Saturday's Smackdown on This Week’s News

California's Dangerous Slide Toward Socialism, AOC Blames Christians for Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Emails Reveal Capitol Police Had Early Warnings of January 6 Protests, and more!

Gov. Newsom inches California closer to becoming a socialist state

California's Dangerous Slide Toward Socialism

In a recent display of political grandstanding, California Governor Gavin Newsom proudly signed AB 1228, the Fast Food Franchisor Responsibility Act, heralding it as a historic moment.

However, what Newsom and his allies in the state legislature portray as progress is nothing short of a dangerous step toward socialism, threatening the livelihoods of small business owners and the very essence of the American dream.

Under this new legislation, fast-food workers in California are promised the highest guaranteed base pay in the industry nationwide, $20 per hour. While this might sound like a generous gesture, it comes at an exorbitant cost to the very people it purports to help.

The National Owners Association (NOA), representing over a thousand McDonald's franchise owners, has sounded the alarm.

They argue that these draconian rules will introduce costs that the current business model cannot absorb. A staggering annual cost of $250,000 per McDonald's restaurant is projected, placing an unbearable burden on local franchisees who have invested their hard-earned money and time into these businesses.

What's particularly disheartening is that 95% of the 1,300 McDonald's restaurants in California are locally owned and operated by small business owners.

These are the people who risked everything to build their American dream, only to find it under threat from a government that seems more interested in appeasing labor unions than supporting its own citizens.

Adding fuel to the fire, Governor Newsom has also signed a law raising the minimum wage for healthcare workers to $25 per hour over the next decade.

This move, touted as a victory for labor unions, further exacerbates the state's struggling budget. California's Medicaid program is a significant source of revenue for hospitals, and the wage increase will force the state to increase Medicaid payments by billions of dollars.

It is another example of a shortsighted policy that places ideology ahead of practicality.

In the end, Governor Newsom's actions are a stark reminder of the dangerous path California is heading down, one that prioritizes socialism over free-market principles and special interests over the needs of its citizens.

It's a path that threatens the livelihoods of small business owners, stifles entrepreneurship, and undermines the very foundations of our democracy.

AOC Blames Christians as a Key Factor in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asserts that Christian fundamentalism plays a significant role in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "It's not just Islamic, it's not just Jewish; it is also Christian," Ocasio-Cortez states. Read more:

Emails Reveal Capitol Police Had Early Warnings of January 6 Protests

Judicial Watch obtained emails through the common law right to access, revealing that despite having numerous early warnings, the U.S. Capitol Police did not respond adequately on January 6th. Perhaps most disturbing was an email alerting officials to an online website soliciting information on high-level government officials and their expected whereabouts on January 6th. Read more:

Surge in Aliens Arriving From Countries That Favor or Support Terrorism

In a startling revelation, over 70,000 migrants, labeled as 'special interest aliens,' have been detained at the U.S. southern border over the past two years, according to leaked data from Customs and Border Protection. Read more:

School Faces $30M Lawsuit Over Allegations of Sex Assault Cover-Up

The family of a teenage girl who was sexually assaulted in a high school bathroom has filed a $30 million lawsuit against Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia. Read more:

Iowa Town Faces Lawsuit for Violating Free Speech Rights of Resident

A small town in Newton, Iowa, is now embroiled in a federal lawsuit for violating the civil rights of a young man who criticized the local police department during a City Council meeting. A young man argues that the town infringed on his constitutional rights when he was arrested twice for expressing his grievances during the public comment period of a City Council meeting. Read more:

Martin Mawyer is president of the Christian Action Network, which he founded in 1990. Located in Lynchburg, VA, CAN was formed as a non-profit educational organization to protect America’s religious and moral heritage. He is the author of several books, including You Are Chosen: Prepare to Triumph in a Fallen World.