California Issues ...

[DaSDGuy]

California just opened a program funded by the California Dept of Social Services. The program offers guaranteed payments of $725 to select families.

Aside from income, the other qualification is that you can’t be White. This program is only for non Whites.

Taxpayer funded and Government organized discrimination.

How about if everyone in Cali self-identifies as an illegal from Mexico. Just give all of us our $75k of free stuff.

 

[GURPS]

California AG Asks Shoppers to Report Stores That Don’t Have ‘Gender Neutral’ Kids Sections​

“By requiring large retailers to maintain a gender-neutral section, AB 1084 makes it more difficult for these retailers to engage in gender-based pricing discrimination and reduces the imposition of gender stereotypes on children,” the attorney general’s office wrote in a statement.
Violators face fines of $250 for the first offense and $500 for any subsequent instances.

Bonta is asking shoppers to take pictures and file complaints against stores that are failing to comply.

Standards of compliance, however, are flexible, with ambiguity written in the text of the law, according to consultants with the state Senate Judiciary Committee in a Legislative analysis published in 2021.

A “reasonable selection” of items must be included in gender-neutral sections, though the term is not defined, and labeling of sections is at the retailer’s discretion.

The law does not specify a required size or square footage calculation for the section, where the items should be located, or how shoppers will know if they’re viewing gender-neutral items.

Keeping products in gender-neutral displays allows consumers to more easily identify “unjustified differences” in price, according to declarations included in the law.

Assemblyman Evan Low, the bill’s author, said the law makes “all kids feel welcomed.”

“A generally labeled area allows for a freer shopping experience for both children and the guardians to shop for the items the children would like to purchase without societal pressures,” he said in legislative analyses. “This is about kids not feeling bad about what they choose to purchase because of the store section it was purchased from.”

 

[GURPS]

 

[GURPS]

Gavin Newsom Convenes California Legislature to Pass $25 Million for Anti-Trump Lawsuits​

As Breitbart News noted after the election in November, Newsom announced the special session — not to deal with pressing problems facing the state, but rather for the political purpose of leading the so-called “resistance” (i.e. opposition) to President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump responded on Truth Social, saying Newsom was “using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again’.”

Newsom boasted Monday that his administration, unlike that of his predecessor, Jerry Brown, would not simply react to Trump policies, but would go on the offensive against them. He claimed that the state had succeeded in the past at reversing many Trump policies at the “agency level.” (He may have been referring to Trump’s decision to withhold $1 billion in funding for the high-speed rail system California never built; President Joe Biden restored that funding.)

The governor also claimed that no state leader had worked more closely with the Trump administration during the coronavirus pandemic, and that California had still managed to maintain its lawsuits against Trump, regardless.

 

[GURPS]

Newsom appoints Schiff to Senate to complete Butler term​

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to the Senate to complete the rest of appointee Sen. Laphonza Butler’s (D) term.

The appointment means Schiff, who has served in the House since 2001 and won election to the Senate last month, will begin work in the upper chamber several weeks before the start of the next Congress in early January.

Butler replaced the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) in October 2023 and said she would not run for a full term, opening the race up to Schiff and others.

Schiff has emerged as one of President-elect Trump’s top critics in the House. He led Trump’s first impeachment and has openly said his rhetoric reflects “dictator talk.”

 

[GURPS]

 

[GURPS]

LA County Sheriff Threatens Investigative Journalist With Lawfare Over X Post​

Nobody from Luna's office contacted her to say that he didn't have any health issues, or that the rumors were false, or to ask for a retraction, Woods said, until December 11, when she received a five-page intimidation and threat letter from self-proclaimed "rabid defender of stars in trouble" attorney Martin Singer on Luna's behalf.

Intimidation Letter​

The letter, obtained exclusively by RedState, begins (emphasis original):

Our firm is litigation counsel to Los Angeles Sheriff, Robert G. Luna. I write regarding the outrageous defamatory statement you made on your public "X" account page on November 10, 2024 in which you stated that my client is suffering from Parkinson's disease and suggested he is unable to perform his obligations due to the effects of the disease (the "Statement"). Be advised that your assertion, even by implication, is highly defamatory and has exposed you, and all those involved in this conduct, to very substantial liability.

We demand that you immediately remove the Statement from your X page, demand that you immediately cease and desist from posting and/or disseminating any further false statements about my client, including without limitation any statements accusing my client of suffering from diseases that impact his professional obligations and/or presenting my client in a false light, and demand that you immediately post a Correction on your public "X" account page stating Sheriff Robert G. Luna is not suffering from Parkinson's Disease and does not need to step down as the Sheriff. Should you ignore this demand, you will be exposing yourself to significant legal liability.

Any journalist, especially an independent journalist without the financial backing of a large publication, would be shocked and a bit frightened to receive such a letter, and possibly intimidated into not reporting on that subject anymore - which is likely Luna's intent.

Singer starts off by misstating what Woods said, accusing her of stating that Luna is suffering from Parkinson's disease and suggesting that Luna "is unable to perform his obligations due to the effects of the disease."

She said that he could potentially step down due to health concerns that multiple sources say is Parkinson's disease. Nowhere does she say or insinuate that he "is unable to perform his obligations."

"NEW: Rumors have been heavily circulating throughout @LASDHQ and @LBPD that @LACoSheriff could potentially step down as the head of the largest sheriff’s department in the country due to health concerns (multiple sources say Parkinson’s disease)."

Singer goes on to poorly "lawsplain" what he believes Woods' legal exposure is, citing only certain portions of defamation law and completely ignoring exceptions that clearly pertain to this situation.

Then, he demands that Woods post a declarative statement she cannot possibly stand behind, namely that Luna does not have Parkinson's disease. How would she know that? She hasn't seen Luna's medical records, and no records were attached to Singer's letter. Next, he demands that Woods "issue a Correction on your public X account page stating that my client...does not need to step down as the sheriff." Neither Singer or Luna can demand that Woods express such an opinion if she doesn't share it.

Finally, the letter ends with a threat of litigation.

If this matter is not promptly resolved to our client's satisfaction, we will protect and enforce our client's substantial rights and remedies against you to the fullest extent permitted by the law.
Given that you now have been placed on formal notice of the false and defamatory nature of your claims regarding my client, any other false and defamatory statements you may issue about my client will supply further evidence of constitutional malice, will support an award of punitive damages, and will greatly increase the liability you already face for your tortious conduct.

 

[GURPS]

 

[GURPS]

Fury as California gets green light to ban all gas cars in Democrat state​

Automakers are furious after California moved forward with plan to ban the sale of all gas-powered cars by 2035.

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Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and other major automakers are meeting current California emission standards, but some major car companies questioned the latest EPA waiver.

'Achieving the sales mandates under current market realities will take a miracle. There needs to be balance and some states should exit the [California] program,' Alliance for Automotive Innovation's CEO John Bozzella said.

Most of the Democratic-leaning states that have adopted California's rules are not selling anywhere near the 35 percent level of EV sales required next year.

It's also unlikely they will meet the 2035 target of 100 percent EV sales, according to Bozzella.

The CEO, who expects Trump to demolish the waiver, said that although automakers are making electric vehicles, consumers still have 'reasonable expectation they can still choose what kind of vehicle to drive.'

Scott Vazin, a spokesman for Toyota in North America, worried the new rules will leave some consumers without the ability to purchase a vehicle that fits their 'mobility needs.'

Despite that, Governor Gavin Newsom - who often touts California's leadership on climate policy - said the EPA's approval of the advanced clean-cars rule was a vote of confidence in California’s accomplishments in 'protecting our people by cleaning our air and cutting pollution.'

'Naysayers like President-Elect Trump would prefer to side with the oil industry over consumers and American automakers, but California will continue fostering new innovations in the market,' he said.

 

[GURPS]

Newsom Declares State of Emergency Over Bird Flu; Is This What He'll Use to 'Trump-Proof' California?​

Even if Californians weren't already highly skeptical of Newsom's use of State of Emergency powers because of his tyranny during COVID, this SOE declaration is dubious at this moment in time. All in all, there are 34 reported human cases of bird flu in the state, and 33 of them are in farm workers. Although Newsom's declaration comes on the same day it's being reported that a person in Louisiana is hospitalized in critical condition due to bird flu, the virus genotype in that case is linked to wild birds, not cattle.

In the declaration and his comments, Newsom specifies that any additional authority or spending, or suspension of provisions of the Government Code, are only applicable to efforts to address the bird flu emergency. However, Newsom used the COVID state of emergency to enact full mail-in voting and restrict liberty in all sorts of ways unrelated to the spread of COVID-19 and to set DEI-like standards for when various communities would be allowed to regain their rights - and bragged that he was going to use emergency powers to usher in a progressive era in the state:

Newsom has adopted Trump’s strategy of giving daily updates on what’s going on in the fight against the virus. In one such update, a Bloomberg reporter asked him if he was going to use the crisis to make California even more progressive than it already is....
Newsom takes the scenic route to get to the answer, but when he does get there he admits fully that, yes, this crisis is an opportunity to fundamentally change America.
“There is opportunity for reimagining a progressive era as it pertains to capitalism,” Gov. Newsom said. “So yes, absolutely we see this as an opportunity to reshape the way we do business and how we govern.”
Newsom goes on to talk about how this “shouldn’t send shivers up the spines” of either party, but that it’s necessary to “meet this moment.”

So, Californians are rightly highly skeptical of this declaration; they're justifiably wondering if he's going back to a tactic that worked so well in the past.

Reading through the provisions of his order, it's not difficult to see how Newsom can justify actions that are more related to his Trump-proofing goals (emphasis added):

All agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan. Also, all residents are to obey the direction of emergency officials with regard to this emergency in order to protect their safety.

Whether they're legal or illegal immigrants, the vast majority of people working on dairy farms in California are Latinos. It's not difficult to imagine Newsom telling federal immigration officials they can't enter farms or even the hardest-hit counties to "stop the spread" even though an action like that wouldn't be scientifically justified. Nearly 100 percent of the actions his administration took during the COVID pandemic had no basis in science, so there's no reason for them to start caring about that now.

Thinking much larger, who's to say Newsom wouldn't attempt to shut down vast swaths of California's dairy industry as a way of both addressing the outbreak and achieving some of his "climate change" goals? It would only hurt all those conservatives in the Central Valley, so what does he care?

Ah, and then we get to the part about suspending competitive bidding requirements:

As necessary to assist local governments and for the protection of public health and the environment, state agencies shall enter into contracts to arrange for the procurement of materials, goods, and services necessary to quickly assist with the response to and recovery from the impacts of this emergency. Applicable provisions of the Government Code and the Public Contract Code, including but not limited to travel, advertising, and competitive bidding requirements, are suspended to the extent necessary to address promptly the effects of Bird Flu.

Newsom's got to have buddies who own companies in industries related to addressing the outbreak, whether they're laboratories, PPE manufacturers, and more. Remember that $1 billion no-bid contract Newsom awarded to Chinese "green energy" company BYD - whose vice president donated to Newsom's campaign - for KN95 masks? The first shipment of masks failed NIOSH certification and Newsom could have canceled the contract, but he didn't. (And, oh yeah, BYD is the same electric vehicle manufacturer Newsom touted during his trip to China last year. Definitely nothing shady going on there.)

 

[GURPS]

Here we go again! Except this time, we’ve already read the script. CBS ran the story yesterday headlined, “California Gov. Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency over bird flu, calling it a "proactive action.”” Unleash the no-bid emergency purchasing powers!



So far, bird flu is just the same old recycled germ stupidity. (Replacing the first letter ‘b’ with a ’t’ provides a more apt descriptor.) “Common human symptoms of bird flu infection,” CBS reported, “are similar to the flu. The severity of the symptoms can range from none to severe.” Like flu. And, um, if symptom severity is “none,” then what are the ‘symptoms?’

And, if it’s similar to the flu, which we already live with, then how is it an emergency?

That’s just the beginning of the lost logic of bird flu. Even though it is bird flu, public health officials have aimed their gimlet eyes at cows. Californians, say goodbye to raw milk! Expect ranchers to be soon ordered to liquidate entire herds, so say hello to sky-high beef prices. Presumably, they will soon offer us sacks of “nut milk” and crates of cricket patties as greener alternatives.

Yesterday —the same day as California’s emergency declaration— the Washington Post reported, “CDC confirms first severe human case of bird flu in U.S.” It’s not the first case of bird flu. It is the first severe case. And the “first severe case” is an ailing old lady who “had been in contact with sick and dead birds in backyard flocks on their property.”



In other words, she’s elderly. She has comorbidities. She has been messing around with dead animals. But they haven’t told us exactly how sick she is. In fact, they have no plans to ever tell us, either. They refuse to say exactly how old she is or what other health problems she has. Is she 99? 104? This is for “patient privacy.” You know.

I suppose one good thing is that, after demanding we tattoo our vaccine status on our foreheads to order a small fry at the drive-thru, public health has suddenly re-discovered the virtues of patient privacy.

Guess who’s running the federal response? This highly qualified Biden appointee:



That’s right! He’s back. Biden’s “Monkeypox Czar,” leather festival aficionado, and tattooed occultist Demetre Daskalakis is now, apparently, heading the CDC’s Bird Flu response. Because they only want the MOST qualified scientists, not lawyers like RFK. The new Bird Flu Czar delivered the CDC’s Bird Flu briefing in Atlanta yesterday and said his dark master Beelzebub has not yet deigned to claim any victims.

More to the point, there have been 60 reported bird flu cases in humans so far, and they’ve all been mild, and nobody died:



It’s terrifically disappointing for public health. The lack of any serious and fatal bird flu cases is holding Big Pandemic back. Corporate media is hoping against hope that the comorbid granny from Louisiana might be the one, the golden infectee who actually expires from her bird flu infection, permitting headlines breathlessly declaring “the first fatality” from the flu-like disease.

During the briefing, Daskalakis correctly noted that, at this point, the risk to people is low. Even that might be an overstatement. ChatGPT’s smartest model agreed this morning that “it's fair to say that the risk of dying from anything else is higher than the risk of dying from bird flu for the general public.”

They might get away with dumping a bunch of “emergency,” no-bid money on their friends and relatives for a disease that has unquantifiably low risk. But they are not going to run another pandemic on us, because we will not tolerate it. Not this time.

☕️ KILLING THE BLOB ☙ Thursday, December 19, 2024 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠

The Bureaucracy died a little yesterday, which outraged Democrats, of course. That and lots more in today's roundup.

www.coffeeandcovid.com