Latest news with #CaliforniaState
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump preparing large-scale cancellation of federal funding for California, sources say
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a roundtable in the State Dining Room at the White House on June 5 in Washington, DC. (via CNN Newsource) The Trump administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding for California, an effort that could begin as soon as Friday, according to multiple sources. Agencies are being told to start identifying grants the administration can withhold from California. Sources said the administration is specifically considering a full termination of federal grant funding for the University of California and California State University systems. 'No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country,' White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement Friday afternoon, criticizing California for its energy, immigration and other policies. 'No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation.' Singling out one state for massive cuts would be an unusual move, but U.S. President Donald Trump has long made Democratic-led California a target. Just last month, he threatened to withhold federal funding from California over a transgender athlete's participation in a sporting event — the latest example of the president trying to use funding as leverage to enact his agenda. The administration recently cut US$126.4 million in flood prevention funding projects, and Trump repeatedly went after the state's handling of devastating wildfires earlier this year. The president and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have also publicly feuded for years. Two sources said that the administration is targeting California universities over alleged antisemitism on campus, an issue the schools have made efforts to address over the past year. The administration has already taken steps to punish Harvard and Columbia universities for similar reasons. The UC system is the state's third largest employer, and both systems are major engines of research in the biotechnology and medical fields, among others. It is unclear how the school systems plan to fight back, though it is possible they could be represented by the state's attorney general, Rob Bonta, a Democrat. CNN has reached out to Bonta's office, the UC system and the CSU system for comment. California Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the top Democrat on the Science, Space and Technology Committee, said, 'Trump is a bully. We've now heard from sources that he may be intending to cut grants to California because we didn't vote for him and we're Democratically inclined. … I will fight back on this. This will be immediately challenged in court.' Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another California Democrat, said: 'Whatever cruel crusade the President may announce against California, we will fight back.' California's state legislature appropriated $25 million in its budget for efforts to fight Trump administration policies and has spent only approximately $5 million of that so far, a source said. GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of California, who said he was unaware of the imminent grant cancellations, told CNN he recently met with university representatives who were concerned about the future of their funding. 'Every university, every research organization, pretty much I saw them passing through here the last two days,' Issa said. Issa told CNN his message to the fearful university representatives was, 'We're going to advocate for essentials, but I sent them back and said come to me with specifics. Come to me with the grant and the justification, and I'll advocate for that. But I'm not going to advocate for no cuts; you just get more money every year. That's how we got in this problem.' Article by Annie Grayer, Gabe Cohen and Betsy Klein.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump escalates war on Gavin Newsom by threatening to rip millions of federal dollars from California
With his public battle with Elon Musk going into overdrive, President Donald Trump 's team has made preparations to yank money from California in connection with another standoff, according to a report. Days after threatening to withhold 'large scale federal funding' from California, aides are identifying potential grants to pull back in a clash over the state's policy on transgender athletes. A whistleblower told a congressional committee that all research grants to the state are set to be nixed, CNN reported. Agencies are being told to identify grants to the nation's wealthiest state, which is a Democratic stronghold. A White House official dismissed the idea that any action was imminent, while agreeing that officials are always trying to identify spending for elimination throughout the government. 'No decisions have been made,' the official told when asked about the state of play. Trump signed executive orders before leaving the White House Friday dealing with drone technology, but the White House announced no action on California. Real or not, Trump's threat has gotten the attention of California's educational institutions, which are among the most prominent in the nation and rely on billions in federal funding. 'Every university, every research organization, pretty much I saw them passing through here the last two days,' Rep. Darrell Issa told the network. The report comes days after Trump threatened to yank federal funding to California after a transgender athlete won the long jump and triple jump in a school meet and qualified for the state championships. The athlete, AB Hermandez, went on to win gold in the high jump and triple jump at the state Track and Field Championships last weekend. University of California system identified $4 billion in awards it got from the federal government in 2024, an 11 percent drop from the prior year. The threat came in late May asTrump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom, who he called 'Newscum,' and called the high school sporting results results 'not fair and totally demeaning to women and girls.' 'Please be advised that large scale federal funding will be held back, maybe permanently,' Trump threatened on his Truth Social site. He said he would speak to the governor today. Then, without citing a specific legal basis, Trump wrote that 'I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!' His post came after transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley won the women's long jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet. A week prior, Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School, one of the opponents defeated by Hernandez, a biological male, took the podium following the official ceremony. The moment took off online, and earned praise from former college swimmer and conservative political activist Riley Gaines. In March, Hernandez drew backlash online after winning a triple jump event by three feet. Trump fumed about the results of the weekend's meet, and teased an upcoming phone call with Newsom. He wrote: 'California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS.' 'This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won 'everything,' and is now qualified to compete in the 'State Finals' next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable.' Then, he added in all caps, 'this is not fair and totally demeaning to women and girls.' Trump went on to threaten: 'Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to. 'The Governor, himself, said it is 'UNFAIR.' I will speak to him today to find out which way he wants to go??? In the meantime I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!' Trump's public pressure on Newsom comes after the leading Democrat and potential 2028 presidential contender hedged on the issue on his podcast in March, in comments to conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 'I think it's an issue of fairness I completely agree with you on that ... It's deeply unfair,' Newsom said. 'By the way, as someone with four kids, two daughters — and a wife that went, God forbid, to Stanford and played on the junior national soccer team,' Newsom said. 'I revere sports, and so the issue of fairness is completely legit,' he said. He also told Kirk how Trump and Republicans were able to 'weaponize' the issue politically. 'I'm not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you,' Newsom said of the hot-button topic that Trump highlighted throughout his successful campaign. California lawmakers opted last month not to change the state's policies on participation of transgender athletes after Democrats on two state Assembly committees turned back Republican proposals on the issue following heated debate. During an April press conference, when asked if there should be legal restrictions on transgender athletes, Newsom responded that 'I'm about as transparent about this as anybody out there, particularly in my party, on this, and to the extent someone can and do it in a way that's respectful and responsible and could find a kind of balance, then I'm open to that discussion.' The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimates there are 49,000 trans youths aged 13 to 17 in California. Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office titled 'defending women from gender ideology extremism and restoring biological truth to the federal government.'
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Washington Post
Trump and Republicans are targeting blue states' climate policies
The Senate voted Thursday to block California from enforcing a rule that would ban sales of new gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035, a move that could have far-reaching implications for auto sales in a dozen states. The vote marks Republicans' latest effort to curtail state-level efforts to tackle climate change, even as President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have empowered states to set their own education policies and abortion laws.
