President Donald Trump took aim at California governor Gavin Newsom Sunday morning over wildfires raging across the southern and western parts of the state, chastising Newsom for letting environmentalists run the show, preventing the state from adquately clearing brush and dead vegetation.
Trump also threatened to cut off Federal funding to California for fire abatement and land management if Newsom doesn&#8217;t shape up.
<a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/nov/3/donald-trump-rips-gavin-newsom-threatens-cut-feder/">The Washington Times</a> reports that Trump took a break from tweeting about the Democrats&#8217; plan to open public impeachment proceedings to declare Newsom a failure.
&#8220;The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must &#8216;clean&#8217; his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers&#8230;..&#8221; Trump tweeted.
&#8220;Every year, as the fire’s rage &amp; California burns, it is the same thing-and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;Get your act together Governor. You don’t see close to the level of burn in other states.&#8221;
&#8220;But our teams are working well together in putting these massive, and many, fires out. Great firefighters! Also, open up the ridiculously closed water lanes coming down from the North. Don’t pour it out into the Pacific Ocean. Should be done immediately. California desperately needs water, and you can have it now!&#8221; he concluded.
Newsom took a while to fire back, electing to hit Trump over his own environmental policies. &#8220;You don’t believe in climate change. You are excused from this conversation,&#8221; Newsom tweeted back at the President.
The pair enjoy sparring over Twitter, and Sunday&#8217;s exchange is the latest in a series. Trump and Newsom tangled over Newsom&#8217;s &#8220;gross mismanagement&#8221; of California&#8217;s forests last year at this time, as a different set of forest fires raged across the state. Earlier in October, Newsom and Trump <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/10/08/donald-trump-gavin-newsom-california-gas-prices-twitter/3915811002/">exchanged barbs over California&#8217;s outrageous gas prices</a> and Newsom&#8217;s plan to mandate the adoption of electric cars (a plan that now seems to be on hold given Newsom&#8217;s war of words with California electricity provider, PG&amp;E).
The tiff between the two leaders seems to be largely a social media phenomenon. Newsom speaks with Trump fairly regularly &#8212; <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/07/31/newsom-spoke-to-trump-on-same-day-he-demanded-trumps-tax-returns-1124371">even on the same day</a> he officially demanded Trump&#8217;s tax returns &#8212; and recently declared a state of emergency in California, opening the state up for Federal aid. When state legislators tried to punish the Trump Administration for rolling back EPA regulations on wetland preservation, <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/14/gavin-newsom-says-hell-veto-trump-defying-california-environmental-bill/">Newsom vetoed their bill</a>.
Trump&#8217;s take on the wildfires does have its problems &#8212; much of the area currently on fire is Federal land, for example, and not the state of California&#8217;s responsibility &#8212; and his quip about water seems to assume that the eternal battle between California&#8217;s water-hoarding environmentalists and its desperate farmer, who need more water to irrigate crops has an impact on the state&#8217;s ability to fight fires. But it does draw attention to an issue Newsom seems to regularly gloss over: that climate change may have very little (if anything) to do with California&#8217;s wildfire problem.
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-wildfires-forest/explainer-blame-climate-but-crowded-forests-also-fuel-california-fires-idUSKCN1NJ1G6">Reuters pointed out</a> during last year&#8217;s spate of wildfires that California&#8217;s land management does seem to be partially to blame, and human encroachment on natural forest land contributes to the uptick in visible damage. California&#8217;s forests are overgrown, but that&#8217;s by design. Logging is restricted. And environmentalists in California have pushed policies to increase forest area (in order to help draw more carbon from the atmosphere) without a plan to clear dead and decaying trees and undergrowth.
The Trump Administration has a plan to ease environmental restrictions and speed forest thinning, according to <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article231482868.html">Business Insider</a>, but those changes have yet to take effect &#8212; and it may take years for progress to happen, even when they do.
The plan also might not have much effect on fires like the ones burning in California at the moment. The Getty fire is burning on a hillside, not in a forest, and the Kincaid fire is burning across farmland. At least one of this year&#8217;s fires was sparked by a faulty electric grid, putting the state&#8217;s electricity provider, PG&amp;E into the mix. PG&amp;E has, in turn, shut off electricity to millions while it assesses its grid, complicating the situation.

California wildfire

President Trump Takes Aim At California Governor Gavin Newsom Over Wildfires, Threatens To Cut Funding

California

Donald Trump

Gavin Newsom

If there’s one thing the government is good at, it’s fixing massive crises.
If you just rolled your eyes to that statement, then you’ll know that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) threat to take over energy company PG&amp;E is just as absurd as it sounds.
That’s not to say PG&amp;E can handle the issues that have sparked massive wildfires in California &#8212; clearly they can’t &#8212; but the idea that the government can step in and solve the problem is laughable.
Newsom said Friday that he wanted get involved in PG&amp;E’s bankruptcy case to get to a solution faster.
“We want to broker that mediation and are calling on all the parties to come in early next week to jumpstart those negotiations,&#8221; Newsom said at a news conference, as <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/11/01/775621356/calif-governor-seeks-to-jumpstart-pg-e-bankruptcy-talks-threatens-state-takeover">reported</a> by NPR.
As the outlet reported, Newsom “left little doubt” that he wanted the state government to take part in the company’s restructuring.
“It is my hope that the stakeholders in PG&amp;E will put parochial interests aside and reach a negotiated resolution so that we can create this new company and forever put the old PG&amp;E behind us,&#8221; Newsom said in an official <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2019/11/01/governor-newsom-outlines-state-efforts-to-fight-wildfires-protect-vulnerable-californians-and-ensure-that-going-forward-all-californians-have-safe-affordable-reliable-and-clean-power/">statement</a>. &#8220;If the parties fail to reach an agreement quickly to begin this process of transformation, the state will not hesitate to step in and restructure the utility.&#8221;
Newsom’s statement made several suggestions as to how this restructuring would occur, and the steps he has taken to already make changes to PG&amp;E.
“The major wildfire safety bill that I signed into law earlier this year – AB 1054 – requires PG&amp;E to make these fundamental changes. It forces PG&amp;E to make massive investments in safety, ties executive compensation to the utility’s safety record and demands that every year the utility earn a safety certification from the state,” Newsom said. “And earlier this week, a newly energized California Public Utilities Commission took strong action by opening a major investigation into PG&amp;E’s use of Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), and vowing a total reform of the rules and regulations governing power shutoffs.”
He also said California “is developing the blueprint for a transformed utility. Consistent with AB 1054, PG&amp;E must incorporate that blueprint into its bankruptcy plan.”
Newsom has also appointed an “Energy Czar” to figure out a way to take over PG&amp;E if the bankruptcy case end unsatisfactorily.
“ &#8230; I have tapped my Cabinet Secretary, Ana Matosantos, to serve as the state’s Energy Czar to lead a dedicated energy team with Ann Patterson, our lead attorney on the matter, Alice Reynolds, our lead energy and environmental policy expert, and Rachel Wagoner, our senior legislative strategist, spearheading the Administration’s energy efforts,” Newsom said. “They will work closely with other senior leadership in my office, outside legal, financial and energy advisors, and leadership across state government to game out every option and prepare a plan should the state need to intervene. All options are on the table.”
PG&amp;E’s incompetence has resulted in millions of Californians losing their power due to blackouts purposefully implemented by the company. The company said the blackouts were necessary to prevent its outdated and ill-maintained equipment from causing more fires.

Governor Gavin Newsom

California Governor Threatens To Take Over Energy Company As Wildfires Rage

The following is satirical.
Hurrah! Here in the socialist state of California, Kommissar Gavin Newsom has gifted us with rolling electrical blackouts that glorify the great progress we have made under Marxist rule.
The blackouts will prevent high capitalist winds from blowing over PG&amp;E’s rotting equipment and causing even more of the glorious forest fires which are all part of the genius of the wonderful socialist programs which have lifted our state to greatness over the past 30 years.
Under our socialist rule, the state’s Public Utilities Commission has forced PG&amp;E to spend as much as $500 million a year to meet our glorious five year plan of reducing the cost of wind and solar energy to low income households.
Thus, our socialist overlords have guided the electric company to join the heroic workers’ fight against evil capitalist climate change which, as our infallible socialist computer models have predicted, will surely destroy the world by seven years ago.
Of course, spending all that money on green energy means PG&amp;E has no money for repairing the rotten electrical equipment with which billionaires indulge themselves in useless luxuries like electric lights and cooked food. And since PG&amp;E can’t repair its equipment, it often blows over and starts the beautiful forest fires which, in turn, serve our glorious socialist aims by forcing capitalist running dogs to abandon their energy-inefficient single-family homes.
Under our brilliant socialist plan, the fires also spread to our cities so that they can chase away the rats that have been gathering there due to our deep socialist charity to the poor who would have no place to sleep or even go to the bathroom if we did not let them sleep and go to the bathroom on our streets. And of course fire is a wonderful way to purge our air of the evil capitalist bubonic plague that the rats carry.
And so, comrades, under socialism, California is eliminating plague, rats, homelessness, houses and electricity by burning the entire state to the ground.
Once again: Hurrah! Now on to Texas!
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-fire-ravages-wealthy-la-area-lebron-james-forced-to-evacuate">New Fire Ravages Wealthy LA Area: LeBron James Forced To Evacuate</a>

Glorious Socialist Plan Saves California By Burning It To The Ground [Satire]

Climate Change

Global Warming

Satire

Socialism

California has declared a state of emergency, <a href="https://apnews.com/4d807d2a28b6410cbccda5e8291335c7">the Associated Press reports</a>, as wildfires and hurricane force winds ravage areas of the state, leaving millions without power.
Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement Sunday in an attempt to reassure Californians &#8212; particularly those in the Bay Area and in Sonoma County where the fires threaten major agriculture and industry &#8212; that the state was deploying “every resource available” to battle the blazes.
The wildfires, blazing in Sonoma County and near San Francisco, and further south near Santa Clarita, had already driven more than 50,000 people from their homes by Saturday night when experts predicted a &#8220;catastrophic wind event&#8221; with hurricane-force gusts. By Sunday, 180,000 people had been told to flee to safer ground and winds up to 80 miles per hour blew across Napa Valley vineyards, causing the fires to take on an &#8220;erratic&#8221; burn pattern.
It&#8217;s the single largest evacuation in California in nearly three decades, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-wildfires-evacuations-power-cut">Fox News</a>.
&#8220;Hundreds of people arrived at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa by Sunday. Some came from senior care facilities. More than 300 people slept inside an auditorium filled with cots and wheeled beds. Scores of others stayed in a separate building with their pets,&#8221; AP reported.
Before the winds arrived, the Kincade Fire, which began Wednesday night, was only 10% contained, and had already burned 47 square miles, destroying nearly 80 structures, according to the Associated Press. Nine people have been reported injured so far, victims of a tree that came crashing down on a farmer&#8217;s market near San Francisco, but the casualties are by no means fully counted. The last fire that swept through largely the same area in 2017 killed 24 people.
As if the wildfires weren&#8217;t bad enough, California electricity provider, Pacific Gas &amp; Electric Co. (PG&amp;E), has initiated forced blackouts, cutting power to 2.3 million people statewide, &#8220;to avoid fires sparked by electric lines,&#8221; <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-10-27/pge-expands-power-outages-to-2-million-customers">according to the LA Times</a>. Many of those people could remain without power until at least Wednesday.
&#8220;PG&amp;E said that as of noon Sunday it had shut down power to 940,000 customers, which are defined as an electrical meter that serves a residence or business,&#8221; the LA Times reported.
The blackouts are being done in seven phases, according to the California utility, and began at 5pm on Saturday night. They will roll through areas affected by the wildfires through the weekend and into Monday. So far, PG&amp;E reports that five out of the seven areas targeted for blackouts are without power. The last two areas will lose power on Monday.
But even if the fires are contained before Wednesday, customers may still be without power, since PG&amp;E says they must send out utility workers to inspect the affected electrical lines and determine them safe before they can turn the power back on.
PG&amp;E says the blackouts are necessary in order to avoid massive blazes like the ones that raged through California in January and May of 2019, respectively, but Gov. Newsom has blamed PG&amp;E for compounding the problem, and others pointed to signs that a faulty PG&amp;E transmission line may have sparked a fire near Geyserville, California, that is still burning, suggesting that PG&amp;E may be instituing the controlled blackouts out of concerns for their own system&#8217;s infrastructure.
On Sunday, as PG&amp;E consumers called for the company to be taken over and electricity declared a public utility, Newsom reached out over the airwaves to Warren Buffett, begging the investor to purchase PG&amp;E, <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article236714238.html">per Business Insider</a>. Such an acquisition is unlikely, however.
Outages are likely to continue until the fires are contained, a process that could take several days.

Blue Cut Fire Rages Through 30,000 Acres In Southern California

California Declares State Of Emergency Over Wind And Wildfires As Millions Go Without Power

A federal judge ruled in favor of President Trump on Tuesday against a California presidential primary bill recently passed by Democrats and signed into law by progressive Gov. Gavin Newsom requiring candidates, including the president, to provide five years of tax returns in order to appear on the 2020 primary ballot. The new law was designed with the obvious intent to force Trump in particular to hand over his long-sought after tax returns.
&#8220;The dangerous precedent set by this act, allowing the controlling party in any state&#8217;s legislature to add substantive requirements as a precondition to qualifying for the state&#8217;s presidential primary ballot, should concern all candidates alike,&#8221; U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. wrote in his ruling issued Tuesday. 
England, a George W. Bush-appointee, argued in his decision that the law violates the First Amendment rights of candidates, particularly Trump, who, England underscored, appears to have been targeted by the Democrats&#8217; new law.
Trump took to Twitter early Wednesday to celebrate the ruling and chide the &#8220;fake news&#8221; media for largely ignoring his big &#8220;VICTORY.&#8221;
&#8220;I won the right to be a presidential candidate in California, in a major Court decision handed down yesterday,&#8221; Trump tweeted Wednesday. &#8220;It was filed against me by the Radical Left Governor of that State to tremendous Media hoopla. The VICTORY, however, was barely covered by the Fake News. No surprise!&#8221;
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I won the right to be a presidential candidate in California, in a major Court decision handed down yesterday. It was filed against me by the Radical Left Governor of that State to tremendous Media hoopla. The VICTORY, however, was barely covered by the Fake News. No surprise!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1179378450936807424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla has announced that he will appeal the ruling.
“California will appeal this ruling and we will continue to make our thorough, thoughtful argument for stronger financial disclosure requirements for presidential and gubernatorial candidates,&#8221; Padilla said in a statement Tuesday reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-tax-returns-california-appeal-2020-primary">Fox News</a>. &#8220;Our elected leaders have a legal and moral obligation to be transparent with voters about potential conflicts of interest. This law is fundamental to preserving and protecting American democracy.&#8221;
Newsom signed <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB27">Senate Bill 27</a>, the so-called “Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act,” into law in July. The law would have required all primary candidates to turn over their most recent five years of tax returns by the November deadline in order to appear on the primary ballot. The law did not apply to the general election. The bill reads in part:
<blockquote>This bill would enact the Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act, which would require a candidate for President, in order to have the candidate’s name placed upon a primary election ballot, to file the candidate’s income tax returns for the 5 most recent taxable years with the Secretary of State, as specified. The act would require the Secretary of State, within 5 days of receiving the returns, to make redacted versions of the returns available to the public on the Secretary of State’s internet website. This bill would impose the same requirements on candidates for Governor.</blockquote>
Trump’s legal team filed a lawsuit against the bill in August maintaining that the law unconstitutionally added additional requirements for presidential candidates and potentially violated voters’ First Amendment rights. Other legal arguments presented in similar suits argued that the law would suppress Republican voter turnout.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-colbert-invites-on-hillary-starts-lock-him-up-chant-suggests-chelsea-slap-trumps-mouth">WATCH: Colbert Invites On Hillary, Starts ‘Lock Him Up’ Chant, Suggests Chelsea ‘Slap’ Trump’s Mouth</a>

‘VICTORY’: Trump Wins 2020 Election Case Against California Democrats, Calls Out Media

In a major setback for California Democrats, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Trump campaign on Thursday regarding an attempt to keep the duly elected President of the United States off the state&#8217;s 2020 primary ballot if he doesn&#8217;t hand over five years of tax returns by November 26.
In July, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill in part designed to force Trump to disclose his tax returns, which Democrats have been clamoring to get a hold of for years. The law, <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB27">Senate Bill 27</a>, requires all primary candidates to submit their most recent five years of tax returns by the November deadline to appear on the ballot; the law does not apply to the general election. The &#8220;Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act&#8221; reads in part:
<blockquote>This bill would enact the Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act, which would require a candidate for President, in order to have the candidate’s name placed upon a primary election ballot, to file the candidate’s income tax returns for the 5 most recent taxable years with the Secretary of State, as specified. The act would require the Secretary of State, within 5 days of receiving the returns, to make redacted versions of the returns available to the public on the Secretary of State’s internet website. This bill would impose the same requirements on candidates for Governor.</blockquote>
In response, Trump&#8217;s legal team filed a lawsuit in August arguing that SB 27 was unconstitutional by adding additional requirements for presidential candidates and potentially violating voters&#8217; First Amendment rights. Opponents also argue that the law would likely result in suppressed Republican turnout.
U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr., a George W. Bush appointee, sided with Trump on Thursday. While England said he would issue his final ruling by the end of the month, his actions signaled that the final decision would likely end up favorable to team Trump.
As reported by the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-19/trump-tax-returns-federal-court-challenge-california">Los Angeles Times</a>, England &#8220;took the unusual step of issuing the tentative order from the bench.&#8221; After hearing consolidated arguments made in five separate lawsuits filed in response to the bill, Trump&#8217;s among them, England issued the junction, explaining that the law would cause &#8220;irreparable harm&#8221; for Trump and other candidates if he did not provide &#8220;temporary relief.&#8221; He also suggested that allowing the states to add various additional criteria to appear on the ballot might &#8220;create a hodgepodge of laws around the country.&#8221;
In a statement Thursday, Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said their camp was &#8220;encouraged&#8221; by the injunction and again stressed that they believe the law is &#8220;unconstitutional.&#8221;
&#8220;We are encouraged that the federal court has tentatively concluded that a preliminary injunction should be granted. We look forward to the court’s written order,&#8221; Sekulow said in a statement reported by <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/462234-federal-judge-blocks-california-law-requiring-trump-tax-returns">The Hill</a>. &#8220;It remains our position that the law is unconstitutional because states are not permitted to add additional requirements for candidates for president, and that the law violated citizens’ First Amendment right of association.&#8221;
The author of the bill, State Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), said Judge Morrison &#8220;got this one wrong.&#8221;
&#8220;Transparency is the foundation of accountability,&#8221; he said in comments reported by the Times. &#8220;This issue of releasing tax returns is bigger than any one candidate or any one president.&#8221;
The Times notes that &#8220;California elections officials confirmed Thursday that no presidential candidates have submitted tax returns yet to comply with the new law.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/51977/trump-sues-district-attorney-after-subpoena-james-barrett">Trump Sues District Attorney After Subpoena</a>

California’s Attempt To Keep Trump Off Primary Ballot Suffers Big Setback

Democratic Party

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Wednesday that would require ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft to reclassify drivers from independent contractors to employees, according to the <a href="https://ktla.com/2019/09/18/gov-newsom-signs-bill-to-expand-protections-for-rideshare-drivers-other-contract-workers/">Associated Press</a>.
Proponents of the law, which resembles a state supreme court decision made last year, argue that reclassifying workers as employees will confer workplace benefits to drivers who otherwise would not have them.
&#8220;Today, we are disrupting the status quo and taking a bold step forward to rebuild our middle class and reshape the future of workers as we know it,&#8221; the legislation&#8217;s author, Democratic state representative Lorena Gonzales, said in a <a href="https://a80.asmdc.org/press-releases/governor-signs-lorena-gonzalezs-ab-5-stop-misclassification-and-protect-millions">statement</a> released Wednesday.
Ride-sharing companies have been <a href="http://www.apnews.com/0ac87eaf24804ee98f88760cec11dd39">pushing back</a> against the proposed changes, maintaining that reclassifying workers as employees threatens the ride-sharing business model, which is built around offering drivers flexible hours.
&#8220;Speak with drivers, and they will tell you they are attracted to the work because of the flexibility it affords,&#8221; Lyft and Uber executives said in a joint op-ed published in the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Open-Forum-Uber-Lyft-ready-to-do-our-part-for-13969843.php?psid=nAHHo">San Francisco Chronicle</a> last June. &#8220;Very few jobs allow you to start or stop working whenever, wherever, as often as you want.&#8221;
As the <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/05/dont-reclassify-contractors-as-employees/">National Review</a> noted in May:
<blockquote>Proponents of reclassification are quick to invoke the image of a recent rise in the number of downtrodden workers trying to juggle three or four gig-economy or contracting jobs at one time just to make ends meet. These workers need protection, the argument goes, and if they were reclassified, they would suddenly become eligible for overtime pay and a host of other benefits that normally attach to full-scale employees.
The problem is that this theory is not borne out by the facts; instead, it fundamentally misreads the shape of the modern American work force. In fact, contract work is not on the rise, and many contractors prefer their current worker status.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics have consistently shown that part-time and contingent work arrangements are in line with historical averages. Contracting roles have actually decreased since 2005. Furthermore, surveys have reported that 79 percent of contract workers prefer their present work arrangement to more restrictive setups.</blockquote>
Former U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who is an advisor for Lyft, has also voiced concerns about the law, writing last August in the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Open-Forum-AB5-Is-Not-the-Answer-for-All-Workers-14379743.php?psid=nAHHo">Chronicle</a> that many drivers fear that they will lose &#8220;critical income&#8221; if they are reclassified as employees.
&#8220;Some of yesterday&#8217;s solutions work for today. Some don&#8217;t,&#8221; writes Boxer. &#8220;In an economy of great change we need to understand the new needs of both workers and businesses. We need to make sure they can all thrive, not just survive.&#8221;
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), however, dismissed Boxer’s concerns outright and instead took the opportunity to slam her for taking a job as a &#8220;corporate lobbyist&#8221; and &#8220;fighting against&#8221; the interests of &#8220;working people.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Fmr officials should not become corporate lobbyists, in letter or spirit. It’s an abuse of power + a stain on public service.
I don’t care if it’s a Democrat doing it (both parties do). In fact, that makes it worse &#8211; we’re supposed to fight FOR working people, not against them. <a href="https://t.co/r6DN9mwf3A">https://t.co/r6DN9mwf3A</a>
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1167110591523241991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
According to <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/462015-california-governor-signs-uber-lyft-bill">The Hill</a>, last month, Lyft spokesman Adrian Durbin promised that the company would bring the issue to voters via ballot should they not reach a compromise with legislators. Lyft also said they would team up with Uber and Doordash to provide $90 million to support the ballot measure, reports the news agency.

A For-Contract Uber Driver in New York

California Passes ‘Bold’ New Ride-Sharing Law That Could End Up Hurting Drivers

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Barbara Boxer

Uber

On Friday, the California legislature passed a bill that would force every public university in the state to offer abortion pills to students.
The bill, SB-24, <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB24">states</a>:
<blockquote>Because abortion by medication techniques is both a recognized treatment for the medical condition of pregnancy and a health service every pregnant person in the state has the legal right to choose, it is the intent of the Legislature that public university student health centers make abortion by medication techniques as accessible and cost effective for students as possible … On and after January 1, 2023, each public university student health center shall offer abortion by medication techniques onsite. This service may be performed by providers on staff at the student health center, through telehealth services, or by providers associated with a contracted external agency.</blockquote>
The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Gavin Newsom, who supported a previous draft of the bill. He stated in the fall of 2018, &#8220;I would have supported that. I have long supported that. I subscribe to Planned Parenthood and NARAL&#8217;s position on that,&#8221; as the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Gavin-Newsom-splits-with-Jerry-Brown-on-SF-drug-13275997.php">San Francisco Chronicle</a> reported.
Pro-life forces have stated they will challenge the bill, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/health/abortion-pills-california-universities.html">The New York Times</a> noted.
The bill claims that more than 400,000 female students attend University of California (UC) schools. The bill&#8217;s author, state senator Connie Leyva, stated, &#8220;In a time when states across our country are rolling back women&#8217;s health care and access to abortion, California continues to lead the nation to protect every individual&#8217;s right to choose … SB 24 reaffirms the right of every college student to access abortion,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7470185/California-passes-law-make-abortion-pills-mandatory-public-college-clinics.html">The Daily Mail</a>. She added, &#8220;By ensuring that abortion care is available on campus, college students will not have to choose between delaying important medical care or having to travel long distances or miss classes or work.&#8221;
California is the first state to pass such legislation.
The Times pointed out, &#8220;The bill would apply to 34 campuses throughout the state, with nearly 750,000 enrolled students — 11 under the umbrella of the University of California and 23 under the California State University system. A 2018 study estimated that hundreds of<a href="https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(18)30185-X/fulltext"> students at these schools seek medication abortion each month</a>.&#8221; The Times added, &#8220;Under the bill, as of 2023, campus health centers would be required to offer medication abortion — a process that involves taking two types of pills, legally approved to terminate pregnancies that are within 10 weeks of gestation.&#8221;
Last month, Bishop Jaime Soto, president of the California Catholic Conference, asked his flock to &#8220;<a href="https://www.scd.org/news/bishop-soto-urges-all-catholics-and-all-christians-join-prayer-defeat-senate-bill-24">pray with me a novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of unborn children, asking her powerful intercession to defeat this bill</a>.&#8221;
Kristi Hamrick, a spokeswoman for Students for Life of America, stated, &#8220;We also are very concerned about the conscience rights of people — students whose fees will be used to underwrite these health centers.&#8221; Nick Reynosa, the Northern California coordinator of Students for Life of America, called SB 24 &#8220;a symbolic gesture to push back against the success of the pro-life movement.&#8221;

abortion Pill

CA Passes Bill Forcing Public Universities To Offer Abortion Pills

Abortion

On Tuesday, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that permits adults to refuse to help a police officer who needs help making an arrest.
The bill, SB 192, sponsored by Sen. Bob Hertzberg, (D-LA), was written to repeal the California Posse Comitatus Act of 1872; Hertzberg called the old bill a &#8220;vestige of a bygone era&#8221; that forces citizens into &#8220;an untenable moral dilemma,&#8221; as reported by <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article234664847.html">The Sacramento Bee</a>.
The <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB192">bill states</a>:
<blockquote>Existing law makes an able-bodied person 18 years of age or older who neglects or refuses to join the posse comitatus or power of the county, by neglecting or refusing to aid and assist, as described, in making an arrest, retaking into custody a person who has escaped from arrest or imprisonment, or preventing a breach of the peace or the commission of any criminal offense, after being lawfully required by a uniformed peace officer or a judge, guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to punishment by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000.
This bill would repeal that provision and make conforming changes.</blockquote>
The California State Sheriff’s Association, which opposed the bill, stated, &#8220;There are situations in which a peace officer might look to private persons for assistance in matters of emergency or risks to public safety and we are unconvinced that this statute should be repealed.&#8221;
The Bee noted, &#8220;The law was cited as recently as 2014, when the Trinity County Sheriff&#8217;s Office invoked posse comitatus in its defense during a lawsuit filed by a man and woman alleging <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article216246885.html">they were deceived</a> into responding to a dangerous 911 call on the office’s behalf.&#8221;
In August, Newsom signed <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB392">AB392</a>, which directed police to &#8220;use deadly force only when necessary in defense of human life.&#8221; The <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB392">bill stated</a>:
<blockquote>Existing law authorizes a peace officer to use reasonable force to effect the arrest, to prevent escape, or to overcome resistance. Existing law does not require an officer to retreat or desist from an attempt to make an arrest because of resistance or threatened resistance of the person being arrested.</blockquote>
It continued:
<blockquote>This bill would redefine the circumstances under which a homicide by a peace officer is deemed justifiable to include when the officer reasonably believes, based on the totality of the circumstances, that deadly force is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the officer or to another person, or to apprehend a fleeing person for a felony that threatened or resulted in death or serious bodily injury, if the officer reasonably believes that the person will cause death or serious bodily injury to another unless the person is immediately apprehended.</blockquote>
The word &#8220;necessary&#8221; was the key change; as the <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Gavin-Newsom-to-sign-California-bill-tightening-14347631.php">San Francisco Chronicle</a> noted of Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, (D-San Diego), who introduced the bill, &#8220;Weber argued that current law on when police could open fire was too broad. That standard, established by the U.S. Supreme Court in a pair of cases, considers whether a &#8216;reasonable&#8217; officer in a similar situation would have acted the same way.&#8221;
The Chronicle continued, &#8220;Law enforcement organizations lobbied against the bill&#8217;s language directing police to use deadly force &#8216;only when necessary in defense of human life.&#8217; They said it would put officers in danger by causing them to second-guess themselves in circumstances that call for split-second decisions.&#8221;

Gov. Gavin Newsom.

CA Governor Signs Bill Permitting Citizens To Ignore Police Calling For Help

Police

A Sacramento salon owner moved out of Sacramento because of the mounting problems she faced due to homeless people excreting on her business’ doorstep and breaking windows, but she was not going down quietly; she made a video that went viral that slammed California governor Gavin Newsom for his inaction.
Elizabeth Novak stated in the video, “This video is for Gavin Newsom. I’ve had a business in downtown Sacramento for 15 years. I just want to tell you what happens when I get to work. I have to clean up the poop and the pee off of my doorstep. I have to politely ask the people who I care for — I care for these people that are homeless — to move their tents. So I want to know what you’re going to do for us?”
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/i-am-angry-says-sacramento-business-owner-being-forced-to-relocate-due-to-homelessness-issue">Appearing on Fox &amp; Friends</a> Monday morning, Novak was asked why she made the video instead of trying to communicate directly with Newsom. Novak answered, “I think it’s an SOS for all small business owners, and not just for business owners but employees in the downtown area. You know, it is disheartening, and I’m angry about it as well. I wouldn’t be relocating if it wasn’t for this issue … When I come into work, I’m never sure what I am going to walk into. I’ve been broken into; I&#8217;ve had my glass broken; I clean up human excrement off of my doorstep every week, cups of urine, things like that. I do have compassion for these people but you know they’re sleeping in front of your door, and they’re leaving trash and they’re turning over garbage cans and I can’t do that anymore.”
Novak added, “A lot of people are saying it’s a housing issue. It’s a drug issue.”
Host Ainsley Earhardt noted that she had heard Newsom wanted to offer “safe spaces” for people to do their drugs, prompting Novak to reply, “I’ve spoken with a lot of law enforcement in my area and they all have the same answers. Their hands are tied, they can’t arrest them, and a lot of people think that arresting won’t do much and it definitely will,”
Earhardt said she loved that Novak had said she had compassion for the homeless people. Novak said she was a “recovering woman,” adding, “By the grace of Jesus Christ I’m sober today.”
When Earhardt noted that the video had triggered some praise but also some incredibly nasty remarks, Novak said, “It’s to be expected. You know, in this political climate, when you attack any sort of liberal legislation, you’re going to get those responses, and that’s okay. I forgive you and I forgive all the people that said some really interesting things that I didn’t know about myself.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom And Attorney General Becerra Announce Legal Action On Immigration

Homeless Trigger Sacramento Salon Owner To Leave. She Makes Viral Video Targeting CA’s Newsom.

Homelessness has skyrocketed in the state of California. Los Angeles in particular has witnessed a massive increase. Between 2018-2019 the county&#8217;s homeless population grew by 16%. The city of Los Angeles experienced a similar phenomenon as its population grew at a slightly slower rate. The thousands of new people calling the streets their home has far surpassed the city&#8217;s sanitary capabilities. The sheer amount of people now eating and defecating in the California heat has allowed previously rare diseases to proliferate. It has reached the point where there is a real threat of a bubonic plague outbreak occurring in Los Angeles.
All politicians agree that the best way to combat the threat is by solving the homelessness problem. Some politicians have blamed Los Angeles county&#8217;s notoriously high real estate prices as the source of the crisis. While others claim that the homeless population is a direct consequence of California&#8217;s failed policies on managing the mentally ill and drug-addicted. There have been many reports such as the one commissioned by the National Coalition for the Homeless that supports the latter group&#8217;s claim. The <a href="https://nationalhomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Substance-Abuse-and-Homelessness.pdf">National Coalition for the Homeless </a>study found that 64% of the homeless population is dependent on some inebriating substance. The same report concludes that &#8220;[s]ubstance abuse often leads to homelessness.&#8221;
<a href="https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2015-AHAR-Part-1.pdf">Housing and Urban Development</a> conducted a similar study pertaining to homelessness and found that 45% of the homeless population in America possesses some degree of mental illness.
The increased homeless population has caused an influx of trash and feces on the streets of LA. According to a study by <a href="https://act.reformcalifornia.org/Report_Reform_RAT_03-f3a.pdf">Reform California</a>, this has allowed for the state&#8217;s rat population to flourish, which, in turn, has lead to an increased risk of rodent-borne disease.
Reform California says that there have been 124 confirmed cases of Typhus in Los Angeles County. Typhus has not been the only medieval disease to reappear. The bubonic plague — the same one that wiped out a third of Europe over 600 years ago — could be present in LA today, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/05/22/mountains-of-trash-in-la-could-cause-bubonic-plague-outbreak-expert/">The New York Post.</a> The Bubonic plague has been nearly non-existent in LA with only three cases of it in the past 40 years, but experts believe that there could already be plague victims present in the city.
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has admitted that the state has a problem. &#8220;Our homeless crisis has increasingly become a public health crisis &#8230; And now, typhus [is] in Los Angeles. Typhus. That’s a medieval disease. In California. In 2019,&#8221; he said. He is expected to sign <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB932">AB-932</a> which is a bill to produce more shelters for homeless people. The legislative piece recently passed the state senate, but how much it will help address the complex problem remains to be seen.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50785/update-after-viral-video-violent-attack-san-fran-james-barrett">After Viral Video Of Violent Attack, San Fran Judge Issues New Order On Homeless Suspect</a>

US-SOCIAL-HOMELESS

Medieval Diseases Are Present In Los Angeles

Alcohol

Drugs

Homelessness

Mental Illness

The judge at the center of a controversy involving a homeless man seen on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50707/watch-san-fran-judge-releases-homeless-man-charged-james-barrett">viral video</a> violently attacking a young woman in San Francisco — an incident that has ramped up pressure on the city and state&#8217;s political leadership — has issued a new order for the suspect she initially let go without any safeguards.
Last Monday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Christine Van Aken released Austin James Vincent, a 25-year-old homeless man seen on surveillance video violently attacking Paneez Kosarian outside her apartment complex. Vincent was charged with false imprisonment, battery, and attempted robbery, charges to which he pleaded not guilty. Despite the seriousness of the charges, Judge Van Aken let him go, stipulating only that he report to a caseworker for a diversion program that provides mental health services.
Van Aken&#8217;s order, prompted Kosarian to take action, posting video of the attack online and calling out Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown in the process. &#8220;[Gov. Newsom,] Please watch this video of me getting attacked at my front door less than 72-hrs ago,&#8221; Kosarian wrote in a series of posts Wednesday. &#8220;The man who attacked me was released this morning because the judge, Christine Van Aken believes that this man is not a danger to our community. PLEASE SAVE OUR CITY!!&#8221; She added in a follow-up post: &#8220;I need answers!! [Jerry Brown] [Gavin Newsom] recall judge Christine Van Aken, she is not fit for this job and is putting all of our lives in danger. What are you waiting for? Please, you have to do something.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> Please watch this video of me getting attacked at my front door less than 72-hrs ago. The man who attacked me was released this morning because the judge, Christine Van Aken believes that this man is not a danger to our community. PLEASE SAVE OUR CITY!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savesf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savesf</a> <a href="https://t.co/XGzmtSLQpP">pic.twitter.com/XGzmtSLQpP</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1161829236761489409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">I need answers!! <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryBrownGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryBrownGov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> recall judge Christine Van Aken, she is not fit for this job and is putting all of our lives in danger. What are you waiting for? Please, you have to do something. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/recallchristinevanaken?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#recallchristinevanaken</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1162004544999395329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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After Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed were forced to address the growing outrage over the incident, Judge Van Aken issued a new order on Friday. Vincent, the judge said in a hearing Friday, must now wear an ankle monitor.
As <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Following-outrage-judge-orders-suspect-in-attack-14330286.php?psid=is1cT">The San Francisco Chronicle</a> underscores, the hearing only came after multiple public officials &#8220;slammed&#8221; Van Aken&#8217;s reckless initial ruling. Van Aken also says that she had not seen the surveillance footage in the first hearing involving the suspect because it had not been submitted in court. She only saw it when the video went viral after Kosarian posted it.
&#8220;When I saw the video, I was frankly alarmed at the level of violence,&#8221; she said at Friday&#8217;s hearing, in comments reported by the Chronicle. &#8220;It altered my assessment of the public-safety risk of this case. I take public safety very seriously.&#8221;
Kosarian has continued to hammer the issue of the city allowing its residents to be threatened as a result of its unwillingness to address the homeless epidemic and has called out the District Attorney for allegedly failing to provide the video evidence to the judge.
&#8220;Today I found out that the DA&#8217;s office didn&#8217;t present a key evidence to the judge at the arraignment, which is the video of the attack,&#8221; she tweeted Friday. &#8220;She decided to release him based on the &#8216;facts&#8217; presented to her. [George Gascon] how is she supposed to make good decisions w/t the core evidence?&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s unfortunate that they are forcing us to leave our city, the place so many of us call home, simply because we don&#8217;t feel safe!!!&#8221; she wrote in another post. &#8220;San Francisco, is having basic safety too much to ask?&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Do we think he is going to show up for the court hearing tomorrow? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savesf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savesf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristineVanAken?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChristineVanAken</a> <a href="https://t.co/ctkuTCDDLG">https://t.co/ctkuTCDDLG</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1162267489163628544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Today I found out that the DA’s office didn’t present a key evidence to the judge at the arraignment, which is the video of the attack. She decided to release him based on the “facts” presented to her.<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeGascon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeorgeGascon</a> how is she supposed to make good decisions w/t the core evidence?
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1162464310003548160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">It’s unfortunate that they are forcing us to leave our city, the place so many of us call home, simply because we don’t feel safe!!! San Francisco, is having basic safety too much to ask? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savesf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savesf</a> <a href="https://t.co/pdqTpfaY2o">https://t.co/pdqTpfaY2o</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1162601030300758016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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As The Daily Wire has highlighted, the homeless crisis in California — particularly in San Francisco and Los Angeles —has escalated in the last few years, with the population spiking dramatically and reports of serious sickness and disease and violence climbing in recent months.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48852/watch-how-dangerous-la-homeless-problem-dangerous-james-barrett">WATCH: How Dangerous Is The L.A. Homeless Problem? This Dangerous.</a>

Governing Priorities for the Streets of San Francisco

UPDATE: After Viral Video Of Violent Attack, San Fran Judge Issues New Order On Homeless Suspect

In another alarming development in the escalating homeless crisis in San Francisco, a judge let a homeless man shown violently attacking a young woman in security video back onto the streets within just 72 hours of the shocking incident. In response, the victim released the surveillance footage of the assault on Twitter and directed her post to California&#8217;s progressive Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. The disturbing sequence of events has prompted a response from both Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed — one rather vague and one quite specific.
The incident took place early Sunday morning outside the Watermak apartment complex where Paneez Kosarian lives. Kosarian was allegedly approached by Austin James Vincent, a 25-year-old homeless man, who began to say at first strange, then increasingly threatening things.
&#8220;Kosarian was attempting to get into the building, which is located near Beale and Bryant Streets by the Embarcadero, when Vincent refused to let her inside without him and told her everyone is a robot and he is the last human on earth,&#8221; San Francisco&#8217;s <a href="https://www.kron4.com/news/newsom-breed-comment-on-the-release-of-homeless-man-involved-in-sf-attack/">KRON 4</a> reports. When he allegedly asked her to hand over her wallet and cell phone, which she refused, she tried to get into the door of her apartment complex. That&#8217;s when she says he assaulted her — an attack caught on security cameras.
&#8220;Arrested at the scene, Vincent was arraigned on Tuesday after entering a plea of not guilty to charges of false imprisonment, attempted robbery and two counts of battery and was released,&#8221; the outlet reports.
HotAir&#8217;s <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2019/08/15/homeless-man-attacked-woman-entering-apartment-building-judge-put-back-streets/">John Sexton</a> notes that police were reportedly called about Vincent before the alleged assault, but, since it was just a loitering call, didn&#8217;t consider it a priority. Officers arrived about a half-hour after the attack.
Despite the seriousnes of the charges, and the available evidence, the suspect was released within less than 72 hours by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Christine Van Aken, who simply asked him to &#8220;report to a caseworker on condition of his release,&#8221; KRON 4 notes.
That prompted Kosarian to take action. On Wednesday, she posted video evidence of the terrifying assault and made sure to direct the post to Newsom.
&#8220;[Gov. Newsom,] Please watch this video of me getting attacked at my front door less than 72-hrs ago,&#8221; she wrote in the post that included video of the violent assault. &#8220;The man who attacked me was released this morning because the judge, Christine Van Aken believes that this man is not a danger to our community. PLEASE SAVE OUR CITY!!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> Please watch this video of me getting attacked at my front door less than 72-hrs ago. The man who attacked me was released this morning because the judge, Christine Van Aken believes that this man is not a danger to our community. PLEASE SAVE OUR CITY!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savesf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savesf</a> <a href="https://t.co/XGzmtSLQpP">pic.twitter.com/XGzmtSLQpP</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1161829236761489409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Kosarian also called for answers from former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and demanded that Newsom &#8220;recall&#8221; judge Van Aken. &#8220;I need answers!! [Gov. Brown and Gov. Newsom] recall judge Christine Van Aken, she is not fit for this job and is putting all of our lives in danger. What are you waiting for? Please, you have to do something.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">I need answers!! <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryBrownGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryBrownGov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> recall judge Christine Van Aken, she is not fit for this job and is putting all of our lives in danger. What are you waiting for? Please, you have to do something. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/recallchristinevanaken?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#recallchristinevanaken</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1162004544999395329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In comments reported by KRON 4, both Newsom and Breed responded to the situation during an an event Thursday focused on affordable housing for teachers and public safety workers.
Newsom kept his comments rather vague, saying only that the alleged attack was &#8220;a very serious issue&#8221; and that it &#8220;goes to the core&#8221; of people&#8217;s safety concerns. &#8220;It goes to the core of people wanting to live in a city as spectacular as [San Francisco] — and that foundation is safety,&#8221; he said.
Breed, on the other hand, specifically called out Judge Van Aken and declared Vincent a clear &#8220;danger to society.&#8221; &#8220;I think it&#8217;s really unfortunate what happened,&#8221; said the mayor. &#8220;I think the judge, unfortunately, made a huge mistake. [The homeless] person is a danger to society.&#8221;
UPDATE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50785/update-after-viral-video-violent-attack-san-fran-james-barrett">After Viral Video Of Violent Attack, San Fran Judge Issues New Order On Homeless Suspect</a>

WATCH: San Fran Judge Releases Homeless Man Charged With Violent Attack On Woman, So She Posts Video Of Attack

Jerry Brown

San Francisco

On Sunday evening, a shooter opened fire on a crowd at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, killing three — including a 6-year-old boy — and injuring at least a dozen others before being shot dead by police.
According to <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/article233247182.html">The Sacramento Bee</a>, the attack took place at 5:41 p.m. as the popular festival was wrapping up.
&#8220;Initial reports said the shooter entered the festival area from a creek area outside of Christmas Hill Park, where the festival was held,&#8221; the paper reports. The chief of police told the press that the shooter appears to have used &#8220;some sort of tool&#8221; to cut through fencing so he could enter the festival without having to go through security, which included metal detectors.
The shooter, who has been <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/garlic-festival-mass-shooting-gilroy-california-victims-suspect-santino-william-legan-live-updates/">identified</a> as a 19-year-old male (his name is withheld here per Daily Wire policy on not releasing the names of mass shooters), was killed by law enforcement minutes after opening fire.
Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said they were looking for a second suspect potentially tied to the attack, but police have not released a description of the suspect.
&#8220;We have one suspect that we know is (dead), and some witnesses reporting there may be a second suspect, although we don’t know if a second suspect was engaged in any shooting, or in a support role,&#8221; Smithee told reporters at a press conference Sunday night, as reported by <a href="https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/07/29/gilroy-garlic-festival-mass-shooting/">CBS San Francisco</a>.
Smithee offered no comments on a possible motive for the shooting, but described the incident as &#8220;somewhat random.&#8221;
One witness, Jack Van Breen, a singer with a band performing at the event, told the Associated Press that he heard someone yell out to the shooter, &#8220;Why are you doing this?&#8221; The shooter, said Van Breen, replied, &#8220;Because I’m really angry.&#8221;
Among those killed was a 6-year-old boy, Steven Romero, whose mother, Christine Ibanez, mourned his death in a Facebook post highlighted by CBS. &#8220;RIP little one. This should have never happened. Hug your little ones tightly tonight. Prayers to his family.&#8221;
&#8220;His mother and other family members were also injured in today’s shooting, being treated at the same hospital,&#8221; NBC News&#8217; Rob Mayeda reports.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">This is Steven Romero, 6 yrs old killed in today’s shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. His mother and other family members were also injured in today’s shooting, being treated at the same hospital via <a href="https://twitter.com/janellewang?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@janellewang</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nbcbayarea?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbcbayarea</a> <a href="https://t.co/0HWkktGlq4">pic.twitter.com/0HWkktGlq4</a>
— Rob Mayeda (@RobMayeda) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobMayeda/status/1155713697303523329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Video taking by one of the attendees and posted online by <a href="https://twitter.com/CaliforniaBrief/status/1155722808057458688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1155722808057458688&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsanfrancisco.cbslocal.com%2F2019%2F07%2F29%2Fgilroy-garlic-festival-mass-shooting%2F">California Brief</a> captured the terrifying moment when the shooting began.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Video shows moment gunman opens fire on Gilroy garlic festival Sunday evening; 4 people killed (including suspected gunman), 15 others injured. [Warning: Potentially-distressing footage] <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GilroyGarlicFestival?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GilroyGarlicFestival</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GilroyActiveshooter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GilroyActiveshooter</a> <a href="https://t.co/Qiv7GW3j4V">pic.twitter.com/Qiv7GW3j4V</a>
— California Brief (@CaliforniaBrief) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaliforniaBrief/status/1155722808057458688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Sacramento Bee reports that, according to police scanners, investigators did not immediately locate the weapon but discovered at least two magazines at the scene of the crime.
President Donald Trump posted a response to initial reports of the shooting online. &#8220;Law Enforcement is at the scene of shootings in Gilroy, California. Reports are that shooter has not yet been apprehended. Be careful and safe!&#8221; he wrote before police confirmed that they had killed the shooter.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Law Enforcement is at the scene of shootings in Gilroy, California. Reports are that shooter has not yet been apprehended. Be careful and safe!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1155676540631506944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has also responded to the &#8220;horrific&#8221; attack, stating that his office is &#8220;monitoring the situation closely&#8221; and expressing his gratitude to law enforcement. &#8220;This is nothing short of horrific. Tonight, CA stands with the Gilroy community,&#8221; he wrote in response to a notification from the Gilroy Police Department. &#8220;My office is monitoring the situation closely. Grateful for the law enforcement’s efforts and their continued work as this situation develops.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">This is nothing short of horrific. Tonight, CA stands with the Gilroy community. My office is monitoring the situation closely. Grateful for the law enforcement’s efforts and their continued work as this situation develops. <a href="https://t.co/GrtHjtCEz7">https://t.co/GrtHjtCEz7</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1155680934210895872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Editor&#8217;s Note: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/27329/why-daily-wire-will-no-longer-publish-names-or-ben-shapiro">Recent studies</a> suggest that “media coverage of mass shootings can have a significant impact on the psyches of potential mass shooters — that such potential mass shooters have a cognitive craving for attention, which they know they will receive for committing atrocities.” For this reason, The Daily Wire no longer publishes names and images of mass shooters as it has become increasingly clear in recent years that &#8220;the value of public knowledge regarding specific names and photographs of mass shooters is significantly outweighed by the possibility of encouraging more mass shootings.”

Mass Shooting At California Festival, Gunman Killed; Trump, Newsom Respond

Gun Laws

Guns

Comedy sketch group Riot Act&#8217;s latest video takes on California&#8217;s liberal priorities — namely, its enthusiasm for abortion.
The video, aptly titled &#8220;Californabortion&#8221; (a play on Red Hot Chili Peppers hit &#8220;Californication&#8221;) pokes at California&#8217;s devotion to abortion as the state drowns in horrifying excesses of drug abuse and homelessness.
&#8220;Mayor of California Gavin Newsom invites everyone to visit the Golden State to partake in its newest, most lively attraction at the happiest place on earth,&#8221; the description of the video, which was written and directed by Adam Yenser and produced by Paul Bois and Yenser, reads.
&#8220;Hi, I&#8217;m Gavin Newsom, Mayor of California. And I want you to experience all the Golden State has to offer!&#8221; an actor playing left-wing California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, says.
&#8220;Catch a wave in a Malibu,&#8221; he offers, or &#8220;take in the view at Yosemite!&#8221;
&#8220;And check out the Golden Gate Bridge. Whoa! But watch out for human feces!&#8221;
While you&#8217;re in Cali, the actor continues, &#8220;Why not get an abortion? We’ll suck that thing right outta ya!&#8221;
&#8220;Then it’s off to see our giant redwoods. They’re disappearing due to climate change. So like your unborn fetus, they won’t be around forever,&#8221; he says, adding that the state is &#8220;home to the happiest place on earth &#8230; Planned Parenthood!”
&#8220;California! We care more about avocados than babies!&#8221; he closes.
The video then cleverly cuts out with a chorus of &#8220;Get a Californabortion,&#8221; instead of &#8220;Dream of Californication.&#8221;
As <a href="https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-abortion-california">noted</a> by pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, &#8220;California does not have any of the major types of abortion restrictions — such as waiting periods, mandated parental involvement or limitations on publicly funded abortions — often found in other states.&#8221; The state allows abortion up to &#8220;viability&#8221; (around 24-28 weeks) but allows broad exceptions for the mother&#8217;s general health.
California taxpayers reportedly paid for 88,466 abortions in 2010, <a href="https://data.guttmacher.org/states/table?state=AL+AK+AZ+AR+CA+CO+CT+DE+DC+FL+GA+HI+ID+IL+IN+IA+KS+KY+LA+ME+MD+MA+MI+MN+MS+MO+MT+NE+NV+NH+NJ+NM+NY+NC+ND+OH+OK+OR+PA+RI+SC+SD+TN+TX+UT+VT+VA+WA+WV+WI+WY&amp;topics=62&amp;dataset=data">according</a> to the Guttmacher Institute. And a 2017 report from San Francisco Gate said there were 115 Planned Parenthood abortion clinics statewide.
WATCH:
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WATCH: ‘Californabortion’ Sketch Takes On California Priorities

On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law State Bill 104, which now extends health care benefits to illegal immigrants between the ages of 19-25, in addition to the law that already had guaranteed coverage to illegal immigrants under the age of 19.
<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/452395-california-governor-signs-legislation-extending-health-care-to">The Hill</a> noted, “The bill, introduced earlier this year, is estimated to cover about 90,000 low-income residents overall and comes with a roughly $98 million price tag.”
The <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB104">bill states</a>:
<blockquote>The federal Medicaid program prohibits payment to a state for medical assistance furnished to an alien who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law.
Existing law requires that individuals under 19 years of age enrolled in restricted-scope Medi-Cal at the time the Director of Health Care Services makes a determination that systems have been programmed for implementation of these provisions be enrolled in the full scope of Medi-Cal benefits, if otherwise eligible. Existing law requires the department to maximize federal financial participation in implementing the provisions.
This bill would extend eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals 19 to 25 years of age, inclusive, and who are otherwise eligible for those benefits but for their immigration status. This bill would additionally require the department to claim federal financial participation to the extent that the department determines it is available, and to the extent that federal financial participation is not available, would require the department to use state funds. Because counties are required to make eligibility determinations and this bill would expand Medicaid eligibility, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</blockquote>
Newsom was elected last November; before that, last August, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/35198/gavin-newsom-reveals-plan-single-payer-healthcare-emily-zanotti">said that he planned on expanding Medicare</a> to cover every Californian, even illegal immigrants. Newsom stated:
<blockquote>I’d like to see if we can control our own destiny. I’m not naive about it. I did universal health care when I was mayor, fully implemented regardless of pre-existing conditions, ability to pay, and regardless of your immigration status. San Francisco is the only universal health care system for all undocumented residents in America, very proud of that. We proved it could be done without bankrupting the city. I’d like to see that we can extend that to the rest of the state.</blockquote>
In September, Newsom <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Trump-Gavin-Newsom-rally-health-care-immigrants-13211462.php">doubled down</a>, saying, &#8220;I did universal health care when I was mayor, fully implemented, regardless of pre-existing condition, ability to pay, and regardless of your immigration status. I&#8217;d like to see that extended to the rest of the state.&#8221;
President Trump, speaking at a Montana rally last September, <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Trump-Gavin-Newsom-rally-health-care-immigrants-13211462.php">responded to Newsom’s statement</a> by calling out, “How about the governor, governorship of California. He just announced that he wants to open borders, and he wants to let anybody come in that wants to. And then he wants to pay for all medical, all school … What happens, I said, if the entire world decides to go to California because they get free health care, free medical care, and free education. California has just increased in size to 500 million people. I may even move to California to get free health care!”

CA Governor Signs Bill Extending Health Care To Illegal Immigrants

Illegal Immigration

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law legislation making the state the first to ban practices that discriminate against natural hairstyles associated with race, especially associated with what the bill describes as “blackness.”
<a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-natural-hair-discrimination-bill-20190703-story.html">According</a> to the Los Angeles Times, the so-called CROWN Act legally protects “people in workplaces and K-12 public schools by prohibiting the enforcement of grooming policies that disproportionately affect people of color,” <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-hair-discrimination-bill-20190627-story.html">including</a> restrictions on certain hairdos like “Afros, braids, twists, cornrows and dreadlocks – or locs for short.”
Newsom justified the need for Senate Bill 188, which unanimously passed both chambers of the legislature, at a signing ceremony at the State Capital in Sacramento last Wednesday. He referenced a December <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/n-j-wrestler-forced-cut-dreadlocks-still-targeted-over-hair-n957116">incident</a> in New Jersey when a white referee told a black high school wrestler that his hair and headgear did not comply with regulations. The 16-year-old was given the option to immediately cut his dreadlocks if he wanted to compete or forfeit the match. <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeFrankelJSZ/status/1075811774954463235">Viral video</a> of a trainer severing several locs from the student-athlete’s head sparked a national public outcry, leading to a state civil rights investigation.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Epitome of a team player ⬇️
A referee wouldn&#8217;t allow Andrew Johnson of Buena <a href="https://twitter.com/brhschiefs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brhschiefs</a> to wrestle with a cover over his dreadlocks. It was either an impromptu haircut, or a forfeit. Johnson chose the haircut, then won by sudden victory in OT to help spark Buena to a win. <a href="https://t.co/f6JidKNKoI">pic.twitter.com/f6JidKNKoI</a>
— Mike Frankel (@MikeFrankelJSZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeFrankelJSZ/status/1075811774954463235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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“That is played out in workplaces, it’s played out in schools – not just in athletic competitions and settings – every single day all across America in ways that are subtle, in ways overt,” Newsom <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-natural-hair-discrimination-bill-20190703-story.html">said</a>.
The Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-natural-hair-discrimination-bill-20190703-story.html">reports</a> that the law “adds traits historically associated with race to the state’s list of classifications protected from discrimination, including race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability and sexual orientation.”
“The way the hair grows out of my head as a black woman is a trait of race,” <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crown-act-california-becomes-first-state-to-ban-discrimination-against-natural-hair/">explained</a> Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), the bill’s author who <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-natural-hair-discrimination-bill-20190703-story.html">says</a> she has sported dreadlocks for the last 15 years.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">SB 188. The CROWN Act. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MyCrown?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MyCrown</a> <a href="https://t.co/OcrG7Is5bU">pic.twitter.com/OcrG7Is5bU</a>
— Holly J Mitchell (@HollyJMitchell) <a href="https://twitter.com/HollyJMitchell/status/1099751612585660417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In a speech to her colleagues, Mitchell <a href="https://blavity.com/california-senate-passes-crown-act-to-ban-race-based-hair-discrimination-in-schools-and-workplaces">described</a> how many black Americans are forced to change their natural hairstyles “to conform to a non-inclusive idea of a professional image” in order to gain employment, retain their jobs, or be considered for promotions.
“There is something so deeply personally offensive when you are told that your hair, in its natural state, is not acceptable,” she <a href="https://www.essence.com/hair/california-votes-on-bill-to-ban-natural-hair-discrimination/">said</a>. “I have heard from parents whose children have been sent home from school because they were told their hair was unruly.”
Mitchell’s bill <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB188">maintains</a> that “hair discrimination targeting hairstyles associated with race is racial discrimination.”
As the L.A. Times recently <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-hair-discrimination-bill-20190627-story.html">reported</a>:
<blockquote>The bill states that “blackness” and its associated physical traits — dark skin, kinky and curly hair — have long been equated to “a badge of inferiority” because of racist ideologies. And when black employees conform to narrow, Eurocentric ideas of “professionalism” by altering their appearances, there are serious economic and health consequences because of high costs and harsh chemicals, the bill says.</blockquote>
A spokesperson for Sen. Mitchell told The Daily Wire that the law covers individuals “who wear their hair in a style historically associated with their race,” clarifying that “a white person who wears dreadlocks would have to prove that this is a hairstyle historically associated with their race” to be protected.
CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crown-act-california-becomes-first-state-to-ban-discrimination-against-natural-hair/">reports</a> that a version of the CROWN Act passed both houses of the New York Legislature and is awaiting the governor’s approval. Lawmakers in New Jersey have introduced a similar proposal.
In February, New York City officially <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/02/18/black-hair-protected-same-laws-ban-discrimination-nyc-says/2906013002/">outlawed</a> natural hair discrimination.
The new California law takes effect on January 1, 2020. It was <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-pol-ca-hair-discrimination-bill-20190627-story.html">sponsored</a> by the CROWN Coalition, which includes Dove beauty products, the National Urban League, Western Center on Law &amp; Poverty, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/34288/be-maxine-campaign-launches-tote-bag-line-paying-jeffrey-cawood">Color of Change</a>, a progressive racial justice group.
Follow Jeffrey Cawood on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jeffreycawood">@JeffreyCawood</a>.

California Becomes First State To Ban Racial ‘Hair Discrimination’ Against Braids, Cornrows, And Dreadlocks

Hair

After reports that Nike pulled the patriotic &#8220;Betsy Ross Flag&#8221; edition of a shoe after national anthem-protesting former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick complained that it was &#8220;offensive,&#8221; Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday that his state would be pulling financial incentives offered to Nike to build a manufacturing facility in the state.
&#8220;Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism,&#8221; Ducey wrote in a series of tweets Tuesday. &#8220;Nike has made its decision, and now we’re making ours. I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here.&#8221;
The next morning, the Democratic governor of Arizona&#8217;s neighboring state sent a very different message to Nike: &#8220;Hey, Nike, let&#8217;s talk,&#8221; tweeted New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in response to Ducey&#8217;s posts.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/Nike?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nike</a>, let&#8217;s talk. <a href="https://t.co/ULqupXdVSj">https://t.co/ULqupXdVSj</a>
— Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (@GovMLG) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMLG/status/1146090103627845634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We want those jobs,&#8221; said the governor&#8217;s director of communications, Tripp Stelnicki. &#8220;It&#8217;s wild that anyone would jeopardize viable employment for potentially hundreds of state residents because of some political virtue-signaling.&#8221; The outlet reports that Stelnicki confirmed that the governor&#8217;s office has reached out to Nike about working out a deal for the manufacturing facility, <a href="https://www.kob.com/new-mexico-news/nike-controversy-prompts-governor-to-consider-talks/5410155/">KOB 4</a> reports (h/t <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/2019/07/02/new-mexico-gov-nike-arizona-doesnt-want-business-canceled-american-flag-sneakers-well-take/">HotAir</a>).
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49122/ca-governor-after-nike-cancels-american-themed-hank-berrien">The Daily Wire</a> reported, another Democratic governor who is now publicly courting Nike is California&#8217;s Gavin Newsom, who sent his own &#8220;Hey Nike&#8221; message Tuesday, but took his outreach effort further by declaring Nike&#8217;s decision to pull the flag honoring America&#8217;s heritage and an iconic female &#8220;the right thing.&#8221; Nike, said Newsom, represents &#8220;the best of our American values.&#8221;
&#8220;Nike Hey, @Nike — we’re just a quick jaunt over the border&#8230;&#8221; Newsom tweeted Tuesday evening. &#8220;Thank you for doing the right thing. CA is open for business and welcomes those that represent the best of our American values.&#8221;
The controversy began when Nike decided to pull production on a patriotic shoe that contained the Betsy Ross Flag, the original American flag designed by Ross during the American War for Independence that contains 13 stars in a circle, representing the original 13 colonies.
As reported by <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/arizona-governor-pulls-state-aid-for-nike-plant-over-betsy-ross-colin-kaepernick-controversy-11562072719">The Wall Street Journal</a>, Nike was planning on investing some $185 million in a facility in Goodyear, Arizona that would employ around 500 people. The Goodyear City Council &#8220;approved a package of incentives that would reimburse the company about $1 million in planning fees and about $4,000 per full-time employee Nike hires, according to city records,&#8221; the Journal notes.
While various governors vie for a chance to get some of that Nike money, backlash is building against the company online, with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz leading the way on the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49113/nike-boycott-gains-steam-after-company-drops-amanda-prestigiacomo">#WalkAwayFromNike</a>&#8221; movement.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">I love America. I stand for the anthem, respect the flag &amp; honor the men &amp; women who fought to defend our Nation. I respect Free Speech &amp; I’m exerting mine: until <a href="https://twitter.com/Nike?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nike</a> ends its contempt for those values, I WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE NIKE PRODUCTS. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WalkAwayFromNike?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WalkAwayFromNike</a> RT if you agree. <a href="https://t.co/IvXNTgvlHq">https://t.co/IvXNTgvlHq</a>
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1146096648445145089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Kaepernick sparked the anthem protest movement during the 2016 preseason when he began refusing to stand to honor the flag before games. &#8220;I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,&#8221; he told the press in August 2016. &#8220;To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.&#8221; After a dismal 2016 season with the 49ers, who went <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/schedule/_/name/sf/season/2016">2-14</a>, Kaepernick opted for free agency but no team would sign him. He became &#8220;the face of Nike&#8221; last year when the company signed a massive deal with him for its 30th anniversary &#8220;Just Do It&#8221; campaign.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49113/nike-boycott-gains-steam-after-company-drops-amanda-prestigiacomo">BACKLASH: Boycott Gains Steam After Nike Drops American Flag Shoe At Colin Kaepernick&#8217;s Behest</a>

New Mexico Governor Jumps In On Kaepernick-Nike Action Amid Flag Controversy

Arizona

Colin Kaepernick

New Mexico

Nike

Ted Cruz

On Tuesday night, after Nike had canceled an American flag-themed shoe, triggering Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49076/arizona-gov-makes-major-announcement-after-nike-amanda-prestigiacomo">withdraw financial incentives</a> for Nike to open a manufacturing facility in Arizona, California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that Nike was “doing the right thing” and represented “the best of our American values.”
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Hey, <a href="https://twitter.com/Nike?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nike</a> — we’re just a quick jaunt over the border&#8230;
Thank you for doing the right thing. CA is open for business and welcomes those that represent the best of our American values. <a href="https://t.co/dLN7EuYBFS">pic.twitter.com/dLN7EuYBFS</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1146236435847995392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Newsom’s comment “we’re just a quick jaunt over the border&#8230;” was a response to Ducey’s decision to withdraw financial incentives for Nike to open a manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Ducey had tweeted:
<blockquote>Words cannot express my disappointment at this terrible decision. I am embarrassed for Nike. Nike is an iconic American brand and American company. This country, our system of government and free enterprise have allowed them to prosper and flourish. Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism. It is a shameful retreat for the company. American businesses should be proud of our country’s history, not abandoning it.
Nike has made its decision, and now we’re making ours. I’ve ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentive dollars under their discretion that the State was providing for the company to locate here. Arizona’s economy is doing just fine without Nike. We don’t need to suck up to companies that consciously denigrate our nation’s history. And finally, it shouldn’t take a controversy over a shoe for our kids to know who Betsy Ross is. A founding mother. Her story should be taught in all American schools. In the meantime, it’s worth googling her.</blockquote>
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/49067/nike-pulls-american-flag-sneaker-after-complaint-emily-zanotti">The Daily Wire</a> has reported, “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nike-nixes-betsy-ross-flag-sneaker-after-colin-kaepernick-intervenes-11562024126?mod=hp_lead_pos2">According to The Wall Street Journal,</a> Nike was forced to pull an American flag-themed shoe called the ‘Betsy Ross’ from production after NFL quarterback-turned-political activist Colin Kaepernick, who inked a multi-million dollar sponsorship deal with Nike last year, complained. Kaepernick reportedly told the company that he found the very idea of the shoe ‘offensive.’ ‘The sneaker giant created the Air Max 1 USA in celebration of the July Fourth holiday, and it was slated to go on sale this week. The heel of the shoe featured a U.S. flag with 13 white stars in a circle, a design created during the American Revolution and commonly referred to as the Betsy Ross flag,’ WSJ reports.”
After the Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48185/report-trump-admin-says-no-flying-pride-flags-us-paul-bois">banned</a> U.S. embassies from flying the Rainbow Pride Flag outside the embassies on the official flagpole with the American flag, Newsom <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article231659213.html">responded</a> by flying the Rainbow Pride flag along with the U.S. flag and the state of California flag over the state capitol in Sacramento from June 17 through the end of June.
Newsom’s take that Nike represents “the best of American values” stands in stark opposition to Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, who blasted Nike on Twitter. Cruz wrote, &#8220;It’s a good thing @Nike only wants to sell sneakers to people who hate the American flag&#8230;. @NFL #HappyFourth.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">It’s a good thing <a href="https://twitter.com/Nike?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nike</a> only wants to sell sneakers to people who hate the American flag&#8230;. <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyFourth?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyFourth</a> <a href="https://t.co/G6w8vDjvLP">https://t.co/G6w8vDjvLP</a>
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1145852486210805760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Nike should apologize to Americans for denigrating the flag. They should apologize to Missourians who lost loved ones defending the flag. And they should restart production of the Betsy Ross shoe at their facility in St Charles, MO
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1146111976965398529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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CA Governor After Nike Cancels American-Themed Shoe: They ‘Represent The Best Of Our American Values’

Patriotism

Posing as a tough guy, California democratic Governor Gavin Newsom <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/17/gavin-newsom-california-governor-republicans-1365909">blustered to Politico</a> that national Republicans are destined for the &#8220;waste bin of history.&#8221;
Politico stated that Newsom ebulliently stated that his achievements in the first six months of his tenure as governor have been &#8220;magnificent.&#8221; The ambitious governor, who seemingly has his eyes set on a 2024 presidential run, dismissed the notion that his recent deal with California legislators (the state legislature is dominated by Democrats, with two-thirds supermajorities in both chambers) on health care for some illegal immigrants would give fodder to those who dislike him, saying, &#8220;If it&#8217;s not this, it&#8217;s ten other things. If I&#8217;m going to be worried about Donald Trump&#8217;s feelings and Tucker Carson&#8217;s feelings and Fox News&#8217; feelings, then I won&#8217;t be taking care of the people in this state. I won&#8217;t be doing justice. to millions and millions of Californians who will benefit from our health care expansions, the biggest expansion [to benefit] the middle class &#8211; something no one thought was achievable few years back.&#8221;
Newsom said confidently that during Trump&#8217;s tenure, national Republicans &#8220;are into the politics of what California was into in the 1990s &#8230; and they&#8217;ll go the same direction &#8212; into the waste bin of history, the way Republicans of the &#8217;90s have gone. That&#8217;s exactly what will happen to this crop of national Republicans.&#8221;
Newsom has plans for the American health care system, championing universal health care, gushing, &#8220;We&#8217;re going to get it. We&#8217;re committed to universal health care. Universal health care means everybody &#8230; We will lead a massive expansion of health care, and that&#8217;s a major deviation from the past.&#8217;&#8217;
Last month, Newsom <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/47612/ca-governor-looking-shift-blame-reportedly-calls-hank-berrien">opined</a> that California&#8217;s homeless problem was a &#8220;national disgrace.&#8221; Newsom wanted to look everywhere but in his own backyard to find the source of the problem; Steven Greenhut, the Western region director for R Street Institute, told the <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/what-is-contributing-to-californias-homelessness">Catholic Register</a> in 2018 that he blamed the lack of adequate housing in California on the state, asserting, &#8220;We&#8217;ve screwed up the whole housing market through all these regulations.&#8221; The Catholic Register noted, &#8220;Local fees on building can add an additional 6% to 18% to the cost of a home. Energy-efficiency regulations add to the cost of a home as well: A recently enacted California rule mandating solar panels on nearly all new home construction will add about $10,000 to the total cost. In Los Angeles, energy-efficiency requirements increase building costs by 10%.&#8221;
Kathleen Domingo, director of the office of Life, Justice and Peace in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, added, &#8220;We&#8217;ve known that we were going to have a housing shortage for years, and we just didn&#8217;t prioritize building houses. Because we haven&#8217;t prioritized housing, and in a particular way lower-income housing, for those who are being forced out, or are coming here for opportunities, there&#8217;s nowhere to look.&#8221;

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