In Shasta County, California, more than 10,110 flesh-and-blood Americans—not faceless bureaucrats, not shadowy special interests, but neighbors, veterans, parents, and taxpayers—did something extraordinary. They placed their signatures on a valid petition, far exceeding the required threshold, and lawfully placed Measure B, the Voter ID, Hand-Counted Ballots, and Absentee Voting Limits Initiative, on the June 2, 2026, ballot. They did so openly, with their names attached, knowing full well it challenges Sacramento’s one-size-fits-all election mandates. They exercised the most American act imaginable: reclaiming control over the very mechanism that gives government its legitimacy—the ballot box itself.

The United States spends more on healthcare than any other nation, with total expenditures reaching $4.9 trillion in 2023, or about $14,570 per person. This accounts for nearly 18% of GDP, far exceeding the average of other high-income countries, which hover around 9-11% of GDP. Despite this investment, outcomes like life expectancy and infant mortality lag behind peers, raising questions about efficiency. High costs stem from a complex interplay of factors.

While civic engagement is a cornerstone of democracy, these actions have escalated into dangerous situations, exposing young students to violence, arrests, and physical harm. This isn't just youthful activism—it's a troubling pattern in which impressionable adolescents are encouraged to skip class and confront law enforcement, often with dire consequences. The indoctrination of our kids into partisan battles is unacceptable, prioritizing political agendas over their safety and education. New data highlights stark contrasts with past administrations, where communities cooperated more readily, avoiding such tragedies, and underscores inconsistencies in public outrage over crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

In the landscape of American electoral reform, few proposals have sparked as much controversy as the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC). Framed by its supporters as a pragmatic workaround to ensure the presidency goes to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide, critics decry it as a "back door" effort to subvert the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a foundational element of the U.S. Constitution designed to balance power between populous and less populous states. It is the very thing that keeps us from becoming a simple, majority-rule democracy, our Founding Fathers warned us of.