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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news
Karen Bass Touts 6-to-1 Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Match, Drawing Backlash
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing backlash after promoting a city program that allows qualifying campaign contributions to be matched with public funds at a rate of 6-to-1. In a video posted to X, Bass urged city residents to contribute to her reelection campaign while highlighting the taxpayer-funded match. “If you live in the… -
news
California Voters Pick Eric Swalwell’s Replacement
An Afghan American who accused Israel of “genocide” won Thursday night’s special election runoff in California to replace disgraced Rep. Eric Swalwell. State Sen. Aisha Wahab bested her opponent, Bay Area Rapid Transit Board President Melissa Hernandez, by roughly six percentage points in the race for California’s 14th Congressional District, The Associated Press declared Thursday…. -
news
The ‘Big One’ Is Coming: Is California Ready for the Next Major Earthquake?
Sunny skies, blue oceans, and palm trees are hallmarks of Southern California, but beneath the picturesque landscape lies a network of faults capable of turning deadly in a matter of seconds. Los Angeles saw that threat firsthand in 1994, when the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley, killing dozens of people, injuring… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Blue States Are Betting Your Life on Illegal Truck Drivers
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of the latest edition 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. Jack Fowler: Twenty-one states and D.C. sue Trump administration to protect illegal alien drivers from the feds. This… -
news
Karen Bass’ Video Invites Scrutiny Over Donation Match Program
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat running for reelection, made a curious post on social media this week when she solicited campaign donations that would be matched by the city. The post is raising plenty of scrutiny and questions. “The Tony Kinnett Cast” on Wednesday opened with the eyebrow-raising story, as host Tony Kinnett… -
news
California Bucks National Trend as Voter ID Initiative Faces Uphill Fight
Current polling shows a voter ID ballot measure could be headed for defeat in California even as the policy is overwhelmingly popular nationwide. A Berkeley University Institute of Governmental Studies poll shows that a slim majority of Californians, 51%, oppose Proposition 39, a ballot measure to adopt voter ID. Just 42% support it, still leaving… -
news
Why Is This Medieval Disease Striking LA County?
A medieval disease known as typhus is surging in Los Angeles County as the region grapples with growing homelessness, unsanitary conditions, and a major rat problem. Flea-borne typhus, a bacterial disease transmitted to humans through infected fleas, reached an all-time high in the county in 2025, with 220 cases reported. That’s up from 187 cases… -
news
Homelessness Up 20% Under Newsom as Trump Admin Rolls Out ‘Treatment First’ Alternative
Three federal agencies gathered in San Diego on Wednesday to announce a new “treatment first” approach aimed at addressing California’s long-running homelessness crisis. Since 2016, California has followed a “housing first” model after then-Gov. Jerry Brown required state-funded homelessness programs to incorporate its core components. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development… -
news
Ballot Language Wars Reshape Major Referendums Before a Single Vote Is Cast
Democrat state officials across the country have altered referendum language, which critics allege is aimed at manipulating the outcome of ballot measures this fall. After California Attorney General Rob Bonta altered the language of California’s voter ID measure, Proposition 39, the Yes on 39 campaign alleged in court the alteration was misleading. A Sacramento judge… -
news
‘Established Insurgent’: Newsom Tests New Political Identity Ahead of 2028
Gavin Newsom is nearing the end of his time as California governor, but as speculation continues over a potential 2028 presidential run, the longtime politician is describing himself as an “established insurgent.” Newsom made the comment during a weekend trip to Michigan, where he spoke with reporters about the direction of the Democratic Party. When… -
news
Nithya Raman Axed From Homelessness Committee Leadership, Alleges Political Payback From Bass Allies
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman is accusing city leaders of political retaliation after losing her position as chair of the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, adding another layer of tension to her battle against Mayor Karen Bass. Raman had led the Housing and Homelessness Committee since 2023. But that changed last week when… -
news
Trump Administration Restores Support for Faith-Based Homelessness Programs After Biden-Era Restrictions
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared in Los Angeles on Tuesday to announce the Trump administration’s latest push to overhaul the state’s response to the homelessness crisis. California has long struggled with homelessness, and recent scandals involving taxpayer dollars flowing to troubled… -
opinion
After Billions Spent and Zero Trains, California’s Rail Boondoggle Nears a Reckoning
California’s high-speed rail boondoggle may finally be running out of money. It’s bad news for Gov. Gavin Newsom, possibly good news for the people of California. I’ve been opining about why the California bullet train will never succeed since I wrote my very first column as a young college pup. But even my accurate (though… -
news
Where Did All of California’s Students Go?
Between falling birth rates, net out-migration, and the aftermath of COVID-19, California is running out of students. According to a recent Public Policy Institute of California report, K-12 enrollment statewide has dropped 8% since 2015 and is expected to continue declining over the next decade. Julien Lafortune, senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of… -
opinion
Is Los Angeles Seeing Sense on Noncitizen Voting?
The Los Angeles City Council has reversed course on a ballot measure that would have asked voters in the nation’s second-largest city to decide whether noncitizens may vote in city and school board elections. However, this news isn’t as simple as it might seem. The motion’s author, Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, said that he authored the motion for noncitizen voting because… -
exclusive
‘Trump’s Lapdog’ vs. ‘Government Failure’: Hilton, Becerra Trade Insults in Statements to the Daily Signal
With California’s gubernatorial election drawing closer, the war of words between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton is intensifying. A series of pointed statements by both campaigns underscores just how combative the race has become. Last week, Hilton made Becerra’s tenure as U.S. secretary of health and human services a centerpiece of his campaign,… -
news
Residuals of Glyphosate Linger in California Creeks Nearly 2 Years After Spraying Halt
Nearly a year and a half after Orange County stopped spraying glyphosate in creeks that empty into its beaches, independent testing still found traces of the chemical. The push to halt herbicide use has rippled throughout Orange County for months, leading many to question what could be lingering after public workers stop spraying. During the… -
news
One-third of Californians Live Near the Poverty Line. Can Steve Hilton’s Tax Relief Plan Help?
One-third of Californians were living at or near the poverty line in 2024, according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California. The report found that 13.6 million residents were at or near poverty, with the highest poverty rates concentrated in Los Angeles County. Of those, roughly 6.7 million were living below… -
news
They Ran 100 Miles in 1 Day for America. Here’s Why.
Running 100 miles in 24 hours isn’t something most people could accomplish. But for the men who completed Project 100, the challenge wasn’t just about endurance—it was about patriotism. Never Surrender USA is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to inspiring and educating the next generation of Americans to be healthy, strong, and patriotic. Its latest initiative,… -
news
‘Competitive in Nature’? Records Raise New Questions About Newsom’s $6.2 Million California Diaper Deal
Newly released records suggest California’s contract with a nonprofit to distribute free diapers involved a noncompetitive bidding process, drawing concerns about favoritism. The $6.2 million contract has come under scrutiny in part because of the nonprofit Baby2Baby’s connection with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom. One of Baby2Baby’s co-CEOs, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, serves on…