Joel Pollak
Politics • Lifestyle • News • Travel • Writing
I will share my thoughts about American politics, as well as current events in Israel and elsewhere, based on my experiences in the U.S., South Africa, and the Middle East. I will also discuss books and popular culture from the perspective of a somewhat libertarian, religiously observant conservative living in California. I will also share art and ideas that I find useful and helpful, and link to my content at Breitbart News, Amazon, and elsewhere.
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Gavin Newsom disqualifies himself from the presidency

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.

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Time-lapse sunrise at Temescal Falls
00:00:17
This is what is left of my special place in the forest

Burned, then covered in mudslides and rockslides. The river still flows through it. But we have lost so much. I have to believe the spirit still lives on.

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The drive home 💔
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Breitbart News Sunday: show rundown (August 24, 2025)

This week, we are tackling two major areas of contention between the Trump administration and Democrat governors: fighting crime, and redistricting. The president is sending the National Guard to blue cities -- and blue states are trying to stamp out Republican representation. Is this a civil war situation?

Special guests:

  • Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on redistricting
  • Tom Manza, California Business and Industrial Alliance, on Gavin Newsom
  • Jon Fleischman, veteran California political expert, on the special election
  • Dan Backer, veteran political lawyer and consultant, on corruption
  • DJ Mark Anthony, on a recent visit to Rome and visiting Pope Leo XIV

Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET / 4-7 p.m. PT
Call: 866-957-2874

Weekly Torah reading: Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17)

This week's portion is the last of the month of Av -- also known as Menachem (Comforter) Av -- which begins in mourning and ends in celebration and anticipation of the New Year and the process of repentance and renewal.

In a similar vein, the portion features Moses offering the Israelites a choice between a blessing and a curse. They are masters of their own fates: if they obey God's commandments, they receive the blessings -- and vice versa.

The key commandment is to reject idol worship. There is said to be something magnetic about the practice of worshiping idols in the new land, such that it would be constant moral battle, both individually and collectively, in the land.

Nowadays, according to Jewish tradition, humanity has lost the urge for idol worship (and the antidote, which is divine prophecy) -- but there are several near substitutes, such as lust or excessive appetites for worldly pleasures.

We are wired for compulsive behaviors, bad habits, and even addictions. These ...

Breitbart News Sunday: show rundown (August 17, 2025)

We have so much to talk about this week -- Trump's efforts to negotiate peace through negotiation, and Gavin Newsom's efforts to divide Americans through gerrymandering. We'll also talk about Playboy leaving LA and California.

Special guests:

Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Russia & Ukraine
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on Newsom
Harmeet Dhillon - DOJ Civil Rights Division chief, on the fight against DEI
Jessica Vaugn - Playboy model on political commentator, on California

Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 PT
Call: 866-957-2874

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