Politics
California sues Huntington Beach over 'blatantly and flatly illegal' voter ID law
California has sued Huntington Beach, alleging that the city’s new law requiring voters to show photo identification is a violation of state law.
The 320-page lawsuit, filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court, accuses Huntington Beach of violating California’s Constitution and the state election code over a new charter amendment that would require voters to show photo identification in local elections starting in 2026.
Huntington Beach has argued that the city charter grants local officials the authority to handle municipal issues, including local elections. In addition to the photo identification requirement, the amendment requires that Huntington Beach provide 20 in-person polling places and monitor ballot drop boxes.
Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said Monday that Huntington Beach’s charter does not exempt the city from following state laws that govern voter registration and election integrity. The photo identification requirement “is not only misguided — it is blatantly and flatly illegal,” Bonta said at a news conference in downtown Los Angeles.
“They have greatly overstated the authority they think they have,” said Bonta, a Democrat. “They have willfully violated the law, they have brazenly violated the law. … They know exactly what they are doing, and they are doing it anyway.”
Voters in Huntington Beach approved the law by passing Measure A on the March 5 ballot, with 53.4% support. Michael Gates, Huntington Beach’s city attorney, said in a statement that “the people of Huntington Beach have made their voices clear on this issue.”
“The city will vigorously uphold and defend the will of the people,” Gates said.
Bonta’s lawsuit is the latest clash between California and Huntington Beach, which has thrust itself into the crosshairs of state lawmakers and the nation’s culture wars since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the last four years, officials in the conservative beach town have declared it a “no mask and no vaccine-mandate” city, sued the state over zoning requirements to add housing and a “sanctuary city” immigration law, created a panel to screen children’s books in the city library for sexual content and approved the voter ID measure for the March ballot despite threats of a lawsuit.
After the Huntington Beach City Council began discussing the voter ID measure last fall, Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, California’s top election official, warned in a letter to city officials that the measure was illegal and could prompt a lawsuit.
California law requires voters to verify their identities when they register to vote and imposes criminal penalties for fraudulent registration, Bonta and Weber wrote. The state does not require photo identification at the polls but does require that voters provide their names and addresses.
The Huntington Beach City Council voted 4 to 3 in October to place the voter ID law on the March ballot.
Councilmembers Tony Strickland and Gracey Van Der Mark, who backed the measure, wrote in their ballot argument that “extreme policies” allowing noncitizens to vote “have been spreading” and that the measure would “forever protect Huntington Beach’s elections.”
Three council members who opposed the measure said that the city’s elections, overseen by the Orange County Registrar of Voters, are secure and that Huntington Beach was not prepared to oversee its own elections.
Weber, a Democrat, said Monday that her office investigates claims of voter fraud and has “not found it to be true that California, nor any other state, suffers from a tremendous amount of fraud.”
The voter ID measure “is really a solution looking for a problem,” Weber said.
A Huntington Beach resident sued in November to block the voter ID measure. The ACLU of Southern California and Disability Rights California filed briefs in support of the lawsuit, arguing that voter ID laws impose severe burdens on Black, Latino and low-income voters.
Orange County Superior Court judge Nick Dourbetas declined to stop the measure from appearing on the ballot but wrote in his December ruling that if the measure passed “and if its implementation raises an issue of constitutionality, at that point, it may be appropriate for judicial review.”
Bonta warned Huntington Beach last fall that another facet of the charter amendment — monitoring ballot drop boxes — could also violate state law.
The state’s lawsuit does not mention drop boxes. Bonta said state officials will be watching how the Huntington Beach law is implemented to ensure it does not run afoul of a prohibition on taking photos, videos or otherwise recording voters at polling places or ballot drop boxes “with the intent of dissuading another person from voting.”
Politics
US military announces another deadly strike against ‘narco-terrorists’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The U.S. military announced another deadly strike against a vessel that it alleges was involved in “narco-trafficking” efforts.
“On April 19, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Southern Command indicated in a post on X.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the post continued.
US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED CARTEL OPERATIVES IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE, SOUTHCOM SAYS
The U.S. military announced that it killed three “narco-terrorists” in a strike in the Caribbean on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (@Soutcom via X)
SOUTHCOM indicated that the attack killed three men.
“Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post noted.
President Donald Trump’s administration has carried out dozens of deadly strikes against vessels of alleged “narco-terrorists.”
US MILITARY CONDUCTS MORE DEADLY STRIKES AGAINST VESSELS OF ALLEGED ‘NARCO-TERRORISTS’
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, nominee for commander of U.S. Southern Command, testifies during his Senate confirmatino hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
In a completely different part of the world, amid ongoing tensions between America and Iran, the U.S. attacked an Iranian-flagged cargo ship on April 19.
“Guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) intercepted M/V Touska as it transited the north Arabian Sea at 17 knots enroute to Bandar Abbas, Iran. American forces issued multiple warnings and informed the Iranian-flagged vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” U.S. Central Command noted.
US SEIZES IRANIAN SHIP AFTER OPENING FIRE; PAKISTAN TALKS IN DOUBT
President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 16, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“After Touska’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings over a six-hour period, Spruance directed the vessel to evacuate its engine room. Spruance disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room. U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit later boarded the non-compliant vessel, which remains in U.S. custody,” CENTCOM noted.
Politics
Uproar over mama bear killing could help launch a state wildlife coexistence program
SACRAMENTO — A month after a public uproar over a mama bear being euthanized after swiping at a resident in Monrovia, state lawmakers are considering mandating the use of nonlethal ways to help allow wildlife and humans to coexist.
Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) said she believes the bear’s death, and the state’s decision to kill four wolves last year that were preying on cattle, raised public concern.
“That made everybody realize we have to do better here,” she told The Times on Thursday. “We need to recognize the importance of seeing ourselves, humans, as part of a larger ecosystem that includes animals and plants and our world and trying to protect it.”
Senate Bill 1135, introduced by Blakespear, would direct the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to create the Wildlife Coexistence Program, which would provide public education, offer technical assistance and maintain a statewide incident reporting system. It would help communities deploy nonlethal devices to deter predators, like barriers or noise and light machines.
At a legislative hearing on Tuesday, Blakespear told the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water that a three-year state initiative offering similar services was seeing positive results — until it was discontinued two years ago after funding ran dry. She said it was time to implement a permanent program.
“Human population growth, habitat loss and the growth of industry across California inevitably leads to interaction between humans and wildlife,” Blakespear told legislators. “No two animal species are the same and each has unique behavior patterns and territories. SB 1135 recognizes these differences and gives communities the tools to prevent conflict and respond when it occurs.”
The bill would also rename a state program that reimburses ranchers who lose livestock to wolves, calling it the Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program. It would require ranchers seeking compensation to show they were using nonlethal deterrents approved by the department.
Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) stressed that life in rural areas is different than living in a city. She said some families and cattle ranchers have a genuine fear of predators.
“When these baby calves drop on the ground and then two wolves start ripping them apart, it’s not the prettiest thing you’ve ever witnessed,” said Grove, who abstained from voting on the measure. “These wolves are not puppies.”
More than 30 organizations are supporting the legislation, including the National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, California State Assn. of Counties, Animal Legal Defense Fund and Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife.
The California Farm Bureau and the California Cattlemen’s Assn. are in opposition due to concerns over funding.
Last month, Blakespear sent a letter to the chair of the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review requesting $48.8 million to implement the legislation, with $25 million earmarked for addressing wolf encounters. Half of the money for wolf conflicts would go toward deterrents; the remainder would compensate ranchers for their losses.
Kirk Wilbur, vice president of government affairs cattlemen’s association, said the organization is concerned about that division of funding — especially if funding is reduced.
Wilbur told legislators Tuesday that the organization supports some aspects of the bill and was having productive conversations with Blakespear to address their concerns.
The bill ultimately passed the committee with a 5-to-1 vote and now heads to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
Human wildlife conflicts have made headlines in California recently, with a bear refusing to leave a basement for weeks in Altadena and a mama bear dubbed Blondie crossing paths last month with a woman walking her dog in Monrovia.
Blondie swiped the woman’s leg, and was subsequently euthanized by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Her two cubs were sent to the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. The bear’s death upset many in the community, as thousands had signed a petition calling for other solutions, like relocation.
Deadly wildlife attacks on humans, however, are rare in California.
There have been six reported human fatalities from mountain lions since 1890, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Department. The agency recorded one human fatality from a coyote in 1981 and another fatality from a black bear in 2023. The department has no recorded human fatalities from gray wolves.
Politics
Trump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Justice Department is turning to former Trump attorney Joeseph diGenova to spearhead a probe into ex-CIA Director John Brennan and others over the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, as the department reshuffles leadership of the sprawling inquiry.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has tapped diGenova to serve as counsel overseeing the matter, according to a New York Times report, putting a former Trump attorney in a key role in the high-profile probe. A federal grand jury seated in Miami has been impaneled since late last year.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
DOJ ACTIVELY PREPARING TO ISSUE GRAND JURY SUBPOENAS RELATING TO JOHN BRENNAN INVESTIGATION: SOURCES
Joseph diGenova represented President Donald Trump during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)
DiGenova, a former U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who represented Trump during special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, has repeatedly accused Brennan of misconduct tied to the origins of the Russia probe—allegations that have not resulted in criminal charges.
He also said in a 2018 appearance on Fox News that Brennan colluded with the FBI and DOJ to frame Trump.
The origins of the Russia investigation have been the subject of ongoing scrutiny by Trump allies, who have argued that intelligence and law enforcement officials improperly launched the probe.
BRENNAN INDICTMENT COULD COME WITHIN ‘WEEKS’ AS PROSECUTORS REQUEST OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS
Joseph diGenova has previously said that ex-CIA chief John Brennan colluded with the FBI and DOJ to frame Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images)
DiGenova’s appointment follows the ouster of Maria Medetis Long, a national security prosecutor in the South Florida U.S. attorney’s office. She had been overseeing the inquiry, including a false statements probe related to Brennan and broader conspiracy-related investigations.
As the investigation continues, federal investigators have issued subpoenas seeking information related to intelligence assessments of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
John Brennan has denied any wrongdoing related to the Russia investigation. (William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images; Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Brennan has previously denied wrongdoing related to the Russia investigation and has defended the intelligence community’s assessment that Moscow interfered in the 2016 election.
-
Indiana5 minutes agoOp-ed: Healthy rural communities strengthen all of Indiana
-
Iowa11 minutes agoSen. Chuck Grassley shares he’s recovering from gallstone surgery
-
Kentucky23 minutes agoKentucky will get a visit from a forward with three-point upside
-
Louisiana29 minutes agoOfficials probing how Louisiana gunman who killed 8 children got the weapon
-
Maine35 minutes agoJudy Camuso named new president of Maine Audubon
-
Maryland41 minutes agoMaryland State Police charge Queen Anne’s County man in trooper-involved shooting
-
Michigan47 minutes agoSevere weather map, livestream shows Michigan areas ravaged by floods
-
Massachusetts53 minutes agoWestern Massachusetts libraries celebrating National Library Week – Athol Daily News