Free Republic

Reading for fun sharply declines around age nine in an alarming trend that coincides with years of learning loss since the pandemic, data shows. Only 35% of nine-year-olds are reading at least five days a week compared to 57% of eight-year-olds, according to the latest Scholastic survey on the issue. “The number of kids who say they love reading drops significantly from 40% among eight-year-olds to 28% among nine-year-olds,” the Scholastic report notes. The trend, dubbed the “decline by nine” has concerned researchers, who note that reaching reading proficiency by third grade is a good predictor of academic success. [snip]...

The US last week paused a bomb shipment for Israel over concerns it was going ahead with a major ground operation in Rafah, southern Gaza, a senior administration official says. The shipment consisted of 1,800 2,000lb (907kg) bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs, the official told CBS News, the BBC's media partner in the US. Israel has not "fully addressed" US concerns over humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah, the official says. Israel made no immediate comment. Overnight, there were further Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip, hours after Israeli forces backed by tanks took control of the key Rafah...

A slew of allegations were made against the fallen Hollywood star tonight. The documentary alleges that Spacey: -Groped a 21-year-old man in highly intimate and invasive way before whispering: 'Don't worry about it'; -Pleasured himself in front of an aspiring actor, who was a former US Marine, while watching the traumatic opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan; -Pushed his groin into the face of an employee at the Old Vic theatre in London during a performance of the pantomime Cinderella; -Exposed himself to an intern in the bathroom of a bar and put his hand on the penis of a...

Sen. Mike Braun has come out on top of a crowded GOP primary in Indiana’s gubernatorial race, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ. Braun, a freshman senator, beat out five other Republican hopefuls, including Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and former state Attorney General Curtis Hill. Emerson College Polling/The Hill polling from March found Braun with a sizeable lead over the primary field, but a plurality of voters reported being undecided. In the general election, Braun’s on track to go against Jennifer McCormick, a former state superintendent and the only Democratic gubernatorial candidate on the ballot. She won...

Link only, as this is from USA Today.

Turkish Foreign Minister: We must stop Israel. Either by peace or by force.

Fayette Janitorial Service LLC, a Tennessee-based sanitation company, is paying approximately $650,000 in civil penalties after a federal investigation revealed it was unlawfully employing child migrants. A third of workers at a Perdue Farms meat-processing plant using Fayette's services were found to be comprised of children.

https://twitter.com/newstart_2024/status/1787852468828643457

A Las Vegas vape shop owner defended himself with a knife, stabbing a would-be robber who jumped over the counter during an attempted daylight heist. The incident, captured on video, reveals the dramatic moments when Johnny Nguyen, owner of Smokestrom Smoke Shop, faced off against the attacker, stabbing him at least seven times.

Former President Trump is taking concrete steps to deprive Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of oxygen as they compete for a portion of the same voters. Trump is going to the Libertarian Party national convention this month and criticized Kennedy, who is running as an independent but who has ties to the party, as “not a serious candidate.” Republicans also pounced on the “unhinged” Kennedy last week for saying “red state people are more likely to murder you.” The strong anti-Kennedy sentiment from Trump’s orbit comes as polling suggests the independent could take support from the former president, who is looking...

It’s disappointing to watch an increasing number of Republicans fall in line behind former president Donald Trump. This includes some of his fiercest detractors, such as U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, who raised eyebrows during a recent interview by vowing to support the “Republican ticket.”This mentality is dead wrong.Yes, elections are a binary choice. Yes, serious questions linger about President Biden’s ability to serve until the age of 86. His progressive policies aren’t to conservatives’ liking.But the GOP will never rebuild until we move on from the...

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) huddled Monday for almost two hours with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — a marathon meeting suggesting the pair is seeking a deal to defuse tensions and preclude floor action on the Georgia firebrand’s resolution to boot Johnson from power. The two emerged from the Speaker’s office separately but bearing the same message: The discussion was constructive enough that they’ve agreed to meet again Tuesday. Greene later told reporters the huddle will take place at 12:30 p.m. Greene declined to say if she was ready to push through with her plan to force her motion to...

The long-simmering feud between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is set to boil over this week when the Georgia Republican moves to force a vote on the GOP leader’s ouster — which is all but certain to fail. Greene — who filed a motion to vacate against Johnson in March — is vowing to force a vote on her removal resolution this week, a long-time-coming for the GOP rabble-rouser who has dangled the ouster mechanism over the Speaker’s head while sharply criticizing his legislative decisions at every turn. Her gambit, however, is poised to fall...

Mathematicians think abstract tools from a field called symplectic geometry might help with planning missions to far-off moons and planets. In October, a Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida, carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. The $5 billion mission is designed to find out if Europa, Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon, can support life. But because Europa is constantly bombarded by intense radiation created by Jupiter’s magnetic field, the Clipper spacecraft can’t orbit the moon itself. Instead, it will slide into an eccentric orbit around Jupiter and gather data by repeatedly swinging by Europa—53 times in total—before...

The pro-Palestinian, antisemitic protests on university campuses across the nation are funded by President Joe Biden’s own political donors — which could explain why he hesitates to condemn them and won’t investigate them. Biden equivocated last month when asked to react to the protests, saying that he condemned the antisemitism but also condemned those “who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians,” which puzzled observers.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Wearing a bright safety vest with the words “Safe Passage” on the back, Tatiana Alabsi strides through San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood to its only public elementary school, navigating broken bottles and stained sleeping bags along tired streets that occasionally reek of urine. Along the way in one of America’s most notorious neighborhoods, she calls out to politely alert people huddled on sidewalks, some holding strips of tin foil topped with illicit drugs. “Good afternoon, happy Monday!” Alabsi says to two men, one slumped forward in a wheelchair and wearing soft hospital socks and one slipper. Her...

Sadiq Khan has been officially declared winner of the London mayoral election. As he took to the stage to speak, Mr Khan was heckled with boos and a shout of "Khan killed London". The heckle came from the Britain First candidate, who then proceeded to walk off the stage where the mayoral candidates were assembled. Mr Khan won his historic third term with 43.8% of the vote. Labour sources have suggested a recount in Coventry isn't going to "change materially" Tory incumbent Andy Street's numbers in the West Midlands mayoral race, Sky News political editor Beth Rigby says. A full...

Most National Guard professionals performing space missions would retrain or retire rather than join the Space Force, the Air National Guard internal survey shows.

Kevin Spacey has responded to fresh allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the past, ahead of a new documentary due to be released next week. In an interview with former GB News presenter Dan Wootton, he commented on claims made in an upcoming Channel 4 documentary. While accepting he may at times have behaved inappropriately in the past, he denied his behaviour was illegal. Mr Spacey has been cleared of sexual assault in trials in the US and UK. "I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions. But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologise to...

A man who was arrested during the Columbia University protests on Tuesday is also accused of stealing and burning an Israeli flag during a Manhattan protest last month, police and sources said Thursday. James Carlson, 40, of Brooklyn, was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief, arson, and criminal possession of stolen property in connection to the April 20 incident, according to the NYPD. Carlson allegedly took the 22-year-old man’s Israeli flag and lit it on fire during a protest near West 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue at around 10 p.m., authorities said. The victim followed Carlson and two accomplices...