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Newsom pushes climate record abroad as Californians shoulder America’s highest gas costs
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in the midst of touting his state’s leadership on energy policies while in Brazil for a United Nations climate conference, while Golden State residents pay the highest gas prices in the U.S., which largely are attributable to state regulations.
«While climate change may not resonate, I think affordability matters,» Newsom said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle earlier in November ahead of his trip to Brazil. «When you talk about energy efficiency, you’re talking about saving money.»
Newsom joined the COP30 summit, which is an annual U.N. climate meeting, in Belém, Brazil. Typically, federal U.S. officials attend the summit, but the administration skipped the event as President Donald Trump rails against climate change as «the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.»
NEWSOM VOWS TO BLOCK TRUMP’S REPORTED ENERGY PLAN IN CALIFORNIA, EXPERTS PUSH BACK
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in the midst of touting his state’s leadership on energy policies while in Brazil for a United Nations climate conference. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
«Absolutely,» Newsom said Wednesday when asked if California was standing in for the U.S. at the summit, the Los Angeles Times reported. «And I think the world sees us in that light, as a stable partner, a historic partner … in the absence of American leadership. And not just absence of leadership, the doubling down of stupid in terms of global leadership on clean energy.»
The governor’s office touted amid the trip that, «Greenhouse gas emissions in California are down 21% since 2000 — even as the state’s GDP increased 81% in that same time period,» and that «the state was powered by two-thirds clean energy» in 2023.
California currently has the highest average gas prices in the nation, data shows.
The Golden State has long had notoriously high gas prices, and 2025 is no different. California currently has the highest average gas prices in the nation, at an average of $4.67 per gallon, followed by a list of other states, including Hawaii, Washington, Nevada and Oregon.
Holiday travel is about to hit a fever pitch across the country as the aviation industry gets back on its feet following the historically long government shutdown that led to nationwide delays — with many travelers expected to hop in their cars for a road trip this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
LONGTIME NEWSOM CRITIC PUTS UN SUMMIT ON NOTICE IF DEM GOVERNOR IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK: ‘CLIMATE HYPOCRISY’
The White House slammed California’s high gas prices to Fox News Digital Thursday while Newsom was abroad.
«Governor Newscum is working overtime to cement his status as the worst governor in America,» White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. «Under his failed leadership, the great state of California is suffering with some of the highest gas and electricity prices in the country.»
«In fact, California drivers pay $1.60 more than the national average for a gallon of gasoline,» she added. «Gavin, it’s time to abandon your failed Green New Scam experiment and embrace President Trump’s successful energy dominance agenda.»
A gas pump displays fuel prices under the Biden era, along with a sticker of President Joe Biden, at a gas station in Arlington, Virginia. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Newsom office spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Fox Digital Thursday that current gas prices in the state are lower than in 2019, when Newsom was inaugurated California’s top leader.
«Year over year, in real dollars, gas prices in California today are lower than they were in the Governor’s first year in office — and Californians are getting up to $60 billion in utility bill rebates thanks to climate policies Trump is too lazy or too stupid to understand,» Gardon said. «While Trump tries to Make Black Lung Great Again, Governor Newsom is in Brazil fighting for clean energy, more jobs, and a livable planet.»
The nation’s average gas price has fallen in recent months, sitting at about $3.08 as of Thursday, after reaching a high of $5 per gallon in the summer of 2022 under the Biden administration, according to Gas Buddy data.
Red states currently report the lowest prices, including Oklahoma touting the lowest average price in the nation, at a state average of $2.48 per gallon, followed by four other red states with low gas averages: Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
NEWSOM CLAIMS TRUMP IS ‘HANDING THE FUTURE TO CHINA’ AT BRAZILIAN CLIMATE CONFAB THAT WH SKIPPED
The U.S. Energy Information Administration, which is the Department of Energy’s statistical arm that publishes policy-independent data, attributed California’s higher prices at the pump to a spate of policies, including state taxes and fees, environmental requirements, and special fuel requirements.
Californians pay an extra $0.90 per gallon in local, state, and federal taxes as of March 2025, while the California Energy Commission estimated that residents pay an additional $0.54 a gallon in environmental compliance costs. The state also requires that fuel in the state be a special blend that cuts back on pollution, but also comes at a higher price tag, according to the Energy Information Administration.
NEWSOM SET TO RALLY TEXAS DEMS WITH VICTORY LAP DAYS AFTER PROP 50 PASSES: ‘CALIFORNIA STEPPED UP’
California Governor Gavin Newsom traveled to Brazil for the COP30 World Climate Conference, touting his state’s energy policies while the Trump administration skipped the event. (Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images)
Newsom and Trump long have been political foes, with their battles frequently focusing on energy policy, including Trump slamming Newsom over its water reserves in a state prone to devastating wildfires, and Trump signing a trio of congressional resolutions ending California’s restrictive rules for diesel engines and mandates on elective vehicle sales in July.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment on the matter but did not immediately receive a response.
gavin newsom,california,brazil,energy in america
INTERNACIONAL
Elecciones en Chile: «Permisología», un curioso término que ilustra el legado de Gabriel Boric en la economía
Desencanto
Seguidores de Jeannette Jara, en el acto de cierre de campaña el jueves en Valparaíso. Foto: REUTERSLos mercados celebran por adelantado
«Permisología»
El masivo acto de cierre de campaña de José Antonio Kast, en el Movistar Arena de Santiago de Chile, el martes. Foto: BLOOMBERG
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A former Knoxville Community School District special education associate has filed a lawsuit after she was allegedly fired over a social media post she wrote about Charlie Kirk after his assassination.
Stacey Sumpter, a former special education associate, sued Knoxville Community School District and its superintendent, Cassi Pearson, after she was fired on Sept. 12, 2025.
While off duty on the day Kirk was assassinated, Sept. 10, 2025, Sumpter wrote a post on her personal Facebook that drew the ire of community members.
«Normally I would say Auf wider sehen; but since that technically means ‘til I see you again’… So since I never wish to see you again, to you; I say goodbye,» she wrote, according to the complaint. The comment was made in response to a photo with a list titled «Things to remember about Charlie Kirk» followed by a list of claims against the slain activist.
Charlie Kirk throws hats to the crowd after arriving at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS FACE BACKLASH FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS MOCKING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION
Her attorneys argue that while the assassination dominated headlines and was the subject of widespread debate, Sumpter’s statement was «a personal, private expression of her viewpoint.» They added that her comment «did not threaten anyone, did not incite imminent unlawful action or violence, and was not directed at any member of the school community or broader community.» Furthermore, they noted that the post did not mention where Sumpter worked and did not connect her to the school as it did not occur during work hours or a classroom and was not made with school resources.
The complaint alleges that on Sept. 11, 2025, «community members contacted the district demanding punishment for the content of Ms. Sumpter’s speech.» The former educator’s attorneys noted that she attended work that day as usual and the post was not mentioned.
That day, according to the complaint, «Principal Jory Houser called Ms. Sumpter into his office over lunch and notified her that the District had been receiving complaints about the viewpoint expressed in her post.» While her attorneys say that she «finished the school day without disruption,» Sumpter allegedly received a call from Houser that evening informing her that she was being suspended while the district «investigated» the situation. Sumpter was informed the next morning that she was fired.
A supporter attends a vigil in memory of conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, outside the headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Ariz., Sept.19, 2025.
HAWAII TEACHER PUNISHED FOR CONSTITUTION DAY LESSON ON FREE SPEECH, CHARLIE KIRK, LEGAL GROUP SAYS
According to the complaint, Pearson wrote Sumpter a letter informing her that the «‘language used in the post is not respectful and conveys hatred’ and that her employment with the district was being ‘terminated immediately’ because of the Facebook post.»
In response to an email from Fox News Digital, Pearson said the district does not comment on pending litigation.
Sumpter’s attorneys say that since her firing, she had been denied the due process promised to her in the district’s policies. The former educator was allegedly not given notice of her potential termination or the opportunity to defend herself.
«The Defendants transformed a moment of public debate into an employment crisis for Ms. Sumpter. Instead of respecting her right as a citizen to comment on political events of the utmost public interest or even respecting her right to due process to present her side of the story, they chose to silence and punish her,» the complaint reads.
A tribute to Charlie Kirk is shown on the Jumbotron before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, in Bristol, Tennessee. (Wade Payne/AP )
CELEBRATORY, DISMISSIVE REACTIONS TO CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH PUTTING EDUCATORS UNDER SCRUTINY
Attorneys for Sumpter say the district not only violated its own policies, but also the Constitution. They allege that Sumpter’s firing constitutes a violation of her First Amendment rights, as she was speaking as a private citizen and not as part of her duties at the school.
Sumpter is not the first Iowa educator to sue after being fired over Kirk-related comments.
A fired teacher from Oskaloosa and a teacher on leave from Creston have also sued their districts, according to The Des Moines Register. The outlet said that the Creston teacher on leave is expecting to be fired.
Former Oskaloosa teacher Mattew Kargol sued after he was fired for posting «1 Nazi Down» following Kirk’s assassination. The complaint, which was published by Oskaloosa News, describes the comment as «rhetorical hyperbole about a widely reported public event.»
In October, Creston teacher Melisa Crook sued her district after she was put on leave over a post in which she called Kirk a «terrible human being,» according to The Des Moines Register. She added that «I do not wish death on anyone, but him not being here is a blessing.» Crook also clarified later that she did not condone violence.
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A judge later approved her request to block the district from terminating her employment. However, The Des Moines Register noted that the court has yet to rule on a longer-term preliminary injunction.
Fox News Digital reached out to Sumpter’s attorneys for comment.
charlie kirk,law,media,individual rights,politics,education
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New images released by Russia’s defense ministry show North Korean troops clearing mines in the war-ravaged Kursk region in western Russia, the latest sign of deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
North Korean soldiers are seen handling detection equipment, receiving instructions from Russian engineers and singing patriotic songs before beginning their work. A Russian commander with the call sign «Veles» said, «They’re great lads, they learn quickly, listen attentively and take notes.» Another commander, «Lesnik,» said the North Koreans were operating «on an equal level with my sappers, carrying out the same tasks as my guys.»
According to Reuters, Russia says the North Korean deployment follows last year’s fighting that helped repel a major Ukrainian incursion into the western Kursk region. South Korean, Ukrainian and Western sources told Reuters that North Korea sent about 14,000 troops under a mutual defense pact and that more than 6,000 were killed. The battlefield casualty numbers could not be independently verified.
NORTH KOREA HAS SENT TROOPS TO RUSSIA, PENTAGON CONFIRMS
Russia openly boasts about using North Korean soldiers for demining in its war-hit Kursk region. (East to West News Agency)
The Russian defense ministry channel Zvezda claims that the new demining unit was «created and sent to the Kursk region by order of Commander-in-Chief Kim Jong Un.» The channel said North Korean engineers «arrived in the Kursk region already experienced in carrying out missions in their homeland» and then «received extensive additional training by the Engineering Troops of the Russian Armed Forces.»
In the images released by the Russian defense ministry, Kim Jong Un’s sappers begin each operation by venerating the North Korean flag, describing it as a sign of their readiness «to carry out any order from the Supreme Leader.» The Russian defense ministry claims Russian instructors taught them to handle «the latest NATO and Ukrainian mines» and to counter drones.
GIVING PUTIN THE DONBAS WOULD HAND MOSCOW POWERFUL LEVERAGE OVER KYIV’S FINANCIAL SURVIVAL
Footage released by Moscow shows North Korean sappers using Russian demining equipment in the war-scarred Kursk region (East to West News Agency)
North Korean engineers now reportedly use Russian robotic demining platforms such as the Stalker and Uran-6.
The East to West News Agency reported that the first of thousands of North Korean military engineers have begun clearing explosives in the region, describing the mission as aimed at reducing the risk to Russian personnel. Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, has also said North Korea is deploying 6,000 engineers to Russia.
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Putin enjoyed a red carpet welcome, a military ceremony and an embrace from North Korea’s Kim Jong Un during a state visit to Pyongyang where they both pledged to forge closer ties. (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that out of up to 12,000 North Koreans sent to support Russia’s war effort, «their losses are more than 4,000. I think two-thirds have died.» Fox News Digital could not independently confirm casualty figures.
KIM JONG UN ACKNOWLEDGES DEATHS OF 100 NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS HE SENT TO FIGHT FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN
North Korean troops sweeping minefields left behind in the Kursk region after months of fighting. (East to West News Agency)
Russian military outlet Krasnaya Zvezda reported that Russian and North Korean teams are confronting a «previously unseen density» of anti-tank and antipersonnel mines allegedly left by Ukrainian forces, adding that many of the devices were manufactured by NATO members. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield conditions.
According to the outlet, 37 of the 64 settlements in the Bolshesoldatsky district remain closed to civilians because of mines. The report also said the sappers continue to come under Ukrainian artillery and drone fire, which Reuters was also unable to confirm.
Ukrainian forces stormed into the Kursk region in August 2024, holding parts of the area for months. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in April that Russian troops, supported by North Korean units, had pushed them out.
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Russia openly boasts about using North Korean soldiers for demining in its war-hit Kursk region.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last month that the countries’ military cooperation would «advance non-stop,» Reuters reported.
Reuters contributed to this report.
ukraine,russia,north korea,conflicts,world
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