California Democratic politicians have predictably condemned President Donald J. Trump for ousting Venezuelan Communist strongman Nicolas Maduro, though they struggled to criticize the attack beyond toothless procedural complaints. In a statement, Governor Gavin Newsom stated, “Maduro is a thug and a criminal. But Donald Trump proposing to ‘run’ Venezuela without a coherent long-term plan beyond an oil grab is dangerous for America.” Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made similarly qualified comments, labeling the Maduro regime as “illegitimate,” but criticizing Trump for not seeking war authorization powers from Congress. Similar to their after-the-fact criticism of the Iraq War in…
Author: Cliff Rudsky
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who was elected on a tough-on-crime, fiscally-sensible platform, recently demonstrated that he was unwilling to say no to his party on racial gobbledygook. At the end of December, Lurie signed a bill into law that would establish a reparations fund. The Board of Supervisors had previously passed the bill unanimously. Amusingly, the fund will be based on private donations, continuing the Democratic pattern of not fully committing to the cause. Lurie emphasized his focus on the city’s finances in signing the bill, saying, “We are not allocating money to this fund – with a historic…
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued an administrative stay blocking a U.S. district court’s decision requiring California teachers to notify parents if their kids claim to be transgender. The ruling will remain in effect while the Ninth Circuit considers the state’s administrative stay request. Judge Roger Benitez, a federal judge in San Diego, had ruled that parents had a constitutional right to know if their kids were claiming to be transgender at school. Notably, Benitez used the phrase “gender incongruence” to describe students who did not feel at ease with their gender, rather than the “gender affirming” terminology…
California’s tech leaders have spoken out against a proposed wealth tax seeking qualification for the November 2026 ballot, warning of relocations if it passes. The measure would place a one-time 5% tax on the assets of California residents worth more than $1 billion. If passed, it would apply retroactively to people living in the state as of the beginning of 2026. The proposal comes after a year of Democrats settling on reheated Bernie Sanders-style talking points against billionaires in their campaign rhetoric, as they aim to make a comeback in the 2026 midterms. Tech mogul Peter Thiel has reportedly been…
The Australian government has pledged to enforce tougher hate speech laws in response to the recent mass shooting at Bondi Beach, which killed fifteen people. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the new laws will target people “who spread hate, division and [radicalization].” The laws would also penalize preachers who encourage violence, and create a new federal offense for “aggravated hate speech.” They would also add “hate” as a subject for consideration when people are charged for online threats. Ten months ago, the Australian government strengthened its existing hate speech laws in an effort to combat anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiment.…
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s CARE Act, which has sought to better connect mentally-ill people with court-ordered treatment, has failed to make a meaningful dent in the problem. In October, Newsom signed an enhancement to the legislation that is set to take effect in 2026. The new legislation expands eligibility under the CARE Act for individuals diagnosed as bipolar I with psychotic features, connecting them with psychiatric services. It received near-unanimous support in the California state legislature, though given the current trajectory of the program, it remains to be seen if it will make a meaningful impact. Newsom had pledged the…
This Christmas, certain left-leaning churches across the United States have decided to put a political spin on Nativity scenes, portraying Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as illegal aliens apprehended by ICE. It’s the latest in a long liberal tradition of adamantly opposing Christian rhetoric in politics, except for when they can shoehorn it into their latest cause. This is also a heinous measure of blasphemy during the season honoring the Birth of Christ. In one Massachusetts display, an “ICE WAS HERE” sign features prominently in the manger, and the priest has ignored an order from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to…
Indiana Republican state senators joined Democrats last week to torpedo plans for a redrawn congressional map that would benefit the GOP. Opponents of the new map framed their stance as a matter of principle, though it is unclear what kind of principle calls for ceding power to your political opponents. In an interview with PBS, Indiana State Senator Mike Bohacek, one of the Republican opponents of redistricting, said he was concerned about setting a precedent for voting on the matter every two years. He also claimed that to his constituents, “[…] it feels like we’re trying to rig the system…
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has vowed to stop clearing homeless encampments once he takes office in January. The move is an initial indicator that Mamdani will be sticking to the true-blue leftism that he ran on, which favors performative compassion over any actual plans to improve the homeless situation. Outgoing Democratic Mayor Eric Adams blasted Mamdani’s decision on social media. According to him, ending sweeps would create a “quality-of-life nightmare,” and “Leaving people to suffer in the cold isn’t just neglectful, it’s a disgrace.” In his statement, Mamdani said that the goal of his administration would be to…
Democrats and the media have spent the past week implying that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is a possible war criminal, claiming that he ordered a second strike on a Venezuelan drug boat designed to kill off stranded survivors. New details have emerged, though, that paint a starkly different picture of what happened. According to ABC News, a source knowledgeable on the attack said that two survivors climbed back into the boat after the initial strike. These survivors were thought to be attempting to salvage some of the drugs. If true, this would go against initial news coverage of the…