Blog

California Rolls Back Environmental Restrictions on Urban Housing

California legislators took a rare step in the right direction on Monday when they passed a law rolling back the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) restrictions on building housing in urban “infill” areas.

Calmatters.org explained:

With the passage of a state budget-related housing bill, the California Environmental Quality Act will be a non-issue for a decisive swath of urban residential development in California.

In practice, that means most new apartment buildings will no longer face the open threat of environmental litigation.

It also means most urban developers will no longer have to study, predict and mitigate the ways that new housing might affect local traffic, air pollution, flora and fauna, noise levels, groundwater quality and objects of historic or archeological significance.

Supporters of the rollback noted the acute housing shortage in California, due partly to CEQA regulations and other bureaucratic obstacles that discourage building and that keep many young buyers out of the market.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the rollback as part of his overall $322 billion budget package, which aims to reduce a $12 billion deficit through a series of cuts, including blocking new illegal migrants from enrolling in Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid.

In a statement, Newsom hailed his budget and CEQA rollback bills as part of “[a]dvancing an abundance agenda,” picking up on the new buzzword introduced by liberal wonk Ezra Klein, who argued in a book earlier this year that Democrats should focus on economic growth.

Keep reading

Building the Largest Army in Europe

They say it takes a generation to reshape the way a nation views its military allegiance. Germany dwindled its military capacity significantly after its defeat in the last world war, wearing their loss as a badge of shame. Neither the people nor the government wanted to reinvigorate Germany’s military power after the destructive nation building and expansion under the Third Reich. The times have changed, as they always do, and Germany is now on the defensive. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz envisions forming the largest army in Europe.

“Building up our military is our top priority,” said Merz. “From now on, the federal government will provide the military with as much money as it needs to ensure it becomes Europe’s strongest armed force. We are Europe’s most populous country and Europe’s biggest economy, and nothing less should be expected from us. Our partners not only expect this — they demand it.”

Merz stated that Germany will spend 3.5% of its GDP on military defense over the next decade, placing spending as a percentage on par with the United States. Germany already found a loophole to spend on defense indefinitely after declaring an emergency and deciding to ignore prior military spending limits. The Germany government now plans to spend $400 billion on defense alone through 2029. Simultaneously, the nation will not cut social programs or readjust its overall budget as a constitutional amendment now permits lawmakers to bypass the debt brake and borrow in perpetuity without calculating that spending in the federal budget.

Keep reading

Arizona Voters Will Decide on Designating Drug Cartels Terrorist Organizations

Arizona voters will decide in November on whether or not to designate drug cartels operating at the U.S. Southern border with Mexico as terrorists.

The vote will come after the Arizona state senate failed to pass a measure last year due to a slim Republican majority, per The Hill.

“Arizona is on the frontlines of a war that Washington ignored until President Trump took action. This resolution gives the Trump Administration another tool to defend our state, uphold the rule of law, and protect innocent lives,” state Rep. Steve Montenegro (R) said in a press release.

The resolution comes after the Trump administration added eight drug cartels to its list of terrorist organizations despite pushback from the Mexican government.

“Groups on the list are subject to financial sanctions, and their members cannot legally enter the United States. It is also illegal to give material support to a foreign terrorist organization,” noted The Hill.

“The Arizona ballot initiative would also direct the state Department of Homeland Security to ‘do everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels,’” it added.

Keep reading

Thumbs Up Lands Woman in Hot Water as Germany Cracks Down on Emoji Speech

A German woman is at the center of the latest controversy over the country’s tightening grip on online speech, as prosecutors seek to fine her €1,800 ($2,110) for reacting with emojis to a social media post.

The case highlights how even the most minimal forms of digital expression are now being scrutinized under Germany’s expansive interpretation of criminal law.

The 64-year-old from Lohfelden, Hesse, found herself under investigation after responding with three thumbs-up emojis beneath a post on X.

The original post reported on a 15-year-old Swedish girl who had killed the migrant man who raped her, and included the comment, “Does he now have 77 virgins?”

According to the Kassel public prosecutor’s office, the woman’s emoji reaction amounted to endorsing the killing and expressing satisfaction that it had targeted a migrant.

Months after her October 26 interaction, she received a formal penalty notice, ordering her to pay 60 daily rates of €30 each.

The fine, totaling €1,800, was confirmed by the prosecution when contacted by Apollo News.

The penalty order, parts of which the woman has shared publicly, alleges: “You agreed with this post as a user (…) by clicking ‘thumbs up’ three times. You were aware that in this way you publicly approved of an intentional killing by way of unauthorized vigilantism, and you were particularly pleased that this vigilantism was perpetrated against a migrant.”

Authorities also claim she adopted the “77 virgins” remark to ridicule the dead rapist.

This interpretation of her emoji use, entirely shaped by the prosecutor’s reading of intent, reflects a growing trend of criminalizing expressions of opinion online.

The woman retains the right to appeal, and if she does, the case will proceed to a full trial.

Germany’s crackdown on digital speech has seen several such incidents in recent years.

Keep reading

Zohran Mamdani: End Goal Is ‘Seizing the Means of Production’

Self-proclaimed socialist and Democrat nominee for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, said in 2021 that his “end goal” is “seizing the means of production,” despite recently claims that he is not a communist.

Mamdani, a New York state assemblyman and member of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), shared his method to “win socialism” while appearing virtually at a DSA conference to mobilize young people in February 2021:

What the purpose is about this entire project — it’s not simply to raise class consciousness, but to win socialism. And obviously, raising class consciousness is a critical part of that, but making sure that we have candidates that both understand that and are willing to put that forward at every which moment that they have … We have to continue to elect more socialists, and we have to ensure that we are unapologetic about our socialism.

Naming other issues that socialists “firmly believe in,” Mamdani went on to highlight the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and the “end goal of seizing the means of production, where we do not have the same level of support at this very moment.”

“Organize for what is correct and for what is right, and to ensure that over time, we can bring people to that issue,” the mayoral candidate continued. “The ramifications of victory here is the difference between life and death for so many of our brothers and sisters and family beyond the binary across this borough of Queens.”

He added that socialism will bring policies like “sex work being decriminalized.”

Advocating for “seizing the means of production” is a cornerstone of Marxist and communist thought, as it was popularized by philosopher Karl Marx.

Keep reading

CNN in Hot Water With Trump Admin After Promoting App That Tracks the Location of ICE Agents: ‘Sickening’

Trump administration officials are seething after CNN reported on “ICEBlock,” a new app designed to alert illegal immigrants to the nearby presence of ICE agents.

CNN helped promote the app, currently utilized by just 20,000 users who are mostly confined to the Los Angeles area, in a report on Monday. With the network’s help, that number will almost certainly skyrocket.

Joshua Aaron, the app’s developer, told the outlet he felt compelled to design something after seeing illegal alien arrests that reminded him of Nazi Germany. Because, of course.

“When I saw what was happening in this country, I wanted to do something to fight back,” Aaron said.

ICEBlock allows users to add a pin on a map showing where they spotted agents. They’re also capable of adding details about the agent’s appearance, such as what they’re wearing and what they’re driving.

Is it any wonder ICE agents are opting for masks?

Keep reading

US Revokes Visas for British Punk-Rap Duo Over Anti-Israel Chant

The State Department revoked the U.S. visas of the British punk-rap band Bob Vylan, following the group’s anti-Israel comments at a world-famous English music festival. 

Lead singer Bobby Vylan led attendees at his June 28 concert at the Glastonbury Festival in chants of “Death, death to the IDF!” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

The concert came just days after the United States and Israel engaged in an offensive against Iranian nuclear sites, and almost two years after Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, prompting Israeli military actions in Gaza aimed at eliminating the Palestinian terrorist group and freeing the hostages taken by it. The ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict also triggered protests by pro-Palestinian activists against Israel’s military responses.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced in a June 30 X post that “The [State Department] has revoked the U.S. visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”

The band was scheduled later this year to make appearances in cities across the nation, including Washington, Utah, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and other states.

During the weekend show, Vylan chanted against the IDF while performing in front of 200,000 people at the festival, held in Somerset, England, which is one of the world’s largest music events.

Keep reading

Trump’s justice department issues directive to strip naturalized Americans of citizenship for criminal offenses

The Trump administration has codified its efforts to strip some Americans of their US citizenship in a recently published justice department memo that directs attorneys to prioritize denaturalization for naturalized citizens who commit certain crimes.

The memo, published on 11 June, calls on attorneys in the department to institute civil proceedings to revoke a person’s United States citizenship if an individual either “illegally procured” naturalization or procured naturalization by “concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation”.

At the center of the move are the estimated 25 million US citizens who immigrated to the country after being born abroad, according to data from 2023 – and it lists 10 different priority categories for denaturalization.

According to the memo, those subjected to civil proceedings are not entitled to an attorney like they are in criminal cases. And the government has a lighter burden of proof in civil cases than they do in criminal ones.

The memo claims such efforts will focus on those who are involved “in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses … [and] naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the US”.

The directive gives justice department attorneys wider discretion on when to pursue denaturalization, including in instances of lying on immigration forms, cases where there is financial fraud or medical fraud against the US or against private individuals; and cases referred by a US attorney’s office or in connection with pending criminal charges.

The justice department’s civil rights division has been placed at the forefront of Trump’s policy objectives, including ending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs within the government as well as ending transgender treatments, among other initiatives.

That comes as the US’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agency registered its 13th in-custody death for the fiscal year beginning in October 2024. There had been 12 such deaths during the entire fiscal year that finished at the end of September 2024.

On Friday Jim Ryan, president of the University of Virginia, resigned amid an investigation by the justice department’s civil rights division. The investigation took aim at the university’s DEI programs and its continuing to consider race and ethnicity in various programs and scholarships.

The justice department also took the unusual step in recent days of suing 15 federal district court judges in Maryland over an order blocking the immediate deportation of migrants challenging their removal.

The justice department’s civil rights division is reportedly in disarray as its traditional mission – to combat racial discrimination after the civil rights movement – is reshaped by priorities stemming from the president’s executive orders. About 250 attorneys – or 70% of the division’s lawyers – were believed to have left the department in the time between January and the end of May, according to a recent National Public Radio (NPR) report.

The memo’s focus on denaturalization comes as at least one person has been denaturalized in recent weeks.

Keep reading

Colorado Christian Camp Wins Legal Victory Against State’s Radical Transgender Rules

Colorado officials have reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit with a Christian summer camp, allowing the camp to continue operating according to its religious beliefs on biological sex.

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) announced a new regulation early this year requiring resident camps to provide access to restrooms, showers, dressing areas, and sleeping facilities that align with campers’ gender identities rather than their biological sex. The CDEC said the regulation was based on rules from the Colorado Civil Rights Commission implementing the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.

The Federalist recently reported the story of IdRaHaJe, a cherished Christian camp in Colorado that has embraced children of all faiths for 77 years. This camp sought a religious exemption from the CDEC to maintain its biblical beliefs about biological sex. Unfortunately, the CDEC not only denied this request but also directed the camp to seek legal assistance, putting IdRaHaJe at risk of losing its license and facing closure due to its refusal to conform to the state’s leftist gender regulations.

In response, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), serving as IdRaHaJe’s legal counsel, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. ADF aimed to protect IdRaHaJe’s right to religious freedom and its mission to operate according to its core beliefs.

Just a month following the lawsuit, ADF announced a significant victory: IdRaHaJe and the state of Colorado reached a favorable settlement. As part of this agreement, Colorado committed not to take any enforcement action against Camp IdRaHaJe for alleged violations of the gender identity requirements. The CDEC clarified on its website that “churches, synagogues, mosques, or any other place that is principally used for religious purposes, including Camp IdRaHaJe,” are exempt from the requirements. This outcome is crucial. It allows IdRaHaJe and other religious organizations to continue their vital work of ministering in alignment with their faith and understanding of biological sex.

The settlement is welcoming news for Cathy, a Colorado mom who has sent her two kids to Camp IdRaHaJe multiple times over the years. She shared that her kids attending IdRaHaJe was “an experience like no other summer camp, helped build on the foundation of faith we have, and encouraged them to make their own choices in their faith journey!”

The response from the CDEC was noteworthy. On its website, it attempted to spin its loss as a win, highlighting that Camp IdRaHaJe voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit. Yet, the CDEC conveniently ignored the crucial fact that the ADF filed a voluntary notice of dismissal as a direct result of the settlement. Furthermore, the CDEC shifted its narrative, asserting that its gender-identity regulation has never targeted or restricted religious organizations like Camp IdRaHaJe.

Keep reading

Moscow Forces Complete Conquest of Luhansk Region, One of the Cradles of the War, Fighting Since 2014 to Secede from Ukraine and Join Russia

While the world is fixated on Middle East tensions, Russian forces continue pounding military and strategic targets all over Ukraine.

Having amassed an enormous cache of kamikaze drones and missiles, Moscow is methodically implementing its ‘war of attrition’.

As we have often discussed here on TGP, in this kind of warfare the main objective is not so much territorial gains, but rather a campaign to degrade the enemy’s capabilities to the point it can’t fight anymore.

The only reason why this ‘attrition’ took more than a few months to be accomplished is that the US under Biden and all the other western powers have flooded the Kiev regime with unprecedented amounts of military aid to the tune of half a trillion dollars – but now, three and a half years later, the Ukrainian capabilities are again on the brink of destruction.

To accomplish that, the Russians have now in June unleashed the strongest drone and missile strike campaign of the whole war.

Keep reading