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At a time when so many families are struggling to keep up with rising costs, the Trump Administration is, yet again, pushing forward a policy that will make health insurance more expensive and less accessible.
The harmful changes are not just unconscionable, they’re unlawful.
The Affordable Care Act was designed to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. The new federal rule undermines the protections created by the ACA and reinstates provisions previously blocked by a federal court. This latest move attempts to push consumers into bare-bones insurance plans and strip away critical protections. We are taking the federal administration back to court to protect the affordable, accessible healthcare all Americans deserve.
Be well,
Rob
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Defending the ACA, Again
 My office filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California challenging a federal rule that, once again, illegally undermines the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and would make health insurance more expensive and harder to obtain for millions of Americans. Among other harmful changes, the rule expands eligibility for catastrophic health insurance plans that are ineligible for premium tax credits, offer only limited coverage, and can leave consumers facing significantly higher out-of-pocket costs than standard ACA plans. The ACA was designed to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. Instead, this Administration is continuing to move in the wrong direction by adopting harmful provisions that push consumers into bare-bones plans and strip away critical protections. We are returning to court to challenge these unlawful changes.
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Protecting Our Elders
 This week, we secured a $15 million settlement with Sweetwater Care Resource, LLC and affiliates (Sweetwater), a licensed skilled nursing facility (SNF) chain that violated state staffing requirement laws. The settlement includes $12.5 million in penalties and costs and $2.5 million in funds toward improving staffing and securing a compliance monitor. The settlement also includes injunctive terms imposing an Independent Compliance Monitor for all 17 Sweetwater SNFs for the next three years. Our elders deserve care that is safe, dignified, and consistently held to the highest standards. When those entrusted with the care of elderly residents fail to live up to these standards and put Californians in harm’s way, we take action.
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Securing a Fair Elections Win for Now
 We secured another victory in our lawsuit challenging President Trump's second elections-related Executive Order. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied requests by the U.S. Department of Justice and intervenor states to pause a district court order blocking key provisions of the Executive Order in California and the other plaintiff States for the upcoming fall midterm elections while the appeal proceeds. Specifically, the district court’s order blocks a provision that directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to issue regulations that would prohibit the mailing of ballots to voters who are not included on new USPS lists of “enrolled” mail voters.The district court’s order also blocks provisions that direct the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create voter eligibility lists for each state, despite the government’s concession that the lists would be incomplete, and that target state officials for potential prosecution if they mail ballots to voters deemed ineligible. We will continue fighting to protect the right to vote and defend the rule of law.
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Cracking Down on Illegal Robocalls
 Everyone hates robocalls. They disrupt our lives and bombard us with never-ending voicemails. But these calls 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. That’s why my office joined 49 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter supporting proposed rules by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would combat robocalls by enhancing existing “Know-Your-Customer” obligations for originating voice service providers. The letter supports the FCC’s proposals to establish specific, common-sense, baseline Know Your Customer standards to help prevent illegal calls from reaching the U.S. communications network. I am proud to continue in this national, bipartisan effort to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls.
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Making Your Life Affordable
 Making Your Life Affordable: From groceries to gas, costs seem to be rising and rising ... and rising. California DOJ has your back and is committed to protecting California families grappling with the high cost of living. In this segment, find some of the ways California DOJ is protecting Californians — and their wallets.
What We Did: In June, we announced our Affordability Response Team to go after unlawful practices raising the cost of living for Californians! The creation of the Affordability Response Team will amplify our focus on affordability, create a pipeline for continued enforcement, and send the strong message that California has zero tolerance for unlawful policies or behavior that drive up prices for Californians. Our Team will deploy California DOJ's tools to tackle costs associated with eight issue areas.
Issue Area #7: Earning Less: Labor, Wages, and the Cost of Doing Business: Championing workers’ rights and maintaining a vibrant, profitable economy go hand in hand. The Affordability Response Team is continuing to fight to restore calm in our economy and protect the workers that drive our state’s success. Housing shortages, skyrocketing grocery prices, rising healthcare and childcare costs, and the federal government’s unstable economic policies are all making it difficult to cover the basics and to enjoy many of the things hardworking Americans should be able to afford. At the same time, since 1970’s, wages for the bottom 90% of earners have increased 44%, while wages for the top 1% of earners have risen more than 180%. And small businesses are struggling to stay afloat amid the Trump Administration’s illegal attempts to impose tariffs — essentially taxes — on goods Americans rely on. California DOJ has fought back: we’ve taken President Trump to court twice and celebrated court decision after decision striking down his unlawful tariffs; we’ve gone to bat for nurses, construction workers, and janitorial workers; cracked down on no-poach agreements and worker misclassification; and stood up for federal workers amidst the Trump Administration’s trampling of workers’ rights and mass firing agenda.
The Affordability Response Team will continue our office's existing work and ramp up our ongoing focus on the cost-of-living crisis. Check out oag.ca.gov/affordability to learn more about our work in this space. Tune in next week and we’ll dive into the eighth and final issue area, Scams, Scams, Scams!
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Keeping You Safe
 As part of a collaborative investigation through the California DOJ’s San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF), we announced the results of a three-day sting operation that focused on quelling the demand for commercial sexual exploitation surrounding large-scale events. From July 22 to 24, 2026, SDHTTF conducted a demand reduction operation that resulted in the arrests of 27 sex buyers. Additionally, SDHTTF recovered 7 adult and 2 juvenile trafficking victims who were provided with support services. The ugly truth is that the demand for these illegal services fuels the supply of commercial sex operations and human trafficking. Our ongoing efforts will continue to keep communities safe and achieve meaningful results that protect Californians.
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CARE Corner
 This July, the Office of CARE celebrated five years! California Attorney General Rob Bonta established the Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement (CARE) with a simple, but important goal: to strengthen the connection between the California Department of Justice and the communities we serve –particularly communities that have been historically marginalized, underrepresented and are most directly impacted by the issues we address. Since then, CARE’s work has been guided by the belief that meaningful engagement and trusted partnerships with our communities are essential to advancing justice for all Californians.
To reach CARE or for help navigating available resources at the California Department of Justice, please review this Reference Guide developed by CARE which provides information and contacts for frequently requested resources. The guide is available to view on our website.
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Post of the Week
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Video of the Week
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Make a Difference at California DOJ
 Apply today to help California DOJ protect the health, well-being, and public safety of Californians. Check out our featured jobs below and visit oag.ca.gov/careers for a full listing of available positions:
Deputy Attorney General IV, Office of General Counsel
Deputy Attorney General Supervisor, Correctional Law Section
Graduate Legal Assistant, Tort & Condemnation
Deputy Attorney General Supervisor, Criminal Division Executive Unit
Deputy Attorney General IV, DMFEA Civil Section
Data Integrity and Quality Control Analyst, Case Management System
Investigative Auditor IV, Consumer Protection Section
Project Manager, Business Analysis & Project Management Office
Paralegal, Corporate Fraud Section
Labor Relations Specialist, Office of Human Resources
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