California
California political operative allegedly acted as illegal agent of China: DOJ
A Chino Hills, California man has been arrested for allegedly working as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while also serving as the campaign manager for a local politician who was elected to office in 2022.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said 64-year-old Yaoning “Mike” Sun was arrested on Thursday and charged with acting as an illegal agent of China as well as conspiring with another man, Chen Jun, who was sentenced to prison in November for bribery and also acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.
According to a criminal complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday, Sun served as campaign manager for a Southern California politician who was not named and only identified as “Individual 1” in the complaint. Individual 1 was ultimately elected to a city council position in a city not named in the complaint, in 2022.
Sun and Chen communicated during the campaign to help get the individual elected.
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Chen Jun, who Yaoning “Mike” Sun allegedly conspired with, was sentenced to prison in November for bribery and acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. (Department of Justice)
The DOJ said Chen allegedly spoke with Chinese government officials about how China could “influence” local American politicians, especially on the topic of Taiwan.
Shortly after Individual 1 was elected to office in November 2022, Chen allegedly told Sun to prepare a report on the election. The report was sent to Chinese government officials, who the complaint says responded positively and expressed thanks.
Nearly a month after the individual was elected, Chen also set up a lunch with Sun and others at a Rowland Heights restaurant. The gathering was described to a PRC official by Chen as a “core member lunch,” the DOJ said. Individual 1 was not reportedly at the luncheon, though Chen told the Chinese government officials the individual was part of the “basic team dedicated for us.”
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Chen told the PRC official the lunch was “successful,” adding that attendees agreed to create a “US-China Friendship Promotional Association.”
In early 2023, Chen allegedly instructed Sun to compose another report for PRC officials about the two of them “cultivating and assisting” with Individual 1’s success.
As the second report was being finalized in February 2023, Sun sent Chen a proposal to combat “anti-China forces” by marching in a U.S. Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C., the complaint noted.
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China’s President Xi Jinping talks after joining a group photo during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
While the two men continued their efforts in the U.S., Sun allegedly asked the PRC to provide them with a budget of $80,000.
The complaint alleges that Chen and Sun spoke about a planned trip to China to meet with “leadership.” It also claims Sun was directed by Chen to set up a meeting with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles. In August 2023, Sun and Individual 1 eventually traveled to China, the complaint alleges.
Sun could face up to 10 years in prison for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government if he is convicted.
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He also faces a maximum penalty of five years behind bars for conspiring to commit an offense against the U.S.
California
California orders Tahoe Truckee schools to leave Nevada sports over transgender athlete dispute
The California Department of Education is requiring the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to follow state law in another clash over transgender athletes in youth sports in the state.
Currently, student-athletes in Tahoe Truckee Unified play sports in Nevada because of how close they are. But Nevada now bans transgender athletes in girls’ sports, which is against California state law.
So after decades of playing in Nevada, California’s Department of Education is requiring the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to compete in California to comply with state laws that allow student athletes to compete based on their gender identity.
David Mack is the co-founder of Tahoe Pride and describes the new youth sports divide in the Tahoe region.
“So no one’s happy, it’s really sad, it’s quite tragic in that way,” Mack said. “People feel really upset that the school moved so fast on this. They feel blindsided, they feel not listened to, and then other people, like the trans kids, are getting steamrolled over like they’re not recognized in this argument.”
Nevada state lawmakers passed a law in April requiring a mandatory physical signed by a doctor to deem the athlete male or female based on their birth sex.
“This is a politically manufactured issue to try to divide people,” Mack said.
The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District is responding to the California Department of Education with a solution that the district legally join the California Interscholastic Federation in 2026, but continue to play in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association through 2028.
When asked if transgender athletes would be able to compete while operating in the NIAA, the district said it’s “still in the early stages of this transition, and many details are still being developed.”
In an October letter addressed to the California Department of Education, the school district’s attorney, Matthew Juhl-Darlington, said the Tahoe Truckee Unified is “not aware of any transgender youth who have expressed interest in participating in its 2025-2026 athletic programs.”
“While the NIAA recently updated its polices to define ‘male’ and ‘female’ based on sex assigned at birth and not as reflected in an individual’s gender identity, as required under California law, the District is interpreting and implementing this policy in a manner consistent with California’s legal requirements,” Juhl-Darlington said in the letter.
California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley is opposed to the state order, arguing the weather conditions in Tahoe need to be considered.
“So in order to compete in a California league, you have to deal with this snowy weather and the travel dangers and so forth,” Kiley said.
The school board was expected to explain its solution to both join California’s CIF while playing in the NIAA through 2028 to parents and students Wednesday night at a board meeting.
So far, the California Department of Education has not said if it will accept this as a solution.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) As the race for California’s next governor intensifies, uncertainty looms with the primary election just six months away.
A recent Emerson College poll shows Republican Chad Bianco leading by a narrow margin of one point, while 31% of voters remain undecided.
“The field remains wide open,” said Tal Eslick, owner of Vista Consulting. “There’s a half dozen credible Democrats in the race. There’s really a couple – two – namely Republicans.”
Eslick noted that Bianco’s lead is more reflective of the crowded Democratic field than a shift toward Republicans statewide.
California governor race heats up with uncertainty and potential surprises (Photo: AdobeStock)
He suggested a “black horse candidate” could still emerge, possibly from Hollywood or outside politics.
With rising energy and gas prices, affordability is expected to be a key issue for voters.
California governor race heats up with uncertainty and potential surprises (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, File)
“I think that you could also see voters vote with their pockets,” Eslick said, highlighting the potential for a non-traditional candidate to gain traction.
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