Happy New Year 2025

Tag: California

Walz’s home state joins California in ignoring Trump’s executive order to ban transgenders from girls sports

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite President Donald Trump’s executive order to ban them from doing so.

Trump on Wednesday signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order, fulfilling one of his major campaign promises of keeping biological men out of girls and women’s sports.

The Minnesota organization said in an email to member schools that participation by, and eligibility of, transgender athletes is controlled by the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which includes protections for LGBTQ+ people, and the Minnesota Constitution.

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President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s or girls sporting events in the East Room of the White House Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“The Minnesota State High School League, similar to other youth sports organizations, is subject to state anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity,” the organization said in a statement. “Therefore, students in Minnesota are allowed to participate consistent with their gender identity.”

Minnesota joins California in ignoring Trump’s executive order. The state is governed by Tim Walz, who was Kamala Harris’ running mate for the 2024 election; the Democrats won the state.

The state was home to a Supreme Court case where a transgender powerlifter was continuing the fight to compete against biological women.

Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women’s sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females.

President Donald Trump signs the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

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Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump’s executive order would be to create a “pressure campaign” for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

In response to Trump’s order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender.

During Trump’s ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028.

The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.

Save Women’s Sports advisor Beth Stelzer holds a press conference outside the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championship at Georgia Tech in Atlanta March 17, 2022. (Brett Davis/USA Today Sports)

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The study, “Violence against women and girls in sports,” said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 8, 2025
Allstate says California wildfires to bring company $1.1 billion in losses

New York City real estate agents Dolly and Jenny Lenz discuss the Los Angeles wildfires and the impact it will have on the local housing market on ‘FOX Business Live.’

Allstate said the wildfires that blazed through Southern California last month will bring the insurance company a sizable loss.

CEO Tom Wilson said in a statement Wednesday that the wildfire-related losses are “expected to be about $1.1 billion, pre-tax, net of reinsurance, reflecting a decision to reduce market share beginning in 2007 and a comprehensive reinsurance program.”

Allstate’s expected loss from the Los Angeles-area wildfires was disclosed in the insurance company’s fourth-quarter earnings release.

A sign is shown on the entrance of an Allstate brokerage office on February 7, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. Allstate Corp. today reported fourth-quarter earnings which exceeded Wall Street expectations. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (Scott Olson/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The company’s share of the California homeowners market stood at 5.8% at the end of 2023, down significantly from 12.6% 15 years ago, according to Allstate.

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Allstate Property Liability President Mario Rizzo said during the company’s earnings call that it had “responded quickly and empathetically to help customers and communities after the tragic wildfires in Southern California.”

Multiple wildfires devastated parts of the Los Angeles area last month, killing over two dozen people. One of the blazes, the Palisades Fire, scorched through 23,700 acres and razed over 6,800 structures.

View of damaged structures and homes caused by the wildfires in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on January 11, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

A view of fire-ravaged beach property overlooking the Pacific Ocean, which burned as a result of the Palisades Fire on January 12, 2025, in Malibu, California. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“We deployed mobile claim centers and over 900 team members to assist customers. Helping our customers recover from the fires is our principal priority,” Rizzo said. “The financial impact of the wildfires reflects the comprehensive risk and return approach we’ve taken to managing the homeowners insurance business.”

The estimated $1.1 billion loss will appear in the company’s first-quarter earnings.

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ALL THE ALLSTATE CORP. 191.88 -1.13 -0.59%

Rizzo said that Allstate would “continue to monitor the development of this event and give an update later in February.

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The company generated $64.1 billion in 2024, including $16.6 billion in the fourth quarter. Its adjusted annual net income came in at $4.9 billion.

As of Friday, shares of Allstate were roughly flat from the start of 2025. Over the past 12 months, they have posted an over 20% increase.

February 7, 2025
Harris dodges questions about political future, possible run for California governor

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is not giving any hints about her political future, despite speculation of a possible California gubernatorial bid in 2026.

Harris has mostly kept quiet since leaving Washington, D.C., last month after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, aside from a Jan. 20 visit to Altadena, California, to tour the Eaton wildfire damage.

On Thursday, the former vice president toured areas damaged by the Palisades Fire and spoke with displaced residents at a Red Cross shelter. When addressing reporters that same day, Harris made it clear that she is not ready to announce her next move just yet.

“I have been home for two weeks and three days,” Harris said. “My plans are to be in touch with my community, to be in touch with the leaders and figure out what I can do to support them.”

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When pressed by Fox 11 LA about her political future, Harris said she “would be here no matter what office I hold because it is the right thing to do.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, right, hugs County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath as she tours a fire damaged neighborhood with LA County officials. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

While the former vice president has not commented on President Donald Trump’s response to the California wildfires, a Harris advisor told Fox 11 that the two former rivals have spoken multiple times behind the scenes.

After the Pacific Palisades visit, Harris and former second gentleman Doug Emhoff were spotted at the Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors NBA game at LA’s Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

Former Vice-President Kamala Harris enjoys a game between the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Political insiders and Americans alike have speculated on Harris’ next moves after her crushing loss to Trump in November. During a desk drawer signing ceremony — a decadeslong tradition — Harris told staff that she would not “go quietly into the night,” and that their “work is not done.”

Late last month, New York Magazine reported that Harris was seeking advice from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who also lost to Trump during her own White House bid.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris tours a damaged neighborhood with LA County officials on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Prior to her time as vice president, Harris represented California in the U.S. Senate and served as the state’s attorney general. Her political experience in the state has led many to believe that she may seek the top spot. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s time in office will end in 2026, and due to the state’s term limits, he is ineligible to run again.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, left, is thanked by resident Jaimee Longo as she tours a fire-damaged neighborhood. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Amid speculation about a possible gubernatorial run, there are also those who wonder if Harris will try for the White House again. In 2019, Harris launched her first presidential bid, which ended with her in the number two slot alongside Biden.

Harris’ second presidential bid had an unusual start after Biden ended his re-election campaign in July 2024 and immediately endorsed his vice president. Harris’ campaign ended in a crushing defeat, as Trump won both the Electoral College and popular votes.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

February 7, 2025
California plans to continue allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports despite Trump executive order

The State of California and its public school athletics association has indicated it will not fall in line with President Donald Trump’s latest executive order to keep trans athletes out of girls’ and women’s sports.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

California Family Council Outreach Director Sophia Lorey told Fox News Digital that her state’s intent to defy Trump’s executive order has made her feel “disgusted.”

“I am disgusted that CIF is disregarding yesterday’s executive order and instead doubling down on policies that are not only unfair, but dangerous for young women across California. By prioritizing their idol of transgender ideology over the safety and rights of female athletes, they are knowingly exposing high school girls to unsafe competition and stripping them of opportunities guaranteed for them under Title IX,” Lorey told Fox News Digital.

“One day, the CIF board will look back and realize they chose to be on the wrong side of history. They will have to answer for why they sacrificed the safety, fairness, and dignity of young girls to bow to an ideological agenda. But the rest of us will not stand by while female athletes are illegally prevented from competing fairly in their own sports.”

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President Donald Trump signs the No Men in Women’s Sports Executive Order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 5, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

The NCAA announced Thursday that it has amended its policy on gender eligibility so that biological males are no longer allowed to compete in the women’s category in response to Trump’s order.

However, at the youth and high school level, girls may still be at the mercy of state law.

In California, a law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014, giving California students at 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 and 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.”

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

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Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, is currently embroiled in one of the most contentious local controversies on the issue.

A recent school board meeting by the Riverside Unified School District on Dec. 19 featured a parade of parents berating the board for allowing a trans athlete on the Martin Luther King girls’ cross-country team. A lawsuit filed by two girls on the team alleges that their T-shirts in protest of that player were compared to swastikas simply because they said “Save Girls Sports.”

The father of a girl who lost her varsity spot to the trans athlete previously told Fox News Digital that his daughter and other girls at the school were told “transgenders have more rights than cisgender[s]” by school administrators when they protested the athlete’s participation.

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, against Half Moon Bay High School, according to ABC 7. Half Moon Bay rostered the transgender athlete.

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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.

“Young women who have spent years training and sacrificing to compete at the highest level are now forced to compete against individuals with undeniable biological advantages. It’s not just unfair – it’s disheartening and dangerous,” Sanchez said in a statement announcing the bill.

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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 7, 2025
Major California Democrat predicts Kamala Harris would be ‘field-clearing’ if former VP runs for governor

California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he will support former Vice President Kamala Harris if she decides to run for Golden State governor in 2026.

Bonta, a former state lawmaker who has served as California attorney general since 2021, says he will run for re-election next year rather than launch a gubernatorial campaign, putting to rest speculation about his next political moves.

“Kamala Harris would be a great governor,” Bonta said in an interview with Politico.

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he would seek re-election in 2026 rather than run for governor. (Loren Elliott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“I would support her if she ran. I’ve always supported her in everything she’s done. She would be field-clearing,” he said as he added that he had not spoken directly with Harris about any potential run for governor.

WHY CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM IS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot run for re-election again in 2026.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with Fox News Digital at the Donald Trump-Joe Biden presidential debate on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before becoming vice president.

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

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

However, Harris, in a video message to the Democratic National Committee, as it huddled for its winter meeting last weekend, pledged to be with the party “every step of the way,” which appeared to be a signal she still has political ambitions.

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her remarks at the Democratic National Committee’s Holiday Reception at Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, 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.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in New Hampshire.

February 5, 2025
Walmart to cut jobs, relocate some employees to Arkansas, California hubs

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Exclusive: Walmart – the nation’s largest private employer – is eliminating hundreds of roles and closing one of its North Carolina offices as it continues to pull workers back to its main hubs in California and Arkansas, according to an internal memo seen by FOX Business on Tuesday.

Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris said in the memo sent to employees that the company is cutting roles and asking office-based employees in Hoboken and some of its smaller offices to relocate to the company’s newly opened headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, as well as its office in Sunnyvale, California.

WALMART CHANGING TITLES, PAY STRUCTURE FOR CORPORATE STAFF

“We are making these changes to put key capabilities together, encouraging speed and shared understanding,” Morris said in the memo. “Through this review process, we have eliminated some roles as we streamline how we work.”

Walmart didn’t specify how many people will be affected, as the employees who are being asked to relocate will have at least a month to inform the company if they plan to move to the main hubs.

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A shot of Helen’s Amphitheater on Walmart’s new campus in Arkansas. (Walmart)

The decision announced on Tuesday is part of a broader relocation strategy unveiled in May 2024, when Walmart initiated the first phase of relocating employees by asking staff from offices in Dallas, Atlanta and Toronto to move to Walmart’s corporate headquarters in Bentonville, its Hoboken, New Jersey, office or its California location. Any employees still working remotely at that time were also called back to the office.

Walmart began requiring workers to return to the office in February 2022, saying it boosts collaboration, innovation and faster work processes, while also strengthening company culture.

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As the corporate world began to ditch remote work, Walmart constructed a new 350-acre campus in Bentonville, where it opened office buildings last month. The campus has 12 office buildings, along with amenity buildings, parking decks and surface lots.

Pedestrians with bicycles at the main downtown square in Bentonville, Arkansas, on Nov. 21, 2022. (Terra Fondriest/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The company is also opening new office spaces in Sunnyvale and Bellevue, Washington, while expanding its office in Hoboken and its fashion office in New York City.

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“Our values and culture are strategic differentiators for us as a company, and they are fostered by being together,” Morris said in the memo. “We’ve already seen the benefits of having more teams working together in person, and today we are sharing another step that will help accelerate our momentum.”

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WMT WALMART INC. 100.74 +1.20 +1.21%

Morris said the company will help affected employees “navigate the path forward, including providing relocation support or severance.”

February 4, 2025
State Farm asks California to approve rate hikes after wildfires

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California homeowners, already devastated by last month’s wildfires, could see their insurance rates go up by more than 20% if they’re covered by State Farm.

California’s largest private insurer, State Farm, is seeking a 22% average rate increase for homeowners. In a letter urging the California Department of Insurance (CDI) to “immediately approve” the request, State Farm said the hikes would help “avert a dire situation.”

An aerial view of homes which burned in the Eaton Fire on Jan. 19, 2025, in Altadena, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images / Getty Images)

CALIFORNIA INSURANCE CRISIS: LIST OF CARRIERS THAT HAVE FLED OR REDUCED COVERAGE IN THE STATE

The insurer is looking to increase rates by 22% for non-tenant homeowners, 15% for renters and condo owners, and 38% for rental dwellings. In its open letter to the CDI, State Farm says the increased rates would go into effect on May 1, 2025.

“As of February 1st, State Farm General (Fire only) has received more than 8,700 claims and has already paid more than $1 billion to customers,” the insurer wrote in a press release on its website. “State Farm General will ultimately pay out significantly more, as collectively these fires will be the costliest disasters in the history of State Farm General.”

Homes burn as powerful winds drive the Eaton Fire on Jan. 7, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (David McNew/Getty Images / Getty Images)

WILL HURRICANES AND WILDFIRES CAUSE INSURANCE PRICES TO RISE NATIONWIDE?

The insurer added that it must increase current rates to ensure it could pay possible future claims. Additionally, State Farm announced that rates for Californians would be going up because the “risk is greater” in the Golden State.

“We look forward to working alongside regulators, policymakers and industry leaders on creating a sustainable insurance environment in California – one that balances risk and increased rates, ensures long-term market stability and keeps insurers like State Farm General a vital part of California’s future,” the company said.

State Farm faced backlash at the height of the wildfires over a March 2024 announcement that it would discontinue coverage of 72,000 home and apartment policies in the summer. In March 2024, the insurer issued a letter to the CDI, saying the depletion of State Farm’s capital was “alarm signaling the grave need for rapid and transformational action.”

A firefighting plane makes a drop on the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images / Getty Images)

STATE FARM, OTHER INSURERS SLAMMED FOR DROPPING COVERAGE

While insurers can and do receive approvals for larger increases — State Farm secured a 20% increase in home and auto premiums in January 2024 and subsequently requested a 30% increase for home policies last summer — the process can be time-consuming and the size of rate hikes approved by the regulator may not be sufficient for insurers to continue offering policies while preserving their financial stability.

The January 2025 wildfires only highlighted California’s ongoing insurance crisis as several providers had already fled the state, stopped writing new policies or otherwise reduced their risk exposure in the Golden State. This includes Allstate, Nationwide, and Farmers.

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As of Tuesday, according to Cal Fire, the wildfires burned more than 57,600 acres and destroyed over 16,200 structures.

February 4, 2025
Families sue California AG over trans athlete law after girl loses varsity spot to transgender competitor

The families of two teenage girls are suing California Attorney General Rob Bonta over the state’s laws that allow transgender athletes to compete in girls sports.

A lawsuit was filed by Ryan Starling, the father of Taylor Starling; Daniel and Cynthia Slavin, the parents to Kaitlyn Slavin; and Save Girls Sports, according to court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The listed defendants are Bonta and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, along with the Riverside Unified School district and administrators Leann Iacuone and Amanda Chann.

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A gender-neutral bathroom at the University of California, Irvine in Irvine, Calif. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

The suit challenges a law in California that allows transgender athletes to compete against girls and women, claiming it is a Title IX violation.

The law, AB 1266, has been in effect since 2014, giving California students at 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.”

“This law conflicts with federal Title IX protections, which were established to ensure fairness, safety, and equal opportunities for female students and athletes,” a spokesperson for Advocates for Faith & Freedom, the legal firm representing the families, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

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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)

“AB 1266 undermines female athletes, forcing them to compete against biological males who hold undeniable physical advantages. This is not equality. This is an assault on fairness and safety.”

The lawsuit, recently amended to include Bonta and Thurmond, was initially filed in November by the Starling and Slavin families.

It alleges Taylor Starling lost her spot on the varsity cross country team at Martin Luther King High School to a transgender athlete who had just transferred to the school. Starling and Slavin also alleged that when they wore shirts that said “Save Girls Sports” in protest, they were scolded by administrators who compared the shirts to swastikas.

The plaintiffs are looking to bring statewide change to California.

“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,” the Advocates for Faith & Freedom spokesperson said.

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Transgender athlete supporters hold up signs at left as Tori Hitchcock, center, of the Young Women for America, and Salomay McCullough, right, show off their “Save Girls Sports” shirts. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Ryan Starling previously told Fox News Digital the loss of his daughter’s varsity spot disrupted his entire family emotionally, because cross country played a pivotal role in her life. And then when his daughter and other girls on the team confronted their school administrators about it, he claims, they were told “transgenders have more rights than cisgenders.”

“It’s been told multiple times to not just Taylor, but her sister,” Ryan Starling said, adding that Taylor is one of three triplets, and all three are active on varsity sports teams. “All the administrators at Martin Luther King have stated this comment, and the Title IX coordinator for the Riverside Unified School District has stated ‘that as a Cisgender girl, they do not have the same rights as a transgender girl’ to multiple girls, not just our daughters, but multiple girls on campus.”

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An RUSD spokesperson declined to give an official comment on Ryan Starling’s claims in a conversation with Fox News Digital.

The RUSD previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital insisting that its handling of the situation has been in accordance with California state law.

“While these rules were not created by RUSD, the district is committed to complying with the law and CIF regulations. California state law prohibits discrimination of students based on gender, gender identity and gender expression and specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in physical education and athletics. The protections we provide to all students are not only aligned with the law but also with our core values which include equity and well-being,” the statement said.

Dan Slavin previously told Fox News Digital his family may continue to raise awareness of this issue in the 2026 California gubernatorial election if the issue hasn’t been resolved.

“If nothing changes here in the next couple of years, it absolutely should be part of the next election,” he said.

“I want to see policies change,” Slavin added. “I keep saying the system is broken, and it’s doing more harm than good. And I want to see people understand that and admit that. Sometimes, we make mistakes, and it’s OK to admit that, but we need to make changes and get out of those mistakes we make.”

California State Assemblymember Kate Sanchez announced in early January she is introducing a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports.

Sanchez, a Republican, 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 1, 2025
‘Newsom-proof California’: Lawmaker proposes bill to strengthen fight against illegal immigration, trafficking

While legislators in the Democratic trifecta are trying to pass bills to “Trump-proof” the state, California Republican Kate Sanchez plans to introduce a bill that would crack down on what may be a “sanctuary state” loophole protecting criminal illegal immigrants involved in sex-trafficking minors.

“It would eliminate all of the unnecessary restrictions for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal law enforcement in order to go after those that have been accused or convicted of sex trafficking of minors, and currently there is a clause that they cannot communicate as openly as possible,” Sanchez told Fox News Digital in an interview.

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California Republican Assemblymember Kate Sanchez discusses her new bill to crack down on sex traffickers that may be covered under a state penal exception. (Fox News Digital Screenshot/AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

These restrictions are part of California’s “sanctuary state” policies, which are designed to limit state and local law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement. For her part, the specific provisions that Sanchez wants to amend are found in the California Values Act (SB 54), which was enacted in 2017, that restricts local law enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect or arrest individuals for immigration enforcement purposes.

There are exceptions in SB 54 for individuals convicted of certain serious or violent crimes. However, sex trafficking is not always classified as a violent felony under California law – making it so that some convicted sex traffickers may not meet the criteria for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities – potentially thwarting deportation efforts.

Sanchez argues this creates a loophole that could allow illegal immigrants who are involved in sex trafficking to remain in the U.S. after serving their sentence. In 2023, Newsom signed Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), reclassifying the trafficking of a minor as a “serious” felony, but other forms of human trafficking may still not be considered violent felonies under state law.

“So, we want to make sure we remove that piece of the penal code and allow them to communicate and do their job fully,” Sanchez said.

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President Donald Trump, center, speaks as first lady Melania Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom listen after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sanchez’s bill may align well with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan currently underway, but it faces an uphill battle in her state legislature, which is dominated by Democrats. Currently, Democratic assemblymembers – in collaboration with Newsom – are trying to pass a series of bills that would bolster the state’s legal defense against the Trump administration. The State Senate already passed the bills last week.

“It is an uphill battle in Sacramento, but I do feel the tide is turning[.]”

Democrats were set to pass the $50 million special session bill Thursday, but Assembly lawmakers reportedly blocked the package over concerns that there may be changes that need to be made to the immigration-related proposal. At issue is Newsom’s $25 million allocation for nonprofit organizations to defend illegal immigrants from deportation, and whether those funds would be used as well for criminal illegal immigrants.

Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital previously that no funds would go to criminal illegal immigrants.

NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA

Illegal migrants are detained by the U.S. Coast Guard in Southern California. ( USCG Southern California via X)

Newsom called a special legislative session quickly after Trump’s electoral victory to secure additional funding for the state’s legal defense against the administration. Reacting to the development on his TruthSocial account at the time, Trump said, “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.”

Sanchez – who says she has been shut out of the legislature’s Hispanic Caucus because she’s a Republican – said the legislature should be focusing on “fireproofing” the state, or rather, “Newsom-proofing California.”

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“Take it for what it’s worth, but I genuinely feel like there are victims and there are people in need that we should be advocating for protecting our most vulnerable, protecting the innocence of our children,” Sanchez said. “It is an uphill battle in Sacramento, but I do feel the tide is turning, and I know we will be looking to our federal counterparts to be helpful in this matter as well.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

January 31, 2025
Congressional hearing to examine overregulation in California amid wildfire disaster

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a hearing next week addressing overregulation in California following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, stating California’s “onerous regulatory regime” may have worsened the disaster, Fox News Digital has learned.

The “California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation” hearing will examine the real impacts of regulatory policy on the prevention of natural disasters, particularly in the case of California’s wildfires, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

It will also address how excessive regulation on insurance and permitting serves as a roadblock to those recovering from disasters.

Cal Fire reported more than 12,000 homes, businesses and schools were lost to the fires and more than 100,000 people have had to leave their homes.

KELSEY GRAMMER SAYS CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS ‘TOOK THEIR EYE OFF THE BALL’ IN WILDFIRES CATASTROPHE

Homes in Altadena, California, lay in ruins less than two weeks after the Eaton Fire devastated the area. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, described current disaster regulations as a “nightmare.”

“Democrat-run California’s excessive regulations make preventing and recovering from natural disasters a nightmare,” he said.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, will be looking into the handling of the California wildfires. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES: SECOND CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE AGENT CHARGED WITH PRICE GOUGING VICTIMS

Jordan added that California needs a streamlined process, as suggested by President Donald Trump, to remove regulation and ensure citizens can rebuild and prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said the wildfires were a preventable tragedy, and Congress must examine whether California’s “onerous regulatory regime” worsened the disaster.

Aftermath of fire in Pacific Palisades, California. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

“For years, California’s liberal government has prioritized environmental activism over effective forest management and disaster mitigation. Meanwhile, the politicization of their state insurance regulator has driven insurers out of the state and forced taxpayers to foot the bill,” Fitzgerald said.

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The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a hearing to examine California overregulation after the deadly Los Angeles wildfires. (Allison Robbert/Bloomberg via Getty Images | AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Witnesses will include Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together; Steven Greenhut, resident senior fellow and western region director of state affairs for the R Street Institute; and Edward Ring, director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center, according to the statement.

The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6 at 10 a.m.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.

January 30, 2025