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This content is available for free to all subscribers. But you really should consider a paid subscription. This unlocks our afternoon e-mails, our Saturday “What is Jon Reading” e-mail, and analysis on breaking news. Normally a subscription is a modest $7 a month or just $70 for the year.
[UNLOCKED] Jon’s Weekend Political Reading Recommendations! Articles, Charts, A Video And Happy 100 to Dick Van Dyke!
I am perusing the web all week, and I write about some of the things I find. But I there is so much great stuff that I do not write about, but I collect for this Saturday column. Enjoy.
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THIS FEATURE IS FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS. BUT FOR DECEMBER WE ARE OPENING IT UP FOR OUR FREE SUBSCRIBERS SO YOU CAN SEE THE VALUE OF THIS SATURDAY POST! In the new year, it will be behind the paywall.
This Saturday feature, which is a labor of love for me, is packed with amazing content. It’s very popular. This is a thank-you to our paid subscribers.
THANK YOU for being part of this project and for putting a spotlight on California politics!
Reading Recommendations!
THE BAIT AND SWITCH. SANTA CLARA VOTERS APPROVED A TAX HIKE FOR ONE THING, NOW POLITICIANS ARE POISED TO DIVERT FUNDS ELSEWHERE
HJTA: Broken Promises About Taxes And Bonds Are Nothing New
Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (and long a personal friend), zeroes in on Santa Clara County’s Measure A as a textbook case of political bait and switch. Marketed to voters as an emergency bailout for healthcare services supposedly threatened by Trump-era cuts, the tax hike won passage on fear and urgency. Now, Coupal explains, it is becoming clear that large portions of the money are being diverted to unrelated priorities. It is a familiar California story: taxes sold as temporary or targeted, then quietly repurposed once the votes are counted.
WE’VE READ ABOUT THE VOTER ID MEASURE ON TRACK TO MAKE THE 2026 NOVEMBER BALLOT. HERE ARE A COUPLE MORE GOOD ONES…
AmSpec: Coming Initiatives Inspire Fear in Sacramento
My longtime friend Steve Greenhut, Western Region Director at the R Street Institute and a frequent contributor to the American Spectator, explains why two emerging ballot initiatives unsettle California’s political establishment. One would curb local taxation power, the other would overhaul burdensome environmental regulations that hinder development. Based on recent voting patterns and high-profile support, these campaigns could reshape state policymaking — and prompt intense resistance from entrenched interests.
NANNY STATE UPDATE: STARTING JANUARY 1 - IT IS ILLEGAL FOR YOUR GROCERY STORE TO SELL YOU A PLASTIC BAG…
California Globe: No More ‘Paper or Plastic…’
My friend Katy Grimes, Editor in Chief of the California Globe, breaks down California’s latest regulatory overreach as the state doubles down on its bag ban beginning January 1. What was sold as an environmental reform now imposes new costs, inconveniences consumers, and exposes the hollow promise of Sacramento’s green agenda. Grimes walks through how lawmakers quietly moved the goalposts again — and why shoppers, not polluters, are left paying the price.
THIS IS A PAINFUL MUST-READ
Politico: ‘Massacred’: The California GOP hits a new low
A hard, unsparing look at the California GOP’s shrinking electoral map and the internal civil war that continues to sap its strength. The piece walks through how demographic realities, redistricting, and factional infighting have left Republicans boxed out of statewide power — and why even winnable opportunities are being squandered. It is uncomfortable, sobering, and challenging to dismiss.
THE DRIVE TOWARDS ORIGINALISM AT SCOTUS
American Mind: I’m Not Tired Of Winning In The Courts
Ilya Shapiro, a respected conservative legal mind and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, argues in The American Mind that the conservative legal movement is not “finished” but at a pivotal stage. Shapiro contends that victories such as overturning Roe and strengthening Second Amendment rights show originalism’s continuing relevance, even as critics call for a broader constitutional vision. The essay previews how legal conservatives must consolidate gains while grappling with cultural and institutional challenges ahead.
Quick Hits…
This 41-second AI ad by McDonald's has been getting pulled down. It’s The Most Terrible Time Of The Year
Fur Seal heads into a New Zealand Bar…
It’s true - a lot of Jewish people go for Chinese food on Christmas Day!
Someone almost sank to death in quicksand in Arches National Park. (You have to play the video).
One Good Chart
SOCIAL MEDIA STILL DOMINATES TEEN LIFE
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This chart from Pew Research makes one point unmistakably clear: social media remains a near-universal part of teenage life. YouTube continues to tower over every other platform, used by almost all U.S. teens, while TikTok and Instagram also command large majorities. A significant share of teens report being on these platforms daily — and many say they are online “almost constantly.”
I was surprised by how few teens are on X and Facebook.
Check out this study on the Pew website. In fact, the information on the everyday use of ChatBots (ChatGPT, etc.) is fascinating.
One Good Video
Well, first you have to get past one weird video. My friend Will O’Neill says that in this video immediately below, Gavin Newsom seems to be some cross between Kamala Harris’ iconic babble and the jargon-heavy speak of Silicon Valley. What do you think? It’s a bizarre intro by Gavin Newsom to his upcoming book. He got the video loser of the week award for it…
But below is the actual good video. When she wants to, no one can deliver a take-down with more surgical precision than Megyn Kelly. Her reaction to this video? Priceless…
Megyn Kelly is joined by Tom Bevan, Carl Cannon, and Andrew Walworth, RealClearPolitics Hosts, to discuss Gavin Newsom’s book announcement, the inauthentic way he’s trying to address his authenticity problem, the truth about his upbringing, whether he has a real shot in 2028, and more.
One Long Read…
MEANINGFUL PERMITTING REFORM THAT REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CAN AGREE ON
Congress is finally flirting with real permitting reform—but it can still blow the opportunity. Energy-abundance expert Alex Epstein argues that the fastest path to a bipartisan deal is to start with the House’s SPEED and PERMIT Acts, then negotiate improvements that are both tech-neutral and genuinely comprehensive. The payoff is vast: shaving years off approvals for everything from pipelines and nuclear plants to ports, mines, and wildfire-prevention projects. It is a long read, but I like it because it lays out a specific path to greater prosperity in America and to undo “enforced errors” in current laws, while warning against a “reform” package that quietly tilts the field toward favored technologies or subsidizes costly wind/solar transmission.
On This Day… In 1925..
ACTOR DICK VAN DYKE WAS BORN. TODAY HE IS 100 YEARS OLD!
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Today, Dick Van Dyke turns 100 years old — a milestone that feels almost impossible precisely because his work has never aged.
For generations of Americans, Van Dyke has been a constant presence: a source of joy, optimism, physical comedy, and warmth that transcended eras, politics, and trends. From The Dick Van Dyke Show to Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and countless television appearances, he embodied a kind of decency and exuberance that now feels increasingly rare.
What made Van Dyke remarkable was not just his talent — though his timing, movement, and musical ability were extraordinary — but his tone. He never spoke down to audiences. He invited them in. His humor was clean without being bland, smart without being smug, and joyful without being naïve.
In an industry often obsessed with cynicism and reinvention, Van Dyke stood for something steadier: professionalism, kindness, and genuine love for entertaining people. Even late into his life, he remained curious, playful, and deeply grateful for the career he was given.
A century after his birth, Dick Van Dyke remains a reminder that culture can uplift without preaching, entertain without tearing down, and endure without losing its soul.
Happy 100th birthday to a true American original.
Have a great weekend! If you are a free subscriber reading this, now is the time to upgrade so you can read these every week of the New Year!
Jon
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