It's no secret that Gavin Newsom is cultivating presidential ambitions for 2024 or beyond, and that he is putting himself forward as a Democratic Party leader on social issues by challenging conservative states and their social policies.
But Newsom's focus on other states has always been dubious, given the many problems that California faces, and his poor track record in handling them. And in a new demand that Hollywood boycott pro-life states, he's gone too far.
This business of boycotting states is almost a uniquely Californian phenomenon. It is a form of secession, really: California bars official travel to 22 states, nearly half the country (in San Francisco, the ban extends to more than half the U.S.).
Moreover, Newsom is demanding that Hollywood conform to his government's view of abortion -- a complex and highly contentious issue on which even many people who think they are on one side or the other often have nuanced views.
He is demanding that Hollywood boycott other states while dangling $1.65 billion in tax credits for the industry. The clear message: play along if you want to get your share of the California pie. It's coercion to enforce conformity.
Astonishingly, Newsom then has the chutzpah to claim that going along with his boycott demand means choosing "creativity." It's the opposite: there can never be true artistic creativity when production demands state conformity.
Newsom's effort is partly a protectionist one: he's representing companies and unions in his state who are threatened by competition from other states and countries. But it's also disqualifying in terms of a future presidential campaign.
No one should be president who has deliberately tried to cause economic harm to half the country. And no one should lead any level of government who is this hostile to the First Amendment and the true meaning of American freedom.
This is my first broadcast from the new office and studio in Washington, DC, where I'll be for a couple of years my neighborhood back in L.A. cleans up -- and as we follow the Trump administration from a little closer up than usual.
Topics:
- The anniversary of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump
- The escalating tariff battle with various different trading partners
- The future of the Middle East peace talks, and ongoing antisemitism
- The Jeffrey Epstein files and whether they mean anything at all
- The continued crisis of the Texas floods, and stories of heroism and survival
And more!
Special guests:
- James Rosen - Newsmax chief Washington correspondent
- Bob Price - Breitbart News Texas reporter, on the ongoing floods
- Robert Cahill - Trafalgar Polling, on a new alliance of reliable pollsters
- Rabbi Yaakov Menken - Coalition for Jewish Values - on Israel & antisemitism
Tune in: 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874
This week’s portion tells the grand story of the prophet who tried to curse people of Israel and instead ended up blessing them.
I am reminded that these portions continue to be relevant anew, as this particular reading lent the title for Israel’s recent 12 Day War against Iran, “Operation Rising Lion.”
This week's portion includes the commandment of the red heifer -- one of the classic "irrational" commandments whose fulfillment is an expression of faith. It also includes the regrettable episode in which Moses strikes the rock.
I referred to this story in a wedding speech last night. Why was Moses punished for striking the rock in Numbers, when he struck the rock without incident in Exodus -- both for the purpose of providing water to the people?
The answer is that in the interim, the Jewish people had received the Torah, which is like the marriage contract between the people of Israel and God. In a marriage, you do not resolve things by breaking boundaries, but through love.
The additional reading, from Judges Chapter 11, is the story of Jephthah (Yiftach), a man whom the leaders spurn, but to whom they must turn to save the nation. The parallels to our present political circumstances are striking.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Fourth of July!
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