The State of the Union was last night and, boy, it was a good speech. Will this do anything with Trump’s dismal approval ratings.
It Was A Good Speech
According to Perplexity:
Opening and framing
Opened by greeting Speaker Johnson, Vice President Vance, members of Congress, and “my fellow Americans,” and declaring that the nation is “thriving… wealthier, and more resilient than ever.”
Framed the moment around the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026, calling it the start of “America’s golden era.”
Asserted that the United States is entering a “golden age of America,” promising that the country will “do better and better and better” and not go back to conditions “a very short time ago.”
Economy and “golden age” theme
Claimed the economy is “booming,” with inflation “plummeting,” incomes “rising fast,” and the “roaring economy… roaring like never before.”
Said America is “respected again perhaps like never before,” tying foreign respect to his economic and security policies.
Highlighted record stock market levels and business confidence (as summarized by multiple takeaways), using these as proof of a broad economic turnaround in his first year back in office.
Boasted of lifting “a record” number of Americans off food stamps, citing 2.4 million projected to lose eligibility under new work requirements in his “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
Regulatory policy, DEI, and government
Announced that his administration had “abolished D.E.I. in America,” tying this to a broader rollback of regulations he says “stifle job creation.”
Claimed a “record number” of regulations had been eliminated, presenting deregulation as a key driver of job creation and wage growth.
Argued that government should focus on “protecting its citizens, not illegal immigrants,” using that line to transition into immigration and security policy.
Immigration, border, and DHS funding
Declared that, after “years of unchecked illegal immigration,” the U.S. now has “the most secure border in American history.”
Claimed that in the past nine months “no undocumented individuals have entered the U.S.,” presenting this as proof of unprecedented border control.
Touted an immigration crackdown: said the border is secure “by far,” that the flow of fentanyl is being stopped, and that the murder rate is falling.
Accused Democrats of cutting off funding for the Department of Homeland Security, causing a government shutdown that he said cost “two points on GDP.”
Demanded “complete and immediate restoration of all funding necessary for border security and homeland security.”
Urged Congress to end “deadly sanctuary cities,” and to impose “serious penalties” on officials who obstruct removal of criminal non‑citizens, including drug lords and murderers.
Elections, voting, and the “Safe/SAVE America Act”
Warned of “rampant cheating” in U.S. elections, claiming that electoral integrity is under threat.
Called on Congress to pass the “Safe America Act” (also described as the “SAVE America Act”), aimed at preventing “illegal aliens” from voting in U.S. elections.
Demanded that all voters show ID and proof of citizenship to vote, and said there should be “no more fraudulent‑in ballots,” allowing mail voting only for illness, disability, military service, or travel.
Cited a figure that “89% of Americans, including Democrats” support his proposal, presenting it as overwhelmingly popular.
Crime, fraud, and “war on fraud”
Linked blue states to “fraud and corruption,” saying many are “rampant with fraud.”
Singled out “members of the Somali community” in Minnesota, accusing them of having “pillaged” what belongs to U.S. taxpayers through fraud.
President Trump asked members of Congress to stand if they agree with his statement that the first duty of the U.S. government is to protect American citizens, not those in the country illegally.
Said his administration is “working hard” to end “the killing and slaughter between Russia and Ukraine,” claiming 25,000 soldiers are dying every month in the war.
Argued that Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine “would have never happened if I were president,” casting it as a consequence of prior leadership.
Claimed to have “ended eight wars” in his first ten months back in office, stressing his desire to “make peace wherever I can” but to never hesitate to confront threats.
Said the U.S. is restoring “security and dominance in the Western Hemisphere,” acting to protect against violence, drugs, terrorism, and foreign interference.
Described large parts of Mexico and other areas as controlled by “murderous drug cartels,” arguing that his policies were aimed at rolling back cartel influence.
Broader themes: revolution, patriotism, and culture
Framed U.S. history as an ongoing revolution: said “The Revolution that began in 1776 has not ended — it still continues,” and that the flame of liberty “still burns in the hearts of every American Patriot.”
Cast his presidency as restoring national “spirit,” saying “our spirit is restored” and the country has undergone a “turnaround for the ages” in a single year.
Positioned his agenda (on immigration, security, and regulation) as defending traditional American values and “patriots” against elites and the “radical left,” a theme emphasized across major analyses.
Closing declaration and “we’re winning” refrain
Reiterated that “for all these reasons” the “state of our Union is robust,” asserting that the country is “winning once more.”
Used his familiar line that Americans tell him, “Mr. President, we’re winning too much. We can’t handle it,” and answered that the country will continue to “win even bigger.”
Closed by inviting legislators to “stand with my administration” on border security and citizen protection, arguing that the State of the Union gives Americans a clear view of “what their representatives really believe.”
If you want, I can now turn this into a left‑column / right‑column table with his claim on the left and fact‑check/contest on the right.
Hakeem Jeffries warned Democrats just to watch the SOTU and not say anything. That didn’t work out.
They refused to stand when they should have again.
Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib decided to start cussing out the president.
Most Democrats did not show up to the SOTU to go to their own counter rally, which was an embarrassment. Only about 75 people showed up and most were media.
How Does Trump Win in November?
TRUMP: "These people are CRAZY"
Democrats won't even oppose children being ripped from their parents' arms and transitioned to a new gender… pic.twitter.com/hYN7aGg4Uz
The first free grocery store opens in New York and it is working out just the way you’d think it would work.
And the 250th year of our country may be greeted with a bit of a stench.
News
Here is some news:
The Chicago Bears look to be moving to Hammond, Indiana.
All this is over a dispute over a new stadium.
The Illinois House committee meeting that was scheduled for Thursday to discuss funding a new stadium for the Chicago Bears has been cancelled. This cancellation makes a potential Bears move to Indiana feel like a very real proposition.
New York has opened its first free grocery store in West Village which is in lower Manhattan, New York.
The pop-up was opened Feb. 12 as a five-day store by cryptocurrency-based prediction market Polymarket. It comes as Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani advances a proposal for city-run grocery stores aimed at easing rising food costs and broader affordability pressures.
It was billed as New York City’s first free grocery store, with critics casting it as a stunt riffing on Mamdani’s proposal as the prediction-market company faces heightened scrutiny from regulators in various states, including New York.
New Yorkers need to get a “yellow ticket” in order to get into the store.
After nearly a decade in Virginia, Boeing announced on Wednesday that it is moving its Defense, Space & Security headquarters out of the state back to St. Louis. This comes just weeks after new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger took office, replacing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
In a major shift in European foreign policy, the Council of the European Union formally announced on Thursday that it has added the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to the EU terrorist list.
A trial in California is going after Mark Zuckerberg and Meta.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was grilled Wednesday about whether his company intentionally designed Instagram to be addictive, in front of the young woman accusing Meta and YouTube of hooking her as a child and damaging her mental health.
He believed he has navigated the safety of young users “in a reasonable way.”
Zuckerberg was pressed on Wednesday about whether children younger than 13 have access to Instagram. The app technically requires users to be 13 to sign up, and Zuckerberg said younger children are “not allowed on Instagram.”
A huge sewage spill has leaked millions of gallons of excrement into the Potomac River.
It could take a year to fix and clean up.
The cause is the ancient plumping system that hasn’t been updated since the 1960s.
Donald Trump has decided to have the federal government take over the disaster because Delaware Governor Wes Moore is incompetent.
Wes Moore is blaming Trump because part of the pipeline was on federal lands and Trump is a racist.
Drinking water is not affected.
Just a little FYI: the United States might be attack Iran this weekend.
California officials who turned a blind eye to unemployment scams — potentially worth tens of billions of dollars during the pandemic — will now be put directly under the microscope of the federal government.
The US Department of Labor is set to send a letter to the state’s Employment Development Department announcing a “strike team” will soon be touching down in the Golden State to root out theft and abuse, The California Post has learned. The investigation will be similar to efforts currently underway in Minnesota.
Federal investigators have been combing through financial records tied to Minnesota fraud schemes after prosecutors uncovered what they describe as a sprawling web of pandemic-era theft, including the massive “Feeding Our Future” case that allegedly siphoned roughly $250 million in federal child-nutrition funds through fake claims and shell companies.
The breadth of fraud in California, however, could leave Minnesota’s thievery looking like chump change.
The feds provided California nearly $290 billion in relief funds during the pandemic, and EDD was among the largest recipients as it was tasked with rapidly implementing expanded unemployment benefits.
Amber Glenn skated to “Like a Prayer” during Tuesday’s short program. Now she’s in serious need of one herself.
One of the U.S.’s “Blade Angels,” Glenn was left in tears following a massive error in her skate — she landed a double loop instead of a triple — that left her in 13th place with just the free skate to go.
The 26-year-old was just one of two skaters on the day to land a triple axel, but her blunder was scored as an invalid element for which she received no points.
Glenn cried as she approached her coaches at the end of her skate, clutching the pearl necklace of her outfit.
American Hero Quinn Hughes:
“I love the U.S.”
“It’s the greatest country in the world. Happy to represent it here with these guys and it’s really special.”pic.twitter.com/OwVEhRjWSf
Here is AOC’s answer of whether she would create a wealth tax. Which, of course, is yes. Included is Argentine Foreign Minister Patricia Bullrich’s response.
AOC in Munich indicating she can't wait to impose a wealth tax. An Argentinian politician quickly schools her on how that destroyed wealth in Argentina.
She knows. That's the whole point. Democrats are destroyers.
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. Rep. AOC just SELF-DESTRUCTED while trying to represent America in Germany
"Should the US commit troops to defend Taiwan?"
AOC: "Um, you know, I think that, uhh, eh, this is such a, uh, you know, I th-I think that this is a, umm, this is of course a, uh, a very… pic.twitter.com/VfT98vKhZY
We lost a couple of icons this weekend. One good, one not so good.
Another trans person loses his crap in Rhode Island.
And New York is getting what it deserves.
Some News
Here is some news:
Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84.
Inventor of the Rainbow Coalition.
Ran for president in 1984 and 1988.
Was a shadow senator for Washington DC.
Robert Duval has died at the age of 95.
Starred in movies like Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and The Great Santini.
He won an Oscar for Best Actor for the movie Tender Mercies 1983.
Embattled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey both made public overtures to the feds for reimbursement for usage of state and city resources and recouping of other alleged damages.
Minneapolis estimated $47 million in lost wages for people “afraid to leave home” for work, $81 million in small business revenue losses and $4.7 million from hotel cancellations, according to the outlet.
This comes as Minnesota is under investigation for $19 billion for fraud.
Two people were killed and at least three others critically injured after a man who identifies as a woman opened fire at a high school hockey game in Rhode Island.
Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves confirmed in a Monday evening press conference that Robert Dorgan, who goes by the name Roberta Esposito, killed himself after what she said was likely a targeted shooting stemming from a family dispute. A clip circulating on social media appears to show Dorgan’s daughter leaving a police station and telling reporters that her father “shot my family” and “he’s dead now.” The woman added that Dorgan “has mental health issues,” and “was very sick.”
Court records from 2020 confirm that Dorgan had undergone gender reassignment surgery. Dorgan claimed to North Providence Police at the time that his father-in-law attempted to throw him out of the house following his surgery. Around that time, Dorgan’s wife filed for divorce, initially citing “gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits” as the reason before crossing them out and writing “irreconcilable differences.”
Authorities have not publicly identified the victims, nor have they confirmed the precise relationships involved in the apparent family dispute. Police have also not released information about the weapon used.
This is the latest shooting perpetrated by a transgender-identifying attacker. Earlier this month, a man who identified as a woman and wore a dress killed 10 people at a Canadian school. Transgender-identifying shooters perpetrated deadly attacks on schools in Nashville in 2023 and in Minneapolis in 2025. The latter attack was the subject of the last question Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was asked when he was assassinated in September.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced his preliminary budget, saying that in order to raise enough tax revenue to fill the gap in New York City‘s budget, New York Governor Kathy Hochul will have to allow him to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers and corporations, or that the tax burden will be passed onto property taxes, which would increase costs for everyday New Yorkers. The funding would primarily go to social services, as Mamdani presented on Tuesday.
Here he is during a press conference yesterday:
Mamdani says if Hochul doesn't allow NYC to raise taxes on corporations and highest earners, he will raise property taxes on New York City homeowners. pic.twitter.com/Bm07LxS9OH
Mamdani said that Hochul and Albany should raise income taxes on those earning over $1 million a year and the “most profitable corporations.”
Mamdani, when asked about the prospect of raising property taxes, said that it should be a “last resort” and that the tax increases would have to be imposed on those who are the wealthiest in the city. The proposal, as a “last resort,” would be a raise of property taxes by 9.5 percent.
Without pursuing either of those two options, Mamdani said that the revenue gap would stay at around $4.7 billion.
Some facts:
The budget has a deficit this year of $3.5 billion.
He wants to spend another $1.2 billion.
The city has spent $3.75 billion on illegal aliens.
The total budget for New York is about $110-120 billion.
Property class
Typical use
2025–26 NYC tax rate (approx.)
Class 1
1–3 family homes, small residential
About 19.8% of assessed valuenyc+1
Class 2
Large residential, co-ops, condos
About 12.4–12.5% of assessed valuenyc+2
Class 3
Utility and special franchise property
About 11.1% of assessed valuenyc+2
Class 4
Commercial/industrial (offices, stores)
About 10.8–10.9% of assessed valuenyc
How your bill is actually calculated
For a given property in NYC, the tax bill is roughly:
Assessed value (after assessment rules, caps, and exemptions) × class tax rate = base tax.
Then NYC applies any exemptions or abatements (e.g., STAR, co‑op/condo abatements, senior/disabled homeowner exemptions) to reduce the bill.
Example: If a Class 1 home has an assessed value of 100,000 (not market value), the property tax before exemptions would be roughly 19,800 for the year at a 19.8% rate.
The New York Times admits it has made a mistake when it comes to pot. Maybe I should be a New York Times opinion writer.
Gee, Really?
The New York Times released an opinion piece that finally admits something that I have been saying for years. This opinion piece is by their Editorial Board. Let’s go through it.
Thirteen years ago, no state allowed marijuana for recreational purposes. Today, most Americans live in a state that allows them to buy and smoke a joint. President Trump continued the trend toward legalization in December by loosening federal restrictions.
This editorial board has long supported marijuana legalization. In 2014, we published a six-part series that compared the federal marijuana ban to alcohol prohibition and argued for repeal. Much of what we wrote then holds up — but not all of it does.
Some things:
I don’t agree with Trump loosening restrictions on weed.
I want to point out, the New York Times might be changing their tune because Trump is loosening restrictions of Pot.
At the time, supporters of legalization predicted that it would bring few downsides. In our editorials, we described marijuana addiction and dependence as “relatively minor problems.” Many advocates went further and claimed that marijuana was a harmless drug that might even bring net health benefits. They also said that legalization might not lead to greater use.
This is the problem with the pot lobby. They think pot is a wonder drug with no side effects. This is just garbage. Pot is a carcinogen, just like cigarettes. It burns hotter than cigarettes. It has tons of nicotine, so it is addictive. And it is a hallucinogenic, so we know it screws with the mind.
It is not a wonder drug.
It is now clear that many of these predictions were wrong. Legalization has led to much more use. Surveys suggest that about 18 million people in the United States have used marijuana almost daily (or about five times a week) in recent years. That was up from around six million in 2012 and less than one million in 1992. More Americans now use marijuana daily than alcohol.
Well, yeah. What did they think would happen. I would also like to point out the most people that are using it are people under 30 years old, including kids.
Surging pot use
Number of U.S. residents consuming marijuana, by frequency of use per month
Source: Jonathan Caulkins (Carnegie Mellon), based on National Survey on Drug Use and Health
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
This wider use has caused a rise in addiction and other problems. Each year, nearly 2.8 million people in the United States suffer from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which causes severe vomiting and stomach pain. More people have also ended up in hospitals with marijuana-linked paranoia and chronic psychotic disorders. Bystanders have also been hurt, including by people driving under the influence of pot.
Last year, UC San Diego hospital reported they get 30 patients a week that are suffering from marijuana psychosis.
America should not go back to prohibition to fix these problems. The war on marijuana brought its own costs. Every year, authorities arrested hundreds of thousands of Americans for marijuana possession. The people who suffered the legal and financial consequences were disproportionately Black, Latino and poor. A society that allows adults to use alcohol and tobacco cannot sensibly arrest people for marijuana use. We oppose the nascent efforts to re-criminalize the drug, such as a potential ballot initiative in Massachusetts this year that would ban recreational sales and home growing.
The question is not whether we should ban the drug. The question is whether we can. Has marijuana become ingrained into society. I say yes.
Yet there is a lot of space between heavy-handed criminal prohibition and hands-off commercial legalization. Much as the United States previously went too far in banning pot, it has recently gone too far in accepting and even promoting its use. Given the growing harms from marijuana use, American lawmakers should do more to regulate it. The most promising approach is one popularized by Mark Kleiman, a drug policy scholar who died in 2019. He described it as “grudging toleration.” Governments can enact policies that keep the drug legal and try to curb its biggest downsides. Culture and social norms can play an important role, too.
The larger point is that a society should be willing to examine the real-world impact of any major policy change and consider additional changes in response to new facts. In the case of marijuana, the recent evidence offers reason for Americans to become more grudging about accepting its use.
Over the past several decades, supporters of marijuana legalization often called for a strategy of “legalize and regulate.” It is a smart approach. Unfortunately, the country has pursued the first part of it while largely ignoring the second.
We want to emphasize that occasional marijuana use is no more a problem than drinking a glass of wine with dinner or smoking a celebratory cigar. Many Americans find it enjoyable to smoke a joint or eat an edible, with friends or alone. Some people with serious illnesses have found relief with marijuana. Adults should have the freedom to use it.
Still, any product that brings both pleasures and problems requires a balancing act, and marijuana falls into this category. Yes, it is safer than alcohol and tobacco in some ways, but it is not harmless. The biggest concern is excessive use. At least one in 10 people who use marijuana develops an addiction, a similar share as with alcohol. Even some who do not develop an addiction can still use it too much. People who are frequently stoned can struggle to hold a job or take care of their families. “As marijuana legalization has accelerated across the country, doctors are contending with the effects of an explosion in the use of the drug and its intensity,” a New York Times investigation concluded in 2024. “The accumulating harm is broader and more severe than previously reported.”
Jennifer Macaluso, a hairdresser in Illinois, experienced these harms. She turned to marijuana to treat severe migraines, and the drug helped at first. After months of use, though, she started getting sick. Her nausea and vomiting became so bad that she had to stop working. Only after months of seeing doctors did one finally confirm marijuana was the problem. “Why don’t more doctors know about it?” she told The Times. “Why didn’t anyone ever mention it to me?”
Part of the answer is the power of Big Weed. For-profit marijuana companies, made possible by legalization, have a financial incentive to mislead the public about what they are selling. Marijuana and CBD companies have made false claims that their products can treat cancer and Alzheimer’s. Others have sold products, such as “Trips Ahoy” and “Double Stuf Stoneo,” in packages that mimic snacks for children. The companies’ executives know they can increase profits by downplaying the harms of frequent use: More than half of industry sales come from the roughly 20 percent of customers known as heavy users.
The legal pot industry grew to more than $30 billion in U.S. sales in 2024, close to the total annual revenue of Starbucks. As the industry has grown, it has increased lobbying of state and federal lawmakers, and it has won some big victories. Marijuana companies, not casual smokers, are the biggest winners of Mr. Trump’s decision to reclassify the drug from Schedule I to Schedule III. The change will increase the profits of these businesses by causing the tax code to treat them more favorably. This does not qualify as grudging toleration.
A better approach would acknowledge that many people end up worse off when they start to use marijuana more frequently. The goal should not be elimination. It should be to slow the recent rise, and perhaps partly reverse it, while acknowledging that many people use marijuana safely and responsibly. Alcohol and tobacco offer a useful framework. Both are legal with limitations, including relatively high taxes, open-container laws and regulations on alcohol and nicotine levels. The goal is to balance personal freedom and public health.
Marijuana, however, is less regulated in several crucial ways. The federal government taxes alcohol and tobacco, for example, but not marijuana. And increases in tobacco taxes have been a major reason that its use has declined during the 21st century, with profound health benefits.
The first step in a strategy to reduce marijuana abuse should be a federal tax on pot. States should also raise taxes on pot; today, state taxes can be as low as a few additional cents on a joint. Taxes should be high enough to deter excessive use, on the scale of dollars per joint, not cents. (Federal alcohol taxes, which have failed to keep pace with inflation since the 1990s, should rise, too.)
An advantage of taxes is that they fall much more on heavy users than casual smokers. If a joint cost $10 instead of $5, it would mean a lot of extra money for someone now smoking multiple joints a day and may change that person’s behavior. It would not be a big burden for someone who smokes occasionally.
A second step should be restrictions on the most harmful forms of marijuana, which would also be similar to regulations for alcohol and tobacco. Today’s cannabis is far more potent than the pot that preceded legalization. In 1995, the marijuana seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration was around 4 percent THC, the primary psychoactive compound in pot. Today, you can buy marijuana products with THC levels of 90 percent or more. As the cliché goes, this is not your parents’ weed. It is as if some beer brands were still sold as beer but contained as much alcohol per ounce as whiskey.
Not surprisingly, greater THC potency has contributed to more addiction and illness. The appropriate response is both to make illegal any marijuana product that exceeds a THC level of 60 percent and to impose higher taxes on potent forms of pot, much as liquor is taxed more heavily than beer and wine.
Third, the federal government should take action on medical marijuana. Decades of studies on the drug have proved disappointing to its boosters, finding little medical benefit. Yet many dispensaries claim, without evidence, that marijuana treats a host of medical conditions. The government should crack down on these outlandish claims. It should issue a clear warning to dispensaries that falsely promise cures and then close those that do not comply.
The federal government needs to be part of these solutions. Leaving taxes and regulations to the states threatens to create a race to the bottom in which people can cross state lines to buy their pot. Congress can set a floor, as it has done, however inadequately, with alcohol and tobacco, and states can build on it as they choose.
The unfortunate truth is that the loosening of marijuana policies — especially the decision to legalize pot without adequately regulating it — has led to worse outcomes than many Americans expected. It is time to acknowledge reality and change course.
Two Los Angeles County supervisors are backing a new tax hike on residents that would spike the cost of almost everything — including shopping, dining out and other everyday purchases across the county.
But because the tax would apply to retail sales and restaurant purchases, it was quickly trashed by opponents who say it raises prices for families regardless of whether they use affected health care services.
“Why should less affluent Los Angeles County residents be required to pay more for clothes, school supplies, and motor vehicles, especially when the sales tax burden is already so high?” Marc Joffe, a visiting fellow at California Policy Center, wrote in an opinion piece for the Daily Bulletin.
Joffe further points out that voters approved a sales-tax hike just two years ago.
If the bill is approved, it would further burden residents already struggling with high living costs, pushing Los Angeles County’s combined sales-tax rate above 10% in many cities.
For the first time in nearly two decades, Floridians seeking a driver’s license will be required to pass the state’s exams entirely in English — a move that came in response to a fatal crash involving an illegal immigrant who failed a test 10 times prior to the accident.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced the English-only policy last week.
The rule went into effect Friday and is aimed at “promoting clear communication, understanding of traffic laws, and responsible driving behavior.”
Canada has a mass shooting in a school. Canada is giving up the real story without saying it.
California loses another high-profile name because of its tax policies.
And a judge makes a common sense decision concerning ICE.
News
Here is some news:
A major mass shooting occurred on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, in the small community of Tumbler Ridge in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, with at least nine people killed and more than two dozen injured at a secondary school and a nearby home.
Facebook and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg has become the latest tech billionaire to ditch California in search of greener pastures and has ended up in Florida. The move from Zuckerberg comes as California is considering a 5 percent tax on the ultra-wealthy in the state.
The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a flight restriction that had grounded all flights to and from El Paso International Airport in Texas on Wednesday, after previously warning that the U.S. government “may use deadly force” against any aircraft in violation.
A Trump administration official told Fox News that the initial lockdown came in response to “Mexican cartel drones” that breached U.S. airspace.
The FAA had announced Wednesday morning that all flights to and from El Paso were being grounded, including commercial, cargo and general aviation. The restriction was initially set to be effective from February 10 at 11:30 p.m. MST to February 20 at 11:30 p.m. MST.
January jobs report came out.
130,000 private sector jobs were created. Unemployment went down to 4.3%.
There was an adjustment for the year 2025, down 425,000 jobs.
Wages have gone up beyond the inflation rate, but not a lot.
Prices are not going to go down to 2019 levels. Unfortunately, inflation wasn’t transitory.
A federal judge ruled Monday that California can’t enforce a law banning federal immigration agents from wearing masks.
Judge Christina A. Snyder from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled that California’s “No Secret Police Act” both discriminates against the federal government for solely applying to federal law enforcement and violates its power granted by the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law in September to ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks while making arrests, forcing them to show their faces. The Department of Homeland Security quickly jumped to condemn the law, calling it “a flagrant attempt to endanger” federal officers.
ICE agents currently face a more than 1,000% increase in assaults, a surge in doxxing efforts, and a roughly 8,000% jump in death threats, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In February 2026, Davis sharply reduced the sentence that a Jefferson County jury recommended for defendant Christopher Earl Thompson, convicted of a 2023 kidnapping, armed robbery, and sexual assault in Louisville. The jury reportedly recommended a 65‑year sentence, but Davis imposed 30 years, citing the defendant’s age and potential for rehabilitation, while adding more than four years for his contemptuous conduct toward the court.
The case involved Thompson abducting a woman in her own vehicle, forcing her to perform oral sex at gunpoint, robbing her at an ATM, and sexually assaulting her again, with DNA evidence tying him to the crime. Local Republicans, including Louisville Metro Council Minority Caucus Chair Anthony Piagentini, publicly denounced the reduced sentence, arguing it disrespected the jury’s decision and endangered public safety.
BREAKING: Judge Tracy Davis cuts in half a 65 year recommended prison sentence for r*pist kidnapper
A radical left-wing group in Los Angeles has published a shocking 40-page roadmap to transform the nation’s second-largest city into a bizarre socialist experiment.
The Democratic Socialists of America’s LA chapter wants to straight-up seize private property through a “creative use of eminent domain,” take control of your neighborhood grocery store, and replace cops with unarmed social workers while shutting down jails.
As a Los Angeles city council member Nithya Raman has been more interested in suing Toyota for making their catalytic converters “super easy to remove” instead of going after actual catalytic converter thieves.
The manifesto, published in 2025 is more than 9,000-words long and gives an insight into the policies that a potential Mayor Raman has signed up to as a DSA member and could try to implement in LA. It targets the “status quo coalition” of elected officials, real estate developers, billionaires, nonprofits, and even some union leaders who’ve supposedly sold out workers.
They think they can actually pull this off in six to eight years through local elections and organizing.
“We are on the burning edge of the economic, climate, and moral crises that define this generation,” the manifesto warns, adding ominously: “The choice remains socialism or barbarism.”
So, what are the goals of the Democratic Socialists of America?
Seizing privately owned housing using eminent domain to seize private property and convert to public/social housing
Build city-owned municipal enterprises and expropriate corporations in essential industries (grocery, restaurants, internet, etc.)
Decommission Men’s Central Jail and don’t replace with any carceral facilities
Execute shift to 100% renewable energy by 2035 — complete fossil fuel elimination in 11 years
Make all public transportation free (buses, trains, bike share)
Publicly acquire and operate all energy systems — full public takeover of utilities
Reclaim private and public golf courses via zoning/legislative means for housing/parks
Divest public pension investments from war profiteers, defense contractors, and fossil fuel companies
Replace armed police with unarmed alternatives for traffic enforcement and mental health crises
End all contracts between public agencies and corporations profiting from war/fossil fuels (including Metro’s contracts)
Ban all unhosted short-term rentals (Airbnb, etc.)
Prosecute and permanently decertify all cops who kill
Noncitizen voting in all local elections
Vacancy tax on empty housing units
Universal rent controlstatewide
Automatic rent freezes and eviction moratoriums with any state of emergency
Decriminalize all drug use and fund safe injection sites
Restore voting rights for all former felons
End all means-testing for child development programs
The NFL may rethink playing the Super Bowl in California after they get the tax bill.
Olympians themselves are giving Americans a reason not to watch the Olympics.
And I don’t want to hear anymore about racists memes when Leftists are calling for the genocide of white people.
Don’t Play in California
According to the Daily Wire:
The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are in for a hefty California tax bill following their 29-13 drubbing of the New England Patriots on Sunday, with some players expected to pay more in taxes than their Super Bowl earnings.
Each Seahawks player receives an individual bonus of $178,000 as negotiated by the NFL Players Association, while Patriots players will each receive $108,000.
Both Super Bowl teams are subject to California’s notorious “Jock Tax” imposed on out-of-state professional athletes, which will tax both respective teams on income from the eight “duty days” spent practicing and playing in the Golden State.
Jeffrey Degner, a research fellow in economics at the American Institute for Economic Research, told FOX Business that this tax alone will cut the average player’s Super Bowl bonuses in half at a minimum — without even taking into account additional state and federal taxes.
“What that means here is that the winning team, their take-home pay will be approximately $86,000. If you’re on the losing side, the take-home would be about $49,800,” Degner told FOX Business.
Each “duty day” includes any day spent in California practicing, participating in team meetings, traveling, playing in a game, or doing media events. The state taxes each player by applying the ratio of their duty days in the state to their total duty days overall, then claiming that share of the player’s income.
“The players have a really complex tax situation where they can have 10 or more different states that they’re having to file taxes for,” Degner said. “This is why a lot of these young players, it’s really important for teams to settle them in with sharp financial advisors and tax advisors so that they don’t lose their shirts, so to speak.”
Sport business reporter Kurt Badenhausen estimates that Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, with 8+ duty days taxed out of his massive three-year, $105 million deal with Seattle and a $178,000 bonus, will pay $249,000 in California state taxes.
Stanford University Finance Professor and Hoover Institution Fellow Joshua Rauh commented on the numbers, sarcastically complimenting California’s tax system for ensuring the “incentive to win is preserved” by taxing the Super Bowl loser more than the winner.
“If his team wins, Darnold will receive $178k and pay $249k to California in taxes for his time here, losing $71k. If his team loses he gets $103k and still pays over $235k in taxes, losing $135k. I presume California is declaring victory, as his incentive to win is preserved,” Rauh quipped.
California has the highest state income tax rate in the nation, while several states with NFL stadiums — including Tennessee, Texas, and Florida — impose no income tax on their residents or visitors, leading many to question whether future Super Bowls should be held in California.
In some Olympic news, Lindsey Von suffered a terrible crash in the downhill skiing. Last week, she tore her ACL but she decided to ski. About 200 yards into her race, she lost control and broke her left leg. She needed to be air lifted out and had surgery. Pray for her.
I am not watching the Olympics because I am tired of a bunch of privileged athletes, who make tons of money in their sports, making asses out of themselves. It turns me off.
What has been happening recently is these athletes have been disparaging the United States, which has always been weird to me. The athletes from no other countries do this.
Here is Mikaela Shiffrin.
🚨 JUST IN: Growing calls from Americans to send Team USA athletes home from the Winter Olympics in Italy if they disparage the United States on the world stage.pic.twitter.com/ES75BuJEkO
If you’re an Olympic athlete on Team USA and you spend your time bashing America, I hope you lose your event to an athlete proud to represent their country.
The NFL seems like they don’t want to learn from companies like Bud Light or Target. What’s worse for them is the product they are putting on the field is getting hard to watch. A bad product and wokeness combined could lead them in the direction of the NBA.
And the Olympics are becoming more unwatchable as the athletes seem to be spending a lot of time whining about how terrible America is.
The Super Bowl
The NFL is in some big trouble after yesterday. They have not embraced the idea, “go woke, go broke.”
Here’s what happened:
Green Day played before the Super Bowl and, of course, played “American Idiot” which is an anti-American song. Way to start the Super Bowl out.
The Black National Anthem was played on television for the first time.
America the Beautiful and The Star Spangled Banner was played. It was very nice.
During the National Anthem, Bad Bunny was filmed sitting down. So, he gets paid millions of dollars in America, but refuses to honor and respect our country. He is an unappreciative bitch, which isn’t a surprise.
The halftime show was terrible.
The good news is the set was kind of clever. It was a corn field made up of people in costumes.
Bad Bunny can’t sing. No one could understand what he said.
The hip thrusting, crotch grabbing, and grinding is not appropriate.
The entire performance was in Spanish.
There was a live wedding, which was cool.
Some of the cultural nods were actually quite recognizable and sort of fun. It also shows why the Latin countries are third world.
The final message is that all the countries in South, Central, and North America are all the same and one big community. In other words, the United States is not a special country, which is incorrect.
It was not a good performance. It was not the worst ever, but it was competing for it. It was political, but it was all in Spanish, so message didn’t quite hit. I stopped paying attention.
The Super Bowl commercials were terrible. The commercials used to be the reason to watch most Super Bowls. Not anymore.
The game was awful. I started folding clothes in the fourth quarter. There were no touchdowns until the end of the fourth quarter. Seattle defense was incredible. They held a 19-0 lead in the fourth quarter, then New England traded touchdowns coming up with a final score of 29-13.
More bad news for California drivers will be coming on Saturday.
Nike has some explaining to do.
And Virginia Democrats have decided to go after a hundred and fifty year old institution. The Trump administration is looking to save it.
The News
The Washington Post is laying off 300 employees, about 1/3 of its staff. This comes on the heels of Amazon laying off 16,000 employees due to restructuring.
Valero is closing an oil refinery in California four months ahead of schedule.
Refineries are fleeing the Golden State as regulations drive operating costs 26 to 37% higher than the national average. Chevron moved its operations from the Bay Area to Texas, while Phillips 66 powered down its 140,000-barrel-per-day Los Angeles refinery in October.
California has the second highest gas prices in the country at $4.37. We’re going for number 1!
This comes before California is set to raise gas taxes by $.03 in July.
Get ready for $7 dollar gas.
The national average is $2.88 a gallon. It is Lefty states like Hawaii, California, Illinois, and New York that are keeping the average gas prices that high.
Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass secretly altered the official Palisades Fire response report to downplay the failures made by the city and fire department when the deadly blaze erupted, a new report said.
Bass, after seeing an early draft of the after-action report, wanted key findings of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s shortcomings scrubbed or watered down — and even warned then-interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva the unedited conclusions could expose the city to legal liability, sources close to the Democrat’s staff told the Los Angeles Times.
The federal agency that enforces U.S. workplace discrimination laws said Wednesday it is investigating Nike over allegations that its diversity initiatives unlawfully discriminated against White employees and job applicants, according to a court filing.
Reuters reported that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said Nike has refused to comply with a subpoena seeking information, including data on the racial and ethnic makeup of the global athletic apparel and footwear company based in Beaverton, Oregon.
The commission said the investigation centers on claims that Nike deliberately treated White employees and job applicants unfairly, including allegations that they were disproportionately targeted for layoffs.
The agency said it is seeking the records to determine whether Nike violated federal anti-discrimination law.
The War Department is monitoring efforts by Virginia Democrats to potentially cripple the Virginia Military Institute, The Daily Wire can first report.
Cadets at VMI, the nation’s first state-sponsored and supported military college, have grown increasingly anxious about the fate of their institution since Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger entered office and appointed former Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to VMI’s Board of Visitors.
Northam had ordered an audit into alleged racism and sexism at VMI in 2021, amid the Democrat-led wave of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion measures in universities across the nation — measures supported by then-President Joe Biden and his administration.
Now, Virginia Democrats suggest that the military institution is still rife with racism, sexism, and cultural barriers. They proposed two measures taking aim at the school: their proposed House Bill 1377 establishes a task force evaluating whether VMI should still be funded by the state, and House Bill 1374 would end VMI’s Board of Visitors and give the state full oversight of the institution.
Revoking VMI’s state funding would likely lead to the school’s demise.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that the War Department “reserves the right to take extraordinary measures to protect the integrity of VMI.”
So why do these people hate VMI?
Some state representatives who support the measures, like Democrat Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach, point to VMI’s roots in the Civil War, arguing that the institution has buildings on campus named for Confederate military figures.
Democrat state Rep. Dan Helmer of Fairfax, frustrated that VMI did not renew the contract of VMI’s first black superintendent, told one local outlet: “For those of us, like me, who care deeply about service and care deeply about producing leaders of character, we need to ensure that VMI has turned the page.”
Socialist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani has appointed ex-convict Stanley Richards as the city’s newest Department of Correction commissioner. Per Gothamist, Richards spent two-and-a-half years on Rikers Island on robbery charges in the 1980s and spent an additional four-and-a-half years in state prison before being released in 1991. This marks the first time an ex-convict has held the role.
Mamdani said in a news conference, “Stanley will make history in this role as the first ever formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner. That achievement is not merely symbolic. It is a testament to the thought and leadership he will bring to every member of correction staff and incarcerated New Yorkers underneath his purview.”
After his release, Richards began working as a counselor with the Fortune Society, which provides housing and re-entry services for ex-convicts leaving jail. He served as the society’s president until his appointment, as well as a deputy correction commissioner under former Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city’s Board of Correction.
Richards said, “The future of Rikers is not endless confinement, scapegoating or demonizing. It is safety, transformation and rehabilitation.”
Benny Boscio, the president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association union said in a statement, “Despite the many false narratives that have portrayed COBA as an ‘obstacle to reform,’ we have been ready, willing and able to meet and work with anyone, as long as they respect the rights of our Correction Officers and understand that their safety and security matter. The jails cannot and will not operate as safely as possible if the concerns of our members are brushed aside. It is our hope that Mr. Richards understands that dynamic as he takes on this new role and demonstrates a commitment to putting safety and security before any political ideology.”
Richards said in a statement, “I am deeply honored and grateful to Mayor Mamdani for this appointment. This role represents the culmination of my lifelong commitment to criminal justice reform, drawing directly from my own experience of incarceration on Rikers, which fueled my decades of work at The Fortune Society and with the Department of Correction, helping thousands rebuild their lives through reentry programs, leadership roles, and advocacy.”
“This appointment is an opportunity to lead from the top, advocating for both incarcerated individuals and correction officers to create safer jails and real pathways to rehabilitation. This is a chance to drive upstream change, connecting people to services like those at Fortune Society that transformed my own life. I will work tirelessly with this administration to ensure that we prioritize humane and safe conditions and ensure justice for all New Yorkers.”
So, what is the Fortune Society?
Mission and Purpose
The organization’s core mission is to support successful reentry from incarceration and promote alternatives to incarceration, with the goal of strengthening communities. It emphasizes belief in individuals’ capacity to change and works to create a more fair, humane, and rehabilitative justice system.
What They Do
The Fortune Society provides a “one-stop-shop” of services for people with justice involvement, including help with housing, employment, education, health, mental health, substance use treatment, and family support. Each year, it serves thousands of people—over 8,000 to 13,000 annually in recent descriptions—through both direct services and advocacy.
Key Programs and Services
Major service areas include supportive and transitional housing (such as its residences The Castle and Castle Gardens), job readiness and placement, educational programs (literacy, GED, and college prep), and counseling. The organization also helps with benefits enrollment, health and mental health care connections, substance use treatment, and creative arts programming.
Advocacy and Systems Change
Beyond direct services, The Fortune Society engages in policy and advocacy work aimed at reducing barriers to housing, employment, and education for people with records. It works to advance reforms that make the criminal justice system more rehabilitative and less reliant on incarceration.
A string of recent incidents in which ICE agents and Department of Homeland Security leadership have been refused service at corporate gas stations and hotel chains has raised questions about whether private businesses can lawfully deny service to federal law enforcement officers.
The incidents — including ICE agents who were turned away from hotels and a Border Patrol commander being denied service at a gas station — have prompted debate over whether such refusals amount to lawful private discretion or illegal discrimination against federal law enforcement carrying out official duties.
The most recent flashpoint unfolded at a Speedway gas station, where video captured by conservative activist Cam Higby showed U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino being followed out of the store by a man identifying himself as a manager.
Bovino himself was silent on the matter when asked by Higby among the crowd outside Speedway, while Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said similar situations had transpired at several different gas stations where agitators stalked agents.
When Higby asked the man why he refused Bovino service, he replied: “Because I wanted to. I don’t support ICE and nobody here does.”
The man remained silent when asked if he thought it was legal to deny service to federal agents based on their role, while the employee could be heard saying, “If it is [illegal] I personally don’t care.”
A few leftist men out in Minnesota decided to make a parody of the Iwo Jima flag raising, only instead lifting up the Minnesota flag, which was recently scrutinized for looking somewhat similar to the flag of Somalia.
Video of the “flag raising” was posted by Anton Treuer, who is a professor at Bemidji State University and claims to be an “Indigenous language warrior” on X.
Treuer, although it is unclear if he was pictured in the video, said in the caption, “We stand for justice and a future worth fighting for! #MNStrong #iceout #Minnesota #peace #solidarity.” The clip, which has not gone viral on social media, depicts six people holding up the Minnesota flag in the position from the famous Iwo Jima flag raising photo from World War II.
Many reacted to the post online, slamming the group of leftist as people wanting to cosplay as soldiers as the Trump administration has been surging ICE into the region to detain illegal immigrant criminals.
Human Events Daily host Jack Posobiec said of the video, “Leftists in Minneapolis are now staging the flag-raising of Iwo Jima with their fake Somali flag Good Lord, we’re reaching levels of cringe that have never been seen.”
The whole mutilation of children for the sacrifice to the trans gods seems to be done, thanks to the courts.
Billie Elish f-ed around and found out.
And California is in some trouble.
Huge News
According to the New York Times:
In the first malpractice verdict against providers of gender-affirming care for minors, a jury in New York State has awarded a woman $2 million in damages for a double mastectomy she received as a teenager that she said had left her disfigured.
The plaintiff, Fox Varian, 22, of Yorktown Heights, had accused her psychologist and the plastic surgeon who performed the operation of failing to obtain adequate consent about the risks before she agreed to undergo the procedure in 2019.
She also claimed that the providers had deviated from standard practices governing gender-related medical care.
Ms. Varian, who was 16 at the time of the surgery, was assigned female at birth but as a teenager identified as a man. She later came to regret the decision to transition and now identifies as a woman, an example of a process known as detransitioning.
The verdict, which was announced on Friday following a three-week trial in White Plains, was first reported by the Free Press.
Individuals who decide to detransition have often been cited by the Trump administration in its efforts to ban gender-affirming care for minors.
The Tongva tribe confirmed the “Bad Guy” singer’s $3 million home does sit on its “ancestral land,” after the 24-year-old used her Grammys acceptance speech to rail against ICE and insist that “no one is illegal on stolen land.”
The indigenous inhabitants of the Los Angeles Basin, known as the “First Angelenos,” said they appreciate Eilish’s sentiment, but noted that the performer hasn’t contacted them directly — and insisted that next time, she explicitly reference them.
“Eilish has not contacted our tribe directly regarding her property, we do value the instance when public figures provide visibility to the true history of this country,” a Tongva spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
“It is our hope that in future discussions, the tribe can explicitly be referenced to ensure the public understands that the greater Los Angeles Basin remains Gabrieleno Tongva territory,” the spokesperson added.
Eilish was widely mocked for her comments on Sunday, as she yelled, “F–k ICE” from the stage while denouncing the US as stolen land.
Of course, CNN, who thinks celebrities help the Democrats, decided to get in a fight when one person says that celebrities should just keep out of politics.
Two CNN panelists get worked up on-air after a Republican says no one cares what celebrities think.
This is CNN.
CHRIS MADEL: “I get a little tired of Hollywood jackasses… telling us what to think.”
“Billie Eilish telling me that [America] is stolen land. I’d love to see her… pic.twitter.com/07Zj0bbrCL
🚨 BOMBSHELL UPDATE: Federal auditors just ordered California to PAY BACK over $1 BILLION in healthcare funds spent on services for undocumented migrants.
That money came from YOU. Now it’s being clawed back. 💥
The Los Angeles Police Department shows there is some sanity in California.
And, speaking of California, they think they may have a solution when it comes to dealing with their budget deficits.
News
Here is some news:
Bill and Hillary Clinton have dropped their opposition and agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Every federal immigration officer on the ground in Minneapolis will now have a body camera following two recent fatal shootings of anti-ICE agitators.
Christopher Nolan is doing a movie about “The Odyssey,” Homer’s epic poem, and he has cast Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy — the face that launched a thousand ships, the most beautiful woman in the Greek world.
“It wasn’t well thought out,” Chief Jim McDonnell said in a press conference Friday.
“The reality of one armed agency approaching another armed agency to create conflict over something that would be a misdemeanor at best or an infraction, it doesn’t make any sense,” McDonnell added.
The law, known as the “No Secret Police Act,” mandates visible identification and permits violations to be cited as misdemeanors. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law, it took effect January 1st. The Trump administration has challenged the statute, arguing it interferes with federal operations.
The Department of Justice is challenging the “No Secret Police Act” saying it’s unconstitutional, and creates risks for agents, including harassment.
Exceptions to the law include masks permitted for undercover operations, medical reasons, or specific protective gear, such as tactical helmets.
With the state staring down a budget deficit in the billions and more Californians switching to electric vehicles, Democratic lawmakers are searching for new ways to shore up declining gas tax revenue.
Californians pay the second-highest gas price in the nation behind only Hawaii. In January, the average price was $4.23 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
On Thursday, state legislators advanced Democrat Lori Wilson’s bill, AB 1421, which would direct the California Transportation Commission and the state Transportation Agency to continue studying options for a mileage-based tax, rather than implementing one.
Opponents of the proposal were out in force Saturday, with activists gathering at Cal Expo in Sacramento to collect signatures opposing a raft of new Democratic tax measures, including a potential mileage charge.
Under concepts outlined in the study, the tax could range from two to nine cents per mile. With California drivers logging roughly 11,400 miles a year on average, a mileage charge could cost motorists between $228 and $1,026 annually.
Beyond the price tag, critics warn that tracking drivers’ mileage could be both logistically complex and deeply invasive.
In its current form, the bill would commission a report examining equity concerns for low-income drivers who often travel longer distances in less fuel-efficient vehicles, analyze the potential impact of a weight-per-mile fee on commercial and electric vehicles, and outline regional and statewide options for implementing a road usage charge.
California has a $73 billion deficit according to the Hoover Institute.
(a) State funding for transportation comes mainly from six different fuel taxes and vehicle fees dedicated to specific purposes. These sources generated about $14,000,000,000 in the 2023–24 fiscal year.
(b) The gasoline excise tax is by far the largest of these charges. The tax is 57.9 cents per gallon and generated about $7,800,000,000 in fiscal year 2023–24.
(c) California relies on gasoline and diesel tax revenue to build and maintain its highways, public transit, and other transportation infrastructure, which is a problem in a state aggressively pushing a transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
(d) Since the passage of Senate Bill 1 (Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017), gas taxes have begun to lag, in large part due to Californians adopting lower emission vehicles. The state’s climate goals, including the switch to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and reductions in statewide per capita vehicle miles traveled for light-duty vehicles, are projected to reduce fuel tax revenues in the coming years.
(e) California’s gas revenues have steadily increased over the last decade as lawmakers hike tax rates, but that curve is projected to turn downwards as more drivers switch to EVs.
(f) Californians have purchased more than a million EVs in the last four years, according to the California Energy Commission. Those numbers will continue to increase as a result of the state’s mandate for all new car sales to be ZEVs by 2035.
(g) The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects revenues will decline by as much as $2,000,000,000 annually by 2030 and up to $4,000,000,000 annually by 2035. A study by the Mineta Transportation Institute estimated a reduction in revenues of between $4,800,000,000 and $12,100,000,000 by 2040.
(h) The California Transportation Commission projects that the state will collect $31,300,000,000 less in fuel excise tax revenue due to increased fuel efficiency and the proliferation of ZEVs over the next decade.
(i) Collectively, various states and the federal government have undertaken research and exploration of possible revenue mechanisms to supplement or replace the fuel excise tax.
(j) In 2014, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1077 (Chapter 835, Statutes of 2014) which created the Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee (RUC TAC). The RUC TAC was charged with the development and evaluation of an authorized pilot program to assess the potential for a mileage-based financing mechanism for California’s roads and highways as an alternative to the fuel excise tax system.
(k) In 2017, California completed the SB 1077 pilot program, which enrolled more than 5,000 vehicles that reported more than 37,000,000 miles over a nine-month period. Importantly, the collection of revenue was simulated in the pilot program through mock invoices and payments.
(l) The final pilot program report found further testing of the revenue collection processes should be the next step to undertake in order for California to evaluate revenue flows and identify challenges, efficiencies, and synergies for possible road user charge implementation.
(m) Presently, the state is analyzing the financial impacts of a road user charge on supercommuters, as well as additional engagement with rural communities and tribal nations to better inform constituencies on a road charge concept.
(n) The benefit of a road use charge is that it could be structured to provide gas tax relief to low-income drivers.
(o) Implementing a road use charge in a way that appeals to both low- and moderate-income households and urban and rural communities across the state’s diverse geography will require significant education, negotiation, and compromise.
