The website in California where consumers can shop for and enroll in health insurance plans that comply with Obamacare sent users’ personal health information to LinkedIn.
Covered California, the state-run marketplace for Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act), had a website on which consumers were asked about whether they were blind, pregnant, or used a high number of prescription medications, CalMatters <a href="https://calmatters.org/health/2025/04/covered-california-linkedin-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, adding, “Kelly Donohue, a spokesperson for the agency, confirmed that data was sent to LinkedIn as part of an advertising campaign. &#8230; Visitors who filled out health information on the site may have had their data tracked for more than a year, according to Donohue.”
Covered California sending data to a company such as LinkedIn is “concerning and invasive,” Sara Geoghegan, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said, calling it  “wholly irrelevant” for LinkedIn to have the information. “People don’t expect that their health information will be collected and used in this way,” she added.
“LinkedIn is already facing multiple proposed class-action lawsuits related to the collection of medical information,” CalMatters noted. “In October, <a href="https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/lawsuits-accuse-linkedin-tracking-users-health-info-a-26668" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three new lawsuits in California courts alleged</a> that LinkedIn violated users’ privacy by collecting information on medical appointment sites, including for a fertility clinic.”
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), a former candidate for governor, wrote on X, “This is incredibly disturbing. California&#8217;s Obamacare website tracked users&#8217; personal health information – such as pregnancy and prescription drug use – and sent it to LinkedIn for a &#8216;marketing campaign.&#8217; We are asking Secretary Kennedy to investigate for HIPAA violations.”
“Covered California has identified that some sensitive data was inadvertently collected by the tags, including first names, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and other sensitive health information like pregnancy status. To our knowledge, access to this data was limited to Covered California credentialed users for the limited purpose of managing Covered California’s account,” the agency <a href="https://www.coveredca.com/newsroom/news-releases/2025/04/28/statement-on-data-and-information-sharing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a>.
“Covered California is now the largest state-based health insurance marketplace in the country,” the organization boasts on its <a href="https://www.coveredca.com/marketing-blog/what-is-covered-california/">website</a>. “Over the last decade, we’ve helped reduce the percentage of uninsured adults under the age of 65 from 19.4 percent to just 7.5 percent — well below the national average.”

Open Enrollment Insurance ObamaCare Patient Protection, Affordable Care Act Guide

California Obamacare Marketplace Sent Users’ Personal Info To LinkedIn

California

Health

Health Insurance

LinkedIn

Obamacare

Privacy

U.S.

Democrats on the California Senate Public Safety Committee shot down a bill on Tuesday that would have kept male sex criminals out of female prisons.
The committee, which includes far-Left Senator Scott Wiener, voted down a proposal from Republican Senator Shannon Grove to protect women from males who are registered sex offenders from being able to be housed in women&#8217;s prisons. The bill also would have given women privacy in sleeping arrangements and showers, meaning that they would be protected from males who have taken advantage of California&#8217;s lax laws that allow men to be placed in women&#8217;s prisons.
&#8220;Today I am here on behalf of incarcerated women in California prisons who are dealing with the unintended consequences of allowing transgender inmates to be housed in women&#8217;s correction facilities,&#8221; Grove said at the committee hearing. &#8220;Everyone agrees that we need to keep inmates safe and provide additional protections.&#8221;
She noted that she had received a letter from a female inmate discussing how males were being housed in her prison. The letter included a condom that had been distributed by prison staff.
&#8220;Why is the state of California paying for condoms in women&#8217;s prisons?&#8221; Grove asked the committee.
The only lawmaker to support the bill was Senator Kelly Seyarto, the lone Republican on the committee.
Grove&#8217;s bill is seeking to address problems created by <a href="https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/prea/sb-132-faqs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SB 132</a>, a bill sponsored by Wiener that said that inmates should be housed according to their &#8220;gender identity.&#8221; Her legislation would &#8220;establish a secure facility at each women’s prison to house transgender women, in order to protect the security needs of biological women at birth in sleeping and other intimate areas&#8221; and prohibit male sex offenders from being eligible to be assigned to female prisons.
“SB 132 created a preference for transgender individuals. If you are a woman serving in the women’s prison and a transgender self-identified check-the-box person comes in and goes, ‘I want to house with you,’ the woman in that cell has no recourse. They can’t say no because that’s considered discriminatory,&#8221; Grove told The Daily Wire on Monday.
Grove said that she was told before the hearing that the committee planned to kill the bill. She said that the California Democrat supermajority had a “preference for predators versus victims.&#8221;
The bill would only have prohibited males &#8220;convicted of an offense for which they are required to register pursuant to Section 290,&#8221; which include crimes like rape, human trafficking for sexual purposes of a minor, sexual battery, child molestation, sexual penetration with a foreign object, and other horrific crimes.
During his comments, Wiener said that it was common knowledge among kids that prisons had a rape problem. He claimed that the proposal from Grove was motivated by the &#8220;culture war&#8221; and trying to target &#8220;trans people.&#8221; He said people were trying to &#8220;turn trans people into terrifying predators&#8221; trying to scam their way into women&#8217;s prisons. Wiener claimed it would be dehumanizing to not allow men who identify as women into women&#8217;s prisons. He also said that the provision about the sex offender registry was &#8220;discriminatory&#8221; and targeted LGBT people.
Grove had a broad coalition of support from advocates concerned about the safety of women and inmates who have experienced the negative impacts of SB 132. In one letter of support shared with The Daily Wire, one inmate said that she was brutally beaten by a male named Tremaine Carroll who caused her to have a &#8220;spontaneous abortion.&#8221; Carroll, who has since been moved from the women&#8217;s prison, is currently <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/pronoun-use-center-rape-case-involving-former-chowchilla-central-california-womens-facility-prisoner-tremaine-carroll/15696730/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing charges</a> of raping multiple women at the prison. A California judge ruled in December that prosecutors have to use female pronouns for him because of his identity.
<div id="attachment_913767" style="width: 1462px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-913767" class="size-full wp-image-913767" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-29-at-4.20.41-PM.png" alt="" width="1452" height="1108" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-29-at-4.20.41-PM.png 1452w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-29-at-4.20.41-PM-300x229.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-29-at-4.20.41-PM-755x576.png 755w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screen-Shot-2025-04-29-at-4.20.41-PM-768x586.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1452px) 100vw, 1452px" />Letter from inmate in support of Grove&#8217;s bill</div>
Another letter in support came from an inmate who said that she was forced to house with a 6&#8217;2&#8221; man who was 200 pounds, describing the environment in prison as the &#8220;wild west.&#8221;
One of those who testified in favor of Grove&#8217;s bill was Amie Ichikawa, a woman who spent nearly five years in a California prison and now advocates to keep males out of female prisons. During her testimony, she asked the committee to back the bill to show that &#8220;protecting women&#8217;s safety is not up for debate&#8221; and asked committee members to value &#8220;people over politics.&#8221;
Recent <a href="https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/research/wp-content/uploads/sites/174/2025/04/SB132.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reveal that at least 45 males who identify as transgender have been transferred into female prisons since implementation of Wiener&#8217;s legislation. In total, there have been nearly 900 males who have requested transfer into women&#8217;s prisons while only 70 females have requested transfers into male prisons. Many of the requests are still being reviewed.
Statistics from 2022 show that 33.8% of the men identifying as women seeking to transfer into women&#8217;s prisons were registered sex offenders and another 25.8% were convicted of sex crimes.
Grove&#8217;s proposal was also supported by Erin Friday, the president of Our Duty, a group that seeks to educate parents about the dangers of transgender medical procedures on kids. Friday, who says she was a longtime Democratic voter before the school system tried to transition her daughter, told The Daily Wire that Grove&#8217;s bill was “a first step in where we need to get which is to get all males out of female prisons and jails.&#8221;
She said that ultimately, Wiener&#8217;s SB 132 needed to repealed, but that there was a lot of work to be done.
“The Democrats won’t even get out the known rapists, the known sex offenders out of the women’s prisons. That’s how much they dislike women,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That’s how much the gender ideologues have to keep their falsehood going. This is so simple. At least get the sex offenders, the known sex offenders out of the women’s prisons.” 
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-trump-youth-prisons-transgender-house-young-girls?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Despite+Trump+Orders%2C+Juvenile+Prisons+Still+Have+To+House+‘Trans’+Men+With+Young+Girls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week that little scrutinized regulations from the Obama-era prohibit prisons from having policies in place to assign housing by sex, at both adult and juvenile facilities. President Donald Trump has indicated that he is looking to amend this code.

54th Annual San Francisco LGBTQ Pride Parade

California Dems Vote To Keep Male Sex Offenders In Female Prisons

Crime

Prisons

Scott Wiener

Transgender

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump&#8217;s Education Department is investigating the University of California at Berkeley for allegedly failing to properly report hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign funding, The Daily Wire has learned.
The Education Department sent a notice of investigation and records requests to UC Berkeley on Friday, senior Education Department officials shared Friday morning. The notification came amid widespread media reports that Berkeley has received a substantial amount of money from foreign governments, the official said, specifically China.
These substantial amounts of money have not been reported to the department as required by law under Section 117&#8217;s Foreign Funding Disclosure Requirements for Universities, one official shared. The department is concerned about the university&#8217;s deep involvements with Chinese entities, particularly how it has shared the development and transfer of important technologies with China.
“They’ll have 30 days to respond with the records that we requested,&#8221; an Education Department official said, &#8220;and so we hope to have quite a volume of records and we’ll be able to verify the degree to which UC Berkeley is or is not compliant after our examination of those records.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_912241" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/education-department-investigating-uc-berkeley-for-improper-reporting-on-china-ties/sather-gate" rel="attachment wp-att-912241"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912241" class="wp-image-912241 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1053601948-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1053601948-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1053601948-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1053601948-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-1053601948.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Close-up of metalwork on Sather Gate, the iconic entrance gate to the campus of UC Berkeley in downtown Berkeley, California, October 9, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)</div>
“Over the course of the last two years, UC Berkeley has been cooperating with federal inquiries regarding 117 reporting issues, and will continue to do so,&#8221; a spokesman for UC Berkeley said on Friday. The univeristy declined to comment further.

UC Berkeley

Education Department Investigating UC Berkeley For Improper Reporting On China Ties

Berkeley, California

Department of Education

Donald Trump

University of California Berkeley

A twice-deported illegal alien who killed a young couple in a drunk driving accident was set to be let out of a California prison more than six years early.
Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano, a Mexican national, was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison after he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-trump-officials-file-charges-against-illegal-immigrant-after-fox-news-exposes-early-release-plans">killed</a> Anya Varfolomeev and Nicholay Osokin in a drunk driving accident in Orange County, California, in November 2021.
The young couple was burned alive after Ortega-Anguiano barreled into their vehicle while high, drunk, and driving nearly 100 miles per hour. The family was notified by the state that the illegal alien was set to be released from prison after serving just over one-third of his ten-year sentence.
Anya Varfolomeev’s father <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/illegal-immigrant-convicted-killing-teens-high-speed-crash-released-early">decried</a> the planned early release of the illegal alien. “It&#8217;s disgusting. You have two young, unbelievable future, productive American citizens killed for nothing and that illegal immigrant who already has been deported twice is going to be released again? For what?” Anatoly Varfolomeev said. “If even he is deported, he will come back.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed an immigration detainer on the illegal alien, and after public backlash, Governor Gavin Newsom&#8217;s press office has announced that the state will be <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1915107716688962033">honoring the request</a>.
“After being deported in 2013, this individual unlawfully re-entered the US &amp; committed heinous crimes,” the governor’s press office said in a post on X. “CDCR will again coordinate with ICE — as they have w/ 10,000+ inmates — to transfer him before release.”
Ortega-Anguiano will face new federal charges from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported.
“My office has filed a felony immigration charge against this defendant. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted for 8 USC 1326,” Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California wrote on X. “If the State of California will not seek the full measure of justice against this individual, the [Department of Justice] will.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My office has filed a felony immigration charge against this defendant. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted for 8 USC 1326.
If the State of California will not seek the full measure of justice against this individual, the <a href="https://twitter.com/TheJusticeDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheJusticeDept</a> will. <a href="https://t.co/wTuQdun1as">https://t.co/wTuQdun1as</a>
— US Attorney Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/1915069030349648125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
“This is absolutely unconscionable. What about Justice for these teens? What about the rights of their parents?” Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1915040349937954960">said on X,</a> adding that the DOJ “will work with ICE to make sure this illegal alien receives full punishment for his crimes.”

Illegal alien car crash

California Nearly Freed A Twice-Deported Illegal Alien Drunk Driver — Now Newsom Is Backtracking

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Tom Homan

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin visited San Diego on Earth Day to address the flow of sewage from Mexico&#8217;s Tijuana River across the border into the United States.
Zeldin visited San Diego to meet with local and Mexican officials to discuss the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/21/us-news/epas-zeldin-demands-end-to-mexican-sewage-flooding-across-border/">flow of sewage</a> from the Mexican river, which has polluted American beaches and even hindered the training of Navy SEALs, some of whom have gotten sick as a result of the pollution.
“There, for decades, has been raw sewage that’s been traveling across the border, and Americans are very concerned with regards to beach closures, degradation of the Tijuana River Valley, and concerns of public health, air quality,” Zeldin <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/21/us-news/epas-zeldin-demands-end-to-mexican-sewage-flooding-across-border/">charged</a>. The EPA administrator explained that his visit to San Diego is intended to ensure “that the path forward is one of max collaboration and extreme urgency to end a crisis that should have ended a long time ago.”
&#8220;Mexico needs to fulfill their part in cleaning up the contamination that they caused. They cannot view this as a U.S. problem just because their contamination reached U.S. soil,&#8221; Zeldin asserted at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYVmEzwCqfY">press conference</a> in San Diego. &#8220;They&#8217;re going to have to commit to that final cleanup&#8221; in addition to completing infrastructure projects to prevent future flows of sewage into the United States, the EPA administrator explained.
The EPA administrator, who also toured an international wastewater treatment plant, explained that Mexican officials are willing to collaborate with the United States to fix the crisis.
“It was clear with the way that the Mexican environmental secretary approached the conversation yesterday evening that she wants to have a strong, collaborative relationship,” Zeldin added. “I welcome that collaboration.” Zeldin went on to add that he’d work with Mexican officials to craft a comprehensive solution to end the crisis.
“What’s been communicated by the new Mexican president is an intense desire to fully resolve the situation,” Zeldin noted.
Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about Zeldin’s visit to the southern border to examine the flow of sewage from Mexico. Leavitt said that “Zeldin met with his Mexican counterpart to discuss steps that Mexico needs to take to ensure the water entering the United States is clean and safe.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
What does the White House have planned for Earth Day? <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a>:
&#8220;[President Trump] has always maintained he wants America to have the cleanest air and the cleanest water, and we want to do what&#8217;s right for our environment and for our earth.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/nrNinIXu8A">pic.twitter.com/nrNinIXu8A</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1914738540858265921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
She added that President Trump “has always maintained he wants America to have the cleanest air and the cleanest water, and we want to do what&#8217;s right for our environment and for our earth.&#8221;

Southern border

EPA’s Lee Zeldin Travels To Border To Hammer Mexican ‘Raw Sewage’ Polluting American Water

Border

Lee Zeldin

Mexico

Pollution

Social Issues

It&#8217;s Earth Day, and the White House is trying to fix a toxic and smelly environmental issue on the nation&#8217;s southern border.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that the Trump administration is urging the Mexican government to do more to stop sewage from flowing across the border and into the United States. She highlighted President Donald Trump&#8217;s desire to &#8220;do what&#8217;s right&#8221; for the environment.
During Tuesday&#8217;s press briefing, Leavitt responded to a question from Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan and discussed the work of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, who is in San Diego pushing for the Mexican government to stop the flow of sewage into the United States.
&#8220;Administrator Zeldin met with his Mexican counterpart to discuss steps Mexico needs to take to ensure the water entering the United States is clean and safe, and he&#8217;s holding a press conference in San Diego today with elected officials and local stakeholders on the Tijuana River sewage crisis,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;I would also add from the president himself, he has always maintained he wants America to have the cleanest air and the cleanest water, and we want to do what&#8217;s right for our environment and for our earth.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
What does the White House have planned for Earth Day? <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a>:
&quot;[President Trump] has always maintained he wants America to have the cleanest air and the cleanest water, and we want to do what&#39;s right for our environment and for our earth.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/nrNinIXu8A">pic.twitter.com/nrNinIXu8A</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1914738540858265921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Raw sewage from Mexico has traveled into the United States through the Tijuana River Watershed &#8220;for decades,&#8221; according to Zeldin, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/21/us-news/epas-zeldin-demands-end-to-mexican-sewage-flooding-across-border/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The issue has raised concerns about &#8220;beach closures, degradation of the Tijuana River Valley, and concerns of public health, air quality,&#8221; Zeldin added. Trump&#8217;s EPA administrator met with Mexican Environmental Secretary Alicia Bárcena to discuss the crisis.
Trump <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/work-starts-to-stop-sewage-flows-into-california-from-mexico/2020/09/02/b8675f3e-ed86-11ea-bd08-1b10132b458f_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> to resolve the Tijuana sewage issue during his first administration, completing a $10.6 million project to prevent millions of gallons of sewage from entering the Tijuana River. Zeldin said on Monday that the crisis &#8220;needs to end.&#8221;
“[T]here’s nowhere more important for me to be tomorrow than on the border in California dealing with this very important public health and environmental crisis,” he added.

Karoline Leavitt

Leavitt Highlights Big Environmental Issue For Trump Admin On Earth Day

Earth Day

Environment

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Politics

Southern Border

Canadian indie rock band The New Pornographers has reacted to news of their drummer, Joseph Seiders, being arrested for possession of child pornography by immediately cutting ties with him.
A <a href="https://www.riversidesheriff.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=6286">press release</a> from the Riverside County Sheriff’s office said that Seiders was arrested after a call was placed on April 7, asserting suspicious activity at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Palm Desert, California. Officers took a statement from an 11-year-old boy who told them that an “unknown male adult” had recorded him on a cell phone while he was using the bathroom.
Then, on April 9, a man was seen entering and exiting the restroom at the same Chick-fil-A, accompanied by juvenile males.
“Believing the male was the suspect from the previous incident, law enforcement was contacted. Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Joseph Seiders of Palm Desert, and took him into custody,” the release said. 
Officers conducted an investigation and served search warrants on Seiders’ residence, vehicle, and cell phone, where they reportedly found evidence implicating Seiders in both incidents at the fast food restaurant and “additional crimes,” including the possession of child pornography.
Seiders was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, California, for possession of child pornography, annoying/molesting a child, invasion of privacy, and attempted invasion of privacy, the press release said. The drummer is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility with bail set at $1 million. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 22.
The band The New Pornographers addressed the incident on Instagram, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIkred2RbaJ/">writing</a>, “Everyone in the band is absolutely shocked, horrified and devastated by the news of the charges against Joe Seiders — and we have immediately severed all ties with him. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by his actions.”
The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1997. They&#8217;re known for their power pop sound, harmonies, and collaborative approach, which often includes multiple lead singers. Despite their name, their songs are usually not risque, but rather use wordplay to convey deep emotion.

Joe Seiders

‘The New Pornographers’ Drummer Arrested For Child Porn, Band Cuts Ties

'The New Pornographers' Drummer Arrested For Child Porn, Band Cuts Ties

Canada

Child pornography

Entertainment

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is aggressively courting Canadian tourists, painting the state as a safe haven from the Trump administration.
Newsom launched a tourism campaign targeted at Canadians on Monday as the state attempts to bring back tourists who have canceled vacations in the United States over President Donald Trump&#8217;s treatment of Canada. In one video message, Newsom said California and Canada &#8220;have always shared so much in common.&#8221;
“Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C., but don’t let that ruin your beach plans,” the governor added. “California is the ultimate playground — over 2,000 miles from Washington and a world away in mindset. From our iconic beaches and national parks to world-class wine, food, and outdoor adventure — there’s something here for everyone.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="#California Launches #Tourism Campaign Welcoming #Canadians  #shorts #visitcalifornia #canada #news" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6b_p6TMduT8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Here in California, we have plenty of sunshine and a whole lot of love for our neighbors up north,” Newsom stated at the end of the video.
As Trump hits Canada with a 25% tariff and repeatedly suggests that the nation should become the 51st state, some Canadians are nixing their plans to travel to the United States. Last year, nearly two million Canadians visited California, spending around $3.7 billion in the Golden State, the governor&#8217;s office stated, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Canada has also started a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-buys-ads-in-a-dozen-states-against-trumps-tariffs?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Canada+Buys+Ads+In+A+Dozen+States+Against+Trump%E2%80%99s+Tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">billboard campaign</a> in the United States against Trump&#8217;s tariffs. According to Global Affairs Canada spokesman John Babcock, the billboards are part of an “educational campaign to inform Americans” about the costs of tariffs.
Earlier this month, the Canadian government retaliated with a 25% tariff on over $20 billion worth of U.S. goods.
Despite President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-agree-on-many-things-trump-had-extremely-productive-call-with-canadas-new-liberal-pm?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98We+Agree+On+Many+Things%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Had+%E2%80%98Extremely+Productive+Call%E2%80%99+With+Canada%E2%80%99s+New+Liberal+PM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> he had an &#8220;extremely productive call&#8221; with Canada&#8217;s new Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, the trade war between the two countries has shown no signs of cooling down in the near future.
In the meantime, Newsom — who is expected to run for president in 2028 — is reaching out to Canadian tourists and seeking to further develop economic and political relationships with Canada. On Monday, the governor <a href="https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/1911871226504790514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with British Columbia Premier David Eby &#8220;to discuss opportunities for expanding California&#8217;s partnership with British Columbia on climate &amp; trade.&#8221;
&#8220;As tariffs threaten jobs &amp; businesses on both sides of the border, California remains a steady, reliable partner open for business,&#8221; Newsom said.

Gavin Newsom/Canadians

‘So Much In Common’: Newsom Courts Canadians With New Tourism Campaign

Gavin Newsom

Global Politics

Tourism

Controversy has reared its head again in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) in California. The district recently convened a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwPu4CQ_rZk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">special board meeting</a> to deliberate on its Ethnic Studies curriculum and the potential renewal of a contract with Community Responsive Education (CRE). <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-a-new-ethnic-studies-curriculum-promotes-anti-semitism-in-california">As I reported last month,</a> the State of California previously rejected the draft Ethnic Studies curriculum co-authored by CRE founder and director Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, which was deemed to promote antisemitism and neo-Marxist ideology.
Though the district’s multi-stage contract with CRE was canceled in 2023 amidst the controversy, Tintiangco-Cubales’s ideas live on. No wonder many are concerned that PVUSD is considering a renewed contract with CRE.
The meeting made it clear that PVUSD was fully aware of the nature of CRE’s philosophy when it was previously considered for the Ethnic Studies curriculum. Assistant Superintendent Claudia Monjaras argued in her presentation to the board that CRE did not develop the curriculum — that the district’s staff developed the curriculum with only support from CRE. Yet the reality is that the core ideas and philosophy of CRE remain central to the curriculum. 
Ms. Monjaras’s characterization of the curriculum as being primarily a product of her team is akin to an individual arguing in traffic court that an external influence, namely alcohol, had little bearing on their reckless driving. Similarly, the philosophical underpinnings of CRE are deeply interwoven into the curriculum and cannot be dismissed as incidental or superficial contributions.
The special <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/pvusd/Board.nsf/files/DEXVZ7831F15/$file/Special%20Board%20Mtg%20Packet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">board meeting packet</a> and <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/pvusd/Board.nsf/files/DEXW2N835755/$file/3.28%20ES%20Special%20Study%20Session%20(1).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PowerPoint presentation</a> referenced at the meeting makes the goal of Ethnic Studies clear: “The vision of Ethnic Studies in Pajaro Valley Unified School District is to provide rich learning that centers experiences, stories, and knowledge of Ethnic Studies groups while also shaping a lens to understand and critique dominant power structures, ultimately to eliminate racism and intersectional forms of oppression. Ethnic Studies will provide a culturally and community-responsive education values the F.I.E.L.D.S in and of Pajaro Valley.” This may be laudable in certain contexts, but I fail to see how these lofty aims relate to the mission of any school district.
Throughout the meeting, CRE supporters among both staff and public commenters repeatedly used terms such as “solidarity,” “oppression,” “systems of power,” “dominant narratives,” “intersectionality,” “lived experience,” “white supremacy,” and “critical consciousness” — all of which are hallmark concepts of neo-Marxist Critical Race Theory (CRT). It is concerning that these loaded ideological terms are being introduced surreptitiously without clear acknowledgment of the underlying philosophy and its appropriateness for K-12 education.
The adoption of such ideology promotes a backward-looking worldview, which both lacks a constructive vision of the future and fails to recognize that significant social progress has been made over the past several decades. Instead of fostering hope and optimism, this framework is mired in grievances that suggest a cultural regression of a century ago.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-907565 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Pajaro-Valley-II.png" alt="" width="258" height="287" /></div>
In its “Ethnic Studies Framework &amp; Guiding” document (board meeting packet), PVUSD borrows the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raised_fist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clenched black power fist</a> rising out of a book with a pencil in hand as its logo. This clenched fist has most recently been associated with the <a href="https://www.capitalfm.com/news/black-lives-matter/blm-black-power-fist-symbol-meaning-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Lives Matter (BLM)</a> movement in 2020 and also closely associated with the struggle for Black civil rights. However, the <a href="https://www.rd.com/article/history-behind-the-clenched-first-and-the-symbol-for-black-power/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clenched symbol</a> also has historical significance in 19th century Europe, where it represented revolutionary courage against European monarchies. The symbol ties in perfectly with neo-Marxist thought of revolution to overthrow what are perceived to be dominant power structures of oppression in current day America.
The state of California <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB101" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mandates</a> only a single semester-long course of Ethnic Studies for students to earn a high school diploma, whose current model curriculum could have adequately served as the foundation for PVUSD’s ethnic studies efforts. While the mandate is reasonable, PVUSD’s approach of embedding Ethnic Studies seen through a CRT lens into a multi-year endeavor in English courses crosses into the territory of indoctrination rather than education. Investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a curriculum tied to CRE and neo-Marxist ideology, which had been rejected by the state because of its controversial nature, represents both a financial and educational misstep.
Given PVUSD’s current English and math achievement challenges, prioritizing Ethnic Studies to this degree is misaligned with the district’s most pressing needs. During the 2023-2024 school year, only <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/pvusd/Board.nsf/files/DDK29600FC8D/$file/2024_SARC%20Pajaro_Valley_High_School_20250123.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25%</a> of students met or exceeded state standards in English, while only 18% achieved the same in mathematics. The funds already spent — and those proposed on Ethnic Studies — would have been better utilized to enhance student academic performance. The purpose of K-12 education is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive as contributing members of society, not to cultivate the next generation of social activists. Teaching social activism should never take precedence over academic achievement.
California school districts must learn from PVUSD’s missteps and focus on their fundamental mission: educating students. The integration of divisive ideologies into the curriculum undermines this mission, shifting the focus away from preparing students for productive futures. The PVUSD board should reject controversial influences and return to the state-provided model as a guide that emphasizes balanced, inclusive education.
Ethnic Studies should aim to educate students about diverse histories and cultures in a way that fosters unity and forward-looking ideals, rather than perpetuating divisive rhetoric and outdated grievances. The focus must remain on education, not indoctrination, ensuring that students gain both historical awareness and the tools to envision a brighter, more connected future.
* * *
Walter Myers III is a Senior Fellow at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute and an adjunct faculty member at Biola University’s Talbot School of Theology.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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‘Systems Of Power’: CA Ethnic Studies Program Continues To Radicalize Students

'Systems Of Power': CA Ethnic Studies Program Continues To Radicalize Students

Anti-Racism

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Prosecutors on Thursday filed felony charges against 12 pro-Palestinian protesters who allegedly broke into a Stanford University administration building last year, causing extensive damage that could now land them behind bars for up to three years.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen charged 11 current or former Stanford students and one other individual with felony vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass.
On June 5, 2024, police arrested 13 people alleged to have been involved in breaking into and subsequently barricading themselves inside the Stanford president’s office that morning, demanding that the university boycott and divest from companies associated with the Israeli government.
“Dissent is American. Vandalism is criminal,” Rosen <a href="https://da.santaclaracounty.gov/stanford-protesters-charged-destructive-building-takeover">said</a>. “There is a bright line between making a point and committing a crime. These defendants crossed the line into criminality when they broke into those offices, barricaded themselves inside, and started a calculated plan of destruction.”
The protesters face up to three years and eight months in prison, plus restitution payments if convicted.
Most of the 3,000+ individuals arrested at pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/us/stanford-protesters-palestine-felony.html">faced</a> misdemeanor charges or had their cases dismissed, according to the New York Times.
Prosecutors said protesters attempted to scrub their involvement by deleting messaging apps from their phones after their arrest. Investigators said they found evidence that they had preemptively surveilled the building, studied security patterns, and assigned specific roles in the break-in.
Police <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5244334-pro-palestinian-protesters-stanford-felony-charges/">recovered</a> backpacks containing hammers, chisels, crowbars, and goggles from the scene. The damage inside included broken windows, disabled security cameras, and fake blood splashed throughout the offices.
&#8220;Whenever you have multiple people working together to commit a crime, it&#8217;s much more dangerous to the public,&#8221; Rosen stated. &#8220;Speech is protected by the First Amendment. Vandalism is prosecuted under the Penal Code.&#8221;
Red graffiti appeared on campus buildings the same morning with messages like &#8220;Pigs Taste Best Dead&#8221; and &#8220;Death to Israehell.&#8221;
Stanford is among dozens of schools currently under investigation by the Trump administration regarding their handling of anti-Israel protests. The university had previously imposed its own sanctions, including two-quarter suspensions for student protesters.
Rosen emphasized that he does not wish to see the Stanford protesters serve prison time despite the serious charges.
Rather than contending with a lengthy legal battle, Rosen instead proposed sentencing the vandals to community service in the Santa Clara County Sheriff&#8217;s work program if they pleaded guilty, where they would clean highways or government buildings.
&#8220;This is kind of biblical,&#8221; Rosen said. &#8220;You trashed a building, so your punishment should be cleaning things up.&#8221;
Stanford spokeswoman Dee Mostofi said the university respects Rosen&#8217;s charging decisions, noting that Stanford had already imposed its own sanctions on student protesters, including two-quarter suspensions, delays in degree conferrals, and community service hours.

Stanford students protest Israel in California

Anti-Israel Protesters At Stanford Face Felony Charges For Campus Building Takeover, Vandalism

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Protesters

Stanford University

Agents with the Department of Homeland Security showed up at two elementary schools in Los Angeles this week, but were refused entry amid the Trump administration&#8217;s crackdown on illegal immigration.
The two agents “identified themselves as representatives of a federal agency” and went into the main office, but school administrators refused to allow them on campus, and the agents left, the Los Angeles Unified School District <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/federal-employees-denied-entry-to-two-lausd-schools/3675573/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The two public schools were Lillian Street Elementary and Russell Elementary.
The district <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/2-l-a-schools-deny-entry-for-federal-agents-as-immigration-enforcement-fears-ramp-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the agents were from Homeland Security, and no Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed up. It is not clear exactly what the agents were hoping to do at the schools.
About one in four of the nearly 30,000 immigrant students in the Los Angeles school district, so about 7,500 students are illegal immigrants, <a href="https://utla.net/resources/immigration-resources-community/#:~:text=LAUSD%20alone%20serves%20an%20immigrant,them%20with%20safe%20spaces%2Fresources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the local teachers&#8217; union, United Teachers Los Angeles.
“We want to reaffirm the District’s unwavering commitment to the well-being and education of all students,&#8221; the district said in a message to the community.
The district&#8217;s message included a <a href="https://www.lausd.org/weareone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link</a> to the district&#8217;s immigration resources, which promise that the district &#8220;has protocols for responding to immigration personnel requests for information&#8221; and &#8220;will do everything in its power to protect and defend students, families, and staff.&#8221;
&#8220;Our schools are places of inspiration, protection, empathy, and knowledge. Fear and threat shall be met with courage and determination,&#8221; Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.
The Los Angeles district also alerted other school districts about “reports of immigration enforcement activity.”
The agents&#8217; visit to the schools comes after the Trump administration <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/01/21/statement-dhs-spokesperson-directives-expanding-law-enforcement-and-ending-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrapped</a> the Biden administration&#8217;s policy barring immigration agents from &#8220;sensitive&#8221; areas.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest,” former acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said in January.
“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” he said.
This week&#8217;s visit by the agents is believed to be the first time immigration agents have shown up at a public school since President Donald Trump took office.
About 98,000 illegal migrant students graduate from U.S. high schools across the country every year, the Los Angeles teachers union <a href="https://utla.net/resources/immigration-resources-community/#:~:text=LAUSD%20alone%20serves%20an%20immigrant,them%20with%20safe%20spaces%2Fresources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
For years, sanctuary cities like Los Angeles have refused to cooperate with federal authorities on immigration enforcement, not just in schools, but in criminal cases.
Oftentimes local law enforcement is directed not to hold illegal migrant crime suspects until ICE agents can get there to arrest and deport them, meaning the suspects get released back onto the streets.

Homeland Security

Federal Immigration Agents Denied Access To Los Angeles Public Schools

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The wife of Scott Shriner, bassist for the popular rock band Weezer, was shot by police and was then arrested on suspicion of attempted murder during an incident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
Los Angeles Police Department officers were searching the Eagle Rock neighborhood in pursuit of a person suspected of a hit-and-run when they observed Jill Shriner holding a pistol while standing in the backyard of the home next to the one they were searching.
“The officers ordered Shriner to drop the handgun numerous times; however, she refused. Shriner then pointed the handgun at the officers, and an Officer-Involved Shooting occurred,” a news release from the LAPD <a href="https://x.com/LAPDPIO/status/1910089847509066135">said</a>. “Shriner was struck by gunfire and fled into her residence. She later exited and was taken into custody.”
She was transported to a hospital to be treated for her injuries.
Shriner was released Wednesday after posting a $1 million bond, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/09/entertainment/weezer-scott-jillian-shriner-shot-arrested/index.html">noted</a>. She has been ordered to attend court on April 30.
Per the report, Shriner did not appear to have anything to do with the suspected hit-and-run incident, which inspired the manhunt in the first place. 
The band Weezer formed in Los Angeles in 1992. Scott Shriner joined the band as a bass player in 2001. Their 1994 debut record, “The Blue Album,” earned four Grammy nominations. Weezer won a Grammy in 2009 for Best Short Form Music Video for &#8220;Pork and Beans.&#8221; 
Some mainstream Weezer songs include “Buddy Holly,” “Say It Ain’t So,” “Beverly Hills,” and “Island in the Sun.” 
According to <a href="https://variety.com/2025/music/news/weezer-bassist-wife-shot-arrested-attempted-murder-1236365398/">Variety</a>, Weezer was just added to the Coachella lineup for this coming weekend. As of Thursday morning, neither Shriner nor the band has issued a statement on the shooting incident or given an update on whether they will appear at the music festival as planned.

Scott Shriner Jill Shriner

Weezer Bassist’s Wife Shot By Police, Arrested On Suspicion Of Attempted Murder

Weezer Bassist's Wife Shot By Police, Arrested For Attempted Murder

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