So far, California has sued the Trump administration at least 50 times, challenging the federal government on everything from health care access for minorities to the slashing of asbestos reporting requirements.
Yet, the steadfast opposition to Washington is not based solely in the courts, according to California's Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
The state's so-called "resistance" strategy, Padilla said, is rooted in a three-pronged approach: legislation, legal challenges, and civil society organization.
"California has stood up to a lot of what this administration has represented," Padilla told Cheddar on Thursday, adding that the state is especially willing to fight what is antithetical to "Californian values."
Just last week, the Golden State targeted President Trump's taxes, passing a law that would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns in order to be included on the state's primary election ballot.
"We've seen — among so many precedents broken by this administration — a failure to disclose potential conflicts of interests," Padilla said.
During the 2016 election, Trump refused to release his tax returns — upending a longstanding norm. The White House has since resisted several attempts from congressional Democrats to obtain the president's taxes and examine financial holdings for possible fraud and foreign entanglements.
"If the federal government can't force the issue but California can, then we're going to try to do that," added Padilla.
The Trump administration sued the state in response, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment and restricts voting rights. Seemingly anticipating the challenge, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, defended the law's constitutionality last week, saying that the state "is well within its constitutional right to include" the requirement.
On Wednesday, California Republican Chairwoman Jessica Patterson slammed the law, arguing that it "attacks the heart" of the constitution.
"It is a tactic by the left to make sure that the Republican turnout, which is usually dictated by the top of the ticket, is lower than normal," Patterson added in an interview with Cheddar.
Since the 2016 election, which U.S. intelligence agencies have repeatedly said was plagued with misinformation and foreign interference, California has also taken control of its own election security — an issue that has largely stalled at the federal level in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The state allocated over $130 million in the budget last year to replace aging voting machines and conducted a state-wide assessment of security apparatuses and firewall protections. California also implemented additional testing standards for new voting systems and a requirement that every ballot must have a paper trail.
"We are doing anything and everything it takes to ensure the integrity and security of the election," Padilla said on Thursday. "Securing the election is one thing, making sure that we don't fall prey to misinformation or disinformation campaigns is an equal challenge."
In 2016, California voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton, who won the state by more than 4 million votes. The state is also home to several prominent Trump critics, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Newsom, and 2020 Democratic candidates Sen. Kamala Harris and Tom Steyer, the billionaire businessman and founder of Need to Impeach.
Yet the animus is seemingly mutual, with Trump repeatedly attacking California and its major cities since taking office. It was more than 400 days into his presidential term before he stepped foot in California — the longest delay of any modern president to visit the most populous state in the nation.
Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H. 2nd District) joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to reflect on the January 6 insurrection and her personal experience in the Capitol when rioters attempted to overtake the House chamber. "What I now understand to be true is that the mob of rioters had reached the third floor and was literally in the hallway running toward us as we ducked into the elevator," she told Cheddar. Kuster recalled the fear she felt, wondering what might have happened if the insurrectionists crossed paths with her group. Kuster noted that she has since received therapy to help cope with the traumatic event. "A thousand acts of courage saved our life and saved our democracy," she said.
Andy Kroll, Washington bureau chief at Rolling Stone, joined Cheddar's Baker Machado to discuss the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection and how it could impact upcoming elections. Kroll talked about whether or not Trump's influence will aid Republicans in the midterms and how it could be a setup for the former president to run in the 2024 presidential election. "This day has become really almost a kind of cause for Republican base voters," he said. "And you're going to see that fueling some turnout, you're going to see that fueling, even, candidates running for office in these midterm elections."
According to a recent analysis from ProPublica and the Wall Street Journal an analysis of Facebook posts, internal company documents, and interviews reveal key evidence about the social media giant's role in January 6 insurrection. National Reporter at ProPublica Craig Silverman, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
AT&T and Verizon have agreed to delay activating their 5G services for two weeks after Airlines for America, a lobbying group that represents American, Delta, and other airlines, filed a petition last week with the FCC to stop the deployment of 5G in the U.S. over concerns that the network can interfere with certain systems on airplanes. President Biden spoke out about it, saying it would avoid further delays and cancellations of flights. Light Reading 5G and Mobile Strategies Director Mike Dano joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
On a day where the Dow and Russell 2000 each closed more than 3% lower, Melissa Armo, founder and owner of The Stock Swoosh, says Wednesday's big sell-off could extend into after-hours trading. She joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
The new year has just gotten underway, but the clock is already ticking for the Democratic-led Congress to pass bills regulating big tech. Evan Greer, Director for Fight For the Future, joins Cheddar News to explain why Democratic lawmakers would want to push legislation now, and what a Republican takeover would mean for the industry.
Americans looking to purchase at-home COVID-19 tests will now have to shell out a bit more money after an agreement expired between the White House and companies to sell the tests at cost. The price of Abbot's BinaxNow test kit from October to December was $14 apiece; on Tuesday, Walmart's website listed the test for $19.88, and Kroger listed the tests for $23.99. Carbon Health Regional Clinical Director Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the impact higher prices will have as the nation experiences another surge in cases.
After the Chicago teachers union voted to work remotely due to what they say is a lack of safety protocols amid the COVID-19 surge, the school system canceled classes on Wednesday, citing harm that remote learning has done to the city's children. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, joined Cheddar to discuss the issues surrounding the latest dispute between educators and schools. She said that the return to in-person learning would likely be halted until more COVID tests could be provided for districts. "This is a terrible situation for everybody, and we need the testing, and we need the masks," she said. "It's the omicron surge that has created this disruption, and we are trying to do the best we can. And this is the only school district that has this kind of action right now." The teachers might not be returning to their schools for at least two weeks amid the ongoing tensions.
Illinois State Senator Robert Martwick joins Cheddar News to discuss the new bill he co-sponsored allowing students in the state to take 5 mental health days without a doctor's note.
