Perhaps it is fitting that legendary Beach Boy and California native son Brian Wilson would pass away in the same year that a New York Times headline would ask, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/us/california-turmoil-resilience.html">“Is the California Dream a Mirage?”</a>
The social, environmental and economic disaster that is California has been mushrooming for decades now, with any improvements in the near term looking about as likely as a working bullet train from the north to the south in that state. The litany of negative facts emerging for the state is accompanied by descriptors such as “worst,” “first,” “record,” “ballooning,” “unsustainable,” “disaster,” and “mismanagement.” These ills are detailed in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-assemblyman-explains-how-state-has-mismanaged-fire-prevention-policies-as-wildfires-rage">myriad</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/bad-policy-served-as-kindling-for-californias-wildfires-forest-water-management-social-justice-c5b94a4f?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAif-IufnKaxHOP49zFGTHPZhQuqrXUEi-2TLq3CTiNpkYvlSDqNxFWNzK60iAw%3D&amp;gaa_ts=685d8562&amp;gaa_sig=3-LfR_GHU3tLPG-o-YsVjgoRNU1-opiK9zrnQzURPOZIBNcm7OIKeIV5kTdTHBKbOeKnRJ-BbcIcuJq-0ipu3Q%3D%3D">articles</a> <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/11/opinion/catastrophic-wildfires-left-la-in-ashes-due-to-californias-failing-liberal-leadership/">pointing</a> to California’s failed leadership.
Consider the overall economic situation. California went from a state budget surplus of <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/after-100-billion-surplus-california-now-faces-73-billion-budget-deficit">$100b to a deficit of $73b</a> in just three years. This was driven in part from its decision in February of 2020 to escalate spending significantly while it was <a href="https://www.ppic.org/publication/whats-behind-californias-recent-population-decline-and-why-it-matters/">losing jobs</a>, and for the first time since receiving statehood in 1850, population. Between 2010 and 2023, the state saw 9.3 million people leave while only 6.7 million arrived — with a disproportionate number of the “leavers” in the high-income, high-tax-paying category.
California had the distinction of being rated as the very worst state in which to do business by <a href="https://chiefexecutive.net/california-is-the-worst-state-for-business-2014/">Chief Executive</a> magazine — for ten years in a row. Others were more positive with The <a href="https://sbecouncil.org/2019/05/06/new-report-sbe-council-ranks-50-states-according-to-public-policy-and-tax-climates-for-small-business/">Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council</a> seeing them as only the second worst state, and the <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/best-worse-states-entrepreneurs">Cato Institute</a> placing them at 48th out of 50 for entrepreneurs.
<a href="https://californiapolicycenter.org/reports/worsttobest/">The California Policy Center</a> concludes: 
“For anyone operating a business in California – small, medium or large – the experiences of the last twenty years have been challenging, and it gets worse every year. California’s regulatory environment, its high taxes and exorbitant fees, and the overall cost of doing business are the toughest in the nation. Many businesses have voted with their feet, moving their operations to more welcoming business environments.” 
According to WalletHub.com’s report “<a href="https://wallethub.com/edu/best-places-to-retire/6165">Best &amp; Worst Places to Retire (2025)</a>,” which examined 182 cities across the U.S., four out five of the worst cities in which to retire are in California.
The story is equally daunting in a host of other arenas for the state — education, illegal immigration, water, violent crime, theft, housing, insurance, energy, environment, assorted taxes and fees, cost of living, state employee pensions, healthcare, and more. <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/%23editorial">ConsumerAffairs</a>, a consumer news and advocacy organization, compared all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. across five categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. California ranked as the single least desirable state to move to. Their conclusion might have been influenced by seeing that, compared to all other 49 states in the nation, California has the:
<ul>
<li>Highest <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html">poverty rate</a></li>
<li>Highest top marginal <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates/">state income tax rate</a></li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://www.redfin.com/blog/most-expensive-states-to-buy-a-house/">median home price</a></li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-gas-tax-rates-2024/">gasoline tax</a></li>
<li>Highest number of federal <a href="https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/welfare-recipients-by-state">welfare recipients</a></li>
<li>Highest amount of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-states-blame-most-nearly-400-million-unemployment-fraud">unemployment benefit fraud</a></li>
<li>Highest number of <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/">illegal immigrants</a></li>
<li>Highest percentage of <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/map-states-most-high-school-dropouts-1872310">high school dropouts</a></li>
<li>Highest rates of <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/human-trafficking-statistics-by-state">human trafficking</a></li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://247wallst.com/special-report/2024/02/13/this-is-the-state-with-the-most-homeless-people-every-state-ranked/">homeless population</a></li>
<li>Highest level of <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/pension/comparative_view/table/">state pension shortfall</a></li>
<li>Highest level of <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/states-people-are-moving-to-and-from.html">net exodus</a> from the state</li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/630090/states-with-the-average-electricity-price-for-the-residential-sector-in-the-us/">cost for kilowatt hours</a> in the continental U.S.</li>
</ul>
While many folks have wryly referred to California as, “the most expensive weather in the world,” an increasing number of people are rethinking that cost — especially when the weather itself is now regularly accompanied by wildfires, mudslides, and earthquakes.
The <a href="https://hgbr.org/californias-economic-challenges-a-growing-exodus-and-policy-concerns/">Hampton Global Business Review</a> concludes, “The allure of California’s beaches and innovation hubs might not be enough to counteract the growing disenchantment among its residents and business leaders.”
While all of this is more than sobering, contrary to the popular narrative, the untenable situation in which the state now finds itself cannot be blamed solely or even largely on the handful of people who have occupied the top leadership roles or even the few thousand in mid-tier management/political roles for the state. To be sure, many of those people have largely been far worse than feckless; they have been actively counterproductive — perhaps even maleficent. But blaming leadership is like blaming guns for shooting homicides. They could not have performed this disservice without the active support of the California voters.
Time and time again, California voters continue to check the box for more of the same people who continue to inflict damage on them for decades now. But more importantly, they knowingly do so. No objective observer can credibly argue that Californians have been fooled or misled by their leaders or the outrageous decisions they have made, or failed to make.
The great scholar, author, and life-long California resident Dr. Victor Davis Hanson has for years <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/28121811-the-decline-and-fall-of-california">detailed</a> the disastrous results of many of these decisions — from eliminating fire-preventing forest management, to not only failing to build appropriate dams but blowing up existing dams and eliminating reservoirs, to promoting unchecked and mass illegal immigration.
There was likely no more clarifying moment of truth on this point than when Governor Gavin Newsom faced a recall. His record was damning. There was the bungled and hypocritical mismanagement of the COVID virus response — complete with vaccine shortages, maskless French Laundry dinners with friends, and arbitrary business closure guidelines, a budget deficit that was more than double his own projection, and most importantly, the ignoring or exacerbation of most of the long list of the aforementioned maladies destroying the state.
Not only did the recall effort fail miserably, with Newsom receiving a convincing approval mandate of 62% of the vote, but he was then solidly re-elected in 2022 with nearly that same margin. California voters, no doubt painfully aware of all of these issues essentially said, “Yes, yes, yes! Give us more of this!”
But suppose for just a moment that Newsom had been recalled, that perhaps he had skewered one of the sacred cows big enough to motivate his ouster. Perhaps he drove a diesel car, or contended that there is something wrong about allowing a 250lb biological male athlete to compete with women, or suggested that maybe the unpunished shoplifting limit should be reduced from $950 to say $500, or publicly stated that illegal immigrants are not entitled to the same rights as U.S. citizens. Who would voters have suggested take his place? It almost certainly would have been another entity not dissimilar to Newsom in any significant way.
All of this is exacerbated by the fact that so many logically thinking, hard-working, patriotic Americans are leaving California if they can. With each passing year, the state is left with an increasingly left-leaning voter base — and they like it that way.  Thus, it is folly to believe that California’s ills can be solved as simply as replacing a few, key incompetent leaders. California’s failed leadership is not nearly as problematic as its failed follower-ship. And that is a far harder nut to crack.
Brian Wilson made a career writing songs about the abundant fun, fun, fun available in the Golden State. Were he with us today, begrudgingly or not, he would have to admit that clearly, daddy took the T-Bird away.
* * *
Greg Salsbury, Ph.D. is former president of Western Colorado University and Board of Advisor member for <a href="https://starrs.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">STARRS.US</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Vogue World: Hollywood Press Announcement

California Had Fun, Fun, Fun — Until Voters Took The T-Bird Away

Business

California

Gavin Newsom

Immigration

Jobs

Opinion

Small Businesses

Taxes

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom filed a $787 million defamation lawsuit against Fox News on Friday, alleging the news network deliberately misrepresented the timeline of a phone call between him and President Donald Trump to make it appear the governor lied about their communication.
The lawsuit, first <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/27/newsom-sues-fox-news-defamation-case-00429168">reported</a> by POLITICO, centers on Fox News&#8217; coverage of a June 7 phone call between Trump and Newsom during anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles County. President Trump said he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">deployed</a> thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the area to quell the violence despite the governor&#8217;s objections, but local officials say they are there to protect federal buildings and federal workers.
The dispute arose when Trump claimed on June 10 that he had called Newsom &#8220;a day ago.&#8221; Newsom subsequently denied any recent contact, stating: &#8220;There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn&#8217;t even know who he&#8217;s talking to.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No more lies.
I’m suing Fox News for $787 million.<a href="https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB">https://t.co/L73VUsPsuB</a> <a href="https://t.co/qKoRaxHRDW">pic.twitter.com/qKoRaxHRDW</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1938587950704677237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News then ran a segment on Jesse Watters&#8217; program that Newsom&#8217;s claims &#8220;willfully distorted&#8221; the timeline to the network&#8217;s viewers. According to the lawsuit, Watters aired a deceptively edited video that juxtaposed Trump&#8217;s &#8220;day ago&#8221; claim with call logs obtained by Fox host John Roberts showing the call occurred on June 7 — three days earlier, not one day as Trump had claimed. Newsom accuses the network of falsely claiming he lied about the phone call and violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, which outlaws “deceptive and unfair business practices.”
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-6563">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
&#8220;If Fox News wants to lie to the American people on Donald Trump&#8217;s behalf, it should face consequences — just like it did in the Dominion case,&#8221; Newsom said in a statement to POLITICO, referencing Fox&#8217;s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in 2023.
&#8220;I believe the American people should be able to trust the information they receive from a major news outlet. Until Fox is willing to be truthful, I will keep fighting against their propaganda machine,&#8221; the governor added.
Fox News dismissed the lawsuit in a statement to The Daily Wire, writing, &#8220;Gov. Newsom’s transparent publicity stunt is frivolous and designed to chill free speech critical of him. We will defend this case vigorously and look forward to it being dismissed.&#8221;
In Fox News&#8217;s initial reporting on the disputed call, headlined &#8220;Trump brings receipts he called Newsom amid LA riots as California gov claims there wasn&#8217;t &#8216;even a voicemail,'&#8221; the network did <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-brings-receipts-he-called-newsom-amid-la-riots-california-gov-claims-wasnt-even-voicemail">include</a> Newsom&#8217;s clarification that the call was from &#8220;3 days ago&#8221; rather than the &#8220;day ago&#8221; Trump had claimed.
POLITICO notes that defamation cases brought by public officials face a much higher legal standard than those filed by private citizens. Newsom has indicated he would retract the lawsuit if Fox News issues a formal retraction and Jesse Watters delivers an on-air apology.

California Governor Newsom Announces Lawsuit Challenging Trump Tariff Authority

Newsom Targets Fox News With Dominion-Sized Lawsuit Over Trump Phone Call Dispute

Defamation

Fox News

Lawsuit

Los Angeles

National Guard

News

Riots

U.S.

The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights ruled Wednesday that California violated Title IX by allowing men to compete in women’s sports and use women’s locker rooms.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-finds-california-department-of-education-and-california-interscholastic-federation-violation-of-title-ix">announced</a> the results of the office’s investigation on Wednesday.
“Although Governor Gavin Newsom admitted months ago it was ‘deeply unfair’ to allow men to compete in women’s sports, both the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation continued as recently as a few weeks ago to allow men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades and to subject them to the indignity of unfair and unsafe competitions.”
“The Trump administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law,” McMahon said. “The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow,” she added.
<a href="https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/civil-rights-laws/title-ix-and-sex-discrimination">Title IX</a> “prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.”
President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/">executive order</a> in January to formally recognize only two genders, based on a “fundamental and incontrovertible” reality. Under this framework, male participation in women’s sports counts as sex discrimination under Title IX. 
The following month, Trump signed another executive order to remove funding from states that violate Title IX. 
The California Interscholastic Federation responded in February by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/california-plans-continue-allowing-trans-athletes-compete-girls-sports-despite-trump-executive-order">declaring</a> it would continue to allow trans athletes to compete alongside women in accordance with state law.
 &#8220;The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences…consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records.”
California has 10 days to comply with Title IX and Trump’s executive order, or it will face “imminent enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for proceedings,” and removal of federal education funds, the Education Department says.
The Office fo Civil Rights has also instructed California to “restore to female athletes all individual records, titles, and awards misappropriated by male athletes competing in female competitions,” and sent a personalized letter of apology to each female athlete affected, “for allowing her educational experience to be marred by sex discrimination.”
The state must also propose a monitoring plan to ensure that it continues to abide by Title IX.
California receives a tremendous amount of federal funding. In 2022, the state <a href="https://usafacts.org/answers/how-much-money-does-the-federal-government-provide-state-and-local-governments/state/california/">received</a> over $161 billion. Residents say they won’t look kindly on Newsom if he puts these funds at risk.
“Without these federal funds, California’s budget crisis would dramatically worsen, and California’s most vulnerable students would stand to lose crucial programs and support,” writes the <a href="https://californiapolicycenter.org/california-accepts-billions-in-federal-funds-for-education-while-defying-federal-law/">California Policy Center</a>. 
“Newsom and the California Department of Education should reassess their priorities and consider what California families want most: a quality education for the next generation.”

Linda McMahon

Department of Education Says California Violated Title IX, Threatens Legal Action

Department of Education

Title IX

Women's sports

President Donald Trump picked up another legal victory in his fight with Governor Gavin Newsom after an appeals court ruled that he acted within the law when he deployed the California National Guard to protect federal personnel and property in Los Angeles County. 
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday issued a 3-0 ruling in favor of Trump, blocking a ruling from a district judge who said Trump had violated the Constitution when he sent in the National Guard against Newsom’s wishes. 
“Both irreparable harm and the public interest weigh in favor of Defendants, who have an uncontested interest in the protection of federal agents and property and the faithful execution of law,” the court wrote in its decision. “The undisputed facts demonstrate that before the deployment of the National Guard, protesters ‘pinned down’ several federal officers and threw ‘concrete chunks, bottles of liquid, and other objects’ at the officers. Protesters also damaged federal buildings and caused the closure of at least one federal building.”
Last week, the same court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-says-trump-can-keep-national-guard-deployed-in-l-a?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Appeals+Court+Says+Trump+Can+Keep+National+Guard+Deployed+In+L.A." target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted</a> an emergency injunction to Trump, allowing him to retain control of the guard while the case played out in court. The court said it was convinced by evidence that the guard “engaged only in protecting federal personnel and property.”
Trump deployed the National Guard earlier this month after violence broke out in multiple California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, in response to ICE operations. At least 20 people have been federally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-are-coming-for-you-feds-reveal-more-charges-against-anti-ice-rioters?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘We+Are+Coming+For+You’%3A+Feds+Reveal+More+Charges+Against+Anti-ICE+Rioters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with actions like spitting on or assaulting federal officers and damaging federal property, while dozens more have been arrested by local law enforcement. 
Trump celebrated the decision from the appeals court. 
“BIG WIN in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the President’s core power to call in the National Guard! The Judges obviously realized that Gavin Newscum is incompetent and ill prepared, but this is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This is a Great Decision for our Country, and we will continue to protect and defend Law abiding Americans. Congratulations to the Ninth Circuit, America is proud of you tonight!”
Newsom also reacted to the decision, noting that the court wrote in its ruling that presidents don’t have unlimited ability to use the National Guard. 
“Donald Trump is not a king and not above the law. Tonight, the court rightly rejected Trump’s claim that he can do whatever he wants with the National Guard and not have to explain himself to a court,” Newsom posted on X. “We will not let this authoritarian use of military soldiers against citizens go unchecked.”
Tensions have remained high in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers saying Thursday that the major league baseball franchise turned away ICE agents hoping to use their parking lots. Homeland Security <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1935787097048109231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> this claim, saying that vehicles with Customs and Border Protection were briefly in the parking lot for a reason unrelated to operation or enforcement actions.

The ‘No Kings’ protests Day in Los Angeles.

Trump Scores ‘Big Win’ Against Newsom In California National Guard Clash

Courts

Donald Trump

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles County

Politics

A federal appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump could retain control of the California National Guard, blocking a decision from a district court judge ordering Trump to yield power to Governor Gavin Newsom following anti-ICE riots.
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday night granted an emergency motion from the Trump administration to block a ruling from District Judge Charles Breyer saying Trump violated the law when he ordered the National Guard into Los Angeles. Trump celebrated the decision, saying that the National Guard was to thank for keeping Los Angeles safe. 
“The Appeals Court ruled last night that I can use the National Guard to keep our cities, in this case Los Angeles, safe,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114675518227311570" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social Friday morning. “If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now. We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!”
The court scheduled a hearing on the case for Tuesday to hear further arguments. 
The decision is the latest in the battle between Trump and Newsom over riots that broke out last weekend in Los Angeles County after ICE began making arrests in the area, including day laborers at a Home Depot parking lot. Newsom sued Trump after the president sent in the National Guard and deployed thousands of Marines. 
L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell told “<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/la-police-chief-national-guard-focused-on-immigration-agenda-not-helping-with-protests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS Mornings</a>” on Wednesday that the National Guard is not assisting local authorities with street protests or riot control.
“That’s not our understanding. They have a different mission,” McDonnell said. “They’re working in support of the federal agencies that are working with ICE on civil immigration enforcement and criminal immigration enforcement.” He added, “We don’t need the National Guard, and they are not here to help us right now.”
On Thursday, Breyer sided with Newsom, saying that Trump lacked the authority to send in the National Guard. 
“At this early stage of the proceedings, the Court must determine whether the President followed the congressionally mandated procedure for his actions. He did not. His actions were illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,” Breyer <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.450934/gov.uscourts.cand.450934.64.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. 
The judge, appointed by President Bill Clinton, also asserted that Trump’s actions were an “unlawful militarization” of the city and had a chilling effect on First Amendment rights, echoing Newsom’s complaints. His decision was blocked just hours later by the appeals court. 
Trump has repeatedly said that Newsom should thank him for sending in the troops, saying that the violence would have been worse had he not acted. 
“Incompetent Gavin Newscum should have been THANKING me for the job we did in Los Angeles, rather than making sad excuses for the poor job he has done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “If it weren’t for me getting the National Guard into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now!”

Appeals Court Says Trump Can Keep National Guard Deployed In L.A.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) tried to attack Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for taking a moment to enjoy the annual Congressional baseball game, claiming that he&#8217;d left National Guard troops and U.S. Marines deployed in California without access to basic necessities.
Newsom was responding to a photo, posted by the @DODRapidResponse account, that showed Hegseth taking in the Wednesday evening game with family. &#8220;America&#8217;s @SecDef. America&#8217;s favorite pastime,&#8221; the caption read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
America’s <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a> 🫱🏻‍🫲🏻 America’s favorite past time <a href="https://t.co/dzQ9f86dwi">pic.twitter.com/dzQ9f86dwi</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1932941408333410316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Newsom replied with one of the same photos he&#8217;d shared earlier in the week — when he&#8217;d claimed that President Donald Trump and Hegseth had deployed troops to California without ensuring that their basic needs were met — and argued further that the National Guard and Marines &#8220;weren&#8217;t needed&#8221; in the first place.
&#8220;Pete sent 4,700 troops here (when they weren’t needed) without adequate fuel, food, water or a place to sleep. But don’t worry, he’s at a baseball game,&#8221; Newsom posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Pete sent 4,700 troops here (when they weren’t needed) without adequate fuel, food, water or a place to sleep.
But don’t worry, he’s at a baseball game. <a href="https://t.co/C6g0327GCF">https://t.co/C6g0327GCF</a> <a href="https://t.co/2L1G9qN3LT">pic.twitter.com/2L1G9qN3LT</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1933006152784380095?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The @DODRapidResponse account responded with a photo from the riots that rocked Los Angeles for two days before Trump ordered the California National Guard to provide assistance to local law enforcement. In the photo, a man could be seen waving a Mexican flag, surrounded by smoke from the cars that were being burned in the streets. Accompanying the photo was a two-word caption, mockingly quoting Newsom&#8217;s claim that the troops &#8220;weren&#8217;t needed.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Weren&#8217;t needed” <a href="https://t.co/27EfQvFhma">https://t.co/27EfQvFhma</a> <a href="https://t.co/MpFuX65eH2">pic.twitter.com/MpFuX65eH2</a>
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DODResponse/status/1933018628418306264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Protests and riots had erupted in the Los Angeles area beginning nearly a week prior, when demonstrators attempted to disrupt Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they conducted operations. In the days that followed, rioters destroyed property, looted stores, and attacked local law enforcement officers and federal agents. Blaming Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, also a Democrat, for failing to protect people, Trump ordered first the National Guard and then a number of active duty Marines to rein in the situation.

Newsom Tries To Wreck Hegseth For Attending Congressional Ball Game. It Doesn’t Go Well.

Newsom Tries To Wreck Hegseth For Attending Congressional Ball Game. It Doesn't Go Well.

Baseball

General

Pete Hegseth

Kamala can&#8217;t get a call back.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly didn&#8217;t even pick up the phone when former Vice President Kamala Harris called him this week about the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles County.
The former vice president &#8220;wasn’t able to connect with her longtime political friend and rival but left him a voicemail to express support,&#8221; a person close to her <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/12/how-kamala-harris-is-processing-the-la-unrest-00402189" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> POLITICO&#8217;s California Playbook.
A voicemail? Oh girl.
She also called Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass. Wonder if she had to leave them voicemails, too?
Democrats are currently trying to read the tea leaves on whether Harris will run for California governor next year, and so far it&#8217;s been a messy guessing game — apparently a fake post saying Harris would not be running <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/12/how-kamala-harris-is-processing-the-la-unrest-00402189" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confused</a> insiders this week.
However, Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio thinks Harris may be &#8220;eyeing Newsom’s rising stock as she contemplates her next moves,&#8221; according to POLITICO.
Newsom is getting the attention right now as he clashes publicly with President Donald Trump over Trump&#8217;s decision to send National Guard and Marine troops to Los Angeles.
Riots erupted in Los Angeles County over the weekend in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Protesters burned multiple cars and smashed windows at the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters as police struggled to respond. An area of downtown L.A. was eventually put under a curfew.
Meanwhile, similar violent protests have cropped up in New York City, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, Las Vegas, and Washington, DC., among other places.
On Sunday, Harris endorsed the protests, claiming they have been &#8220;overwhelmingly peaceful.&#8221;
Mostly peaceful protests, remember that one?
&#8220;Protest is a powerful tool — essential in the fight for justice,&#8221; Harris said, adding later, &#8220;I continue to support the millions of Americans who are standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms.&#8221;
The former California senator also lashed out at Trump for sending troops to Los Angeles, <a href="https://x.com/KamalaHarris/status/1931856677881667634">accusing</a> him of &#8220;stoking fear.&#8221;
She called the move &#8220;a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos&#8221; and &#8220;part of the Trump Administration&#8217;s cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.&#8221;
By the way, it&#8217;s not just a California governor bid Harris is supposedly mulling. Harris&#8217; circle thinks she might actually try for the White House again.
You know, the candidate who failed to win a single swing state or the popular vote. But sure, why not!
In the meantime, she&#8217;s still trying to get a call back.

Senator Kamala Harris Rallies With Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom Ahead Of The California Primary

REPORT: Kamala Called Gavin Newsom About L.A. Riots. He Didn’t Even Answer.

REPORT: Kamala Harris Called Gavin Newsom On LA Riots. He Didn’t Even Answer.

Illegal Immigration

Kamala Harris

The anti-ICE demonstrations and riots that broke out in Los Angeles County nearly a week ago calmed down on Wednesday night after L.A. Democratic Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew and local law enforcement officers moved in to arrest any demonstrators who defied the order.
Bass issued a curfew on Tuesday and Wednesday night from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for most of downtown L.A. to prevent any further violence or vandalism, The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/live/los-angeles-protests-immigration-raid-live-updates">reported</a>. An unlawful assembly was declared at 6:25 p.m. on Wednesday, and LAPD officers moved in to disperse the crowd, firing rubber bullets at 7:00 p.m. and causing many of the demonstrators to flee the scene. Thirty minutes later, the LAPD began arresting anyone who remained in the curfew zone downtown, which was around a few dozen protesters, according to the Times.
In a Thursday morning social media <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114670085083632579">post</a>, President Donald Trump took credit for the calmer nights of protests, praising the National Guard and the Marines, whom he deployed to L.A., for putting &#8220;L.A. Police in a position to effectively do their job.&#8221;
&#8220;Los Angeles was safe and sound for the last two nights. Our great National Guard, with a little help from the Marines, put the L.A. Police in a position to effectively do their job,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;They all worked well together, but without the Military, Los Angeles would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years.&#8221;
Trump then ripped California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying that he &#8220;had totally lost control of the situation.&#8221;
&#8220;He should be saying THANK YOU for saving his ass, instead of trying to justify his mistakes and incompetence!!!&#8221; the president added.
L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell told &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/la-police-chief-national-guard-focused-on-immigration-agenda-not-helping-with-protests/">CBS Mornings</a>&#8221; on Wednesday that the National Guard is not assisting local authorities with street protests or riot control.
&#8220;That&#8217;s not our understanding. They have a different mission,&#8221; McDonnell said. &#8220;They&#8217;re working in support of the federal agencies that are working with ICE on civil immigration enforcement and criminal immigration enforcement.&#8221; He added, &#8220;We don&#8217;t need the National Guard, and they are not here to help us right now.&#8221;
Mayor Bass <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/la-mayor-says-military-national-guard-presence-provoke-the-population">told</a> PBS on Wednesday that her curfews &#8220;absolutely&#8221; helped prevent more rioting in the downtown area.
&#8220;Last night was the first night of the curfew,&#8221; Bass said about the Tuesday night order. &#8220;And I will tell you, over 100 people were arrested, but they were arrested for failure to disperse and violating curfew, no violence, no vandalism. And so that is different than the night before.&#8221;
Bass continued to criticize Trump over the deployment of the National Guard, calling it &#8220;completely unwarranted&#8221; and arguing that Trump&#8217;s action provoked the rioting.
&#8220;No one asked for that help. You were talking about minor protests, but every time you do something like this, you provoke the population even further,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They are angry because of the raids, they are angry because of the National Guard being here, and now they are really going to be angry if the troops come in.&#8221;
Trump has called out both Bass and Newsom for how they handled the rioting over the weekend, when federal, state, and local law enforcement officers were attacked by agitators and buildings were vandalized and damaged. Earlier this week, the president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-newsom-bass-should-thank-him-for-deploying-national-guard-to-keep-our-citizens-safe?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=12&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Newsom%2C+Bass+Should+Thank+Him+For+Deploying+National+Guard+%E2%80%98To+Keep+Our+Citizens+SAFE%E2%80%99">accused</a> the mayor and governor of lying &#8220;to the People of California and America by saying that we weren’t needed, and that these are peaceful protests.&#8217;”
As the authorities quell the violence in L.A., the Trump administration continues to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-11/los-angeles-immigration-protest-curfew">conduct</a> immigration raids throughout Southern California. The White House said on Wednesday that since last week, 330 suspected illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area have been detained, 113 of whom had past criminal convictions. Immigration agents have targeted businesses, including at least five <a href="https://www.latimes.com/00000197-608b-d79b-adff-ecafffe80000-123">car washes</a> in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, arresting dozens of suspected illegal immigrants, according to the Times.

Los Angeles Riots

L.A. Anti-ICE Demonstrations Calm After Curfew, More Arrests. Trump Praises U.S. Military.

Executive

Karen Bass

LAPD

Fake Gavin Newsom is leading the “resistance,” and he&#8217;s making dramatic speeches about it.
Newsom, the real-life Ken doll governor of California, has presided over a great exodus from his state. I&#8217;m one of the people who left. I&#8217;m a lifelong Angeleno, lived in LA for virtually my entire life, but then I took myself, my family, my parents, and my company, and we all moved out of LA thanks to the governance of people like Gavin Newsom.
But now, Gavin Newsom believes that he has his road to 2028 paved for him. He is using President Trump&#8217;s unleashing of federal forces to protect ICE agents in doing their job as an excuse to claim that he is now standing up to authoritarianism in the United States of America.
Thus, on Tuesday night, Newsom delivered another one of his very overwrought, ridiculous speeches. I think he thought it was the end of the film “Independence Day” and he was Bill Pullman shouting, “We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We&#8217;re going to live on! We&#8217;re going to survive!”
It didn’t go well.
It started with massive audio issues right at the top. You could see he was talking, but nothing came out, which was an improvement because when he talks and sound does come out, it’s usually stupid.
He finally got to his point, which was: We must resist! We must resist federal encroachments!
What are Newsom’s “federal encroachments”? ICE agents were sent to Los Angeles to execute federal immigration raids, to pick up illegal immigrants, and to deport them. That is what federal law says you are supposed to do. It is certainly within the purview of ICE to nab illegal immigrants and then process them for deportation. That is all well within the remit of the federal government.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2215?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
And then riots began, and President Trump was not willing to wait for Gavin Newsom to allow them to continue to fester. Instead, he activated the National Guard and sent them there in a support role for ICE; he also activated some Marines in a support role for the National Guard.
But according to Gavin Newsom, all of this amounts to an extra-constitutional coup, the beginning of a monarchic America in which Donald Trump is unleashing federal forces in order to take full control of the American body politic.
Newsom almost teared up as he spoke, but one thing is clear: this guy is not Laurence Olivier. He&#8217;s not a good actor.
And so <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXQQNUeb4Sw">the moment</a> came off as incredibly vague. He wept:
<blockquote>This moment we all need to stand up and be held to account, a higher level of accountability. If you exercise your First Amendment rights, please, please do it peacefully. I know many of you are feeling deep anxiety, stress, and fear, but I want you to know that you are the antidote to that fear and that anxiety. What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him. </blockquote>
“What he wants most is your fealty and your silence?” I think what President Trump would like is for you leftists to stop burning Waymos.
On Tuesday, a judge did rule against Newsom — who had attempted to stop via an injunctive relief lawsuit what President Trump is trying to do in Los Angeles — saying Trump had the legal capacity to act as he has and Newsom could not block him.
But what Gavin Newsom wants most of all is to run for president in 2028, and the media are helping him out. The Washington Post had an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/09/gavin-newsom-trump-los-angeles-protests/">entire piece</a> titled &#8220;Newsom in interview: Trump&#8217;s actions echo authoritarian regimes.&#8221;
The Post quoted Newsom saying, “That’s an American president in 2025, threatening a political opponent who happens to be a sitting governor. That’s not with precedent in modern times. That’s what we see around the globe in authoritarian regimes.”
That&#8217;s because President Trump joked about arresting Newsom, because Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, had said that if Newsom violates federal law, then he will be subject to federal law just as any other citizen would be.
<h3><a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a></h3>
Democrats tried to imprison President Trump multiple times over the course of the last two years. What&#8217;s good for the goose is good for the gander: if you&#8217;re violating the law, then the law should apply to you.
But there is no ongoing effort to jail Gavin Newsom, despite the fact that he is, in fact, a horrible governor. He has every right to be a horrible governor; he just can&#8217;t violate federal law.
The Post continued:
<blockquote>Newsom’s comments reflected a broader frustration for Democratic leaders, who have been unable to counter what they see as an escalation of Trump’s antidemocratic actions in his emboldened second term. Newsom has tried all methods: He was a face of the resistance in the first term and a welcoming greeter during Trump’s initial visit to California in his second term. All the while, he continued suing Trump, while keeping up a cordial back-channel relationship. On Monday, he sounded like he was at his end with Trump, calling him “unrestrained” and “unhinged.”</blockquote>
Newsom said on Monday, “Trump is a very different president than his first foray in office. You’ve seen that as it relates to how he has completely obliterated any oversight from Congress; how he seeks to obliterate oversight from the judicial branch by threatening impeachment of judges and running up to the edge as it relates to court orders.”
This is all about Gavin Newsom running for president in 2028.
He is hoping that if he becomes the face of resistance to Trump, it will propel him to victory in the Democratic primaries.
What’s disturbing is what’s behind the face.

MixCollage-11-Jun-2025-03-09-PM-2907

Fake Gavin

Democrats

Leftists

Looting

After a week of public feuding, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk delivered an apology to President Donald Trump via his X platform during the early morning hours Wednesday.
Musk, who recently deleted posts warning that Trump was named in the files relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, had mostly broken with Trump over the &#8220;One Big Beautiful Bill&#8221; currently moving through the Senate. He went so far in a number of posts to call for people to vote against anyone in Congress who supported it.
In his Wednesday morning post, however, he voiced regret for how far he’d taken his attacks: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I regret some of my posts about President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> last week. They went too far.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1932695486684950962?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite being at odds over the budget bill — which Musk said would undo the work he and so many others had done with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project to cut the bloat and waste within the federal government — he made it clear that he agreed with Trump on other issues.
On several occasions, he either reposted or commented positively on posts from Trump or his team regarding the administration’s actions to control the rioting in Los Angeles County.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🇺🇸🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/cvOsEb45MH">https://t.co/cvOsEb45MH</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1931894172929441848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Musk also shared Trump’s statement criticizing California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass for their failure to restore order once the violent protests and riots — during which rioters specifically targeted law enforcement and federal agents — began.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/1keU3EnfnH">pic.twitter.com/1keU3EnfnH</a>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1931896482355171587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Many began to question whether a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-the-ice-melting-trump-wont-slam-musk-to-reporters-who-bait-him-musk-responds-with-emoji">reconciliation</a> between the two billionaires was on the table as Musk voiced his support for Trump’s actions in California, and the SpaceX CEO’s early-morning apology appeared to support that sentiment.
“Hat tip for fixing a wrong,” former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright posted. “The country is better for it.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hat tip for fixing a wrong.
The country is better for it.
— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) <a href="https://twitter.com/BryanDeanWright/status/1932697776451665921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;

Donald Trump Watches SpaceX Launch Its Sixth Test Flight Of Starship Spacecraft

‘Went Too Far’: Musk Apologizes To Trump After Public Feud

Celebrities

Elon Musk

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom moves to block the Marines and National Guard as anti-ICE riots continue in Los Angeles. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousts an entire vaccine advisory panel, saying they’ve lost the public’s trust. And college athletes will now get paid to play.
It’s Wednesday, June 11, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here: 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Riots Spread &amp; Vaccine Board Fired" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y1arnooNZK8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/riots-spread-vaccine-board-fired-6-11-25/id1576594336?i=1000712407855" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
And here&#8217;s a quick programming note: You asked for it, so we’ve brought it back. Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update show is back – with a few slight tweaks. Look for Evening Wire in your podcast feeds on weekdays at 5 p.m. Eastern Time!
<h2>Anti-ICE Riots Spread</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-932549" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-2.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-2.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-2-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: As anti-ICE riots continue in L.A., more violent demonstrations have broken out in cities nationwide.
In the last day, we’ve seen the demonstrations spread. In San Francisco, for example, more than 150 people were arrested after a riot began outside of an ICE office, where cars and city buses were destroyed, storefronts vandalized, and police assaulted. In New York City, at least a dozen protesters were arrested outside Trump Tower after resisting police while attempting to shut down traffic. Anti-ICE organizers say they are planning demonstrations in Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, and elsewhere.
But Los Angeles is still the epicenter of the unrest. A section of downtown is cleaning up after stores were looted and the area was vandalized, with a large Apple Store robbed by hundreds of rioters — we also saw jewelry and shoe stores looted as well.
&#8220;This is ridiculous,” one local business owner told <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1932473175679373387">NewsNation</a>. “This doesn&#8217;t look like they&#8217;re protesting for ICE or anything. &#8230; Just looting the stores.&#8221;
L.A.’s Democratic Mayor Karen Bass continued to downplay the riots, saying on Tuesday that the violence is only taking place in “several isolated streets in downtown Los Angeles. It is not even all of downtown Los Angeles.&#8221; Bass has made clear from the start that she places the blame on the Trump administration, which she says “provoked” unrest with their raids and threat of bringing in the National Guard. Bass has also said that the media has blown the situation out of proportion and that the LAPD has the situation under control.
However, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell <a href="https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1931919309229392192">said</a> earlier this week that his force had been overwhelmed. “Tonight, we had individuals shooting commercial-grade fireworks at our officers. That can kill you. … We are overwhelmed as far as the number of people out there engaged in this activity. … There is no limit to what they are doing to our officers.&#8221;
President Trump has deployed 700 U.S. Marines and 4,000 members of the California National Guard to the area since the unrest began. Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump had a clear message for folks in the rest of the country: the ICE raids will continue, and if you riot, we will respond with force.
Democrats nationwide have continued to push back on Trump’s mobilizing of the National Guard and Marines, saying it is unnecessary and even fascist. Governor Newsom is suing the Trump administration, calling the mobilization of troops an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.” On Tuesday, he also filed an <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/newsom-files-emergency-motion-to-block-military-deployment-in-la/">emergency motion</a> requesting a restraining order to block the deployment of Guardsmen and Marines.
<h2>Vaccine Panel Gutted</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-932547" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_21_22.Still002-3.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_21_22.Still002-3.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_21_22.Still002-3-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all members of a key vaccine advisory panel.
The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, meets a few times a year and makes recommendations to the CDC; it basically sets the childhood vaccine schedule and makes other vaccine-related recommendations, like flu shots and COVID vaccines. ACIP also heavily influences which vaccines are covered by both public and private insurance.
On Monday, Kennedy announced that he’s “retired” all 17 members. In an op-ed submitted to The Wall Street Journal, Kennedy argued that ACIP had become a rubber stamp for all vaccines, and they weren’t appropriately diving into potential safety risks. He wrote that ACIP has “never recommended against a vaccine—even those which were later withdrawn for safety reasons,” adding that the panel “failed to scrutinize vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women.” Kennedy also highlighted conflicts of interest from ACIP and cited past investigation findings that said ACIP’s enforcement of conflict of interest rules was “weak to nonexistent” and said the panel didn’t offer transparency with their decision-making.
Thirteen of the 17 ACIP panelists were appointed by the Biden administration in 2024. Kennedy said that if he waited for them to serve out what is typically four years on the job, he wouldn&#8217;t be able to get a new panel until 2028, which is part of the reasoning for this swift “clean sweep.”
<h2>College Athletes&#8217; Pay Day</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-932545" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_18_04.Still003-2.jpeg" alt="" width="640" height="360" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_18_04.Still003-2.jpeg 640w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_18_04.Still003-2-300x169.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></div>
Topline: College athletes can now be paid directly by their schools after a huge lawsuit was settled this week.
A new era has dawned in the world of college sports. Something that was illegal just a week ago – schools paying players – is now the law of the land.
A settlement in the case of House vs. NCAA, a class-action lawsuit which claimed the NCAA was illegally limiting the earning potential of college athletes, has been approved by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken. This agreement ends three separate antitrust lawsuits, and it means schools can now begin paying their athletes directly.
The first checks will be cut on July 1. The settlement doesn’t just affect current and future athletes. The NCAA will pay nearly $2.8 billion in back damages over the next 10 years to athletes who competed in college at any time from 2016 through the present day. The settlement comes with an annual cap, much like a salary cap in professional sports, that is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school in 2025-26. It will then increase every year during the decade-long deal. These new payments are in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive.
It will be interesting to see how each athletic department allocates that $20.5 million between their various sports, and how each program will continue to incorporate NIL deals on top of the revenue-sharing payments.
“If you’re a fan of a group of 5 school, if you’re a fan of one of these middle schools, get ready for hard times,” sports commentator Paul Feinbaum said in response to the deal. &#8220;Women&#8217;s sports will be hurt, Olympic sports will be crushed, football wins, basketball — other than maybe the Big East — takes a slight back seat.”
NCAA President Charlie Baker was more optimistic and said he believes the settlement will help regulate what has been a very volatile market in college sports. “Opportunities to drive transformative change don&#8217;t come often to organizations like ours. It&#8217;s important we make the most of this one.”

MRN 6.11.25 Wed Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Anti-ICE Riots Spread, Vaccine Panel Gutted, & College Athletes Get A Big Payday

College sports

Media

Morning Wire

NCAA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Vaccines

President Donald Trump called California Governor Gavin Newsom a “liar” on Tuesday after the governor accused Trump of making up a phone call between the two men.
Trump sent a record of the call between himself and the governor to Fox News’ John Roberts, who posted the screenshot on X. He also relayed a message from the president ripping Newsom.
&#8220;First call was not picked up. Second call, Gavin picked up, we spoke for 16 minutes. I told him to, essentially, ‘get his a** in gear,’ and stop the Riots, which were out of control. More than anything else, this shows what a liar he is – said I never called. Here is the evidence,” <a href="https://x.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1932496728902541550">said</a> Trump, according to Roberts.
Roberts then posted a screenshot of a call log from Trump showing a 16-minute conversation early in the morning on June 7.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Here is the call log: <a href="https://t.co/Mmp0Np6aqf">https://t.co/Mmp0Np6aqf</a> <a href="https://t.co/nZMY9NevZ0">pic.twitter.com/nZMY9NevZ0</a>
&mdash; John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrobertsFox/status/1932497942750900476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Newsom drew Trump’s ire after the governor questioned Trump’s mental acuity and said that the president could not “even know who he’s talking to.” Trump had told a reporter in the Oval Office on Tuesday that he had last spoken with Newsom “a day ago” to tell him “he’s got to do a better job.”
“He&#8217;s doing a bad job causing a lot of death and a lot of a lot of potential death. If we didn&#8217;t send out the National Guard – and last night we gave him a little additional help – you would have, Los Angeles would be burning right now,” Trump told the reporter.
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Newsom responded in a <a href="https://x.com/GavinNewsom/status/1932486104583975413">post</a> on X: “There was no call. Not even a voicemail. Americans should be alarmed that a President deploying Marines onto our streets doesn’t even know who he’s talking to.”
Trump initially deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the weekend to protect federal law enforcement who are carrying out immigration operations in the area. Since Friday, rioters in the streets of the Los Angeles area have burned cars and demonstrated with the flags of foreign countries. They have attacked law enforcement and damaged property.
The president increased the military presence in the region on Monday, first calling in hundreds of Marines before doubling the size of the National Guard presence in the area, ordering another 2,000 guardsmen to Los Angeles on Monday night.
California has sued the Trump administration over the military deployments. Newsom has said that the Trump administration violated the Constitution by ordering National Guard deployment in California without state leaders’ consent.

‘What A Liar He Is’: Trump Drops Call Log After Newsom Claims He Never Spoke To Prez

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