Latest news with #KevinKiley
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Kevin Kiley is too focused on battle with Newsom to think of his constituents
'Kevin Kiley scores win against longtime nemesis Gavin Newsom,' ( May 22) The idea that Kevin Kiley 'won' in his ongoing battle against his nemesis, Gov. Gavin Newsom, is as disturbing as it is illuminating. With his relentless pursuit to demonize Newsom through social media and legislative initiatives, Kiley shows that the politics of retribution are not limited to the executive branch. But who are the winners here? Not Californians who need to breathe clean air. Not businesses connected to the electric vehicle industry. Not the voters of the third Congressional district, who have a right to expect their elected representative to pay attention to their needs instead of engaging in a years-long crusade against a fellow politician. Those who pay attention to Kiley's words and actions know this will not be the last time he misuses his public office for political gamesmanship. When an elected official uses their office as a weapon for revenge, we all lose. Barbara Smith Auburn 'California updates track meet rules after Trump threat,' ( May 27) California state law correctly protects the rights of all public school students, including trans students, to be free from discrimination while participating in school-sponsored activities. To the extent that the President of the United States and California State School Superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw, who is running on an anti-trans platform, think they have the power to restrict California's students simply because they don't like our non-discrimination laws, it just goes to show what despicable bullies they truly are. The 16-year-old trans student and her mother, who are now caught in the eye of this storm, are real-life heroines for not only standing up to the bullies holding positions of power in federal and local government, but also to hate-mongering individuals screaming at them from the track meet stands. Like the state of Maine, I have no doubt that Attorney General Rob Bonta will legally challenge any unlawful action taken by the federal government against California and our students. Wendi Ross Roseville 'A Sacramento rabbi speaks out about rising antisemitism,' ( May 24) Rabbi Reuven Taff expressed the painful reality of violent hate crimes Jewish people are experiencing at schools, synagogues, and Jewish communal facilities, like the Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Callous indifference appears to be mounting amid expressions of bigotry and discrimination against Jews. Anti-Jewish sentiment is widespread in America, and it is causing immense harm to Jewish Americans as individuals, as families, and as a community. People of conscience need to step up as allies and speak out in defense of freedom, equality and safety for Jews and in defense of the rights and welfare of Americans of all backgrounds and identities. Noam Schimmel Lecturer, UC Berkeley 'US Senate votes to overturn California bid to ban gasoline-powered vehicles,' ( May 22) Congratulations to Congress for blocking California's unprecedented and short-sighted attempt to ban gas-powered vehicles by 2035. In a stunning defeat for Gov. Gavin Newsom, this move restores some policy sanity to the once 'Golden State.' In a state leading the nation in poverty, with some of the highest costs of living, Newsom seems determined to remake the state into a haven for only the wealthy. Michael Pruden Sacramento 'California waives the rules for wildfire rebuilding projects,' ( Jan. 29) Safeguarding communities from wildfires is imperative, but the Fix Our Forests Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla, isn't the answer. The bill ignores decades of science-backed research and promotes reckless backcountry logging that fails to keep people or communities safer. It doesn't mitigate fire behavior in extreme wind-driven wildfires. It may even worsen fire risk because forest floors will experience increased exposure to the sun's drying heat, and windbreaks will be lost. We deserve legislation that protects forests and provides real defense against wildfires, not the faux fix of this bill. Jennifer Normoyle Hillsborough
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opposition grows over cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A coalition of lawmakers, families, and advocates gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday to voice strong opposition to House Republican proposals that would slash funding for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The proposals, still under negotiation, are part of broader efforts by Republican lawmakers to reduce federal spending and address the national deficit. However, critics say the proposed cuts would hurt millions of vulnerable Americans who depend on the programs for basic needs like health care and food. Dozens of advocates traveled to Washington to speak out against the potential funding reductions. Emotions ran high as speakers shared stories of how these programs have impacted their communities. 'They deserve to eat. They deserve their medications, and they deserve to live a fulfilling life,' said one advocate during the rally. 'Communities like mine will never forgive you if you don't vote no on these large cuts,' added another community member. GOP lawmakers argue the current structure of programs like Medicaid and SNAP is unsustainable and requires reform. 'We need to make sure these programs don't continue to see costs spiral out of control in a way that doesn't actually help people,' said Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.). He added that the intention is not to take coverage away, but to improve how the programs function. 'We're not going to reduce Medicaid spending, and we're certainly not going to do it in a way that causes average beneficiaries to lose their coverage,' Kiley said. Part of the Republican plan reportedly includes stricter work requirements and shifting more funding responsibility to states, though full legislative details have not yet been released. Democratic lawmakers at the rally promised to push back forcefully in upcoming budget negotiations. Several expressed concern that the cuts would disproportionately harm low-income families, children, and seniors. 'It's cruel to cut nutrition assistance from needy children, seniors, and families,' said Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.). 'This bill hands out trillions of dollars of tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations,' added Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). As the budget fight unfolds on Capitol Hill, both sides are bracing for a contentious debate over the future of America's most critical social safety net programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nature helps Gold Star families heal. That's why Rep. Kiley must protect our parks
After my son, Ken, was killed while serving his country in Iraq, I found solace in the outdoors. Whether walking on the shores of Lake Tahoe or sitting in quiet reflection at a national monument, these places gave me peace and a sense of connection to something greater than myself. That's why I care deeply about our public lands and why I am calling on my representative, Congressman Kevin Kiley, to protect them. Kiley represents one of the most beautiful districts in the country, home to Lake Tahoe, the Eastern Sierra, Mammoth Lakes, Death Valley National Park, Devils Postpile National Monument and a total of five national forests. But our national parks and forests are not just places of beauty; they are economic engines. Opinion Places like Tahoe National Forest and Death Valley National Park fuel tourism and outdoor recreation, support small businesses and generate jobs. The Tahoe Basin, for example, attracts about 15 million visitors each year. Tourism in that region generates about $4.5 billion in direct spending annually. Looking to the south, Death Valley National Park adds over $100 million to local economies and provides about 1,200 people with work. Our national parks, forests and public lands represent the best of us. That is why I am shocked to see the firings of national parks and forest workers, including a 33% reduction of staff in the Tahoe Basin area and the only full-time wilderness ranger for the Desolation Wilderness National Forest southwest of Lake Tahoe. Those firings are forcing the closure of more than 4,000 campsites across California this summer — just in time for Americans to visit. For Gold Star families like mine, public lands provide something even more valuable: Healing. The National Park Service recognizes this by offering free lifetime access to national parks for Gold Star Families. Whether hiking, fishing or simply finding peace in nature, these spaces are essential for mental and emotional well-being. Preserving them means preserving a place of solace for those who have sacrificed the most. Meanwhile, some members of Congress want to make these problems worse, not better. House Resolution 521, the 'Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act,' introduced by Congresswoman Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, would effectively repeal the Antiquities Act by eliminating the ability of presidents to protect public lands for future generations as national monuments. For over 100 years, Republican and Democratic presidents alike have used the Antiquities Act to create and expand national monuments, including 42 times in California. Some of the jewels of the National Park Service — such as Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Channel Islands, Lassen Volcanic and Pinnacles National Parks — began as national monuments. Even the Grand Canyon was originally protected under the Antiquities Act. To date, Kiley has not taken a public position on this legislation. He previously demonstrated a commitment to conservation, opposing efforts to defund new national monuments and helping pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act of 2024, a major win for the Lake Tahoe Basin, and I'm grateful for his past leadership on these issues. But given the importance of public lands for our economy, water security, wildfire safety and the well-being of Gold Star families like mine, I urge him to oppose the repeal of the Antiquities Act and call for the rehiring of park and forest staff in our area. These actions matter, and I hope he will continue to stand up for public lands. Public lands should be preserved for everyone's benefit — not handed over to special interests seeking to profit at the expense of our natural and cultural heritage. Let's work together to ensure these lands remain a source of beauty, economic vitality and healing for generations to come. Karen Meredith is a longtime advocate for veterans and military families and a resident of Lincoln, California.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
House votes to block California's ban on new gas-powered vehicles in 2035
The House of Representatives on Thursday voted to block California from implementing plans to block new sales of gas-powered vehicles in a decade. In a 246-164 vote, members approved House Joint Resolution 88, which seeks to withdraw a waiver granted by the Environmental Protection Agency to California during the Biden administration to implement the ban. Thirty-five Democrats joined 211 Republicans in backing the measure. The House also approved two other measures which withdraw waivers on the state's plans to increase sales of zero-emissions trucks in a 231-191 vote, along with the state's latest nitrogen oxide emission standards for engines in a 225-196 vote. "The House of Representatives just passed my Resolution to stop California's insane gas car ban. It was a bipartisan vote," Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin), one of the measure's co-sponsors, said on X (formerly Twitter). Good morning. The House of Representatives just passed my Resolution to stop California's insane gas car ban. It was a bipartisan vote. This is a major victory for common sense and a massive humiliation for Gavin Newsom. — Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) May 1, 2025 "This is a major victory for common sense and a massive humiliation for Gavin Newsom," said Kiley, who had sought to unseat the governor in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election. "By passing these resolutions, the House made it clear that we won't let one state's radical agenda dictate what Americans can drive," said Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Oroville), who also co-sponsored the measures. "People deserve the freedom to choose the vehicles that work best for them-not to be forced into unaffordable electric vehicles that may not work for them." In 2020, Newsom signed an executive order that would halt the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks in the Golden State by 2035. The governor's order directed the California Air Resources Board to develop and approve regulations to meet the 2035 deadline and to require all medium and heavy-duty trucks to be 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2045 "where feasible." The executive order does not ban ownership of gasoline-powered vehicles, nor does it ban sales in the used car market. Following Thursday's vote, Newsom's office issued a statement saying the House illegally used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to repeal the state's Clean Air Act waivers. The governor's office also said the move contradicts the Government Accountability Office and Senate Parliamentarian who have ruled the CRA does not apply to the state's waivers. "Trump Republicans are hellbent on making California smoggy again. Clean air didn't used to be political. In fact, we can thank Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon for our decades-old authority to clean our air," Newsom said. "The only thing that's changed is that big polluters and the right-wing propaganda machine have succeeded in buying off the Republican Party – and now the House is using a tactic that the Senate's own parliamentarian has said is lawless. Our vehicles program helps clean the air for all Californians, and we'll continue defending it."
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
California Faces Probe After Sharing People's Health Data With LinkedIn
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California's handling of sensitive health information is under scrutiny following a report that data entered by residents on the state's health insurance marketplace was shared with LinkedIn. Covered California, which runs the state's marketplace, shared sensitive personal data with LinkedIn, a subsidiary of Microsoft, through embedded tracking tools on the website, nonprofit news organization The Markup reported on Monday. Covered California confirmed the data transmission in a news release later that day, saying "some sensitive data was inadvertently collected by the tags, including first names, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and other sensitive health information like pregnancy status." It added that all advertising-related tags on the website had been turned off as a "precautionary measure," and that it would review the extent of the data shared. Representative Kevin Kiley, the Democrat from California has called for an investigation. "This is incredibly disturbing," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Newsweek contacted Representative Kiley via social media and email, as well as the press offices of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and California Governor Gavin Newsom via email outside of regular working hours on Wednesday. Why It Matters Concerns over personal data have grown in recent months after it emerged the government's Department of Government Efficiencyworked to gain access to the Social Security Administration's data systems, which hold sensitive personal data about approximately 70 million Americans. California's sharing of sensitive data with LinkedIn will likely raise similar concerns about threats to Americans' privacy. File photo: the LinkedIn homepage. File photo: the LinkedIn homepage. Chris Radburn/Press Association via AP What To Know Trackers on which was created under the Affordable Care Act, captured users' answers to questions about blindness, pregnancy, high prescription use, gender identity and experiences with domestic abuse, The Markup reported. The data was then transmitted to LinkedIn using Insight Tag, which uses code to track how visitors interact with websites. Covered California said in a statement that it "leverages LinkedIn's advertising platform tools to understand consumer behavior;" however, LinkedIn notes on its website that Insight Tag "should not be installed on web pages that collect or contain Sensitive Data." The LinkedIn campaign trackers began in February 2024 and were removed "due to a marketing agency transition" in early April, Covered California told CalMatters. Covered California had more than 60 trackers on its site, compared to the average on other government sites of three, CalMatters reported. What People Are Saying Covered California said in a news release on Monday: "Covered California is reviewing its entire website and information security and privacy protocols to ensure that no analytics tools are impermissibly collecting or sharing sensitive consumer information. The LinkedIn Insight tags are no longer active and, as a precautionary measure, all active advertising-related tags across the website have been turned off. "Covered California is committed to safeguarding the confidential information and privacy of its consumers. The organization will share additional findings from this investigation as they become available." California Representative Kevin Kiley, wrote on X: "California's Obamacare website tracked users' personal health information—such as pregnancy and prescription drug use—and sent it to LinkedIn for a 'marketing campaign.' We are asking Secretary Kennedy to investigate for HIPAA violations." What Happens Next The Department of Health and Human Services has yet to respond publicly to Kiley's call for an investigation.
