Tag: california

Newsom spends $20M on consultants in struggling DOGE-inspired plan to cut waste

Gov. Gavin Newsom has paid upwards of $20 million to a consulting firm that employs his former cabinet secretary to eliminate wasteful spending — but the effort has come up well short of the goal as state lawmakers blasted the move.

Newsom — who signed an executive order to cut spending in the state, à la Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficienc is hitting roadblocks with the plan amid a multibillion-dollar state budget deficit.

California contracted with one of the world’s largest consulting firms, Boston Consulting Group, for up to $20 million in an effort to cut $2 billion in spending from the departments of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Social Services, and Health Care Services by the 2028-’29 fiscal year.

But the group — which hired former Newsom cabinet Secretary and Department of Finance Director Ana J. Matosantos — is now expected to only find $810 million in savings, according to legislative analysts.

That number may even go down later in May, analysts added, as indicated by the Newsom administration.

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Finally, After 11 Years, Charges Dropped Against Pro-Life Investigator David Daleiden for Exposing Planned Parenthood’s Baby Parts Sales

David Daleiden, a pro-life hero who exposed Planned Parenthood’s baby parts harvesting and sales operations, announced on Wednesday that the final charge against him for exposing this barbarism was dropped this week.

Nine years ago, as reported by The Gateway Pundit, Kamala Harris and the State of California launched an investigation into Daleiden to cover up the baby parts harvesting scandal by Planned Parenthood. This week the final charges against Daleiden were dropped and the case was expunged from his record.

Undercover footage from the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) exposes Planned Parenthood employees discussing the sale of aborted fetal body parts with chilling nonchalance.

The footage reveals the gruesome and inhumane practices carried out by Planned Parenthood’s Houston branch.

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Eric Swalwell raids retirement, delays tax payments as he runs for California governor

Eric Swalwell has been dipping into his retirement savings and postponing his tax payments as he campaigns to become California’s next governor.

The Democratic congressman, 45, who is polling as high as 17 percent in a crowded field, has also tapped more than $200,000 in campaign funds to cover childcare costs.

Tax returns from 2021 to 2024 show Swalwell dramatically reduced how much he paid in federal taxes, from $32,000 in 2021 to just $2,580 in 2022, before withholding nothing in 2023 to maximize his take-home pay.

The filings also reveal that roughly $145,000 of the family’s income came from withdrawals from retirement accounts, showing the extent to which he’s been forced to rely on savings as he gears up for his run for governor.

Swalwell’s financial maneuvering comes despite a comfortable income. He earned a congressional salary of about $184,000 in 2024 and, with his wife Brittany Watts, reports a combined annual income of about $444,000.

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Slowjamastan: The new ‘nation’ hiding in the US

More than 25,000 self-proclaimed citizens have pledged their allegiance to this faux dictatorship, where Crocs and reply-all emails are forbidden.

Between the date palm farms of California’s Coachella Valley and the Mexican border, a sunburnt stretch of desert the colour of worn khakis extends as far as the eye can see. This arid no-man’s land is dotted with knee-high scrub bushes and spindly branches. The air vibrates with the steady hiss of insects. And shimmering in the distance, there’s a submarine.

This is The Republic of Slowjamastan, the world’s youngest micronation. Spread across 11 acres that unspool like a long ballad, these scorched badlands occupy territory drivers typically pass without a second glance. Yet, step inside and the real world slips away. In this “country”, Crocs are constitutionally banned. Reply-all emails are forbidden by law. Speeding is permitted, but only if you’re racing home with tacos. The national animal is the raccoon.

At the centre of it all is Randy Williams – also known as the “Sultan of Slowjamastan”. When he’s not lording over coyotes, desert iguanas and roughly 25,000 “citizens” who call his desert dictatorship home, he’s the programme director for Z90 and Magic 92.5 radio stations in San Diego and is known across the airwaves as “R Dub”. Since 1994, he has also hosted the radio show Sunday Night Slow Jams, which is now syndicated to more than 250 stations worldwide.

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FDA Recalls Aphrodisiac Chocolates Containing Viagra Ingredients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a recall for two chocolate products sold by a California adult novelty store, Gold Lion Aphrodisiac Chocolate and ilum Male Sexual Enhancement Chocolate, after discovering they contain high levels of the active ingredients found in prescription medications like Viagra and Cialis. Consuming these chocolates could lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure, especially for men with heart conditions who take nitrates.

Why it matters

The recall highlights the risks of purchasing unregulated sexual enhancement products that may contain undisclosed and potentially harmful pharmaceutical ingredients. Consumers should be wary of any over-the-counter products making claims about improving sexual performance, as they may contain dangerous adulterants.

The details

According to the FDA, the recalled chocolates were found to contain sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, and tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis. These prescription drug components can interact dangerously with nitrates, potentially causing a severe and sudden drop in blood pressure that could be life-threatening. The chocolates were sold by Gear Isle, an adult novelty store in California, under the names Gold Lion Aphrodisiac Chocolate and ilum Male Sexual Enhancement Chocolate.

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O’Keefe Media Group: California Identity Scam: Petition Fraudsters Log Into Online Database to Get Real Voter Names for Forged Signatures

The O’Keefe Media on Tuesday released part III of its cash-for-ballots investigation into voter fraud in California.

In part III, undercover journalists discovered that the petition fraudsters are logging into an online database to get real voter names for the forged signatures.

Sigvalid.com was identified as the online database.

Per OMG:

In Part III of the cash-for-ballots investigation, petition fraudsters on Skid Row in Los Angeles were caught on hidden camera logging into an online database accessing registered voter names and addresses. These identities were then given to homeless individuals and used to sign in the name of on election petitions.

Our undercover footage shows these signatures completed under false identities, followed by cash payments.

We tracked the names used in the footage and went door-to-door to verify the individuals whose names appeared in the footage. Residents confirmed the addresses were accurate, but denied ever signing any petitions.

Actual voters are angry and demanding authorities take action.

“That’s my address… but that wasn’t me,” one of the voters said.

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Female Napa Valley winery owner slapped with $4M in fines for putting on wine tasting and yoga classes on 8-acre land

A California winery owner has been slapped with nearly $4 million in fines after losing a court battle over hosting wine tastings and events on her eight-acre property.

Lindsay Hoopes, owner of Hoopes Vineyard in the rolling hills of Napa Valley, has been embroiled in a years-long court battle with Napa County.

The county filed suit in 2022, accusing Hoopes of creating a ‘public nuisance’ by hosting yoga classes and wine tastings, and selling items like greeting cards and hand sanitizer while failing to obtain a permit for a 120-sq-ft chicken coop. 

The legal fight hinges on whether small wineries established before 1990 – prior to new regulations – can host tastings without a permit. Central to the dispute is the ‘Small Winery Exemption,’ which the county argues does not allow such events. 

Hoopes has repeatedly challenged the county’s stance, continuing to allow the public onto her property despite what officials describe as ongoing ‘illegal activities,’ including farm animals on-site and unpermitted string lights. 

In the latest blow to Hoopes, a judge ruled against her, ordering an end to all on-site tastings, public events and sales on her vineyard, according to CBS News.

‘This is the most inhumane thing I’ve ever seen,’ Hoopes told the outlet in response to the ruling.

‘Drinking wine at a winery should never, ever, ever force a business owner/mother to essentially defend her livelihood or protect her children,’ she added. ‘I mean, the whole thing has been so grossly abusive and punitive.’

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Eric Swalwell makes wild claim about secret Kash Patel plot

Congressman Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate in the California gubernatorial race, accused President Donald Trump this weekend of meddling in the election after reports that his administration is seeking to publicize files about Swalwell’s link to a Chinese spy.

Swalwell appeared in multiple media appearances to capitalize on the report and told CNN that Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel are “dangerous individuals.”

“Donald Trump and Kash Patel do not get to pick the next governor. Californians do,” Swalwell said on Saturday.

Patel is reportedly pushing to release documents around Christine Fang, also known as Fang Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence agent who cultivated ties with American politicians, according to The Washington Post.

Fang developed extensive ties with Swalwell when he was a city council member at Dublin. She bundled donations for his 2014 reelection campaign and recommended staff for his office. Fang allegedly had sexual relationships with at least two mayors.

Swalwell wasn’t immediately removed from a congressional committee over his ties to Fang, but Rep. Kevin McCarthy ordered a House Ethics Committee investigation into the incident after he became House Speaker in 2021.

In a podcast shared with the California Post, Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign insisted he was cleared of wrongdoing.

“The air was cleared immediately by the FBI when there was even a suggestion of wrongdoing,” Swalwell told the Sources Say podcast.

His connections with the Chinese spy have dogged his campaign for governor. The Democrat even got into an online spat with Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, who commented, “Call me crazy I like my politicians not to get tricked by foreign spies.”

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Vance Says Tim Walz Could be Prosecuted in Fraud Probe, Signals California Voter Fraud Will Also be Investigated

Vice President JD Vance discussed his plans with the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in an interview with Benny Johnson on Friday, where he said that Tim Walz and other Democratic officials could “absolutely” be prosecuted for defrauding taxpayers. 

Chaired by Vice President JD Vance, with Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson as Vice Chairman, “the Task Force will coordinate measures to improve eligibility verification, implement pre-payment controls, detect high-risk fraud trends, and disrupt and dismantle fraud networks and the mechanisms through which fraud is committed,” according to the order.

Earlier in the interview, Vance stated that Somali Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)  “definitely committed immigration fraud, against the United States of America” and that the task force is looking into what can be done about it, The Gateway Pundit reported. ‘We’re trying to look at what the remedies are. That’s the thing we’re trying to figure out is what are the legal remedies now that we know that she’s committed immigration fraud? How do you investigate her? How do you go after her?” he added, suggesting that she may also be involved in the mass welfare fraud in the Somali community.

When asked about failed Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, Vance trolled Walz’s horrendous debate performance against him, then said, “We’re going to have to maybe kick him again a little bit.”

“We’re absolutely going to prosecute it,” he said if the investigation shows that Walz engaged in criminal activity.

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Whistleblower Exposes Massive Election Fraud Ring in California — Claims Voter Reg Office Hands Lists of Stolen Names Directly to Gangbangers to Rig Petitions with Paid Homeless Signers

It’s worse than we thought. As the radical left continues to fight tooth and nail against basic election transparency and the SAVE America Act, independent journalists are exposing exactly why they want the system vulnerable.

Higby, working alongside a group dubbed the “Citizen Justice League,” which includes conservative investigative heavyweights like James O’Keefe and Savannah Hernandez, spent weeks disguised as a homeless man on Skid Row to capture this sickening corruption on hidden camera.

The Gateway Pundit broke coverage of James O’Keefe Media Group’s devastating undercover videos exposing the full street-level operation on Los Angeles Skid Row.

In Part II of the “Cash for Ballots” series, O’Keefe and Higby captured hidden camera footage of petitioners paying desperate homeless individuals $2–$3 per forged signature to impersonate real registered voters using pre-printed lists of actual California voter names and addresses.

Circulators hovered over the signatures, making sure the homeless forgers got the names and handwriting “just right” before handing over the cash.

O’Keefe and Higby then went door-to-door to the real addresses on those lists, only to find longtime residents confirming the named voters hadn’t lived there in years, yet election mail was still being delivered to ghosts.

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