Featured Stories
Tired of Robocalls? AG Rayfield Wants the FCC to Cut Scammers Off at the Source
SALEM, Oregon, Nov. 10 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release:
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Tired of Robocalls? AG Rayfield Wants the FCC to Cut Scammers Off at the Source
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Attorney General Dan Rayfield is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to tighten the rules on who gets to carry phone calls in the United States, so scammers have a harder time reaching Oregonians.
"Most Oregonians have stopped picking up calls from numbers they don't recognize," said Attorney General Rayfield. "But that means people miss calls that matter, from a doctor's office or a child's
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SALEM, Oregon, Nov. 10 -- Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield issued the following news release:
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Tired of Robocalls? AG Rayfield Wants the FCC to Cut Scammers Off at the Source
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Attorney General Dan Rayfield is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to tighten the rules on who gets to carry phone calls in the United States, so scammers have a harder time reaching Oregonians.
"Most Oregonians have stopped picking up calls from numbers they don't recognize," said Attorney General Rayfield. "But that means people miss calls that matter, from a doctor's office or a child'sschool, while scammers keep dialing. Right now, it's too easy for a shady phone company to get into the system, and too easy for it to come back after getting kicked out. We're asking the FCC to close that door and keep it closed."
Before a phone company can carry calls across the U.S. network, it has to register in a federal database called the Robocall Mitigation Database. Each company has to explain who it is and what it's doing to stop illegal robocalls. Other phone companies are only supposed to accept calls from companies on that list.
The problem is that registering takes very little effort, and shady phone companies can stay on it with few consequences. The attorneys general say a stronger database could work as a real gatekeeper, keeping illegal calls off the network to begin with.
In formal comments on the FCC's proposed changes, the AG Rayfield and 48 other attorneys general supported the agency's plans and urged it to go further by:
* Checking the information before a company gets registered in the database. The FCC should verify what companies submit before they can start sending calls.
* Requiring more disclosure. Companies should say whether they use third parties or related businesses, back up any claim that they operate in the U.S., and explain how they get phone numbers.
* Making it harder for repeat offenders to get in, or get back in. That includes suspending or removing them, raising the bar for their robocall plans, and requiring proof that they're financially sound.
* Holding companies responsible for anything filed on their behalf, including filings made by outside firms.
* Requiring companies to certify the basics, that their filings are truthful, that they follow FCC robocall rules, and that they'll respond within 24 hours when investigators trace a call back to them. False certifications would make removal faster.
* Making sure customers hear about it when a company is cut off. Companies hit with an FCC removal, suspension or blocking order should have to tell their customers, and other carriers should be able to warn those customers that their calls will be blocked.
* Making past filings public, so law enforcement can see the track record of companies that have been removed.
* Moving quickly, and keeping current protections in place until the new rules take effect.
Operation Robocall Roundup
Attorney General Rayfield is part of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which launched Operation Robocall Roundup in 2025.
In the first phase, the task force sent warning letters to 37 smaller phone companies that weren't meeting basic FCC requirements to stop illegal and suspicious robocalls. Over the past year, the FCC has acted against at least 16 of them, either ordering fixes or removing them from the database entirely, which cuts them off from the U.S. phone network.
In the second phase, the task force:
* Took on four of the country's largest companies that pass calls between networks.
* Urged the FCC to cut off scammers' access to legitimate phone numbers.
* Urged the FCC to require phone companies to verify who their customers are and what kind of business they do.
* Urged the FCC to require phone companies to make sure the carriers sending them calls are legitimate and aren't passing along large volumes of illegal calls.
Attorney General Rayfield signed this letter alongside the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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Original text here: https://www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/news-media-releases/ag-rayfield-pushes-fcc-to-cut-off-robocall-scammers/ (TNSmlt)
The Battle Continues: Attorney General Bonta Pushes Federal Government to Combat Illegal Robocalls
SACRAMENTO, California, Nov. 10 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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The Battle Continues: Attorney General Bonta Pushes Federal Government to Combat Illegal Robocalls
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OAKLAND -- Attorney General Bonta and a bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make improvements to its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) that would help curb illegal robocalls (https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/reply-comments-49-state-ags-re-fcc-robo-mitigation-db-updates-nov-2026.pdf).
"Robocalls
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SACRAMENTO, California, Nov. 10 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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The Battle Continues: Attorney General Bonta Pushes Federal Government to Combat Illegal Robocalls
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OAKLAND -- Attorney General Bonta and a bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make improvements to its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) that would help curb illegal robocalls (https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/reply-comments-49-state-ags-re-fcc-robo-mitigation-db-updates-nov-2026.pdf).
"Robocallsbombard us with never-ending voicemails and disrupt our lives. Robocalls aren't just annoying, in many cases, they are illegal and a vehicle for harmful scams that can result in real financial losses for consumers," said Attorney General Bonta. "This is a nationwide problem, and we need nationwide solutions. Alongside a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, I ask the FCC to strengthen the tools needed to combat illegal robocalls."
Voice service providers are required to submit a filing with the RMD before they can accept and route call traffic through the U.S. communications network. That filing must include information about the provider's business and robocall mitigation practices. Downstream providers are only allowed to accept calls from providers that are included in the RMD. However, bad actors are currently able to enter and stay in the database with minimal effort and limited impediments.
The attorneys general are urging the FCC to improve the effectiveness of the RMD by strengthening filing obligations and deterring bad actors and noncompliant providers from appearing in the RMD. The attorneys general argue that improvements could allow the RMD to serve as the authoritative resource for promoting transparency and accountability around all providers' robocall mitigation practices. Improvements would allow the FCC's tool to serve as a barrier to entry, reducing illegal call traffic.
The coalition filed comments in response to the FCC's proposed changes to the RMD. In addition to what the FCC is already doing, the attorneys general urge it to:
Attorney General Bonta is part of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which launched Operation Robocall Roundup in 2025. In Phase 1 of the operation, the Task Force sent warning letters to 37 smaller voice providers that were disregarding their obligations to mitigate the origination and transmission of illegal and/or suspicious robocalls by failing to comply with certain baseline mandates from the FCC. In the last year, the FCC has issued subsequent orders to at least 16 of those companies, ordering them to fix their robocall mitigation issues and/or removing them from the RMD altogether and preventing them from routing any calls across the U.S. telephone network.
In Phase 2, the Task Force:
In signing the letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/battle-continues-attorney-general-bonta-pushes-federal-government-combat-illegal (TNSmlt)
Safe2Tell sets record with nearly 98% of reports submitted in good faith
DENVER, Colorado, Nov. 10 -- Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser issued the following news release:
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Safe2Tell sets record with nearly 98% of reports submitted in good faith
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Safe2Tell received 29,302 reports during the 2025-26 school year, the second-highest total in program history, with a record 97.6% submitted in good faith, according to the annual report released today by the Colorado Attorney General's Office. Those reports prompted more than 10,700 parent and guardian notifications and 3,600 welfare checks, while helping connect students with mental health support more than 5,100
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DENVER, Colorado, Nov. 10 -- Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser issued the following news release:
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Safe2Tell sets record with nearly 98% of reports submitted in good faith
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Safe2Tell received 29,302 reports during the 2025-26 school year, the second-highest total in program history, with a record 97.6% submitted in good faith, according to the annual report released today by the Colorado Attorney General's Office. Those reports prompted more than 10,700 parent and guardian notifications and 3,600 welfare checks, while helping connect students with mental health support more than 5,100times.
"When a student speaks up about a friend who is struggling or a threat to their school, they're doing something that takes courage and compassion," said Attorney General Phil Weiser. "Nearly 30,000 times last school year, someone chose to take that step. Behind those reports are thousands of examples of schools, law enforcement, and mental health professionals stepping in to help. That's what Safe2Tell is all about - looking out for one another and making sure students don't have to face difficult situations alone."
Annual report highlights record good-faith reporting
While overall reporting declined 6% from the previous year's record of 31,177 reports, the percentage of reports submitted in good faith reached its highest level since Safe2Tell began consistently tracking data in the 2015-16 school year, when the program joined the Colorado Attorney General's Office.
Misuse reports, which fall outside Safe2Tell's intended purpose, accounted for just 0.6% of submissions, tying the lowest rate on record. Deliberately false reports, submitted to mislead or cause harm, accounted for another 1.8%, the second-lowest rate in program history.
School safety (5,177 reports), mental health (4,547), and bullying and harassment (4,407) were the most frequently reported concerns, together accounting for nearly half of all reports received during the school year.
"The fact that nearly 98% of reports are submitted in good faith tells us that students and community members are taking Safe2Tell seriously," said Safe2Tell Director Stacey Scardino. "School safety, mental health, and bullying continue to be the concerns we hear about most often. These reporting trends help us better understand the challenges students are facing and where to focus our outreach and education efforts."
Safe2Tell reports prompt action and support
In addition to connecting families with information and students with mental health support, Safe2Tell reports prompted other interventions during the school year. Colorado schools and law enforcement also reported 546 suicide assessments, 293 threat assessments, 46 arrests, and 2,316 school disciplinary actions in response to Safe2Tell reports. Because a single report can prompt multiple interventions, these outcomes reflect the range of actions local response teams take to address concerns.
The annual report also highlights the difference a single report can make. In one case highlighted in the annual report, a student submitted a Safe2Tell report out of concern that a friend might hurt themselves. After the friend was connected with help, the student sent a message thanking Safe2Tell for its quick response.
"You seriously made a huge difference. I'm really grateful," the student wrote in a message paraphrased to protect their privacy.
The full 2025-26 Safe2Tell Annual Report (PDF) includes additional reporting trends, outcomes, and information about statewide outreach and education efforts.
October 2026 Safe2Tell report: 3,210 reports received
The Attorney General's Office also released the October 2026 Safe2Tell Monthly Report today, showing 3,210 reports submitted during the month.
The most frequently reported concerns were school safety (18.5%), mental health (16.7%), bullying (15.9%), and substance use (10.7%). Duplicate reports, which occur when multiple people report the same concern, accounted for 11.1% of submissions.
Since the 2026-27 school year began Aug. 1, 97.9% of reports have been valid, while false reports accounted for 1.6% and misuse reports accounted for 0.4%.
Recent examples demonstrate how reports can connect students with support:
* Mental health: A person reported concerns about a student experiencing depression and self-harm after seeing a social media post. Law enforcement conducted a welfare check and spoke with the student's parent. The school completed a suicide assessment, and a counselor arranged to meet with the student weekly.
* Bullying: A person reported that a student was being bullied and targeted by rumors, causing anxiety and reluctance to attend school. School officials investigated, contacted both students' parents, took disciplinary action, and implemented a no-contact order.
A full breakdown of all categorical data is available in the Safe2Tell October 2026 Monthly Report (PDF). Download our information guide (PDF) to learn how report types are organized into broader themes.
About Safe2Tell
Safe2Tell is Colorado's anonymous reporting system for concerns about the safety and well-being of students. Safe2Tell is not an emergency response unit or a mental health counseling provider. Instead, it serves as an information pathway for distributing anonymous reports to local law enforcement and school officials, as required by state law.
How to submit a report
Reports can be submitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-877-542-SAFE (7233), visiting Safe2Tell.org (opens new tab), texting S2TCO to 738477, or using the Safe2Tell mobile app available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
REPORT: https://coag.gov/app/uploads/2026/11/Safe2Tell-Annual-Report-25-26-Final.pdf
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Original text here: https://coag.gov/press-releases/safe2tell-2025-2026-annual-report/
Iowa Attorney General's Office Concludes Officers Acted with Legal Justification in Cedar Rapids Shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 10 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release:
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Iowa Attorney General's Office Concludes Officers Acted with Legal Justification in Cedar Rapids Shooting
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DES MOINES--In a report issued today, the Iowa Attorney General's Office has concluded that the September 22, 2026, fatal shooting of Travis Kirk McDermott by Cedar Rapids Officers Ethan Lightner and Wes Wery was legally justified.
The Attorney General's conclusion was based on a review and investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation found that at
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DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 10 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release:
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Iowa Attorney General's Office Concludes Officers Acted with Legal Justification in Cedar Rapids Shooting
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DES MOINES--In a report issued today, the Iowa Attorney General's Office has concluded that the September 22, 2026, fatal shooting of Travis Kirk McDermott by Cedar Rapids Officers Ethan Lightner and Wes Wery was legally justified.
The Attorney General's conclusion was based on a review and investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The investigation found that atapproximately 3:05 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, officers with the Cedar Rapids Police Department were dispatched to a call of a man brandishing a gun at people near Daniels Park. Officers Ethan Lightner, Wes Wery, Kenneth Allaire, and Janae Obbink all arrived within seconds of each other to a business across from the park. They observed a male, later identified as Travis Kirk McDermott, standing next to the business with an extended barrel handgun raised in his right hand, over his head, as he argued with a woman on a second-story balcony. Officers directed McDermott to get on the ground multiple times. McDermott refused and screamed vulgarities at the officers and said he was going to shoot them. McDermott then continued to argue with the female and did not drop the gun. After additional commands to get down and drop the gun, McDermott began to turn toward the officers. As McDermott faced them, the officers ordered McDermott more forcefully to drop the gun. Instead of dropping the gun, McDermott began to lower it from over his head down toward his waist, pointing at the officers. Officers Lightner and Wery then fired their weapons, and McDermott fell to the ground. Despite lifesaving measures, McDermott succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The weapon recovered from the scene was a Gamo PR-776 high power CO2 revolver with a 6-inch barrel. Both civilian and law enforcement witnesses on scene believed the weapon to be a lethal firearm. A review of McDermott's criminal history revealed numerous alcohol and drug offenses, along with harassment and assaults, including an assault on a dog contained in a person's backyard. When arrested in February 2026 for an intoxication offense, McDermott threatened the arresting officer, telling him he was going to kill him, "blow his head off," and find him after work.
The report is issued under the Attorney General's independent authority under Iowa Code section 13.2 to investigate or prosecute conduct of law enforcement that results in death.
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Original text here: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/newsroom/iowa-attorney-generals-office-concludes-officers-acted-with-legal-justification-in-cedar-rapids-sho/
Attorney General Jeff Jackson Calls for Improvements to Federal Robocall Database to Combat Illegal Calls
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Nov. 10 -- North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jeff Jackson Calls for Improvements to Federal Robocall Database to Combat Illegal Calls
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RALEIGH -- Attorney General Jeff Jackson is leading a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make improvements to its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) that would help curb illegal robocalls.
"I hear from people all the time that they're fed up with robocalls," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "That's
... Show Full Article
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Nov. 10 -- North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Jeff Jackson Calls for Improvements to Federal Robocall Database to Combat Illegal Calls
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RALEIGH -- Attorney General Jeff Jackson is leading a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make improvements to its Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) that would help curb illegal robocalls.
"I hear from people all the time that they're fed up with robocalls," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "That'swhy we're asking the FCC to help us. If we make the robocall database stronger, then fewer bad actors can get on the network and make illegal robocalls."
Voice service providers are required to submit a filing with the RMD before they can accept and route call traffic through the U.S. communications network. That filing must include information about the provider's business and robocall mitigation practices. Downstream providers are only allowed to accept calls from providers that are included in the RMD. However, bad actors are currently able to enter and stay in the database with minimal effort and limited impediments.
The attorneys general are urging the FCC to improve the RMD by strengthening filing obligations and deterring bad actors and noncompliant providers from appearing in the RMD. The attorneys general argue that improvements could allow the RMD to serve as the authoritative resource for promoting transparency and accountability around all providers' robocall mitigation practices. Improvements would allow the FCC's tool to serve as a barrier to entry, reducing illegal call traffic.
The coalition filed comments in response to the FCC's proposed changes to the RMD. In addition to what the FCC is already doing, the attorneys general urge it to:
* Ensure that all information in the RMD is accurate and complete. The FCC should thoroughly vet all information submitted to the RMD before allowing a provider to appear in the RMD and to start sending call traffic through the network.
* Require additional disclosures. The FCC should require providers to disclose their use of third parties, related entities, the legitimacy of claims of a domestic presence, and access to numbering resources.
* Make it more difficult for bad actors to enter or re-enter the RMD. The attorneys general support the FCC's proposed methods to suspend or remove bad actors from the RMD, strengthen the filing format and content of robocall mitigation plans, and require that RMD filers provide evidence of solvency.
* Hold providers responsible for all filings done on their behalf. The coalition does not oppose allowing for third-party submissions on behalf of providers to the RMD, as long as providers and their principals are responsible for the information submitted on their behalf.
* Impose additional certification requirements to allow for quicker removal from the RMD when necessary. Providers should be required to certify that they have not submitted false or misleading information, are in compliance with all applicable FCC robocall rules, and will respond within 24 hours to traceback requests.
* Require providers to notify their upstream customers and downstream providers of FCC orders and notices. The FCC should require providers subject to an FCC removal order, suspension, or mandatory blocking order to notify their calling customers of the same. It should further allow the downstream providers of the voice service providers subject to such orders to also notify those same customers that their calls will be blocked if they continue to attempt to send their call traffic through that provider that was issued an FCC order.
* Make historical RMD filings public. The historical data of providers that have been removed from the RMD would be useful to law enforcement and others.
* Implement all proposed rules as soon as possible and maintain RMD obligations in the meantime. If the proposals to strengthen the RMD are adopted, the RMD is set to become a reliable tool to help safeguard the communications network against illegal robocalls, making swift implementation crucial. The FCC should also keep in place all obligations that protect against bad actors until reinforced guardrails are implemented.
Attorney General Jackson leads the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force, which launched Operation Robocall Roundup in 2025.
In phase 1 of the operation, the task force sent warning letters to 37 smaller voice providers that were disregarding their obligations to mitigate the origination and transmission of illegal and/or suspicious robocalls by failing to comply with certain baseline mandates from the FCC. In the last year, the FCC has issued subsequent orders to at least 16 of those companies, ordering them to fix their robocall mitigation issues and/or removing them from the RMD altogether and preventing them from routing any calls across the U.S. telephone network.
In phase 2, the task force:
* Expanded its crackdown to four of the country's largest intermediate voice service providers.
* Pushed the FCC to strengthen rules that would cut off scammers' access to legitimate phone numbers.
* Pushed the FCC to strengthen its Know Your Customer rules to require phone companies to verify who is making calls using their networks and what kinds of business their customers are conducting.
* Pushed the FCC to strengthen its Know Your Upstream Provider rules to require voice service providers to ensure that they receive calls from legitimate and responsible providers and don't route high volumes of illegal calls.
Attorney General Jackson is joined in signing this letter by the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
A copy of the letter is available here.
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Original text here: https://ncdoj.gov/attorney-general-jeff-jackson-calls-for-improvements-to-federal-robocall-database-to-combat-illegal-calls/ (TNSmlt)
Attorney General Bonta Fights Trump Administration Effort to Make Voting Harder for Certain U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
SACRAMENTO, California, Nov. 10 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Fights Trump Administration Effort to Make Voting Harder for Certain U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
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OAKLAND -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a multistate coalition in opposing a change made by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to the Federal Post Card Application, which overseas voters use to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. In August 2026, the Trump Administration adjusted the Federal Post Card Application and quietly removed
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SACRAMENTO, California, Nov. 10 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Fights Trump Administration Effort to Make Voting Harder for Certain U.S. Citizens Living Abroad
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OAKLAND -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a multistate coalition in opposing a change made by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to the Federal Post Card Application, which overseas voters use to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. In August 2026, the Trump Administration adjusted the Federal Post Card Application and quietly removeda checkbox that stated, "I am a U.S. citizen living outside the country, I have never lived in the United States." As a result, the form no longer gives U.S. citizens who were born abroad and who are still living abroad a way to indicate their eligibility to vote, putting their ability to cast a ballot at risk. DOD used a baseless emergency claim to bypass the usual public comment process, arguing that removing the checkbox was necessary to prevent voter confusion and ensure compliance with federal law. DOD has now opened the revised form to public comment in an effort to make the removal permanent. In the letter, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the change is unlawful, would disenfranchise U.S. citizens, and harms states.
"The Trump Administration has repeatedly attempted to interfere in our elections and undermine the fundamental right to vote. My fellow attorneys general and I have proudly challenged these efforts at every turn," said Attorney General Bonta. "This is yet another unlawful barrier the Administration is putting in the way of Americans seeking to cast their ballots."
The U.S. Constitution assigns states, not the federal government, the role of determining eligibility for federal and state elections. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia allow U.S. citizens who have never lived in the country to vote. For example, California allows U.S. citizens born abroad who have never lived in the United States to vote by absentee ballot if their parent or legal guardian was last a California resident. Under federal law, these states use the Federal Post Card Application to register and process absentee voting requests from these U.S. citizens living overseas.
Individuals born abroad who have never resided in the United States may qualify for citizenship through several pathways, including: (1) birth to a U.S. citizen parent; (2) acquiring citizenship as a child through a parent's naturalization or adoption by U.S. citizens, subject to certain conditions; and (3) obtaining citizenship through a naturalization process available to certain children of U.S. citizens living abroad.
Attorney General Bonta and the coalition submitted their opposition to DOD's revised form, arguing that:
In submitting the comment letter, Attorney General Bonta, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford, and Washington Attorney General Nicholas W. Brown co-lead the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-fights-trump-administration-effort-make-voting-harder (TNSmlt)
Attorney General Bonta Confronts Trump Administration's Continued Attempts to Prioritize Industry over Public Health and Safety in the Use of Nuclear Energy Technologies and Radioactive Materials
SACRAMENTO, California, Nov. 10 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Confronts Trump Administration's Continued Attempts to Prioritize Industry over Public Health and Safety in the Use of Nuclear Energy Technologies and Radioactive Materials
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OAKLAND -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined two multistate comment letters opposing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rulemakings that would reduce regulatory oversight over radioactive byproduct materials and the construction, operation, and decommissioning of traditional
... Show Full Article
SACRAMENTO, California, Nov. 10 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
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Attorney General Bonta Confronts Trump Administration's Continued Attempts to Prioritize Industry over Public Health and Safety in the Use of Nuclear Energy Technologies and Radioactive Materials
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OAKLAND -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined two multistate comment letters opposing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rulemakings that would reduce regulatory oversight over radioactive byproduct materials and the construction, operation, and decommissioning of traditionaland advanced reactors without sound rationale. The rulemakings are part of the NRC's ongoing efforts to reduce its oversight of nuclear energy facilities and relax standards that protect public health and safety. One would significantly expand the number of radioactive byproduct materials, which are often used for medical purposes like diagnostics and cancer therapy, that a person or facility could use without obtaining a license. The other would relax financial qualifications for decommissioning, reduce public participation on decommissioning decisions, eliminate nonemergency reporting requirements, and reduce earthquake planning requirements, among other things. When it comes to nuclear safety rules, administrative efficiency should not supersede public and environmental safety. The NRC's actions, especially when considered amidst the wave of new regulations the NRC has proposed as part of its "wholesale revision" of nuclear safety practices, raise many red flags and would violate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the NRC's mission to ensure safe operation of nuclear facilities.
"When nuclear energy is concerned, deregulation is risky. Nuclear energy is an important source of energy in some states, but our homes and communities deserve safe power generation that doesn't loosen seismic design changes or unjustifiably exempt more radioactive byproduct material from licensing," said Attorney General Bonta. "States like California are aware of the vulnerabilities with aging nuclear reactors, including the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station that was shut down in 2013. The NRC should be doing everything it can to proactively address vulnerabilities and provide strong, independent protection of our environment and public health. This is especially important at a time of anticipated nuclear buildout around the country. Last week, the people made it clear: It's time for the Trump Administration to stop coddling business interests and focus on the health and safety of the American people instead."
BACKGROUND
Recently, the Trump Administration has made many attempts to rewrite nuclear energy protections and expand the country's fleet of nuclear facilities in accordance with President Trump's Executive Order 14300. On October 5, 2026, NRC continued its wholesale revision of nuclear safety rules with a direct final rule expanding the number of byproduct materials that a person or facility could use without a license, thereby eliminating regulatory oversight. The final rule would expand the number and amounts of exempted byproduct material significantly. This change isn't based on science but on administrative "efficiency" and reducing "regulatory burden," which by themselves are insufficient reasons for the deregulation.
Just prior, on September 24, 2026, NRC announced a proposed rule that would affect the construction, operation, and decommissioning of current traditional reactors and future facilities like advanced nuclear, small modular, and microreactors. The proposed rule would move farther from the current concrete criteria-based regulations to risk-based approaches that are driven more by modeling and decisions by the licensee. Among the many changes in this proposed rule, the action would (1) change the financial qualifications and decommissioning trust fund rules to only require that a licensee appears to be financially qualified, (2) reduce the public's opportunity to comment on planned decommissioning activities, (3) eliminate nonemergency reporting requirements, and (4) loosen earthquake planning requirements for current and future license applicants. Overall, the proposed rule would reduce independent oversight and public transparency without sufficient justification for the changes.
Taken together, these actions may harm communities and will result in even less publicly available information about incidents at plants. Given the administration's push to deploy novel nuclear technologies, more direct NRC oversight with greater transparency is needed; not less. In the comment letters, Attorney General Bonta and the coalitions assert that, among other things, the rulemaking changes:
Amidst the Trump Administration's attempts to change nuclear energy rules, Attorney General Bonta is fighting for clean energy solutions that pursue innovation without unlawfully sacrificing public safety and the environment. In the last few months, he critiqued the Trump Administration's proposal to relax decommissioning timeline regulations at nuclear facilities and opposed two NRC proposals that would reduce nuclear radiation protection regulations and reactor safety oversight. Attorney General Bonta also opposed the Trump Administration's attempt to exempt new and experimental nuclear reactors from environmental review.
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Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-confronts-trump-administration%E2%80%99s-continued-attempts
