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Tag: California

California sheriff and Trump supporter launches GOP bid to succeed Gov. Newsom

A tough-on-crime Republican sheriff who was a supporter of President Donald Trump in last year’s election on Monday launched a campaign for California governor.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco announced his candidacy at an event Monday in Riverside, California, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“As Californians we want leadership that actually cares about the cost of living …and leaders who will do something about it,” Bianco said in his address, according to prepared excerpts.

He emphasized that “we want homes we can afford. We want air conditioning when it’s hot, not rolling blackouts. We want water for the crops and animals that feed us. We want the opportunity to achieve the California Dream, not be prevented from it because of red tape and regulation from government. We want honesty and transparency from our elected officials. We want lower taxes and less government waste. We want sanity restored and common sense to prevail.”

TOP TRUMP OFFICIAL TEASES CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL BID IF FORMER VP HARRIS RUNS

Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Bianco, a vocal critic of Newsom and other state Democratic leaders when it comes to the issues of crime and punishment, was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections. The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes.

“I am running for Governor because our beautiful state – which I absolutely love – is heading down the wrong track and has been for years. Everyone knows it, except those sitting in the Sacramento echo chamber. For decades the party in complete control of our state government has tried the same failed ideas and implemented the same failed policies,” Bianco argued, as he took aim at Newsom and the Democratic majorities in the state legislature.

Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. He’s been openly flirting with a 2026 gubernatorial run since at least last spring.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana., center, listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County, Calif., speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol to recognize law enforcement as part of Police Week on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

It’s been nearly two decades since a Republican won statewide office in heavily blue California. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election victory.

There has been plenty of speculation since former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat last November to Trump regarding her next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state of California or seeking the presidency again in 2028.

MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREEDICTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD CLEAR GUBERNATORIAL FIELD

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and U.S. senator before becoming vice president.

Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded.

Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris ally, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

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Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign.

Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.

Former Fox News Channel host and conservative commentator Steve Hilton is considering a Republican run for California governor.

And one of Trump’s top aides is floating a potential bid for California governor if Harris also runs.

Ric Grenell, U.S. envoy for special missions in President Trump’s second administration, speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump loyalist who is serving as U.S. envoy for special missions in the president’s second administration, told reporters late last week, “If Kamala Harris runs for governor, I believe that she has such baggage and hundreds of millions of dollars in educating the voters of how terrible she is, that it’s a new day in California and that the Republican actually has a shot.”

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Grenell, who served as ambassador to Germany and as acting director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, considered a run for California governor during the 2021 recall election that Newsom eventually ended up easily winning, but he ultimately decided against launching a campaign.

In California, unlike most other states, the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 17, 2025
Top Trump official teases 2026 bid for California governor if Harris jumps in race

One of President Donald Trump’s top aides is floating a potential bid for California governor if former Vice President Kamala Harris also runs.

Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump loyalist who is serving as U.S. envoy for special missions in the president’s second administration, ended a gaggle with reporters at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday by teasing, “I’ll make a little news.”

Grenell then pointed to the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.

“If Kamala Harris runs for governor, I believe that she has such baggage and hundreds of millions of dollars in educating the voters of how terrible she is, that it’s a new day in California and that the Republican actually has a shot,” Grenell said.

SOURCES TELL FOX NEWS THIS TRUMP SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA SHERIFF WILL RUN FOR GOVERNOR

Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

There has been plenty of speculation since Harris’ defeat last November, regarding her next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state of California or seeking the presidency again in 2028.

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general and U.S. senator before becoming vice president.

MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREEDICTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD CLEAR GUBERNATORIAL FIELD

Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps.

The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded.

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Among the more than a half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris ally, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.

But pundits predict that Harris could clear the Democrats’ field if she decides to launch a gubernatorial campaign.

It’s been nearly two decades since a Republican won statewide office in California. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election victory.

Grenell considered a run for California governor during the 2021 recall election that Newsom eventually ended up easily winning, but he ultimately decided against launching a campaign.

FILE – Then-former President Donald Trump speaks next to Richard Grenell during a presidential election campaign event at a farm in Smithton, Pa., on Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Grenell served as ambassador to Germany and as acting director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term.

In his role as U.S. envoy for special missions in Trump’s second administration, he took part in a mission to Venezuela that led to the release of six hostages.

Grenell also joined the president in Los Angeles last month to survey the horrific wildfire damage in the area. Grenell, who along with Trump blasted state and local Democratic leaders for their performance handling the wildfire crisis, returned to Los Angeles last week as he accompanied EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on a recovery tour.

Grenell isn’t the only California Republican considering or moving toward a gubernatorial campaign in 2026 in the race to succeed Newsom.

Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Fox News confirmed earlier this week that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is planning to announce his candidacy at a scheduled event Monday in Riverside, California.

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And former Fox News Channel host and conservative commentator Steve Hilton is considering a Republican run for California governor.

In California, unlike most other states, the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.

Fox News’ Kaitlin Sprague contributed to this report.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 14, 2025
Democrats set to ‘waste millions’ litigating President Donald Trump’s executive orders, University of California, Berkeley, law professor John Yoo says

Democrats will likely “waste millions” of dollars battling President Donald Trump’s executive orders and actions in court with little success to show for it, according to University of California, Berkeley law professor John Yoo.

Trump “will have some of the nation’s finest attorneys defending his executive orders and initiatives, and the Democrats will waste millions of dollars losing in court,” Yoo, the former deputy assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday when asked whether there are efforts of “lawfare” against Trump in his second administration.

“I expect that Trump will ultimately prevail on two-thirds or more of his executive orders, but the Democrats may succeed in delaying them for about a year or so,” Yoo said.

The Trump administration has been hit by at least 54 lawsuits in response to Trump’s executive orders and actions since his inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump has signed at least 63 executive orders just roughly three weeks into his administration, including 26 on his first day alone.

The executive orders and actions are part of Trump’s shift of the federal government to fall in line with his “America First” policies, including snuffing out government overspending and mismanagement through the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), banning biological men from competing in women’s sports and deporting thousands of illegal immigrants who flooded the nation during the Biden administration.

‘ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY’: LEGAL EXPERTS SHRED NY V. TRUMP AS ‘ONE OF THE WORST’ CASES IN HISTORY

President Donald Trump’s administration has been hit by dozens of lawsuits in response to Trump’s executive orders and actions since his inauguration on Jan. 20. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

The onslaught of lawsuits come as Democratic elected officials fume over the second Trump administration’s policies, most notably the creation of DOGE, which is in the midst of investigating various federal agencies to cut spending fat, corruption and mismanagement of funds.

A handful of Democratic state attorneys general and other local leaders vowed following Trump’s election win to set off a new resistance to his agenda, vowing to battle him in the courts over policies they viewed as harmful to constituents. Upon his inauguration and his policies taking effect, Democrats have amplified their rhetoric to battle Trump in the courts, and also to take the fight to “the streets.”

“We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We’re going to fight it in the streets,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in January of battling Trump’s policies.

“Our biggest weapon historically, over three years alongside the Trump administration, has been the bully pulpit and a whole lot of legal action, so my guess is it will continue,” New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said the day after Trump’s inauguration.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said at a protest over DOGE and its chair, Elon Musk, earlier in February, “We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it.”

‘PLAYING WITH THE COURTS’: TRUMP ADMIN HIT WITH DOZENS OF SUITS AFTER YEARS OF PRESIDENT CONDEMNING ‘LAWFARE’

The dozens of cases come after Trump faced four criminal indictments, on both the state and federal level, in the interim of his first and second administrations. Trump had railed against the cases — including the Manhattan trial and conviction, the Georgia election racketeering case, and former special counsel Jack Smith’s election case and classified documents case — as examples of the Democratic Party waging “lawfare” against him in an effort to hurt his re-election chances in the 2024 cycle.

President Donald Trump has signed at least 63 executive orders just three weeks into his administration, including 26 on his first day alone. (Seth Wenig/The Associated Press)

Yoo, when asked about the state of lawfare against Trump now that he’s back in the Oval Office, said the president’s political foes have shifted from lawfare to launching cases to tie up the administration in court.

“I think that what is going on now is different than lawfare,” he said. “I think of lawfare as the deliberate use by the party in power to prosecute its political opponents to affect election outcomes. The Democrats at the federal and state level brought charges against Trump to drive him out of the 2024 elections.”

“The lawsuits against Trump now are the usual thrust and parry of the separation of powers,” Yoo explained. “The Democrats are not attacking Trump personally and there is no election. Instead, they are suing Trump as President to stop his official policies.

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

Yoo said the Republican Party also relied on the courts in an effort to prevent policies put forth during the Obama era and Biden administration, including when President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law in 2010, or his 2012 immigration policy, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Republicans also challenged the Biden administration in court after President Biden attempted to forgive student debt through executive action in 2022.

‘LOSING THEIR MINDS’: DEM LAWMAKERS FACE BACKLASH FOR INVOKING ‘UNHINGED’ VIOLENT RHETORIC AGAINST MUSK

“Turnabout is fair play,” Yoo said of groups suing over various administrations’ executive actions or policies.

“What makes this also different than the law is that now Trump controls the Justice Department,” he added, explaining that Democrats will spend millions on the cases, which will likely result in delays for many of the Trump policies but will not completely thwart the majority of them.

“The lawsuits against Trump now are the usual thrust and parry of the separation of powers,” John Yoo explained. (Julia Nikhinson-Pool/Getty Images)

A handful of the more than 50 lawsuits have resulted in judges temporarily blocking the orders, such as at least three federal judges issuing preliminary injunctions against Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship.

TRUMP 100% DISAGREES WITH FEDERAL JUDGE’S ‘CRAZY’ RULING BLOCKING DOGE FROM TREASURY SYSTEM

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked on Wednesday during the press briefing whether the administration believes the courts have the authority to issue such injunctions. Leavitt appeared to echo Yoo that the administration will be “vindicated” in court as the cases make their way through the judicial system.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also appeared to think the administration will be “vindicated” in court as the cases make their way through the judicial system. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press )

“We believe that the injunction actions that have been issued by these judges, have no basis in the law and have no grounds. And we will again, as the president said very clearly yesterday, comply with these orders. But it is the administration’s position that we will ultimately be vindicated, and the president’s executive actions that he took were completely within the law,” Leavitt said, before citing the “weaponization” of the court systems against Trump while he was on the campaign trail.

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“We look forward to the day where he can continue to implement his agenda,” she said. “And I would just add, it’s our view that this is the continuation of the weaponization of justice that we have seen against President Trump. He fought it for two years on the campaign trail — it won’t stop him now.”

February 14, 2025
Newsom to veto California bill blocking prisons from working with ICE: report

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is vowing to veto a bill that would block his state’s prison system from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a report says.

Assembly Bill 15 argues that “when California’s jails and prisons voluntarily and unnecessarily transfer immigrant and refugee community members eligible for release from state or local custody to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration detention and deportation purposes, they subject these community members to double punishment and further trauma.”

“The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall not detain on the basis of a hold request, provide an immigration authority with release date information, or respond to a notification request, transfer to an immigration authority, or facilitate or assist with a transfer request any individual who is eligible for release,” reads some of the language of the bill.

However, Newsom’s office told KCRA 3 that the governor would veto the bill if it ever lands on his desk this year. Currently, the legislation has been referred to the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee, the station added.

CALIFORNIA CITY PASSES SWEEPING HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT BAN ON ALL PUBLIC PROPERTY

California Gov. Gavin Newsom waits for President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump to step off Air Force One upon their arrival at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Jan. 24. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)

A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital on Friday. The bill is sponsored by Mike Gipson, a Democratic lawmaker who represents Los Angeles.

Two years ago, Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 1306, which called for similar actions.

“This bill prohibits the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from providing any information or responding to a request for coordination from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal law enforcement agency, regarding the imminent release of an incarcerated non-citizen, if the person is being released under specific circumstances,” Newsom wrote at the time.

TRUMP-SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA SHERIFF TO LAUNCH REPUBLICAN BID FOR GOVERNOR IN RACE TO SUCCEED NEWSOM: SOURCES

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement knocks on the door of an alleged suspect during a recent operation in Chicago, Ill. Assembly Bill 15 would prevent California’s prison system from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The bill would prevent information sharing and coordination upon a person’s release from CDCR custody for a significant number of people and, as a result, would impede CDCR’s interaction with a federal law enforcement agency charged with assessing public safety risks,” he continued.

“I believe current law strikes the right balance on limiting interaction to support community trust and cooperation between law enforcement and local communities. For this reason, I cannot sign this bill,” Newsom concluded.

A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officer holds a pair of handcuffs at the Short-Term Restricted Housing Unit of California State Prison, Sacramento. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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More than 10,500 California inmates have been transferred into ICE custody since Newsom took office in 2019, KCRA 3 reported, citing prison system data.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

February 14, 2025
California taxpayers paying billions for illegal immigrants’ healthcare

A California budget official revealed this week that taxpayers in the Democrat-run state are paying billions of dollars more on healthcare for illegal immigrants than previously known.

Guadalupe Manriquez, the California Department of Finance program budget manager, told the state Assembly Budget Committee Monday the state is “spending $9.5 billion total funds” to “cover undocumented individuals in Medi-Cal” in the current year.

Manriquez explained that this is a “revised number based on the governor’s budget-updated estimates,” adding the earlier figure was from the earlier “budget act.”

CALIFORNIA FAMILIES CELEBRATE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PROBE INTO STATE’S REFUSAL TO FOLLOW TRANS ATHLETE ORDER

The California State Capitol July 17, 2022, in Sacramento. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“Of the $9.5 billion, $8.4 billion is general fund,” she said.

Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio noted that the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants could be enough to help solve some of the state’s budget woes and “avoid going into the rainy day fund,” The Center Square reported. He said the number originally floated was roughly $6 billion.

A new state law enacted at the start of 2024 ensures that “immigration status doesn’t matter” for those looking to apply for taxpayer-backed insurance, according to the state’s health department website.

ICE ARRESTS HOMELESS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO ASKED TO BE DETAINED OR ELSE HE WOULD ‘GO OUT AND COMMIT CRIMES’

California Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (CQ/Getty)

California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement that gutting the insurance availability for illegal immigrants would make a significant dent in the state’s deficit.

“California’s budget is $30 billion in the red, but instead of tightening its belt, Sacramento is doubling down on reckless spending,” the Republican said.

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“The state is shelling out $9.5 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants while emergency rooms overflow, hospitals teeter on the brink and working Californians struggle to see a doctor,” he continued. “Rather than making responsible choices, leaders are raiding the rainy-day fund to keep the spending spree going. This isn’t just a budget crisis — it’s a complete failure of leadership.”

Democratic Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo said during the hearing that healthcare costs are a major target of the new administration, which leads to uncertainty for the state.

California state law allows illegal immigrants to apply for taxpayer-backed health insurance. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

“We know that today unelected Elon Musk and DOGE have taken their sights to Medicare and Medicaid, which is Medi-Cal here in California. And that is, you know, well over half of our budget,” the lawmaker said.

The spending discussion comes at a time when the federal government is conducting a major crackdown on illegal immigration, including raids done by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and much stricter policies at the border itself.

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Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together and a Fox News contributor, said it’s “yet another example of California Democrats’ totally wrong priorities.”

“Here’s yet another example of California Democrats’ totally wrong priorities. They have nearly doubled the state budget in the last ten years, yet over a third of Californians cannot meet their basic needs,” Hilton said.

“We have the highest poverty rate in America. We pay the highest taxes and get the worst results. People are asking, “Where did all our money go?” And here’s the answer: ideological obsessions like this — free healthcare for people who are here illegally. People have had enough of all this. There’s going to be change in California sooner than people think.”

Cameron Arcand is a politics writer at Fox News Digital in Washington D.C. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @cameron_arcand

February 13, 2025
In-N-Out relocating headquarters within California, opening office in Tennessee

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In-N-Out said this week it is relocating its headquarters back to Baldwin Park in Los Angeles County to “bring its West Coast headquarters team back together under one roof.”

With that consolidation, the burger chain will close the corporate office it has maintained for decades in Irvine, a city southeast of Los Angeles in Orange County.

In-N-Out will close its Irvine office in 2029, the company said. More than 500 corporate employees work out of that office.

In-N-Out Burger. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Harry and Esther Snyder founded the burger chain in Baldwin Park 77 years ago, so the move to shutter the Irvine office and move its headquarters in Baldwin Park will mark a return to the company’s origins.

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The decision comes as In-N-Out is poised to debut a new 100,000-square-foot eastern territory office near Nashville late next year.

The In-N-Out burger chain cited crime woes for the closure of an Oakland location earlier this year. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

In-N-Out said a “majority” of its corporate team will be based out of Baldwin Park or the eastern territory office after its Irvine office closes its doors.

“Some of our associates will be relocating to Tennessee, which makes it even more important to centralize our western headquarters in one location, and our company’s deepest roots are in Baldwin Park. Our West Coast family will be together in one place, where In-N-Out Burger began,” owner Lynsi Snyder said in a statement.

IN-N-OUT EXEC CITES CRIME WOES OVER OAKLAND LOCATION CLOSURE: ‘GUNSHOTS WENT THROUGH THE STORE’

The company unveiled plans for its eastern territory office near Nashville in early 2023.

“I’m proud to welcome In-N-Out Burger, an iconic American brand, to the Volunteer State,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said when In-N-Out announced its plans for the state. “Tennessee’s unmatched business climate, skilled workforce and central location make our state the ideal place for this family-run company to establish its first eastern United States hub.”

In-N-Out Burger at Safe Kids Day 2017 at Smashbox Studios April 23, 2017, in Culver City, Calif. (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Safe Kids Worldwide / Getty Images)

The company’s creation of a Nashville-area office involves a $125.5 million investment, the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development said in January 2023.

The company is also bringing its burger joints to Tennessee, with the first restaurants targeting openings next year.

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There are several hundred In-N-Out restaurants scattered across eight states, including California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Colorado and Idaho.

February 13, 2025
Five Walgreens stores in Southern California reportedly closing

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A handful of Walgreens retail pharmacy stores in Southern California are expected to close permanently.

The company plans to shut down five locations in Whittier, Los Angeles, Orange, Placentia and Stanton in late March, Walgreens confirmed to FOX Business.

“Increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures” impacting the “ability to cover” rent, staffing and supply costs played into the pharmacy store chain’s decision to shutter the locations, Walgreens said in a statement.

“When closures are necessary, like those here in California, we will work in partnership with community stakeholders to minimize customer disruptions,” the company said.

Walgreens unveiled a “footprint optimization program” last year that it said would entail shedding about 1,200 locations over a three-year period. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Los Angeles Daily News earlier reported on the upcoming closures.

WALGREENS CEO REVEALS ANTI-THEFT MEASURES OF LOCKING UP PRODUCTS HAD THE OPPOSITE EFFECT

A merchandise aisle and a prescription sign at a Walgreens store in New York City. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via / Getty Images)

This comes after news of a dozen Walgreens stores in San Francisco facing closure later this month. The company previously cited the impact of “increased regulatory and reimbursement pressures” on costs for those locations as well.

A DOZEN WALGREENS STORES IN SAN FRANCISCO TO CLOSE

Walgreens unveiled a “footprint optimization program” last year that it said would entail shedding about 1,200 locations over a three-year period. A total of roughly 500 will shutter in fiscal 2025, the company said at the time.

CEO Tim Wentworth said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call last month that the “cornerstone of our turnaround is stabilizing the U.S. retail pharmacy business” and that Walgreens “showed progress across several key planks of this plan,” including its footprint optimization program.

WALGREENS TO CLOSE 1,200 STORES AS PART OF TURNAROUND EFFORT

He said the company “expect[s] our future footprint to support stronger performance.”

An exterior view of a Walgreens store in Mill Valley, California, is seen on Jan. 6, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Currently, we see comparable front end sales in our retained store fleet outperforming those stores slated to close this year by approximately 250 basis points and comparable pharmacy scripts by approximately 390 basis points,” Wentworth said. “To be clear, even with our future footprint, we have to execute on our longer-term merchandising and consumer engagement initiatives in order to grow. However, this data supports our view that the smaller footprint will be a healthier one for our company.”

In the first quarter of fiscal 2025, Walgreens Boots Alliance generated $39.46 billion in sales. The company reported a net loss of $265 million, or 31 cents per share.

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WBA WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE INC. 9.47 +0.11 +1.18%

February 13, 2025
Trump supporting California sheriff to launch GOP run for governor in race to succeed Newsom: sources

A tough-on-crime Republican sheriff in southern California who was a supporter of President Trump in last year’s election will launch a campaign for Golden State governor, a source familiar confirms to Fox News.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is expected to announce his candidacy at a scheduled event Monday in Riverside, California, about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Bianco, a vocal critic of Newsom and other state Democratic leaders when it comes to the issues of crime and punishment, was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections.

WHAT SHERIFF CHAD BIANCO TOLD FOX NEWS

Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes.

MAJOR CALIFORNIA DEMOCRAT PREEDICTS FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WOULD CLEAR GUBERNATORIAL FIELD

Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. He’s been openly flirting with a 2026 gubernatorial run since at least last spring.

House Speaker Mike Johnson listens to Sheriff Chad Bianco speak during a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

When asked late last year in a Fox News interview if he knew of anyone who might be capable of producing change in Sacramento – California’s capital city – Bianco responded, “I might, I might know someone that would go there with nothing but common sense and the betterment of the citizens of California rather than some crazy ideological agenda that truly makes absolutely no sense to any of us.”

The news regarding Bianco was first reported by Politico.

It’s been nearly two decades since a Republican won statewide office in heavily blue California. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election victory.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026. (California Governor Gavin Newsom YouTube channel)

There has been plenty of speculation since former Vice President Kamala Harris’ election defeat last November to Trump regarding her next political move, with the two potential options likely being launching a 2026 gubernatorial run in her home state of California or seeking the presidency again in 2028.

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general and U.S. senator before becoming vice president.

Sources in the former vice president’s political orbit say no decisions have been made about any next steps.

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the Democratic National Committee’s holiday reception in Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Democrats’ field for governor in the heavily blue-leaning state is already crowded.

Among the more than half-dozen candidates already running for governor are Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Harris ally, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

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Former Rep. Katie Porter, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic Senate nomination last year, has expressed interest in launching a campaign.

Additionally, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who served in Congress and as California attorney general before joining the Biden administration, is also seen as a potential contender.

Former Fox News Channel host and conservative commentator Steve Hilton is considering a Republican run for California governor.

In California, unlike most other states, the top two finishers in a primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election.

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February 13, 2025
California families celebrate Trump administration’s probe into state’s refusal to follow trans athlete order

President Donald Trump’s Department of Education plans to investigate California’s public school athletic association, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), for not complying with his executive order to ban transgender athletes from girls sports.

The California Family Council (CFC) praised the decision.

“The California Family Council celebrates the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to launch a Title IX investigation into the CIF for its role in allowing males to compete in girls sports,” the statement said.

“For too long, CIF has turned a blind eye to the concerns of female athletes, parents and coaches, prioritizing radical gender ideology over fairness, safety and the integrity of women’s athletics. This investigation is a crucial step toward restoring justice in high school sports.”

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Students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., wear T-shirts that say “Save Girls Sports” to protest a transgender athlete on the cross-country team. (Courtesy of Sophia Lorey)

CFC Outreach Director Sophia Lorey said the Trump administration’s intervention has made her cry “tears of joy.”

“As a four-year CIF varsity athlete and a three-year captain, I have been fighting for all girls to have the same athletic opportunities I had,” Lorey said. “CIF’s policies have undermined decades of hard-fought victories for female athletes, and it’s time for them to answer for the harm they’ve caused. CIF has ignored these injustices for too long, and we hope this investigation will finally force them to put the safety and fairness of girls over the feelings of confused boys.”

Lorey has advocated for girls affected by transgender athlete inclusion in California for three years.

Lorey intervened at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, in the fall, when a national controversy erupted over a transgender athlete who took a varsity spot from a girls’ cross-country runner.

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That girl, Taylor Starling, then took matters into her own hands when she and teammate Kaitlyn Slavin made T-shirts that said “Save GIrls Sports” and started wearing them to school. They then filed a lawsuit against the school district when administrators allegedly scolded them for wearing the shirts and compared them to swastikas.

Starling’s father, Ryan Starling, expressed his gratitude to the Trump administration for taking action to investigate the state’s defiance of the recent executive order.

“Our family can’t thank President Trump enough. We are so excited to see common sense prevailing. This has been a long-fought battle for so many people on so many fronts. The battle is not over in the state of California, but each day we are moving a step closer because of so many courageous people like Taylor and Kaitlyn,” Ryan Starling told Fox News Digital.

Even school administrators who work within the jurisdiction of the CIF are celebrating the DOE’s investigation.

Transgender athlete supporter Kyle Harp, left, of Riverside, holds a pride flag as “Save Girls Sports” supporters Lori Lopez and her father, Pete Pickering, listen to debate over the rights of transgender athletes outside the Riverside Unified School District Dec. 19, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Chino Unified School Board President Sonja Shaw told Fox News Digital she is calling for consequences for all the institutions that have allowed transgender athletes to participate in girls sports.

“As a mother of two CIF athletes, school board president and advocate for children, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of these policies. Girls are being pushed aside, their safety is compromised and their opportunities are being stolen,” Shaw said.

“This investigation is a critical step in the right direction, but we need real, decisive action. CIF — and any entity that violates Title IX — must face consequences, including the withdrawal of funding.

“We warned you, CIF. Now, face the consequences.”

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Amber French, a women’s swimmer at California Baptist University, argued the CIF allowing transgender athletes to compete with girls will deprive biological female athletes of college opportunities and jeopardizes their safety.

“If you allow males to compete in female sports, less females will have the opportunity to go to CIF and swim in front of college coaches to get recruited,” French told Fox News Digital. “Allowing males who do not want to compete against their sex compete in female races takes away from all the hard-working female athletes. There are separate categories for a reason.

“This investigation is the first step to protect the integrity, safety and opportunities of female sports.”

The CIF told Fox News Digital it has been notified of the forthcoming investigation.

“While the CIF has been notified of the investigation, we do not comment on pending investigations,” a CIF spokesperson said.

Trump’s DOE will also be investigating Minnesota’s high school athletics association for refusing to comply with the executive order.

The DOE is also investigating San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for separate incidents involving transgender athletes competing on a women’s or girls sports team.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 13, 2025
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The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)’s refusal to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports has prompted outrage within the state.

On Friday, residents gathered in Long Beach, California, to protest outside of a CIF federated board meeting.

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The protesters then spoke at the board meeting, pleading with the CIF officials to follow the president’s order.

Protesters even threatened civil lawsuits against the CIF and state in case they continue to refuse compliance with Trump. Currently, there is one lawsuit against the CIF and the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, over a situation at Martin Luther King High School involving a trans athlete on the girls’ cross-country team.

“There will be more lawsuits to follow if the CIF does not follow federal law,” said Julianne Fleischer, a Legal Counsel at Advocates for Faith & Freedom, at the event. “I want CIF to know that it is important you follow federal law or you will be held accountable for failing to enforce federal law throughout the school districts … with more lawsuits they’re going to spend significant funds on litigation.”

Trump’s executive order states that any school receiving federal funding that allows biological males to compete in the girls’ or women’s category will lose that federal funding. According to USA Facts, California public schools receive about $16.8 billion per year, which is 13.9% or one in every seven dollars of public school funding, which is well above the national average.

Many of the protesters there made it a point to warn the state of the consequences of losing that federal funding.

A California school district employee showed up at the protest to plead with the CIF to follow Trump’s order. Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School Board President, spoke from her perspective as a mother and became visibly emotional when she scolded the CIF for its decision, calling it “shameful.”

“Whoever is in CIF at the top level putting out those woke weird toolkit on telling boys about how to compete against girls, if you’re a part of that, you’re disgusting, and you need to step out of here,” Shaw said.

In California, a law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014, giving California students at the scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

California Code of Regulations section 4910(k) defines gender as, “A person’s actual sex or perceived sex includes a person’s perceived identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with a person’s sex at birth.”

CIF Bylaw 300.D. mirrors the Education Code, stating, “All students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.”

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These laws and the subsequent enabling of trans athletes to compete with girls and women in the state have resulted in multiple controversies over the issue in the last year alone.

At Martin Luther King High School, the father of a girl who lost her varsity spot to the trans cross-country athlete previously told Fox News Digital that his daughter and other girls at the school had been told that “transgenders have more rights than cisgender[s]” by school administrators when they protested the athlete’s participation.

That father, longtime firefighter Ryan Starling, showed up at the protests and board meeting on Friday and shared his daughter’s story.

“We’re asking you guys today to be bold and be brave and stand up for our girls,” Starling said.

Starling also suggested that the CIF set up a category specifically for trans athletes, to avoid exclusion.

“How about you make an open category? Start protecting our girls immediately so that everybody can still compete, but that everybody has their place,” Starling said.

Starling’s family is a plaintiff in the current lawsuit against CIF and Bonta. The suit challenges AB 1266, which allows transgender athletes to compete against girls and women, claiming it is a Title IX violation.

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“Plaintiffs seek a federal ruling that AB 1266 violates Title IX as well as a decision holding the District accountable for violating their First Amendment rights. They demand injunctive relief to stop schools from forcing biological girls to compete with and against males, a judgment affirming sex-based protections in athletics and compensation for damages caused by these discriminatory policies,” an Advocates for Faith & Freedom spokesperson said.

The issue of trans athletes competing with girls and women has caused other controversies within the state in recent months.

Stone Ridge Christian High School’s girls’ volleyball team was scheduled to face San Francisco Waldorf in the Northern California Division 6 tournament but forfeited in an announcement just before the match over the presence of a trans athlete on the team.

A transgender volleyball player was booed and harassed at an Oct. 12 match between Notre Dame Belmont in Belmont, California, and Half Moon Bay High School, according to ABC 7. Half Moon Bay rostered the transgender athlete.

California State Assembly member Kate Sanchez announced on Jan. 7 that she is introducing a bill to ban trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. Sanchez will propose the Protect Girls’ Sports Act to the state legislature. Currently, 25 states have similar laws in effect.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 8, 2025