Tag: california

Victory! Court Ends Dragnet Electricity Surveillance Program in Sacramento

A California judge ordered the end of a dragnet law enforcement program that surveilled the electrical smart meter data of thousands of Sacramento residents.

The Sacramento County Superior Court ruled that the surveillance program run by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and police violated a state privacy statute, which bars the disclosure of residents’ electrical usage data with narrow exceptions. For more than a decade, SMUD coordinated with the Sacramento Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to sift through the granular smart meter data of residents without suspicion to find evidence of cannabis growing.

EFF and its co-counsel represent three petitioners in the case: the Asian American Liberation Network, Khurshid Khoja, and Alfonso Nguyen. They argued that the program created a host of privacy harms—including criminalizing innocent people, creating menacing encounters with law enforcement, and disproportionately harming the Asian community.

The court ruled that the challenged surveillance program was not part of any traditional law enforcement investigation. Investigations happen when police try to solve particular crimes and identify particular suspects. The dragnet that turned all 650,000 SMUD customers into suspects was not an investigation.

“[T]he process of making regular requests for all customer information in numerous city zip codes, in the hopes of identifying evidence that could possibly be evidence of illegal activity, without any report or other evidence to suggest that such a crime may have occurred, is not an ongoing investigation,” the court ruled, finding that SMUD violated its “obligations of confidentiality” under a data privacy statute.

Granular electrical usage data can reveal intimate details inside the home—including when you go to sleep, when you take a shower, when you are away, and other personal habits and demographics.

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Eric Swalwell Announces He’s Running for Governor of California

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-14) has officially thrown his hat into the ring to replace California’s term-limited Gavin Newsom. The announcement follows rumors that circulated earlier in the week that Swalwell would join the race, although, as our own Jeff Charles reported at the time, it seemed Swalwell was merely “considering” a run for governor.

Now it’s official.

Here’s more:

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced on Thursday he is launching a campaign for California governor in 2026.

The congressman and longtime foe of President Donald Trump made the announcement during an appearance on the late-night show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“He’s going to hate tonight’s episode,” Swalwell wrote on X in response to a social media post from the president criticizing Kimmel for being “biased” and having “no talent.”

The Democrat lawmaker vowed to be a “protector and fighter” if elected governor.

Swalwell told the San Francisco Chronicle ahead of his announcement that the next governor of the Golden State should have two objectives.

“”One, keep Trump out of our homes, streets and lives,” Swalwell said, befor adding his second objective is to “write the story of a new California on lower prices, on business growth and modernizing the state.”

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DOJ sues California over in-state tuition, scholarships, subsidized loans for illegal immigrants

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California over state laws that are “unconstitutionally” providing in-state tuition, scholarships and subsidized loans to illegal immigrants.

According to the DOJ’s lawsuit filed Thursday, California’s laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens by not offering them the same in-state tuition, scholarships and subsidized loans as illegal immigrants.

“California is illegally discriminating against American students and families by offering exclusive tuition benefits for non-citizens,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “This marks our third lawsuit against California in one week — we will continue bringing litigation against California until the state ceases its flagrant disregard for federal law.”

The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of California against the state of California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), state Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), and the Regents of the University of California, the Board of Trustees of the California State University, and the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

The DOJ has filed similar lawsuits in other states, including Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Texas, The Hill news outlet reported.

“The DOJ has now filed three meritless, politically motivated lawsuits against California in a single week. Good luck, Trump. We’ll see you in court,” a spokesperson for Newsom said.

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Outrage Erupts After Judge Releases Two Murder Suspects Without Requiring Any Bail Payment

A California judge has released two accused murderers in as many weeks without requiring a dollar of bail from either of them.

People far from the dysfunctional San Francisco Bay Area should be outraged by that news.

According to Fox News, Judge Hector Ramon freed a man named Vicente Aguilera-Chavez on Oct. 31, without requiring him to post bail.

Then, during a hearing a week ago, he released another man named Agustin Sandoval, also on his own recognizance.

Both men are charged in connection with a 2017 nightclub parking lot shooting that killed 21-year-old Edu Veliz-Salgado and wounded another man in Santa Clara County, KTVU-TV reported.

The case went cold for years until detectives in the city of Sunnyvale identified the two suspects last year.

Yet despite the severity of the charges, Judge Ramon released both defendants back into the community without requiring bail.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen told Fox News that two accused killers are now freely walking his community.

“The odds of re-offense or fleeing from justice just doubled. People’s lives ride on those odds,” he said. “This is outside the bounds of what’s acceptable, and it’s dangerous to the public.”

He also noted that Aguilera had been to prison twice and was a reputed gang member.

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Cal State Schools Require Students To Take DEI Classes To Graduate. Options Include ‘Queer Crip Lit’ and ‘Decolonize Your Diet.’

The University of California system made news earlier this year when it eliminated mandatory diversity statements for new hires. But at California’s other public university system, DEI isn’t in retreat—it’s required.

Nearly every California State University campus requires students to pass at least one diversity and cultural competency class, according to graduation criteria identified by Do No Harm, a group that opposes identity politics in medicine. The exact requirements vary across schools, but they typically prescribe a specific course or allow students to pick from a list of classes that “explore the interrelatedness and intersection of race and ethnicity with class, gender and sexuality, and other forms of difference, hierarchy, and oppression.”

San Francisco State University has among the most demanding criteria, requiring students to take courses in “areas that the campus feels are important to graduates”: American ethnic and racial minorities, environmental sustainability and climate action, global perspectives, and social justice. Some classes cover several requirements, like “Queer Crip Lit,” which examines “connections between ableism and other forms of discrimination, such as racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and transphobia” in literary works. Another class that covers multiple requirements: “Decolonize Your Diet: Food Justice and Gendered Labor in Communities of Color” focuses on “food justice in communities of color addressing issues including sex/gender and food production, racism and attacks on traditional food systems.”

Some Cal State schools require students to take two DEI courses, one with a domestic focus and another centering on global issues. Students at the Humboldt campus can satisfy the domestic requirement with “Decolonizing Public Health,” which applies “decolonizing methodologies and anti-racism interventions to analysis of public health frameworks.” The options on the international side are more straightforward, though among the classes offered is “Sex, Class and Culture: Gender and Ethnic Issues in International Short Stories.”

Do No Harm senior director of programs Laura Morgan said the Cal State system “is all in on politicized propaganda.”

“These classes are based on concepts that have roots in critical race theory and promote ideology instead of sound learning principles,” Morgan told the Washington Free Beacon in a statement. “As a taxpayer-funded system, [Cal State] is obligated to prioritize education instead of operating a factory for politically indoctrinated activists.”

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California revokes 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants

California plans to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses given to immigrants after discovering the expiration dates went past when the drivers were legally allowed to be in the U.S., state officials said Wednesday.

The announcement follows harsh criticism from the Trump administration about California and other states granting licenses to people in the country illegally. The issue was thrust into the public’s consciousness in August, when a tractor-trailer driver not authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that California’s action to revoke these licenses is an admission that the state acted improperly even though it previously defended its licensing standards. California launched its review of commercial driver’s licenses it issued after Duffy raised concerns.

“After weeks of claiming they did nothing wrong, Gavin Newsom and California have been caught red-handed. Now that we’ve exposed their lies, 17,000 illegally issued trucking licenses are being revoked,” Duffy said, referring to the state’s governor. “This is just the tip of iceberg. My team will continue to force California to prove they have removed every illegal immigrant from behind the wheel of semitrucks and school buses.”

Newsom’s office said that every one of the drivers whose license is being revoked had valid work authorizations from the federal government. At first, his office declined to disclose the exact reason for revoking the licenses, saying only they violated state law. Later, his office revealed the state law it was referring to was one that requires the licenses expire on or before a person’s legal status to be in the United State ends, as reported to the DMV.

Still, Newsom’s spokesperson Brandon Richards shot back at Duffy in a statement.

“Once again, the Sean ‘Road Rules’ Duffy fails to share the truth — spreading easily disproven falsehoods in a sad and desperate attempt to please his dear leader,” Richards said.

Fatal truck crashes in Texas and Alabama earlier this year also highlight questions about these licenses. A fiery California crash that killed three people last month involved a truck driver in the country illegally, only adding to the concerns.

Duffy previously imposed new restrictions on which immigrants can qualify for commercial driver’s licenses. He said earlier this fall that California and five other states had improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses to noncitizens, but California is the only state Duffy has taken action against because it was the first one where an audit was completed. The reviews in the other states have been delayed by the government shutdown, but the Transportation Department is urging all of them to tighten their standards.

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Newsom Again Avoids Accountability amid Palisades Fire Fallout: ‘We’re on the Tip of the Spear of Climate Change’

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is continuing a familiar pattern of shifting attention away from the Pacific Palisades fire, this time focusing on climate change and insurance access instead of addressing his administration’s role in the disaster.

At an event this week, Newsom described California as both “blessed and cursed” in terms of climate risk, claiming the state is “on the tip of the spear of climate change.” He cited “simultaneous droughts and simultaneous floods,” and emphasized that “the hots are getting a lot hotter” and “the dry is drier.” 

In referencing the Palisades fire, Newsom stated: “You saw one of the most devastating wildfires in American history in the middle of winter in Los Angeles in January, 100-mile-an-hour winds attached to fire, and as we rebuild, the number one concern people have: how do I get my home insured?”

Newsom’s remarks arrive as victims and lawmakers continue to question his leadership and accountability in the wake of a fire that destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and killed 12 people in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu areas alone. Newsom has faced scrutiny from federal officials, legal challenges from displaced residents, and intense criticism from those who accuse his administration of negligence, obstruction, and policy exploitation in the aftermath of the blaze.

In the days immediately following the fire, Gov. Newsom deflected responsibility during a visit to the evacuation zone, placing blame on residents who had not yet fled. “The fact that people were still not evacuated, still did not heed the warning, were just coming down the canyon,” he remarked, “is a reminder of how serious this moment is, and how important it is you listen to these evacuation orders.”

Yet reports later revealed that residents had been trapped by gridlock and poor planning. Roads were choked with traffic, and police presence was limited because many officers had been reassigned to protect President Joe Biden during his visit to Los Angeles. Some residents were forced to abandon their vehicles and flee on foot. Fire crews eventually had to clear abandoned cars with bulldozers before engines could reach the flames. Officials also confirmed that fire engines had not been pre-deployed, citing budget restrictions and local leadership decisions.

The governor’s office responded to a lawsuit filed by dozens of residents, arguing that the state was not obligated to monitor the burn scar left by the January 1 Lachman Fire. Although that fire was believed to have been extinguished, it reignited on January 7 under high winds, triggering what became known as the Palisades Fire. 

Through a spokesperson, Newsom dismissed the plaintiffs as “opportunistic” and maintained that “The state didn’t start this fire.” The administration instead pointed to alleged arsonist Jonathan Rinderknecht, whose arrest, according to Newsom, would bring “closure.”

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GOP Senators Rick Scott and Ron Johnson go to California to Hear Pacific Palisades Fire Victims While Gavin Newsom Attends Climate Change Summit in South America 

Senators Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, both Republicans, just traveled to California to hear testimony from victims of the California wildfires in the Pacific Palisades.

Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star who lost his home in the fires was there to testify and remarked about the fact that Republicans came from thousands of miles away to listen while Democrat leaders in California were nowhere to be found.

In fact, California Governor Gavin Newsom is at a conference in South America focused on climate change, which he still insists was responsible for the fires.

Breitbart News has details:

Thursday’s senate hearing was part of a congressional investigation into the genesis of the fire and what went wrong before and after the conflagration by the various California governments responsible for warning residents and putting out the flames.

The hearing was led by Senators Johnson and Scott (R, FL), who are looking into the fire. Six Pacific Palisades residents who lost their homes also delivered powerful remarks. California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff were not at the hearing.

One of those who spoke at the confab was The Hills reality show star Spencer Pratt, who has become a leading advocate for the victims of the fires.

“By the grace of God, my family survived,” he said during his testimony.

“My family has not lost our hope, but we did lose our home and everything we own in the Palisades fire,” Pratt said during the hearing, wearing a hat with the words, “Newsom will never be president.”

“It’s been 10 months,” Pratt said, “and our government leaders, instead of helping us rebuild, have only served to make the rebuilding process so painful and slow that many just quit and are forced out of their hometown through attrition so vultures like Gavin Newsom and [state Sen.] Scott Weiner have a blank slate to remake the Palisades in the vision of their wealthy donors and foreign investors.”

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UC-San Diego Report Indicates Shocking Number of Students Entering College in California Lack 8th Grade Math Skills

A new report from the University of California San Diego indicates that a shocking number of students entering the University of California system lack the math skills one would expect from a middle school student.

Some of this can be blamed on school closures during Covid, but not all of it. At the end of the day, this is a failure of the schools and teachers that failed to impart these basic skills.

It’s also an excellent reminder that not everyone needs to go to college. If you can’t do high school level math, why should you even be considered?

Newsweek reported:

Students at California University Without 8th Grade Math Skills Skyrockets

A sharp rise in students entering the University of California system without middle school-level math skills is raising alarms among educators.

A new internal report from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) reveals that the percentage of incoming students scoring below Algebra 1 on placement exams—a math course typically completed by the end of eighth grade—has tripled over the past five years.

Why It Matters

In 2020, just 6 percent of first-year students at UCSD placed below Algebra 1. By 2025, that number had surged to 18 percent, according to the UCSD Senate Admissions Working Group (SAWG) report.

The findings reflect a growing disconnect between high school transcripts and actual college readiness. The SAWG report links the increase to pandemic-era learning disruptions, long-standing inequities in California’s K–12 system, and the elimination of standardized testing requirements in UC admissions.

What To Know

The number of UCSD students requiring Math 2, a course originally designed for less than 1 percent of the incoming class, surged from under 100 students annually to over 900 by fall 2024.

This example of an easy question failed by many students is just stunning.

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Eric Swalwell Considering a Run for California Governor

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is reportedly considering a run for California governor — a possible foil to frontrunner Katie Porter.

Two anonymous sources close to the congressman told MSNBC that he has been considering a play for the Golden State governor’s mansion with a possible announcement as early as next week.

“Swalwell declined to comment when reached by MSNBC, but a source close to the congressman, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss the private discussions, said Swalwell allies had asked him to run ‘to fill a “fighter/protector” role’ in the mold of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom,” reported MSNBC.

Should Swalwell throw his hat in the ring for governor, he will be up against former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and businessman Stephen Cloobeck. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) has already announced he would not be running for governor.

“Earlier on Thursday, a Trump administration official referred the congressman to the Department of Justice for a potential federal criminal investigation over allegations of mortgage and tax fraud,” added MSNBC

Swalwell said in response, “As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me.”

A 2020 report in Axios noted that Swalwell had ties to an alleged Chinese spy, Christine Fang (a.k.a. “Fang Fang”), who had reportedly been cultivating relationships with California politicians on behalf of the Chinese government for years. Fang helped fundraise for Swalwell’s 2014 congressional election bid and helped place an intern in his office. Swalwell cut ties with her in 2015 upon advice from U.S. intelligence.

In 2021, Breitbart News reported that “the U.S. Intelligence Community currently has in its possession a classified report that includes intricate and intimate details of the nature of the relationship” between Swalwell and Fang.

In 2023, the House Ethics Committee concluded the investigation into his relationship with Fang with no further censuring.

Swalwell has denied having any inappropriate relationship with Fang, maintaining that he was a target of the Chinese government.

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