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How colleges hide quotas, California’s deadly economic model and other commentary

Campus watch: How colleges hide quotas

“The demographic makeup of the class of 2028” — the first admitted after the Supreme Court’s racial-preferences ban — “suggests that at least some colleges were playing games rather than obeying the Court’s edict,” reports Naomi Schaefer Riley at Commentary.

At schools like Princeton, Harvard and Yale, the racial make-up changed only slightly or not at all, likely because they used proxies for race, such as information about the challenges applicants faced based on their schools and neighborhoods — info admissions offices get via Landscape, a tool provided by the College Board, the nonprofit that runs the SATs and AP exams.

“The College Board is colluding in the creation of a complex new system for schools to identify the race of a student without explicitly asking for it.” Universities need to be held “to account.” 

“Lots of well-intentioned political leaders . . . think it’s a great idea” to move city elections to “coincide with the year we pick presidential candidates,” but “I don’t,” warns New York magazine’s Errol Louis.

“National political dynamics would inevitably cause vital city issues unique to New York to get swallowed, distorted, or ignored.” “Imagine trying to help voters focus on strictly local matters . . . while national candidates are spending hundreds of millions of dollars” on “ads for and against sweeping” national proposals. This is exactly why city elections got moved to odd-numbered years in the first place.

“New York is better off deciding local issues without a lot of political noise coming from — or intended for — other places.”

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San Francisco Judge Forces Trump To Keep Funding Sanctuary Cities

A federal judge in San Francisco ruled on Friday that the Trump administration cannot suspend funding to 34 ‘sanctuary’ cities which limit or refuse cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

US District Judge William Orrick  – a rich kid lawyer appointed by former President Barack Obama to the US District Court for the Northern District of California – ordered the extension of a preliminary injunction barring the administration from blocking funding or placing conditions on federal  funding for those jurisdictions. Orrick also prevented the administration from imposing immigration-related conditions on two particular grant programs. 

The Trump administration initially tried to block funding to dozens of cities and counties over sanctuary city policies – cutting off their Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants due to noncompliance with federal immigration enforcement. 

The protected cities include; Boston, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Baltimore, San Jose, San Diego and others – while major counties covered include Multnomah County in Oregon, which encompasses Portland; Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, which encompasses Pittsburgh; and Hennepin County in Minnesota, which encompasses Minneapolis, the Epoch Times reports, nothing further; 

The Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on sanctuary communities as it seeks to make good on President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to remove millions of people who are in the country illegally.

One executive order issued by Trump directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal money from sanctuary jurisdictions. Another order directs every federal agency to ensure that payments to state and local governments do not “abet so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies that seek to shield illegal aliens from deportation.”

In May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a list of more than 500 “sanctuary jurisdictions” and said that all of those municipalities and counties would be sent a formal notification deeming them to be noncompliant with the Trump administration’s orders. Those officials would also be informed by DHS on whether they were said to be in violation of any federal laws.

Orrick said in his order that the administration’s decisions to withhold federal funding in those jurisdictions are a “coercive threat” that he deemed to be “unconstitutional.”

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Court Orders Fani Willis to Provide New Information About Her Trump RICO Case and Collusion with Jack Smith

A Georgia state court ordered embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to provide more information about her RICO case against Trump and collusion with Jack Smith.

The Fulton County Superior Court last year found Fani Willis in default for refusing to hand over documents in an open records lawsuit.

Fani Willis refused to answer a public records lawsuit seeking records of her communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the January 6 Committee.

Last year, conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch asked the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia to declare a default judgment against Fani Willis after she refused to respond to its lawsuit related to communications she had with Jack Smith and the sham January 6 Committee.

In 2022, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan launched an investigation into whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis coordinated with federal officials during her years-long probe into Trump and his associates.

Chairman Jordan in his letter to Fani Willis requested all documents and communications between or among the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and DOJ and its components, including but not limited to the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith, referring or relating to your office’s investigation of President Donald Trump or any of the other eighteen individuals against whom charges were brought in the indictment.

In referring to Jim Jordan’s letter to Fani Willis, Judicial Watch filed a Georgia Open Records Act request seeking records of her communications with Jack Smith.

According to Judicial Watch: The court ordered Willis “to conduct a diligent search of her records for responsive materials within five business days of the entry of this Order. Within that same five day period, Defendant is ORDERED to provide Plaintiff with copies of all responsive records that are not legally exempted or excepted from disclosure.” [Emphasis in original] Willis’ office responded with zero non-public documents.

On Monday, the court ordered Fani Willis to provide new information about her search for records related to her anti-Trump lawfare and collusion with Jack Smith.

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Migrant crime and carjackings ‘don’t matter to that many Americans,’ left-wing think tank VP tells Democrats 

A speaker at the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) summer meeting on Monday urged Democrats not to copy President Trump’s tough-on-crime approach – arguing that migrant crime, carjackings and other public safety threats “don’t matter to that many Americans.” 

Insha Rahman, the vice president for advocacy and partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice, made the shocking statement as she framed Trump’s Washington, DC, crime crackdown as a “huge opportunity” for the Democratic Party. 

“You want to talk about the crime issues voters care about,” Rahman explained to Democrats, as she shared the results of a recent poll commissioned by Vera’s political advocacy arm, showing which types of crimes respondents believe will most impact them personally.

The poll from the George Soros-funded think tank showed gun violence at the top of the list (36%), followed by homelessness and public drug use (34%), muggings or assaults (34%), opioids and fentanyl abuse (31%), retail theft (29%), carjackings (29%) and migrant crime (28%). 

“Where does Trump go?” Rahman continued. “Migrant crime, carjackings, the really lurid, awful stuff that is a crazy, crazy visual.” 

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New Details Suggest the California ‘FireAid’ Fundraiser Scandal is Even Worse Than People Thought

After the wildfires of California earlier this year, leaders in the state joined with a number of Hollywood celebrities and famous musicians and did a fundraiser event called ‘FireAid’ that managed to raise $100 million which they claimed would go directly to the victims.

Several weeks ago, an independent journalist did a deep dive into the funds and found that none of the victims had seen a dime of the money. Based on her research, she found that the money had gone to a number of non-profit organizations.

Now, the Washington Free Beacon has done an even deeper dive into the issue and it looks even worse. Some of the non-profits that received this money have absolutely nothing to do with the issue of fire recovery or even base their assistance on race.

From the Free Beacon:

FireAid announced in February that it would distribute the money it raised “equitably,” a promise it appears to have kept. Greenline Housing Foundation, for instance, received funds from a $4.8 million pool dedicated to health and housing. It noted on its website that no whites need apply.

“In order to qualify for a grant through Greenline Housing Foundation, applicants must be a Black or Hispanic person,” the group stated…

The same is true for the Black Freedom Fund, a Black Lives Matter-era nonprofit dedicated to fighting “systemic racism” and promoting “Black power-building.” The organization—which received money from a $7.6 million pool dedicated to “disaster relief”—stated in a 2023 grant proposal document that it would only assist groups “led and controlled by Black people” and “primarily serving Black people.”

My Tribe Rise, which also received cash from that pool, has a similar mission. Founded in 2019, the organization states that its mission is “to take the stigma out of gangs and to educate people about the positive changes that are possible when people come together to end violence and meet the needs of Black and Brown communities.”

Other groups that have received money through FireAid offer assistance to illegal aliens within California.

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Democrat Official in Virginia Blames Black Republican Winsome Sears for Racist Sign a Liberal Held at Her Event

As the Gateway Pundit reported last week, a liberal white woman in Virginia held up a racist sign to protest black Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.

Sears is the current Lt. Governor of Virginia, who is running for governor against Democrat Abigail Spanberger.

Ever since this incident, Democrats have been trying to do damage control, but the response below is truly something to behold.

This Twitter/X post is from Mark Broklawski, the vice chair of the Virginia Democrat Party.

It reads:

What happened in Arlington wasn’t just about a meeting. It was about the climate Winsome Sears is creating, one where contempt is currency and neighbors are turned against each other.

@SpanbergerForVA is running on something stronger: a Virginia where we solve problems, not invent enemies.

What happened in Arlington wasn’t just about a meeting. It was about the climate Winsome Sears is creating, one where contempt is currency and neighbors are turned against each other.@SpanbergerForVA is running on something stronger: a Virginia where we solve problems, not…

— Marc Broklawski (@marcbroklawski) August 23, 2025

People called this out.

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Zelensky Wants $1 Billion Per Month From NATO Countries To Buy US Weapons

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday that he wants $1 billion per month from NATO countries to purchase US weapons, comments that come as a peace deal seems increasingly unlikely following the summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

NATO recently announced a new scheme under which member states commit to spending on US weapons to ship to Ukraine, known as the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative. So far, about $2 billion has been committed to the effort in pledges from the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Canada.

“Our goal is to fill this program with no less than $1 billion every month,” Zelensky said during a joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Ukraine. “We also discussed our domestic drone production and joint opportunities with partners. Investments now can help not only physically but also force Russia to end this war.”

During his visit to Ukraine, Store pledged that Norway would provide Ukraine with $8.4 billion in aid for 2026, the same amount Norway provided this year. The Norwegian leader said the $8.4 billion will go toward “military and civilian support.”

Zelensky and Store also discussed the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine, an issue that could sink the peace process as Ukraine and its European backers are insisting on some type of arrangement that would involve Western troops deploying to Ukraine, an idea Moscow has made clear is unacceptable and a non-starter for negotiations.

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First Human Case Of Flesh-Eating Screwworm Detected In Sanctuary State Of Maryland 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported the first human case of travel-associated New World screwworm in Maryland after a “patient” returned from El Salvador, according to Reuters, citing HHS spokesman Andrew G. Nixon. Details about the patient’s immigration status were not released, though it’s worth noting that Maryland is a far-left Democratic Party stronghold and a sanctuary state.

Screwworms have been moving north from Central America through Mexico since 2023, with a new case identified in July about 400 miles south of the U.S. border in Veracruz. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) response was to shut down cross-border activity of cattle ports of entry into the U.S. to mitigate the biosecurity threat.  

More details from the Reuters report:

  • HHS reported the first human case of travel-associated New World screwworm in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the parasite on August 4 in a patient returning from El Salvador.
  • Industry sources earlier told Reuters the patient had traveled from Guatemala, and Beef Alliance emails circulated this version to livestock stakeholders. HHS did not clarify the discrepancy.
  • HHS says the risk to U.S. public health is very low. No U.S. animal cases have been reported this year.

For humans, screwworm infestations are survivable with treatment, but this is the first U.S. case that has sent alarm bells across public health officials and the cattle industry. Left untreated, these parasites can kill hosts, such as cattle, wildlife, and pets. 

Here is USDA’s response so far:

  • Sterile fly facility: USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced plans for a new sterile fly facility in Texas (Moore Air Force Base), modeled on past eradication campaigns. The facility will take 2–3 years to build.
  • Mexico is also building a $51 million sterile fly plant in the south. Currently, only one plant exists (Panama City), producing 100 million sterile flies weekly – but 500 million are needed to push infestations back to the Darien Gap.

USDA estimates that a Texas screwworm outbreak could devastate the cattle industry, inflicting $1.8 billion in losses from livestock deaths, labor, and treatment costs. The biothreat comes at a time when the nation’s cattle herd is the smallest in 70 years, beef prices are at record highs, and feedlot margins remain extremely tight.

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California’s Small Cannabis Farmers Have Been Left High and Dry

Dan Golden has been growing weed for almost 20 years. As he hand-watered his plants on his 70-acre farm, he maintained a firm stare. He’s long abstained from alcohol—ever since his daughter was born—and his daily routine begins at 6 am. “This is life or death for me. I’ve never done anything else,” said Golden. The property is seated in a narrow valley in Humboldt County, California, a three-hour drive from the nearest store in Garberville, with large rock outcroppings running east to west. Before 2020, he owned the land outright, but four years ago, he was forced to refinance it to pay for the exorbitant fees and permits required to be a compliant legal cannabis farmer.

Cannabis has long been part of counterculture in America, and arguably no place and its peoples have done more to fuel the evolution of the plant and its mythos than Humboldt County. And yet, perversely, no place has been as left behind by legalization.

Through a series of broken promises, legislative missteps, and onerous compliance measures, the small, legacy farmers once on the front lines of normalizing marijuana for decades have been snuffed out. Now their communities are suffering. “Everyone thinks: Growing weed, that must be fun,” Golden said. “They don’t know how hard it is.”

Since 2016, when cannabis was voted legal for adult use by ballot measure, the market has been rife with snafus in California. Promises to protect those that gave rise to the industry fell flat; instead, these farmers have been met with byzantine laws, expensive permit fees, regulations, and taxes that have hampered their ability to stay competitive in open markets. Most attempts to aid craft cultivators have failed or have been denied, and many farmers say the July 1 increase of the California cannabis excise tax—from 15 percent to 19 percent—could be yet another crushing blow. Though Governor Gavin Newsom said he’d sign a freeze of the increased excise tax if it reached his desk, legislators have so far failed to act.

Many of the players have since quit the game altogether. Agricultural real estate prices have tumbled in Humboldt County as local businesses not directly associated with cannabis try to hold on in the shifting economic landscape. Meanwhile, mega-cannabis corporations dominate the market with questionable labor practices and deflated prices meant to eliminate competition. In typical corporate-capture fashion, these companies have pushed out competitors by sheer scale, lowering their prices so no one else can survive, then, once they’re the only ones left standing, they’re able to jack the prices back up.

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