Latest news with #ThisisGavinNewsom
San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘Heavy stuff': Gavin Newsom discusses Menendez brothers case ahead of parole hearing
Before the hit Netflix drama on the Menendez brothers case aired, showrunner Ryan Murphy warned Gov. Gavin Newsom over lunch that the series would likely create a stir. Newsom and Murphy discussed the lunch — and the controversial case — on the latest episode of the governor's podcast, 'This is Gavin Newsom.' 'You start talking to me about this and you all but said, 'I'm sorry,'' Newsom recalled on the 45-minute episode. He added, with a chuckle: 'I didn't fully appreciate how right you were to be sorry.' 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,' which premiered last September, put a spotlight yet again on the case of the two brothers, who were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison for the 1989 shotgun deaths of their parents in the family's Beverly Hills mansion. In May, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge resentenced them to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole. Their parole hearing is set for Aug. 21 and 22. If the parole board recommends their release, Newsom will make the final decision on whether to grant them parole. 'That's heavy stuff,' Murphy said on the podcast episode. 'Heavy stuff,' Newsom replied. The governor said he has been tempted repeatedly to watch the series, but he has purposely avoided it because the matter could soon land on his desk. 'I don't want to be persuaded by something that's not in the files,' Newsom said. Murphy recalled that during the writing of the show, and even when he and Newsom had lunch, he was not convinced that the brothers deserved freedom, but his outlook evolved, he said, particularly after conversations with Kim Kardashian, a collaborator of Murphy's who watched the show before it was released. 'She was really obsessed with it and then went to visit them,' Murphy said. The reality TV star, who completed her law studies in May, told Murphy she believed they deserved parole, stressing that both brothers were under the age of 25 at the time of the brutal killings. Studies show the prefrontal cortex, responsible for functions like planning, decision-making and impulse control, doesn't fully develop for men until their mid- to late 20s. Murphy also cited the brothers' family support and positive behavior in prison. 'I guess it just begs the question: If not now, when?' Murphy asked. 'What benefit to society do we have by keeping them there if they can come out of prison and actually serve some good? I think that's a powerful thing.' Newsom countered with the argument he said he's heard from others: 'What good can come from sending a message that you can kill both of your parents and be released?' At the same time, Newsom said, other inmates have been granted parole for similar or worse crimes and spent less time in prison. He noted that psychiatric evaluations and risk assessments are meant to determine suitability for parole based on what he called 'well-established' criteria, such as inmates' behavior in prison. Newsom also discussed parole decisions he's made in the cases against convicted killers who were followers of cult leader Charles Manson, including Leslie Van Houten, who was released from prison on parole in 2023. Newsom had rejected her parole recommendation but was overruled by a state appeals court. 'The last rejection was overturned by the court that felt we were abusing our discretion in our parole office and they're tough,' Newsom said. 'It's a very slippery slope,' Murphy said, 'and it's a really hard road and I feel for you.' He suggested Newsom watch the show over Labor Day weekend. 'I'm going to see if I made the right decision.' Newsom replied.
Miami Herald
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Newsom's podcast sidekick: a single-use plastic water bottle
LOS ANGELES — Johnny had Ed. Conan had Andy. And Gov. Gavin Newsom? A single-use plastic water bottle. In most of the YouTube video recordings of Newsom's new podcast, 'This is Gavin Newsom,' a single-use plastic water bottle lurks on a table nearby. Sometimes, it is accompanied by a single-use coffee cup. Other times, it stands alone. Typically, such product placement would raise nary an eyebrow. But in recent weeks, environmentalists, waste advocates, lawmakers and others have been battling with the governor and his administration over a landmark single-use plastic law that Newsom signed in 2022, but which he has since worked to defang - reducing the number of packaged single-use products the law was designed to target and potentially opening the door for polluting forms of recycling. Anti-plastic advocates say it's an abrupt and disappointing pivot from the governor, who in June 2022, decried plastic pollution and the plague of single-use plastic on the environment. 'It's like that whole French Laundry thing all over again,' said one anti-plastic advocate, who didn't want to be identified for fear of angering the governor. Newsom was infamously caught dining without a mask at the wine country restaurant during the COVID-19 lockdown. Newsom's efforts to scale back SB 54, the state's single-use plastic recycling law, has dismayed environmentalists who have long considered Newsom one of their staunchest allies. 'Our kids deserve a future free of plastic waste and all its dangerous impacts ... No more,' Newsom said in 2022, when he signed SB 54. 'California won't tolerate plastic waste that's filling our waterways and making it harder to breathe. We're holding polluters responsible and cutting plastics at the source.' Asked about the presence of the plastic water bottle, Daniel Villaseñor, the governor's deputy director of communications, had this response: 'Are you really writing a story this baseless or should we highlight this video for your editor?' Villaseñor said via email, attaching a video clip showing this reporter seated near a plastic water bottle at last year's Los Angeles Times' Climate Summit. (The bottles were placed near chairs for all the panelists; this particular one was never touched.) After this story was first published, the governor's office said the plastic water bottles seen on the podcast were placed there by staff or production teams and not at Newsom's request, and that the governor remains committed to seeing SB 54 implemented. More than a half-dozen environmentalists and waste advocates asked to comment for this story declined to speak on the record, citing concerns including possible retribution from the governor's office and appearing to look like scolds as negotiations over implementing SB 54 continue. Dianna Cohen, the co-founder and chief executive of Plastic Pollution Coalition, said that while she wouldn't comment on the governor and his plastic sidekick, she noted that plastic pollution is an 'urgent global crisis' that requires strong policies and regulations. 'Individuals — especially those in the public eye — can help shift culture by modeling these solutions. We must all work to embrace the values we want to see and co-create a healthier world,' she said in a statement. On Thursday, Newsom dropped a new episode of 'This is Gavin Newsom' with independent journalist Aaron Parnas. In the video, there wasn't a plastic bottle in sight. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Newsom's podcast sidekick: a single-use plastic water bottle
Johnny had Ed. Conan had Andy. And Gov. Gavin Newsom? A single-use plastic water bottle. In most of the YouTube video recordings of Newsom's new podcast, 'This is Gavin Newsom,' a single-use plastic water bottle lurks on a table nearby. Sometimes, it is accompanied by a single-use coffee cup. Other times, it stands alone. Typically, such product placement would raise nary an eyebrow. But in recent weeks, environmentalists, waste advocates, lawmakers and others have been battling with the governor and his administration over a landmark single-use plastic law that Newsom signed in 2022, but which he has since worked to defang — reducing the number of packaged single-use products the law was designed to target and potentially opening the door for polluting forms of recycling. Anti-plastic advocates say it's an abrupt and disappointing pivot from the governor, who in June 2022, decried plastic pollution and the plague of single-use plastic on the environment. 'It's like that whole French Laundry thing all over again,' said one anti-plastic advocate, who didn't want to be identified for fear of angering the governor. Newsom was infamously caught dining without a mask at the wine country restaurant during the COVID-19 lockdown. Newsom's efforts to scale back SB 54, the state's single-use plastic recycling law, has dismayed environmentalists who have long considered Newsom one of their staunchest allies. 'Our kids deserve a future free of plastic waste and all its dangerous impacts ... No more,' Newsom said in 2022, when he signed SB 54. 'California won't tolerate plastic waste that's filling our waterways and making it harder to breathe. We're holding polluters responsible and cutting plastics at the source.' Asked about the presence of the plastic water bottle, Daniel Villaseñor, the governor's deputy director of communications, had this response: 'Are you really writing a story this baseless or should we highlight this video for your editor?' Villaseñor said via email, attaching a video clip showing this reporter seated near a plastic water bottle at last year's Los Angeles Times' Climate Summit. (The bottles were placed near chairs for all the panelists; this particular one was never touched.) More than a half-dozen environmentalists and waste advocates asked to comment for this story declined to speak on the record, citing concerns including possible retribution from the governor's office and appearing to look like scolds as negotiations over implementing SB 54 continue. Dianna Cohen, the co-founder and chief executive of Plastic Pollution Coalition, said that while she wouldn't comment on the governor and his plastic sidekick, she noted that plastic pollution is an 'urgent global crisis' that requires strong policies and regulations. 'Individuals — especially those in the public eye — can help shift culture by modeling these solutions. We must all work to embrace the values we want to see and co-create a healthier world,' she said in a statement. On Thursday, Newsom dropped a new episode of 'This is Gavin Newsom' with independent journalist Aaron Parnas. In the video, there wasn't a plastic bottle in sight.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Gavin Newsom launches Substack to fight ‘disinformation'
California Gov. Gavin Newsom already had a podcast. Now he has a Substack, too. Newsom launched his own site Tuesday on the popular spot for independent journalists, calling it a way to break through 'the noise.' 'We have to flood the zone and continue to cut through the right-wing disinformation machine,' he wrote in the post that was accompanied by a video of the governor speaking. 'There's so much mis and disinformation out there, there's so much noise, I don't need to tell you that,' Newsom said. 'The question is, how do we break through all of that noise and engage in real conversations? And that's why I'm launching on Substack. I hope you'll follow me so we can continue to engage in a two-way conversation at this critical moment in our history.' Newsom kicked off his new project by sharing his Fox News Digital op-ed on Tuesday titled, 'Trump is trying to destroy our democracy. Do not let him.' He also posted an interview with Democratic strategist and TikToker Aaron Parnas. He told Parnas that joining new media platforms like Substack was 'foundational and fundamental' to Democratic strategy and outreach going forward and that his party must get more 'aggressive' with their messaging. Newsom launched his own podcast in March, 'This is Gavin Newsom,' where he's conversed with liberal allies but also pro-Trump figures like Charlie Kirk and Newt Gingrich. 3 Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom's first conversation on Substack was with Democratic strategist and TikToker Aaron Parnas. AP The likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate already has a high profile, but he's held the spotlight even more in recent weeks as California became the epicenter of the Trump administration's illegal immigration crackdown. Newsom has spoken out harshly against President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles to quell unrest generated by anti-ICE protests. 'These are men and women trained in foreign combat, not domestic law enforcement. We honor their service and their bravery. But we do not want our streets militarized by our own Armed Forces,' Newsom wrote for Fox News Digital. 3 Newsom launched his new Substack on Tuesday. substack /@gavinnewsom 3 Newsom promoted his new platform to followers on X. X / @GavinNewsom 'With this act, President Trump has betrayed our soldiers, the American people, and our core traditions; soldiers are being ordered to patrol the very same American communities they swore to protect in wars overseas. The deployment of federal soldiers in L.A. doesn't protect our communities – it traumatizes them,' he wrote. Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit accusing Trump of overstepping his bounds by illegally deploying the National Guard to quell the unrest. Last week, a federal judge sided with California in his ruling and directed Trump to return control of National Guard troops to Newsom's command. 'Defendants are temporarily ENJOINED from deploying members of the California National Guard in Los Angeles,' U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer wrote in his ruling. 'Defendants are DIRECTED to return control of the California National Guard to Governor Newsom.' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly blasted the ruling as an 'abuse of power' that 'puts our brave federal officials in danger' and said the Trump administration would appeal the decision. A federal appeals court stayed the ruling and will hear arguments Tuesday to review whether Trump can keep using California's National Guard to protect immigration enforcement officials and quell protests.
The Age
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Gavin Newsom began his speech as a state governor. He ended it as a potential president
A month ago, Newsom seemed at times in danger of fading to the sidelines. At 57, he was playing out his final years as governor, since he is barred by term limits from seeking a third term. He was facing the thankless burden of managing a huge state budget deficit, overseeing the rebuilding of Los Angeles after the January wildfires and grappling with Trump, as the president moved to undercut signature California programs, from high-speed rail to clean air measures. For much of 2024, Newsom had been closely tied to Joe Biden, acting as one of the former president's surrogates and defenders before Biden was forced out of the race. Loading Newsom had sought, in the first days of the Trump administration, to raise his profile and to influence the direction of the Democratic Party. He hosted a podcast – This is Gavin Newsom – in which he gave a platform to some of the leading figures in the Trump movement, including Bannon. He met Trump with a handshake at LAX when the president came to tour the damage from the fires. And he broke with many Democrats in saying that he thought that the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports was 'deeply unfair'. Those actions made Newsom an unpopular figure with parts of the Democratic Party. It's unclear whether his abrupt change, from saying Democrats needed to work with Trump to his searing attacks on the president Tuesday, will feed apprehensions among some Democrats that Newsom is inauthentic or an opportunist. But Newsom's stature, at least in his party, was likely elevated by a barrage of attacks from Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders in the aftermath of the demonstrations against the Trump administration's immigration policies. Trump suggested Newsom be placed under arrest; Johnson said he should be 'tarred and feathered.' As a result, the lame-duck governor of California has emerged as arguably the most prominent Democratic foil to Trump. For his part, Newsom has seemed to relish parrying with Republicans on social media, responding to their comments with acid retorts that won him cheers from Democrats who had, not so long ago, been sceptical of Newsom's friendly podcast banter with right-wing figures. 'It gives Gavin the ability to be a leader of a resistance that is not contrived,' Rob Stutzman, a political strategist and a senior consultant to former Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said. 'It's real, because Trump has attacked him and his state.' For all the plaudits he may be winning from Democrats, Newsom could face tough going should he decide to run. He comes from California, the symbol of blue America and the home of Kamala Harris, the former vice president who lost to Trump in November's election. And these next few weeks could prove increasingly difficult, as Newsom finds his fortunes tied both to what happens on the streets of Los Angeles and to the actions of the man in the White House. Loading David Axelrod, the former chief political aide to Barack Obama, said Newsom's 'message was very powerful'. But he warned that it is difficult to at once 'admonish the president for his provocative, escalatory actions,' while at the same time urging 'protesters to show restraint'. Still, with his bristling attacks on Trump, Newsom may have positioned himself this week as the leader of the very resistance he once eschewed. The question is whether he can now do what so many other Democrats have failed to do over these chaotic five months: unite the party behind a strategy to weaken a president who has seemed invincible.
