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No charges for former Ohio House speaker in federal probe

Federal officials have notified Ohio’s former House speaker that they have closed their investigation of him and he will not face any charges. OHIO PURGES ‘NON-CITIZENS’ FROM STATE VOTER ROLLS, CALLS ON BIDEN ADMIN FOR DATA AHEAD OF 2024 ELECTION Cliff Rosenberger, a Republican from Wilmington, had resigned the post in 2018 after it went public that he was the target of a federal probe into his travel and spending practices in public office. He has long maintained that he did not commit any wrongdoing. Kenneth Parker, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, sent a letter to Rosenberg’s lawyers last week stating that “extremely unique facts and circumstances” led him to determine that Rosenberger is no longer the subject or target of an investigation. Parker did not elaborate on the decision. “I cannot express my gratitude to all of my family and friends that stood by me over the last six years,” Rosenberger said in a statement. “It feels so good to finally be vindicated of all charges.” Rosenberger was elected Ohio House speaker in 2015. He resigned three years later after federal investigators seized state records documenting his out-of-state travel.

‘Too late’: Trump backs challenger to Freedom Caucus chair despite receiving prior endorsement

Former President Trump endorsed a primary challenger against Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., on Tuesday, claiming the congressman’s attempts to make amends with him were “too late.”  “Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.  Both Good and his primary challenger, Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, recently traveled to New York City to show support for the former president during his hush money trial for alleged secret payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump and his supporters have referred to the charges as “election interference.”  IN NEW TV AD, MARYLAND’S LARRY HOGAN CHARTS POTENTIAL SENATE PATH FORWARD AS CENTRIST The Freedom Caucus leader notably endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in his 2024 bid against Trump. Good was one of only a few representatives that ventured to oppose Trump.  After DeSantis exited the race, Good ultimately endorsed the former president. “It is my privilege to provide my complete and total endorsement for Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States. President Trump was the greatest President of my lifetime, and we need him to reinstate the policies that were working so well for America,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in January.  BALANCE OF POWER: FILIBUSTER FATE COULD COME DOWN TO 2024 SENATE ELECTIONS “He turned his back on our incredible movement, and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and ‘loving’ Endorsement – But really, it was too late. The damage had been done!” Trump said on Tuesday.  “I just want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and the person that can most help me do that is Navy Seal and highly respected State Legislator, John McGuire, a true American Hero,” he added, noting Good’s primary challenger “has my Complete and Total Endorsement!” Good’s campaign did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.  The Virginia Republican could face a real risk of losing his party’s nod in the state’s June primary. McGuire has also scored the endorsement of an influential GOP group, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC). The organization specifically pointed to Good’s vote against aid for Israel as it has waged its war on Hamas.  SCOTUS CHIEF ROBERTS PRESSURED TO FORCE ALITO RECUSAL AHEAD OF TRUMP IMMUNITY DECISION This isn’t the only friendly fire Good must contend with in the lead up to his election. After he opted to back the primary challenger against his colleague, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, the fellow Republican hinted that he would campaign against Good on his home turf in Virginia.  “I plan to spend a lot of time in Virginia and some of these other places. So I think my race is only the beginning, right? You can send everything you got at me. You’re never going to beat me, right? You’re just not,” Gonzales said on CNN, responding to Good’s endorsement of his challenger.  Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

‘Unacceptable’: Illegal immigrant wanted for murder has ‘extensive’ criminal past

An illegal immigrant wanted for the murder of a woman in West Virginia has an “extensive” criminal history in his home country of El Salvador. “We really need to change our immigration system in this country. This is unacceptable,” Berkeley County Sheriff Rob Blair told reporters at a press conference earlier this month.  David Antonio Calderon, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, is now charged with murder after authorities responded to a fire in a field on May 6 in Martinsburg, where a burnt body was located. Calderon is currently in custody in Virginia and awaiting extradition to West Virginia.  EL SALVADORAN SEX OFFENDER LIVING ILLEGALLY IN US ARRESTED IN VIRGINIA  The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department said that Calderon is believed to have illegally entered the U.S. after his release from an El Salvadoran prison in 2021, where he had been jailed since 1999.  After entering the U.S. he is believed to have then been stopped at the U.S.-Canada border in March 2023, where he was denied asylum and turned back to the U.S. authorities. Officials said in a release that Calderon has an “extensive criminal history in El Salvador.” Those arrests and convictions include DUI, sexual assault/murder, aggravated robbery and narcotics-related crimes.  TURKISH MIGRANT CROSSING US BORDER SAYS AMERICANS ‘RIGHT’ TO BE CONCERNED The sheriff’s office says, however, that after being stopped at the U.S.-Canada border, he was released back into the U.S., and given a notice to appear — allegedly due to no beds being available.  He was initially arrested in Frederick County, Va. this month on separate warrants out for his arrest on charges of malicious assault. Those charges involve three victims, two include the use of a baseball bat and the other is a stabbing.  After being taken into custody, he was charged with the murder of the unnamed woman and a warrant was served for his extradition to West Virginia.   CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS The crime is the latest such incident committed allegedly by an illegal immigrant, and comes as the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border is proving to be a major political issue at the state and national level. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Last week, a Salvadoran man was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Virginia with prior convictions for sexual battery against a woman in the state. He had been arrested in 2020 for felony forcible sodomy, by force, threat, etc., on a victim age 13 or older. He was released the same year. 

New Jersey to receive $125M payout in dispute over cancelled offshore wind farms

Danish wind farm developer Orsted will pay New Jersey $125 million to settle claims over the company’s cancellation of two offshore wind farms last year — a little over a third of what the company once was required to pay. The state’s Board of Public Utilities said Tuesday that New Jersey and Orsted have settled claims against each other stemming from the company’s decision last October to scrap two wind farms off the state’s southern coast. The state said the $125 million it will receive will be used to support investments in wind energy facilities, component manufacturing facilities, and other clean energy programs. OCEAN GROVE, NEW JERSEY, BEACH ORDERED TO OPEN ON SUNDAY MORNINGS FOR FIRST TIME IN 155 YEARS Before the projects were abandoned, Orsted put up a $100 million guarantee that it would have one of them, Ocean Wind I, built by the end of 2025. It also had been obligated to pay an additional $200 million toward the development of the offshore wind industry in New Jersey. A week after scrapping the projects last fall, Orsted said it was trying to get out of the $300 million worth of guarantees because it was no longer pursuing the projects. Orsted, in a statement to The Associated Press, said it is “pleased” with the settlement, which it said represents the company’s total financial obligation to the state. The agreement, along with other moves announced Tuesday by New Jersey, “underscore New Jersey’s commitment to offshore wind and the industry’s bright future in the Garden State,” it said. “While we advance clean energy projects throughout the region, we look forward to continuing valuable partnerships with New Jersey stakeholders,” the statement read. The company would not say if it plans to propose future projects in New Jersey. But Jeff Tittel, a longtime environmentalist and retired president of the New Jersey Sierra Club, called the settlement with Orsted “a sellout.” “The governor said they would be held responsible for the entire $300 million they owe the state for their failed project,” he said. “They are being let off the hook, paying less than half, with New Jersey losing $175 million. This is a bad deal for New Jersey.” The settlement announcement was one of several that the administration of Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy made Tuesday regarding offshore wind. The state said it is moving up the next solicitation for additional offshore wind projects from the third quarter of 2026 to the second quarter of 2025. New Jersey’s current round of solicitations closes on July 10. The state also said it is pausing plans to coordinate power transmission planning for offshore wind projects with the regional grid operator, PJM Interconnection due to a new rule by federal energy regulators that could affect planning and costs. “Offshore wind development remains a once-in-a-generation opportunity that will result in significant economic and environmental benefits throughout the Garden State,” Murphy said in a statement. “At this pivotal inflection point for the industry both in New Jersey and across the nation, it’s critical that we remain committed to delivering on the promise of thousands of family-sustaining, union jobs and cleaner air for generations to come.” Orsted wrote off $4 billion last fall, due largely to costs associated with the cancellation of its two New Jersey projects. The company cited supply chain issues, inflation and a failure to gain enough government tax credits. There are currently three preliminarily approved offshore wind projects in New Jersey. The state is home to vociferous opposition to offshore wind by numerous groups who say the projects are too costly and are potentially harmful to the marine environment. Protect Our Coast NJ said the move to accelerate offshore wind contracts “reflects the shifting political landscape in Washington and in New Jersey,” calling Murphy’s clean energy goals “arbitrary and unrealistic.” Supporters say they are an important way to move away from the burning of fossil fuel that contributes to climate change.

New court challenge filed in Pennsylvania to prevent some mail-in ballots from getting thrown out

A new lawsuit filed Tuesday by a constellation of left-leaning groups in Pennsylvania is trying to prevent thousands of mail-in ballots from being thrown out in November’s election in a battleground state that is expected to play a critical role in selecting a new president. The lawsuit, filed in a state court, is the latest of perhaps a half-dozen cases to challenge a provision in Pennsylvania law that voters must write the date when they sign their mail-in ballot envelope. PENNSYLVANIA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS TO MISS BALLOT AFTER LEGISLATIVE DEADLOCK Voters not understanding that provision has meant that tens of thousands of ballots have been thrown out since Pennsylvania dramatically expanded mail-in voting in a 2019 law. The latest lawsuit says multiple courts have found that a voter-written date is meaningless in determining whether the ballot arrived on time or whether the voter is eligible. As a result, rejecting someone’s ballot either because it lacks a date or a correct date should violate the Pennsylvania Constitution’s free and equal elections clause, the 68-page lawsuit said. “This lawsuit is the only one that is squarely addressing the constitutionality of disenfranchising voters under Pennsylvania’s Constitution,” said Marian Schneider, a lawyer in the case and senior policy counsel for voting rights for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. Enforcement of the dating provision resulted in at least 10,000 ballots getting thrown out in the 2022 mid-term election alone, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit names Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s top election official, as well as the election boards in Philadelphia and Allegheny County, both heavily Democratic jurisdictions. However, Democrats have fought to undo the dating requirement, while Republicans in the past have fought in court to ensure that counties can and do throw out mail-in ballots that lack a complete or correct date. Roughly three-fourths of mail-in ballots tend to be cast by Democrats in Pennsylvania, possibly the result of former President Donald Trump baselessly claiming that mail-in voting is rife with fraud. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Black Political Empowerment Project, POWER Interfaith, Make the Road Pennsylvania, OnePA Activists United, New PA Project Education Fund, Casa San José, Pittsburgh United, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and Common Cause Pennsylvania. Currently, a separate challenge to the date requirement is pending in federal court over whether it violates the 1964 Civil Rights Act or the constitution’s equal protection clause. In March, a divided 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the date requirement does not violate the civil rights law.

Democratic National Committee to nominate Biden, Harris virtually ahead of Chicago convention

The Democratic National Committee is preparing to nominate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party nominees via virtual proceedings before Ohio’s Aug. 7 deadline, and before its in-person Convention this summer.  The move comes as Ohio Senate lawmakers convened Tuesday to address Biden‘s ability to appear on their general election ballot. “Joe Biden will be on the ballot in Ohio and all 50 states, and Ohio Republicans agree,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. “But when the time has come for action, they have failed to act every time, so Democrats will land this plane on our own. Through a virtual roll call, we will ensure that Republicans can’t chip away at our democracy through incompetence or partisan tricks and that Ohioans can exercise their right to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

CT lawmaker’s saucy pizza proclamation causes outcry in top pie outposts: ‘There’s only one original’

A Connecticut congresswoman’s pronouncement on the House floor officially declaring that New Haven is the nation’s pizza capital led to some lighthearted objections from lawmakers in other popular pie locales last week. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., announced on the House floor that for several reasons, New Haven – the state’s second-largest city – is thereby recognized as “the Pizza Capital of the United States.” DeLauro said New Haven-style “Apizza,” as it is called, is a “specially crafted food that draws people from across the country to my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut.” “It is called ‘Apizza’ after the original way ‘la pizza’ was pronounced in southern Italy,” she added of the pie, which is a Neapolitan, thin-crust variety. RON DESANTIS SLINGS PIZZAS WITH JESSE WATTERS “For more than a century, New Haven has been home to some of the most famous pizzerias in the country. Known for everything from a plain sauce to white clam to mashed potato, and I proudly rise today to claim New Haven as the pizza capital of the United States,” said DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. The lawmaker said Connecticut has the most pizzerias per capita in the country and named Frank Pepe’s, Pizzeria Napoletana and other New Haven eateries as examples of why “Apizza” should essentially be considered the nation’s pizza. However, when asked about the declaration, several pizza-city lawmakers offered different takes: “Next time Congresswoman DeLauro comes to Chicago she will have to try out any of the 50-plus different pizza places here that are better than anything they have in New Haven,” Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., who represents part of the deep-dish outpost, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. BARSTOOL SPORTS’ DAVE PORTNOY NAMES US CITY ‘PIZZA CAPITAL’ “With all due respect to my friend, anyone who has eaten pizza from Pequod’s, D’Agostino’s, Lou Malnati’s, or Pat’s has no doubt that the best pizza in the nation comes from right here in Chicago,” Quigley said. The lawmaker’s office added that he plans to respond further to the pronouncement live from Chicago’s best pizzerias later this week. Back on the East Coast, Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., noted his Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn district hosts the first pizzeria in the U.S., which is Lombardi’s in Little Italy. He argued that New York should hold the title of America’s best pie, suggesting other cities have great options but still fall short. “While New Haven pizzerias have done an excellent job of replicating New York City pizza, there is only one original,” Goldman said. Fox News Digital also reached out to several Staten Island lawmakers for comment, as the borough prides itself on its own brand of pizza separate from the rest of New York City’s, which some proprietors attribute to the island’s unique water supply. DE BLASIO’S PIZZA FORK FETCHES $2500 AT CHARITY AUCTION Denino’s, a longtime haunt for pies on the island’s North Shore, previously shipped water from Staten Island to its Brick, New Jersey, outpost for years before installing a specialized water filtration system to replicate its distinctiveness. New York Assemblyman Michael Reilly, a Republican, represents part of Staten Island’s South Shore, which is home to popular outposts like Lee’s and Giove. He questioned how New Haven could come close to his home borough in terms of pizza. “I once went to Connecticut to visit family and ordered a square pie – what we call a Sicilian or Grandma style in New York. What we received was a round cheese pizza cut into tiny squares,” Reilly joked. “Remind me again what Connecticut knows about pizza?”  Reilly’s counterpart in the New York City Council, Minority Leader Joe Borelli, a Republican from Staten Island, remarked to Fox News Digital: “I recognize New Haven may not have a lot going for it, but they should treat this like the participation trophy it is, and one that’s been awarded by an institution not known for its impeccable judgment.” Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., who represents much of Detroit, told Fox News Digital that people looking to the Atlantic coast for the best pie are going too far. “While I understand the merits of the thin-crust pizza of the Northeast, the Detroit pizza scene has long been underrated and underappreciated,” Thanedar said. “It is hard to beat the thick, fluffy crust and crisp, cheesy exterior that is distinctly Detroit. The pizza also has the city’s history baked in, originally prepared in rectangular steel trays designed as automotive drip pans or to hold small industrial parts in factories.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Thanedar said his favorite Detroit-style pizzeria is Buddy’s, an eatery established in 1946. It’s where the lawmaker recently hosted U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “All this to say, don’t cast your vote for ‘best pizza in America’ until you’ve been to the Motor City,” he said. DeLauro’s declaration reportedly coincided with her office hosting dozens of Connecticut pizza bakers in Washington, D.C., to highlight the state’s prominence in that regard.

Denver releases ‘playbook’ to help other cities accommodate migrant ‘newcomers’

Denver officials recently released a “how to guide” to help other cities across the country splash taxpayer cash on housing, health care and other services for migrants. The 15-step “playbook,” which describes migrants as “newcomers” in its first paragraph, lays out several ways other cities can manage the crisis by outlining best practices and procedures for integrating migrants into local communities. The surge of migrants has strained city resources and forced Denver Mayor Mike Johnston to cut millions from the budget in order to accommodate them.  For instance, the Denver Police Department budget is being slashed by roughly $8.4 million, or 1.9%, Fox News confirmed. The city’s fire department will also face a budget reduction. DENVER MIGRANT ADVOCATES SAY SIX MONTHS OF FREE RENT, FOOD NOT ENOUGH: ‘A SLAP IN THE FACE’ AND ‘OFFENSIVE’ “Our efforts include helping people with onward travel as needed, offering temporary shelter, facilitating the search for permanent housing, and providing vital support in terms of medical and mental health, work authorization, legal assistance, school enrollment, and more,” the guide’s introduction reads. The guide provides cities with information on how officials can provide shelter, offer “onward transportation,” and set up intake centers where migrants can get access to free food, clothing, medical care and legal advice. Other tips include setting up information databases on new arrivals, the importance of having Spanish-speaking staff working with migrants, and establishing a city budget that will track expenditures and monitor funding. Johnston says the manual, called the “Newcomers Playbook: A Guide to Welcoming Newcomers into Your City,” provides other localities with the tools they need to help migrants “regardless of how they entered the country.” “We’re proud this playbook will help newcomers resettle in cities with more opportunities, help cities across the country successfully welcome newcomers and reinvigorate workforces,” Johnston said in a statement announcing the document late last month. He said Denver has been a “national leader” on the topic, having taken in around 42,000 migrants and provided them with essential services and resources. The guide explains that it refers to migrants as “newcomers” in order to recognize that the border crossers are “new to our city and embracing a more inclusive language.” Other areas of the document advise cities to create a “newcomer monetary fund through a foundation,” provide “rapid housing assistance,” and help migrants with work authorization applications.  The guide also suggests cities bring in shower trailers and laundry trucks if such services are not available on-site. It goes on to tout a newly created “Denver Asylum Seekers Program” for 1,000 people currently in the city’s migrant shelter facilities. “We will connect newcomers to housing assistance options for up to six months from the date of their asylum application. Additionally, newcomers will be connected with an innovative pre-work authorization readiness program called ‘WorkReady,’” the document reads.  “They will be able to collaborate with case managers to ensure they are moving on the right track and be connected with workforce training opportunities via partnership with nonprofits, local businesses, educational institutions and training organizations.” The program also includes access to language instruction, career pathway exploration, industry-recognized credential training and work-based learning opportunities. In March, city officials pleaded with property owners to “house” migrants after it scaled back some of its migrant services to reduce the budget deficit. Johnston also announced last month that nearly $46 million would be slashed from the budget to help fund a $90 million package funding migrant aid and housing for the rest of the year, Fox31 reported. The release of the manual came just weeks after a Denver official, Andres Carrera, was heard on video telling migrants that the city’s shelters can no longer help them, and they must go to other cities or they “will suffer.” “The opportunities are over,” Carrera reportedly tells the group in Spanish. “New York gives you more. Chicago gives you more. So I suggest you go there, where there is longer-term shelter. There are also more job opportunities there.” 

US forced to halt Gaza aid deliveries after Biden admin’s $320 million ‘floating pier’ starts to sink

The U.S. was forced to suspend the delivery of aid to its temporary “floating pier” on the coast of Gaza on Tuesday after rough weather caused the structure to break apart. Four vessels that had stabilized the pier broke off due to choppy waters earlier this week, but officials said the pier was still operational. That is no longer the case as of Tuesday, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital. The U.S. did not offer a timeline for how long repairs would take. A U.N. official said the repairs would take at least a week, however, according to NBC News. President Biden’s administration spent roughly $320 million constructing the massive, floating dock. It was operational for barely a week before the damage occurred. GROWING CONTROVERSY OVER BIDEN’S GAZA PIER FUELS CONCERNS OVER COST, SECURITY Of the four stabilizing vessels that detached earlier this week, two of the boats floated northward and landed on a beach in Ashdod, Israel, while the two others remain anchored at the beach near the pier. BIDEN’S VISION FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE DOOMED, EXPERTS SAY: ‘AN EXPLICIT RECOGNITION OF HAMAS’ While the pier has been used to transfer roughly 569 metric tons of aid into Gaza, none of that aid had been delivered to Palestinians as of last week, the Pentagon confirmed. The pier’s failure comes as Israel conducted a sizable operation in Rafah, with tanks rolling into the heart of the city for the first time since the war began. ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE ON RAFAH KILLS 2 TOP HAMAS COMMANDERS, DOZENS OF CIVILIANS The tanks were spotted near Al-Awda mosque, a central Rafah landmark, the witnesses told Reuters. The Israel Defense Forces said its operations in the city continue in the Rafah area but did not comment on whether its forces advanced to the city center. Witnesses in Rafah told Reuters the Israeli military appeared to be using remote-operated armored vehicles, as there was no immediate sign of personnel in or around them. The IDF did not comment on those reports. Israeli tanks have probed the edges of Rafah since the IDF took control of the border crossing with Egypt three weeks ago but had not yet entered the city in full force.

California’s Newsom attacked from his left in teachers union ad blitz: ‘Monumental crisis’

Despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reversal on cutting public school funding and reaching an agreement with the nation’s most influential teachers union, the union will continue airing an attack ad against him until the deal is passed in the legislature. The California Teacher’s Association (CTA), the state’s powerful progressive teachers union, launched an ad against the liberal governor last week after Newsom proposed slashing funding for public schools by $12 billion over the next few years to narrow the state’s budget shortfall.  “California classrooms face a monumental crisis, tens of billions of dollars in cuts to public education over the next three years, bigger class sizes, thousands of teachers laid off, essential resources like counselors, nurses and special education aides, gone,” the narrator says in the 30-second ad.  NEWSOM IGNORING CALIFORNIA CRISES TO PROMOTE HIMSELF IN PRO-ABORTION CAMPAIGN, GOP LAWMAKERS SAY “We agree that we can’t go back to where we were,” the narrator continues. “Tell lawmakers and Gov. Newsom to pass a state budget that protects public schools for our students and communities.” After Newsom rolled back his initial proposal to education cuts and reached an agreement with the union, CTA president David B. Goldberg later said in a statement: “As always, we will closely monitor any attempt to weaken the constitutional protections behind the Proposition 98 funding guarantee.” “We will continue to work with the Governor and the Legislature to safeguard constitutionally protected school funding for the 2024-25 budget year and beyond,” he said. The new agreement between the governor and CTA pledges a more favorable assessment of Proposition 98 – a 1988 law that guarantees a set funding amount for public schools each fiscal year – ensuring schools receive an additional $5.5 billion in the future.  “This agreement is a smart and balanced policy solution that incorporates feedback from California’s educators,” Newsom said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Similar to the proposal in our revised budget, the agreement accomplishes the administration’s primary goals – no cuts to schools in the immediate and long-term future while ensuring budget neutrality. Working together, we are protecting California’s students, families, and educators and putting the state on a fiscally sound and sustainable path.” OUTSPOKEN PRO-ABORTION GOVERNOR GETS SPEAKING SLOT AT VATICAN SUMMIT “We have resolved our policy differences with CTA,” a spokesperson for Newsom’s office added.  The ad comes as Newsom proposed a revised budget this month which would have shaved off $150 per student compared to Newsom’s initial budget proposal, as well as sweeping cuts to more than 10,000 open government jobs, an 8% slash to “state operations,” and the state’s progressive climate programs are also getting the boot. In January, Newsom estimated the shortfall to be $38 billion, even though the Legislative Analyst Office’s (LAO) estimated it would be closer to $45 billion. But Newsom’s revised budget this month, projecting the same as the LAO’s billion-dollar deficit through 2024-25 and an additional $28.4 billion in 2025-26, brought the governor’s revision to the nonpartisan LAO’s estimate to more than $70 billion. GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM FACES RECKONING WITH $73B BUDGET DEFICIT LAWMAKERS SAY HE HELPED CREATE The agreement underscores the powerful union’s sway in Sacramento as it had threatened to sue Newsom over the proposed cuts. The CTA has been a longtime ally of the Democratic governor, contributing $250,000 to his Yes on Prop 1 committee this year. The union also dished out $1.8 million to Newsom’s anti-recall campaign two years ago.