, has critics fuming.... But after spending around $450 million to build out the system, Cal OES halted the project last year due to “operational difficulties,” citing issues with the regional approach and stating it would pivot back toward the statewide approach.... Several of the four technology companies the state originally contracted with to develop the regional 911 system have accused officials of failing to effectively manage taxpayer dollars. Redesigning and installing the new statewide technology cost “hundreds of millions ......

The FBI has sent ominous letters to members of California Governor Gavin Newsom's inner circle after his former chief of staff was indicted on corruption charges. Dana Williamson, who served as Newsom's top aide from early 2023 to the fall of 2024, was hit with 23 felony charges earlier this month for conspiring to divert $225,000 of campaign money to another staffer. Now, a host of political operatives with links to Williamson have been notified that they were surveilled during the course of the investigation into her actions. Letters reportedly began arriving in mailboxes immediately after she was charged informing...

The calls started quietly — a cousin, an uncle, a longtime friend on the road — and then turned into a flood. Across California, Sikh and immigrant truckers, the very workers who keep our farms productive, our ports moving and our shelves stocked, all began telling me the same thing: I might lose my job in 60 days. I don’t know how to tell my kids. Then the messages really hit home when my husband, who has driven for years with a spotless record, told me he was worried about how our friends and family members would be allowed to...

‘It’s pretty blatant that they were using race when they drew up new districts to get rid of Republicans,’ said Hans von Spakovsky. Listening to Gavin Newsom talk about “free and fair elections” is like listening to Yoko Ono sing. It just doesn’t sound right. In both cases, it’s very wrong. But Newsom, born without the encumbrance of integrity, insists on lecturing Republicans about election integrity. “Donald Trump and Greg Abbott played with fire, got burned — and democracy won,” the leftist California governor stricken with political delusions of grandeur gloated on X this week after a federal court panel...

Belem, Brazil) — Crowned by global media outlets as the most important American at the United Nations “climate” summit in Belem, far-left California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) slammed U.S. President Donald Trump as an “invasive species” while signing deals with hostile foreign governments. The American president, Newsom suggested, must be stopped in order to save the world from alleged man-made climate change. Among other major announcements, Newsom inked a number of unconstitutional quasi-treaties with foreign governments — several of which are dominated by self-proclaimed communist and socialist leaders hostile to the United States. These “partnerships,” signed on the third day...

More than 70 percent of people who were affected by the Palisades Fire in California from January are still living in temporary housing, according to a report. A survey conducted by the Department of Angels surveyed “2,300 fire-impacted residents across” Los Angeles County, according to the Los Angeles Times. The survey found that 75 percent “of surveyed Pacific Palisades residents and 67% of surveyed Altadena residents are in temporary housing.” […] California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has been reported as attempting to shift attention away from the Pacific Palisades fire, which “destroyed 7,000 structures and killed 12 people in the...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause new California laws expected to require thousands of companies to report emissions and climate-risk information. The laws are the most sweeping of their kind in the nation, and a collection of business groups argued in an emergency appeal that they violate free-speech rights. The measures were signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023, and reporting requirements are expected to start early next year. Lower courts have so far refused to block the laws, which the state says will increase transparency and encourage companies...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A former top aide to California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been indicted on federal charges alleging her involvement in a scheme to steal campaign money from former federal Health Secretary Xavier Becerra. Dana Williamson was arrested and appeared in court Wednesday in Sacramento. She pleaded not guilty to all charges, and a judge ordered her released from custody. The federal indictment lists four other co-conspirators. It alleges that Williamson developed a plan with Sean McCluskie, a longtime Becerra aide, to siphon money from one of Becerra’s dormant state campaign accounts to give to McCluskie to pad...

The world wants an American climate leader, and Gavin Newsom is happy to play the part — even if the country he represents isn’t quite ready to follow.BELÉM, Brazil — Gavin Newsom can’t get out of a meeting or a talk at the international climate talks here without being swarmed by reporters and diplomats eager for a quote, a handshake, a photo.On a tour Tuesday of a cultural center with Gov. Helder Barbalho, the leader of the Brazilian state hosting the talks, a passerby recognized them both. “There’s the governor,” he exclaimed. “And there’s the California governor.” Later in the...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff was arrested Wednesday and charged with plotting with accomplices to swipe $225,000 from an inactive political campaign and funnel it straight into a friend’s pocket, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday. Dana Williamson, 53, is now facing a sweeping 23-count federal indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, defrauding the United States, obstructing justice, filing false tax returns, and lying to authorities, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California. “Today’s charges are the result of three years of relentless investigative work, in partnership with IRS...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has repeatedly slurred a federal judge by name, echoing President Trump's history of diatribes against judges even before the current Democrat started copying the former Democrat's social media style and insulting nicknames. The perceived contender for the 2028 Democratic nomination for president may cluck his tongue again when he sees the latest order from U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez in a lawsuit against The Golden State's alleged mandate on school districts to hide from parents their children's asserted gender identity at odds with sex. The President George W. Bush nominee ordered state Attorney General Rob Bonta...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called Senate Democrats’ deal with Republicans to reopen the government “pathetic,” accusing them of betraying “working Americans” after failing to secure an extension of enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies. Newsom, a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential election, took to social media Sunday night after eight Democrats voted with Republicans in a procedural vote to allow a continuing resolution (CR) funding the government to advance. “Pathetic,” he wrote from his personal X account. His press office also called the Democrats’ capitulation “pathetic”: “This isn’t a deal,” his office added. “It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!”...

The governor of California, whose dad was the attorney for the billionaire Getty family, went full Hillary-Clinton-and-hot-sauce in his interview with the "All the Smoke" podcast: [Warning: Language] Gavin debuts his hip hop persona on an NBA podcast:"It was about payin' the bills, man.""Hustlin.""I raised myself.""Wonder bread and Mac 'n cheese. That's how I grew up, bro."(His dad was the attorney for the billionaire Getty family.)pic.twitter.com/24CXtlF4fS— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) October 26, 2025Every day in the backyard, just bouncin' the basketball. Throwing the ball against the wall until the ball is just, like, frayin', man ... that's it the whole thing...

As the traditional entertainment industry continues to contract, Hollywood’s allure to visitors clearly loses its appeal — and that has massive implications for L.A., which for decades has counted on Hollywood to bring in billions in tourism dollars. According to the Hollywood Partnership, a nonprofit dedicated to the beautification and economic vitality of the neighborhood, foot traffic around the entertainment district has dropped about 50 percent the past year and has never fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. And it’s clear why: The area is neglected, dirty, uncomfortable to be in. Plus, what is there really to see or do in...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom tells CNN’s Jake Tapper that the “crisis” among young men in the US “is an issue our party needs to address.”