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California election limbo fueled by 4 pressure points dragging out vote count, expert says
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California’s still-unsettled election results are the consequence of the state’s vote-by-mail system, according to election law expert Hans von Spakovsky, who said the process can keep ballots moving through verification and counting for days and even weeks after Election Day.
The Golden State is continuing to count ballots cast in its June 2 primary elections, a process that has extended beyond Election Day due to the state’s election laws, administrative procedures, and vote-counting policies, said von Spakovsky. The delay is not the result of an isolated incident or unexpected complication but stems from the structure of its electoral system before final results can be certified.
«There are four reasons why California takes so long,» von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, told Fox News Digital on Friday. «First of all, it’s almost entirely a mail election now.»
The Los Angeles mayoral race has captured the nation’s attention as Republican-aligned candidate Spencer Pratt awaits a tally determining if he or Democrat-aligned Nithya Raman will advance to the runoff election in November against incumbent Democrat Karen Bass. While former Health and Human Services secretary under the Biden administration, Xavier Becerra, Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Tom Steyer are still duking it out for the top two spots in the state’s jungle primary process ahead of the general election in November.
LA TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER DEFENDS CALIFORNIA’S SLOW VOTING PROCESS AS ‘ELECTION INTEGRITY’ IN ACTION
A ballot box sits outside Contra Costa County’s elections office in Martinez, Calif., on May 27, 2026. June 2 is the last day to vote in person or return a ballot before California’s statewide primary election. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)
Von Spakovsky identified what he said are the four causes for the delay in final tallies: mass mail voting, a seven-day post-Election Day ballot receipt window, a 22-day cure period for signature issues, and high volumes of provisional ballots that must be individually investigated.
Of the four causes of the delay, von Spakovsky said California’s mail-ballot rules cause the greatest concern because it dramatically slows the counting process. With the vast majority of ballots cast by mail, election officials must spend additional time verifying and processing those ballots before they can be counted, extending the timeline for final results.
«You can go vote in person, but like in the 2024 election, out of 16 million votes that were cast in the presidential election, 13 million were by mail. It takes much longer to process a mail-in ballot than a ballot that’s cast at a polling place,» he said.
Mail-in ballots allow voters to cast their ballots from home, avoid long lines and grew in popularity during the pandemic.
Ballot drops are still rolling in and once they do, counties then have additional time to process, verify and tabulate those ballots, with counting expected to continue through June 15.
CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS LAUNCH VOTER ID BALLOT PUSH, NEED 875K SIGNATURES BY DEADLINE
Vote by mail ballots are inspected at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center in City of Industry, Calif., on Nov. 4, 2025. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Von Spakovsky pointed to postmarks on ballots as a key vulnerability in counting ballots.
«California law says, ‘We’ll count absentee ballots or mail-in ballots received up to seven days after Election Day if they’re postmarked by Election Day. But if the postmark’s missing, or it’s blurry, and we can’t read it, we will just go by whatever date the voter wrote inside the envelope,’» he said.
He said the state’s election rules are too permissive, pointing to policies such as not requiring voter ID, automatic voter registration, and lengthy post-election ballot processing periods, which he argued invite fraud or irregularities.
California is one of eight states, along with Washington, D.C., that automatically sends mail ballots in to all active registered voters in their universal vote-by-mail policy.
President Donald Trump singled out the state’s election process this week, announcing that U.S. attorneys are looking into Los Angeles as the mayoral race remains pending.
«Without commenting on any specific investigation, my office has multiple election fraud investigations underway in coordination with @FBILosAngeles,» First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli wrote on X Thursday. «We will follow the evidence wherever it leads and prosecute any violations of federal election law to the fullest extent.»
«The state has stonewalled every effort to verify that only eligible U.S. citizens are registered to vote. This case is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. My office will not look the other way. We will investigate and prosecute. Every legal vote deserves to be counted. Every illegal vote cancels one out,» he added.
A sign points to a vote center during the in-person early voting period for California’s Proposition 50 special election in West Hollywood, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2025. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Democrats have played down concern over the process to count the ballots, including Becerra saying those who bemoan the amount of time it takes are working «to undermine confidence in our elections.»
«We count every ballot. Thank you for your patience as we give democracy time to work,» Steyer wrote on X, citing Trump’s recent comments on the election.
HILTON SAYS SPENCER PRATT CAMPAIGN REFLECTS GROWING REVOLT AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S ‘ONE-PARTY RULE’
Viral rumors have spread across social media since June 2, including claims that Pratt did not receive a single vote out of about 24,000 Los Angeles ballots that rolled in.
«That’s a lie,» the California Attorney General’s Office told Fox News Digital, pointing to an X statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office debunking the claims as «disinformation» and a «lie.»
FILE – Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Oakland, Calif (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
The California governor sent a letter to state election officials in May calling on them to swiftly tabulate the upcoming elections, while focusing the letter on building and maintaining confidence in voting.
«We must continue building confidence in our elections and ensure not only that every vote is counted, but that every vote is trusted. We must acknowledge that the longer the voting count takes, the more mis- and disinformation spreads. That means we must do all that we can to tabulate votes quickly and accurately. Time is of the essence in preventing election lies from taking hold,» he wrote.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for additional comment.
investigations, california, voting, elections state and local, voter fraud concerns
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President Donald Trump on Friday announced a major expansion of his administration’s initiative aimed at helping Americans access discounted prescription medications.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the government-backed website TrumpRx.gov has added 160 prescription drugs, bringing the total number of discounted medications available through the program to more than 800.
«I am pleased to announce that TrumpRx.gov is adding another 160 Prescription Drugs, at highly discounted prices, for a new total of over 800 of the most commonly-used Prescription Drugs,» Trump wrote.
«TrumpRx.gov will now provide clear, transparent, and DISCOUNTED offerings for FOUR OUT OF FIVE of every prescription filled by Americans,» he added.
TRUMP ENDS BIDEN’S DRUG PRICE NIGHTMARE — AMERICANS GET REAL RELIEF WITH TRUMPRX
President Donald Trump announced an expansion of the TrumpRx program, which the administration says will provide discounted pricing on more than 800 prescription drugs. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
Trump unveiled the initiative in February, arguing that Americans have long paid more for prescription drugs than consumers in many other countries.
The website was launched after the administration finalized agreements with 16 major pharmaceutical companies under so-called «most-favored-nation» pricing arrangements.
Under the agreements, participating drugmakers received tariff-related exemptions while agreeing to lower prices for certain medications and extend discounted pricing to eligible cash-paying consumers through TrumpRx, according to the administration.
MARK CUBAN SHOOTS DOWN PRESIDENTIAL BID AS HE TEAMS UP WITH TRUMP ADMIN TO CUT HEALTHCARE COSTS
Shelves with prescription drugs inside a pharmacy in Los Angeles, California, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Companies including Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are participating in the program and have agreed to reduce prices on popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications.
Administration officials have also highlighted discounts on a range of other products, including inhalers, HIV treatments, diabetes medications and fertility drugs.
TrumpRx.gov allows users to search for discounted medications, view estimated savings and generate coupons for participating prescriptions.
SOARING MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES TARGETED IN TRUMP’S NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER
The Trump administration launched TrumpRx.gov, a website designed to direct patients to drugmakers’ websites. (Trump RX)
Trump said the initiative builds on efforts from his first term to reduce prescription drug costs.
«I was proud to make History during my First Term when we lowered Drug Prices, even if by a tiny percentage, because this amounted to a HUGE change compared to other presidents only raising Drug Prices, endlessly and significantly, every year,» Trump wrote.
«Then, during my Second Term, I decided to go BIG with Most Favored Nations Pricing — That is to say, we pay no more or, ideally, less than any other Country for the same exact Drug,» he continued. «Now we are cutting Prices, and cutting them by a LOT, sometimes by 400 or 500 or 600 Percent!»
HERE’S HOW TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON CHINA COULD IMPACT DRUG PRICING AND OTHER HEALTHCARE COSTS
President Donald Trump speaks about TrumpRx in the South Court Auditorium of the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington on Feb. 5, 2026, as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz listens. (AP Images)
Trump also claimed the program has generated significant savings for consumers.
«These Most Favored Nations Deals have already, in fact, saved American Patients over 400 Million Dollars since the launch of TrumpRx.gov,» he said.
The president further argued that tariffs played a key role in securing the pricing agreements.
«Of course, Most Favored Nations would not be possible without my use of TARIFFS, which are getting other Countries to ‘pay up’ instead of relying on American Patients getting ripped off, as they were for decades until I ordered an immediate ‘stop’ to this very unfair and, frankly, foolish situation,» Trump wrote.
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«This is all great news, and I have instructed my Administration to secure more Most Favored Nations Deals, more Partnerships, and Lower Prices for every American Patient,» he added.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
health care, administration, donald trump, drugs, medications
INTERNACIONAL
Más allá de la mesa familiar: cuáles son los factores que influyen en lo que comen los niños, según la ciencia
Lo que un niño come en su casa rara vez depende de una sola decisión individual. La evidencia en salud pública y nutrición infantil coincide en que la alimentación está moldeada por factores del entorno, del tiempo disponible, del presupuesto, de la cultura familiar y de la presión comercial. Incluso cuando madres y padres quieren “hacerlo bien”, el contexto puede empujar hacia opciones más rápidas, más baratas o más presentes en la vida cotidiana.
Un marco clásico de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) sobre alimentación complementaria plantea, desde hace décadas, que mejorar la dieta infantil exige algo más que información: requiere identificar qué facilita y qué bloquea conductas saludables, incluyendo el acceso a alimentos adecuados y la posibilidad real de sostener rutinas de preparación y de alimentación seguras.
En la misma línea, revisiones más recientes sobre hábitos alimentarios infantiles describen que el hogar es un “nicho” donde influyen decisiones de compra, disponibilidad de productos, reglas familiares y, cada vez más, la exposición a marketing y a entornos escolares.
1) Precio y accesibilidad de los alimentos
El costo condiciona la lista de compras y, por lo tanto, lo que llega al plato. En hogares con presupuestos ajustados, el precio puede favorecer alimentos más calóricos y menos nutritivos, o reducir la diversidad. Una revisión sobre factores que influyen en las conductas alimentarias de niños señaló que los patrones de alimentación no dependen solo de preferencias: también del estatus socioeconómico, el entorno comunitario y la oferta disponible.
2) Tiempo real para comprar, cocinar y sentarse a comer
La falta de tiempo es una de las variables más subestimadas: determina si hay cocina “desde cero”, si se recurre a ultraprocesados o si se improvisa con lo que haya. En una revisión crítica sobre el sistema alimentario y la dieta infantil, se remarca que el entorno personal (hogar) y el externo (mercado, escuela, marketing) se combinan, y que el peso de cada factor cambia según la edad. En primera infancia, el hogar domina; luego, ganan terreno la escuela y el entorno comercial.
3) Disponibilidad en el hogar y “reglas” domésticas
Lo que está al alcance (fruta lavada, yogur, galletitas, gaseosas, snacks) tiene más probabilidad de consumirse. La misma revisión en PMC subraya que madres, padres o cuidadores actúan como “arquitectos” del entorno alimentario: compras, porciones, horarios, y exposición repetida a ciertos alimentos. Es un punto clave porque el niño no elige desde cero: elige dentro del marco que el hogar permite.
4) Cultura, normas familiares y contexto social
La comida no es solo nutrientes: es identidad, costumbre, formas de crianza y expectativas. Las tradiciones pueden favorecer platos caseros y horarios estructurados o, por el contrario, naturalizar el picoteo constante. La OMS, en su guía clásica sobre alimentación complementaria, insiste en prácticas como alimentación receptiva (responder señales de hambre y saciedad, sin forzar), higiene y progresión de texturas, pero también aclara que su implementación requiere adaptar mensajes a alimentos culturalmente aceptables y accesibles, además de identificar barreras locales.
5) Marketing, escuela y presión del entorno
A medida que crecen, los niños están más expuestos a comedores escolares, kioscos, cumpleaños, redes y publicidad. La revisión de Nutrition Research Reviews menciona el papel del marketing y del entorno escolar dentro del “entorno alimentario externo”, que puede empujar hacia productos de alta densidad calórica. No es un detalle: el marketing no solo influye en el niño, también incide sobre el adulto que compra, al instalar productos como “adecuados” o “necesarios”.
El punto central es que la alimentación infantil se construye en capas: intenciones (querer dar lo mejor), condiciones materiales (tiempo y dinero) y entorno (oferta, publicidad, escuela) tiran del mismo hilo. Por eso, la solución suele combinar acciones domésticas y de política pública: desde mejorar la disponibilidad de opciones saludables en casa hasta entornos escolares con mejores ofertas y reglas claras sobre marketing dirigido a niños.
Cuando el foco se corre de la culpa individual a los determinantes reales, aparece una pregunta más útil: qué palancas son modificables en cada familia y en cada comunidad (organización de compras, planificación simple, disponibilidad de “opciones puente”, acuerdos familiares) y cuáles requieren apoyo externo (precios, acceso, regulación, comedores).
nutrición,infantil,Guatemala,familia,comida,saludable,salud,desarrollo,trajes tradicionales,cultura
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US, Shield of the Americas condemn ‘ongoing efforts’ to overthrow Bolivia’s elected president amid unrest
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The United States, along with the other countries that make up the Shield of the Americas, condemned the «ongoing efforts» in Bolivia to «overthrow the legitimately and overwhelmingly elected» government of President Rodrigo Paz on Friday.
«The member countries of Shield of the Americas denounce ongoing efforts to overthrow the legitimately and overwhelmingly elected government of President Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia,» the statement read. «We stand with Paz’s democratic government as it fights back against attempts to drag Bolivia backwards through cynical efforts to prevent the delivery of food, medicine and other vital supplies to the Bolivian people through fake road blockades.»
The statement added that «Mob rule cannot replace the decision that a majority of Bolivians made at the ballot box to turn the page on two decades of corrupt governments.»
It also said that anyone who is funding protests with «dirty money» from drug trafficking and transnational crime «should be held accountable. Those who have legitimate grievances should take advantage of the government’s willingness to dialogue, and denounce those who would abuse their causes to regain power.»
PETE HEGSETH WARNS NARCO-TERRORISTS AS U.S. BACKS BOLIVIA’S GOVERNMENT AMID COUP WARNINGS
Demonstrators march in La Paz, Bolivia, on May 20, 2026, rallying against road blockades and pressure tactics used by protesters demanding the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz amid the country’s economic and fuel crisis. (Claudia Morales/Reuters)
The State Department made the joint statement along with Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The statement comes as Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, has been rocked by weeks of social unrest as mass protests have blocked streets in major cities amid economic inflation and rising fuel prices.
Bolivian Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas resigned Tuesday.
Upon taking office, Paz supported a land reform bill to boost agribusiness that Indigenous farmers said put them at risk of eviction. He further scrapped fuel subsidies, sending prices surging by nearly 90%. Motorists complained that the gasoline was contaminated and ruined their cars.
PETE HEGSETH MAKES HOMELAND SECURITY TOP MISSION IN FIRST INTERVIEW AS SECRETARY OF WAR
The Trump administration has said drug traffickers are responsible for inciting the mass unrest.
Meanwhile, former President Evo Morales of the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party, the country’s first Indigenous president who ruled for an unprecedented 14 years, is calling for early elections. «Paz only has two paths left: a suicidal decision like militarization or … an election in the next 90 days,» he wrote on X.
Police officers fired tear gas at community members who seized the Humberto Suarez oil facility during protests calling for President Rodrigo Paz’s resignation in Santa Rosa del Sara, Bolivia, on June 3, 2026. The protests have caused fuel and food shortages. (Ipa Ibanez/Reuters)
For almost two years now, Morales has been hiding out in Bolivia’s central coca-growing Chapare region, evading an arrest warrant on human trafficking charges relating to allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl. He rejects the allegations as politically motivated.
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Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz delivers a speech in La Paz on June 3, 2026, after naming Ernesto Justiniano as defense minister following the resignation of Marcelo Salinas amid protests. (Claudia Morales/Reuters)
On Thursday, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X, that the War Department and the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C), a recently established multinational military and political alliance, reject all attempts to overthrow the government of Rodrigo Paz Pereira six months into his term.
Bolivia’s former President Evo Morales greets a member of the country’s anti-drugs forces in Santa Cruz province near the Paraguay border on March 28, 2009. T (Stringer/Reuters)
«The United States is watching. Bolivia must not allow itself to fall prey to the old status quo of narco-terrorist dominance in the region,» Hegseth wrote. «We will continue to support our A3C partners like Bolivia to ensure that narco-terrorists are deterred from profiting on death and destruction in our hemisphere.»
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
pete hegseth, latin america, americas, south america, state department
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