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California Tag

The last time I reported on eco-activist billionaire Tom Steyer in 2015, investigators had issued a detailed report that showed extensive behind-the-scenes coordination between Obama's White House staff, aides to as many as 12 governors, and officials at multiple arms of Steyer’s network of political and policy group to push the climate-change agenda. Given President Trump's regulation-gutting and EPA chief Scott Pruitt's rollback of progressive clean-power policies (at no small risk to himself), one can presume that Steyer isn't enjoying the same level of influence that he once had under Obama.

It would be difficult to imagine a more wretched hive of incompetence and boobery than the California Republican Party leadership. From the amazing implosion of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) as a politician and human being, the initial support of a tax-raising proposition that was only rescinded after the rise of the Tea Party, and the continued lack of effective push-back against progressive shenanigans, California has become a one-party state (where our choices range from Midnight Blue to YInMn Blue in key, state-wide elections).

Reports are surfacing of another scientific group revising data to conform to a pre-determined result. This time, the studies affected center on glyphosate, an important ingredient in Roundup weed killer. In fact, the State of California plans to force the manufacturer to label the popular product as a carcinogen.
Regulators in California took a pivotal step on Monday toward becoming the first state to require the popular weed killer Roundup to come with a label warning that it's known to cause cancer.

In the course of the past week, the Wine Country Wildfires have incinerated more than 200,000 acres, obliterated or damaged more than 5,500 homes, and displaced over 100,000 people. The current death tool stands at 41, including a private contractor who was bringing water to fight the blazes when his vehicle rolled over.
"He was helping to fight the fires and do the right thing," said CHP Capt. Mike Palacio. "Unfortunately, at this point, we don't know what happened."

While President Donald Trump and our state's politicians seemingly have called a temporary truce during California's historic wildfire emergencies, I thought this might be a golden opportunity to review a wonderful, new book: California's War Against Donald Trump. The books authors are James V. Lacy (a frequent guest on Fox Business News Channel’s “Varney & Company,” who served as a General Counsel in the Reagan administration) and Katy Grimes, a longtime investigative political journalist and analyst form Sacramento who often contributes additional California reports for Legal Insurrection (because I cannot possibly cover all the insanity by myself).

Our "foreign" correspondent in California, Leslie Eastman, has made a blog career of documenting the tarnishing of the Golden State by insane legislative and regulatory policies, most of which are rubber-stamped by Governor Jerry Brown. But this week there were two astounding moments of sanity from the Governor.

The Cook Political Report (CPR), a non-partisan group that analyzes elections, has changed the ratings in 12 districts across the country for the House 2018 elections as Democrats gain strength. It's important to note that the ratings have not gone directly to Democrat, but it shows that these districts have become vulnerable. Only one went from solid Democrat to likely Democrat, a plus for the Republicans.

As the death toll in the Hepatitis A outbreak climbs to 18, California Governor Jerry Brown has officially declared a state of emergency.
The emergency proclamation, which was issued by Brown on Friday, allows the state to increase its supply of hepatitis A vaccines in order to control the current outbreak. Immunizations from the federal vaccine program have been distributed to at-risk populations in affected areas, but additional supplies are needed, according to a statement released by Brown's office. The emergency proclamation gives the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) authority to immediately purchase vaccines directly from manufacturers and distribute them to impacted communities.

Since President Trump has been elected, California Governor Jerry Brown acts like he is the President of California instead of a state official. Brown's recent executive acts and rhetoric have chiefly attempted to create a "climate change" legacy that will last after his final term as governor concludes. For example, Legal Insurrection has covered:

The Democrats have been in a free fall since Hillary Clinton lost and the GOP picked up seats at local levels in November. Those energized by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) presidential run have started revolting against the veterans in the party. First, people have demanded that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) step down. Now they're pointing their rage at Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who announced she will run for a another term.

How bad are California's 2017 wildfires? The devastation is so bad that President Donald Trump and state politicians seemed to have called a temporary truce on their legal battling.
President Donald Trump says the federal government will be there for the people of California as devastating wildfires sweep across the state's famed wine country.

Reem’s bakery in Oakland, CA, prominently displays a full-wall mural of Rasmea Odeh, who recently was deported for immigration fraud. Rasmea is the former military member of the terrorist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who was convicted in Israel in 1970 of the 1969 supermarket bombing that killed two Hebrew University students, Edward Joffe and Leon Kanner. She also was convicted of the attempted bombing of the British Consulate. Rasmea and her supporters have concocted a phony claim that Rasmea only was convicted because of a false confession extracted after 25 days of sexual torture.