California's Political Family Reunion Interrupted After FBI Reveals Someone Actually Wore A Wire: OMG!

There are few things more sacred in California politics than the unshakable belief that everyone in the room is on the same team. Apparently, that confidence took a slight detour when one of the Democrats brought recording equipment instead of campaign talking points.

Attorney McGregor Scott, representing former California chief of staff Dana Williamson, says Democratic political operative Alexis Podesta had been quietly cooperating with federal investigators since at least June 2024. Somewhere in Sacramento, every politician who ever uttered the phrase "this stays between us" is suddenly remembering every lunch meeting they've had for the last two years.

As Scott bluntly put it, “Alexis wore a wire, and Dana did not.”

That single sentence probably produced more panic in California's political class than a surprise audit from the IRS.

Williamson pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and making false statements to the FBI. Prosecutors allege she helped divert roughly $225,000 from a dormant campaign account belonging to former Xavier Becerra. According to prosecutors, the money was disguised as consulting payments while benefiting Becerra's former chief of staff, Sean McCluskie.

The scheme has all the familiar ingredients of modern political consulting. Money leaves one account, appears in another, everyone calls it "consulting," and nobody can quite remember who actually consulted on anything.

The revelation also explains a mystery that had been puzzling Sacramento insiders for months. Last fall, lobbyists and political figures began receiving FBI letters informing them that some of their phone calls had been intercepted.

Republican Assembly member Josh Hoover was among them.

“A lot of people received letters essentially informing us that there were certain periods of time where the FBI was given access to follow phone calls,” Hoover said.

“I don’t know how these investigations work, but it sounds like they cast a pretty broad net across the Capitol community to see what they could find.”

Translation: when Washington says it's only a "limited inquiry," buy extra coffee because everyone is about to have a very stressful week.

Another Sacramento insider reportedly received one of those letters despite never having met Williamson.

“Dude, I got this f—ing letter. I never even met with Dana Williamson!”

“Their curiosity was that they never even met with Dana Williamson, so they were wondering what this is all about,” another source explained. “And now you have the answer.”

Nothing says "healthy political ecosystem" quite like discovering that your innocent phone call about lunch reservations has been preserved forever in an FBI evidence locker.

The investigation has now grown beyond Williamson. Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he, his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and members of his inner circle were themselves under federal investigation.

Newsom immediately shifted into his favorite role: the misunderstood hero battling the forces of evil.

“Just in the last week, I’ve learned his campaign has reached my own home: to get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen. A public servant. A woman who has dedicated her life to supporting women and girls. Someone who has done nothing wrong, other than having the temerity to advocate for what she believes in. If they can’t intimidate me, they’ll go after the mother of our children,” Newsom said.

He continued with characteristic theatrical flair.

"Donald Trump picked the wrong target. We have nothing to hide. His political operatives can take every record and read every page. But they’ll be looking in the wrong place. Because if they really want to find corruption, look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," he added.

That is one strategy. Another might be waiting to see what investigators actually uncover before delivering the closing argument.

According to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Semafor's Shelby Talcott, there are "several investigations" involving Newsom. The inquiries reportedly focus on his wife's taxes and his chief of staff. They also reportedly originated out of Sacramento rather than DOJ headquarters and involve whistleblowers.

Newsom, never one to let an investigation interrupt a campaign speech, declared himself part of President Trump's "hit list" while accusing Trump of "selling the presidency" through golf courses, private jets, cryptocurrency, and his sons' overseas business ventures.

“You can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me,” Newsom added. “Put my name on every and any enemies list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta.”

It is a familiar script. When questions arise, the story quickly shifts from "What happened?" to "Why are you asking?" It is a bit like being caught with your hand in the cookie jar and insisting the real scandal is the invasion of your privacy.

The irony, of course, is delicious. California's political establishment spent years assuring Americans that only conspiracy theorists imagined corruption lurking behind the polished press conferences and carefully curated Instagram posts. Now it turns out someone actually was wearing a wire.

The Babylon Bee could hardly improve upon the premise: an entire political machine built on carefully managed narratives discovers that the microphone wasn't just for campaign speeches after all. Sometimes reality writes satire all by itself.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

Conservatives erupt after DNC attacks top White House Official with vulgarity in personal attack

The official Democratic National Committee X account decided Wednesday afternoon that the best way to win back the normies was to channel their inner unhinged TikTok teenager. They dropped this gem in response to Stephen Miller needling a Democratic Senate candidate in Texas:

"Shut up, you ugly f--k" @TheDemocrats wrote. 

How mature. The kind of sophisticated discourse that makes you wonder if the DNC's social media intern is still grounded for talking back to Mom.

For context, Miller had been having a grand old time on The Will Cain Show pointing out that Democrats in Texas had just made history by nominating their first transgender Senate candidate, or at least that's what it looked like based on the visuals. 

Miller's crime? Mocking the absurdity. The DNC's response? Immediate nuclear-level personal insult, because policy debates are for chumps. But the truth is, when you're personally attacked with name-calling, you won the fight.

Katie Miller, who clearly doesn't get paid enough to deal with this circus, didn't miss a beat. She went full scorched earth on the account's operator: "Paulina Mangubat is who runs the Democrats’ account. She’s 30, unmarried with no kids. Put your name on it next time," Miller said. "This is what a sad, unhappy female liberal looks like. It’s why Pew reports 50% of them have been diagnosed with a mental condition."

Wow, that's a full psychological profile with receipts. Somewhere in a D.C. apartment filled with empty wine bottles and therapy workbooks, Paulina is refreshing her mentions and wondering where it all went wrong.

This is the party that spent years lecturing America about civility, unity and healing. The party that cried when Trump was ‘mean’ on Twitter. This is who they really are. And they wonder why they keep losing," Benny Johnson said.

"The official Democratic Party," the Libs of TikTok wrote in its own post, highlighting the spat."I'm sure this will get the votes you need," conservative radio host Dana Loesch posted on X."Hilarious these are the same people that complain about Trump being mean," conservative influencer Caleb Hull posted on X.

"This is where the median Democratic staffer's comms instincts are," Manhattan Institute VP Jesse Arm posted on X.

The greatest hits just kept coming. It's like the entire conservative internet showed up with popcorn to watch the Democrats live-tweet their nervous breakdown.

The target of the original Miller needle, James Talarico's campaign, responded by diagnosing everyone with "Talarico Derangement Syndrome." Cute. Almost as original as their entire platform.

Even some Democrats couldn't stomach the slop. Lifelong Dem strategist Jack Appleby clutched his pearls harder than a vegan at a steakhouse:

"As a lifelong Dem who’s donated free consulting to House Dem staffers, I find this so, so embarrassing for us. We complain about the right’s behavior, and now we’re doing stuff like this? Come on, Democrats. Do better."

Bless his heart. Someone get Jack a safe space and a participation trophy before the rest of the party excommunicates him for noticing.

This isn't an isolated brain fart—it's the new DNC brand strategy. Gov. Gavin Newsom's rapid response account has been telling critics to "f--- off" with the frequency of a sailor on shore leave. Apparently "aggressive and edgy" is what the kids are calling "completely unhinged and politically suicidal" these days.

The party that once clutched pearls over mean tweets has now devolved into the political equivalent of a drunk aunt screaming at the Thanksgiving table. And they're somehow shocked that normal Americans keep looking at this mess and saying, "Yeah, we're good, thanks."

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. Please take time to simply check out the sponsors on this page--it's one way to support my work and you don't need to purchase anything to do so. Of course, you can Buy Me A Coffee if you want to support me directly. And finally, don't be afraid to subscribe if you enjoy the blog--it's free, and worth the cost.

Tweet

Gov. Newsom tries his Trump impression on Joe Rogan after he called Gavin a "f----ing con man"

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom got his skivvies in a knot after Joe Rogan referred to him as a f---ing con man." Newsom's press office account slammed Rogan's podcast as "failing" and claimed the host is being "relegated to irrelevancy."
I asked Grok if Joe Rogan's webcast is losing subscribers. Here is the answer: 

No, Joe Rogan's webcast (The Joe Rogan Experience) is not experiencing significant subscriber losses overall. It remains one of the most dominant podcasts globally, though there have been some short-term fluctuations in monthly downloads/views tied to political events.

California Governor Gavin Newsom completely lost his waste product on Joe Rogan via his official press office X account. The trigger? A resurfaced clip where the podcast giant labeled Newsom an "f---ing con man."

The all-caps meltdown read: "JOE 'LITTLE GUY' ROGAN IS TOO CHICKEN TO HAVE ME ON HIS FAILING PODCAST BECAUSE HE KNOW I'D CRUSH HIM, SO HE TAKES CHEAP SHOTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY AS HE GETS RELEGATED TO IRRELEVANCY. ALL TALK, NO ACTION. I'M READY WHEN YOU ARE, 'LITTLE GUY.' OR KEEP HIDING!!!! — Governor GCN."

It was vintage Trump-style bravado from the California governor's team, aimed at a 2023 clip of Rogan chatting with Patrick Bet-David about the 2024 race.

In that old conversation, Rogan did not hold back: "Nobody wants President Newsom either. Nobody believes in that guy. That guy’s a f---ing con man. I mean, everything he did in California, from trying to mandate vaccines for kids when it was totally unnecessary to being caught out in public without a mask and lying about the fact that he was outdoors. All of it. It’s just, nobody believes in the guy. He’s just a politician, just a stone-cold, narrative-driven politician, you know, and nobody thinks he’s a real human."

Rogan has kept the heat on Newsom more recently too. After Newsom's press shop mocked an investigation into daycare fraud by posting what looked like a satirical AI-generated image of investigator Nick Shirley, Rogan called it out on his show.

"Did you see what the governor posted, what Newsom’s press office posted?" Rogan asked his guest. "They posted a photo of Nick Shirley, like a fake Nick Shirley, like a meme — like Nick Shirley peeking into windows."

Back in October, Newsom had already taken to his personal X account to whine that Rogan was too scared to book him. 

The specific clip Newsom's team was having multiple hissy-fits over featured Rogan tearing into the governor's record: "You can’t ruin a city and then go on to ruin a state and say, ‘Guys, that was just practice. Once I get in as president, I’m gonna fix it all.'"

Rogan piled on: "Like, everybody’s LEAVING. You have the highest unemployment. You have the highest homelessness. Money’s missing. You killed Hollywood. Like, Hollywood doesn’t exist anymore. It’s literally gone. You mandated vaccines for kids that didn’t need them. He did horrible s---."

California's one-party disaster under Newsom keeps delivering the receipts, and Rogan is more than happy to read them aloud. Newsom can scream "little guy" all he wants. The numbers, the exodus, and the body count of failed progressive experiments do not lie.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. If you really want to help support my work here, please visit the sponsors on this page, or you can Buy Me A Coffee for any amount--it really helps. You can even subscribe to Brain Flushings--it's free.

Tweet

Sergey Brin Corners Gavin Newsom At Treehouse Party, Announces He's Ditching California Before Billionaire Tax Vampires Strike

The tense exchange reportedly took place at a treehouse party hosted by crypto investor Chris Larsen in December.

"The Big Money Show" discusses California's $267M hospice fraud bust as Gov. Gavin Newsom defends the state’s record on fighting theft.

An exclusive holiday gathering just north of San Francisco turned into a stomach-churning fiscal nightmare for California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Back in December, Newsom and Google co-founder Sergey Brin attended the same "treehouse party" hosted by crypto investor Chris Larsen. It was there, according to a Bloomberg report, that Brin broke the news that he would be leaving the state in response to a proposed wealth tax.

According to the report, it was a tense, private confrontation so jarring that Newsom reportedly complained about a "lingering cold" he attributed to the interaction for months afterward.Brin allegedly explicitly cited the Billionaire Tax Act, a 5% one-time excise tax on individuals with a net worth exceeding $1 billion, hitting his nearly $289 billion net worth hard.

Just this week, the Service Employees International Union–United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) said it has collected more than 1.55 million signatures, according to a press release, nearly double the 875,000-signature requirement, to put the one-time tax on billionaire assets on the California ballot this November.

If the measure is approved by voters, anyone who was a California resident on Jan. 1, 2026, would owe the tax, according to the proposal.

Brin effectively shielded his wealth from the retroactive reach of the proposed tax by buying properties in Nevada and Florida. He has also committed at least $45 million to a group called "Building A Better California" to fight the initiative, with his total spending to kill the tax already reaching $58 million this year.

The Corcoran Group agent Julian Johnston exclusively speaks to Fox News Digital about the new wave of California billionaires migrating to South Florida due to a proposed wealth tax. "I fled socialism with my family in 1979 and know the devastating, oppressive society it created in the Soviet Union. I don't want California to end up in the same place," Brin told The New York Times this week regarding a story by the outlet that discussed his move.

Newsom has publicly opposed the billionaire tax, warning the measure would damage the economy and drive away investment. Since January, it’s estimated that more than $1 trillion in capital has left California.

"This is my fear," Newsom previously said in a Politico interview. "It’s just what I warned against. It’s happening."

"The evidence is in. The impacts are very real, not just substantive economic impacts in terms of the revenue, but start-ups, the indirect impacts of . . .  people questioning long-term commitments, medium-term commitments," he continued. "That’s not what we need right now, at a time of so much uncertainty. Quite the contrary."

Look, even the guy who helped invent the modern surveillance state is bailing on Gavin Newsom's People's Republic of California because the tax vampires have finally gone full Dracula. Sergey Brin did not mince words at that fancy treehouse soiree. He looked Newsom in the eye and basically said, "I'm out before you clowns try to loot me like it's a Bolshevik yard sale."

And poor Gavin spent months nursing a "lingering cold" from the encounter. Must have been rough realizing that even your billionaire buddies are done pretending California's socialist experiment is anything but a slow-motion train wreck.

Brin is not messing around. He has already parked assets in Nevada and Florida, dropped tens of millions to kill this idiocy, and reminded everyone that he actually escaped real socialism once before. Now he's watching Newsom's crew try to recreate it on the West Coast with extra failure and homeless encampments.

Meanwhile, the governor is out there sounding shocked that his warnings about driving away wealth and talent are coming true. Shocked, I tell you. The same guy who turned the state into a high-tax, high-crime, open-air toilet is now watching the productive class vote with their feet and their fortunes.

This is what happens when you treat success like a crime and then act surprised when the successful start packing. California is not "progressive." It is progressively broke, progressively empty of anyone who actually creates jobs, and progressively run by people who never met a tax they didn't love until it starts costing them donors.

Brin saw the writing on the wall and got out. Smart man. The rest of us are stuck watching Newsom try to spin this disaster as someone else's fault. Same script, different treehouse.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. If you really want to help support my work here, please visit the sponsors on this page, or you can Buy Me A Coffee for any amount--it really helps. You can even subscribe to Brain Flushings--it's free.

Tweet

Newsom PAC his biggest readers: they bought thousands of copies of his memoir and his tough life, spiking sales

In a development that surprised absolutely no one who has ever watched a Democrat try to game the system, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political action committee spent more than $1.5 million buying thousands of copies of his new memoir, accounting for about two-thirds of all copies sold nationwide, according to campaign finance filings.

The PAC spending helped propel Newsom’s memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry," onto the New York Times bestseller list and is raising new scrutiny as his national profile builds ahead of a possible 2028 presidential run.

In November, the Campaign for Democracy Committee launched a book campaign asking donors to contribute any amount to the PAC to receive the memoir when it was released on Feb. 24. Newsom spokesperson Nathan Click told the New York Times that the PAC bought about 67,000 copies, representing a substantial portion of the 97,400 total sold.

"We were thrilled with the response," Click told the New York Times. "Our goal was to deepen the relationship between him and the millions of folks who have already expressed support for Governor Newsom’s work."

Campaign finance filings reveal Gavin Newsom's PAC bought 67,000 copies of his memoir for over $1.5 million amid his 2024 presidential positioning. The PAC made two payments totaling over $1.5 million to Porchlight Book Company, according to a FEC filing posted on Wednesday and reviewed by Fox News Digital. The governor will not receive royalties from the books sold through the campaign, the New York Times reported.

The Joker

When asked about the book's ranking on the best seller list, a New York Times spokesperson explained the outlet places a dagger symbol on the list to indicate when a book's ranking has been influenced by a bulk purchase.

"When The Times has reason to believe that sales of a book include a mix of organic and bulk sales, the book's best-seller ranking is accompanied by a dagger. That's what we did with the Newsom book," Nicole Taylor, spokesperson for The Times, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Book promotion is common among politicians, but Newsom’s PAC spending outpaces similar political committee purchases. The Republican National Committee, for example, spent about $100,000 in 2019 purchasing Donald Trump Jr.’s book, the New York Times noted in its report. Newsom’s memoir is focused on the challenges he faced in his upbringing, addressing his battle with dyslexia and having divorced parents, as well as his political career.

Newsom's book tour, which included visiting cities across the nation, drew criticism from conservatives for the Democrat governor allegedly putting himself over leading California.

Chairwoman of the California Republican Party Corrin Rankin told Fox Digital, in response to the book campaign, she believes Newsom is trying to "rebrand his national image" while abandoning issues at home, as recent data underscores ongoing challenges in the state.

Social media commenters have not shied away from mocking Newsom over the book sales, including Republican California gubernatorial candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton."Gavin Newsom’s ‘bestseller’ memoir just got the ultimate California treatment: his PAC dropped $1.56 million of donor cash to buy 67,000 free copies and mail them to anyone who donated any amount," Hilton posted to X on Thursday. "That’s two-thirds of all print sales. Nothing says ‘Young Man in a Hurry’ like rigging your own book numbers with political slush funds while California burns."

Newsom is considered a top potential 2028 presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, though he has not confirmed whether he will officially throw his hat in the ring.

Thank you for following Brain Flushings. If you really want to help support my work here, you can Buy Me A Coffee or click on the ads alongside this page--it really helps. You can even subscribe to Brain Flushings--it's free.

Tweet

Gavin Newsom's wife says pro-lifers are "pulling us back as a country"

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom, is attacking pro-life Christians. She has criticized pro-life Christians and evangelicals as living in an “evangelical, conservative silo” that is “pulling us back as a country.”

What's the problem, Jenny, not enough dead babies?

Meanwhile, Newsom is arguing that the term “pro-life” should be redefined to mean government-funded social programs rather than protecting unborn children from abortion.

In a 2022 interview with journalist Elex Michaelson of a local Los Angeles station, Siebel Newsom promoted her documentary “Fair Play” on gender roles in the home and praised progressives for redefining the meaning of “pro-life.”

“I appreciate that so many people, so many progressives, are leaning into redefining what pro-life is really about, and that’s what we’re doing in California,” the unelected wife of Gavin Newsom said. “You know, pro-life is about prenatal care and universal preschool and universal after-school and universal healthcare and taking care of foster kids and feeding, you know, universal meals and childcare. Like, that’s pro-life. It’s not conception.”

She went on to criticize those she described as being on the far right, which includes anyone who didn't vote Democrat, and especially not for her husband.

“They’re living in this silo, this evangelical, conservative silo that, ultimately, is just pulling us back as a country to a time and a place where we don’t deserve to be, and we’re not going to be,” she said. “Because honestly, young women and fathers of daughters are awake now, and they’re woke, and they’re not going to let us go back.”

Siebel Newsom added that she has “so much hope because of that, and obviously California has a huge responsibility to lead.”

The clip resurfaced this week and drew fresh attention online as California continues to position itself as a leader in expanding abortion access through taxpayer funding. The state is also a leader in exfiltration of its wealthier residents who refuse to allow the state to steal their money.

Last month, at a bill-signing ceremony for Senate Bill 106, which provides $90 million in one-time emergency funds to Planned Parenthood and other abortion businesses to kill more babies, Newsom scolded reporters for focusing questions on topics such as the state’s failed high-speed rail project and the governor’s planned trip to Munich rather than the legislation.

“We just find it incredulous that we have Planned Parenthood here, and women are 51% of the population,” she said. “And the majority of the questions, all of these questions, have really been about other issues. So, it’s just fascinating.”

Pro-life advocates have condemned the $90 million allocation as an effort to celebrate and subsidize abortion at a time when many Americans support greater protections for unborn children. 

Not every woman views the expansion of abortions as advancing women’s interests. Many women actually want to be a mother and see abortion as a legal right to murder the babies.

Hey guys--thanks for following Brain Flushings. Consider subscribing and perhaps supporting my work by checking out the sponsors on this page. It really helps me. You can even Buy Me A Coffee if you want to show your appreciation, but really, there's  no pressure.

Tweet

Newsom disses Israel and Netanyahu, says Trump's strikes due to his 'grift'

In a vicious attack on President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the longstanding U.S.-Israel alliance, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called for a serious rethink of American support for Israel, smeared the Jewish state as an apartheid regime, and took vicious swipes at Trump, 

The comments came during an appearance with former Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor at an event promoting Newsom's autobiography, "Young Man in a Hurry." When asked whether Democrats should reconsider U.S. military aid to Israel given Netanyahu's leadership, Newsom didn't hold back.

"Well, he's making that easy right now," Newsom began, launching into an attack on Netanyahu. "The issue of Bibi is interesting. Because he's got his own domestic issues. He's trying to stay out of jail. He's got an election coming up. He's potentially on the ropes. He's got folks, the hard line, that want to annex the West Bank."

Newsom then channeled the notoriously anti-Netanyahu New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to push the tired leftist falsehood that Israel is heading toward "an apartheid state," adding, "For two years, they haven't even been able to solve the Hamas question in Israel."He went on to imply that Trump's actions against Iran were driven purely by Israeli influence.

"In so many ways, that influence in the context of the conversation of where Trump ultimately landed on this is pretty damn self-evident," said Newsom. "When you bring two aircraft carriers out there and you assemble the kind of military force that Trump did over the last few weeks, it didn't surprise me ultimately that they moved that direction."

When directly asked, "Do you think, looking down the road, that the United States should consider, maybe, you know, rethinking our military support for Israel?" Newsom feigned heartbreak.

"It breaks my heart because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path where I don't think you have a choice but that consideration."

He then pivoted to what he called "the grift and the corruption" tied to regional politics, dragging in Trump family members by name, including Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner. 

"The fact that we are in this now, a regional war. All these proxies and all the grift and the corruption that also marks a huge part of this," he said. "And that's a real conversation we need to have, this Board of Peace. In the piece that the Witkoff family is getting, in the piece that Kushner is getting, in the peace that Trump Jr. is getting."

Newsom's remarks represent the predictable anti-Israel turn from a Democrat desperate to signal virtue to the progressive base, even as he wraps it in crocodile tears about a broken heart. The governor's willingness to echo smears of Israel as an apartheid state while questioning aid amid ongoing threats shows just how far the party has drifted from its once-stalwart support for America's closest Middle East ally. And throwing in baseless jabs at the Trump family for good measure? 

That's just par for the course in the current Democratic playbook.

Thanks for following Brain Flushings, guys. Please consider subscribing, and if you would like to support my work, visit the sponsors on this page, or you can Buy Me A Coffee. 

Tweet

Newsom's Calif. Gov't paid protestors over $100,000,000

Independent journalist Cam Higby has dropped yet another receipts bomb on the Golden State's ruling class, revealing that California taxpayers have been forced to cough up over $115 million to fund what can only charitably be called "left-wing protests," or, more accurately, the organized tantrums of the progressive industrial complex.

The lucky recipient is the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), which modestly describes itself as the premier spot for "organizations and people who support human rights to work together for policies that advance justice and full inclusion for all immigrants."

And here's their own humble brag from the website: "CHIRLA has since become one of the largest and most effective advocates for immigrant rights, organizing, educating and defending immigrants and refugees in the streets, in the courts, and in the halls of power.”

Ah yes, "in the streets," the part where your tax dollars apparently buy the signs, the bullhorns, and probably the bail money.

Higby's digging shows CHIRLA wasn't just handing out voter guides; they were knee-deep in GOTV efforts pushing the full leftist agenda, racking up nearly 100,000 voter contacts during the 2020 election. They also boast about wrangling $175 million in taxpayer-funded COVID relief for illegal immigrants through a cozy little consortium of 11 groups (with CHIRLA right in the middle, naturally).

But wait, there's more taxpayer-funded fun: a high school program designed to churn out the next generation of "activists" (because nothing says education like mandatory radicalization), a college mobilization push for mass amnesty legislation, and a charming "Rapid Response" network explicitly aimed to “shut down detention centers.”

Because nothing screams "humane" like trying to dismantle immigration enforcement with other people's money.

Higby has made it clear this is merely the first domino in a long line of "non-profits" that are basically government-subsidized protest mills advancing the most radically left-wing causes imaginable. 

California Democrats have turned the state budget into a slush fund for their activist allies, and the rest of us get the bill.

Your average Californian is out here paying sky-high taxes so the ruling elite can bankroll the very chaos they pretend to be shocked by. It's almost like the whole thing is one giant, self-licking ice cream cone of progressive grift.

If you enjoy  Brain Flushings and would like to subscribe or Buy Me a Coffee, or even check out the sponsors on this page, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work and my coffee drinking habit. No pressure and subscribing is free. So is checking out the advertisers on the blog.

Stay tuned because if this is just the start, the full exposure is going to make Sacramento look even more like the clusterfrack we always knew it was.

Tweet

Mamdani makes big move to ruin NYC and create bigger, better homelessness

New York City is about to earn a shiny new nickname: Tent City, Filth City, or maybe Lepto City, courtesy of that charming bacterial souvenir from homeless encampments.

New York's socialistically new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has decided the NYPD should keep its hands off closing down these charming outdoor living rooms.

Ever since Mamdani teased this genius plan back in December, fresh encampments have been sprouting like weeds across neighborhoods. The fallout is a disaster for the folks actually living rough and for anyone trying to keep the city functional.

From Friday through Sunday night during that lovely bone-chilling winter storm, eight people turned up dead outdoors, likely homeless. Mamdani even admitted several were already known to the shelter system. Compassionate, right?

As these setups multiply, locals dial 311 in desperation, but the NYPD is now handcuffed. Even New York's Strongest, the sanitation crew, get orders to scoop up the trash and human waste but leave the mattresses, clothes, cardboard shanties, and all the rest exactly where they are. 

In other words, full maid service, zero actual cleanup of the hazardous junk pile.

City Councilwoman Joann Ariola watched this farce unfold along Jamaica Avenue, in Queens, and quipped, "What next, a city-funded turndown service?"

We should all be furious. Mamdani's serving up a twisted version of "compassion" for the homeless while flipping the bird to every resident and business owner stuck dealing with the fallout. These encampments drag in crime, garbage, and a general collapse of basic street decency.

They also invite lovely blasts from the past like leptospirosis, currently making the rounds in a Berkeley, California encampment. The bug hides in rat urine but spreads through tainted surfaces or puddles. The cold keeps it somewhat in check now, but come spring thaw, parents near these setups will be yelling at kids not to splash in puddles or paw random street junk.

Even fellow Democrats are losing it over Comrade Mamdani's refusal to act. Upper West Side Council Member Gale Brewer fumed, "You cannot have defecating, you cannot have food on the street, you cannot have all these boxes." 

But Mamdani's answer is apparently yes, you can.

His predecessor Eric Adams went hard the other way, clearing encampments and declaring, "We cannot tolerate these makeshift, unsafe houses on the side of highways, in trees, in front of schools, in parks. This is just not acceptable."

Mamdani's responded: "We are going to take an approach that understands its mission is connecting those New Yorkers to housing."

Sure, that's one job, Comrade Mayor. But you're also supposed to keep the rest of the city safe, livable, and appealing to the tourists and businesses that keep the lights on. This policy basically tells them all to pound sand.

No city should have to put up with sprawling encampments. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that towns can clear them. Justice Neil Gorsuch nailed it: otherwise, "with encampments dotting neighborhood sidewalks, adults and children in these communities are sometimes forced to navigate around used needles, human waste, and other hazards to make their way to school, the grocery store, or work."

Sound familiar, New York?

Since that ruling, even Democratic heavyweights like failed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and various mayors out west have cracked down hard.

Mamdani is sprinting in reverse, dooming Gotham to more crime and disease outbreaks. Los Angeles Police data from 2018-2022 showed the homeless were 1 percent of the population but 11 to 15 percent of violent crime suspects.

Nationwide, 13 percent of those in encampments are registered sex offenders. In states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, it's a jaw-dropping 50 percent or higher, per the Cicero Institute. Yeah, that's exactly who you want your kids dodging on the walk to school or after dark.

Mamdani claims he's doing the right thing for the homeless, keeping their plight front and center to force housing solutions while they now freeze in their tents and cardboard boxes.

If you enjoy  Brain Flushings and would like to subscribe or Buy Me a Coffee, and check out the sponsors on this page, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work and my coffee drinking habit. No pressure and subscribing is free.

In reality, he's turning them into political props and making their situation worse. Street life slashes life expectancy by about 27 years on average. Crime, disease, overdoses under cardboard or on piss-soaked mattresses; that's the compassion we're witnessing.

Adams put it perfectly, calling out the nonsense: "there is nothing compassionate or 'progressive' about leaving people to freeze in makeshift encampments. It ... dehumanizes the very people who need help."

But hey, virtue signaling over results, the classic move.

Tweet

California Billionaires Heading for the Hills--Just Not the California Ones

The spectacle unfolding in California is both predictable and profoundly depressing: a state once synonymous with boundless opportunity and innovation, aka the Golden State, is now watching its most productive citizens flee in droves, taking with them the very wealth that has long sustained the public purse.

For years, we have observed the steady accumulation of failures under Governor Gavin Newsom and the Democratic supermajority that controls Sacramento, some ninety Democrats to a mere thirty Republicans. High taxes, rampant crime, unchecked homelessness, waves of illegal immigration, and a housing crisis that has rendered the state all but unaffordable: these are not mere policy missteps but a sustained project of self-sabotage, transforming the California dream into something closer to a cautionary tale.

The latest folly is the proposed 2026 California Billionaire Tax: a one-time levy of five percent on the net worth of individuals exceeding one billion dollars. It remains, for now, only a proposal, yet even the threat has proved sufficient to concentrate minds wonderfully.

The top one percent of earners in California already shoulder over thirty-nine percent of the state's income taxes, a figure that ought to give any rational policymaker pause. These are the engines of revenue, the reliable payers who have been sheared year after year at the state's punishing 13.3 percent top rate.

Yet now, sensing the arrival of an asset tax that would reach into illiquid holdings and accumulated fortunes, many are departing. Entrepreneur Chamath Palihapitiya captured the scale of this flight on X:

The total wealth that has left California is now $1T. We had $2T of billionaire wealth just a few weeks ago. Now, 50% of that wealth has left - taking their income tax revenue, sales tax revenue, real estate tax revenue and all their staffs (and their salaries and income taxes) with them.

The consequences are immediate and cascading. By frightening away the golden geese, the state risks exploding its already precarious budget deficit, all before the measure has even qualified for the ballot.

Palihapitiya continued: 

California billionaires were reliable tax payers - 13.3% every year. They were the sheep you could shear forever. Now California will lose this revenue source FOREVER.

Unless the initiative is withdrawn, the exodus will continue. With no rich people left, the burden will fall, as it always does in such experiments, upon the middle class.

Nor are the departures limited to anonymous fortunes. As RedState reported, the Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are scaling back their ties to the state as the proposed ballot initiative threatens to impose a one-time wealth tax on the state's richest residents, according to The New York Times. Their combined net worth approaches some five hundred and eighteen billion dollars, hardly trivial sums.

Even those who might be expected to cheer such measures have recoiled. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman described the wealth tax as a "horrendous idea" and counterproductive." Poorly designed taxes incentivize avoidance, capital flight, and distortions that ultimately raise less revenue," he said.

The billionaires did not become so by being foolish. They recognize a punitive and unstable regime when they see one. 

If you enjoy Brain Flushings and would like to subscribe or Buy Me a Coffee, and check out the sponsors on this page, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work and my coffee drinking habit. No pressure and subscribing is free.

Governor Newsom has distanced himself from the tax, yet he cannot so easily escape responsibility. He has presided over, indeed, cultivated, an environment of relentless extraction and mismanagement. This is his ship, and he has steered it straight into the rocks. The failures are his, as are so many others that have turned California from a beacon of aspiration into a warning for the rest of the nation.

Tweet

Jasmine Crockett says "Fk you" to SCOTUS over Texas redistricting decision

Crockett's rendition of "Thriller"

Fresh off getting redistricted out of her own House seat, Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) is throwing a full-on toddler-tantrum, complete with profanity aimed straight at the Supreme Court, for daring to allow Texas keep its new congressional maps that could net Republicans up to five extra House seats in 2026. 

In a rambling YouTube video posted Sunday, Crockett unloaded on what she calls Republican efforts to "rig the system" through redistricting, all while conveniently ignoring her own party's aggressive counter-moves. After all, it isn't as if the Democrats have perfected this move--oh wait--they did.

"Obviously, Trump is still doing his bidding with these state Houses and state Senates and governor's mansions to try to rig the system," potty-mouth Crockett said. "Kudos to Indiana for saying f**k you. Kudos to California for saying we're going to fight back."

How edgy for her to drop the "F Bomb." It's the latest Democrat ploy.

But Crockett didn't stop there, praising a dissenting lower-court opinion before turning her fire on the nation's highest court: "Definitely kudos to the Trump justice who wrote the 160-page opinion denouncing what took place in Texas and f**k you to the Supreme Court for what they did as well as, you know, we'll see what happens in some other places."

Classic. The Supreme Court sided with Texas Republicans in December, allowing Gov. Greg Abbott's redrawn maps to stand for the midterms, a map expected to flip as many as five seats to the GOP column. And yes, those new lines effectively booted Crockett from her current district, which just so happened to coincide with her sudden announcement of a Senate bid days later.

Meanwhile, Democrats aren't exactly playing defense. California Gov. Gavin Newsom rammed through a ballot initiative in November creating five new Dem-leaning districts to offset Texas. And in December, Indiana's GOP-led Senate shot down a proposal for two additional Republican seats—handing Crockett her "kudos" moment.

But Crockett wasn't done. She used the rant to push her pet cause: "reforming" the Supreme Court, drawing on her time with the 2024 Court Reform Now Task Force—think term limits and packing the bench.

"I just feel like there are certain spots on the Supreme Court that were illegitimately gotten for sure," Crockett said. "So, I think if we're going to shore up our democracy, we have to first start by shoring up the checks and balances. And so, that starts with the Supreme Court."

Nothing says "shoring up democracy" like cursing out the justices and demanding to overhaul the court because it won't rubber-stamp your agenda. Stay classy, Rep. Crockett.

If you like Brain Flushings and would like to Buy Me a Coffee, or check out the sponsors on this page, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work and my coffee drinking habit. No pressure. 

Tweet

DOJ's Harmeet Dhillon Drops the Hammer: 'FAFO' Warning to Woke Thugs Targeting Her Over Judge's House Fire

Folks, if you thought the left's unhinged vendettas against Trump appointees were bad before, stand by, because Harmeet Dhillon, the no-nonsense Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, just lit a match under their feet. She's not playing games, and neither should they. In a blistering X post Sunday night, Dhillon laid it out plain: threats against her are getting funneled straight to the U.S. Marshals Service.

"We will tolerate no such threats by woke idiots, including those who work for
@GavinNewsom," Dhillon wrote. "Govern yourselves accordingly."

"FAFO," she added, using the acronym for "f--k around and find out."

That's right, Dhillon's channeling the kind of street-smart warning that the perpetually offended blue-check brigade could use a crash course in. And get this: it all stems from a grotesque pile-on after a South Carolina judge's home went up in flames. Dhillon told Fox News Digital on Monday that her DOJ team flagged some seriously sketchy replies lurking under a post from none other than Izzy Gardon, Gavin Newsom's communications director. You know, the guy who helps polish the Golden State's endless parade of scandals into "progressive" fairy tales.

Gardon had tweeted on Sunday: "A few weeks ago, one of Trump’s top DOJ officials publicly targeted this judge. Today, the judge’s home is on fire." He was pointing fingers at South Carolina circuit court Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein, whose house torched itself Saturday night. Authorities with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are on the case—no cause confirmed yet, but three folks got hurt in the blaze.

Enter the deleted X account that had everyone’s hackles up. Screenshot shows it crowing: "I'm just saying Harmeet Dhillon's address can't be hard to find." When pressed on what that meant, the creep shot back: "I'll let you know in two weeks."

Charming, right? And who kicked off this dumpster fire? Gardon's post, which got a boost from Connecticut's own drama king, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy. He retweeted it with a screenshot of Dhillon's own words from last month—a fiery declaration that had the judge in her crosshairs for what Dhillon called a "hasty nullification" of federal voting laws.

Chris Murphy

"This @TheJusticeDept’s @CivilRights will not stand for a state court judge’s hasty nullification of our federal voting laws. I will allow nothing to stand in the way of our mandate to maintain clean voter rolls. One Citizen, One Vote!" Dhillon had posted.

Doing her job, enforcing election integrity,? How dare she? 

To Dhillon, this whole circus from Gardon and Murphy is a bullseye on her back: "grossly … outrageous, inappropriate," she told Fox News Digital, adding that in today's tinderbox climate, it "could cause me physical harm." Look, if you're a Trump official standing up for fair elections, apparently that's now grounds for doxxing and veiled threats. The hypocrisy here is thicker than a Democrat's skull. Newsom's crew, who spent years demonizing Trump as a threat to democracy, now crying foul when the DOJ actually does its job? Pulleeeze.

Gardon, predictably, fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital: "Ms. Dhillon owes us a full apology for her blatantly false implications."

"Our office never threatened her, in contrast to the Trump Administration’s vile rhetoric against sitting judges. In recent weeks, Trump officials have referred to judges as ‘terrorists’ and ‘legal insurrectionists.’ She and her associates own that dangerous, disgraceful, and un-American rhetoric, and she should apologize for that, too," Gardon added.

Pot, meet kettle. The same crowd that cheered on "punch a Nazi" chants and endless lawfare against conservatives now clutches pearls over "rhetoric"? Dhillon is not apologizing for squat; she's the one with the Marshals on speed dial. To every Gavin sycophant and Murphy moralizer out there: heed the lady. FAFO isn't just a warning; it's a promise. And in Trump's DOJ, the adults are finally back in charge.

If you like Brain Flushings and want to Buy Me A Coffee, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work. Obviously, there is no pressure but I certainly wouldn't stop you. 

Tweet

POTUS sends 2,000 additional National Guard troops to L.A.: Newsom, Bass upset with law and order move

Los Angeles is crawling with over 4,700 military personnel, thanks to President Donald Trump’s decisive action to quell the chaos that erupted after a weekend of rioting. On Monday night, Trump sent an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, joining the 2,000 already deployed Saturday and 700 Marines dispatched Monday. 

The Washington Post confirms this beefy response, which Trump says saved L.A. from becoming a smoldering ruin.

“If I didn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now, much like 25,000 houses burned to the ground in L.A. do [sic] to an incompetent Governor and Mayor,” Trump blasted on Truth Social. And he isn't wrong; L.A. was spiraling into anarchy before he stepped in and both Newsom and Bass sided with the rioters, looters, and rock-throwers.

But leave it to California’s left-wing leader governor to go after the Trump administration with a lawsuit Monday, whining that the National Guard deployment stepped on his toes. Apparently, Newsom thinks there’s no “invasion” or “rebellion” to justify federal intervention. 

Tell that to the rioters torching Waymo robotaxis and chucking rocks at cops.

Newsom’s response? Send 800 more state and local officers to “clean up President Trump’s mess.” Typical Democrat—blame Trump for fixing their failures.

L.A.’s Mayor Bass, another Karen Democrat, chimed in with her own spin: “While Washington choreographed these chaotic events, the LAPD and local law enforcement continue to effectively respond.” 

Choreographed? The only thing choreographed here is the left’s playbook of deflecting responsibility while cities burn and the riots themselves. Note the Mexican flags are all the same size with the same folds, probably from the same box, and handed out to the rioters.

The riots kicked off after federal immigration raids last week, including one at a Home Depot parking lot that nabbed suspected illegal immigrants, some with gun and drug convictions, per Fox News’ Bill Melugin. That apparently triggered the usual suspects, who took to the streets waving those Mexican flags, setting Waymo vehicles ablaze, and attacking police with rocks, cement, and fireworks. 

CBS News reports 42 arrests, with some facing charges like assault on an officer and attempted murder. Downtown L.A. is a mess, smashed T-Mobile and athletic stores, shattered glass at a Jordan Studio 23 and Adidas, and the charred remains of five Waymo robotaxis. 

Waymo’s now suspended service in the area for some reason. This is the chaos these anarchists were aiming for.

Meanwhile, the chaos is spreading. San Francisco saw 150 arrests Sunday night and two injured cops as anti-ICE riots flared up, per ABC 7. 

Newsom and Bass can keep pointing fingers, but Trump’s the one keeping California from descending into total lawlessness.

At least this time, Bass didn't go to Africa.

Hey guys, if you like my blog,  feel free to toss a virtual coffee my way on Buy Me a Coffee  It’s like a high-five with caffeine, and coffee keeps me focused, albeit somewhat hyper. No pressure, it's your call.

Tweet

Trans Activist’s Flagpole Fiasco at California Track Champs—Gets SCHOOLED!

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) track and field championship turned into a total dumpster fire, and it’s no surprise why. A dude claiming he’s a lady has been steamrolling the girls’ competition, and the woke brigade’s losing their little minds. 

Things got UGLY when some rainbow-flag-waving activist decided to play whack-a-mole with a conservative protester, swinging a flagpole draped with a massive transgender flag. This scumcrumpet picked the wrong fight and paid a HEAVY price.

The guy attacked was Josh Fulfer, better known as "Oreo Express" on X. He has guts and a quick trigger on the pepper spray.

“Fortunately I was able to pepper spray them and police had seen the incident and took the they/them into custody. Transtifa is violent,” Fulfer said.

This whole circus went down at Veterans' Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High School in Clovis. Fox News Digital snagged footage showing the attacker, 19-year-stupid Ethan Kroll, smacking Fulfer with that flagpole like he’s auditioning for a medieval reenactment.

 
Police records obtained by Fox News Digital, confirm Kroll, a male, got slapped with charges for assault with a deadly weapon (yep, that flagpole), obstructing a public officer, and vandalism. 

And let’s talk about that pepper spray. Kroll took it right in the face. Bet that stung worse than his pride.

Fulfer laid out the play-by-play for Fox News Digital. It all kicked off after he left the meet, driving with his wife, and pulled up to a red light. Kroll was there, decked out in black face coverings like some wannabe ninja defender of the mentally ill.

“They were yelling something, and they recognized me right away. And they said something. I don't even know, I can't understand what they were saying, but I said something in the nature of, 'If you're so proud and you're not ashamed of your cause, why don't you show your face? Why are you so embarrassed to show your face?'” Fulfer recounted.

“And then they yelled something. And when they yelled something, they started going right across the street onto the center divide. And then they said, ‘You're Josh Fulfer,’ and started hitting me with the pole. They put the pole in the car and started jabbing me with the pole.”

A quick tussle later, Fulfer unleashed the pepper spray, hitting Kroll square in the eyes. Cops nearby saw the whole thing and dragged Kroll off, looking like he just lost a cage match with a skunk.

Here’s the deal: men competing in women’s sports is a straight-up TRAVESTY, and conservatives have been sounding the alarm on this nonsense forever. Why are Democrats so obsessed with defending this when polls show 80% of Americans think it’s garbage? Because they are so enamored by their leftist ideology that they don't care about what the majority wants.

 
And where the heck is Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom while this insanity unfolds? If this guy dares to run for president, and I bet he will, I’m grabbing popcorn to watch him fumble his way through explaining THIS mess.

If you enjoy my blog, feel free to toss a virtual coffee my way on Buy Me a Coffee – it’s like a high-five with caffeine, and coffee keeps me focused. No pressure, it's your call.

Tweet