Isaac «Izzy» Gardon, a longtime Gavin Newsom staffer who made headlines earlier this week for telling a national reporter to «f— off» after she pressed him on the California governor’s reported dyslexia diagnosis, is raking in a hefty six-figure salary, a Fox News Digital review found.

While Newsom’s dyslexia diagnosis has been public for decades, interest in the matter was amplified amid the California governor’s book tour he launched this month. During one of his first stops on the tour, in Atlanta, Newsom was asked about his dyslexia in conversation with Democratic Mayor of Atlanta Andre Dickens, who asked what he hoped readers would take away from the discussion about his diagnosis in the governor’s new book. 

«I’m like you. I’m no better than you. You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy,» Newsom said in response, garnering criticism online that he was pandering to the Black community.   

Amid the rebukes from MAGA world and Republicans, Real Clear Politics (RCP) national correspondent Susan Crabtree reached out to Gardon for verification on his childhood disability diagnosis. In response, Gardon told her to «respectfully, f— off.» 

The testy response led to further criticism targeting Newsom’s office and Gardon, including from RCP’s Carl Cannon, who questioned why people who are offended so deeply by Trump «consistently imitate his worst behavior.» Newsom’s press office has been known to meet the White House’s pointed and often hostile social media posts targeting Democrats, which frequently include AI generated images, with similarly hostile social media posts targeting Trump and Republicans. 

When reached for comment on this story, Gardon told Fox News Digital that «Susan is not a journalist.»  

«She’s a MAGA blogger who writes about conspiracy theories,» Gardon added. 

Transparent California, a statewide public pay and pension database, revealed that Gardon is being paid quite handsomely to be one of Newsom’s most ardent defenders online. Gardon has risen in stature from an administrative assistant making around $30,000 per year in 2019, to earning $212,154.02 in 2024 as a senior assistant and a in Newsom’s office.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) seen laughing at an event earlier this month hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party.  (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Gardon’s «regular pay» in 2024 was $152,091.05. That was also supplemented by nearly $57,000 in benefits and another $3,141.16 in «other pay,» according to the database, leading to a combined annual payment of $212,154.02. However, his current pay, which does not appear to be publicly available online, is likely to be higher.

Following news of Gardon’s response to Crabtree’s follow-up, a senior reporter for the California Post also shared an email from Gardon in response to one of his media inquiries. 

In Gardon’s response, he referred to the New York Post as the «New York Comic Book.» Then, when Koehn followed up, indicating the San Francisco Chronicle was covering the same story, Gardon replied, «I’d put that outlet in the same bucket,» according to Koehn, who posted screenshots of the pair’s back-and-forth on X.

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A man is seen holding a copy of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new memoir titled «Young Man In A Hurry.» (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

While some top Newsom staffers have praised Gardon’s style, including his boss and senior advisor of communications, Bob Salladay, who told Politico that «Izzy’s creativity and imagination is part of what the governor is doing.» Some Democratic operatives have vocally been critical about his communication style, including Garry Tan, a prolific Democratic donor and CEO of Y Combinator

«Most unprofessional person to ever work in politics,» Tan posted on X. «Izzy Gardon brings shame to the Newsom campaign.»

Gardon also came under fire earlier this month when he referred to rapper and MAGA activist Nicki Minaj as a «stupid hoe» on X. He defended his social media post by pointing to her 2012 song called, «Stupid Hoe.»

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El futuro del transporte europeo podría cambiar para siempre con la llegada del hyperloop. Un tren sin vías, capaz de conectar Londres y París en solo 20 minutos, se prueba actualmente en el norte de los Países Bajos. El sistema propone cápsulas que viajan en tubos de vacío a velocidades superiores a los 965 km/h, desafiando el concepto tradicional de distancia.

El portal de noticias internacional O Globo precisó que el proyecto impulsado por el Centro Europeo de Hyperloop en Veendam busca revolucionar la manera de viajar entre capitales europeas. En una entrevista con The Telegraph, el director del centro, Kees Mark, reveló que esta tecnología puede transformar la mentalidad sobre los viajes de larga distancia.

Destacó que la posibilidad de llegar a otra capital en menos de una hora representa un cambio sin precedentes. De acuerdo con los ingenieros responsables, el sistema aprovecha la levitación magnética para desplazar las cápsulas, eliminando el contacto físico y reduciendo el desgaste mecánico. El Centro Europeo de Hyperloop, inaugurado en 2024, utiliza un tubo de pruebas de 400 metros para experimentar con prototipos y maniobras complejas.

Recientemente, los investigadores lograron un avance clave al realizar un cambio de carril en el interior del tubo sin piezas móviles, solo con imanes. La prueba se realizó a 88 km/h y, según los técnicos, representa un paso fundamental para escalar la tecnología a redes más extensas. La idea original del hyperloop surgió en 2013, cuando Elon Musk propuso el concepto en un documento técnico. Desde entonces, empresas y universidades de todo el mundo desarrollan versiones propias, aunque algunos proyectos, como Virgin Hyperloop en Estados Unidos, se detuvieron por dificultades económicas.

Uno de los mayores atractivos del hyperloop radica en la drástica reducción del tiempo de viaje. Actualmente, el trayecto en tren entre París y Ámsterdam dura más de tres horas, pero la nueva tecnología promete cubrir distancias similares en menos de media hora. La levitación magnética, combinada con la ausencia de aire en los tubos, permite alcanzar velocidades superiores a las de un avión comercial.

El Centro Europeo de Hyperloop se posiciona como referente en el desarrollo de esta tecnología. Ingenieros y técnicos trabajan para resolver desafíos relacionados con la seguridad, la eficiencia y el control de las cápsulas en movimiento. De acuerdo con los expertos, la ausencia de contacto físico reduce la fricción y prolonga la vida útil de los componentes, aunque mantener el vacío en largas distancias sigue siendo un reto técnico.

La capacidad de maniobrar sin partes móviles y el uso de sistemas digitales para coordinar el tráfico de cápsulas representan innovaciones clave. Los responsables del proyecto confían en que estas soluciones faciliten la expansión del hyperloop a nivel continental. El avance en los Países Bajos marca una diferencia frente a los intentos anteriores y mantiene la esperanza de ver trenes ultrarrápidos en funcionamiento en Europa.

A pesar del optimismo, el hyperloop enfrenta obstáculos importantes. Mantener el vacío en tubos de gran longitud y prevenir fugas requiere tecnología avanzada y un monitoreo constante. El financiamiento representa otro desafío, ya que construir infraestructuras a escala real implica inversiones millonarias. Según especialistas, la viabilidad económica dependerá del apoyo estatal y de la colaboración entre empresas privadas y gobiernos.

Los proyectos de hyperloop ya generan interés en países como Emiratos Árabes Unidos, India, Italia y China. Este último cuenta con una pista experimental de casi dos kilómetros y realiza pruebas de aceleración rápida con vehículos de levitación magnética. Sin embargo, la capacidad de transporte sigue siendo tema de debate. Los prototipos actuales transportan pocos pasajeros, lo que podría limitar la accesibilidad y mantener las tarifas altas.

Los defensores de la tecnología sostienen que el objetivo es operar cientos de cápsulas autónomas, coordinadas digitalmente y circulando bajo demanda. Esta visión contrasta con la imagen tradicional de trenes convencionales, aún presentes junto al túnel experimental en Veendam. El desarrollo de sistemas inteligentes para gestionar el tráfico será crucial para garantizar la eficiencia y la seguridad.

Si bien los avances continúan, el hyperloop aún se encuentra en etapa experimental. La transición hacia una red comercial requerirá años de pruebas, inversiones y validación por parte de los organismos reguladores. Los responsables del Centro Europeo de Hyperloop confían en que el sistema podrá operar en rutas internacionales antes de 2040, siempre que la financiación y la cooperación internacional acompañen el proceso.

El contraste entre el futuro prometido y la realidad actual sigue presente. Los trenes tradicionales circulan junto al laboratorio de pruebas de Veendam, recordando que la revolución del transporte rápido todavía depende de la superación de desafíos tecnológicos y económicos. La expectativa crece en Europa ante la posibilidad de acortar distancias y transformar los viajes de larga distancia en trayectos de minutos.

Nearly five years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Kabul has appointed its first envoy to India, marking a significant milestone in diplomatic engagement between the two countries. 

Noor Ahmad Noor, a Taliban-appointed diplomat, has assumed responsibility as Chargé d’Affaires at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, the first such posting to India since the Taliban returned to power more than four years ago. The move is the latest step in cultivating goodwill, as India’s role evolves in Afghanistan.

The renewed political and economic engagement with the Taliban comes at a time of surging cross-border violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has plunged relations between the two neighbors to a dangerously low point. Just this week, tensions flared back up after a fresh round of deadly strikes and clashes. And nuclear-armed India wasted no time in strongly condemning Islamabad over the attacks and voiced support for Kabul’s sovereignty.

Against this backdrop of sustained hostilities, India stands out as one country that has much to gain. Experts say India’s reset with the Taliban reflects a pragmatic policy, aimed at countering Pakistani influence while protecting its own long-term security interests in the region.
 

«This is a classic case of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend,’» Sid Dubey, a visiting professor at Bennett University in India, told Fox News. «The only thing the two parties are mutually aligned on is Pakistan and the enmity both have toward the Islamic Republic.»

Kabul’s rapidly deteriorating relationship with Islamabad factors heavily into India’s calculations. For decades, Pakistan sought what it called «strategic depth» in Afghanistan, backing Taliban factions to ensure a friendly government in Kabul. But now, as frictions rise over border disputes, closer coordination between India and Afghanistan stretches Pakistan’s capacity to manage tensions on multiple fronts. 

At the same time, analysts say, it gives India the opportunity to extend its influence in the region at the expense of another rival, China. Furthermore, Pakistan buffers India and Afghanistan, making strategic alignment between New Delhi and Kabul particularly significant.

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Eastern Afghanistan shares a border with India’s neighbor Pakistan. (AP Photo)

«Afghanistan is cursed by its geography and proximity to foreign powers who will always meddle,» Dubey explained, as regional fault lines only continue to sharpen. «And with virtually no American influence on the Taliban government anymore, Delhi feels secure in going ahead with its own India-centric Afghan policy.»

Like most other countries, India does not formally recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, both nations have been taking a series of quiet but significant steps to deepen ties. Over the last year, several high-level diplomatic interactions have been billed as groundbreaking. Cooperation has expanded across the board, from healthcare and humanitarian aid to cultural exchanges and economic projects.

Dubey claimed there’s another big reason for Delhi’s push. «India supports all this in the hope or understanding that one day, if needed, India can use Afghanistan as a platform to strike Pakistan.»

Indian soldiers stand guard as a Kashmiri Muslim man walks by,  in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

For its part, Kabul is embracing this new era of cooperation, hailing the stronger ties with India as Pakistan views these developments with deep suspicion. Engagement with India also offers the Taliban a measure of legitimacy on the world stage. 

As Dubey noted, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, heavily dependent on external assistance, making India’s aid extremely beneficial.

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Anand Prakash, joint secretary of the Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran (PAI) Division at India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Vikramjit Singh Sahney, member of Rajya Sabha and an Indian entrepreneur, participate in a roundtable at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi, India, Oct. 13, 2025. (Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters)

If sustained, India’s growing engagement with the Taliban could reshape changing regional dynamics. A weakened Pakistan-Taliban relationship undercuts Islamabad’s long-standing leverage in Kabul, altering the formerly established balance of power. It also complicates China’s calculus, as Beijing weighs its own security concerns.

Looking further ahead, if Washington again expands its involvement in Afghanistan, New Delhi could serve as a key intermediary, given that U.S. and Indian ties are also on an upward trajectory.

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