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Apex predator threatening Northwest salmon sparks rare bipartisan push to ‘kill more’
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An apex predator threatening a key sector in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is now the unlikely source of a bipartisan alliance in the House of Representatives.
Sea lions and their impact on salmon are a growing issue for Washington state, according to Reps. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.
“There’s a wall that stops the two parties from meeting in the middle on a lot of issues,” Gluesenkamp Perez told Fox News Digital. “Most of the time, you have to go brick by brick to tear it down. Every now and then, you can chuck a 2,500-pound sea lion at it.”
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California sea lions, apex predators, are posing an issue for salmon and steelhead trout populations in the Pacific Northwest. (Janet Jensen/Tacoma News Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
The California sea lion population has boomed, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972. It’s now posing a threat to already endangered native fish species in Washington State.
Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife has deemed sea lions a “serious threat” to Columbia River salmon and steelhead trout.
Both types of fish are key to the state’s culture, economy and natural ecosystems.
“Salmon are a huge deal in Washington State. We have extensive salmon-bearing rivers that have historical cultural significance to our Native American tribes, a lot of interest and economic activity with sports fishermen, and our rivers are also the site of really important hydroelectric dams,” Baumgartner told Fox News Digital.
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Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash., attends a hearing on Feb. 5, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
“There are now huge numbers of sea lions in a far disproportionate amount to any sort of historical numbers that sit at the mouth of the Columbia River … and eat salmon all day. They have a huge impact on the number of salmon.”
Gluesenkamp Perez said action to reduce the invasive sea lion population is “exactly the type of real-world problem that Americans want Congress to be able to solve.”
“Many of my colleagues love to put their partisan blinders on, but it’s hard for even them to ignore their eyes when they see a sedan-sized pinniped snarfing up the salmon and steelhead that many of our communities depend on,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.
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Baumgartner called for “broader latitude” for “more aggressive sea lion management techniques.”
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., walks up the House steps for the final votes in the Capitol before Congress’ October recess, Sept. 25, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
A subcommittee panel on the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing earlier this month on sea lion predation in the Pacific Northwest. Both Baumgartner and Gluesenkamp Perez participated.
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“Save more salmon, shoot more sea lions,” Baumgartner posted on X days after the hearing.
Gluesenkamp Perez compared the size of the Steller sea lion, another species threatening fish in the area, to a Toyota Corolla during the hearing.
“Southwest Washington has a serious predatory pinniped problem — tens of thousands of massive invasive sea lions are venturing further and further up the Columbia River and its tributaries to gorge on our local salmon. I’m pushing to explore more effective lethal removal options,” she posted on X.
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FBI raid involving LA schools superintendent possibly tied to failed $6M AI deal, potential conflict
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The federal investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, whose home and school office were raided Wednesday, may be tied to a failed multimillion-dollar AI school contract involving a potential conflict of interest.
Alberto Carvalho previously awarded a $6 million contract, paying $3 million up front, to education technology company AllHere.
A former salesperson employed by the firm also had her Miami property raided the same day as Carvalho, according to public records cited by the Los Angeles Times. The woman, Debra Kerr, reportedly had close ties to Carvalho during his tenure leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Spokesperson Jim Marshall confirmed to local media Miami Herald that “we searched a residence in Southwest Ranches today as part of this matter and have since cleared the scene.”
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho speaks during an event at the LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on October 30, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In 2023, Carvalho secured a contract with AllHere to develop an AI chatbot called “Ed,” designed to help address student issues such as absenteeism.
It ultimately collapsed in 2024 after its founder, Joanna Smith-Griffi, was accused of embezzling funds amid data privacy risks and whistleblower concerns. She was later charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and identity theft.
Kerr further claimed in AllHere’s bankruptcy court filings that the company owed her commissions for helping secure its deal with LAUSD, according to education-focused outlet The 74.
While federal officials confirmed that search warrants were conducted Wednesday, they declined to reveal the nature of the investigation, noting that the warrants remain under seal.
Federal officials appear to carry cardboard outside a home in California. (KTTV)
However, sources told the LA Times that the investigation fell under the broad category of financial issues, and that the raid focused on Carvalho rather than the California school district.
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LAUSD released a statement saying the district is fully cooperating with federal officials.
“The LAUSD Board of Education understands that today’s news has raised questions across our school communities,” it said.
“The Board’s priority remains ensuring that our students, families, and employees experience a safe and welcoming learning environment. Teaching and learning continue across our schools. Los Angeles Unified continues to stay focused on our responsibility to serve students and our families.”
The superintendent has led the nation’s second-largest school district since 2022, overseeing the education of roughly 400,000 students. He was also unanimously reappointed to the position in September 2025.
Before moving to California, he spent 14 years leading Miami‑Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest school district.
The home of Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is located in San Pedro, California. (KTTV)
Wednesday’s raids mark the latest controversy to engulf Carvalho.
In 2020, he helped secure a $1.57 million donation from a company that had a pending contract with the district, the Miami Herald reported.
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FBI agents appear to conduct a search warrant at a San Pedro home connected to Alberto Carvalho. (KTTV)
The funds reportedly went to an education nonprofit he founded, and the company’s online learning program, which was ultimately plagued with problems, was quickly scrapped.
In June 2021, the school’s inspector general determined that the donation, intended to benefit teachers, did not violate any policies but created the “appearance of impropriety,” the outlet said. The foundation was subsequently urged to return the funds, which reportedly had been distributed to teachers as $100 gift certificates.
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