Daily Business Report: Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Could California really withhold tax money from the U.S. if Trump cuts federal funds?
By Levi Sumagasay | CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested last week that California may withhold taxes it pays to the United States if President Donald Trump slashes federal funding to the state.
It could be another front in the escalating battle between the Trump administration and the Golden State, which are at the moment wrestling over the president summoning the militaryto handle protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles. But how it would all work — on both sides — is anyone’s guess.
CalMatters asked several tax experts to weigh in on how the state could withhold money from the federal government. Most would not comment about what they called a “vague” threat by state officials. But they pointed out that residents and businesses pay state and federal governments directly when they file their income taxes — making it unclear what tax money California could withhold.
What Exactly Was Iran Thinking — Or Not?
By Victor Davis Hansen | The Blade of Perseus
Iran apparently had not adjusted to its new 2025 status—or maybe it had. Most of its bought terrorists are currently either destroyed or anemic.
There is no more ascendant Iranian “Shia crescent” in the Middle East. Russia is no longer a Middle East power, patron, and protector.
The Assad dynasty imploded, flipping Syria from an Iranian proxy into a likely Iranian enemy. Hezbollah, once supposedly the most fearsome of all the Iranian terrorist tentacles, was humiliated and neutered by a series of surreal Israeli operations.
NASA technology detects Tijuana River pollutants
By Gabrielle Wallace | Times of San Diego
NASA technology originally intended for mapping minerals in desert regions can analyze pollutants present in the Tijuana River sewage plume near Imperial Beach, scientists said.
A paper published in the journal Science of the Total Environment says that satellite images have shown a large wastewater plume at the mouth of the river. Contaminated water can harm people, marine ecosystems and local wildlife, and the environmental issues unfolding in the Tijuana River Valley are associated with ongoing health concerns for its residents.
“The science is clear, the health risks are real, and seeing it all from space satellites just underscores what South County families are being forced to endure,” said Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre in a statement.
