Newsom vs. Khanna! Plus - ICYMI: 6 Stories And A Video From Last Week!
We featured a lot of great, original content this past week. Below are 6 highlights of columns, and a video I made of a rate taxpayer victory coming out of the State Capitol. And who turns 100 today?
Left Vs. Left: Newsom vs. Khanna (A Mini-Column)
California Democrats are having the political equivalent of a cage match, and for once conservatives may be forgiven for pulling up a chair with popcorn. On one side is Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has apparently decided his path to the Democratic presidential nomination requires embracing ideas that would have made even Barack Obama nervously check the exits: higher corporate taxes, new inheritance taxes, a national public equity fund owning stakes in AI companies, and free college, universal child care, and worker retraining funded by “closing loopholes.” On the other side is Congressman Ro Khanna, who looked at Newsom’s proposal and accused him of being a “cheerleader for the billionaire class.”
Read that again. Gavin Newsom — governor of California, champion of climate mandates, electric vehicle subsidies, and a state budget that treats taxpayers like an ATM — is now insufficiently hostile to wealth. Khanna’s complaint is not that Newsom wants to tax billionaires. It is that Newsom is simultaneously blocking the actual wealth tax California voters will see this November while rolling out a national version for political cover. Some people call that triangulation. Khanna called it something else. Some political fights deserve mediation. This one deserves pay-per-view. In the great socialist civil war of 2026, I find myself rooting for the war. -JSF
This Sunday ICYMI edition is always free for all subscribers and visitors to this Substack page! Thanks for being a part of this look at CA politics!
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BELOW ARE SIX STORIES AND A VIDEO FROM THIS WEEK THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED!
California’s Glock Ban Has Arrived — And It Reveals The Real Strategy Behind Its Gun Laws
MY BAD, I THINK I MANAGED TO SEND THIS TO PAID SUBSCRIBERS ONLY EARLIER - VACATION BRAIN - SINCE I MESSED UP, I WILL MAKE THIS AVAILABLE TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS :-)
Gavin Newsom Gambles On Joe Biden In Hunt For 2028 Presidential Nomination — But Still Has To Clear The Kamala Harris Hurdle
Our morning content is free for all subscribers and guests! Usually our afternoon content is behind a paywall…. If you are not yet a paid subscriber, consider upgrading — you are missing a significant portion of what we produce each week, and your support makes it possible. If you want to get it all and support my efforts, please consider a paid subscription!
Ten Reasons Cameras Should Stay Out of the Supreme Court
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Veterans Are The Star On Sacramento’s $11 Latest Billion Pork-Laden Christmas Tree
You can listen to this post on our podcast feed, So, Does It Matter? SPOKEN. It’s available on your favorite podcasting app, or you can find it here. Our afternoon content is typically for our paid subscribers. Certain columns, like this one, are made available to all of our readers.
Breaking News: Minutes Ago Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii Gun Law In Major Second Amendment Victory — Which Will Also Topple California “Copy Cat” Version
Our morning content is free for all subscribers and guests! Usually our afternoon content is behind a paywall… Our breaking news extra content is typically split, with the “news” available to all, and the “rest of the story” below the paywall, which is the case below.
One Great Video!
On This Date in 1788…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AMERICAN COMEDY LEGEND MEL BROOKS!
Today, one of America’s greatest comedic minds reaches a milestone achieved by very few entertainers — and even fewer legends.
Mel Brooks turns 100 years old.
Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn on June 28, 1926, Brooks served in the U.S. Army during World War II before launching a career that would reshape American comedy for generations. He wrote for early television pioneers, conquered Broadway, and created some of the most beloved comedy films ever made.
His body of work includes classics such as The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and History of the World, Part I — movies that remain endlessly quotable decades after their release. Brooks also became one of the rare entertainers to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award during his remarkable career.
Perhaps even more impressive than reaching 100 is that Brooks remains active and engaged in his craft. Even as he enters his second century, he continues developing projects and making audiences laugh.
Brooks once observed that, “Humor is just another defense against the universe.”
For 100 years now, he has used that defense masterfully — mocking tyrants, ridiculing absurdity, and reminding audiences that laughter can often be the best response to difficult times.
Happy 100th birthday to a genuine American original.
Hope you are having a great weekend!
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Jon