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Not long after former President Donald Trump waxed Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency, California Gov. Gavin Newsom moved to position himself as the leader of Resistance 2.0 during the Trump 2.0 Administration. Shortly after the election, Newsom called for a special session of the state legislature to “safeguard California values,” whatever the hell that means. In his proclamation, Newsom said he wants the Legislature to approve funding for the Department of Justice and other state agencies to “immediately file affirmative litigation.” Great, Newsom wants to file one nuisance lawsuit against the federal government after another. Translation: Cheeseball trial lawyers, start your engines! Move over greasy billboard ambulance chasers. There’s a new lame duck governor in town. Trump doesn’t seem to be impressed. He took to Truth Social and posted that, “Governor Gavin Newscum is trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California” and “stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again.’” Legislative Republicans are equally unimpressed, with Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher writing in a statement, “The only ‘problem’ it will solve is Gavin Newsom’s insecurity that not enough people are paying attention to him...There will not be a single policy implemented in this special session that couldn’t be addressed when the Legislature reconvenes in January.” Why is Newsom participating in such an obvious and pathetic publicity stunt? Because he has to. If Newsom wants to run for president as the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party, he has two years to earn that honor. In 2026 Newsom will be past his freshness date due to term limits. Of course, the exact date will remain a mystery, since he recently outlawed posting ‘best by’ date stamps on food. He’ll go from being a “somebody” to being a “former somebody” overnight – like a B-list actor whose sitcom just got canceled. Next stop: signing autographs at the Beverly Garland Hotel in North Hollywood for $25 bucks a pop. Out of office, Newsom will lose relevance, the ability to make news, and the power to do favors for political benefactors. He will become like so many former politicians — out in the wilderness and looking for a way to get back in the game. In addition, he will lose the ballot designation as ‘Governor of California,’ which looks a lot better on paper than, oh, I don’t know, Herbalife salesman. It’s not the old days when nominees were chosen at the conventions by political fat cats in smoke-filled rooms, where long time relationships mattered. There are still backrooms with kingmakers, but these days they’re all vaping. Now, nominees are chosen by primary voters with short term memories and fleeting attention spans. For Newsom, the dates on the calendar just don’t work out. 2024 was his chance to run for President as a sitting governor against a much older Republican. However, one Sunday evening summer tweet from President Joe Biden endorsing Kamala Harris for president took that opportunity away from him, and now he’s trying to make the best of a bad situation. If Newsom chooses to remain in public office, there aren’t many good options. Both of California’s U.S. Senate seats are currently occupied by Democrats, including one that Newsom appointed, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. Any statewide constitutional office would be a major step down compared to being governor. And no one is buying Gavin Newsom as Hollywood Mayor Johnny Grant’s successor. Also, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Kamala Harris won’t be around to make him a cabinet secretary. The one option he has would be to replace former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi as the member of Congress representing San Francisco. Typically going from governor to congressman would be seen as a step backwards, but not replacing her and not in that seat – particularly for an audience of Democratic primary voters. Related Articles Opinion Columnists | Will Trump turn his ‘fix it’ gaze toward FTC, DOJ abuses? Opinion Columnists | Where do Democrats go from here? Opinion Columnists | California’s political clout will fade as long as population growth remains slow Opinion Columnists | Susan Shelley: Slow counts show election system needs reform Opinion Columnists | Here’s to hoping Trump delivers on some of his Libertarian promises If Newsom was the congressman from San Francisco, he could take his dramatic stunts to the floor of the House, and become a reliable flamethrower on the CNN and MSNBC talking-head shows. And presto, before you know it he’d have had his teeth bonded and he’s dating Kimberly Guilfoyle again. For this to work, it would require the 84 year-old Pelosi to retire from congress. Earlier this month Pelosi was re-elected to yet another two-year-term, and then on November 14th, she opened up a campaign account to run for re-election in 2026. Once again, Newsom gets Trumped by the calendar. His only remaining shot at the White House will be for him to concoct the mother of all publicity stunts in order to regain the spotlight. My advice: see if Mike Tyson has one more fight left in him. John Phillips can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on “The John Phillips Show” on KABC/AM 790.Trump expected to name Kelly Loeffler for Agriculture secretary�����2Ә�*��V�V��e �{����um�ͳ�*L��^�ߚ�<�T1�y�VM���+�(�S��t]Ic��W���@U�ͷ��({ H����[。

The Prime Minister insisted the UK will back Ukraine “for as long as it takes” as he made a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, but for the first time acknowledged the conflict could move towards a negotiated end. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks suggested he is open to a possible ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv and its European allies meanwhile fear the advent of Donald Trump’s return to the White House could result in American aid being halted. President-elect Trump has said he would prefer to move towards a peace deal, and has claimed he could end the conflict on “day one” of his time in power. As he attempts to strike up a good relationship with the incoming president, Sir Keir revealed he had told Mr Trump the UK “will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come”. In his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister said there is “no question it is right we support Ukraine”, as the UK’s aid to Kyiv is “deeply in our self-interest”. Allowing Russia to win the war would mean “other autocrats would believe they can follow Putin’s example,” he warned. Sir Keir added: “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes. “To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their own future.” Mr Zelensky told Sky News over the weekend he would be open to speaking with Mr Putin, but branded the Russian president a “terrorist”. He also suggested Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia. In a banquet speech focused on foreign affairs, the Prime Minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest the UK must choose between its allies, adding: “I reject it utterly. “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose. “The national interest demands that we work with both.” Sir Keir said the UK and the US were “intertwined” when it came to commerce, technology and security. The Prime Minister added: “That’s why, when President Trump graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower, I told him that we will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come.” He also repeated his commitment to “rebuild our ties with Europe” and insisted he was right to try to build closer links with China. “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t simply look the other way. We need to engage. To co-operate, to compete and to challenge on growth, on security concerns, on climate as well as addressing our differences in a full and frank way on issues like Hong Kong, human rights, and sanctions on our parliamentarians,” he added. The Prime Minister said he wants Britain’s role in the world to be that of “a constant and responsible actor in turbulent times”. He added: “To be the soundest ally and to be determined, always, in everything we do. “Every exchange we have with other nations, every agreement we enter into to deliver for the British people and show, beyond doubt, that Britain is back.” Ahead of Sir Keir’s speech, Lord Mayor Alastair King urged the Prime Minister and his Government to loosen regulations on the City of London to help it maintain its competitive edge. In an echo of Sir Keir’s commitment to drive the UK’s economic growth, the Lord Mayor said: “The idealist will dream of growth, but the pragmatist understands that our most effective machinery to drive growth is here in the City, in the hands of some of the brightest and most committed people that you will find anywhere in the world.”

The Prime Minister insisted the UK will back Ukraine “for as long as it takes” as he made a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London, but for the first time acknowledged the conflict could move towards a negotiated end. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in recent weeks suggested he is open to a possible ceasefire with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Kyiv and its European allies meanwhile fear the advent of Donald Trump’s return to the White House could result in American aid being halted. President-elect Trump has said he would prefer to move towards a peace deal, and has claimed he could end the conflict on “day one” of his time in power. As he attempts to strike up a good relationship with the incoming president, Sir Keir revealed he had told Mr Trump the UK “will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come”. In his speech at London’s Guildhall, the Prime Minister said there is “no question it is right we support Ukraine”, as the UK’s aid to Kyiv is “deeply in our self-interest”. Allowing Russia to win the war would mean “other autocrats would believe they can follow Putin’s example,” he warned. Sir Keir added: “So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes. “To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for negotiations so they can secure a just and lasting peace on their terms that guarantees their security, independence, and right to choose their own future.” Mr Zelensky told Sky News over the weekend he would be open to speaking with Mr Putin, but branded the Russian president a “terrorist”. He also suggested Ukrainian territory under his control should be taken under the “Nato umbrella” to try to stop the “hot stage” of the war with Russia. In a banquet speech focused on foreign affairs, the Prime Minister said it was “plain wrong” to suggest the UK must choose between its allies, adding: “I reject it utterly. “(Clement) Attlee did not choose between allies. (Winston) Churchill did not choose. “The national interest demands that we work with both.” Sir Keir said the UK and the US were “intertwined” when it came to commerce, technology and security. The Prime Minister added: “That’s why, when President Trump graciously hosted me for dinner in Trump Tower, I told him that we will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come.” He also repeated his commitment to “rebuild our ties with Europe” and insisted he was right to try to build closer links with China. “It is remarkable that until I met President Xi last month there had been no face-to-face meeting between British and Chinese leaders for six years,” the Prime Minister said. “We can’t simply look the other way. We need to engage. To co-operate, to compete and to challenge on growth, on security concerns, on climate as well as addressing our differences in a full and frank way on issues like Hong Kong, human rights, and sanctions on our parliamentarians,” he added. The Prime Minister said he wants Britain’s role in the world to be that of “a constant and responsible actor in turbulent times”. He added: “To be the soundest ally and to be determined, always, in everything we do. “Every exchange we have with other nations, every agreement we enter into to deliver for the British people and show, beyond doubt, that Britain is back.” Ahead of Sir Keir’s speech, Lord Mayor Alastair King urged the Prime Minister and his Government to loosen regulations on the City of London to help it maintain its competitive edge. In an echo of Sir Keir’s commitment to drive the UK’s economic growth, the Lord Mayor said: “The idealist will dream of growth, but the pragmatist understands that our most effective machinery to drive growth is here in the City, in the hands of some of the brightest and most committed people that you will find anywhere in the world.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday named cabinet minister Aman Arora, 50, as the new state president of the party in Punjab. Chief minister and present state unit chief Bhagwant Mann announced the appointment on X, a day after Arora’s name was cleared for the post by the political affairs committee of the AAP at a meeting held in Delhi. The AAP has also appointed Batala MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi, 37, as the state working president of the party. “Today, I have handed over the responsibility of party president to two of my close colleagues, cabinet minister Aman Arora and MLA Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi. The party has decided that Aman Arora will serve as the party president and Sherry Kalsi as the working president,” Mann posted on X, expressing full confidence in their ability to strengthen the party organisation in Punjab and take it to new heights. Arora, the minister for new and renewable energy and governance reforms, is a prominent Hindu face of the AAP in Punjab. He has replaced Mann, a Jat Sikh, as the state president. Arora’s appointment is widely seen in political circles as effort by the AAP to attract Hindu voters, particularly in urban areas, while also countering the growing influence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Ashutosh Kumar, a professor of political science at Panjab University, said the AAP made the appointment with an eye on Hindu votes. “The AAP came to power by promising to eradicate corruption and drugs, but they have failed to deliver on these promises. The BJP is the rising force, and they (AAP) are taking these steps to retain their support base,” he said, describing the move as a “rearguard action.” The BJP, which ended its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal four years ago, is making an aggressive push to expand its presence in the state ahead of the 2027 assembly polls. However, AAP’s state general secretary Harchand Singh Barsat countered that the party is secular and appointments are based on performance, not caste or community. The state party chief’s appointment, which has come a day before the results of the recent byelections to Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Barnala and Chabbewal (SC) assembly seats, was in the offing for some time. Mann, who has been holding the post since 2017, was the first to indicate this change by expressing a desire last month that he would speak to the party’s central leadership for appointing a full-time president of the state unit. “Being the chief minister, I have big responsibilities. I have 13-14 departments. I will speak to the party to appoint a full-time state unit chief so that the responsibilities can be divided,” he stated after addressing a campaign rally in poll-bound Chabbewal on October 27. Arora’s name started doing the rounds for the post immediately, but the AAP central leadership waited for the election process to get over to announce his elevation. After the declaration, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal wished Arora and Kalsi success in their new responsibilities. “I am confident that Aman Arora and Sherry Kalsi will work tirelessly to address the issues of the people and take the party to greater heights,” he stated. The AAP leadership has tasked Arora with strengthening the party’s organisational set-up at the grassroots. Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan also congratulated Arora and Kalsi on getting the responsibility of party president and working president, respectively. Arora thanked Kejriwal, Mann, party national general secretary, organisation, Sandeep Pathak and the entire political affairs committee for entrusting him the important responsibility. “I will build on the organisational foundation already established in Punjab and strengthen the party further,” he said. A two-time MLA from Sunam in Sangrur district, Arora, the son of former Punjab minister Bhagwan Das Arora, is a former Congressman who joined the AAP in 2016. He is among those who led the AAP’s rise in the state. Arora was first elected to the assembly in 2017 and then scored a huge victory by more than 75,000 votes in the 2022 assembly elections, forcing the forfeiture of security deposits of all his opponents. Kalsi is a first-time MLA from Batala. The AAP fielded him from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat in the April-May 2024 parliamentary polls and he came third behind Congress’ Sukhjinder Randhawa and BJP’s Dinesh Singh with 25% of the total votes polled.Best Beauty & Skincare Products Of 2024

BEND, OREGON (AP) — Eliza Wilson is a little nervous as she draws the microphone close, but she is determined to share her life story. “My father was a disabled veteran,” she says. “I first experienced homelessness when I was 5 years old.” Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * BEND, OREGON (AP) — Eliza Wilson is a little nervous as she draws the microphone close, but she is determined to share her life story. “My father was a disabled veteran,” she says. “I first experienced homelessness when I was 5 years old.” Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? BEND, OREGON (AP) — Eliza Wilson is a little nervous as she draws the microphone close, but she is determined to share her life story. “My father was a disabled veteran,” she says. “I first experienced homelessness when I was 5 years old.” Wilson, who’s 36, leads programs focused on unhoused youth. On a recent Saturday, she is addressing a citizen assembly, a grassroots gathering seeking solutions to tough local challenges. Her audience consists of 30 ordinary Oregonians. They are acupuncturists and elk hunters; house cleaners and retired riverboat pilots. None are public policy experts. All the same, these participants have been asked to recommend new strategies for combating youth homelessness — a major problem in this affluent Oregon city and the surrounding rural areas of Deschutes County. This unusual experiment in small-D democracy is underwritten by more than $250,000 in grants from backers such as the Rockefeller Foundation and Omidyar Network. As a key early presenter, Wilson wins rapt attention, clicking through data-rich slides and sharing her story of crisis and recovery. That’s how citizen assemblies should work, says Kevin O’Neil, an innovation specialist at the Rockefeller Foundation. His research shows Americans are frustrated with what they perceive as aloofness and gridlock within civic institutions. “People want to be directly involved in decision-making,” O’Neil says. “They recognize the value of expertise, but they don’t want to delegate decision-making to experts.” Assemblies can help “overcome polarization and strengthen societal cohesion,” says Claudia Chwalisz, founder of DemocracyNext. Her nonprofit, launched in Paris in 2022, champions such assemblies worldwide, hoping they can “create the democratic spaces for everyday people to grapple with the complexity of policy issues, listen to one another, and find common ground.” At least, that’s the theory. To succeed, citizen assemblies can’t settle for a few days of harmonious dialogue among well-intentioned strangers. They need to inspire policy changes or new programs from government and other civic institutions. In Europe, such wins abound. In the United States, results are spottier. The most fruitful U.S. effort to date was a 2021 people’s assembly in Washington State that produced 148 ideas — including more solar canopies and food composting — to combat climate change. More often, progress is challenging. An assembly in 2022 in Petaluma, California, spun up ideas to repurpose a long-time county fairground site. Two years later, the fair still operates under short-term leases; its long-term destiny remains in limbo. In Colorado’s Montrose County, enacting an assembly’s bold ideas for improving rural day care has been “more of a marathon than a sprint,” says organizer Morgan Lasher. Can central Oregon do better? It may take years to know, but evidence so far shows both the assembly system’s opportunities and the challenges. Bend’s local economy is strong, with a jobless rate of just 4.2% and median household income of more than $80,000. As housing costs have skyrocketed, though, the spectacle of people living in tent and trailer encampments has become more common. A January count found more than 1,800 people were homeless in Deschutes County, up from 913 in 2020. In 2023, DemocracyNext and Healthy Democracy, a Portland, Oregon, nonprofit, connected with Bend officials interested in bringing the assembly idea to central Oregon. Josh Burgess, an Air Force veteran, who moved to Bend and became the proverbial “advance man” for DemocracyNext. Operating in a county evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, Burgess built rapport with both liberal and conservative members on the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners. “It took four or five meetings to get there,” Burgess recalls. Organizers decided to focus on homelessness among ages 14 to 24, where opportunities for progress seemed greatest. To pick citizens for the assembly, organizers contacted 12,000 county residents before selecting just 30. Everything was balanced by age, race, gender, and geography – a slow, costly requirement. Even so, advocates such as Michelle Barsa of Omidyar Network says assemblies’ big edge comes from using “an actual representative sample of the community, not just the people who always show up at town-hall meetings and yell into a microphone for three minutes.” At the northern edge of Oregon State’s Bend campus, a few hundred yards from the Deschutes River, is the McGrath Family atrium, a sunlight-drenched space with panoramic woodland views. It feels almost like a spa. As the Bend assembly gets started, black tablecloths at a huge, U-shaped table convey gravity. Name tags identify attendees as “Noelle,” “Dave,” “Alex.” The first few hours go slowly, but everything perks up after lunch. Eliza Wilson takes command, introducing herself as director of runaway and homeless youth services at J Bar J, a social-services organization. Her voice is unfailingly steady, but emotions race fast across her face: hope, frustration, empathy, resolve, and more. “Teens get really good at hiding their homelessness,” Wilson explains. “We don’t share family business outside of the family. I was really fortunate that a high-school counselor pointed me, at age 15, to the first youth shelter that had just opened in Bend. I stayed there for three years, until I graduated from high school. I finally got on my feet at age 21.” As Wilson finishes, questions stream in. “Are there any programs advocating for children to get back to their parents?” one woman wants to know. “Is there open communication between you guys and the school district?” a man asks. Wilson and other presenters respond with a road map of what exists today. They point out how homeless youth are in a precarious but not hopeless situation, counting on allies for a couch to sleep on. Less than 20 percent live outside in encampments. Practically everyone in the audience takes notes. The next day, assembly members strike up conversations with young adults who were once homeless. Chronic problems — and glimmers of ideas about how to address them — tumble forth. Flaws in the foster parent system. The risk of sexual abuse. The unique challenges that LGBTQ youth face. Attendees — who shared their thoughts with the Chronicle on the condition they be identified only by their first name — regarded those conversations as eye-opening breakthroughs in their hunt for policy recommendations. “I’m coming away with a whole different point of view,” Ken told me. He had arrived believing that poor parenting and drug abuse led to homelessness, and that affected families should personally address such challenges. Now, he said, he was interested in broader solutions. Several local officials stopped by to watch the assembly proceedings. Phil Chang, a Deschutes County commissioner, said the broad-based assembly creates “social license for us to do things that the community wants.” Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Conservative county commissioner Tony DeBone worries that Oregon’s rollback of drug-offense laws has worsened social problems; he also believes that an economic upturn would do the most good. Still, he says, he’s willing to see what the assembly can offer. Ultimately, the assembly’s effectiveness will depend on whether its recommendations can overcome bureaucratic inertia, says Tammy Baney, executive director of the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council. Proposed changes in police interactions with homeless youth could be acted on within a month or two if local law enforcement is receptive, she says. Improving Oregon’s gridlocked foster-care system might be much harder. “It all depends on how much political will there is,” Baney says. _____ George Anders is editor-at-large at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. Advertisement Advertisement