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Walters: California’s once soaring population has hit a plateau. So will its national political clout

February 8, 2026 By Dan Walters Leave a Comment

Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering statewide issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for WeeklyMatters for a Saturday morning digest of the latest news and commentary from the Golden State.

This story is part of California Voices, a commentary forum aiming to broaden our understanding of the state and spotlight Californians directly impacted by policy or its absence. Learn more here.

The federal Census Bureau annually announces new population numbers for the country and its 50 states based on calculations of how births, deaths and migration have changed the numbers from July 1 to June 30 of the previous year.

The state Department of Finance annually announces new California population numbers, based on its calculations of those same demographic factors during the same 12-month period.

The numbers often differ, and in past years differentials of a million persons or more have emerged from the two agencies’ California calculations.

In December, the state agency declared that as of last July, California’s population was 39.529 million, a gain of 19,200 since 2024. Although arithmetically insignificant, the tiny gain was hailed by officialdom and media as proof that California is no longer losing people.

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Last month, the Census Bureau released its latest estimates, fixing California’s population at 39.355 million, a decline of 9,465 souls from the previous year. It implies that California’s slide, which began in the COVID-18 pandemic, is still happening, with a net loss of 200,394 residents since the 2020 census.

Although the 174,000 difference between the two numbers is relatively tiny, from a sociopolitical standpoint one shows growth while the other shows shrinkage. Thus California officialdom claims that predictions of the state’s impending collapse are false, while its critics say California is still in decline.

There is, however, no doubt that California is, at best, at a population plateau — either gaining or losing very slowly after a 175-year history of sometimes stunning levels of population growth. During the 1980-90 decade, for example, the state’s population soared by about 6 million people, a nearly 25% gain, thanks to high levels of immigration and a lofty birth rate.

Its current stasis, whatever the exact numbers, reflects stagnant levels of foreign migration, a much lower birth rate and an ongoing net loss in state-to-state migration.

Click here to read the full article in CalMatters

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: California, California Politics, Dan Walters

California lawmakers push bill to make oil and gas companies pay for climate-driven disasters

February 7, 2026 By Jenny Huh 3 Comments

California lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation aimed at holding large fossil fuel companies financially responsible for climate-fueled disasters, in a bid to shift the burden from homeowners, ratepayers, and insurers to corporations whose operations advocates say have contributed to climate change.

Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco unveiled SB 982, the Affordable Insurance and Recovery (AIR) Act, alongside disaster survivors and environmental advocates. Wiener cited recent climate-fueled catastrophes, including the Altadena Fire and the historic 2024 San Diego floods, as examples of how California families are paying the price for corporate activity.

“Californians should not have to continue to pay the full cost of climate-driven disasters given the role that fossil fuel corporations have played in getting us here,” Wiener said.

Click here to read the full article in the NY Post

The bill would allow the California Attorney General to sue companies on behalf of victims to recover disaster-related costs. It would then put that money into a Climate Disaster Fund to help with victims and additional lawsuits.

Advocates said the legislation is intended to help homeowners and insurers struggling to cover claims, noting that even FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, is under financial stress and considering major premium increases.

“Ratepayers are paying, insurance companies are paying, the government is paying; the only group not paying is big oil,” said Mary Creasman, CEO of California Environmental Voters.

Creasman added, “Insurance companies are leaving the state because of the cost of the cost of recovery here after a disaster is too great and doesn’t pencil out for them.”

SB 982 targets companies that have generated at least $500 million in revenue over the past three years and are or were involved in the fossil fuel industry in California. Wiener cited major players such as Shell, Chevron, and Exxon, while noting that any company meeting the size threshold could be held liable.

Disaster survivors at Thursday’s press event shared personal accounts of property and financial loss.

Click here to read the full article in ABC 10

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: California Politics, Legislature, Oil

Caruso reconsiders and a Newsom critic cools down

February 6, 2026 By DUSTIN GARDINER and BLAKE JONES 1 Comment

DRIVING THE DAY — Rick Caruso, who took himself out of the running for both governor and Los Angeles mayor last month, told multiple outlets he is reconsidering a bid for mayor after an explosive Los Angeles Times story said Mayor Karen Bass directed a report on the Palisades fire to be watered down. Bass denied the allegation. Caruso has until Saturday to decide if he’s jumping in the race, as does Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who has also been teasing a possible mayoral run.

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CALL WAITING — Matt Mahan built his political profile criticizing Gavin Newsom. Now, suddenly, he’s saying lots more nice things about him.

It’s a pivot for the San Jose mayor in his run to succeed Newsom. A moderate Democrat, Mahan has regularly criticized the governor in recent years on his handling of homelessness, drug addiction and crime, while also leveling more stylistic critiques of Newsom’s trolling social media persona. Mahan, on those issues, often said he was “desperate for leadership in Sacramento.”

But in the week since Mahan launched his campaign for governor, the mayor has taken on a friendlier tone … He’s said Newsom is “focused on the right issues,” and has “leaned in more … than any previous governor” on issues like homelessness and mental-health reform.

He told Playbook that since entering the race, he’s called Newsom and sent him a couple of text messages, adding that he “would love to connect when he has time.”

The shift speaks to the electoral math Mahan faces in the crowded June 2 primary, when he will need to draw a significant portion of Democratic votes to advance to the top-two general election … Newsom’s popularity has surged in California. And clashing with Newsom, a likely 2028 presidential contender, could harm Mahan’s appeal among Democrats, even if he’s able to attract some independents and moderate Republicans in the process.

Mahan maintained in an interview that the way he talks about the governor hasn’t changed … telling Playbook that he has been consistent in praising Newsom’s progress on issues while vocally calling out their disagreements.

“I understand that it sometimes gets reported as a binary: I’m either with him or I’m against him,” Mahan said. “But I don’t view the world that way.”

He added, “I will continue to disagree with the governor when we have policy disagreements about what’s best for Californians, but I will be the first to say he’s done some of the most important work on homelessness, mental health and (environmental law) reform to enable more housing to get built of any governor.”

But Mahan’s high praise for Newsom might feel like whiplash to political observers who’ve followed his past criticism of Newsom … Exhibit A: Mahan repeatedly chastised Newsom last summer for his social media posts mocking Bed Bath & Beyond after the retailer said it wouldn’t open any stores in California due to the state’s regulatory climate, including writing a critique of Newsom’s “noise online” for the San Francisco Standard.

“It might be a winning strategy for his presidential campaign, but it’s a losing one for improving the lives of Californians,” Mahan wrote at the time.

Even Mahan’s “Back to Basics” slogan for his campaign, a motto he’s also used as mayor, speaks to one of his central arguments: that the Democratic establishment in Sacramento and California is broken and needs to reset its priorities. He accuses rival Democrats of fixating on their opposition to President Donald Trump instead of solving in-state problems.

Click here to read the full article in Politico

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: California Politics, Caruso, Gavin Newsom

Gov. Gavin Newsom: How to Destroy California in Two Terms

February 5, 2026 By Katy Grimes 3 Comments

The one thing Newsom is good at is destroying the Golden State

If I was the leftist governor of the largest state in the U.S. and my unspoken goal and unholy plan was to destabilize and destroy my state, there are certain policies I would impose, and executive orders I’d make, while insulating myself from my own policies:

Cut water off to rural areas in the state; remove dams and hydroelectric plants.

Limit water deliveries to farmers and ranchers, forcing farmers and ranchers to shut down.

Create a housing shortage.

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Raise the minimum wage so high, restaurant owners are forced to lay off employees.

Pass policies killing manufacturing.

Pass policies bolstering a service economy.

Vilify first, then destroy the petroleum industry.

Limit energy production to solar and wind renewable energy only.

Force people out of their traditional internal combustion engine cars into electric vehicles, and on to public transportation.

Order all internal combustion cars banned by 2035.

Mandate an all-electric state, including autos and trucks.

Keep hiking gas taxes.

Impose a mileage tax.

Allow the California High Speed Rail scheme to continue bilking taxpayers, with no tracks or trains yet, but has ballooned in cost to well over $100 billion. And approve another $20 billion in funding, fall 2025. It’s a public employee union jobs program and political consultant scam expected to grow to $350 billion if ever completed.

Install thousands of floating offshore wind turbines at a cost of $150 billion.

Legalize drugs.

Legalize sex with minors.

Legalize abortion up to baby’s birth.

Authorize more tribal gambling casinos.

Destroy the public education system by watering down actual disciplines of math and English, while sending your own children to private schools.

Outlaw School Choice Scholarships

Promote affirmative action, racial preferences, DEI over merit.

Create fake crises that waste billion$ like climate change and reparations.

Infringe on the people’s right to keep and bear arms by passing laws which nibble around the edges of the 2nd Amendment, creating defacto gun control.

Stop prosecuting crime.

Decriminalize certain crimes, resulting in emptying out state prisons.

Lose $37 billion in homeless funding/spending to shady non-profits and NGOs.

Lose $31 billion to unemployment fraud.

Allow massive hospice and home‑health fraud in Los Angeles.

Allow the California Department of Insurance to devastate the insurance market and drive the state to the edge of collapse.

Create and pass a mid-decade redistricting scheme ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to secure more Democrat seats in Congress by redrawing district maps, or “gerrymandering” numerous California Republicans out of their congressional districts.

Raise corporate taxes to discourage businesses from expanding.

Raise taxes and fees on public services and energy.

Raise income taxes on all income brackets.

Make it easier for local governments to raise taxes.

Impose a wealth tax.

Impose a death tax.

Impose a 5% billionaire’s tax on their assets.

Force doctors to comply with state medical directives; punish those who refuse to comply.

Allow hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into the state.

Provide free welfare, medical benefits, free housing and food, free education, and even home loans to illegal immigrants.

Provide state-issued ID to illegal immigrants.

Allow illegal immigrants to vote in local elections.

Greatly expand the size of government by hiring hundreds of thousands of state workers.

Increase your own Governor’s staff from 200 to nearly 400 employees.

Create more labor unions jobs by expanding state government.

Encourage public schools to convince kids they are another gender; provide secret counseling to those kids; shelter kids from parents.

Limit media access in Capitol; reward compliant media.

Accept a gift of $3.7 million, 12,000 square foot mansion on 8 acres along the American River in Sacramento, then make $2.7 million tax-free for obtaining a cash-out refinance, and don’t report the gift on any financial disclosure forms.

Click here to read the full article in the California Globe

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: California Politics, Gavin Newsom, Legislature

New bill aims to make California FAIR Plan cover all insurance risks, not just fire

February 4, 2026 By Staff 1 Comment

New legislation announced Monday would require the California FAIR Plan to provide insurance for more than just fires — a potential major shift for the state’s insurer of last resort.

Over the course of California’s insurance crisis, the number of people with FAIR Plan policies has exploded, and the plan now covers more homes in the state than all but a handful of private insurance companies. In many of the most wildfire-prone parts of the state, the FAIR Plan has become the only option available.

The growth raises the stakes for private insurance companies, which are statutorily required to cover shortfalls if the FAIR Plan runs out of money. Following the Los Angeles County wildfires, private insurers had to collectively pay $1 billion to help pay FAIR Plan claims. Part of that cost is being passed on to policyholders of those private insurers.

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A typical FAIR Plan policy only offers coverage for one type of damage: fire. To cover claims such as water damage and liability, FAIR Plan policyholders must buy a second policy from a different insurer.

That would change under Assembly Bill 1680, also known as the Make It FAIR Act. The legislation would mandate that the FAIR Plan provide the same breadth of coverage as a normal home insurance policy, among several other reforms.

The bill taps a central tension within California’s insurance crisis: The state wants people to get off the FAIR Plan while also pursuing reforms to make the FAIR Plan a better option for the more than 646,800 households that have little alternative.

“Californians do not want to be non-renewed but if they are, we need to ensure comprehensive coverage is available,” the bill’s author, Assembly Member Lisa Calderon, D-Whittier, said in a statement. “Providing more stability and options at a time when the voluntary insurance market is still playing tug-of-war is needed now, in this moment.”

The FAIR Plan has resisted previous attempts to make it cover more than fire.

Though the FAIR Plan was created by the state, it is a privately-run entity with a board of directors populated by major insurance companies. In 2019, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara first issued an order requiring the FAIR Plan to offer policyholders the option to sign up for the same types of coverage they’d typically be offered by a normal insurance company.

The FAIR Plan sued, challenging the commissioner’s authority to issue such a demand. In 2023, a Los Angeles County judge ruled in favor of the commissioner’s office. The FAIR Plan then appealed, and in December 2025, a California appeals court reversed the previous decision. The department has asked the state Supreme Court to review the decision, said spokesperson Gabriel Sanchez.

But AB1680 seeks to circumvent this battle by utilizing the authority of the legislature — which originally created the FAIR Plan — rather than the commissioner’s office. It is authored by Calderon, chair of the Assembly Insurance Committee, and sponsored by Lara. A spokesperson for the FAIR Plan declined to comment until the insurer had reviewed the legislation.

Click here to read the full article at the SF Chronicle

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: FAIR plan

Trump Admin – 365 Wins in 365 Days Back in Office are Wins for the People

February 2, 2026 By Katy Grimes 1 Comment

What a difference an election makes

What a difference an election makes. President Donald Trump and his administration hit the ground running, with a mandate to restore prosperity, secure the border, rebuild American strength, and put the American people first.

What a difference an election makes. We went from open borders and record crime to negative net migration for the first time in 50 years to the largest homicide drop on record.

Trump imposed tariffs to restore trade balance and in return the U.S. has received trillions in reshored investments.

He’s brokered peace deals ending multiple wars. We have record energy production (not in California) and he’s made massive cuts to the federal bureaucracy.

President Trump has put America First with urgency.

Many of his “wins” are also wins for Californians, despite the Democratic supermajority and Governor Gavin Newsom. Imagine what California could be with a governor and Legislature that loved the state more than the perks and lifestyle from being in elected office.

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Here are just some of the highlights from President Trump’s first 365 days back in office including one you may not be aware of… President Trump signed an executive order to end the use of paper straws:

Achieved negative net migration in 2025, reversing a 50-year trend and restoring U.S. control over immigration flows for the first time in a generation.
Removed more than 2.6 million illegal aliens from the United States through deportations and voluntary self-departures.
Carried out over 650,000 arrests, detentions, and deportations of illegal aliens — including the worst of the worst criminal illegal alien killers, rapists, gang members, and repeat offenders.
Deported more than 400,000 illegal aliens charged with or convicted of crimes.
Induced two million self-deportations by ending Biden-era release incentives and restoring credible consequences.
Reduced illegal border crossings to their lowest level since the 1970s, completely eradicating the Biden-era invasion.
Cut fentanyl trafficking at the southern border by 56%.
Permanently ended dangerous “catch-and-release” policies nationwide by detaining illegal aliens rather than releasing them into the interior — resulting in a 99.9% decrease in illegals being released into the country during the Biden era.
Cut the number of new foreign students in the U.S. by 17%.
Removed 275,000 illegal aliens from Social Security rolls, protecting program integrity.
Delivered the largest one-year decline in homicides in U.S. history by launching targeted federal crime crackdowns and ending Biden-era non-enforcement.
Reversed the nationwide violent crime surge, driving nationwide drops in rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults by 6%, 19%, and 10%, respectively.
Cut overdose deaths by 21% over last year, with overdose deaths declining each month since President Trump took office.
Drove gas prices to their lowest level in nearly five years, with prices below $3 per gallon in 43 states and below $2 per gallon in 19 states.
Created 654,000 private-sector jobs following deregulation, tax relief, and restored investment confidence.
Ensured 100% of net job growth went to native-born Americans by enforcing immigration laws.
Achieved massive economic growth, with real GDP rising 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025 — smashing economists’ expectations and setting the stage for future growth, with GDP projected to be even higher in the fourth quarter as President Trump’s policies continue to take effect.
Oversaw the largest increase in blue-collar wage growth in nearly 60 years.
Increased private-sector real earnings by $1,100 annually — earning back some of the $2,900 in purchasing power workers lost under Biden.
Signed the Working Families Tax Cut, delivering the largest middle-class tax relief package in modern U.S. history and saving 5.9 million jobs.
Delivered on his No Tax on Tips campaign promise.
Delivered on his No Tax on Overtime campaign promise.
Delivered on his No Tax on Social Security campaign promise for our great seniors.
Delivered unprecedented tax relief for small businesses and other key industries, building on the successful Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from his first term and opening the door for new levels of prosperity to come.
Secured congressional passage of a $9 billion rescissions package, permanently canceling wasteful spending — like the wasteful taxpayer funding of NPR and PBS.
Terminated wasteful foreign aid programs inconsistent with America First priorities through a $5 billion pocket rescission.
Reversed onerous Biden-era fuel economy standards that would have added nearly $1,000 to the cost of the average new vehicle, delivering billions in savings for consumers.
Launched a plan for fair and reciprocal trade, making clear to the world that the United States will no longer tolerate being ripped off and directing his Administration to confront non-reciprocal trade barriers and negotiate fairer market access for U.S. exports.
Sent tariff revenues soaring, collecting $300 billion under expanded enforcement and new policies.
Restored a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevated the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports to protect these critical American industries from unfair foreign competition – a move praised by the Steel Manufacturers Association, the Aluminum Association, and businesses across the country.
Expanded skilled-trade training programs through Labor grants and executive direction.
Approved major U.S. auto manufacturing expansions following reshoring incentives.
Approved new heavy-equipment and appliance manufacturing facilities across multiple states.
Solidified the U.S. position as the world leader in artificial intelligence, attracting $2.7 trillion in tech and AI investment.
Secured $90 billion in AI and energy investment in Pennsylvania alone through direct presidential engagement and relentless advocacy for the commonwealth’s resources.
Reached a deal for the U.S. government to acquire a 10% stake in chipmaker Intel, with Intel’s stock roughly doubling since.
Launched the Presidential Artificial Intelligence (AI) Challenge, inviting K-12 students and educators across America to participate.
NASA announced the U.S. will return to the moon before President Trump leaves office.
Ended the Israel–Hamas war by imposing a ceasefire framework, securing the release of hostages, and enacting a landmark Gaza Peace Plan to unleash total security and prosperity for all in the region.
Brokered an end to the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran.
Brokered peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Brokered peace between India and Pakistan.
Brokered peace between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Brokered peace between Cambodia and Thailand.
Brokered normalization between Kosovo and Serbia.
Brokered peace between Egypt and Ethiopia.
Established a U.S.-backed framework to end the Ukraine–Russia war, setting enforceable ceasefire benchmarks and reconstruction incentives.
Restored maximum pressure on Iran.
Met or exceeded military recruitment goals across all branches by restoring pride, pay, and mission clarity as the Armed Forces returns to its warfighting standards of excellence.
Made the largest military investment in decades, modernizing our forces with cutting-edge technology, rebuilding depleted stockpiles, and ensuring our troops are the best-equipped in history.
Modernized U.S. military capabilities through accelerated weapons development and procurement reform.
Integrated artificial intelligence into U.S. defense planning and battlefield operations.
Improved overall military readiness by reversing Biden‑era diversity mandates and readiness declines.
Delivered a $1,776 Warrior Dividend to nearly 1.5 million service members.
Restored Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to “Fort Bragg,” in honor of a World War II hero.
Renamed Fort Moore, Georgia, as “Fort Benning” in honor of a World War I hero.
Saved an estimated $215 billion — equivalent to $1,335 per U.S. taxpayer — through the Trump Administration’s government efficiency efforts.
Eliminated discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion” offices, employees, and practices across the bureaucracy alongside a return to merit-based hiring.

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: 100 days, California Politics, Donald Trump

California Supreme Court Delivers Final Blow to Huntington Beach’s Voter ID Law

February 1, 2026 By Megan Barth 2 Comments

State Supreme Court denied review of an appellate court ruling which declared Measure A, passed by a majority of Huntington Beach residents, unlawful

In a decision that underscores the ongoing tension between local autonomy and state control in California, the California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied review of an appellate court ruling striking down Huntington Beach’s voter ID law. The high court’s action leaves intact the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s November 2025 decision, which declared Measure A—passed by Huntington Beach voters in March 2024—unlawful and preempted by state election law.

Measure A, approved with 53.4 percent of the vote, amended the city’s charter to require voters in municipal elections to present identification at the polls starting in 2026. It also included provisions for expanding in-person polling locations and increasing monitoring of ballot drop boxes. Supporters argued the measure was a common-sense step to safeguard election integrity in a charter city with home-rule authority.

Yet the state, led by Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber, swiftly challenged the law. In April 2024, they filed suit claiming it violated California’s Elections Code and risked disenfranchising voters, particularly minorities, the elderly, and young people who might lack easy access to ID. A state law signed in December 2024 further prohibited cities from imposing voter ID requirements in any election.

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As reported by The Globe:

Following passage of Measure A by Huntington Beach voters, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 1174 by then-Senator Dave Min (D-Orange County), and Governor Newsom signed it into law. Sen. Min claimed that “An overwhelming body of evidence proves that voter ID laws only subvert voter turnout and create barriers to law abiding voters.”

SB 1174 “prohibits a local government from enacting or enforcing any local requirement that a person must present identification when voting or submitting a ballot at a polling location.”

In 2024, Bonta defended his position in a statement: “Under both existing law and Senate Bill 1174, all local governments — including charter cities like Huntington Beach — are prohibited from disenfranchising voters at the polls by implementing voter ID requirements.”

The legal battle saw ups and downs. In April 2025, Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas sided with Huntington Beach, ruling that the voter ID mandate did not compromise municipal election integrity and that the city retained authority over its local processes. The decision was hailed as a rebuke to state overreach.

However, the tide turned in November 2025 when a three-judge panel of the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed the lower court. The appellate ruling held that voter identification pertains to the “integrity of the electoral process,” a matter of statewide concern under precedents like Johnson v. Bradley (1992). As such, state law preempted the local charter provision.

The California Supreme Court’s denial of review on January 28, 2026, effectively ends the litigation in the state’s favor. No evidence was presented showing widespread voter fraud in Huntington Beach or any compromised municipal election outcomes, yet the court allowed the state preemption to stand.

Attorney General Bonta celebrated the outcome: “Today the California Supreme Court declined to review the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s decision prohibiting the City of Huntington Beach from implementing illegal voter identification requirements. All along, Secretary of State Weber and I have maintained that Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy is illegal, and now, the state’s highest court has weighed in and agreed with us. No city in our state, charter or non-charter alike, is above the law. Disenfranchising voters for imagined fraud will not be tolerated.”

Secretary Weber echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the ruling protects access to the ballot box without unnecessary barriers.

The California Globe has closely followed this saga, highlighting the broader implications for local control versus Sacramento’s Democrat party dominance.

Huntington Beach leaders have long maintained that charter cities have broad authority to regulate municipal elections, housing development, and law enforcement. Huntington Beach’s recent clashes with the state include losses over sanctuary law challenges and housing mandates.

Huntington Beach officials, including City Attorney Michael Gates—who has announced a GOP bid for state Attorney General—have yet to issue a formal statement on the Supreme Court’s denial.

The ruling may fuel ongoing efforts for statewide reform.

Click here to read the full article in the California Globe

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: California Politics, Huntington Beach, Voter ID

Dr. Oz travels to L.A. seeking fraud. Newsom says his findings are ‘baseless and racist allegations’

January 31, 2026 By Clara Harter and Richard Winton 1 Comment

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday filed a civil rights complaint against Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, after Oz posted a video accusing Armenian crime groups of carrying out widespread healthcare fraud in Los Angeles.

The video shows Oz being driven around a section of Van Nuys where he says that about $3.5 billion worth of medicare fraud has been perpetrated by hospice and home care businesses, claiming that “it’s run, quite a bit of it, by the Russian Armenian mafia.”

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At one point in the video, which was posted Tuesday on the agency’s official social media accounts, Oz stands in front of a sign for an Armenian bakery and says, “you notice that the lettering and language behind me is of that dialect and it also highlights the fact that this is an organized crime mafia deal.”

In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, Newsom called on the agency to investigate “Dr. Oz’s baseless and racist allegations against Armenian Americans in California.”

“Such racially charged and false public statements by anyone involved in administering these critical federal healthcare programs seriously risks chilling participation in those programs by individuals targeted by the statements,” Newsom‘s office wrote in the complaint.

Movses Bislamyan, the owner of the store whose sign is pictured in the video, told ABC7 News that he saw about a 30% drop in business the day after the viral video was posted.

“I am really disappointed,” he told the station. “Recording my signs, my location, and talking about some kind of fraud going on here. We have nothing to do with it.”

The video comes as the Trump administration has launched a national effort to highlight allegations of federal funding fraud in Democratic-led states including Minnesota, California and New York.

A day after the video was posted, Newsom issued a statement on X saying that his office was reviewing reports that Oz was targeting the Armenian American community. “Given the historic sensitivities involved, we are taking these allegations seriously,” he wrote.

Oz fired back in his own statement on X, saying, “if there were a real defense for California’s fraud crisis, we’d hear it. CMS and law enforcement will keep doing the actual work: going after fraudsters, period.”

California has been investigating healthcare fraud since a 2020 Los Angeles Times investigation that uncovered widespread Medicare fraud in the state’s booming but loosely regulated hospice industry. Between 2010 and 2020, the county’s hospices have multiplied sixfold, accounting for more than half of the state’s roughly 1,200 Medicare-certified providers, according to a Times analysis of federal healthcare data.

Click here to read the full article in the LA Times

Filed Under: Trending News Tagged With: Dr. Oz, Fraud, Newsom

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