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Eric Jones ousts longtime Northern California Rep. Mike Thompson

Self-funded political newcomer Eric Jones has edged out longtime Rep. Mike Thompson in the Democrat-on-Democrat race for Northern California’s 4th District.

Ten days after the Nov. 3 election, the Associated Press called the race for Jones, who spent millions on his race and led Thompson 52.5% to 47.5% as of Friday evening.

Jones, a venture capitalist and nonprofit executive who grew up in a working-class household, will now lead a district that was redrawn under Proposition 50 to stretch from the vast wineries of Napa County to the rice fields of Sutter County.

He ran against Thompson (D-St. Helena), who was first elected in 1998, while calling for a new generation of leadership. He campaigned on keeping corporate money out of politics, lowering the cost of living and protecting “our future” by facilitating a government that lives within its means.

Jones poured $14.8 million of his own funds into the race and ran an active campaign. He said that he held more than 200 town halls and that his campaign knocked on half a million doors.

“I answered every email myself personally. We offered a coffee chat with every single voter we met, and that’s the message that people heard,” he said in an interview Friday after his race was called. “I do think we need to make a lot of progress on campaign reform. It’s something we’re already working on with the freshman class right now in D.C.”

The 36-year-old father of two also backed progressive measures to expand Medicare and cut taxes for low- and middle-income Americans.

“It’s been really fantastic to see just how impactful our message was because we knew from Day One that we were speaking to voters and Americans who were pretty left behind in the political system,” he said.

Thompson acknowledged the election results in a statement Friday evening.

“I’m proud of my service,” he said before listing his work on water issues, wildfires, gun violence and conservation. “My team and I have always lived by one principle: We’re here to do the people’s work serving our district, and that job is never too big nor too small.”

Supporters of Jones’ campaign included Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.); Duolingo Chief Executive and co-founder Luis von Ahn; and Our Revolution, an independent grassroots organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Thompson spent 14 terms in Congress, initially elected to California’s 1st District. Prior to that, he was a two-term state senator.

He sits on the influential Ways and Means Committee and is the top Democrat on its tax policy subcommittee. He had been endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and the California Democratic Party.

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FBI raids billionaire’s Beverly Hills mansion in connection with Eric Swalwell probe, sources say

The FBI Tuesday morning raided a mansion in Beverly Hills in connection with an investigation into former Congressman Eric Swalwell, sources told The Times.

Swalwell, a Democrat from Dublin, dropped out of the California governor’s race and resigned from Congress in April after allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and acted inappropriately with other young women, which he denied at the time. Before he dropped out of the race, polls indicated that Swalwell was among the front-runners.

On Tuesday, FBI agents were in Beverly Hills executing a search warrant on North Roxbury Drive in connection with the probe.

“We are executing a search warrant. Court documents are sealed. No arrests are planned,” said FBI spokesperson Lourdes Arocho.

The raid is taking place at the home of billionaire Stephen Cloobeck, sources confirmed to The Times.

Swalwell stayed at the home several times while campaigning and used it for political events before he was kicked out in April after the allegations against him became public. In one of his last acts there, Swalwell filmed a video denying the rape and sexual assault.

Cloobeck, 64, is a one-time California gubernatorial candidate and a well-known figure in Democratic politics. He got rich in the timeshare industry, eventually selling his Las Vegas-based Diamond Resorts company to a private equity firm for $2.2 billion. He immersed himself in Nevada Democratic politics, growing close with the late U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, and later launched his long-shot bid for California governor.

He quickly faded in the crowded field, failing to garner above 1% in any poll, and then threw his support behind Swalwell. More recently, he has found himself in the news for being embroiled in a criminal case with Adva Lavie, an OnlyFans model accused of seducing rich men for money.

In August, agents seized Swalwell’s electronic devices and raided his Washington home, even briefly holding the former lawmaker at San Francisco International Airport, a person familiar with the inquiry told The Times.

The source said Swalwell was held in August at SFO for search purposes and released the same day. Federal prosecutors are using civil rights law to pursue an inquiry into his conduct as a member of Congress. Authorities in New York and Los Angeles County are conducting separate investigations.

His home was also searched during the summer, the source added, based on a warrant in connection with a civil rights investigation concerning the sexual assault allegations.

Investigators sought to seize Swalwell’s white iPhone and MacBook Pro, according to court records.

They sought the devices as part of their inquiry into whether Swalwell violated a federal law that makes it a crime for anyone acting under official government authority to willfully deprive a person of their constitutional rights, according to the court filings.

Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing, but the accusations upended the California governor’s race and shook Capitol Hill, where both parties reckoned with a culture of secrecy and silence around sexual impropriety.

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Actor Eric Bauza who voiced Looney Tunes characters including Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck dies ‘suddenly’ aged 46

LOONEY Tunes actor Eric Bauza, who voiced iconic cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, has died aged 46.

The award-winning star’s family posted on Instagram that he had died “suddenly” and there would be “more details to come”.

Emmy Award-winning voice actor Eric Bauza has died aged 46 Credit: Getty
The star voiced iconic characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and The Road Runner Credit: Getty

The Canadian voiced dozens of beloved characters over more than 25 years in the industry, winning three Emmys for his Looney Tunes roles.

He died as a result of heart disease, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records.

Bauza had multiple characters in this summer‘s hit animated comedy Coyote vs. Acme.

These included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Foghorn Leghorn, Pepé Le Pew, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and The Road Runner.

The actor told NBC News in 2021 that he was a huge fan of Looney Tunes growing up and used to copy the voices.

He said: “Looney Tunes transcends all languages and all cultures.

“It doesn’t matter what part of the planet you’re from. You get the comedy.”

Bauza was also known for playing Toad General in 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie and its sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, this year’s fifth highest-grossing film internationally.

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Bauza was a huge fan of Looney Tunes growing up Credit: Getty
He started voicing Bugs Bunny in 2018 Credit: Getty

He won three Emmy Awards for outstanding voice performance in 2022, 2023 and 2025 for different animated shows.

Channing Dungey, the chairman of Warner Bros. Television Group and US Networks, said in a statement: “Eric Bauza was a unique voice talent who brought joy and laughter to millions around the world.

“He followed in the footsteps of giants like Mel Blanc. Eric said that carrying on the legendary legacy of the Looney Tunes was among the greatest honors of his life.”

Born in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough in Ontario, Bauza made his voice acting debut in the Canadian animated series The Ripping Friends.

Before stepping behind the microphone, he began his journey in animation as a character designer for Hollywood production studios.

He would go on to have more 421 voice acting credits in film, television and video games listed on his IMDb profile.

Bauza’s extraordinary vocal range allowed him to become the definitive modern successor to legendary voice actor Mel Blanc, and he first took on the iconic Bugs Bunny role in 2018.

He was hired by showrunner Peter Browngardt to audition during breaks in recording sessions for Uncle Grandpa.

His official debut episodes eventually premiered with the launch of the HBO streaming series Looney Tunes Cartoons in 2020.

Film producer and screenwriter Christopher DeFaria, who worked with Bauza on Coyote vs. Acme, told Variety the voice actor would be remembered for his “incredible impact”.

DeFaria said: “He’s a voiceover artist for animated characters that have historic precedents and roles, and somehow out of that, he carved out a place in this business.

“This past year, he had such an incredible impact, both on our movie, of course, but also on bringing attention to this amazing art form.”

Bauza is survived by his son and his family.

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