Make ’em kick you out, Scout

 

• Let’s get Trump to throw California out of the US
• California Dreaming – still a thing
• Californians battle to keep high-speed rail project

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Did you know: 66% of Californians want a permanent state commission dedicated to helping California gain more autonomy from the federal government, including more control over federal tax dollars paid by Californians?

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CALIFORNIA RESISTANCE

Forget secession. California should provoke Trump to throw us out

How do you get yourself thrown out of a ballgame? The late Hall of Fame manager Casey Stengel, who was ejected from 40 major league games, believed in persistence and obnoxiousness: “You just gotta argue with the umpire until he gets tired of listening to you.”

Joe Mathews, Syndicated columnist

“How do you get your state thrown out of the country? If Californians want independence from the United States, they should follow the strategy of Stengel, who made his home in Glendale.

Provoking Trump to eject us would be faster, cleaner, and more practical than secession. With California in immediate danger from the U.S. government, those advantages matter.

The White House is occupied by a self-described dictator who ignores law and shreds the Constitution. He is deporting our neighbors (even those here legally), withholding emergency aid, freezing funding, dismantling agencies, firing civil servants for disloyalty, punishing our economic partners, and ordering a dangerous flooding of the Central Valley.

No wonder polling shows more than 60% of Californians saying we’d be better off as our own country.”

What if California became its own country?

Several states of the United States could make it as foreign countries if they had to, but none more so than California. Heaven forbid that the U.S. would ever get to a stage where this would happen, but if it did, California would hit the ground running as a straight-up global powerhouse. Here’s what the Republic of California might look like.

Drew Wood, Wall Street Journal

“The result of the state’s unique history and demographic blend has been a freewheeling, diverse culture that at times diverges significantly from the sensibilities of Eastern tradition. Rural Californians tend toward more conservative politics and social values similar to the midwestern, eastern, and Mexican farmers who settled there. Urban eastern businesspeople and professionals, along with diverse international settlers have made the booming coastal metropolises into bastions of progressivism, so much so that there is periodic talk of splitting the state into as many as 6 new states or letting it leave the country entirely to limit its powerful and overall liberal influence in national politics.

California’s 2023 GDP was $4.1 trillion, which puts it ahead of Germany and just below Japan. In fact, that makes it the 4th largest economy in the entire world. A lot of the largest multinational corporations on the planet are headquartered there; places like Apple, Google, Disney, and Netflix. It has a diversified economic base of technology in Silicon Valley, entertainment based in Hollywood, a huge agricultural surplus centered in the Central Valley, and an ideal location for Pacific trade with major ports in the San Diego, L.A., and San Francisco Bay areas. As a country, economically it would not only survive, but thrive.

There are over 39 million Californians. That’s bigger than the population of Canada or Australia. And its a super diverse population, too. In fact, the state has no one majority ethnic culture anymore; it’s 40% Latino, 34% Caucasian, 16% Asian and 6% black. Over 200 different languages are spoken there with 44% of residents speaking a language other than English at home. This all ads up to the California Republic being ideally positioned for global commerce and diplomacy and brimming with ideas and cultural traditions to fuel innovation. Of course, diversity isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. It can also contribute to ethnic tension that the government would need to manage carefully and fairly.”

Man behind 2028 “Calexit” bid says movement for California to secede gaining traction

Marcus Ruiz Evans of Fresno is advocating for California to secede and become an independent nation, in what has become known as the “Calexit” movement.

Max Darrow, KPIX

“Of the 50 stars on the American flag, number 31 became California. Two hundred years later, there’s a growing push for that marriage to end from people who believe California and America have drifted too far apart.”

GOP officials disrupted by protestors at California press event

Republican elected officials have been having a really, really hard time in California lately.

Ariana Bindman, SFGate.com

“In San Bernardino County’s Yucca Valley on Saturday, chants of opposition greeted Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte at a town hall in the desert community in his district, the Hi-Desert Star reported. That morning, Obernolte praised billionaire Elon Musk and the drastic budget cuts that he has helped implement, which have recently cost several park rangers their jobs at nearby Joshua Tree National Park. He met attendees who criticized the firings in a town already struggling with employment.

Republican efforts to crack down on immigration have faced pushback as well. Last Friday, state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, several government officials and Riverside County Sheriff and gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco gathered in front of the San Diego County Administration Building to unveil Jones’ new “Safety Before Criminal Sanctuary” legislation.”

California crowd savagely boos Trump transportation secretary

A word to visiting politicos: Don’t tread on California’s transit.

Timothy Karoff, SFGate.com

“On Thursday morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stopped by LA’s Union Station to give a news conference on California’s high-speed rail project. Duffy tore into the project, arguing that it was wasteful and unaccountable, and he announced an upcoming “compliance review” for the $4 billion in federal funds dedicated to the rail system.

But the most striking part of the conference may have been the LA crowd’s vocal protests. Beneath the sound of Duffy’s voice, video of the conference sounds like a hostile sports match, with near-constant waves of boos and chants.

“Build the rail! Build the rail!” protesters chanted at one point; at another, “We pay taxes, we want trains!” One protestor held up a cardboard sign: “Don’t delay our trains.’”

OTHER CALIFORNIA NEWS

Crackdown on power-guzzling data centers may soon come online in California

A spate of new bills in California and other states would protect consumers from electricity rate hikes that subsidize data centers.

Khari Johnson, CalMatters

“California residents now pay the highest price for electricity in the continental U.S., state analysts reported last month. Costs have been driven in part by levies to prevent and insure against wildfires, but the analysts anticipate a less conspicuous source of pressure on power bills going forward: growing electricity demand from data centers.

Tucked away in nondescript buildings, data centers store and transmit the contents of the internet. At least one is involved every time you watch a TikTok video or shop on Amazon. But in recent years, artificial intelligence, and especially new general purpose systems like ChatGPT, has caused server farms to multiply.

That means more power plants to build and more transmission lines to run, leaving state regulators increasingly concerned that the general public will be on the hook for Big Tech’s electricity binge.

In response, California lawmakers have in recent weeks proposed bills to ensure that electricity customers don’t pay for the infrastructure that utility companies build to serve data centers — and to encourage more energy efficiency or use of clean energy on the part of the tech companies, entrepreneurs, and IT departments that utilize the centers.”

California agrees to drop parts of social media law challenged by Elon Musk’s X

The state DOJ says it will enforce what remains of the law, which X had argued violated free speech rights.

Tyler Katzenberger, Politico

“California has agreed to drop portions of a law that requires large social media companies to disclose their policies for handling hate speech, disinformation, harassment and extremism following a legal challenge from Elon Musk’s X.

A settlement reached Monday between state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Musk’s social media platform stops short of tossing the entire law, as X demanded when it first filed the case in 2023, citing First Amendment complaints.

Monday’s settlement follows a September ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which temporarily paused the law from taking effect after a three-judge panel found parts of the law violated the First Amendment.

Under the terms of the settlement, social media platforms will not be required to tell state officials how they define hateful, extremist or misleading speech. Additionally, the state is barred from requiring a platform to disclose data on how often it flags or removes posts that violate its content moderation rules.

However, platforms will still be required to publicly post their terms of service and share a summary of any changes with state officials twice per year. The reports must also share how companies enforce their terms of service and remove content found to violate their platform’s rules.”

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

California dreaming

Like a song whose lyrics escape us but whose shimmering chords remain infinitely memorable, perhaps the best way to define California’s magic is to understand the animating notes — its dominating principles — that harmonize to create the siren call of the Golden State.

Margaret Crable, USC Dornsife

“A better life for ordinary people.’ That, I think, sums up the top three values motivating migration to California: life, the improvement of life, the ability of ordinary people to achieve such improvement for themselves.

Peter Westwick, professor of the practice of Thematic Option and history, illustrates this tenacity by invoking the words of William Brewer, a 19th-century scientist who traveled extensively across the state with the California Geological Survey. Westwick notes that in early 1862, Brewer observed, “No people can so stand calamity as this people. They are used to it. Everyone is familiar with the history of fortunes quickly made and as quickly lost.”

California’s spirit is one of boundless optimism, where dreams of freedom, fortune, and reinvention continue to inspire new generations. From its endless freeways symbolizing personal liberation to the creativity of Hollywood and the resilience of aspirational newcomers, the state remains a beacon of possibility.

Even in the face of challenges, Californians persist, embodying the enduring belief that with grit and vision, a better future is always within reach. It is this unshakable pursuit of the California Dream that defines the Golden State, ensuring its story continues to inspire future generations.”

Why California has a unique relationship with beauty

Understanding the state’s powerful association with beauty offers profound insights into its history, evolution and global reputation.

Susan Bell, USC Dornsife

“Anyone who has visited California knows that the Golden State is easy to love for its stunning natural beauty and the sheer variety of its landscapes. From its dramatic coastline and majestic mountain ranges to its towering redwood forests and the rugged wilderness of its deserts, California has it all.

But the state’s powerful associations with beauty go beyond its sublime landscapes to its reputation as a global driver of personal beauty. In large part inspired and encouraged by Hollywood and celebrity culture, California’s apparent — and often mocked — obsession with the body beautiful also draws from its historic connections to health, fitness and reinvention.

Indeed, California’s enduring relationship with beauty, whether natural or personal, is far more complex than might initially be apparent — profoundly influencing the state’s evolution, its people and its global reputation, for better, and sometimes for worse.”

A ten song trip through Californicana

The Golden State is one of the geographical pillars of country and roots music giving rise to the Bakersfield sound, acid folk, country rock, the Paisley underground and much more.

Richard Parkinson, Americana UK

“What we have on this piece is ten songs taking their names from places in California and the order is a conceptual road trip starting in the South West of the state and ending up in the North East. Some but not all of the performers are from California but that really doesn’t matter as ultimately, it’s a personal selection of songs fitting the theme.”