Alejandro Padilla

Confusion reigns at iconic California park as visitors try to make vacation plans

President Trump cloaked himself in core national security powers Monday as his lawyers told federal courts to butt out while he deports suspected gang members.

Senate Democrats called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore funding to local food banks and schools, after it canceled $1 billion in food purchase programs throughout the country. In a letter Monday, Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.), Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) led a group of [...]

The federal government owns more than 90% of California's public lands. Firing San Diego immigration court judges won't help either.

Schumer's commitment comes a day after the top Senate Democrat said “Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate.”

The Army Corps of Engineers colonel, who was ordered by President Donald Trump in January to release water from California’s reservoirs, knew that it would be ineffective in putting out the state’s devastating wildfires. But Trump did it anyway.According to a memo obtained by The Washington Post, Colonel Chad W. Caldwell knew that the water released from California’s Lake Kaweah and Lake Success reservoirs would not reach the intended areas in time to prevent significant damage.At the time, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California called the highly criticized move “clearly nothing but a poor publicity stunt.”“And it was a dangerous one,” he said, citing the risk of flooding. This is just one example of how much Trump weighs down U.S. taxpayers and resources. In February, while speaking to a group of Saudi billionaires, Trump lamented how work-from-home policies made people wasteful and lazy. “They're not working. They're playing tennis, they're playing golf, or they have other jobs. But they're not working or they're certainly not working hard. You could never build a company or a country with that,” he said.At the same time, Trump spent more time golfing during his first month in office than he had during his first term, during which he set records financed by taxpayers.In February, the Department of Homeland Security launched a $200 million ad campaign featuring Secretary Kristi Noem threatening immigrants with deportation. There was just one stipulation for the expensive ad: Trump needed to be thanked in it. According to Rolling Stone, shortly after the DHS announced its $200 million anti-migrant propaganda blitz, Noem said during a CPAC dinner that Trump was behind the entire operation.“I want you to do [ads] for the border, and I want you to do those everywhere, not just in the United States, but I want them around the world. I want you to tell people not to come to this country if they’re going to come here illegally. I want you in the ads, and I want your face in the ads. But I want the first ad, I want you to thank me. I want you to thank me for closing the border,” Trump supposedly told Noem.And she did.One of the campaign's ads, which was released at the end of February, features Noem thanking Trump “for securing our border for deporting criminal, illegal immigrants and for putting America first.” xxYouTube VideoUnsurprisingly, Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency seems to have missed that $200 million of waste. It must have been too busy cutting essential and popular government programs and agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Social Security.In fact, DOGE has left many of the federal government’s biggest spenders—like Homeland Security—largely untouched. It’s almost as if Musk isn’t really getting rid of waste and fraud as much as he’s just reallocating taxpayer money into the pockets of billionaires like himself.Trump calls himself a king. But we know we are not a nation of kings—and we never will be. Get your Daily Kos T-shirt or hat to spread the message and wear it with pride: No Kings.

Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, from left, Chris Coons, D-Del., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., ranking member Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., conduct a news conference Thursday outside the FBI headquarters to voice opposition to director nominee Kash Patel.

Kash Patel, nominated to become director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing on Jan. 30.

The total number of backers, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, comes just days before the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to advance Kash Patel's nomination to lead the FBI.

General aviation airports play vital roles in fighting fires and supporting supply lines when disaster strikes.

New law, attorney tells the state Supreme Court, demands that Raymond Oyler's murder convictions, death penalty be overturned.

Collins is seen during his confirmation hearing last month.

Senate Budget Committee Democrats hold a media availability in protest of the committee advancing Russ Vought’s nomination to be director of the Office of Management and Budget on Thursday. From left are Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

With little power in Republican-led Washington, D.C., California Democrats struggle to mount a countereffort to President Trump's agenda.

WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that requires the detainment of unauthorized migrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line with his plans to crackdown on illegal immigration.

The House has passed a bill to require the detainment of unauthorized migrants accused of theft and violent crimes. It marks the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly moved in line...

No heads of state have previously made an official visit to the U.S. for the inauguration.

One by one, President-elect Donald Trump's hoped-for Cabinet is falling into place. Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth was back on track after a fiery Senate confirmation hearing that probed his drinking, allegations of sexual assault and qualifications to lead the...

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees are pushing through a gauntlet of confirmation hearings with the help of allied Senate Republicans carrying them toward the finish line, despite Democratic objections.

(INSIDE CALIFORNIA POLITICS) — Members of government at all levels are working to respond to the deadly Los Angeles wildfires that have burned thousands of acres and possibly worsened the state's insurance crisis. U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla discussed with Inside California Politics what he believes Congress should do to help natural disaster victims recover. California [...]

As officials race to get the California wild fires under control, the politics of disaster relief already looms large for both political parties.

After rushing home from a trip to Ghana to help manage the city’s response, she pushed back against a loud chorus of critics from near and far.

President Joe Biden is continuing his Trump-proofing efforts, this time by using the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect a large area of land in Southern California. This move will safeguard 848,000 acres of land, provide clean water for 40 million people, protect wildlife, honor numerous tribal nations, and provide outdoor recreation for “historically underserved communities in the Coachella Valley.” With less than two weeks left in his presidency, he signed two new national monuments into law, naming them the Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments, a nod to sacred tribal land in the California desert.On Tuesday, Biden walked the site and delivered remarks in the Eastern Coachella Valley alongside California Gov. Gavin Newsom.“The new monument will protect the ancestral homelands and cultural landscapes of the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano Nations, and other Indigenous peoples,” a White House briefing said. “The monument boundary includes five distinct areas that together encompass sacred sites, ancient trails, historic properties, cultural areas, religious sites, petroglyphs, geoglyphs, and pictographs, honoring and safeguarding the cultural and spiritual value inherent with these lands.”This follows an April letter written to Biden from Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, former Sen. Laphonza Butler, and Rep. Raul Ruiz that urged him to sign the monuments into law.Following the announcement on Tuesday, Padilla applauded Biden’s achievement in protecting public land. “This historic announcement accelerates our state’s crucial efforts to fight the climate crisis, protect our iconic wildlife, preserve sacred tribal sites, and promote clean energy, while expanding equitable access to nature for millions of Californians,” Padilla wrote in a statement. “This designation reflects years of tireless work from tribal leaders to protect these sacred desert landscapes. President Biden has joined California leaders in championing our treasured natural wonders, and I applaud him for further cementing his strong public lands legacy.”The Antiquities Act was signed into law by former President Teddy Roosevelt to protect archeological, historical, cultural, and natural resources by implementing a permitting process and ensuring that any resulting collections went to educational institutions. In addition to creating a legacy of climate and natural land protections, Biden is spending his final weeks in the White House implementing an offshore drilling ban, banning medical debt from appearing on credit scores, granting commutations to incarcerated people on death row, and signing a record number of single-day pardons.“Today’s monument designation is the latest way that the Biden-Harris Administration is showing how conservation and clean energy can go hand in hand,” the White House statement said.Biden’s communications team laid out his final plan in December, stating that he would “continue taking action to protect our lands and waters and continue our climate ambition alongside state, local, tribal, and business leaders.”And he’s done just that. Campaign Action

Proclamations set to be signed today will create the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California near Joshua Tree National Park and the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California.

Proclamations set to be signed today will create the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California near Joshua Tree National Park and the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California.

The Golden State is gathering resources to take on the second Trump administration.

For that, they all deserve not just a lump of coal, but an entire sack of it. (Or a sack of something else we cannot mention).

CA Democrats are urging USDOT to approve more than $500 million in transportation grant money to fund the state's high-speed rail projects before DOGE potentially ends the "boondoggle."

President Biden is under pressure from Senate Democrats to take last-minute action on Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals before he leaves office.

All of which leaves California and other centers of illegal immigration in a waiting mode, not knowing for sure where the new Trump administration will strike first against the undocumented.

'Take concrete steps'

While the inauguration is open to the public, tickets are required to attend.

Once again, Newsom gets Trumped by the calendar.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., has said he will work to confirm judges for the rest of the year.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray asking for “the complete evidentiary file” from the bureau's investigation into allegations of sex trafficking of minors against former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whom President-elected Trump has tapped to become the next attorney general. The Democratic senators, led by Judiciary [...]

How many? And how fast? That’s the question for the Senate in January as it will sprint to confirm as many of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees as possible.

Vice President Harris is stepping up her outreach to Latino voters in the final days of the election as former President Trump grapples with the fallout from his Madison Square Garden rally. Harris renewed her pitch to those voters in an interview on Spanish-language radio earlier this week, and her campaign was quick to cut [...]

President Joe Biden recently signed into law a measure led in part by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, to cut red tape for veterans looking to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

Kamala Harris’ campaign is launching a blitz in Arizona, with plans to swamp the state with events and canvassing efforts, all timed around the start of early voting.

CIRM has come to stand for California Institute for the Redistribution of Money.

Left-wing groups are shocked by Vice President Kamala Harris' sudden bounce to the right on immigration, but some say she will revert once in office.

Dozens of immigration and progressive groups believe Vice President Harris' recent hawkish immigration policy pledges are "harmful" and part of a "MAGA anti-immigrant agenda" — but many are backing her anyway.Why it matters: Democrats are temporarily uniting to stop a second Donald Trump presidency, but immigration could immediately splinter the party if Harris wins in November.Immigration is likely to be a central focus for the White House and Congress next year regardless of how the Nov. 5 election turns out, given the historic migration crises across the globe.Some progressive groups are quietly hoping that Harris' tough-on-the-border rhetoric is just a posture to help her win in November — and that she'd govern closer to the more liberal stances she held during the 2020 Democratic primary. Driving the news: After more than 31⁄2 years in the Biden administration, Harris has largely shifted from framing herself as a longtime immigrant advocate to a tough border hawk.She has pledged to sign a White House-backed bipartisan bill that failed during the current Congress. It would significantly restrict asylum, continue building a border wall, and dedicate historic levels of funding to detain undocumented immigrants.It's a contrast to the stance she had as a California senator. In her first speech on the Senate floor in 2017, Harris said she'd prosecuted "everything from low-level offenses to homicides. I know what a crime looks like. I will tell you: an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal."While running for president in 2019, she pledged to make illegally crossing the border a civil rather than a criminal offense. Zoom in: Several organizations made clear they would oppose Harris if she tried to pass the border bill next year, as president.Kerri Talbot, executive director of the Immigration Hub, told Axios the group "still opposes this bill.""If you take out the Ukraine aide that was originally part of the compromise, it's just a Republican bill."David Stacy, vice president of government affairs at the Human Rights Campaign, told Axios the bill "undermines asylum protections for LGBTQ+ people fleeing violence."Oxfam America's Gina Cummings said the group believe the bill "should not be brought to the Senate floor or passed under any current or future administration."Sunil Varghese, policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said the group opposes the bill because it would gut asylum access and legalize "anti-immigrant policies rather than reform or modernize the sorely outdated U.S. immigration system."Between the lines: Talbot added that she still supports Harris."We all know and trust Harris to make the right decisions when she's in office. I don't think this bill will ever come up again, as is," Talbot said.What they're saying: Axios asked Harris' campaign whether she was available for a five- to 10-minute interview to discuss her position on immigration. A campaign spokesperson declined.Harris' campaign pointed to a recent radio interview she had with a friendly host in which she said: "We have to have immigration policy that understands that we can fight for our Dreamers, provide a pathway to citizenship for those who have earned it."We can keep families together, and we can secure the border."Reality check: Many Democrats are pushing aside their disagreements with Harris' recent positions at a time when Trump is pledging the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, sweeping domestic raids, and other far more hawkish policies. California Sen. Alex Padilla, who replaced Harris in that chamber after she became vice president, said in May that the border bill "contains some of the same tried and failed policies that would actually make the situation worse at the southern border."But Padilla said Harris "is the only candidate in this race who also values keeping families together and providing a pathway to citizenship for long-term residents. And I'm proud to support her."The progressive group Indivisible told Axios that although it doesn't back Harris "on every position ... there is a yawning abyss between her and Trump on immigration policy.""Stopping Trump is absolutely critical."

The California Legislature passed more than a dozen bills to regulate artificial intelligence in recent days, though some ambitions fell short.

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. By Niels Lesniewski, Daniela Altimari and Mary Ellen McIntire We have reached the point in the campaign cycle where there are too many ads [...]The post At the Races: Number crunch appeared first on Roll Call.

Three incumbents - Velveth Schmitz, Debby Stegura and Frank Zerunyan- were the only ones to file as candidates for the Nov. 5 election.

Do's name was listed on the candidates' endorsement page as recently as mid-July, but he has since been removed.

From the editorial: "Of course, grocery bag bans won’t alone solve the global plastic trash problem."

Welcome to At the Races! Each week we bring you news and analysis from the CQ Roll Call campaign team. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here. From concerts to campaign cash, 2024 is shaping up as a test of the crypto industry’s political strength. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Charles [...]The post At the Races: Crypto campaigning appeared first on Roll Call.