Newsom adviser to nervous Dems: Lean in on immigration

Juan Rodriguez wants Democrats across the country to take heed of how the California’s redistricting campaign embraced the issue and won. Juan Rodriguez knows the conventional wisdom that Democrats should steer clear of talking about immigration — and he thinks it’s dead wrong. The longtime adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom and former top Kamala Harris … Read more

Former Newsom chief indicted on public corruption charges

Dana Williamson served as the governor’s top aide from 2022 to 2024. SACRAMENTO, California — Gavin Newsom’s former chief of staff Dana Williamson entered a not-guilty plea Wednesday to federal public corruption charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. Williamson, who served as the governor’s top aide from 2022 until 2024, is … Read more

Supreme Court delays decision on SNAP as lawmakers near shutdown vote

The high court extended through Thursday a stay on a lower court order requiring the Trump administration to pay full food stamp benefits this month. The Supreme Court extended through Thursday its order allowing the Trump administration to withhold full food stamp benefits as lawmakers inch closer to ending the record-setting government shutdown. The move … Read more

Flight cuts to stay at current levels as shutdown ends, DOT says

The dramatic reductions had sparked widespread cancellations and raised pressure for a deal to resolve the stalemate. Federally ordered cuts to flights at 40 busy airports will persist at current levels, the Transportation Department said late Wednesday — which opted not to immediately end the restrictions despite the conclusion of the government shutdown that inspired … Read more

Fellow Democrat takes aim at Chuy García’s ‘undemocratic’ retirement gambit

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is seeking a vote on a resolution condemning the longtime Chicago lawmaker. A fellow Democrat moved to sanction Illinois Rep. Chuy García Wednesday for a gambit in which he retired and functionally guaranteed that his chief of staff would be the only Democrat on the ballot to succeed him. Rep. Marie … Read more

Newsom put then-chief on leave last year amid criminal probe

Another California public official — Xavier Becerra, the former health secretary now running for governor — voluntarily cooperated in the investigation that also included his former aide. Gov. Gavin Newsom put his former chief on leave when he learned a year ago that she was under criminal investigation, according to his office. Dana Williamson, who … Read more