https://www.washingtonsun.com/california California en-US Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:31:46 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2028-election/gavin-newsom-wont-challenge-kamala-harris-2028 Gavin J. Quinton The California governor said a primary battle against Harris would be a “gift from God” for political opponents. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:31:46 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2028-election/gavin-newsom-wont-challenge-kamala-harris-2028 Gov. Gavin Newsom will not run in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala Harris decides to make another bid for the presidency.

Widely considered a top contender to become the next Democratic nominee for president, the California governor told CNN that a contest between him and Harris “doesn’t make sense.”

“I wouldn't run if she ran,” Newsom said. “I know her base of supporters. I know her friends. The Venn diagram on that is just pure crossover. … I wouldn't do that to people.”

Newsom has laid miles of groundwork for a 2028 presidential campaign, recently visiting early primary and battleground states like South Carolina, in a “take it back” tour to rally base voters and confront Republican policies.

He’s also positioned himself as a reliable Democratic surrogate, and has participated in media appearances to cement himself as an ideological foil to MAGA Republicans, including a televised debate against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Newsom said Monday contesting Harris for the nomination would be “a gift from God” to his political opponents.

“They’d enjoy the hell out of it — mutual assured destruction,” he said. “It services no greater good.”

Harris ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 2020 and again in 2024 after then-President Joe Biden dropped out of his reelection bid.

Correction: Kamala Harris ran for president in 2020 and 2024. A previous version of this story included a wrong year.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/san-francisco-housing-shortage-rent-emergency Gavin J. Quinton “We have lived through booms before,” Daniel Lurie said in an announcement launching his new tenant-focused policy platform. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 22:52:45 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/san-francisco-housing-shortage-rent-emergency San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie declared a “rent emergency” Thursday, citing a combination of rising rent prices and a meandering housing supply that has pushed city evictions to record numbers.

Lurie’s announcement included a broad policy package aimed at “helping San Franciscans stay in their homes” by delaying evictions and preventing sudden rent spikes.

“Leaders from across government and across the city are standing together, united behind a sweeping package of reforms and investments to provide renters greater stability,” Lurie, a Democrat, said Thursday.

The Levi Strauss heir has unique alliances with Silicon Valley executives, and ran on the promise to bridge gaps with the city’s progressive core, particularly regarding housing. San Francisco is reporting decade-high eviction notices and officials say thousands of residents are behind on rent or are burdened with "shadow debt" borrowed from private lenders to stay housed.

While the city’s rent woes aren’t new, a surge in artificial intelligence-industry jobs has spiked immediate demand for housing.

In his new plan, Lurie proposes six ordinances and $30 million in investments that he says will help protect renters — including a provision to bar evictions for people who owe less than a month’s rent — prevent rent spikes and grant tenants with legal tools to fight unlawful landlord behavior. The package would also allocate $27 million to maintain rental subsidies for low-income households.

The emergency declaration doesn’t allow the mayor’s office to sidestep red tape as a disaster declaration would, but is a symbolic move meant to coalesce city leaders around the new policy proposals

“We have lived through booms before,” Lurie said. “This time, we have an opportunity to build a recovery that is broad-based and lasting, where San Franciscans can put down roots and participate in our city’s success.”

Rents have leaped aggressively across San Francisco in recent years. The average one-bedroom apartment now goes for $4,300 per month, according to city data, and just 2.2% of the city’s multifamily housing is vacant and available for rent as of June 2026 — surpassing New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani implemented aggressive housing reforms this year.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/california-lawmakers-doug-burgum-yosemite-land-exchange-plan-developer-national-park Avani Kalra A bipartisan coalition of California lawmakers wrote to Burgum after NOTUS first reported on the administration's efforts to parcel off a piece of Yosemite. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:57:13 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/california-lawmakers-doug-burgum-yosemite-land-exchange-plan-developer-national-park A bipartisan coalition of California lawmakers demanded that the Trump administration “halt and reject” a proposed sale of part of Yosemite National Park to a private developer in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Wednesday.

The letter followed reporting by NOTUS that revealed National Park Service staff in California and Washington, D.C., have been trying to arrange a land exchange between a Nevada-based company and the federal government.

In the letter, prominent Republicans and Democrats in California’s state legislature told Burgum that “Yosemite is not a subdivision, and it is not for sale.” The lawmakers, led by Republican Assemblymember Greg Wallis, cited the Yosemite Grant Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864, as the first time the federal government set aside scenic land for preservation and public use.

“The existence of a land-exchange mechanism does not make this an appropriate use of it. Protecting Yosemite requires no creative interpretation of federal law, just the judgment to say No,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

Signatories to the letter included both the California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones and totaled more than half of the California state legislature.

Since spring 2025, the Interior Department has been working with the real estate developer and investment firm Kingsbarn Realty Capital on a deal that would allow it to build a short road on Yosemite land, which would give the property rare private access to the park.

Kingsbarn, through a web of limited liability companies, owns an 83-acre parcel of land on the western edge of Yosemite’s boundaries. Currently the property’s only access to the National Park’s main attractions is via a long and circuitous road through Forest Service lands.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Jeff Pori, Kingsbarn CEO, said his company plans to build short-term rentals on the property. Pori confirmed NOTUS’ reporting that he is pursuing a land-exchange agreement with the Park Service and that the deal is currently waiting for a land appraisal.

Former park officials, the park’s staff union and national park advocates have led a chorus of opposition to this proposed plan.

The Interior Department has maintained that no final decisions have been made. Any deal “would be subject to all applicable federal laws, regulations, and Departmental policies, including required environmental review and public notification processes,” a spokesperson for the National Park Service said.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/colorado-election-clerk-declines-california-job-newsom Gavin J. Quinton Gov. Gavin Newsom said “election deniers not welcome here” before Tina Peters declined the post in Shasta County. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 22:21:48 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/colorado-election-clerk-declines-california-job-newsom Tina Peters, a former Colorado elections clerk convicted for tampering in the 2020 presidential election, was reportedly set to take a job overseeing the November election for a conservative northern California county — until Gov. Gavin Newsom piped up.

“A convicted MAGA election tamperer working in an elections office,” the California governor wrote Monday on X. “What could possibly go wrong? TINA, NOT IN CALIFORNIA! ELECTION DENIER FELONS NOT WELCOME HERE!!!”

By Tuesday morning, Peters had turned down the job offer, Shasta County registrar of voters Clint Curtis told the Los Angeles Times. Curtis said Peters declined the offer “because she’s running around the country right now trying to secure the elections.”

“Shasta County lost out,” Curtis added.

Peters was sentenced to nine years in a Colorado prison for orchestrating a security breach of county election equipment but was released in June after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, commuted her sentence under pressure from President Donald Trump.

Trump had threatened to take harsh measures if Peters was not released, citing her declining health and perpetuating the false claim that she discovered a Democrat-led plot to steal the 2020 presidential election.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/aisha-wahab-wins-eric-swalwell Torrie Herrington Wahab defeated Melissa Hernandez in the special election and will face her again in the November midterms Thu, 20 Aug 2026 23:49:28 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/aisha-wahab-wins-eric-swalwell Democrat Aisha Wahab has won the special election to serve the rest of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s House term.

The Associated Press called the race Thursday evening.

Wahab defeated Bay Area Rapid Transit Board President Melissa Hernandez, also a Democrat, on Thursday. The pair will face off again in November. California holds jungle primaries, in which the top two candidates advance to the general election regardless of political affiliation.

Wahab, the first Afghan American to serve in Congress, is a progressive Democrat and served in the California state Senate. Her campaign focused on affordable housing, protecting Medicare, banning congressional stock trading and supporting small businesses.

Swalwell, who was once a leading contender in the California governor’s race, dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress amid sexual assault allegations, which he denies.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/fbi-raids-eric-swalwell-home-sexual-assault-probe-congress Jackie Llanos Agents seized his electronic devices and raided his D.C. home over the weekend, according to reports. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 16:20:15 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/california/fbi-raids-eric-swalwell-home-sexual-assault-probe-congress FBI agents seized electronic devices from former California Rep. Eric Swalwell and raided his D.C. home last weekend in connection with an investigation into sexual assault allegations against him, according to multiple reports.

He was stopped at the San Francisco airport on Saturday, where he had several items seized by federal authorities. Agents raided his D.C. residence just one day later. The searches were first reported by the Daily Mail Thursday and confirmed by other news outlets.

The Justice Department is investigating the allegations that led to Swalwell’s resignation from office and withdrawal from the California governor race in April, NOTUS previously reported. District attorneys in New York and Los Angeles also have ongoing probes.

A former staffer said he sexually assaulted her twice while she was intoxicated, and a former Capitol Hill intern told NOTUS that the former lawmaker had messaged her sexual advances on Snapchat.

At least five women have accused him of sexual assault and harassment. In the statement announcing his resignation, Swalwell vowed to fight the allegations, calling them false.

The FBI declined to comment, and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

Swalwell cooperated when he was stopped at the airport, but he and his wife weren’t home when the agents arrived, the Daily Mail reported.
]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/fake-poll-karen-bass-los-angeles-mayor Jackie Llanos Bass touted the poll in a since-deleted X post. Her campaign says any “bad faith attempts to influence elections” should be prosecuted. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:36:42 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/2026-election/fake-poll-karen-bass-los-angeles-mayor A self-described polling group posted findings showing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass leading by nearly 12 points in the race to keep her seat, but before its website went dark Monday, Median Strategies said those results were fake and a “short-term social experiment.”

The three-page poll that had a one-sentence methodology section managed to get the attention of Bass, who touted it in a post on X that has since been deleted, the Los Angeles Times first reported.

The poll attributed Bass’ lead over LA City Council member Nithya Raman to people who had voted for reality TV star Spencer Pratt in the June mayoral primary, stating that “85.23% now say they would back Bass.” President Donald Trump had endorsed Pratt, who failed to make it to the general election.

But Median Strategies, which had 21 followers on X on Monday, issued a statement on its website acknowledging withdrawing its published press releases and saying they should not be cited.

“Median Strategies was created as a short-term social experiment examining how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification,” according to the statement.

Pratt shared a California Post article on the phony poll on X on Friday.

“LOL you think my voters are going to vote for the crying carpetbagger in charge of homelessness who ‘found’ 40K votes on Skid Row 7 days after the election?” Pratt wrote.

His post about the poll had garnered 5,000 reposts and 38,000 likes by Monday.

“This poll was reported on by a news outlet,” said Alex Stack, a Bass campaign spokesperson, in a statement Monday. “Any bad faith attempts to influence elections should be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The only post on Median Strategies’ X account is from Wednesday: “Median Strategies is committed to continuously refining our methods and presenting a clear image of elections and movement. Though it hasn’t occurred this time, we will truly learn and improve from this.”

It is unclear what poll the post was referring to.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/house/house-ethics-investigation-rep-jimmy-gomez Torrie Herrington The California Democrat said he’s “confident that a full and impartial review of the facts” will show he didn’t break any rules. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:01:52 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/house/house-ethics-investigation-rep-jimmy-gomez The House Ethics Committee confirmed Monday it is investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over allegations of sexual misconduct.

The committee said the allegations against the California Democrat include “engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer.” The committee noted that the investigation does not indicate that any violation has occurred.

“I respect the Committee’s process and am confident that a full and impartial review of the facts will bear that out,” Gomez said in a statement Monday. “I stand ready to cooperate with the Ethics Committee inquiry and provide it with whatever information it might need. Out of respect for my family and the ongoing process, I will have no further comment.”

The investigation was first reported in June by CNN, which came after a New York Post story saying the California congressman had been spotted kissing an aide of a different lawmaker.

In a statement to CNN at the time, Gomez said he had made mistakes that hurt his family, but none that violated House ethics rules. Gomez said then that he would cooperate with any House Ethics investigation.

“Years ago, I made personal mistakes outside my marriage that have caused real pain to my wife and family. Although my actions were consensual in nature and haven’t violated the law or House ethics rules, that doesn’t diminish the impact that these mistakes have made on those I care about the most,” Gomez said in that June statement.

Gomez’s Monday statement was similar to the one in June, in which he admitted to hurting his family but denied breaking any laws or House rules.

“I take full responsibility and have committed myself to working through the pain privately with my wife and family. I sought professional assistance to help re-center and heal my relationships and move forward with honesty, transparency, and respect. I continue to do this work,” he said.

The Ethics Committee is charged with investigating any federal law or House rule violations, and can recommend penalties for anyone who was found in violation. The committee earlier this month recommended the censure of Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-North Carolina), who then dropped his reelection bid.

Rep. Cory Mills (R-Florida) is also under investigation by the Ethics Committee for allegations of domestic abuse, stolen valor and financial misconduct — all of which he denies.

Former Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Eric Swalwell (D-California) resigned earlier this year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. While Swalwell denies allegations, Gonzalez admitted to an affair with a staffer who later died by self-immolation.

This story has been updated to include a statement from Monday from Rep. Jimmy Gomez.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/thanedar-tran-mann-stock-act Dave Levinthal Two Democrats and a Republican were months late disclosing stock and crypto trades. Fri, 14 Aug 2026 21:24:06 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/money/thanedar-tran-mann-stock-act Three more members of Congress have violated an insider trading and transparency law, according to a NOTUS review of federal financial records, making them the latest in a litany of lawmakers who’ve blown by a federally mandated deadline for publicly disclosing their personal financial investments.

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Michigan) violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act by not disclosing a January sale of Apple stock, worth between $100,001 and $250,000, until Thursday. He likewise didn’t disclose an October sale of stock in MicroStrategy, one of the largest corporate holders of Bitcoin, until Thursday, as well.

In an email to NOTUS, Thanedar said his wife sold her MicroStrategy shares at a 17% loss — bought for $19,805 and sold for $16,410. The company recently rebranded to the name Strategy.“As soon as we realized the sale, we filed it and will accept the applicable penalties,” said Thanedar, who recently lost his reelection campaign.

The STOCK Act mandates that federal lawmakers disclose individual stock, bond and cryptocurrency trades within 45 days of making them. Penalties for late disclosures begin at $200.

This is the third time Thanedar has violated the STOCK Act. Last year, after his second violation, he told NOTUS that he would voluntarily divest of his individual stock holdings. On Friday, he reiterated that he supports “actual efforts to ban congressional stock trading.”

Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kansas) was nearly two years late disclosing 10 tech-heavy stock trades made by his wife and involving companies that include Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta and NVIDIA.

Taken together, the trades are worth between $10,010 and $150,000. (Lawmakers are only required to disclose the values of their trades in broad ranges.)

Mann’s Washington congressional office acknowledged NOTUS’ request for comment but did not otherwise respond to phone and email messages.

Rep. Derek Tran (D-California) was about a year late disclosing the sale of Litecoin, a cryptocurrency, according to a document filed Thursday with Congress.

Tran spokesperson Jindalae Suh said the congressman did not disclose it because he believed the value of his Litecoin sale fell below a $1,000 threshold for publicly reporting a stock, bond or cryptocurrency trade.

But the sale ultimately “crossed that threshold because of cryptocurrency volatility,” Suh told NOTUS. “Once he became aware of that, he promptly disclosed it. Congressman Tran has consistently supported greater transparency and stronger restrictions to prevent members of Congress from using public office for personal profit.” A lack of STOCK Act compliance is among the reasons cited by members of Congress pressing for a stronger conflicts-of-interest and insider trading law featuring greater consequences.

In July, the House passed the Stop Insider Trading Act — a Republican-backed measure that earned limited support from Democrats, including Tran — that would in part ban federal lawmakers from buying new individual stocks while serving in office. The bill, which some Democratic detractors have called too weak, awaits consideration in the Senate.

Senators who’ve violated the STOCK Act during the past year include Sens. Alan Armstrong (R-Oklahoma), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) and John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania).

In the House, STOCK Act violators include Reps. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Linda Sánchez (D-California), Julia Letlow (R-Louisiana), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Lisa McClain (R-Michigan), Pat Ryan (D-New York), Sheri Biggs (R-South Carolina), Donald Norcross (D-New Jersey), Tim Walberg (R-Michigan), Rich McCormick (R-Georgia), Ritchie Torres (D-New York), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Dan Meuser (R-Pennsylvania), Jonathan Jackson (D-Illinois), George Whitesides (D-California), Val Hoyle (D-Oregon), Austin Scott (R-Georgia), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida), Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), Kelly Morrison (D-Minnesota), Christian Menefee (D-Texas), Daniel Webster (R-Florida), Ed Case (D-Hawaii), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Laurel Lee (R-Florida) and Scott Franklin (R-Florida). Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Oklahoma) was also late, although his office denies it.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/trump-white-house/armed-man-arrested-trump-la-golf-course Torrie Herrington Deputies found a loaded pistol with a 16-round magazine containing hollow-point ammunition on the man, the sheriff’s office said. Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:17:09 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/trump-white-house/armed-man-arrested-trump-la-golf-course A heavily armed man was arrested at President Donald Trump’s golf course in Los Angeles days before his Tuesday fundraiser there, authorities said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies detained Jeanine John Taele, 38, on Sunday after he was seen taking photos and “appearing to monitor security-planning activities” at the Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes, the sheriff’s office said.

Taele was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm and possessing prohibited ammunition after the deputies found a 16-round magazine containing hollow-point ammunition tucked into his pants, along with a loaded pistol and additional ammunition in his car, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

Deputies later searched his residence and found an illegally modified AR-style rifle, body armor, more high-capacity magazines and notebooks consisting of “concerning statements.” The deputies also discovered that Taele was under investigation for robbery by the El Segundo Police Department, the sheriff’s office said.

Trump was aboard Air Force One on his way to speak at a Republican National Committee fundraiser at the golf course when authorities first announced the arrest Tuesday afternoon.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Secret Service are investigating, but authorities have determined there is “no credible threat,” the sheriff’s office said. The Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.]]>