California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is widely known to be angling to be the next Democratic presidential nominee after the implosion of Vice President Kamala Harris. This week, Newsom positioned not just his campaign but also his state as part of the “resistance” for the next four years against the Trump Administration. Newsom pushed a special session to secure a $25 million war chest to take the Trump Administration to court, even before the inauguration and release of policies by the incoming administration.
I wrote earlier about how the loss of both houses, as well as the White House, will mean that lawfare and obstructive efforts will shift to the states. Newsom is moving to out-position governors (and potential primary opponents) like Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker moved first in a chest-pounding press conference that he would stop the incoming administration from trying to remove undocumented persons, declaring, “You come for my people, you come through me.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) added that he will “fight to the death” against Trump’s agenda.
Newsom has upped the ante by demanding millions to pre-fund litigation against the new administration. With a massive budget debt burden, Newsom has continued to pile on new debt for politically popular initiatives.
I cannot recall any state pre-positioning funds for the sole purpose of litigating against any incoming administration. The most obvious area of disagreement is the effort to ramp up the enforcement of immigration laws and to carry out deportations. While polls show that the public overwhelmingly supports such enforcement, including deportations, California is seeking to take the lead in court actions designed to slow or frustrate such efforts.
It could prove costly, not just in litigation expenditures. The Trump Administration could seek to withhold federal funding from states and cities obstructing enforcement efforts. In the meantime, sanctuary cities are continuing to face rising costs associated with rising populations of undocumented migrants.
For example, as we previously discussed, Denver Mayor Mike Johnson (D) declared that he was preparing the Mile-High City for its “Tiananmen Square moment” to fight the federal government in any attempt to deport unlawful migrants. Johnson warned that he would have not only Denver police “stationed at the county line to keep [ICE] out” but also “50,000 Denverites.” He later walked back the comments while repeating that the city is positioning itself to be part of the resistance.
Now the Common Sense Institute (CSI), a non-partisan research organization estimated that eight percent of the city’s 2025 budget of $4.4 billion is now dedicated to housing and services for undocumented persons. If true, that amounts to $356 million or $7,900 per migrant.
California has led other states in offering a wide array of benefits to undocumented persons.
Notably, Californian voters surprised many Democrats this election with almost 40% voting for President-elect Trump over California’s own Vice President Kamala Harris.
Read more:
Washington, D.C., is bracing for an unprecedented show of support as over 100 Navy SEALs prepare to descend on the nation’s capital, standing in solidarity with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth, a decorated Army combat veteran and prominent conservative voice, has faced relentless media attacks in recent weeks.
The fake news media have leveled accusations ranging from outdated and disproven sexual misconduct claims to allegations of public drunkenness and financial mismanagement during his tenure at Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).
Critics on the right are pushing back hard against what they view as a deliberate effort to derail a nominee poised to shake up the Defense Department.
Randy Lair, a trustee at CVA, categorically denied the whistleblower allegations, describing them as “sensational fabrications designed to undermine a patriot.”
In an exclusive letter to the New York Post, Lair emphasized that Hegseth left CVA on good ...
‘Charlatan’ vaccine promoter Dr. Peter Hotez said multiple viruses will be unleashed on America one day after Trump is inaugurated next month.
“We have some big picture stuff coming down the pike starting on January 21st,” Hotez said to MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace before rattling off a list of viruses:
Of course, Dr. Hotez failed to mention the measles outbreaks and Polio cases are primarily a problem with the illegal migrants invading the US.
Dr. Peter Hotez previously made headlines for refusing to debate author, activist, then-presidential candidate, attorney and now Trump’s nominee for HHS, Robert Kennedy, Jr., on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Rather than accept the challenge, Hotez lashed out at both Robert Kennedy Jr. and Joe Rogan, who invited the two to debate the facts on his show.
Hotez refused and ...
Several weeks of mysterious drone swarms over the skies of one New Jersey county near the military research and manufacturing facility Picatinny Arsenal have sparked concerns among residents and prompted an FBI investigation.
"It's kind of unsettling," Mike Walsh, a Morris County resident who has spotted the drones on numerous occasions, told local media outlet PIX11 News.
He said some drones "are very big, probably the size of a car."
Since Nov. 18, Walsh and many other residents have spotted these drones in the night sky.
"They're kind of go slow," he said, adding, "They come towards you. Then they change direction a little. They're all going different ways."
We first detailed the story on Nov. 19 in a note titled "Spy Drones? "Unusual Activity" Reported Over Morris County, New Jersey, Near Military Research Facility."
The potential national security threat piqued our interest, considering multiple reports that the mysterious drones were observed near Picatinny Arsenal.
PIX11 News said...
Tucker’s involvement in Iran is being highlighted:
https://x.com/papitrumpo/status/2033223935739781299?s=46
The Triggernometry boys are on Rogan. Konstantin, the guy on the right, thinks Trump has a strategy and this war isn’t random.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BdFe6n86CdMnPi2kieLRj?si=4cPLp0tpRJOUOYgcZrkRsQ&t=1259&pi=8e-9xKzNRZC0e
Dale Carnegie wrote about a name trick in his 1936 classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. He called remembering and using a person's name "the sweetest and most important sound in any language" to that person.
Stoicism, an ancient philosophy from thinkers like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, has surged in popularity because it equips people to face modern chaos—like the endless pull of social media—with calm and purpose. This article draws from those timeless ideas to show how you can cut through digital noise, regain focus, and protect your mind.
I'm going to break down the core problem of social media overload, introduce Stoic basics, and explain key principles with real-world applications. By the end, you'll have tools to apply these ideas yourself, whether you're scrolling less or debating online. Think of this as a guide to spotting overload in your life, judging how it affects you, and starting small changes that build resilience.
Introduction
Imagine picking up your phone for a quick update, only to lose hours in a storm of notifications, comparisons, and heated arguments. This scenario traps billions worldwide. Social media overload drains energy and creates anxiety, but Stoicism provides a clear path out.
Stoicism offers tools to regain control and find peace amid the digital chaos. It teaches you to focus on your responses, not the endless feed.
This article explains how ancient Stoic ideas apply to modern online habits. We'll cover the overload issue, Stoic foundations, specific principles, benefits, and practical steps.
This story focuses on Elon Musk of course, as the news tends to focus on every X post or reply he makes.
If you read this story, you may have noticed that it quotes Scott Adams' reaction to a previous story about the idea of issuing $5,000 "DOGE dividend" checks, questioning why we would do that when we are facing such massive budget deficits and an enormous national debt. Elon responded to that stating that he thought we needed to balance the budget first.
This isn't the only story written about this.
What it doesn't state is that my post about the $5,000 DOGE check idea is what prompted this whole conversation. 😎
https://x.com/OwenGregorian/status/1892184391717384462
It's also notable that the whole thing started with an X post from James Fishback (@j_fishback) that included a letter he wrote with a detailed proposal about the idea:
https://x.com/j_fishback/status/1891933120313663493
It's still a trip to think that an ordinary person like me can have even a small impact on the national conversation.
Don't underestimate the influence what you do on this platform could have. And thank you for your support, and for coming along this strange journey with me.
