Tag: california

California Program Gives Free Solar Panels to Illegal Aliens

A California climate change program has spent $49 million to hand out free solar panels to illegal migrant homeowners, a shocking report revealed.

The Farmworker Housing Component of the Low-Income Weatherization Program is one of the state’s many climate change initiatives, and this one is aimed at farm workers — including those who are in the U.S. illegally, according to City Journal researcher and writer Christopher Rufo and his co-author Austen Hufford.

The program is part of California’s multibillion-dollar cap-and-trade system which “taxes carbon producers and redistributes approximately $3 billion per year to energy programs and left-wing social causes — all under the banner of fighting ‘climate change,’” the two wrote.

Rufo and Hufford found that California has spent about $49 million on the program to hand out free solar panels to recipients, some of whom are illegal aliens.

The company that runs the program is called Nonprofit La Cooperativa Campesina de California. La Cooperativa then partnered with MAROMA Energy Services, which describes itself as “minority owned.” These two have contracted out the installations of said solar panels.

As Rufo and Hufford note:

These organizations have heavily advertised the program to California’s nearly 900,000 agricultural workers, half to three-quarters of whom are illegal immigrants. In its official documentation, California’s Department of Community Services and Development acknowledges that non-citizens are eligible for the program and that they even accept identification from foreign governments.

In a Spanish-language radio broadcast, Natalie Velores, a program manager for MAROMA, confirmed that participants do not need “legal status” in the United States and can use a matrìcula consular, a common form of identification that the Mexican consulate provides to migrants who have crossed the border, to apply.

These companies confirmed that legal citizenship is not required to be afforded the free solar panels.

The providers also mounted an extensive information drive by sending representatives out into the farm worker communities across the state to let them know how to get their free solar power systems.

But, while a ton of cash has been spent on this program, only 2,000 families have been the recipients of the free solar systems to date.

“That means the State of California has allocated roughly $23,000 per household for its program to provide free solar panels, refrigerators, and other services — a number that raises serious concerns about financial accountability,” Ruffo and Hufford wrote.

Finally, it appears that at least one politically connected activist is at the center of these groups that are reaping millions from the state. The man, Mauricio Blanco, “worked as a project manager for La Cooperativa Campesina de California, which has been awarded at least $10.7 million by the state; is currently listed as an executive of MAROMA Energy Services, which has been granted nearly $34 million from La Cooperativa for ‘weatherization’ services since 2017; and is CEO of John Harrison Contracting, a firm that appears to have done much of the solar installation work.”

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Green Retreat: California Eases Carbon-Market Costs For Oil Refiners

California’s green-energy regime has hollowed out the state’s refining and oil industry, leaving motorists paying the highest gasoline prices in the country. AAA data show the state gasoline average now north of $6 per gallon, compared with a national average of roughly $4.36 as of Saturday morning.

The result of political blowback in California over unaffordable gasoline and diesel prices at the pump is a retreat from left-wing climate policies that could offer relief to motorists, Bloomberg News reports.

On Friday, the California Air Resources Board voted to create up to $4 billion in free carbon allowances for oil refiners and other industrial polluters. This will help them more easily comply with the state’s greenhouse gas limits under the Cap-and-Invest program.

Earlier this year, CARB proposed further tightening emission limits by removing 118 million allowances from the market to keep the state on track to meet its 2030 climate targets. For refiners, that would mean further reducing emissions or paying more for allowances, with mounting costs already pushing them out of the state. 

The move will help contain gasoline prices at the pump and prevent refiners from leaving the state, especially after energy disruptions in the Gulf region pushed California gasoline prices above $6.

Take US oil giant Chevron, which recently warned that California is careening toward an energy crisis because of the Iran war, and that the company may quit refining oil in the state unless officials roll back taxes and regulations.

California is highly exposed to the disruption rippling through commodity markets, as it imports about 20% of its refined fuels from Asia. But as extensively discussed here, oil product shipments from China, South Korea, Singapore, and elsewhere have been disrupted, leaving Asian nations struggling to meet domestic demand, let alone export to California.

Chevron’s oil refining head Andy Walz recently warned that the potential for fuel shortages in California is his worst fear: “We have refineries in Asia that are having to cut crude, and so they’re going to make fewer products,” Walz said in an interview in late March. “What if San Francisco doesn’t have the jet fuel it needs? Or Los Angeles? Or maybe gasoline?”

Since California is disconnected from the U.S. fuel-making centers of Texas and Louisiana, it is essentially an energy island.

Walz noted in March, days after the U.S.-Iran conflict broke out, that tightening California’s cap-and-invest program “made no sense when you look at global tensions right now.”

California’s green regime has produced nothing but disastrous consequences for households, making fuel prices the highest in the nation:

There are national security implications stemming from the green regime, especially for the state with the nation’s largest concentration of military personnel and national security activity.

The retreat on climate targets by state regulators is a win for consumers and the nation, as green is nothing more than inflationary and degrowth, hitting working-poor households the hardest with unaffordable gasoline and diesel prices at the pump.

Elsewhere, the US-Iran conflict has forced left-wing states such as New York, Massachusetts, and others to dial back unrealistic climate ambitions.

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Illegal Deported THREE Times Allegedly Brutally Murders a Young Mother, a Loving Grandmother and a Two-Week Old Baby

On May 29, 2026, in Modesto, California, Joaquin Escoto, 28, a Mexican national and illegal immigrant, was arrested and charged with three counts of murder.

He allegedly stabbed to death Fabiola Gonzalez, 23, a devoted mother, her own mother, and loving grandmother Silvia Nuñez, 54, and Fabiola’s 2-week-old infant son, Mateo Gonzalez.

A surviving child of approximately  4 years old was found in the home and taken into custody by Child Protective Services.

According to The California Post, California’s controversial state sanctuary law obstructed federal authorities who sought to deport him.

The New York Post reports:

On the day of Escoto’s DUI arrest in June, which occurred in San Joaquin County, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials requested to be notified of the Modesto resident’s release from jail so they could deport him again, according to the official.

But San Joaquin law enforcement officials hogtied by California’s contested sanctuary law failed to notify the feds, and Escoto was set free, the official said.

“Safe to say, California law prohibited the jail from complying,” said the official, who shared police documents that substantiated his claims with The Post.

Now, less than one year after that request from ICE agents was ignored, Escoto is being held without bail on three counts of murder in the grisly knife slaying in Modesto of an infant and two women, including one with whom he allegedly had a child, according to police.

A GoFundMe set up to help cover funeral expenses, shares:

Our family is experiencing a heartbreaking loss that words cannot adequately express.

On May 28, 2026, three beloved members of our family was taken from us: Silvia Nuñez, a loving grandmother whose kindness and strength touched everyone around her. Fabiola Gonzalez, a devoted mother, daughter, and loved one who brought joy and love to those fortunate enough to know her and baby Mateo Gonzalez, an innocent child whose life was taken far too soon.

The devastating circumstances surrounding this tragedy have left our family shattered. In a single moment, generations of love, memories, and dreams for the future were taken from us. As we grieve the loss of Silvia, Fabiola, and baby Mateo, we are trying to navigate the emotional and financial burdens that come with such an unimaginable tragedy.

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California Democrat Governor Candidate Tom Steyer Just Can’t Stop Focusing on Trans Athletes in Girls’ Sports 

Tom Steyer, the liberal billionaire Democrat who’s running for governor of California, seems to think that trans athletes in girls’ sports is the biggest issue facing the state.

He talked about this during a recent podcast appearance, and now he has released a video of himself talking with a trans athlete and making his support completely clear.

Steyer is obviously trying to signal his wokeness to the far left base of his party, but his relentless focus on this particular issue makes him look completely out of touch with Californians who care very deeply about more pressing matters for their state.

FOX News reports:

California Dem gov candidate Tom Steyer prompts mixed reactions for video with trans athlete AB Hernandez

California Democrat gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer posted a video with prominent transgender athlete AB Hernandez on social media on Friday, expressing support for the trans teen as Hernandez looks to win another set of state titles in girls’ track and field.

The video went viral across social media, with a mix of praise and criticism across the political spectrum…

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton condemned Steyer for supporting trans athletes in girls’ sports in an interview with Fox News Digital on Friday.

“Tom Steyer has taken a wildly extreme position on this issue that is totally out of touch with most California families and young people,” Hilton told Fox News Digital before the rally,” Hilton said.

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Google to Release 64 Million Bacteria-Infected Mosquitoes Across California and Florida Over the Next Two Years

Google is seeking federal approval to release up to 64 million specially treated mosquitoes across California and Florida over the next two years, according to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement published earlier this month in The Federal Register, the official journal of the U.S. government.

The tech giant is “requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for the Wolbachia pipientis wAlbB contained in live adult Culex quinquefasciatus male mosquitoes (DQB Strain),” according to the announcement.

A summary of the request reads:

“Google LLC is proposing to use up to 14.080 mg of the active ingredient Wolbachia pipientis wAlbB Contained in Live Adult Culex quinquefasciatus Male Mosquitoes (DQB Strain) for two years in California and Florida. In Florida, up to 16,000,000 DQB Male Mosquitoes are proposed to be released in year 1, and up to 16,000,000 released in year 2. In California, up to 16,000,000 are proposed to be released in year 1, and up to 16,000,000 released in year 2. Proposed testing will include the states of California and Florida to generate data to support a Section 3 product registration application under FIFRA.”

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Calif.: Newsom signs bill limiting law enforcement access to ballots

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation to tighten California’s election security, limiting authorities’ access to ballots, voter lists, rosters, or certified voting technology, ahead of the June 2nd state primary election.

The bill signed on Wednesday would prohibit anyone — particularly federal officers — from becoming involved in election administration, while allowing exceptions in cases of urgent public health or safety concerns.

Furthermore, the law states that if packages containing voted ballots are removed from the custody of election officials, civil penalties for ballot custody violations may still apply, with fines of up to $50,000.

“We have to clarify the rules of engagement. That’s why this legislation is important. There are fines associated with it, criminal fines, and jail time, three years,” Newsom (D-Calif.) said at Wednesday’s signing ceremony.

Senate Bill 73 — which will take effect immediately — follows Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco’s seizure of 650,000 ballots from last fall’s Proposition 50 Special Election. However, the probe was later stopped due to legal challenges from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Sheriff Bianco (R-Calif.) — who is running for California governor this November — said he seized the ballots as part of an investigation into alleged voting discrepancies, though election officials later disputed those claims.

Bianco had referred to the freezing of the investigation as “politically motivated.”

Meanwhile the measure also directs the attorney general to provide guidance to local election workers on responding to requests from law enforcement.

“SB73 puts in protections to ensure that ballots will be secured and that voters have confidence in our election system that their voices will be heard at the ballot box,” said California State Senator Sabrina Cervantes (D-Calif.), one of the primary authors of the law.

The signing of the bill came the same day Assembly Democrats advanced 23 separate bills related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Assembly floor.

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“I’m just a number to them”: Garden Grove residents demand closure of GKN plant after toxic emergency

On Tuesday evening, California officials lifted the remaining mandatory evacuation orders for some 16,000 residents in Garden Grove, California, who live near an overheated chemical tank at a GKN Aerospace facility. Evacuation orders for some 50,000 residents were initially issued last Thursday, rescinded later that same evening, and then reissued Friday morning.

A 34,000-gallon storage tank at the facility containing methyl methacrylate (MMA), a volatile and flammable chemical, was found to be leaking. The chemical is not only dangerous when inhaled, but also posed the risk of causing a massive toxic explosion.

While the evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday night, police and emergency personnel are maintaining a several-block closure around the facility as chemicals continue to leak from the ruptured tank.

In addition to thousands of residences, several schools are also located close to the facility.

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Gavin Newsom Vows To ‘Seize’ Money From California Republicans

Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for California to slap a 100% tax on anyone in the state who collects money from President Donald Trump’s new Anti-Weaponization Fund, framing it as a way to block what Democrats say could become a payday for Trump allies.

“Anyone from California that receives any of those funds,” Newsom said at a Wednesday news conference. “We want to tax 100% of those proceeds and that’s an action the state of California can take. It’s an action we look forward to taking.”

Newsom’s move targets the $1.776 billion fund the Justice Department announced as part of a settlement tied to Trump and the Internal Revenue Service. Supporters say it is open to any claimant who can show the government unfairly targeted them. Critics call it a boondoggle and warn it could be used to compensate people convicted or indicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Newsom leaned into that argument in a post on X, tying the fund to Trump’s sweeping pardons and commutations.

“He pardoned all of those folks that were beating up cops and absolved them, providing them 1.776 billion dollars. So not only do you get a pardon, you get rewarded,” Newsom wrote. “That’s why this is needed.”

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Chilling new twist in violent murder of renowned scientist linked to dark pattern of deaths and disappearances

The mystery surrounding the murder of an astrophysicist linked to a string of strange scientist deaths and disappearances in the US has taken a new twist in court.

Carl Grillmair, 67, was shot dead outside his California home on February 16 after stepping onto his front porch around 6am local time.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department charged Freddy Snyder, 29, with murder, carjacking and first-degree residential burglary, alleging he personally used a rifle during the killing.  

Snyder pleaded not guilty to all charges during his arraignment Tuesday, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 5. If convicted on all charges, Snyder faces a potential life sentence in prison.

The veteran Caltech astronomer helped contribute to the discovery of water on a distant planet, with colleagues describing his work as ‘ingenious’ and saying the findings could help scientists search for signs of life less than 160 light-years from Earth.

Investigators alleged Snyder armed himself with two rifles in the early morning hours of February 16 and demanded his mother’s car keys inside their home. When she refused, he allegedly fired a shot into the ceiling before stealing the vehicle and driving away.

Authorities said Snyder then drove to Grillmair’s nearby home, where the scientist stepped outside after noticing a vehicle in his driveway. Grillmair, an astronomer at Caltech’s IPAC science and data center, was allegedly shot once in the neck and died on his front porch.

Grillmair’s death drew national attention after it emerged alongside a growing number of scientists tied to sensitive aerospace, defense and advanced technology programs who have been reported missing or found dead in recent years.

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Newsom faces backlash over $33K taxpayer-funded portrait amid state financial strain

California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing significant criticism after including $33,000 for a formal portrait of himself in the state’s proposed 2026-2027 budget, amid increasing concerns over budget deficits and rising costs of living in the Golden State.

The budget proposal prompted backlash from both Republicans and Democrats, with opponents arguing that Newsom (D-Calif.) is neglecting pressing issues such as soaring housing costs, high gas prices and expensive health care services.

The timing of the governor’s request adds fuel to the ongoing debate surrounding his final, record-setting $349.9 billion budget proposal. The $33,000 would allegedly be pulled from California’s General Fund.

While the administration maintained that the massive spending plan was designed to protect core state services and invest in California’s long-term infrastructure, fiscal critics argued that even small, symbolic line items like the portrait allocation represents an out-of-touch approach to government spending while ordinary residents face severe financial hardships.

The money is reportedly set aside for the “traditional painting of the Governor’s portrait” which would eventually hang inside the California State Capitol alongside portraits of previous governors. However, the proposal comes during a time when lawmakers remain extremely cautious about new discretionary spending due to the state’s long-term financial challenges.

State Senator Suzette Valladares (R-Calif.) sharply criticized Newsom’s budget and emphasized the poor timing of the proposal.

“Only in Sacramento would a governor look at struggling families and think, ‘You know what this moment needs? A painting of me,’” Valladares said.

Assembly member Alexandra M. Macedo (R-Calif,) also mocked the proposal while rebuking Newsom’s controversial high-speed rail project.

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