California is once again at the center of the nation’s automotive and energy policy debate. With federal electric vehicle tax credits set to expire this September, the state is considering whether to create its own replacement program. This would not only affect car buyers but could also reshape the national conversation on emissions rules, vehicle affordability, and the balance of power between state and federal regulators.With its ZEV mandate and aggressive environmental policies, California is pushing automakers, consumers, and policymakers to adapt — whether they’re ready or not. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a report on August 19 recommending that the state consider “backfilling” the federal credits with its own point-of-sale rebates, vouchers, or other incentives to keep EV sales moving. The details remain vague, but the intention is clear: California wants to keep its aggressive zero-emission vehicle goals on track, even as Washington scales back related programs.Emissions missionBut California has been here before. This is not the first time the state has clashed with the federal government over vehicle regulations — and it likely won’t be the last.California has a unique history when it comes to vehicle emissions. Decades before the federal government created the Environmental Protection Agency, California was already regulating air quality in response to its smog problem. When the Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, California was granted a waiver that allowed it to set its own stricter emissions standards. Other states were given the option to adopt California’s rules, and some states have done so. Today, 11 states follow California’s lead. This waiver authority has made California an outsize force in shaping vehicle propulsion. Automakers cannot ignore a market of this size, which means California’s rules often become de facto national standards.Better red than fedCalifornia’s regulatory independence has not always sat well with Washington. Under different administrations, the federal government has either supported or resisted the state’s authority. During the Obama years, California partnered with the federal government to create a unified fuel economy and emissions program, giving automakers a single set of national rules. Under the Trump administration, the EPA rolled back certain emissions standards, sparking legal battles with California, which insisted on enforcing its own tougher rules. The state formed alliances with other states and even some automakers to defend its position. Today, with federal EV tax credits expiring at the end of September and policy focus shifting, California is again stepping into the driver’s seat by proposing its own financial incentives. These ongoing disputes highlight a deeper question: Should environmental and automotive policy be driven by national uniformity or by one state acting as the policy leader?Forever ZEV?The discussion over tax credits cannot be separated from California’s ZEV mandate. Under CARB’s plan, automakers must steadily increase the percentage of EVs they sell, with the ultimate goal of phasing out new gasoline-powered vehicle sales by 2035. This is one of the most ambitious policies in the country, and automakers are scrambling to meet the targets. Some states, such as New York and Massachusetts, have pledged to follow California’s lead, while others remain skeptical. For consumers, this means that vehicle availability will increasingly be shaped by government mandates and not by market demand. Even if gas-powered cars remain popular, automakers will need to balance that demand with regulatory compliance.Different strokesThe CARB report suggests that any new program would differ from the federal credits in key ways. Instead of tax credits, buyers could receive point-of-sale rebates, allowing them to benefit immediately rather than waiting until tax season. Incentives may also vary depending on income level, vehicle type, or price, so luxury EVs could receive lower rebates while affordable models get more support. Additionally, any new program would be tied to yearly funding availability, meaning that if budgets tighten, rebates could shrink or disappear. This approach could make the system more flexible, but it also introduces uncertainty for buyers trying to plan their purchases. In the past, the state of California and other states have run out of money in the EV fund and left buyers with nothing.RELATED: Little Deuce Prius?! California's shocking plan to ban classic cars Justin Sullivan/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesElectric slideThe promise of continued incentives may be welcome news for some California drivers, but the reality is more complicated. EVs still come with challenges beyond sticker price. Even with rebates, EVs are often thousands of dollars more expensive than comparable gasoline cars. California has built more chargers than any other state, yet many regions remain underserved, and home charging is not always an option, particularly for renters. EVs also tend to depreciate faster than gas vehicles due to rapid advances in technology and concerns about battery life. Insurance rates are higher on electric vehicles as well. And let’s not forget a major expense: Electricity rates are rising at double the rate of inflation. One of the key criticisms of EV subsidies is that they often benefit wealthier households. Data from federal programs has shown that a large percentage of credits went to buyers in higher income brackets because these households are more likely to purchase new cars, and EVs remain disproportionately concentrated in the premium market segment. California may attempt to address this with scaled incentives, but questions remain about whether the system can truly deliver benefits to everyone. Meanwhile, working-class families who rely on affordable used cars may find themselves subsidizing programs that they cannot realistically take advantage of.Bowing to the bearFor automakers, California’s decisions carry immense weight. The state accounts for nearly 12% of U.S. auto sales, and when you include the other states that follow its rules, the market share becomes impossible to ignore. Manufacturers that fail to meet California’s requirements face penalties, while those that comply can earn credits to sell or trade. This system has created an uneven playing field, favoring companies with strong EV lineups. Tesla, for instance, has profited significantly from selling ZEV credits to competitors in the past. If California establishes a robust new rebate system, it could further tilt the market toward EVs, encouraging automakers to prioritize them even more, take greater losses on each vehicle.Off the marketAt its core, this debate is about whether government policy should drive technology adoption or whether the market should dictate the pace. California argues that aggressive incentives and mandates are necessary to address climate goals and push the auto industry forward. Critics counter that these policies distort the market, forcing automakers and taxpayers to shoulder costs that may not align with consumer demand. They also warn of unintended consequences, such as reduced affordability, lack of charging stations, and strained electrical infrastructure.California’s proposal to replace expiring federal EV tax credits with state-funded incentives is the latest chapter in a decades-long story of the state asserting its role as the nation’s automotive regulator. With its ZEV mandate and aggressive environmental policies, California is pushing automakers, consumers, and policymakers to adapt — whether they’re ready or not. For some wealthier car buyers, this could mean continued financial support when purchasing an EV, but it also raises questions about long-term effectiveness. For taxpayers, it means another debate about where funds should be directed and increased taxes for residents. For the auto industry, it underscores more losses on vehicles that are designed by one state’s demands.As history shows, when California moves, the rest of the country often feels the impact. The next few months will reveal whether the state can successfully design a program that keeps EV sales going without overburdening its citizens with more increased taxes. But one thing is certain: California still has significant power over the U.S. auto industry.

Every summer, the shadowy Bohemian Club — a private gentlemen’s society based in San Francisco — hosts a clandestine retreat called “Bohemian Grove” in Monte Rio, California, where highly influential men in politics, business, media, culture, and entertainment gather for two weeks on a secluded 2,700-acre private property deep in the redwood forests.The event is shrouded in mystery — no paparazzi, no women, no entry without an invitation, and lots of whispers of strange rituals and elite networking.Twenty-five years ago, Infowars founder Alex Jones snuck in and secretly recorded one of Bohemian Grove’s most cherished rituals: the "Cremation of Care.”On a podcast with Glenn Beck, Jones shared the wild tale of his Bohemian Grove infiltration. The Cremation of Care is a theatrical ceremony, where attendees burn an effigy before a large owl statue to symbolically banish worldly concerns for the duration of the retreat. It’s similar to how Burning Man attendees set fire to the “Temple” on the final day of the festival to represent letting go of personal burdens.“It’s occultic, and there’s vibes of that everywhere,” says Jones of the event. He explains that Mark Twain founded Bohemian Grove in the late 1800s, but it was later taken over by the Republican establishment and Skull and Bones (a secret society at Yale University), which is what gives the gathering its secretive, Germanic, druidic, and Masonic character.After sneaking in with Jon Ronson, a British journalist and documentary filmmaker, who gained access via an insider, Jones, having narrowly escaped inquisitive Secretive Service guards, hid under the deck of one of the cabins.“I got into the woods, got to the first camp and nobody was there, and I climbed up underneath the log cabin deck, and there were like literally centipedes and spiders. It was like 'Indiana Jones Temple of Doom,'” he laughs.At nightfall, he emerged from his hiding place and stealthily joined a large crowd walking toward the lake.And then he beheld it: the infamous stone owl.Jones paints a chilling scene straight from a thriller’s darkest frame — “big crowds of men coming in hundreds and hundreds,” descending a shadowy hill, dwarfed by towering redwoods so colossal their trunks could swallow cars whole. “Bats and frogs” stir the murky air with restless flutters and croaks, their eerie chorus blending with a live symphony’s foreboding rendition of “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”Jones, trying to fly under the radar, then climbed into a redwood tree and recorded the “dramatic footage” of the burning ritual.“They mixed in Babylonian, druidic, Canaanite, faustian stuff in the hour. They bring out a hearse that's horse drawn with the effigy of a child. They then call on the goddess to come and they call these other gods to come,” Jones recounts. “So it's kind of an amalgamation like the Bible says of all these religions.”In retrospect, especially after receiving Bohemian Grove annals years later, Jones says he realized that famous people, including American broadcaster Walter Cronkite, played the voice of the owl. These voice actors were stationed inside the statue where they controlled sounds, such as amplified voices or eerie effects, to enhance the theatrical atmosphere.“I'm not saying they're all devil worshipers ... it's more of a crazy art festival, but there is an occultic thing to it,” he tells Glenn.The duo speculate that the majority of attendees are there just to have a good time, but the inner ring of people who control the event are indeed hosting legitimate pagan rituals, even if their guests aren’t aware.Jones says the masterminds orchestrating the retreat use these two weeks to assess who among their guests might be of use to them. Jones recalls how most of the Bohemian Grove crowd was just having fun, but there were some, especially the official Bohemian Club members, who clearly took the ritual seriously. One man — “some billionaire,” he says — practically growled “this is a very important ritual” when Jones suggested it was a “neat” spectacle.The members “were trying to transmute their problems onto this ritual” in hopes that “Karma” or some other vengeful deity would “pass over them,” he explains, calling the burning “very hardcore.”“It was very sophisticated, very dark, [and] beyond black magic,” he says, explaining that the burning, like many ancient pagan rituals, aimed at casting one’s sins into an “interdimensional cauldron” before “[sending] it to another plane.” In other words, it’s the satanic version of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice that atoned for the sins of man.To hear Jones’ full recount, watch the interview above.Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in … The post The Editors’ Quote of the Day:  appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds … The post Editors’ Prepping Progress appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.

Editor’s Introductory Note: This essay was first posted at Brandon Smith’s Alt-Market.us. It is reposted with permission. — It’s a strange thing. I was writing today about the tests of brutality we endure in the Western world in modern times, trying to explain why things cannot continue the way they have been for much longer, when the news hit the feeds on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I forced myself to watch the video footage, just as I forced myself to watch the recent murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by a black man on a train who then bragged … The post Men Of The West: We Are At War, by Brandon Smith appeared first on SurvivalBlog.com.