Rex Ballard

Opinion by Rex Ballard, Shasta Unfiltered As the Shasta County Board of Supervisors wraps up budget hearings for the FY 2026-27 recommended $658 million spending plan, county officials are patting themselves on the back for "balancing" another budget. All while assuring everyone that major cuts to critical departments can be absorbed with little pain. Just delete some vacant positions, they say. No layoffs, just some furloughs. Minimal impact on services. Sorry, but the whole thing smells...

American Patriot Series “Give me liberty, or give me death!” The words thundered through St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, on March 23, 1775. A fiery young orator named Patrick Henry stood before the Second Virginia Convention, his voice rising like a storm. With clenched fists and blazing eyes, he painted a vivid picture of British chains closing around the colonies. The hall fell silent as he delivered one of the most electrifying speeches in American history — a call to arms that...

Opinion Sundial bridge, Redding, CA - Credit: California.com "Why Redding, CA is the Perfect Place to Call Home" As the Shasta County Board of Supervisors wraps up hearings on the FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget, the numbers paint a familiar but troubling picture. The proposed $658 million budget reflects a roughly $27 million (4%) decrease from the prior year, with discretionary revenues projected to drop nearly 9%. Personnel costs, retiree health obligations, courthouse demolition, and the...

REDDING — The Shasta County Board of Supervisors continued reviewing the recommended $658 million FY 2026-27 budget this week. This plan reflects a roughly $27 million reduction from last year. Wednesday’s session (June 10) focused on Support Services and the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). Thursday (June 11) covered public safety departments facing some of the deepest cuts. As covered in our June 9 recap, the budget includes increases for some offices — such as the District Attorney...

In a decisive move against years of alleged waste, fraud, and mismanagement, the Trump administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has suspended federal funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). This action marks the first major wave of the White House’s broader fraud task force targeting California’s notoriously ineffective homelessness programs. LAHSA, the primary coordinator of billions in taxpayer dollars aimed at addressing homelessness in Los...

dailyvoice.com Brookline's Dr. Pankaj Merchia Guilty In Medical Fraud Case In another stark example of why Americans must demand accountability in our bloated healthcare and tax systems, Dr. Pankaj Merchia, a 52-year-old former Brookline, Massachusetts sleep medicine physician with ties to Harvard training and multiple medical businesses, was sentenced on June 5, 2026, to 58 months (nearly 5 years) in federal prison. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton also ordered three...

Federal authorities arrested Mahender Makhijani, a 44-year-old lawful permanent resident from India living in the affluent Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach, on charges of bank fraud involving nearly $100 million. The case highlights ongoing concerns about financial crimes, document forgery, and the integrity of lending practices in California's high-end real estate markets. Indian-origin businessman arrested over $100 million bank fraud scheme in California; threatened to 'kill'...

Ex-First Energy executives, Ohio utility regulator charged by state in bailout and bribery scandal • Ohio Capital Journal - Credit: ohiocapitaljournal.com One of the largest public corruption cases in modern U.S. history unfolded in Ohio, where electric utility giant FirstEnergy allegedly funneled tens of millions of dollars in bribes to secure a billion-dollar bailout for its nuclear plants at the expense of ratepayers. The scandal, centered on House Bill 6 (HB6), exposed a web of dark...

Pictures posted by @FreddyLA7, a German football fan touring America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup As the 2026 FIFA World Cup unfolds across the United States, a heartwarming phenomenon is unfolding on social media: European fans arriving for the matches are discovering the real America — and they can't stop raving about it. From massive college football stadiums and endless portions at Buc-ee's to Southern hospitality, BBQ, and the sheer scale of our landscapes, these visitors are experiencing...

No Change in the Relative Position of any Candidates in this Update Shasta County voters participated in the Statewide Direct Primary Election and a special primary for Congressional District 1 on Tuesday, June 2. These are preliminary, unofficial results. Shasta County has processed 55,298 ballots out of 116,380 registered voters (47.52% turnout). There are approximately 97 ballots that remain to be counted. Statewide results are based on approximately 94% of votes counted (per CalMatters/AP...

Photo Credits: (L) localnewsmatters.org and (R) ktvu.com In a major development that should alarm every California property owner, the FBI executed three federal search warrants on Tuesday, June 9, targeting the Contra Costa County Assessor’s Office in Martinez, the home of longtime Assessor Gus Kramer, and the home of Assistant Assessor Vince Robb — who had just won election to succeed Kramer. The raids are part of an ongoing federal investigation reportedly centered on wire fraud and other...

Across America, and right here in California, hyperscale data centers — the massive facilities powering the explosive growth of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure — are proliferating at breakneck speed. Tech giants are racing to build them, promising economic benefits and technological dominance. But local communities, already grappling with high energy costs, water scarcity, and strained infrastructure, are raising legitimate alarms. These concerns are not...

Karmelo Anthony booking photo has been convicted of murder. - Credit: abcnews.com In a case that captured national attention and sparked heated debate over self-defense, race, youth violence, and accountability, a Collin County jury in Texas found 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony guilty of first-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. The jury rejected Anthony’s claim of self-defense and sentenced him to 35 years in prison. The incident occurred on April 2, 2025, at a...

Shasta County voters participated in the Statewide Direct Primary Election and a special primary for Congressional District 1 on Tuesday, June 2. No Change in the Relative Position of any Candidates in this Update These are preliminary, unofficial results. Shasta County has processed nearly all ballots (54,171 ballots cast out of 116,380 registered voters — 46.55% turnout). The estimated number of ballots that remain to be counted ~1600. Statewide results are based on approximately 91% of...

The San Francisco Chronicle’s coverage of Shasta County’s Measure B reads more like activist opposition research than balanced journalism. It frames a voter-approved charter amendment as an extremist assault on “voting rights,” repeatedly deploys “MAGA” and “election denier” labels, and dwells on personal controversies while downplaying the core issues: widespread public distrust in mail-heavy, machine-dependent elections and the right of local voters to demand basic safeguards. California...

Toxic Empathy by Allie Beth Stuckey: | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Recently, Elisa and I had the great fortune to interview Dr. David Thompson and his wife, Becki, about their 35 years in Africa doing medical missionary work. In his concluding remarks, he offered inspiration and said that it is so important to maintain true Godly love for people in their hearts. He was quick to point out that sometimes this love can turn toward "Toxic Empathy". These words are the basis for today's article. In...

In her book Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion, Allie Beth Stuckey identifies a dangerous distortion: empathy becomes toxic when it encourages us to affirm falsehoods, ignore consequences, or support policies that ultimately harm the very people they claim to help. This concept finds a clear and troubling application in American education today. Across the country—and acutely here in California—policymakers and institutions have relaxed or eliminated objective...

Voter Turnout (Shasta County) Ballots Cast: 52,848 Registered Voters: 116,380 Turnout: 45.41% Key Local Races – Shasta County (from official CSV) Shasta County Clerk & Registrar of Voters Joanna Francescut: 58.05% (27,972 votes) Clint Curtis (incumbent): 41.95% (20,212 votes) Shasta County Supervisor, District 1 Erin Resner: 54.54% (4,768 votes) Kevin Crye (incumbent): 38.21% (3,341 votes) Richard Gallardo: 7.25% (634 votes) Shasta County Supervisor, District 5 Mike W. Gallagher: 49.10%...

In a refreshing display of courage amid relentless cultural pressure, the Texas Rangers have once again refused to bow to LGBTQ activism. While 29 other MLB teams hosted Pride Night events this June, the Rangers stood alone in skipping the ritual, opting instead for a Faith and Family Night on June 18 at Globe Life Field. Players like Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, Cody Bradford, Jacob Latz, and Jalen Beeks shared personal testimonies about how faith shapes their lives on and off the field. Faith...

In the heart of one of America’s most iconic cities, a shocking reality unfolds nightly: foreign drug gangs, predominantly migrants from Honduras known as the “Hondos,” have seized control of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. They operate open-air fentanyl and methamphetamine markets with brazen impunity, turning once-vibrant streets into a deadly bazaar where drugs are sold openly to anyone with a few dollars. Even former San Francisco Mayor London Breed acknowledged the problem in 2022...

Imagine arriving in the remote jungles of Gabon in 1977 with little more than faith and determination. Dr. Thompson, a skilled surgeon, and Becky, a trained nurse, faced overwhelming odds from day one. They inherited a basic dispensary at Bongolo Hospital. They transformed it into a full-fledged hospital and surgical center capable of handling complex cases in one of the most challenging environments on Earth.

Picture the sweltering summer of 1787 inside Philadelphia’s State House. The air is thick with frustration and the scent of candle wax. Delegates from thirteen quarreling states argue, sweat, and threaten to walk out as the young republic teeters on the edge of collapse. A young James Madison was a scholar at Princeton. A slight, soft-spoken Virginian, barely five feet four inches tall and weighing less than 100 pounds, sits quietly taking meticulous notes. James Madison rarely raises his...

Shasta County voters participated in the Statewide Direct Primary Election and a special primary for Congressional District 1 on Tuesday, June 2. These remain preliminary results. The June 6 evening update added more ballots. Estimated ballots still to be processed: 11,654. Official certification is expected in early July. All figures are unofficial and subject to change. Voter Turnout (Latest – Shasta County) Ballots Cast: 43,717 Registered Voters: 116,380 Turnout: 37.56% (rising; expected...

Shasta County voters participated in the Statewide Direct Primary Election and a special primary for Congressional District 1 on Tuesday, June 2. These remain preliminary results. The June 5 evening update added more ballots. Estimated ballots still to be processed: ~21,500. Official certification is expected in early July. All figures are unofficial and subject to change. Voter Turnout (Latest – Shasta County) Ballots Cast: ~36,617 Registered Voters: 116,380 Turnout: ~31.5% (expected final...