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California Dem Senator and Donor to Radical State LGBT Group Launches Bid for Governor

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California Dem Senator and Donor to Radical State LGBT Group Launches Bid for Governor


Toni Atkins authored ‘self-ID’ law that lets anyone change his or her legal sex by simple self-attestation

Gold Award recipient Isabella Pena (L) of Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio joins a meeting with Speaker Emeritus Toni Atkins (R) (Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images)

California Democratic state senator Toni Atkins, who has given tens of thousands of dollars to the LGBT group behind some of the state’s most radical policies, jumped into the crowded race for governor on Friday.

Atkins, who last month stepped down as the state senate leader, has personally and through her campaign given nearly $50,000 to Equality California, the powerful special interest group that helped write or push laws enshrining gender ideology in K-12 schools, allowing men into women’s prisons, and making the state a “haven” where out-of-state kids can come for sex-change hormones and surgeries. Atkins herself authored the Equality California-backed “self-ID” law that lets anyone change his or her legal sex by simple self-attestation—a controversial policy that critics say imperils women’s safety by letting males into their intimate spaces.

Atkins is the latest prominent state Democrat to jump into the 2026 campaign years ahead of the election as a laundry list of Sacramento power players vie to raise money and build name recognition in a race where there is no clear leader. George Soros-backed lieutenant governor Eleni Kounalakis, who has fostered ties with China and urged the state elections official to unilaterally ban former president Donald Trump from the ballot, was the first to announce her candidacy, followed by the scandal-plagued public schools chief Tony Thurmond who promotes gender ideology on K-12 campuses even as students struggle with literacy.

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State controller Betty Yee, who faced legislative scrutiny for pushing a failed, $600 million no-bid COVID-19 mask deal, is also running. Rob Bonta, the state’s progressive attorney general who has made it a political priority to pressure schools to transition gender-confused kids behind their parents’ backs, is expected to announce his own bid.

Atkins’s various campaigns have given nearly $50,000 dollars to Equality California over her years in the state assembly and senate. She has personally donated thousands of dollars to the group as well, securing a spot in its donor “leadership circle.” Meanwhile Equality California’s political arm has backed her various campaigns for state office, starting with her 2010 campaign for state assembly.

As a lawmaker, Atkins carried some of the group’s contentious legislation. The self-ID law she authored in 2017 is similar to a measure passed in Scotland, which the British government nixed last year on the grounds that it hurt women’s sex-based rights. Women’s groups warn that these laws allow any male into intimate female spaces like restrooms, dressing rooms, spas, and locker rooms without checks. Equality California was also behind a similar law Atkins authored that lets prison and jail inmates change their names and sex without assessment or approval by their parole or probation officers.



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California

R&B Singer Angela Bofill Dead at 70 in California

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R&B Singer Angela Bofill Dead at 70 in California


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Teamsters, Basic Crafts Zero In On California’s Film & TV Tax Credit In First Week Of Negotiations With Studios; More Talks Set For Next Week

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Teamsters, Basic Crafts Zero In On California’s Film & TV Tax Credit In First Week Of Negotiations With Studios; More Talks Set For Next Week


The Hollywood Basic Crafts have officially wrapped the first week of negotiations on a new three-year agreement with the studios.

In a memo to members, the unions — which include Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local 78 — said more talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are set for next week as they continue to chip away at a deal.

Teamsters Local 399 chief negotiator Lindsay Dougherty said in a statement that the unions are “committed to a continued partnership with these employers to increase the work here in California, but increasing work here in the state will not be done by making any concessions on behalf of our members throughout these negotiations.”

“Our proposals shared this week reflect the marching orders from our members and center around the long due respect and parity our members are owed for their skill, expertise and contribution to this industry,” the statement said.

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As is typical, bargaining in the first week included opening statements and the exchange of initial proposals. However, the unions also said they’ve opened discussions on increasing and expanding tax incentives for film and television in California.

While it’s not a decision for the AMPTP to make with respect to the new contracts, it is an interesting point to bring up in negotiations, because it highlights the below-the-line crews’ desire to bring production back to the state and, more specifically, the Los Angeles area. Productions have increasingly out of California over the past decade and, more recently, have opted to shoot entirely internationally for even more cost-saving measures.

Dougherty spoke about the unions’ desire to increase those tax incentives in California during a recent interview with Deadline, explaining that “we’re not only having to be competitive with other states, but we have to be competitive worldwide. That’s just a different game.”

“It’s Hollywood. It’s the epicenter of motion picture making. Why wouldn’t you want to reward the people that not only work day in, day out, but generations of workers at this point?” she told Deadline.

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'Self-Driving' Tesla Slams Into Cop Car in Orange County, California

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'Self-Driving' Tesla Slams Into Cop Car in Orange County, California


Footage released by the Fullerton Police Department in California shows an officer running to avoid getting hit by a self-driving Tesla on June 13, 2024.
Gif: Instagram / fullerton_pd

A Tesla in “self-driving” mode slammed into an unoccupied police car during the early morning hours of Thursday, according to the Fullerton Police Department. No one was injured in the crash, but bodycam footage shows a police officer sprinting out of the way to avoid getting hit.

The officer in the footage was managing traffic in Fullerton at the intersection of W. Orangethorpe Ave. and Courtney Ave. after a deadly traffic accident involving a motorcyclist, according to a statement posted to Instagram by the Fullerton PD.

“The police vehicle had its emergency lights on and several flares were placed on the road when a blue Tesla crashed into the police vehicle, which was blocking traffic,” the statement reads.

“Thanks to the quick reaction of the police officer, who spotted the oncoming vehicle and swiftly moved to the side of the road, along with the off-duty police dispatcher who was riding with him, a potential disaster was averted,” the statement continued.

The person behind the wheel of the Tesla has not been named, but police say he admitted to being on his cellphone during the crash, according to KTLA. The local TV news station aired footage of the aftermath, showing the wrecked Tesla and the police vehicle.

Self-driving Tesla crashes into police cruiser in Fullerton
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The name of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature was recently changed to Full Self-Driving (Supervised), in an attempt to make it clear that drivers should not rely on the technology to keep them safe from crashes. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk has certainly been sending mixed messages on that front, including just yesterday at the Tesla shareholder’s meeting in Austin, Texas, where the billionaire touted just how safe FSD is supposed to be.

Tesla did not respond to an email for comment about the accident. Tesla has previously defended itself from allegations that FSD isn’t safe by pointing to disclaimers that state drivers should always be paying attention to the road.

“This incident underscores the importance of alertness and responsible driving,” Fullerton PD wrote, “Even in situations where the road is blocked and emergency lights are on.”





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