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- Netter News: New Year's Edition!
Netter News: New Year's Edition!
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As we enter 2026, we want to wish all a very Happy New Year!
CFR, our show will return next week!
Remember, be safe, happy, and healthy! We need you alive!
We thought we would end the year with 5 of our top, most-read stories and posts from 2025!
Newsom's former chief of staff charged with allegedly stealing campaign funds from ex-HHS secretary
Dana Williamson, who once served as chief of staff to Governor Gavin Newsom, has been federally indicted on multiple criminal charges related to an alleged scheme to steal campaign funds from a dormant account.
Prosecutors say she and others diverted roughly $225,000 by billing for fictitious services and funneling the money to associates, including a co‑conspirator’s wife.
Williamson also faces charges tied to fraudulent claims for Paycheck Protection Program loans and improperly claiming luxury personal expenses as business deductions.
She has pleaded not guilty to all 23 counts and was released on bail with conditions, including surrendering her passport.
Although the indictment centers on funds from an account associated with Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, he is not charged and has publicly stated his cooperation with investigators.
The case highlights significant allegations of corruption within high levels of California’s political operations and raises broader questions about accountability and oversight among top aides.
Indicted Developer at Center of L.A. Homeless Scandal Tied to Political Pay-to-Play Scheme
A top executive at the development firm Shangri‑La Industries was indicted on federal charges in connection with a scheme to misuse taxpayer‑funded homelessness and housing dollars, highlighting alleged pay‑to‑play corruption in Los Angeles.
Prosecutors claim that the executive secretly funneled campaign donations to key local officials — including Sheriff Robert Luna and members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors — around the time that lucrative contracts and grant awards were issued.
Evidence outlined in the indictment reportedly shows tens of thousands of dollars in contributions timed closely with contract approvals, suggesting an effort to buy influence and political access.
The scandal centers on homelessness‑related projects, where public funds intended for motel conversions and low‑income housing may have been diverted to benefit politically connected developers and insiders instead of the needy.
Audit reports also indicate that Shangri‑La failed to properly account for millions in taxpayer money, missed reporting deadlines, and lacked adequate financial controls.
The case exposes deep concerns about transparency, oversight, and whether public money is being used for its intended purpose or to enrich a network of developers and political allies.
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Homelessness Funds Scandal: DOJ Charges Expose Widespread Fraud Scheme
Federal prosecutors have unveiled a series of fraud cases tied to homelessness‑funding programs in Los Angeles, signaling growing scrutiny of how public dollars are being used.
The Department of Justice is charging individuals and entities involved in acquiring and flipping properties under motel‑conversion and housing initiatives funded by taxpayer money.
Allegations include schemes to siphon off grant funds, diverting them to insiders rather than housing services for the needy, and using politically connected fronts to secure contracts.
One defendant’s actions reportedly involved funneling contributions to local elected officials in exchange for project approvals and favorable treatment.
The cases illustrate a broader pattern in which well‑connected developers and consultants allegedly exploit loopholes and weak oversight to profit from homelessness programs.
The article frames these prosecutions as a necessary corrective to systemic abuses that undermine public trust and drain resources meant to help vulnerable populations.
Newsom's ties to CCP under microscope in new book exposing alleged corruption: 'Fleeced American citizens'
A new book titled Fool’s Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, and Traitors Who Killed the California Dream and Now Threaten Us All devotes a chapter to examining California Governor Gavin Newsom’s connections to China and alleged ties to CCP‑linked business interests.
The authors claim that while serving as San Francisco’s mayor, Newsom embraced support from the Chinese community and helped launch a nonprofit initiative called ChinaSF, which they argue became a gateway for corporations with ties to the CCP and corrupt actors to enter California’s economy.
The book recounts a Newsom trip to China hosted by a businessman with deep CCP connections and describes how Newsom and that host later co‑founded ChinaSF to recruit Chinese companies to the Bay Area.
According to the book, the initiative attracted billions of dollars in purported economic activity, including Chinese solar and biotechnology firms, with minimal vetting and possible national‑security concerns attached to some recruits.
One example cited is praise for a solar company tied to the Chinese government and other businesses that allegedly lacked oversight but benefited from tax breaks and incentives.
The book also raises questions about campaign contributions from a Chinese real estate firm whose owner was criminally convicted for bribing a San Francisco official, framing Newsom’s China ties as part of a broader pattern of influence and potential corruption in California politics.
School Choice (CEO ACT) 17,000 a year is put in an account for each student & would be put in an education savings account for TK through 12.Any leftover money can be used for college or trade school.
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