California Politics & News
Stay updated with California news, including reporting, analysis, and commentary on state government, progressive overreach, and the conservative response to Golden State policies.
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opinion
California’s Lawsuit Industry Is Driving Businesses Away
When it was reported that Paramount is considering leaving California, many politicians looked for ways to keep one of the largest moviemakers in Hollywood. But few looked for reasons why employers are packing their bags in the first place. Chevron, Tesla, Oracle, and more Fortune 500 companies have already left for other states. And all… -
news
Another Alleged Chinese Agent Arrested in California. Why Is the Golden State a Target?
An Irvine, California, woman accused of surveilling the family of Taiwan’s president at the direction of Chinese officials was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday as she attempted to leave the United States for China. The arrest of Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, marks the latest in a series of Chinese foreign-agent cases with… -
news
New California Law Shields Taxpayer-Funded Entities
An immigration activist group that receives substantial taxpayer funding helped push a California law creating new privacy protections for immigrant-service organizations, drawing criticism from watchdogs who say the measure will reduce transparency and public accountability. AB 2624, which California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in August, extends a privacy program to immigrant-serving nonprofits, their staff, and… -
news
Newsom Slaps 25% Tax on Companies Operating ICE Detention Facilities
California will impose a 25% tax on private companies operating immigration detention facilities under a first-in-the-nation law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this week. “These past two years [President] Donald Trump has brought fear, anxiety, disruption, and stress to our immigrant community. So today, I signed a number of bills to strengthen transparency, to strengthen… -
news
Newsom Signs Bill That Recognizes 2 Muslim State Holidays
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two Muslim holidays into law this week, making California the second state to officially recognize them. On Sunday, Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2017 into law, which will make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha state holidays. That means public schools will be closed on those days and state employees will have the… -
news
Newsom Signs Law Bringing Abortion Pills to California Community College Campuses
Abortion pills are coming to California community colleges. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2540 into law this week, requiring community colleges with student health centers to provide access to medication abortion beginning in 2029. In a statement, Newsom described the expansion of abortion access as “freedom.” “Freedom means being able to make deeply personal decisions… -
news
Hilton vs. Becerra: Top 3 Moments From the California Governor Debate
Affordability, immigration, and, of course, plenty of Trump. Here are the biggest moments from Wednesday night’s California gubernatorial debate. No. 1: ‘Trump, Trump, Trump’ When asked about how he’d address affordability in the most expensive state in the country, Republican Steve Hilton brought up his plan to eliminate state income taxes on the first $150,000… -
news
Federal Judge Blocks University of California From Punishing Students for ‘Misgendering’
The University of California tells students that using pronouns or names corresponding to a person’s sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity can constitute sexual harassment. Now, an education watchdog has won an early victory in court to stop it from enforcing its misgendering policy. The ruling comes amid a First Amendment challenge to… -
news
Trump, Dr. Oz Move to Lower Health Care Costs Ahead of Midterms
President Donald Trump and his administration are working to lower Medicare costs by ending a double-billing process targeting seniors. The rule, set to take effect in January, is expected to significantly reduce Medicare costs by changing the way physicians charge patients for same-day exams and services. Currently, doctors can charge Medicare recipients twice for exams… -
opinion
California Dictates What Cars You Can Buy. Here’s What Congress Can Do About It.
No state should get to decide what type of car or lawn mower Americans across the country can buy. Yet that is the result of an arrangement under the Clean Air Act that allows California to seek federal waivers to impose more stringent vehicle emissions standards than those adopted by the federal government. Congress now… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson on California’s Political Future & the UN’s Hypocrisy
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Victor Davis Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Sami Winc: So, Victor, lots on the agenda, but I understand you were at a political event last night with Steve… -
news
Inside CSU’s Required Ethnic Studies Courses: White Supremacy, Racializing ‘Zootopia,’ and a Gay Sex Scene
Black gender and sexuality, Filipino sexuality culture, colonialism, social justice, and white supremacy are all phrases you might hear in a progressive activist meeting, but at California State University, East Bay, these represent ethnic studies courses that are a required part of the curriculum. An investigation by Defending Education found that students only have the… -
news
Pro-Life Group Puts FDA on Notice Over Abortion Pill Waste and Endangered Species
Students for Life of America, a leading pro-life advocacy group, released a letter Thursday announcing its intent to sue the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over alleged Endangered Species Act violations tied to pharmaceutical waste from the chemical abortion pill mifepristone. In July, the group announced a peer-reviewed study published in Issues in Law &… -
news
Whistleblowers Say HHS Under Becerra Released Migrant Children After Staff Flagged Unsafe Sponsors
A former contractor who says he helped move more than 1,500 unaccompanied children out of a San Diego emergency site is speaking on the record by name for the first time, and he says the government kept releasing kids to adults they did not know. Between 2021 and 2024, nearly half a million unaccompanied alien… -
news
Chaos in Newport Beach: Immigrants Flee After Boat Crashes Ashore
Newport Beach, California, is known for its multimillion-dollar homes, luxury yachts, and affluent coastal neighborhoods. But Saturday afternoon, residents witnessed a far different scene when a boat carrying about a dozen suspected migrants entered Newport Harbor, struck a yacht, and was abandoned as its occupants scattered into the surrounding neighborhoods. A blurry surveillance video posted… -
opinion
California Risks Killing the Golden Goose With Proposition 40
This November, California voters will choose whether to implement Proposition 40, a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires to fund a failing health care system. It’s part of a disturbing trend toward socialism in the U.S., wherein people misunderstand basic incentives and how taxes that target the wealthy end up harming everyone. High net-wealth folks… -
analysis
Valadao Has Survived California’s Toughest Races. Now He Faces a Progressive Challenger—and a Newly Redrawn District.
Rep. David Valadao is a Republican representing a district where being a Republican has never been enough to guarantee a win. The Central Valley congressman has survived some of the closest races of his career by building a reputation around local issues and working across the aisle. Now, with newly drawn district lines in California… -
analysis
Democrats Flock to Left Coast Seeking California Cash as Midterm Fundraising Intensifies
As midterm campaigns and fundraisers ramp up for the November 2026 election, Democrat and socialist candidates are flocking to the Left Coast for a last-ditch fundraising effort. Even as the party struggles to decide its alignment with former Vice President Kamala Harris, a California resident and likely 2028 presidential candidate, its leading Senate candidates are… -
news
Karen Bass Won’t Testify on Alleged Fraud in LA’s Billion-Dollar Homelessness System
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has refused to appear at a House committee hearing investigating alleged fraud at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and could now face a congressional subpoena. The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, led by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., had requested that Bass testify Tuesday, Sept. 15, about alleged… -
news
‘If You Don’t Love America, Get the Hell Out’: Tom Emmer Unloads at RNC Convention
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., issued a stark warning about the rise of socialism in the Democratic Party during his speech at the Republican National Convention in Dallas. “This is an election between common sense and communism, between America-loving patriots and hate-America extremists, between freedom and tyranny,” Emmer told the crowd. Emmer pointed to…