California’s budget trick is leaving poor patients to die



California politicians love to brag. GDP near $4 trillion. “Fourth-largest economy in the world.” Progressive pundits cite those numbers as proof that big government works.

But behind the glossy stats sits a system bloated with grift, distortion, and federal abuse. Nowhere does that dysfunction show more clearly than in California’s shell game with Medicaid reimbursements — a sleight of hand known as intergovernmental transfers, or IGTs.

Any private-sector CEO who ran a company like this would face prosecution. In Sacramento, these people get re-elected.

At first glance, IGTs look benign. Counties, fire districts, and public ambulance providers send money to California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. The state then uses those funds to draw matching federal dollars.

In theory, it’s a cost-sharing mechanism to support care for low-income patients.

In practice, California weaponizes IGTs as a legalized money-laundering scheme. The state punishes private providers, guts rural health care, props up political patrons, and hides it all behind the banner of equity.

Here’s how the racket works: Private ambulance companies get stuck with the standard Medicaid reimbursement rate — $118 per ground transport. Public agencies, including fire departments and county EMS units, receive up to $1,400 per run. Same patient. Same service. Ten times the payout.

This isn’t health care policy. It’s a rigged system.

Private ambulance companies can’t compete. Most operate at a loss in low-income and rural regions. Once they go under, they don’t get replaced. The 911 calls still come — but the ambulances come slower. Or not at all.

And in emergencies, minutes cost lives.

California’s IGT scheme isn’t just a technical policy failure. It’s a public safety crisis disguised as social justice.

The people paying the highest price are the working poor — the same communities Sacramento claims to champion. These residents live in neighborhoods left uncovered. They suffer delayed response times. They watch public-sector unions cash in while their own emergency care collapses.

Meanwhile, the state expands Medicaid to undocumented immigrants — ignoring federal guidelines — while using IGTs to balance the budget. These patients can’t legally receive full Medicaid benefits, but California finds the loopholes. State officials cook the books to collect federal money anyway.

It’s a violation of the law. No one stops it.

Sacramento calls this fiscal ingenuity. Washington looks the other way. In truth, it’s federal fraud.

The cash goes to public agencies, which funnel it into inflated salaries, no-show contracts, and political favors. Rural ambulance crews shut down. Small hospitals cut staff. And working-class Californians wait longer to get help they used to take for granted.

RELATED: Every taxpayer ‘should be raising holy hell’

Blaze Media illustration

Any private-sector CEO who ran a company like this would face prosecution. In Sacramento, these people get re-elected.

This isn’t bureaucratic inertia. It’s engineered corruption. California’s 2024 and 2025 State Plan Amendments codify this scheme in black and white. They grant preferential reimbursement to government providers while sidelining the private sector completely.

That’s not policy. It’s pay-to-play.

And it’s working exactly as intended: Drive out private actors, centralize control, and soak the federal treasury while calling it compassion.

The fix is simple. Enforce federal Medicaid law. End special treatment for public agencies. Level the field so private ambulance companies — especially in rural areas — can survive.

Without reform, the collapse continues. The IGT scam rewards states for padding GDP with fake Medicaid spending. It rewards failure. It punishes success. And it leaves real people — sick people, poor people — waiting for ambulances that never come.

California can keep calling itself the world’s fourth-largest economy. But those numbers mean nothing when the foundation is rotten.

The ambulance isn’t coming. The budget is built on lies. And Gavin Newsom is on television doing Baghdad Bob impressions while the system falls apart.

In honor of George Floyd, WNBA player gets on microphone and lectures entire crowd about racism



After a moment of silence Friday to mark the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's death, WNBA player Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx spoke into a microphone on the court prior to a game against the Connecticut Sun and told the crowd that Floyd's death represented travesties within the American criminal justice system.

"Thank you guys for taking a minute to honor the life of George Floyd. George was a father, a brother, and a son. And his life, like every life, held meaning," Collier told the roughly 8,000 fans in attendance.

'His death exposed the holes that are still in our justice and criminal institutions today.'

Although Minnesota Police Officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for "depriving" Floyd of his constitutional rights, Collier still stated that Floyd's death "exposed the holes that are still in our justice and criminal institutions today."

The 28-year-old then concluded that Floyd's death was further evidence of unfairness in society: "His five-year anniversary reminds us that we must continue the fight against criminal, racial, and social injustices. We cannot stay silent. Every life deserves respect and dignity." You can view Collier's speech in the video below:

RELATED: 'There's white privilege every single day': WNBA No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers says 'people' favor white men and women

Collier's vague platitudes triggered some caustic reactions from observers and commentators, especially given the fact that she would be hard-pressed to find evidence that Floyd's case was proof of bias against her cause.

Not only were four police officers convicted as a result of Floyd's death, but the events were followed by an entire summer of riots in Floyd's honor. At the same time, more than half of the media coverage that surrounded the case linked Floyd's death to racism or police brutality.

RELATED: Angel Reese and systemic pandering fuel 'black fatigue'

Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock has warned of a growing "fatigue" among sports fans for causes like Floyd; the commentator was confused as to why Floyd was still being honored despite his extensive criminal history.

"Think of all the people who have died on May 25 in the Minneapolis area," Whitlock wrote on X. "The one worth honoring, in the minds of the Minnesota Lynx, is George Floyd. If you don't have fatigue, you should."

Fans agreed, with one writing that the inclusion of Collier's speech from the basketball court was a great way to "tank an already struggling organization" — presumably meaning the WNBA, as the Lynx are currently undefeated.

Way to tank an already struggling organization! 🤦♀️
— Freedom Lover (@Freedom061466) May 25, 2025

One X account for a leasing group cited Floyd's stints in jail and an autopsy that showed drugs in his system at the time of his death.

"I would like to take a moment of silence for the eight jail terms Floyd previously served and the fentanyl and methamphetamine an autopsy found in his system at the time of his death."

What does George Floyd, who died of an overdose, have to do with WNBA?
— Hey Girl (@IBfromTheSC) May 25, 2025

A female fan asked what Floyd had to do with the WNBA, while another X user noted it would be interesting to get a look at the TV ratings during the time Collier's social justice messaging was broadcasted.

"The disconnect from reality is wild," the account said.

I’d genuinely love to see the viewership numbers when she brought that up. Most people aren’t sitting around idolizing George Floyd, especially not in a half-empty stadium. The disconnect from reality is wild.
— NomadicAi (@nomadicai) May 25, 2025

While the WNBA has relied on star Caitlin Clark for increased ticket sales and viewership, attendance for 2025 versus 2024 has largely remained the same. Whether the mention of social justice issues has helped or hurt the league remains to be seen.

With Clark currently sidelined with an injury, the league may struggle to set its trajectory in the right direction for a second straight year.

(H/T: OutKick)

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7 Ways The University Of Nevada-Reno Is Defying Trump’s No-DEI Order

The University of Nevada at Reno is doubling down on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, hoping the administration won’t notice its illegal racial discrimination.

Peacock announces WNBA sitcom created by female-centric production company: 'Ceilings are being shattered'



NBCUniversal announced a new sitcom focused on the WNBA with hopes to push a future where women "win big" and continue to break barriers.

The new half-hour comedy will follow a WNBA rookie, just a year after Caitlin Clark completed her monumental first season in the league.

While "The W" has yet to be filmed, the story surrounds a new player and her inexperienced agent, a plot that mirrors the life of former WNBA player and producer Chiney Ogwumike, rather than Clark.

Ogwumike is a WNBA All-Star who played in the league from 2014-2023 and is noted for having hired a 24-year-old agent, Allison Galer, upon entering the league.

The story was further described rather generically, focusing on what was described by Deadline as the ups and downs of women's professional basketball and the "glamour and grind" of women's sports.

'We are in an era where barriers are being broken.'

Ogwumike and Galer will serve as two of a whopping seven executive producers through Ogwumike's production company, Victorious. The former basketball player described her company's mission as wanting to "build a future where women in sports can win big."

The Texas-born athlete then pointed to the idea that women are still breaking barriers, which her project would further help facilitate.

"One of the most invaluable lessons that I have learned as a professional athlete, broadcaster, and ambassador is that we no longer have to wait for opportunities, we can create them. We are in an era where barriers are being broken, ceilings are being shattered and the world is finally taking notice. And with our groundbreaking first project, we will bring the main topic to the mainstream. In that spirit, Victorious is a purpose-driven platform that will forge new pathways for us to celebrate our own wins."

Chiney Ogwumike was the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2014. Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

Galer described the new company as a way to create "meaningful opportunities that show women in sports winning at the highest levels."

The sports agent continued to describe the new endeavor in a way that is typically coupled with political activism, claiming that women's sports have an "exceptional ability to capture hearts and minds."

Galer added, "Victorious will be the go-to vehicle for women’s sports stories to reach and captivate global audiences."

While the new show is the first project for Victorious, Ogwumike and Galer previously produced a documentary for ESPN Films that followed the 2020 WNBA season during the COVID lockdowns.

Carly Mensch and Liz Flahive were announced as the writers for "The W." The pair are most known for their Netflix show focused on female wrestlers in the 1980s; "GLOW" ran for three seasons between 2017 and 2019.

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At Northwestern, NIH Grant Funds Gender Institute That Hosted ‘BIPOC’-Only Academic Program

Last year, the National Institutes of Health sent more than $1 million in taxpayer-funded grants to Northwestern University's Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH). At the same time, the institute hosted a summer program for graduate scholars that it offered only to "Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and also sexual and gender minorities (SGM)."

The post At Northwestern, NIH Grant Funds Gender Institute That Hosted ‘BIPOC’-Only Academic Program appeared first on .

Trump Scraps Three Schools' DEI Grants, Former Firefighters Smoke Out Newsom, and Anti-Israel Groups Plot 'Unbranded' NYT Ad

On the first day of his second term, Donald Trump issued an executive order directing all federal agencies to terminate "equity-related" grants. Institutions of higher education will now suffer the fallout. The Department of Education on Friday scrapped $15 million in federal grants for diversity programs at California State University, Los Angeles, Virginia Commonwealth University, […]

The post Trump Scraps Three Schools' DEI Grants, Former Firefighters Smoke Out Newsom, and Anti-Israel Groups Plot 'Unbranded' NYT Ad appeared first on .

University of Iowa considers ending Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Department, social justice major



The University of Iowa may soon overhaul some of its DEI infrastructure, having proposed ending a social justice program as well as closing a department dedicated to gender and sexuality in favor of a School of Social and Cultural Analysis.

On December 17, UI issued a press release about the proposed School of Social and Cultural Analysis, claiming that it would "promote interdisciplinary collaboration, enhance faculty support, and increase student opportunities" while streamlining some inefficiencies in staffing and course offerings.

"The school would combine several departments and programs in the areas of African American Studies; American Studies; Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies; Jewish Studies; Latina/o/x Studies; and Native American and Indigenous Studies," the press release said.

In fact, the university plans to end the Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Department, the American Studies Department, an American Studies major, and a major in social justice to make the new school happen. Currently, these departments and majors serve fewer than 60 students combined.

Enrollment at UI this fall was nearly 15,000, according to the Gazette, a drop from more than 17,000 in 2016.

'We have a tremendous amount of work to do in restoring Iowans’ confidence in ... returning the focus of our higher education system away from ideological agendas and back to the pursuit of academic excellence.'

"Right now, these programs are administered by multiple department chairs and multiple directors," said Roland Racevskis, associate dean for the arts and humanities at the the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

"Under this proposed plan, the school would have a single leadership team dedicated to overseeing the operations of the programs. This new structure would provide better coordination of curriculum across these related programs, easier pathways for degree completion, and support for interdisciplinary research opportunities."

Sara Sanders, dean of the UI CLAS, purported to be "excited" about the proposed changes.

"The creation of a School of Social and Cultural Analysis would allow us to build on our considerable legacy in areas that are essential to our mission, while creating more sustainable structures and room for innovative new curricula. By making the most of our resources and expertise, we can enhance the student experience, better support our faculty, and encourage collaborative research across fields," she said in a statement.

Before these changes can be implemented, the Iowa Board of Regents must first approve the proposal. The board is expected to consider it at a meeting in February. The board has already approved 10 recommendations for eliminating or limiting DEI programs at Iowa schools of higher education, Fox News reported.

If the proposal is approved, the changes will go into effect in July 2025, when a new state law curtailing DEI efforts will likewise go into effect. Among other things, Iowa Code Chapter 261J establishes "restrictions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents."

State Rep. Taylor Collins (R-Mediapolis), who will soon chair a committee on higher education, has lately made ending or restricting DEI a major priority. "We have a tremendous amount of work to do in restoring Iowans’ confidence in our institutions, controlling costs, and returning the focus of our higher education system away from ideological agendas and back to the pursuit of academic excellence," Collins said in a statement, according to the Gazette.

These DEI restrictions represent a significant about-face regarding DEI from University of Iowa leaders in just four years. Back in 2020, UI paid fealty to DEI, pledging to diversify and "internationaliz[e]" the campus by "attracting students and faculty from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences" and to retain minority professors, the Gazette said.

H/T: Leading Report

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Former staffer at woke group allegedly used fraud to try to register dead dad, others to vote in Pennsylvania



A woman who recently worked for a woke organization in Pennsylvania has been arrested after she allegedly attempted to register multiple dead people as well as some nonexistent people to vote.

This year, Jennifer Hill, 38, worked for New Pennsylvania Project, a far-left organization that openly advocates for "social justice" and claims that "policing in America, at its core, is deeply rooted in structural and systemic racism." Billing itself as a voting rights group, NPP facilitates voter registration efforts through an app from the Pennsylvania Department of State.

Between April and September of this year, Hill reportedly attempted to register 310 people to vote. However, a whopping 129 of those applications were rejected, and investigators later noticed that Hill had apparently submitted variations of the same name paired with different physical and email addresses, according to WCAU.

'It could be just one bad canvasser, but they should take a look and make sure that all of those people are legitimate registrations.'

Included among those 129 rejected applications were Hill's deceased father and an individual who died in Hill's home in 2011. Hill certainly knew that this individual was dead because "she was the person who called the police to come when he died in her house," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer claimed.

Hill also successfully registered at least one "fraudulent person," Stollsteimer said. Hill allegedly managed to register this person using part of her grandmother's name. No one attempted to cast a vote under that person's name, he noted.

"We don’t know from the other 129 that were non-verifiable how many of those were made-up names," Stollsteimer continued.

"Literally what this woman did was to pad the numbers for her employment."

In all, Hill is suspected of attempting at least four fraudulent registrations.

Hill was arrested on December 19 and charged with multiple crimes, including forgery, tampering with public record/information, and applying for registration knowing individual is not entitled to registration. She remains in custody at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility after failing to post bail.

Stollsteimer said the state should investigate the entire New Pennsylvania Project organization in light of these allegations.

"It could be just one bad canvasser, but they should take a look and make sure that all of those people are legitimate registrations," he said.

Kadida Kenner, CEO of the New Pennsylvania Project, confirmed to WCAU that Hill had worked at NPP but that she had been "suspended" and several voter registration efforts had been "paused" pending an investigation into the allegations.

"To be clear, [NPP] DOES NOT provide financial incentives or bonuses for voter registration application collection. Our employees have no quota to meet, and hourly wages paid to part-time canvassing employees remain the same no matter the number of voter registration applications collected," Kenner said.

"Due to the hard work of many individuals to prevent disruptive actions by bad actors, our voting rolls and elections are secure, and no fraudulent ballots were cast," the statement concluded.

WCAU could not identify an attorney who could speak on Hill's behalf.

H/T: @EndWokeness

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