Blog
How are California cities prepping for the World Cup and Olympics?
Things are quite a bit different in California from 1984, when Los Angeles last hosted the Olympics. I was a journalist in Washington, D.C., and enjoyed watching the games on a 19-inch black-and-white TV. Californian Ronald Reagan was president, fellow Republican George Deukmejian was governor, Steve Jobs and Apple had ...
Blog
“Nice Try” Won’t Really Lower Prices at Pump for California Drivers
The law required input from the California Air Resources Board to take effect, which recently said the blend “does not pose a significant adverse impact on public health or the environment compared to” the blend that it is replacing. The new blend, E15, is made with up to 15% ethanol, a biofuel produced ...
Blog
The Gordon Chang Report–Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance?
READ THE PDF Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance? BYD Co., the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, reported that sales in August increased 0.2% from the same month last year. That rate was down from July’s year-on-year increase of 0.6% and the 12.0% jump in June. The company’s ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion Wayne Winegarden January 2026 Governor Newsom has released his final state budget and for the fourth year in a row, the state is facing a large budget deficit that it must close. This prolonged period of persistent budget deficits was entirely predictable. For the upcoming ...
Blog
Who Took from Who’s Pocket (?) – Haiti, Colonialism, and Third World Wealth Overall
Killa Mike – one half of my 3rd favorite rap crew, Run the Jewels – recently went hyper-viral for his televised “wither Haiti” argument with hip comedian Bill Maher. During a live taping of Maher’s hit TV show, the hip-hopper and community activist accused European France of “eating off” and ...
Agriculture
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing By D. Dowd Muska | January 9, 2026 If it unites farmers, developers and environmentalists, it’s probably a sound policy reform. Some observers consider Senate Bill 1611, approved last summer by a GOP-majority Legislature and a Democratic governor, “one of the ...
Blog
Climate warriors should offer more incentives, fewer lectures
The “Week Without Driving” campaign took place nationwide in October to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions and break Americans’ dependence on automobiles. Cities including Santa Cruz and Alameda, Calif., encouraged residents to give the car-free lifestyle a try and opt for public transportation or bicycles instead. That’s fine enough, but ...
Blog
Politicized Investments, Not Growth-Maximizing Investments, Top Priority for State’s Public Employee Pension Fund
The California Public Employees Retirement System has a reputation for making questionable investments. Some might say they are merely “political” in nature, therefore they are bound to draw criticism. But past “political” investments have turned sour, leaving them open to question. The track record hasn’t stopped the system, known as CalPERS, though, from charging on. It reported ...
Blog
How New State Law Will Be Another Costly Business Burden
On October 13th, 2025, the California legislature passed into law AB692, a bill which would void any contract that requires employees to repay their employer, training provider, or debt collector upon termination of their employment. These training repayment agreement provisions, colloquially known as TRAPs, allow employers to recoup investment and ...
Blog
What’s Killing Our Kids? It’s Not Alcohol.
Four decades later, the promised benefits are difficult to find. In California, arrests of underage drivers for driving under the influence are exceedingly rare. In 2024, just 45 juveniles were arrested for driving under the influence—a figure that has remained consistently low for years. Rather than eliminating youth drinking, the ...
How are California cities prepping for the World Cup and Olympics?
Things are quite a bit different in California from 1984, when Los Angeles last hosted the Olympics. I was a journalist in Washington, D.C., and enjoyed watching the games on a 19-inch black-and-white TV. Californian Ronald Reagan was president, fellow Republican George Deukmejian was governor, Steve Jobs and Apple had ...
“Nice Try” Won’t Really Lower Prices at Pump for California Drivers
The law required input from the California Air Resources Board to take effect, which recently said the blend “does not pose a significant adverse impact on public health or the environment compared to” the blend that it is replacing. The new blend, E15, is made with up to 15% ethanol, a biofuel produced ...
The Gordon Chang Report–Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance?
READ THE PDF Is This the End of the Atlantic Alliance? BYD Co., the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, reported that sales in August increased 0.2% from the same month last year. That rate was down from July’s year-on-year increase of 0.6% and the 12.0% jump in June. The company’s ...
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion
Spending Watch: California’s Budget Delusion Wayne Winegarden January 2026 Governor Newsom has released his final state budget and for the fourth year in a row, the state is facing a large budget deficit that it must close. This prolonged period of persistent budget deficits was entirely predictable. For the upcoming ...
Who Took from Who’s Pocket (?) – Haiti, Colonialism, and Third World Wealth Overall
Killa Mike – one half of my 3rd favorite rap crew, Run the Jewels – recently went hyper-viral for his televised “wither Haiti” argument with hip comedian Bill Maher. During a live taping of Maher’s hit TV show, the hip-hopper and community activist accused European France of “eating off” and ...
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing
Ag-to-Urban law creates a farmer’s market for Arizona housing By D. Dowd Muska | January 9, 2026 If it unites farmers, developers and environmentalists, it’s probably a sound policy reform. Some observers consider Senate Bill 1611, approved last summer by a GOP-majority Legislature and a Democratic governor, “one of the ...
Climate warriors should offer more incentives, fewer lectures
The “Week Without Driving” campaign took place nationwide in October to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions and break Americans’ dependence on automobiles. Cities including Santa Cruz and Alameda, Calif., encouraged residents to give the car-free lifestyle a try and opt for public transportation or bicycles instead. That’s fine enough, but ...
Politicized Investments, Not Growth-Maximizing Investments, Top Priority for State’s Public Employee Pension Fund
The California Public Employees Retirement System has a reputation for making questionable investments. Some might say they are merely “political” in nature, therefore they are bound to draw criticism. But past “political” investments have turned sour, leaving them open to question. The track record hasn’t stopped the system, known as CalPERS, though, from charging on. It reported ...
How New State Law Will Be Another Costly Business Burden
On October 13th, 2025, the California legislature passed into law AB692, a bill which would void any contract that requires employees to repay their employer, training provider, or debt collector upon termination of their employment. These training repayment agreement provisions, colloquially known as TRAPs, allow employers to recoup investment and ...
What’s Killing Our Kids? It’s Not Alcohol.
Four decades later, the promised benefits are difficult to find. In California, arrests of underage drivers for driving under the influence are exceedingly rare. In 2024, just 45 juveniles were arrested for driving under the influence—a figure that has remained consistently low for years. Rather than eliminating youth drinking, the ...
