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California Dems run ads against GOP on sex trafficking bill after blocking penalties for teen solicitation
A series of Facebook ads funded by the California Democratic Party is claiming that Republicans are against stronger laws to protect 16- and 17-year-old sex trafficking victims amid a legislative fight over a minor solicitation bill in which Democrats successfully forced the exclusion of harsher penalties for the purchase or solicitation of older teens.
The ads began appearing on social media after a vote in the California Assembly last week when Democrat leaders refused to move forward with AB 379, which would have made it an automatic felony to purchase or solicit 16- and 17-year-olds for sex.
Featured in each ad is the name and image of a state Republican lawmaker who «voted against stronger laws protecting» older teens from sex trafficking, accusing them of protecting their «political party, not our kids.»
SON OF SUSPECTED WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN ARRESTED ON CHILD PORN CHARGES
California Assemblymember Maggy Krell, a Democrat, on Monday said she agreed to remove a provision in her child sex trafficking bill that ensures the crime of purchasing a minor for sex applies in all cases where the victim is under the age of 18. (Assemblymember Maggy Krell)
AB 379, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Maggy Krell, was an attempt to crack down on the buyers in the child sex trafficking trade and to align their punishments with the traffickers. The ad campaign came after the Democrat-controlled Assembly Public Safety Committee decided to move the bill forward as long as it didn’t carry the felony provision for those who solicit older teens for sex.
At the time, Krell told Fox News Digital that she was forced to exclude the felony provision in order for the legislation to move forward.
«I wholeheartedly disagree with that amendment,» she said. «This has been my life’s work and I will continue to partner with sex trafficking survivors and law enforcement to ensure all minors are protected from the horrors of sex trafficking.»
On Thursday, Democrats voted to strip the bill completely from Krell, a former prosecutor who investigated human trafficking, while excluding the automatic felony clause. They also inserted text that read, «It is the intent of the Legislature to adopt the strongest laws to protect 16-and 17-year old victims and strengthen protections in support of survivors of human trafficking.»
«Just when you thought the @CA_Dem couldn’t go any lower, any more pathetic and desperate, here they are, trying to falsely spin themselves out of siding with predators over children, (poorly) playing politics over people. SO excited for 2026,» the California Republican Party shared Monday on X.
WANDA BARZEE, ONE OF ELIZABETH SMART’S CAPTORS, ARRESTED ON ALLEGED SEX OFFENDER VIOLATION
The California State Capitol (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)
Several Republican lawmakers also pushed back against the accusation that their party doesn’t protect children.
«You see my friend Democrats lie… After we called @AsmDems out on the floor last week for removing protections for 16 and 17-year-old victims, they run ads accusing us… of the very thing they are doing,» Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher wrote on X. «You can’t hide from the truth with deceptive ads. It is Democrats who can’t bring themselves to part with weird ideological politics to protect kids.»
Assemblyman Josh Hoover, one of several Republicans targeted in the ad campaign, said Democrats were attempting to gaslight Californians.
«Make no mistake, these ads are nothing but a distraction from their own failed record on public safety,» he wrote on social media. «I will continue to fight to restore the protections they removed, hold perpetrators accountable, and make sure all minors are treated equally under the law.»
The ad campaign was reportedly being pushed by the campaign of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. Fox News Digital has reached out to the California Democratic Party and Rivas’ campaign.
FATHER PRESSES FOR ANSWERS IN COLLEGE FRESHMAN DAUGHTER’S DEATH AFTER FALL FROM DORM: ‘SHE WAS OUR WORLD’
California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and other GOP lawmakers were targeted by Democrats in a social media ad campaign. (Fcaebook)
AB 379 came together after older teens were left out of a state law that went into effect this year that makes it a felony to purchase a child aged 15 and younger for sex. Last year, California State Sen. Shannon Groven authored a bill that made it illegal to buy minors for sex, but it excluded 16- and 17-year-olds.
Currently, traffickers, not the buyers, face the harshest consequences when convicted of trafficking anyone under 18.
Last week, Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he supported harsher consequences for those who solicit minors for sex.
Assemblyman Joe Patterson said Newsom has lost control of his own party and that the state Democratic Party is treating him «like a lame duck.» Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez said Democrats across the state have failed Californians on a range of issues, including public safety, affordability and homelessness.
«All they have left are dirty lies that are easily rebutted by journalists,» she wrote.
The National Republican Congressional Committee also weighed in on the matter.
«California Democrats chose predators over children and out-of-touch Democrats Derek Tran and Dave Min have said nothing,» Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the NRCC, told Fox News Digital while calling out Democrat lawmakers. «Worse, they’re letting their fellow Democrats whitewash their disgusting record of protecting the absolute worst among us.»
Inside the California State Capitol building (iStock)
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Last week, Krell said she didn’t care if the bill had her name on it or not, but would support any proposal that included protections for 16- and 17-year-olds.
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The Trump administration on Monday said it has started a new process to block Harvard University’s eligibility for federal grant money and its ability to enter into new federal contracts — yet another salvo from Trump officials as they continue to target the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university.
The Department of Health and Human Services notified Harvard President Alan Garber in a letter Monday that it has initiated the debarment process for the university — a move that would render the school ineligible to receive federal grant money or enter into new federal contracts.
HHS officials cited allegations of antisemitism brought against the university and what Trump officials argued is the school’s failure to comply with recommendations from a federal antisemitism task force earlier this year.
FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ATTEMPT TO FREEZE MORE THAN $2 BILLION IN HARVARD FUNDS
Harvard President Alan Garber addresses the crowd during the university’s 373rd commencement ceremony. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The familiar refrain has been at the center of a months-long legal fight between Trump officials and Harvard lawyers, who sparred over efforts to comply with recommendations from a federal task force earlier this year.
Trump officials have argued the school has not done enough to comply with the task force recommendations; Harvard has countered that the effort amounts to an unconstitutional «pressure campaign» from the administration to influence and exert control over its academic programs.
It’s unclear how long the debarment process will take, and these efforts are often preceded by a shorter-term period of suspension, according to data from HHS’s Office for Civil Rights.
Still, if successful, the effort could threaten billions of dollars in funding for Harvard at an already vulnerable time for the university.
The debarment process, if successful, could eventually «blacklist» Harvard from doing business with the government in any capacity — including blocking its ability to accept billions in federal research funds and to sign new contracts with federal agencies.
CONTINUED COURT FIGHTS COULD PUT HARVARD IN UNWINNABLE POSITION VS TRUMP
Graduates celebrate during Harvard University’s 374th commencement ceremony on May 29, 2025. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Harvard’s lawyers have reportedly struggled to negotiate with the Trump administration in ongoing settlement talks, weeks after a judge in Boston sided with Harvard and ordered the administration to restore billions in funding to the school.
The news comes just weeks after a federal judge in Boston sided with Harvard in ruling that the Trump administration had acted illegally in freezing more than $2.2 billion in federal research funding that had been allocated to Harvard.
In an 84-page summary judgment earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs rejected the Trump administration’s assertion that it was attempting to strip Harvard of billions in federal funding due to allegations of antisemitism, or the university’s failure to comply with the recommendations of a federal antisemitism task force.
«A review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that defendants used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities,» Burroughs said in her decision.
HARVARD PRESIDENT SAYS HE HAS ‘NO CHOICE’ BUT TO FIGHT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Hundreds of graduates walk out of Harvard’s 2024 commencement in Harvard Yard to call attention to the plight of Palestinians on May 23, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Harvard lawyers sued the Trump administration in April over its attempts to freeze billions in federal funding and block other grant money — which they argued in court amounts to an unconstitutional «pressure campaign» designed to influence and exert control over its academic programs.
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The New York Times reported that the Trump administration is likely to appeal the ruling, though the time frame for the appeal and the next steps for challenging the summary judgment remain unclear.
politics,donald trump,white house,national security,education,federal courts
Chile avanza silenciosamente en un proyecto de infraestructura digital que podría tener implicaciones profundas para la soberanía de datos en América Latina. Se trata del llamado “Chile–China Express”, un cable submarino propuesto que conectaría las costas chilenas con Hong Kong. Aunque a simple vista podría parecer un emprendimiento técnico más en la expansión global de las telecomunicaciones, lo cierto es que este plan se diferencia por la opacidad con la que se lo ha manejado y por los riesgos que se desprenden de la legislación china en materia de seguridad cibernética e inteligencia. La discusión trasciende los límites de Chile, pues cualquier país que interconecte sus redes con ese tendido quedaría expuesto a las obligaciones que empresas chinas mantienen con el Estado de Pekín.
La pregunta de fondo es por qué Chile necesitaría otro cable transpacífico cuando ya se encuentra en marcha el Humboldt, un proyecto desarrollado por Google junto con la empresa estatal Desarrollo País y la Oficina de Correos y Telecomunicaciones de la Polinesia Francesa. El Humboldt, cuya traza conecta Valparaíso con Sídney pasando por Tahití, fue anunciado públicamente, con cronograma, inversión y socios claramente identificados.
En contraste, el Chile–China Express aparece en registros de la industria como una iniciativa “en progreso” a cargo de Inchcape/ISS, con escasa información disponible sobre su financiamiento, consorcio y términos contractuales. La ausencia de convocatoria abierta y el bajo nivel de transparencia constituyen la primera señal de alarma.
El problema central es que no se trata de un cable cualquiera, sino de un proyecto que coloca a China en posición de controlar nodos de transmisión estratégica. Desde 2017, China cuenta con un marco legal que obliga a empresas y ciudadanos a cooperar con los servicios de inteligencia. La Ley de Ciberseguridad (CSL) establece requisitos de almacenamiento local, auditoría y transferencia de datos para operadores de infraestructura crítica.
A su vez, la Ley de Inteligencia Nacional exige la colaboración activa de cualquier empresa, dentro y fuera del país, con las actividades de inteligencia del Estado. En la práctica, esto significa que datos que circulen por infraestructura gestionada por empresas chinas pueden ser puestos a disposición de Pekín sin que los usuarios ni los Estados interconectados tengan forma de impedirlo.
En el caso de Chile, la vulnerabilidad no se limita a su territorio. Argentina, Brasil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Perú o Ecuador podrían ver parte de su tráfico enrutado por el Chile–China Express. La naturaleza transnacional de los cables convierte a este proyecto en un asunto regional y no solo doméstico. Así como las decisiones de endeudamiento de Ecuador en la década pasada tuvieron consecuencias en toda la cuenca del Pacífico, pues influyeron en los flujos de petróleo hacia Asia–Pacífico, el control chino de la infraestructura digital en Chile podría comprometer la seguridad de datos de millones de latinoamericanos.
La opacidad no es nueva en los acuerdos con China. Un estudio de AidData analizó más de un centenar de contratos de deuda con países de América Latina y África y concluyó que incluyen cláusulas de confidencialidad extraordinarias, restricciones de divulgación y garantías de pago por fuera de los mecanismos multilaterales como el Club de París. Infobae documentó cómo, en Ecuador, los préstamos chinos estaban respaldados en la entrega de crudo y contenían condiciones poco usuales que limitaban la transparencia. El patrón es claro: la política exterior china recurre al secretismo como herramienta para blindar sus intereses.
A la dimensión jurídica se suma la dimensión de inteligencia. Informes de Safeguard Defenders han documentado la existencia de más de 50 “estaciones de policía” chinas en el extranjero, incluidas algunas en América Latina. Estas oficinas, presentadas como centros de servicios para ciudadanos chinos en el exterior, han sido denunciadas por operar como mecanismos de vigilancia y coerción sobre la diáspora, en ocasiones presionando a personas a regresar a China bajo amenazas. Varios gobiernos de Europa y América han abierto investigaciones. El cable submarino, en ese contexto, no puede analizarse de manera aislada: forma parte de un ecosistema de herramientas de control extraterritorial que combina infraestructura digital, presencia física y presión diplomática.
El discurso de las autoridades chinas suele presentarse en clave de beneficio económico inmediato. Inversiones en plantas industriales, promesas de generación de empleo y transferencia de tecnología acompañan a estos proyectos. Pero la experiencia chilena muestra que muchas de esas promesas se han quedado en el papel. En 2021, se anunciaron inversiones de la farmacéutica Sinovac en Antofagasta y Santiago, así como proyectos de BYD y Tsingshan para instalar plantas de baterías de litio. Años después, ninguno de esos planes se ha concretado plenamente; algunos han sido suspendidos, otros retirados. Reuters y El País han confirmado que al menos dos de esas iniciativas fueron canceladas o congeladas.
En contraste, los proyectos gestionados con empresas occidentales han mostrado mayor transparencia en su ejecución. El Humboldt de Google, con cronograma claro y participación de entidades estatales chilenas, ilustra una forma distinta de negociar, más cercana a los estándares internacionales de gobernanza. Esto no significa que los cables controlados por actores occidentales estén exentos de riesgos, pero sí que sus condiciones contractuales han sido más accesibles para el escrutinio público.
El debate sobre el Chile–China Express toca además un punto crucial: la gobernanza digital. Al igual que en las decisiones de endeudamiento externo, las democracias deben decidir si aceptan acuerdos que limitan su capacidad de control sobre sectores estratégicos. La transparencia es el primer requisito para tomar decisiones informadas, y su ausencia es el síntoma más evidente de que lo que está en juego no es solo conectividad, sino soberanía.
La Ley de Ciberseguridad de China (CSL) obliga a los operadores de infraestructura crítica a almacenar localmente los datos y a cooperar con las autoridades chinas en caso de solicitudes de seguridad nacional. Esto incluye el derecho del Estado a realizar auditorías y requerir la entrega de información.
En cambio, La Ley de Inteligencia Nacional es una norma que complementa la CSL al exigir que cualquier organización o ciudadano “apoye, asista y coopere” con la labor de inteligencia del Estado. La ley no distingue entre actividades domésticas y en el extranjero, lo que amplía el alcance de la obligación.
El Humboldt conecta Chile con Oceanía con socios identificados. El Chile–China Express aparece como proyecto en progreso con destino Hong Kong. La duplicidad de rutas hacia Asia, una con Estados Unidos y otra con China como actores principales, refleja la competencia geopolítica por controlar la infraestructura digital en la región.
El trasfondo es geoestratégico: para Pekín, la infraestructura digital es la nueva columna vertebral de su influencia global. El Decimocuarto Plan Quinquenal de Informatización Nacional lo establece de forma explícita: China aspira a dominar las telecomunicaciones mundiales, no solo como proveedor de equipos, sino como operador de los canales de transmisión . El cable Chile–China Express, más allá de su utilidad comercial, se inscribe en ese objetivo.
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‘Kamala is brat’: Harris reveals how scripted her failed 2024 campaign was with star-studded events
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It took 27 drafts and coaching from «Barbie» director Greta Gerwig to perfect former Vice President Kamala Harris’ National Democratic Convention speech, Harris revealed in her book «107 Days.»
Harris’ book has pulled back the curtain on her short-lived presidential campaign, unveiling the celebrity cast of characters who boosted her campaign in public and behind the scenes.
«At 5:29 p.m., staff alerted me that the British singer-songwriter Charli XCX had posted: Kamala is brat. Brat was the title of her latest album and identified me with her brand: edgy, imperfect, confident, embracing. From then on, our rebranded Kamala HQ social media site was awash in her signature color, lime green, and posts supporting us used that color,» Harris wrote in her book, detailing the night former President Joe Biden suspended his reelection campaign.
As well as Charli XCX’s signature chartreuse filling Harris’ timeline, her presidential campaign quickly gained traction online as videos of Harris set to songs like Chappell Roan’s «Femininomenon» circulated on TikTok. But social media wasn’t the only medium Harris was honing in on, revealing in her new book that an Oscar-nominated director coached her through DNC speech prep.
KAMALA HARRIS MENTIONS MICHELLE OBAMA ONLY THREE TIMES IN 300-PAGE BOOK. HERE’S WHAT SHE SAID
Former Vice President Kamala Harris released her book «107 Days» about her short-lived presidential campaign on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«I did twenty-seven drafts of my convention speech. I knew what was riding on it,» Harris said in her book.
Harris admitted that Gerwig, the «Little Women» and «Barbie» director, helped her rehearse. «When you speak about your family, see their faces,» Harris recalled that Gerwig had advised.
OBAMA, PELOSI, OTHER TOP DEMS RESISTED INSTANT HARRIS ENDORSEMENT CITING NEED TO ‘EARN IT,’ ‘HIKING’ EXCUSE
The former vice president also admitted to working with a professional voice coach.
«She was very serious about her job, but she wanted me to stand there and emit animal noises,» Harris said, explaining that she enlisted her team to join her in making «weird hums, grunts, and trills» to prepare for the DNC speech.
Musical artist Beyonce, right, and former Vice President Kamala Harris, left, embrace on stage during a campaign rally on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)
In the book, Harris said delegates at the convention wore T-shirts paying homage to her career or dissing President Donald Trump, and she said merchandise referencing Charli XCX’s «Kamala is brat» message was everywhere.
Weeks later with just a few days until Election Day, when Harris appeared on a podcast episode of «The Checkup with Doctor Mike,» Harris lamented that she was «ambushed by an unscheduled in-depth interview, with no notice, at the end of a nineteen-hour day.»
Harris said her team «knew I insisted on being well prepped, to inquire into the style of the show, the nature of the interviews the host did, the areas of likely questioning.» She said her team failed to give her a «briefing sheet so I could knock it out of the park.»
«What the f— was that?» the Democratic nominee said she asked her staff after the interview, while Grammy-winning artist Cardi B was delivering an introductory speech for Harris at a rally in Wisconsin.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on July 31, 2025. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
During Harris’ first rally in Atlanta after Biden dropped out of the race, she said Megan The Stallion was selected as the opener and Quavo as the introductory speaker as a way to «liven up» her solo campaign, «broaden the cultural appeal, and bring more creativity and fun.»
«There was a question about whether I should have any celebrities at my rallies,» Harris recalled in the book. «Did it seem too California, too Hollywood?»
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Harris recognized Taylor Swift’s «thoughtful endorsement» on Instagram the night of her debate against Trump, when the «Eras Tour» star called herself a «Childless Cat Lady» in a nod to comments by Vice President JD Vance.
Throughout Harris’ 107-day campaign, she was endorsed by countless celebrities, many who campaigned for her against Trump, including Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, Eminem, Bruce Springsteen, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Stephen Curry and Billie Eilish, to name a few.
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