<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Bonta Brief]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sometimes brief reflections about life as California Attorney General and the fight to protect California’s people, values, and resources.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png</url><title>The Bonta Brief</title><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:23:35 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[agrobbonta@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[agrobbonta@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[agrobbonta@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[agrobbonta@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Trump is weakening protections for hundreds of animals, plants, and habitats.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Our fight to uphold the Endangered Species Act]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/trump-is-weakening-protections-for</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/trump-is-weakening-protections-for</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2026 15:50:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Philosopher Immanuel Kant once said, &#8220;We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.&#8221; As someone with a dog who is the unequivocal boss of our household, I firmly believe this to be true. Animals teach us empathy, patience, and unconditional love. Not to mention responsibility, which is why so many parents ask their children to help take care of the family pet. All animals, domesticated or wild, require our commitment to protect them, in large part because humans are the ones who have made them so vulnerable and put them in perilous situations.</span></p><p><strong><span>As a society, we have a responsibility to protect all of the wild animals, plants, and habitats</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>with whom we share a planet. For more than 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has stood as a landmark law and enforceable reminder of our responsibility. </span></strong><span>The law was enacted under the Nixon Administration for one simple purpose &#8212; to halt and reverse the trend toward species extinction, whatever the cost.</span></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p><span>Caring for our wildlife and our environment is part of caring for our future, yet President Trump seems to care only for himself and his business tycoon buddies. </span><strong><span>The Trump Administration recently illegally advanced three changes to key rules implementing the Endangered Species Act which significantly weaken safeguards for our nation&#8217;s most vulnerable species and their habitats, opening the door to further species decline and possible extinctions.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span>So, for the 90</span><sup><span>th</span></sup><span> and 91st time, we&#8217;re taking the administration to court.</span></strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic" width="1456" height="1054" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1054,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:841437,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/215064890?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P3b8!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F607c5a0e-2bff-4e96-9f4f-e7ed56913346_3156x2285.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em><a href="https://www.fws.gov/program/california-condor-recovery"><span>The California Condor</span></a><span> is one of the great successes of the Endangered Species Act. In 1982, only 22 condors survived in the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts, today there are more than 300 condors flying free in the wild.</span></em></p><p></p><p><strong><span>The Harm Rule</span></strong></p><p><span>The first rule we&#8217;re challenging is the Harm Rule</span><strong><span>,</span></strong><span> which changes what it means for an individual, a corporation, or a government entity to &#8220;harm&#8221; an endangered or threatened fish or wildlife species in violation of the ESA. It weakens protections against destroying species&#8217; breeding, feeding, and sheltering grounds, polluting and draining critical water sources and wetlands, cutting down trees, and otherwise destroying or degrading the habitats upon which imperiled species depend for their survival and recovery.</span></p><p><span>This flies in the face of everything we know about the importance of balanced ecosystems. It&#8217;s not complicated: </span><strong><span>animals and plants need healthy habitats to survive.</span></strong><span> Elk need grasslands to eat and roam on. Fish need water to swim in. Birds need trees to build nests in.</span></p><p><span>Changing the definition of harm makes it easier to pollute, destroy and degrade the land, leaving our wildlife to suffer the consequences.</span></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic" width="1456" height="971" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n-uD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f65b80d-8bd2-4a46-88aa-6e18072d8f22_5616x3744.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em><span>In 1930, as few as </span><a href="https://www.ksbw.com/article/sea-otters-rebound-but-struggle-to-regain-historic-range/20750099"><span>50 Southern Sea Otters</span></a><span> survived in the wild. After decades of conservation work there are more than 3,000.</span></em></p><p></p><p><strong><span>The Habitat Exclusion Rule</span></strong></p><p><span>The second rule is the new </span><strong><span>Habitat Exclusion Rule, </span></strong><span>which allows the Fish and Wildlife Service to exclude designated critical habitats &#8212; habitats that are essential to the conservation of the species &#8212; from protection under the ESA based on third party costs, regulatory burdens, and other considerations that have nothing to do with the species or ecosystem.</span></p><p><span>By cutting back on areas of critical habitat that are formally protected &#8212; for reasons that have nothing to do with biological needs and have no scientific backing &#8212; this new regulation would significantly limit both the federal and state governments&#8217; ability to protect and recover at risk species.</span></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cb25ec39-1a42-48d7-979a-c9137f2479ba_6163x4109.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2788739,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/215064890?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb25ec39-1a42-48d7-979a-c9137f2479ba_6163x4109.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SDnB!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb25ec39-1a42-48d7-979a-c9137f2479ba_6163x4109.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SDnB!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb25ec39-1a42-48d7-979a-c9137f2479ba_6163x4109.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SDnB!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb25ec39-1a42-48d7-979a-c9137f2479ba_6163x4109.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SDnB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb25ec39-1a42-48d7-979a-c9137f2479ba_6163x4109.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em><span>The </span><a href="https://www.aquariumofpacific.org/reportcard/info/california_brown_pelican"><span>California Brown Pelican</span></a><span> spent 37 years on the Endangered Species Act list until it recovered and got delisted in 2009.</span></em></p><p></p><p><strong><span>The 4(d) Rule</span></strong></p><p><span>The final rule is the Section </span><strong><span>4(d) Rule, </span></strong><span>which ends the previous rule &#8212; in effect since 1974 &#8212; that automatically extended blanket protections for all species when they were newly listed as threatened, while still allowing the Fish and Wildlife Service to adopt species-specific protections later if needed.</span></p><p><span>Instead, under the new rule, the Fish and Wildlife Service would only be permitted to adopt protective rules for threatened species on a species-by-species basis, and only after considering the economic impacts of protecting each threatened species. The department wouldn&#8217;t be held to any base requirements or deadlines to adopt these protections, leaving threatened species vulnerable to further decline.</span></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/trump-is-weakening-protections-for?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/trump-is-weakening-protections-for?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p><strong><span>These three rules are dangerous, and potentially devastating for endangered and threatened plants, animals, and habitats across the country. They are also blatantly unlawful.</span></strong></p><p><span>Here in California, there are more than 300 threatened and endangered species protected under the Endangered Species Act &#8212; more than any other state besides Hawai&#8216;i. Weakening critical protections under the Endangered Species Act risks the progress we&#8217;ve made and will likely hasten species decline and even potential extinctions.</span></p><p><span>While he&#8217;s willing to do just about anything to appease his friends in big business, it&#8217;s clear that </span><strong><span>President Trump feels no responsibility to protect the species and habitats that are at risk of extinction.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span>So, once again, California must step in and act.</span></strong></p><p><span>We won&#8217;t stand idly by as Endangered Species Act protections are decimated and essential components of the web of life are lost forever.</span></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Live with California AG Rob Bonta]]></title><description><![CDATA[A recording from AG Rob Bonta and Joyce Vance's live video]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/live-with-california-ag-rob-bonta</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/live-with-california-ag-rob-bonta</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2026 17:15:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/213303192/05e75244ce380b29b0dcbf94ca6d585d.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="install-substack-app-embed install-substack-app-embed-web" data-component-name="InstallSubstackAppToDOM"><img class="install-substack-app-embed-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png"><div class="install-substack-app-embed-text"><div class="install-substack-app-header">Get more from AG Rob Bonta in the Substack app</div><div class="install-substack-app-text">Available for iOS and Android</div></div><a href="https://substack.com/app/app-store-redirect?utm_campaign=app-marketing&amp;utm_content=author-post-insert&amp;utm_source=agrobbonta" target="_blank" class="install-substack-app-embed-link"><button class="install-substack-app-embed-btn button primary">Get the app</button></a></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[As Published in Deadline: Don’t Believe Paramount’s Hype.]]></title><description><![CDATA[More from my guest column in Deadline]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-deadline-dont-believe</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-deadline-dont-believe</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2026 22:17:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://deadline.com/2026/08/rob-bonta-up-ed-david-ellison-paramount-warner-bros-1237029737/&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Read the Article&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://deadline.com/2026/08/rob-bonta-up-ed-david-ellison-paramount-warner-bros-1237029737/"><span>Read the Article</span></a></p><p></p><p><span>Despite the spin you may have heard in recent weeks, the lawsuit my colleagues and I filed challenging the </span><a href="https://deadline.com/tag/paramount-skydance-2/">Paramount Skydance</a><span> and </span><a href="https://deadline.com/tag/warner-bros-discovery-2/">Warner Bros Discovery</a> <span>merger isn&#8217;t about trusting the intentions of one company or one man.</span></p><p>It isn&#8217;t about trusting that CBS News and <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/08/david-ellison-cnn-paramount-wbd-politics-1237016953/">CNN will remain independen</a>t and credible under one umbrella.</p><p>It isn&#8217;t about the future of streaming.</p><p>This lawsuit is about antitrust law. It is a straight up antitrust enforcement case. One that is very cut and dry. One that seeks to prevent the long-term structural impact from the loss of competition. An impact that can&#8217;t be remedied with <a href="https://deadline.com/2026/08/paramount-wbd-regal-amc-deals-1237029635/">a few one-off, piecemeal promises.</a></p><p>So, while others may try to flip the script and distract from the facts, I will lay out the truth of this case.</p><p>The proposed merger &#8212; the largest in Hollywood history &#8212; would combine two Hollywood titans and create an illegal level of concentration in three markets: film distribution for wide-release films, anticipated blockbuster film distribution, and cable TV. The resulting behemoth would control nearly one-third of theatrical motion picture distribution and nearly one-third of basic cable channels, including 50 of the most popular cable channels.</p><p>It would be particularly harmful to the market for anticipated top-grossing films, also known as anticipated blockbusters, such as<em> Mission: Impossible &#8212; The Final Reckoning </em>and<em> <a href="https://deadline.com/tag/a-minecraft-movie/">A Minecraft Movie</a></em>. The merger would give just four distributors control of more than 90% of these films. That is a big deal, because blockbusters have massive production budgets and account for 88% of box office revenue for films released over the past four years. These films get more people out of their homes and to the movie theater, reminding them of why they love going to the movies in the first place.</p><p>Let&#8217;s talk about why all of this matters.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>Concentration in these markets would mean less competition. Less competition will ultimately result in higher prices, lower content quality, and fewer movies and TV shows. Movie theaters, cable TV distributors and audiences on every sofa and in every movie seat in the U.S. would feel the impact of this unlawful merger.</p><p>Take, for example, Warner Bros&#8217; <em>Minecraft </em>and Paramount Skydance&#8217;s latest <em>Mission: Impossible</em>, which were released in April and May last year. If the two companies had already merged, would they have released these megahits back-to-back, or would they have pushed one out? Would they both receive massive marketing budgets, or would one take a back seat? Would the production budgets for each have stayed the same, or would one have been cut down? We can&#8217;t know the answers, but these are the kinds of concerning questions with industry-wide impacts that our lawsuit intends to prevent.</p><p>Competition is core to a thriving economy.</p><p>It incentivizes companies to produce their best work, to offer fair prices, and to ensure that companies succeed based on what they offer, not what backdoor deals they can land, connections they can lean on, or because they&#8217;ve unlawfully manipulated the market and trampled over competitors leaving consumers with just one unsatisfying option.</p><p>When companies scheme to cut competition, costs go up, choices go down, our economy suffers, and every day Americans end up paying more for less. That&#8217;s why we have antitrust laws like the Clayton Act. A law that this proposed merger violates.</p><p>Right now, Paramount and Warner Bros are spearheading a public relations campaign to spin a narrative that is simply false.</p><p>They would have you believe that this is purely politics. It&#8217;s not. If it was, we would have been thrown out of court the day we filed. Instead, the judge reviewed our case, saw the merits of our arguments, and issued a temporary restraining order to block the merger. If this was about politics, Paramount and Warner Bros would not have agreed to pause the merger until a judge makes a final decision or until next June, rather than go through preliminary injunction hearings that were likely to go the same way as the temporary restraining order &#8212; in our favor.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-deadline-dont-believe?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-deadline-dont-believe?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p>Paramount and Warner Bros see the writing on the wall: that they will lose in a court of law. So instead, they are resorting to the court of public opinion. They want to talk about anything but the facts of this case. To twist the narrative. To try to confuse, conflate, and convince you that this is about politics, the news, or the future of streaming, when they know perfectly well it is not. When our lawsuit makes it crystal clear that it is not. As disingenuous as it may be, they are welcome to do so.</p><p>In the meantime, we will be telling the truth and fighting our case &#8212; fighting for American audiences, filmmakers, writers, creatives, production crews, and small businesses &#8212; in an actual court.</p><p>And we intend to win.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Live with Joyce Vance]]></title><description><![CDATA[A recording from AG Rob Bonta and Joyce Vance's live video]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/live-with-joyce-vance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/live-with-joyce-vance</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 23:39:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/207091386/d0505c4dd1ba8481b640201650d47f49.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="install-substack-app-embed install-substack-app-embed-web" data-component-name="InstallSubstackAppToDOM"><img class="install-substack-app-embed-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png"><div class="install-substack-app-embed-text"><div class="install-substack-app-header">Get more from AG Rob Bonta in the Substack app</div><div class="install-substack-app-text">Available for iOS and Android</div></div><a href="https://substack.com/app/app-store-redirect?utm_campaign=app-marketing&amp;utm_content=author-post-insert&amp;utm_source=agrobbonta" target="_blank" class="install-substack-app-embed-link"><button class="install-substack-app-embed-btn button primary">Get the app</button></a></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[As Published In Variety: Why I’m Suing to Block the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am leading a coalition of 12 state Attorneys General in taking Paramount and Warner Bros. to court to stop this unlawful merger. More from my guest column in Variety.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-variety-why-im-suing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-variety-why-im-suing</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2026 21:29:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://variety.com/2026/film/news/rob-bonta-paramount-warner-bros-merger-guest-column-1236809787/&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Read the Column&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://variety.com/2026/film/news/rob-bonta-paramount-warner-bros-merger-guest-column-1236809787/"><span>Read the Column</span></a></p><p></p><p>Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison may think the promise of the Paramount Warner Bros. Discovery mega-merger is an offer we can&#8217;t refuse, but I&#8217;m here to say: He&#8217;s wrong.</p><p>I am leading a coalition of 12 state Attorneys General in taking Paramount and Warner Bros. to court to stop this unlawful merger.</p><p>The entertainment industry doesn&#8217;t exist simply to hawk movies and TV shows like they&#8217;re any other commodity. It exists to tell stories, spark ideas and curiosity, inspire and inform, and open our eyes to new perspectives that we may never have encountered otherwise.</p><p>It&#8217;s why movies and shows so often play a starring role in our lives &#8212; in first dates and last dates, cherished family memories, debates over dinner, moments of quiet self-care, and moments that bring communities together, as we&#8217;ve seen throughout the World Cup.</p><p>Whether it&#8217;s the living room TV, the big screen, or the small devices we carry everywhere we go, there is no doubt that the entertainment industry touches the lives of Americans daily.</p><p>That is why we should all be concerned about the $110 billion proposed merger between media giants Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros.</p><p>By combining two of the five largest film distributors and two of the five largest basic cable channel owners, the resulting media behemoth would control nearly one-third of theatrical movie distribution and nearly one-third of basic cable channels. It would control more than 30% of the blockbuster release distribution that buoys the movie theater business and 50 of the most popular cable TV channels, spanning an unrivaled slate of news, sports, entertainment, kids, family, factual, and lifestyle content.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to The Bonta Brief</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Giving that much power to one media company would wipe out competition, jack up prices, hurt the quality of content we&#8217;re offered, and bring fewer movies and shows to our screens. Combining cable news channels would mean fewer journalists informing our electorate and fewer opportunities for Americans to hear the full breadth of information and opinions on a subject. Consolidation would mean fewer voices speaking truth to power and fewer documentarians, filmmakers, showrunners, producers, writers, and artists shedding light on important stories that too often go untold.</p><p>That&#8217;s a death knell for the film and TV industry &#8212; and for our democracy.</p><p>For more than a century, Paramount and Warner Bros.&#8217; fierce competition has fueled powerful projects that have stood the test of time. We&#8217;re talking about &#8220;Titanic,&#8221; &#8220;The Godfather,&#8221; &#8220;The Matrix,&#8221; &#8220;Barbie,&#8221; &#8220;Harry Potter,&#8221; &#8220;Lord of the Rings&#8221; and &#8220;Casablanca&#8221; &#8212; just to name a few.</p><p>If we allow them to extinguish the flame of competition, they will no longer have the same incentive to distribute their best, most creative work, to innovate, to greenlight interesting and risky projects, and to offer viewers fair prices.</p><p>Competition is the heartbeat of a vibrant entertainment industry, just as it is the lifeblood of a healthy economy.</p><p>Competition ensures that companies rise to the top based on what they put in the market, not based on backdoor deals. And, it ensures that consumers have an array of choices in both product and price. History has shown us that consolidation in markets at the center of American economic life does not serve our economy, consumers, or competition well. Instead, it leads to increased unaffordability, a loss of good-paying job opportunities, and fewer choices for consumers. Just think of the robber barons of the Gilded Age who dominated the oil, railroad, and steel industries, pocketing obscene profits while exploiting workers, corrupting the political system, and squashing potential rivals.</p><p>Monopolies give too few too much power. That&#8217;s why we have antitrust laws to prevent them and control mergers. Laws like the Clayton Act, which this proposed merger violates. Antitrust enforcement is democracy&#8217;s check on oligarchy. It&#8217;s a check on wealthy businesses seeking to game the system and cheat to knock out competition. It&#8217;s a check on billionaires currying favor with the president so he&#8217;ll do their bidding and hand-pick winners and losers, bypassing the law and the meritocracy that makes our economy thrive. And it&#8217;s a check on the elite few who think they&#8217;re above the law, when they&#8217;re not.</p><p>No one is. No company is.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-variety-why-im-suing?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/as-published-in-variety-why-im-suing?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p>If you need proof that antitrust enforcement fuels a healthy economy, just look at California. We&#8217;ve got some of the strongest antitrust and consumer protections on the books &#8212; protections we are not afraid to uphold. And, at the same time, we&#8217;re the fourth largest economy in the world, home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state, and home to nearly two-thirds of all U.S. venture capital investment. That&#8217;s no accident.</p><p>Americans deserve fair prices and a fair market. They deserve options. They deserve to know that they&#8217;re not being cheated by corporations that break the law, and take advantage of workers and consumers to fill their coffers.</p><p>We are taking Paramount and Warner Bros. to court to preserve an industry that has the power to make us laugh, cry, question, and take action. To protect an industry that helps shape who we are, how we see the world, and what we care about.</p><p>As Attorney General of the Golden State, I am proud to stand up for an industry deeply ingrained in California&#8217;s history, identity, and economy.</p><p>With this lawsuit, we are standing up for a free and fair market, not a rigged market. Because America has no kings in government or our economy.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Progress Prevails: Birthright Citizenship ]]></title><description><![CDATA[This land was made for you and me.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/progress-prevails-birthright-citizenship</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/progress-prevails-birthright-citizenship</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:10:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/205822576/2477d7cd90a479b4c60f4c821e35e545.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>One week ago today, the Supreme Court affirmed that if you&#8217;re born on American soil, you&#8217;re an American.</span></p><p><span>California DOJ worked with a multistate coalition to defend birthright citizenship and fought for this landmark decision.</span></p><p><span>Learn more about this critical constitutional right and the work of our team.</span></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[If you are born here, you belong here.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Birthright citizenship is a foundational promise of our country and principle of our Constitution&#8212;and after our win today, it stands.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/if-you-are-born-here-you-belong-here</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/if-you-are-born-here-you-belong-here</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:00:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span>The U.S. Supreme Court today reaffirmed that if you are born on American soil, you are an American citizen.</span></p><p><span>If you are born here, you belong here.</span></p><p><span>I sat in the U.S. Supreme Court, in the same row as President Trump, and listened to the oral arguments in this case. I felt the weighty impact that this case will have on the history of our nation. I watched Trump sit and listen to what would become an embarrassing defeat for his Administration and, more importantly, a victory for the rule of law and our Constitution.</span></p><p><strong><span>Birthright citizenship is a foundational promise of our country and principle of our Constitution&#8212;and after our win today, it stands.</span></strong></p><p><span>The 14th Amendment&#8212;adopted after the Civil War to ensure citizenship couldn&#8217;t be denied based on race, ancestry, or origin&#8212;is clear and has been settled constitutional law for more than 150 years.</span></p><p><span>It&#8217;s a law that has already been challenged in the Supreme Court and twice upheld.</span></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:8553284,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/204349281?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4smH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8f86cd07-947b-4ba4-a812-e9fd7228cba2_6896x4597.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><span>One of those cases centered around a San Francisco-born Chinese American man named Wong Kim Ark,</span><strong><span> </span></strong><span>who successfully sued the U.S. when he was denied entry back into his own country after visiting family in China. Officials wrongly claimed he wasn&#8217;t a citizen.</span></p><blockquote></blockquote><p><span>In 1898, the Supreme Court took up Wong Kim Ark&#8217;s case and affirmed that children born to immigrants on American soil, like him, couldn&#8217;t be denied citizenship.</span></p><p><span>Questions about birthright citizenship have been asked and long answered. It shouldn&#8217;t still be up for debate. It&#8217;s disappointing that, because of President Trump&#8217;s total disregard for the law and Constitution, it had to be again.</span></p><p><span>Today&#8217;s decision affirms what we&#8217;ve said all along: President Trump&#8217;s day one executive order was unlawful from the outset.</span></p><p><strong><span>No president can erase constitutional rights by executive order.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span>No president is above the Constitution.</span></strong></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/if-you-are-born-here-you-belong-here?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/if-you-are-born-here-you-belong-here?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p><span>The president is not king. He cannot violate the law or rewrite it on a whim.</span></p><p><span>We&#8217;re a nation of immigrants. It&#8217;s in our DNA, especially here in California, where we&#8217;re home to more immigrants than any other state.</span></p><p><span>People like my own mom, who was born and raised in the Philippines. She came here to study, met my dad&#8212;a born and raised Californian&#8212;and got married.</span></p><p><span>My parents had me while living in the Philippines and came here when I was two months old to escape a dictator and martial law in my mom&#8217;s home country.</span></p><p><span>My mom lived here legally with a green card for many years until she became a proud U.S. citizen so she could vote for me in my first competitive election.</span></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic" width="728" height="546" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Etl_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F119fef75-10c3-4ce9-af05-1dc1df446da5_2539x1904.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em>My incredible mom, Cynthia, and I </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><span>My story is one of millions. Each a vital thread in the tapestry of our nation&#8217;s identity.</span></p><p><strong><span>Because our diversity is both our story and our strength.</span></strong></p><p><span>As California Attorney General, I will always defend that belief. I will always defend the California people. And I will always defend the U.S. Constitution.</span></p><p><span>Today, we won. Tomorrow, our work continues.</span></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fighting for a Livable Cost of Living ]]></title><description><![CDATA[From consumer protection to antitrust enforcement, housing, healthcare, corporate fraud, workers&#8217; rights, and more, our team is all in when it comes to combatting the affordability crisis.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/fighting-for-a-livable-cost-of-living</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/fighting-for-a-livable-cost-of-living</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 23:49:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Californians have made it clear that the cost of living is too high&#8212;and they&#8217;re right.</p><p>Groceries, gas, housing, and healthcare are too expensive. Childcare, car payments, cable, and college are too expensive. Enjoying excursions with loved ones and enjoying a hard-earned retirement are too often out of reach. The list is virtually endless, and so are your bills.</p><p>At California DOJ, you can bet your bottom dollar that we are doing everything in our power to put more money back into your pockets so that every Californian can afford to live here without breaking the bank.</p><p><strong>California DOJ&#8217;s new <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/affordability">Affordability Response Team</a> brings together experts from across the department to double down on our efforts to investigate and go after practices, policies, corporations, and scam artists that are unlawfully raising costs in every aspect of Californians&#8217; lives.</strong></p><p><strong>This team will be laser-focused on addressing eight key areas where prices have become out of control.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic" width="1456" height="761" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:761,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:230676,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/201221281?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1NZm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f8f9cef-d12b-4d36-8e19-d607ffb99d7f_3200x1673.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>The list is long because, unfortunately, there are a lot of areas where Californians are getting ripped off.</p><p>The good news is, we&#8217;re not starting from scratch. We have a proven track record of success in ending unlawful conduct that drives up prices in each and every one of these areas.</p><p>Don&#8217;t just take my word for it, we&#8217;ve got the receipts.</p><p>Just last month, we stopped <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-end-unlawful-meat-price-coordination-announces">Agri Stats</a></strong> from unlawfully coordinating meat prices that was jacking up the cost of chicken, pork, and turkey.</p><p>We&#8217;re currently in court fighting <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/naming-names-attorney-general-bonta-secures-public-access-evidence-amazon-price">Amazon&#8217;s illegal price fixing scheme</a></strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/naming-names-attorney-general-bonta-secures-public-access-evidence-amazon-price"> </a>that&#8217;s artificially driving up prices on countless products Californians buy every day, including clothes, pet supplies, eye drops, and plant fertilizer.</p><p>We sued Trump over both of his unlawful attempts to impose <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-trump-administrations-second-tariff-regime-struck-down">tariffs</a></strong> that raised prices for consumers and businesses and we won, both times.</p><p>Through DOJ&#8217;s <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/housing">Housing Justice Team</a>, we&#8217;re making sure cities across the state are doing <em>their</em> part to address the housing crisis. Since 2021, we&#8217;ve led cities to plan for <strong>32,000 new homes</strong> and helped unlock <strong>entitlements</strong> to build another <strong>50,000</strong>.</p><p>We pushed back against the Trump Administration&#8217;s proposal to expand <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-opposes-trump-administration&#8217;s-proposed-expansion">catastrophic health insurance plans</a></strong> that would leave families with minimal coverage and huge out-of-pocket bills and fought a rule that would create significant barriers to getting health coverage under the <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-co-leads-lawsuit-challenging-trump-administration-rule">Affordable Care Act</a>.</strong></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>We sued and blocked the Trump Administration from illegally freezing over <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-emergency-order-unfreezing-10-billion-federal">$10 billion in federal funding for childcare and family assistance programs</a>.</strong></p><p>We held one of the nation&#8217;s <strong>largest hospital systems accountable</strong> for requiring entry-level nurses to use their own money to <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-153-million-settlement-one-nation&#8217;s-largest">repay the hospital for a mandatory training program</a> if they left within two years of employment.</p><p>And our <strong>Antitrust Law Section</strong> is taking on monopolies across industries that raise prices, hurt workers, and cut out options for consumers. That includes stopping a megamerger of grocery behemoths <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-win-halting-kroger-albertsons-merger-victory">Kroger and Albertsons</a></strong> and blocking broadcast giants <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-critical-win-nexstartegna-merger-challenge-court">Nexstar and Tegna</a></strong> from merging &#8212; both of which would result in higher costs and fewer jobs.</p><p>From consumer protection to antitrust enforcement, housing, healthcare, corporate fraud, workers&#8217; rights, and more, our team is all in when it comes to combatting the affordability crisis and making the cost of living more livable.</p><p>The bottom line is this: Californians feel like they&#8217;re paying too much for just about everything, and they&#8217;re right.</p><p>Consumer prices as of April were at their <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pce-report-today-inflation-kevin-warsh-federal-reserve/">highest in almost three years</a> yet, most people&#8217;s incomes aren&#8217;t keeping up with inflation and <a href="https://calbudgetcenter.org/resources/young-californians-face-alarmingly-high-rates-of-poverty-and-deep-poverty/">nearly a quarter</a> of Californians 18-24 live in poverty.</p><p>As everyday families are pinching pennies, Elon Musk is poised to become the world&#8217;s first trillionaire and the typical CEO of a major corporation took home $17.7 million last year, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ceo-compensation-stock-awards-workers-pay-ratio-67449e8a07011e5390d704c665533f94">a pay increase of nearly 6%</a>.</p><p>That just doesn&#8217;t add up.</p><p>While our president boasts that he <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-i-dont-think-about-americans-financial-situation-when-negotiating-with-iran-trump-says">doesn&#8217;t &#8220;think about Americans&#8217; financial situations,</a>&#8221;</p><p>I&#8217;m here to say: California DOJ is thinking about your bills, your budgets, your ability to afford living in this state and country.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/fighting-for-a-livable-cost-of-living?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/fighting-for-a-livable-cost-of-living?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p>I know what it&#8217;s like to be a young parent and feel strangled by the costs of diapers and daycare. I know what it&#8217;s like to rent for years because jumping into the housing market is not feasible. I know what it&#8217;s like to support retired parents just trying to age at home near their families.</p><p><strong>Californians deserve better.</strong></p><p>They deserve fair prices and a fair market; fair pay and good benefits for a hard day&#8217;s work; affordable healthcare, childcare, and education. They deserve to rent or buy a home without drowning in the cost. They deserve to know that they&#8217;re not being cheated by corporations that break the law and take advantage of workers and consumers to fill their coffers. And they deserve a federal government that&#8217;s willing to fight for them, not one that&#8217;s all-too-eager to cozy up to billionaire donors and roll over for big corporations.</p><p>That may not come any day soon, but Californians can count on us to be in their corner. California DOJ is fighting to make sure that all Californians have a real chance to go after their California Dream.</p><p>California&#8217;s the fourth largest economy in the world and we have some of the strongest antitrust and consumer protections on the books. <strong>DOJ&#8217;s Affordability Response Team is here to enforce every single one to keep your costs down and keep our economy thriving.</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[California DOJ is all-in on tackling the fentanyl crisis]]></title><description><![CDATA[Meet the Fentanyl enforcement team]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-doj-is-all-in-on-tackling</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-doj-is-all-in-on-tackling</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:28:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/195899531/db59dbe9c6cf5f67b2a81231251e0b00.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>California DOJ is all-in on tackling the fentanyl crisis.</p><p>Our Fentanyl Enforcement Program works tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle fentanyl distribution operations across the state. Through undercover work, investigations, and partnerships with local law enforcement, the team takes down major trafficking rings and stops the flow of fentanyl into our streets.</p><p>And our efforts are paying off.</p><p>Since April 2022, The Fentanyl Enforcement Program has seized more than 17 million fentanyl pills, enough fentanyl powder to make 32 million additional pills, and made more than 600 fentanyl related arrests.</p><p>I am incredibly proud of the work the Fentanyl Enforcement Program does every day to keep our communities safe&#8212;watch their video to hear more from the team members who make this work possible.</p><p>We aren&#8217;t just stopping the flow of fentanyl into our communities through law enforcement work; we&#8217;re also holding traffickers accountable in a court of law through our Division of Criminal Law.</p><p>From the streets to the courtroom, our message is simple. To those distributing illicit fentanyl throughout our communities and in the process, inflicting pain, suffering, and death on Californians, we&#8217;ll come for you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.</p><p>We won&#8217;t stop until the deaths from fentanyl do.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Antitrust Enforcement is About Affordability]]></title><description><![CDATA[I am not breaking news when I say that America is in the clutches of an affordability crisis.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/antitrust-enforcement-is-about-affordability</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/antitrust-enforcement-is-about-affordability</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 23:37:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am not breaking news when I say that America is in the clutches of an affordability crisis. Families across the nation are feeling strangled by the cost of living&#8212;of housing, healthcare, childcare, gas, and groceries. According to the Urban Institute, nearly half of American families aren&#8217;t able to cover essential expenses to live securely.</p><p>As California Attorney General, I&#8217;ve made combating the affordability crisis one of California DOJ&#8217;s top priorities. As of late, much of that work has included antitrust enforcement.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading The Bonta Brief! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Before your eyes glaze over and you scroll away, hear me out: <strong>Antitrust enforcement is about affordability.</strong></p><p>When giant corporations monopolize markets, collude to fix prices, or merge to knock out competition, it hurts our economy and results in consumers paying higher prices for fewer options. <strong>When we go after corporations that violate antitrust laws, we are fighting for you&#8212;your budget, your bills, your pocketbook.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4DIL!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c153769-238a-49e4-b29f-bc14e9de7b9f_2400x1350.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is about how much you pay for food, streaming services, satellite TV, cable, tickets to live shows, and clothing. It&#8217;s about being able to afford your life. It&#8217;s about being able to start your own business and have it succeed or fail based on the quality of what you offer&#8212;not based on a giant corporation that controls the market and squashes you before you can get off the ground. It&#8217;s about ensuring that the deeply American values of innovation, competition, and a free market win out. It&#8217;s about protecting businesses that follow the law and working families who deserve to pay fair prices.</p><p>We&#8217;ve seen throughout history that consolidation in markets at the center of American economic life doesn&#8217;t serve our economy, consumers, or competition well. In fact, market consolidation has proven to lead to increased unaffordability, a loss of good-paying job opportunities, and fewer choices for consumers.</p><p>If you need proof that antitrust enforcement works, just look at California. California is the fourth largest economy in the world AND we have some of the strongest antitrust and consumer protection laws on the books. That&#8217;s no accident.</p><p>Antitrust enforcement is good for the economy, consumers, and businesses that play by the rules.</p><p>Knowing all of this, it probably comes as no surprise that, historically, antitrust enforcement has been apolitical. Sadly, that&#8217;s becoming a distant memory.</p><p><strong>More and more, President Trump and his Administration seem to have abandoned the fight for a free and fair market and abdicated their role to hold corporations accountable to the law</strong>. They are overruling the career staff and their own hand-picked antitrust experts in favor of corporate interests. Since Trump returned to office, he fired the head of the U.S. DOJ Antitrust Division, agreed to a sweetheart deal with Live Nation and Ticketmaster, and greenlit the merger of broadcast titans Nexstar and Tegna.</p><p><strong>The Trump Administration has made it abundantly clear that it is more concerned with protecting corporate interests than making life more affordable for Americans.</strong></p><p>The American people deserve better.</p><p>My fellow Attorneys General and I are stepping up to fill the vacuum the Trump Administration has created.</p><h2><strong>Live Nation/Ticketmaster</strong></h2><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:297750,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/195377207?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cRvP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe2523999-17a1-4d85-afbd-e75221d9f1a7_2400x1350.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Take our case against ticketing giant Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster. When this case was originally filed in 2024, it was led by a bipartisan coalition of state Attorneys General and the federal government (under then-President Joe Biden). The states and feds teamed up to stop Americans from being scammed when buying tickets to see their favorite artists perform live. That is until the Trump Administration jumped ship and agreed to a lackluster settlement with Live Nation&#8212;a decision that shocked even his pal Kid Rock. Thirty-three blue and red states and Washington D.C. stood together and continued our fight in court, leading to an historic verdict that found Live Nation&#8217;s conduct illegal.</p><h2><strong>Nexstar and Tegna Merger</strong></h2><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1E0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1e126e07-c446-4850-aba0-7e3cebd5790c_2400x1350.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Then there&#8217;s the unlawful megamerger between Nexstar and Tegna, two of the nation&#8217;s largest local broadcast TV groups. If allowed to proceed with integration, the combined company would reach 265 TV stations across 44 states and Washington D.C., covering 80% of American television households. This merger would give one behemoth the power to raise prices for consumers, control and degrade local news and sports coverage, and it would undoubtedly lead to job cuts. It would result in fewer choices for consumers, and fewer journalists keeping a check on powerful institutions and keeping local communities informed. It also happens to be illegal under the Clayton Act, a law that prohibits mergers that substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly.</p><p>Despite all of that, President Trump and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly urged the unlawful deal through on social media and in other public comments. My colleagues and I sued and successfully blocked the merger from moving forward while our case proceeds through the court system.</p><h2><strong>Hewlett Packard Enterprises and Juniper Networks Merger</strong></h2><p>My office is also intervening in the settlement of the $14 billion merger of Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) and Juniper Networks following serious allegations that the Trump Administration approved it because of backroom deals with their buddy lobbyists, over the objections of the career attorneys and their own chosen leader of the Antitrust Division.</p><p>Regulators from across the political spectrum have argued that the Trump Administration&#8217;s approval of the HPE/Juniper merger is inadequate. U.S. DOJ&#8217;s merger settlement failed to address the anticompetitive harms outlined in its own complaint against the merger. Even attorneys appointed by President Trump himself raised red flags; attorneys who were allegedly fired for opposing this merger.</p><p>This is about more than one merger. It&#8217;s about whether the Administration will continue using its authority to reward allies and political friends, while undermining ordinary Americans, its own staff, and state officials who hold them accountable.</p><h2><strong>Amazon&#8217;s Price Fixing Scheme</strong></h2><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic" width="512" height="640" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fdA6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbdb8120d-ac26-47e1-81c8-d59994ee90d5_2000x2500.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>We are also in the midst of making our case in court against Amazon for stifling competition and driving up prices. We originally filed our case in 2022 and this week we released new, damning evidence that paints a clear picture of Amazon&#8217;s price fixing scheme and how it&#8217;s increasing costs for unsuspecting Americans. We revealed evidence that shows Amazon bullied vendors to hike up the prices of their products sold at other shops or got them to remove the products from other retailers altogether, thereby ensuring Amazon was the cheapest place consumers could find products.</p><p>While families struggle to buy necessities, Amazon blatantly worked to ensure that consumers could not find cheaper products out in the marketplace, all the while raking in unlawful profits from Americans who genuinely thought they were getting the best deal. We secured a key win earlier this month when a court rejected Amazon&#8217;s effort to convince the court that California&#8217;s antitrust laws do not apply to its anticompetitive conduct. We look forward to holding Amazon fully accountable in our trial.</p><p>As Attorney General of California, it&#8217;s my job to ensure that California continues to be the best place to live, work, raise a family, and start or run a business. <strong>Robust antitrust enforcement helps ensure that all Californians and all California businesses can benefit from a vibrant, competitive economy, not just well-connected businesses, wealthy shareholders, and friends of the President.</strong> A fair, competitive market creates a level playing field where all businesses have the chance to grow and thrive. Where more businesses can operate and innovate and employ the abundance of talented workers California has to offer.</p><p>President Trump and his Administration may have thrown in the towel and may be content to do the bidding of their corporate donors, but I am not.</p><p><strong>I will continue to fight monopolies, megamergers, price fixing, and any anticompetitive conduct that violates the law and threatens California&#8217;s economy, workers, and your pocketbooks.</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading The Bonta Brief! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Five years in the job of a lifetime.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Five lessons I&#8217;ve learned (so far) as California&#8217;s Attorney General]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/five-years-in-the-job-of-a-lifetime</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/five-years-in-the-job-of-a-lifetime</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:50:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Five years ago today, I was sworn in as California&#8217;s Attorney General. I distinctly remember standing on the stage and looking out into the crowd and not quite believing that I wasn&#8217;t dreaming. In fact, for my first few months as AG, every so often I&#8217;d pull up our website and double check that my name and headshot were still there, just to confirm that I really do get to lead the California Department of Justice! &#128512;</p><p>Some days I still can&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s real. Being California&#8217;s Attorney General is an awe inspiring, all-encompassing job. It has been the honor of a lifetime and has taught me so much. For my fifth  anniversary, I thought I&#8217;d share some lessons learned from my first few years as AG.</p><h3><strong>Lesson #1: People are everything</strong></h3><p>My parents were social justice warriors. I grew up watching them organize communities for democracy, women&#8217;s rights, workers&#8217; rights, and so much more. They&#8217;d organize relentlessly to get into a room with elected leaders to make their case and advocate for change, only for the people in power to refuse to listen. I remember thinking that I&#8217;d never be like that. Instead, I&#8217;d be someone who listens, who turns the words of our communities into action.</p><p><strong>I see my job now as being the People&#8217;s Attorney. </strong>That means Californians&#8217; fights are my fights. Their concerns are my concerns. First and foremost, that means keeping them safe. Public safety is and always will be job #1. Standing up for the people also often means standing <em>against </em>powerful interests. Whether its Big Oil and other corporate giants breaking the law for their own gain, or the lawlessness of the second Trump Administration, we&#8217;re proud to hold the line and use every legal tool available to protect the 39 million Californians who call our state home.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic" width="1456" height="1049" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RrAX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05b6dd19-96f7-449c-8cff-ded763a28e2a_5336x3846.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I&#8217;ve always thought that the people closest to the problems are closest to the solutions, which is why I spend a lot of my time on the road, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgx69O-rf_q/?img_index=1">talking to Californians</a> about the issues that matter most to them. In the past few years, we&#8217;ve hosted <strong>conversations on <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-and-community-leaders-engage-inaugural-roundtable">gun violence</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-joins-federal-task-force-border-end-fentanyl-trafficking">fentanyl trafficking,</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwEIZr7vKgj/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D">challenges impacting our youth</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1869848960686588094">immigration policy</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2034773976099299730">tariffs impacting the business community</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1674185194553892864">environmental justice</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1930774850911731712">copper wire theft</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-local-leaders-discuss-combating-hate-crimes-and-0">hate crimes,</a> </strong>and so, so much more. These conversations are invaluable to me and have helped guide the direction of our office from the very beginning.</p><p>It&#8217;s also why I created the <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/care">Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement</a>, or CARE. CARE works to make sure all Californians, especially those from communities that are often overlooked, can connect with our office. And if you&#8217;d prefer to learn more about DOJ from the comfort of your couch, watch our webinar series, &#8220;<a href="https://oag.ca.gov/care/demystifying-the-doj">Demystifying the Department of Justice</a>&#8221; or our virtual <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/care/community-briefings">Community Briefings</a>. And of course, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/contact">our inbox is always open</a>.<strong> We&#8217;re here, we&#8217;re listening, and we want to help.</strong></p><h3><strong>Lesson #2: We ~Can~ Do It All</strong></h3><p>When I first became an elected official, I got a piece of unsolicited advice: &#8220;pick two or three signature issue areas and leave the rest for someone else.&#8221; I&#8217;ve always rejected that advice. How can I tell a Californian that an issue that&#8217;s impacting their life isn&#8217;t a priority? At DOJ, the facts and the law are our guiding light, so <strong>if we have standing to act and the law is on our side, we will.</strong></p><p>We&#8217;re tackling crime, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1928237208965718363">cracking down on fentanyl</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-charges-against-organized-retail-crime">dismantling organized retail crime schemes</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/ogvp/apps-database">removing illicit firearms from communities</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/ogvp">fighting for commonsense gun reforms</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2015922984670920793">combating human trafficking</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-enforceable-agreement-torrance-police">increasing trust between police and the communities they serve</a>, and <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/hatecrimes">addressing hate crimes. </a>We&#8217;re also addressing the <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/housing">housing crisis</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1945919793095421961">fighting against attacks on healthcare</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1857561033352819151">holding scammers accountable</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-dismantles-los-angeles-hospice-fraud-ring-responsible-267">defending California&#8217;s government programs from fraud</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DXKfR9MD42S/">advocating for a competitive market</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/consumers">protecting California consumers</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1782538892832588242">standing up for our environment</a>, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-co-leads-lawsuit-challenging-president-trump&#8217;s-executive">safeguarding voting rights</a>, and much, much more.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GkEl!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08e4427e-ee5c-4079-95e6-c9ccb4aec9cc_6395x4263.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GkEl!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08e4427e-ee5c-4079-95e6-c9ccb4aec9cc_6395x4263.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GkEl!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08e4427e-ee5c-4079-95e6-c9ccb4aec9cc_6395x4263.jpeg 848w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GkEl!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08e4427e-ee5c-4079-95e6-c9ccb4aec9cc_6395x4263.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GkEl!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08e4427e-ee5c-4079-95e6-c9ccb4aec9cc_6395x4263.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GkEl!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08e4427e-ee5c-4079-95e6-c9ccb4aec9cc_6395x4263.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GkEl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08e4427e-ee5c-4079-95e6-c9ccb4aec9cc_6395x4263.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I can&#8217;t tell you the number of times I&#8217;ve told someone about something my office is doing, like our <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1953522959320330729">bipartisan robocall task force</a> or a <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-holds-recycling-fraud-suspects-accountable-five-managers">recycling fraud case</a>, and they&#8217;ll respond, &#8220;wait, California DOJ does that?&#8221; And the answer is pretty much always, &#8220;yes, we do.&#8221; <strong>If it involves defending California&#8217;s people, values, and resources, we&#8217;re on it.</strong></p><p>With nearly 6,000 employees up and down the state, California DOJ covers a lot of ground. As someone who has never liked to pick priorities, I love getting to come to work every day and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the work I&#8217;m doing will have an impact on someone&#8217;s life.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic" width="1456" height="971" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p9UY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9341a93-17db-4e69-94e6-422968ceede4_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h3><strong>Lesson #3: Celebrate Your Wins</strong></h3><p>One downside of having an office that&#8217;s very busy doing good work is that we&#8217;re constantly moving onto the next thing. We&#8217;ll win a case, arrest a perpetrator, secure a conviction, or negotiate a settlement and immediately say &#8220;what&#8217;s next?&#8221; I&#8217;ve learned that you have to schedule time to stop and celebrate your wins, or else they&#8217;ll get lost in all the &#8220;to-dos&#8221; on your list.</p><p>In the interest of reflection, here are a few actions I&#8217;m particularly proud of from the last few years.</p><ul><li><p><strong>Tackling the Housing Crisis:</strong> Californians are facing a housing crisis of epic proportions. In my first year as AG, I formed the Housing Justice Team to <strong>advance housing access, affordability, and equity in California</strong>. Since then, we&#8217;ve paved the way for<s> </s>local governments to plan for 32,000 potential homes, while helping unlock housing development projects totaling more than 50,000 units in California, changing the conversation in local planning meetings. And we&#8217;ve protected tenants hurt by unscrupulous landlords. Our motto is &#8220;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DB9lVBRzVAu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D&amp;img_index=1">More housing, more accountability</a>,&#8221; and I think we&#8217;ve seen that through.</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic" width="1456" height="971" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!edAQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9bb2c460-72b8-4c8a-9043-7766ee1d966d_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><ul><li><p><strong>Cracking Down on Fentanyl: </strong>DOJ&#8217;s Fentanyl Enforcement Team is busy investigating and prosecuting traffickers<strong>, </strong>disrupting trafficking networks, and taking illicit fentanyl off of our streets. <strong>To date, our teams have seized more than 17 million fentanyl pills and 7 thousand pounds of fentanyl powder</strong> &#8212; enough lethal doses to kill 1.6 billion people &#8212; and made more than 600 arrests related to fentanyl. I&#8217;m incredibly proud of the work of this team and know we won&#8217;t stop until the deaths from fentanyl do.</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic" width="1456" height="971" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hY8v!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6948b061-e797-41bc-9506-0f12e9122027_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><ul><li><p><strong>Taking On Big Oil&#8217;s Lawlessness: </strong>We&#8217;re fighting two major cases to hold Big Oil accountable. The first is a lawsuit against five of the biggest oil and gas giants for waging a campaign of deception around the climate crisis. The second is a lawsuit against ExxonMobil for deceiving the public about the recyclability of plastics. Time and time again, Big Oil has shown  it&#8217;s willing to lie in order to turn an even bigger profit, leaving our communities holding the bag.</p></li><li><p><strong>Securing Funding for Our Communities:</strong> One of the ways we fight for the people is by taking on corporations that lie to them and cheat the system. Through these efforts we&#8217;ve secured billions of dollars in settlements against lawbreaking corporations &#8212; wins that deliver critical funding to our communities. This includes <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-462-million-multistate-settlement-e-cigarette">$462 million from Juul</a> for illegally marketing to children, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-proposed-57-billion-multistate-opioid">$510 million from Walgreens</a> for its role in the opioid epidemic, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-multistate-settlement-against-student-loan">$273 million from</a> one of the largest student loan servicers in the country, <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-93-million-settlement-regarding-google&#8217;s">$93 million from Google</a> for violating consumer protection laws, and more.</p></li></ul><h3><strong>Lesson #4: Pivot</strong></h3><p>When Donald Trump announced that he was running for President again, a coalition of Democratic Attorneys General across the nation and I knew that we would have to shore up our legal defenses against attacks he told us he planned to wage. Well before the 2024 election, we got to work drafting a game plan, analyzing Trump&#8217;s first term, scouring Project 2025, and coordinating across states and teams to prepare for legal action. This work has paid off.</p><p><strong>To date, we&#8217;ve filed 66 lawsuits against the federal government, protected nearly $200 billion in federal funding for California, and secured more than 40 court orders stopping Trump&#8217;s illegal conduct.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2481417,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/195246265?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1TPT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4b914ad0-5407-41d2-af61-d7e6a439a57d_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Thanks to our team&#8217;s collaboration, tireless dedication, and steady leadership, we&#8217;ve ended the unlawful federalization of California&#8217;s National Guard, stopped Trump&#8217;s illegal tariffs, blocked the attempt to end birthright citizenship, preserved vital programs and services, and prevented sweeping voter restrictions, just to name a few. And we&#8217;re doing it on top of all the other important work that Californians rightly expect of us. We know how to balance multiple priorities at the same time, and we will continue to do so.</p><h3><strong>Lesson #5: You&#8217;re Allowed to Have Fun</strong></h3><p>It&#8217;s very easy to get weighed down by the pressing issues facing our state and nation, but I always try to remember that <strong>wherever there are people trying to make a difference, there is joy.</strong></p><p>My job is challenging, but it can also be incredibly fun. I get to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXKbPv5JPYu/?img_index=1">roll up my sleeves</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDfZJVuzI5U/?img_index=2">volunteer</a> in our communities, whether that&#8217;s packing food for our neighbors in need, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmesOMdvGaN/?img_index=1">wrapping gifts during the holiday season</a>, or visiting an AmeriCorps site and playing a game of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMN7Wrfp3am/">&#8220;zombie tag&#8221;</a> with elementary school students.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2429572,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/195246265?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YdyA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F56302ef2-21c3-49e1-a96a-1965e0cb0146_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrNiuaKJwmM">got locked in a sauna</a> to help raise awareness about the climate crisis and talked about our work to combat it.</p><p>I&#8217;ve been to countless <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLLhewOhvlB/?img_index=1">street fairs</a>, <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/1747030012132466995">parades</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch1JFlUOeSi/?img_index=1">festivals</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DABqF9TPjjQ/?img_index=1">up and down the state</a> celebrating what makes California great &#8212; our diverse communities.</p><p>I have the opportunity to work every day with some of the most incredible legal minds and public servants in the business &#8212; people who put their whole heart into our work, who care deeply about our state and people, and who indulge my dad jokes.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic" width="1456" height="888" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:888,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:3286330,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/195246265?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!P2tX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7bf9333c-dd44-4206-8a38-b76e6da98a35_4585x2796.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Moments like these help fill up the gas tank so we can keep pushing through the hard moments and continue to deliver justice for our state.</p><h3><strong>Bonus Lesson: Always Say Thank You</strong></h3><p><strong>And finally, I couldn&#8217;t finish without one last thank you to the incredible staff at California DOJ who make our work possible. </strong>I grew up playing team sports and can say confidently that my team at DOJ is the best one I&#8217;ve ever been on. From challenging assignments, to demanding days, to long runs (shout out to our incredible Baker to Vegas teams), DOJ staff exemplify a commitment to excellence that extends to every aspect of the office. I&#8217;m continually floored by all we&#8217;re able to accomplish.</p><p>I cannot wait to see what the next year brings.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[California AG Rob Bonta on the Live Nation & Ticket Master Case]]></title><description><![CDATA[A recording from AG Rob Bonta and Joyce Vance's live video]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-ag-rob-bonta-on-the-live</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-ag-rob-bonta-on-the-live</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:23:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/194706208/d67ceac08154a80ec1e5e67e116e3c87.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="install-substack-app-embed install-substack-app-embed-web" data-component-name="InstallSubstackAppToDOM"><img class="install-substack-app-embed-img" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png"><div class="install-substack-app-embed-text"><div class="install-substack-app-header">Get more from AG Rob Bonta in the Substack app</div><div class="install-substack-app-text">Available for iOS and Android</div></div><a href="https://substack.com/app/app-store-redirect?utm_campaign=app-marketing&amp;utm_content=author-post-insert&amp;utm_source=agrobbonta" target="_blank" class="install-substack-app-embed-link"><button class="install-substack-app-embed-btn button primary">Get the app</button></a></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[California DOJ just conducted the biggest hospice fraud bust in state history.]]></title><description><![CDATA[California DOJ just conducted the biggest hospice fraud bust in state history.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-doj-just-conducted-the</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-doj-just-conducted-the</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 17:30:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;8834d86e-b9a5-4cd6-aa1d-72e44991765d&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p><strong>California DOJ just conducted the biggest hospice fraud bust in state history.</strong></p><p>Last week we took down a hospice fraud ring in Los Angeles County responsible for defrauding Medi-Cal and the state of California of $267 million. We arrested five individuals so far and filed felony criminal charges against 21 suspects.</p><p>The perpetrators behind this scheme used stolen identities bought on the dark web, created 14 fake hospice companies, and billed California&#8217;s Medicaid system for nonexistent services for people who had no idea they were enrolled and did not receive a single service.</p><p>This was a brazen, calculated criminal scheme that exploited Medi-Cal, stole taxpayer dollars, and prevented services and care from going to sick individuals who actually need it. California DOJ, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, put an end to it.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-doj-just-conducted-the?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/california-doj-just-conducted-the?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>This takedown is just the latest example of California DOJ&#8217;s longstanding and ongoing efforts to combat hospice fraud. Don&#8217;t just take my word for it, look at the numbers:</p><p><strong>Just since I came into this office in 2021, California DOJ has conducted 294 hospice-related investigations, filed 119 hospice-related criminal cases, and secured 51 hospice-related convictions. </strong>More information about this work can be found on our <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/dmfea/hospicefraud">hospice fraud website.</a></p><p>And that&#8217;s just talking hospice fraud. DOJ&#8217;s Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse &#8212; an entire division devoted to snuffing out healthcare fraud &#8212; has recovered a total of $1.54 billion in Medi-Cal fraud cases over the last decade.</p><p>While President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Dr. Oz seem to have just woken up to the reality of healthcare fraud, the truth is our team of agents, investigators, and prosecutors has been on the ground, in the field, and arresting and prosecuting fraudsters who see our public program as their piggy banks for years.</p><p>This isn&#8217;t a political game for us. This is about safeguarding public funds, protecting the public trust, serving our residents, and delivering programs that dying and vulnerable Californians need.</p><p>While the Trump Administration exploits healthcare fraud to score political points, my team will be here, sleeves rolled up, heads down, actually eradicating fraud and holding anyone who targets our state systems accountable to the fullest extent of the law.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Here’s Looking at You, Hollywood]]></title><description><![CDATA[There&#8217;s no industry as iconically California as the entertainment industry.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/heres-looking-at-you-hollywood</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/heres-looking-at-you-hollywood</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 22:13:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There&#8217;s no industry as iconically California as the entertainment industry. It&#8217;s baked into California&#8217;s DNA. It&#8217;s a cornerstone of our identity, culture, and economy. And it&#8217;s part of the reason why California is the 4<sup>th</sup> largest economy in the world.</p><p>It&#8217;s no surprise then, that over recent decades, other states and countries have worked hard to get in on the action. Afterall, &#8220;As California goes&#8230;&#8221; stuck around for a reason.</p><p>Which means we&#8217;ve got to work harder to keep Hollywood &#8212; our workers, artists, creatives, and productions &#8212; here in California.</p><p>I am grateful that many of my colleagues, from Governor Gavin Newsom to Senator Adam Schiff to leaders in Congress and the State Legislature, agree and are committed to doing all we can as a state to keep film and TV productions in California.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1167557,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/191638814?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C2Jj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2fc24714-1a86-4144-9a2d-095621261bd5_4869x3246.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Today I had the opportunity to attend a spotlight hearing held by Senator Schiff about this very issue. Senator Schiff and Representatives Laura Friedman, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and Lou Correra discussed the work they&#8217;re leading in D.C. to fight for our entertainment industry. Actor Noah Wyle spoke about the impact his hit show, The Pitt, has had on the Los Angeles region as a proof point for why keeping productions in Hollywood makes economic sense. We also had the opportunity to hear testimony from Matt Loeb, President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, journalist Jim Acosta, and Jax Deluca, Executive Director of the Future Film Coalition.</p><p>As Attorney General of California, my role in this comes down to fairly enforcing our nation-leading antitrust laws, consumer protection laws, and workers&#8217; rights.</p><p>A job that&#8217;s become more increasingly critical ever since President Trump returned to office and abdicated the federal administration&#8217;s responsibilities to hold big corporations accountable to the law and protect a competitive marketplace.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>Just this week, a coalition of Attorneys General and I sued to stop a megamerger between two broadcasting giants &#8212; Nexstar and TEGNA. The president has urged this deal go through, despite the fact that it breaks the law, and will undeniably cut competition, raise prices, reduce local news and sports offerings, and result in fewer broadcast jobs.</p><p>Then we&#8217;ve got Hollywood&#8217;s hottest topic: the Paramount and Warner Brothers<strong> </strong>proposed merger.</p><p>Let me be clear: This is not a done deal.</p><p>Paramount and Warner Brothers haven&#8217;t cleared regulatory scrutiny. My office has an open investigation into it and we are being vigorous in our review.</p><p>The impact of this potential merger would be enormous. It could hamper competition, drive down wages, jack up prices, reduce the number of shows and films produced each year, result in job losses, and hurt content quality.</p><p>The American people deserve a robust entertainment, sports, and news ecosystem. They deserve choice &#8212; choice in what the content is, how they get it, who creates it. And they deserve content that rises to the top because of what it offers, not because of back door deals.</p><p>We cannot stand by and allow let a couple of mega corporations currying favor with the President to control the pipeline of content development and delivery.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2129521,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/191638814?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oora!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F290e4f2f-ecec-4846-a533-1f3934879834_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>It&#8217;s no accident that California is the fourth largest economy in the world.</p><p>We didn&#8217;t get here in spite of our commitment to antitrust laws, consumer protection laws, and workers&#8217; rights. We got here because of it.</p><p>We got here because we&#8217;re committed to a competitive economy where the best products, services, and content win out. We got here because of the homegrown creatives, workers, and businesses that bring our favorite movies and TV shows to the screen.</p><p>California&#8217;s proof that you can have some of the strongest laws on the books AND one of the strongest economies in the world AND be home to one of the most impactful industries there&#8217;s ever been.</p><p>As Attorney General, it&#8217;s my responsibility to make sure all of that continues to be true. I will.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2109722,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/191638814?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AUzV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac61c919-a13f-47e8-9df8-561bbbf4b682_6720x4480.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Fighting — and winning — for California ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I joined CBS LA to discuss my office's critical work defending the Golden State.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/fighting-and-winning-for-california</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/fighting-and-winning-for-california</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 20:32:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/186659255/574c20b3ff212ae5b32d5b8cc96cc3ab.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My office has sued Trump 55 times on behalf of California and we&#8217;ve won 80% of the time. We&#8217;ve secured critical funding, defended rights and freedoms, protected public safety, and resisted threats to affordability.</p><p>Our lawsuits are always about defending and protecting Californians, as they should be. As they&#8217;ll always be.</p><p>Our lawsuits have helped Californians put food on the table and roofs over heads. They&#8217;ve provided healthcare for the sick, education for our children, funding for our streets and roads, support for victims of crime, enhanced public safety for our communities. And they&#8217;ve ended the militarization of our streets.</p><p>More than anything, this year has proven that we shouldn&#8217;t be hopeless, because we&#8217;re not helpless. We can &#8212; and are &#8212; holding the Trump Administration accountable to the rule of law.</p><p>If Trump doesn&#8217;t want to lose in court, he should stop breaking the law. If he continues to be a repeat offender, he&#8217;ll be a repeat loser. You&#8217;ve got my word.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Year of Trump]]></title><description><![CDATA[One year has made it clear: The Trump Administration&#8217;s lawlessness is bad for business, bad for workers, bad for families, and bad for our economy.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/one-year-of-trump</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/one-year-of-trump</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:23:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/185334643/d36dd6f657ce323a442f03564c9d8535.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p>One year has made it clear: The Trump Administration&#8217;s lawlessness is bad for business, bad for workers, bad for families, and bad for our economy.</p><p>As I have proven 54 times in one year, when Trump breaks the law or harms our people, CA will fight back.</p><p>More in my Substack.</p><p>https://substack.com/@agrobbonta/note/p-185249481?utm_source=notes-share-action&amp;r=2yrxvo</p></blockquote>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trump’s Second First Year: 54 Lawsuits and $188 Billion Restored to CA]]></title><description><![CDATA[If Trump wants to stop losing, he should stop breaking the law.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/trumps-second-first-year-54-lawsuits</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/trumps-second-first-year-54-lawsuits</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:38:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vfej!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f31f0e6-96b4-4d94-8918-495ed94fc3c9_3000x2000.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Today marks one year since President Donald Trump returned to the White House and began his sweeping, often illegal, campaign to remake America.</p><p>Over the last year, Trump has doubled down on his vendetta against California, other democratic-led states and cities, and anyone who dares to speak out against him.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading The Bonta Brief! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>He has repeatedly attacked so much of what makes our nation great: our rights and freedoms, our children, families, immigrants, workers, seniors, and small businesses.</p><p>Sadly, none of Trump&#8217;s lawlessness came as a surprise.</p><p>Trump laid out his plans in Trump 1.0, in his campaign speeches, and in Project 2025, which allowed my team at California DOJ and I, along with my fellow Democratic Attorneys General, to prepare.</p><p>We went into Trump&#8217;s first year suited up and ready to hit whatever curveball the federal administration threw our way &#8212; and we have delivered.</p><p><strong>In just one year, I have taken Trump to court 54 times and won, repeatedly. California DOJ has secured a victory 80% of the time, including 12 final rulings and 35 preliminary injunctions and other emergency relief.</strong></p><p>As we&#8217;ve racked up the wins, more than once, the Trump Administration has waved the white flag, backing down instead of duking it out in court.</p><p>Out of our 54 cases, 27 have centered on federal funding<strong> </strong>our state and communities rely on. Thanks to our lawsuits, we&#8217;ve returned approximately $188 billion to California children, seniors, workers, schools, and communities.</p><p>We ended the unlawful federalization of California&#8217;s National Guard and stopped the militarization of our streets, defended birthright citizenship, blocked sweeping voter restrictions, preserved AmeriCorps, and blocked Trump from clawing back funds for childcare, cutting-edge medical research, and FEMA&#8217;s disaster mitigation.</p><p><strong>If Trump wasn&#8217;t used to losing in court before, he has got to be by now. If he wants to stop losing, he should stop breaking the law. But you&#8217;ve got my word, as long as he&#8217;s a repeat offender, he&#8217;ll be a repeat loser.</strong></p><p>I really don&#8217;t think it is too much to ask that the President of the United States uphold the Constitution, as he swore an oath to do, and to operate within the bounds of his authority, which not for nothing, is expansive and incredibly powerful as it is.</p><p>Unfortunately, that has not been our reality.</p><p>The Trump Administration militarized our streets &#8212; undermining public safety, heightening tension between law enforcement and our communities, hampering local businesses, and misusing and disrespecting members of our military.</p><p>It actively fought to keep food out of hungry families&#8217; mouths.</p><p>It drove up prices of groceries, gas, utilities, and rent through unlawful tariffs.</p><p><strong>One year has made it clear: The Trump Administration&#8217;s lawlessness is bad for business, bad for workers, bad for families, and bad for our economy.</strong></p><p>I refuse to stand idly by as Trump breaks the law, hurts our people, and targets our communities.</p><p>As I have proven 54 times in one year, when Trump breaks the law, I take him to court. When Trump harms our people, I fight back.</p><p>I will never turn my back on our rights, our freedoms, our people.</p><p>I am grateful that I do not stand alone. I stand beside Governor Newsom, a coalition of courageous Democratic Attorneys General, public servants across the state and nation, and everyday people who are willing to stand up for what&#8217;s right.</p><p>If a year of resounding successes in court, marches that flooded our streets, and acts big and small that spoke out against this administration&#8217;s unlawful policies taught us anything, it&#8217;s this:</p><p><strong>We ought not be hopeless. Because we&#8217;re not helpless. Not when we stand united. Not when we stay engaged. Not when we stand up for what makes our nation great: our Constitution, our democracy, our people.</strong></p><p>As California Attorney General, you&#8217;ve got my word: I always will.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading The Bonta Brief! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guest Column: What Brought Me Here]]></title><description><![CDATA[As we reflect on the last year, I asked Deputy Attorney General Cindy Ventura to share a bit about her journey to the practice of law and how it feels to fight for justice here at DOJ.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/guest-column-what-brought-me-here</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/guest-column-what-brought-me-here</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 19:12:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mvTI!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6694b027-fa46-4727-86c9-eabd8ee1dfa9_256x256.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>The Trump Administration has waged an unprecedented, unlawful attack on the Golden State. At California DOJ, our teams of attorneys are on the front line, filing legal challenges to hold the President accountable for his lawlessness and to protect California&#8217;s people, values, and resources. This is on top of their already challenging and demanding work defending workers&#8217; rights, advancing public safety, protecting our environment, and so, so much more. Often this means long nights and weekends, but our attorneys have risen to the challenge, tirelessly fighting for justice on behalf of all Californians. As we reflect on the last year, I asked Honors Deputy Attorney General Cindy Ventura to share a bit about her journey to the practice of law and how it feels to fight for justice here at DOJ. This is what she had to say:</em></p><p></p><blockquote></blockquote><p><strong>I can&#8217;t walk into work without thinking about what brought me here.</strong></p><p>I&#8217;m a first-generation Latina lawyer from Southeast Los Angeles. My parents immigrated from El Salvador. They worked in factories, in restaurant kitchens, in dishwashing jobs. Their efforts to provide our family a good, stable life were tireless. And yet, it was still hard to make ends meet. I grew up watching how easily they could be treated as expendable, how language barriers and lack of legal awareness could be used against them.</p><p>That never left me.</p><p><strong>Now, as a Deputy Attorney General in the Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section of California DOJ, I get to use one of the most powerful tools in the country to fight for people like my parents and the millions of Californians whose work is taken for granted and exploited.</strong> In this role, I work closely with teams across the Public Rights Division to hold employers and corporations accountable when they attempt to profit off of our most vulnerable communities. I&#8217;ve also worked with our federal accountability partners to hold the Trump Administration accountable when it breaks the law.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>I&#8217;m the youngest attorney in the section. And while it can be intimidating sometimes, I&#8217;m surrounded by attorneys who are brilliant, generous, and deeply committed to justice. That sense of collective purpose is what fuels me and reminds me of home, because in Latino culture, collectivism isn&#8217;t just a value, it&#8217;s a survival strategy. <strong>We fight together. We protect each other. We advance together.</strong></p><p>That&#8217;s not theoretical for me.</p><p>U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is down the street from where my parents still live. That reality &#8212; that proximity to fear and trauma &#8212; isn&#8217;t distant history. It&#8217;s ongoing and terrorizing hardworking communities. Even though my parents are U.S. citizens now, they still ask me if they should carry their passports, just in case. I think often about the fact that the time period we are in isn&#8217;t unique, and the suffering and uncertainty is just one version of what communities all around the world continue to feel today.</p><p><strong>It&#8217;s so easy to feel helpless in moments like that. But choosing to act and choosing to be part of institutions that can stop harm is how I push back against that helplessness every day.</strong> That&#8217;s why I&#8217;m especially grateful to work for an Attorney General who leads with courage and stands up for workers, immigrants, and the values that make our communities stronger.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/guest-column-what-brought-me-here?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/guest-column-what-brought-me-here?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p>I started this job right before the election and it&#8217;s been one of the greatest honors of my life. I get to wake up each day and try to make sure the people who don&#8217;t have the access, or language, or representation, or means to fight back, aren&#8217;t forgotten or dismissed.</p><p>When I think about the future, I think about the people of California who don&#8217;t get a say. Who are most often the ones impacted the hardest. I want every worker to have equal opportunity, dignity, and someone looking out for them.</p><p>This work isn&#8217;t just a career for me.</p><p>It&#8217;s the response to a childhood where I watched how power worked and who it ignored.</p><p><strong>Working at California DOJ is my way of refusing to let that story continue unchecked.</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>&#8212; Cindy Ventura</strong><br>Deputy Attorney General<br>Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section </p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Black Friday and the Affordability Crisis]]></title><description><![CDATA[We&#8217;re in an affordability crisis impacting all but the very richest Americans.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/black-friday-and-the-affordability</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/black-friday-and-the-affordability</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2025 20:00:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8448a98e-3ba0-41c5-96bc-1a600c3d1471_6240x4160.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2201102,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/180192124?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BigG!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9aa8be72-c73b-4bc7-b4f5-ee2a1c3c7f16_6240x4160.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Today is Black Friday, a uniquely American holiday where the promise of deep discounts drives people out in droves to shop until they drop.</p><p>But today, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/shoppers-plan-cut-black-friday-spending-rcna245116">the stores may seem emptier than usual.</a></p><p>And for good reason &#8212; Americans across the country are paying more for nearly everything, leaving little to no room in household budgets for toys, a new pair of shoes, or the latest, greatest tech gadget.</p><p><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/banking/article/my-money-survey-100020297.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMnNvvyJMYbdpoV6GoGhKnoFMvdZ4LpTeNwjeqnxVUoVQv96geeQqR-z6aJXwytZqEgxqbL3X-OEdZrf0FNpxj-KpARHzsldJlbE-W74HEOoDNAoCTDJWq3PhQmbkAc4zP6TFAlFSCBQboCXItSd5Kp4PIaAKPEX3oTNWrmbJ3QK">1 in three Americans</a> say their personal financial situations have gotten worse in the past year, and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/02/grocery-prices-rise-trump-poll">almost half of all Americans</a> say it&#8217;s harder to pay for groceries now than a year ago.</p><p><strong>We&#8217;re in an affordability crisis impacting all but the very richest Americans.</strong></p><p>And where is the President of the United States in the midst of this affordability crisis? Building a gold-plated ballroom and driving prices UP.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>President Trump has tried his hardest to make tariffs his signature policy of his second term, haphazardly instituting tariffs on America&#8217;s trading partners, and collecting billions of dollars in tariff revenue while ignoring their impact on family budgets.</p><p><strong>In fact, tariffs are projected to cost the average American an <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/11/14/tariffs-holiday-shopping-more-expensive-29-billion-tax-lendingtree/">extra $132 this holiday season</a> alone.</strong></p><p>And for many of <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/07/how-trumps-tariffs-are-crushing-small-businesses.html">America&#8217;s small businesses</a>, the chaos and cost of tariffs are driving them closer to closing their doors.</p><p><strong>These tariffs aren&#8217;t just horrible policy, they&#8217;re illegal.</strong> My office sued President Trump over these illegal emergency tariffs, and earlier this month, I was proud to join my fellow Attorneys General at the U.S. Supreme Court as it heard oral argument in a group of cases challenging them in court.</p><p>I&#8217;m optimistic that the Supreme Court will knock down these unlawful tariffs and restore order to our economy.</p><p><strong>However, President Trump isn&#8217;t just satisfied by driving costs up, he&#8217;s also actively working to make life even more unaffordable for the lowest income Americans.</strong> This week alone, my office has had to sue President Trump twice for actions targeting those who are already struggling.</p><p>First, we took President Trump to court for attempting to <strong>illegally restrict funding for a critical federal program that <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-files-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-over-funding">helps communities combat homelessness</a></strong> and provide affordable, safe, and stable housing to our most vulnerable residents. These unlawful restrictions would force tens of thousands of formerly homeless individuals and their families back onto the street.</p><p>Then, just a day later, we took President Trump to court once again, this time challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture&#8217;s (USDA)  recent guidance <strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/eve-thanksgiving-attorney-general-bonta-sues-trump-administration-unlawfully">illegally restricting eligibility for the</a></strong><a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/eve-thanksgiving-attorney-general-bonta-sues-trump-administration-unlawfully"> Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program</a> (SNAP) &#8212;  <strong>one of the most essential anti-hunger programs in the United States.</strong> This uninformed, sloppy guidance misstates who&#8217;s eligible for SNAP and threatens to deprive thousands of lawful permanent residents of the food benefits that Congress guaranteed to them.</p><p>No President has ever worked harder to deprive hungry Americans of access to basic nutrition; but our coalition of Attorneys General isn&#8217;t giving up the fight. We&#8217;re asking a court to step in and stop the USDA before any further damage can be done.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/black-friday-and-the-affordability?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/black-friday-and-the-affordability?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p><strong>The lengths to which the Trump Administration is willing to go to make life less affordable for American families is staggering. </strong>In addition to driving up costs with tariffs and targeting low-income Americans, they&#8217;re attempting to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, weaponizing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, pulling funding from critical programs that support countless families, and so much more.</p><p>And while President Trump and his billionaire friends may pretend otherwise, we know that these policies don&#8217;t just hurt individuals, they&#8217;re detrimental to  our economy<strong>. For every person forced to cut their budget yet again due to tariffs, every SNAP beneficiary unable to go grocery shopping, every teacher making a student loan payment instead of visiting a local business or buying a house, our economy suffers.</strong></p><p>So, whether you&#8217;re heading out to shop this Black Friday, or staying in and going over your budget yet again, you deserve better.</p><p><strong>At the California Department of Justice, we are focused on our people and our economy. We&#8217;re taking actions to bring down prices, while the President continues to drive them up </strong>&#8212; suing landlords for colluding to raise rents, taking on monopolies, and holding bad actors that defraud Californians accountable. We will always take action when someone is seeking to take advantage of Californians &#8212; whether that be a greedy corporation or the President of the United States.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Social Media: Promises, Pitfalls, and Our Public Health Crisis]]></title><description><![CDATA[Our children are facing a public health crisis and we all need to talk more about it.]]></description><link>https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/social-media-promises-pitfalls-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://agrobbonta.substack.com/p/social-media-promises-pitfalls-and</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[AG Rob Bonta]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:05:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As Attorney General of California, home to Silicon Valley and the birthplace of social media, I&#8217;m keenly aware of both the promises and pitfalls of social media. I appreciate the opportunities social media platforms give us to connect with loved ones, express ourselves, access information, and create jobs in the Golden State. At the same time, we have to be wary and vocal about the enormously detrimental and dangerous impact it&#8217;s proven to have on our young people.</p><p>The truth is, our children are facing a public health crisis and we all need to talk more about it.</p><p>Everyone should know about the relationship between excessive time spent on social media and depression, anxiety, body-image issues, susceptibility to addiction, and more in young people. In fact, adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of poor mental health, including depression and anxiety.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>Everyone should hear the tragic, all-too-common stories of real children and families who&#8217;ve been torn apart as a result of the harmful impacts of social media. I&#8217;ve had the opportunity to hear these heartbreaking stories and talk to parents like <a href="https://substack.com/@agrobbonta/p-164090578">Victoria Hinks,</a> whose 16-year-old daughter Alexandra took her own life last year after being served an endless stream of dark and toxic social media content that hurt her mental health.</p><p><strong>Children, teens, and families must be made aware of the dangers social media poses to them before they even log on.</strong></p><p>That&#8217;s why I cosponsored Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan&#8217;s Assembly Bill 56, which gives California a new tool to protect our children. Recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, AB 56 will require social media platforms to display a warning label the first time a child or teen logs on for the day, then again after three hours of cumulative use, and every subsequent hour.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic" width="682" height="458" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:458,&quot;width&quot;:682,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:73031,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/176687290?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXGE!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa3d99795-4f47-4403-bfb8-e8ce42967792_682x458.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Announcing the introduction of AB 56 alongside Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and the Hinks family.</em></p><p>While AB 56 is a step in the right direction to providing more transparency about the harms of social media, <strong>we know that warnings are not enough, </strong>so at California DOJ, we&#8217;re also fighting these harms on multiple fronts.</p><p><strong>Last year, we cosponsored a landmark law to protect youth from social media addiction. </strong>SB 976, The<strong> </strong>Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, resets the social media defaults for young users to provide a less addictive experience &#8212;  limiting companies&#8217; ability to use algorithmic feeds to keep children scrolling, minimizing notifications designed to draw young people away from their real lives and onto their screens, hiding &#8220;likes&#8221; and other engagement metrics, and much more.</p><p>It&#8217;s no surprise then <strong>that the platforms who have spent years actively cultivating social media addiction among children and teens to boost corporate profits challenged this law in court.</strong></p><p>My office is proud to lead the defense of the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, and recently secured a ruling allowing much of this law to go into effect.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>As my office continues defending California&#8217;s nation-leading legislation in court, <strong>we&#8217;re also in active litigation against Meta and TikTok to hold these mega corporations accountable for harms to youth mental health.</strong></p><p>Our lawsuits seek to force Meta and TikTok to pay for the harm they&#8217;ve caused and make substantive changes to the functionality and algorithms of the social media platforms themselves.</p><p>I am grateful that California does not stand alone in our commitment to protecting our children online. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a roundtable held by Secretary Hillary Clinton and Pinterest CEO Bill Ready that focused on how we can create a thriving digital future for our children. Together, experts and stakeholders from government, industry, non-profits, and research institutions from around the world came together to figure out how we can better tackle an issue that defies borders and politics. We touched upon legislation, litigation, policy, design, business, and innovation. It was an enlightening and inspiring conversation that I left full of hope and new ideas.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/bba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1157366,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/heic&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/i/176687290?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mb0s!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbba53bca-45fe-4b66-b32a-e09ed7d8760f_4000x2667.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Discussing ways to protect our children online with leaders and policymakers.</em></p><p><strong>For too long, social media companies have been allowed to chase infinite profit while protecting our kids online has been an afterthought.</strong> After something goes wrong. After we realize the crisis we&#8217;re in. After we see that our kids are glued to their screens all day and all night. But now, people across the world are waking up, demanding that protecting kids, designing with kids in mind is at the forefront of the conversation.</p><p>That does not mean forsaking profit. Being pro-consumer, pro-child safety is not anti-business, just as seatbelts didn&#8217;t put a dent in car sales. California&#8217;s proof. We are the fourth largest economy in the world and we have some of the strongest consumer protections on the books.</p><p><strong>California is proof that we can protect our people and safeguard our children while also supporting innovation and a vibrant economy.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://agrobbonta.substack.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>