Free Republic

James Kpou was clutching his “senior citizen” fare card for this city’s vast network of buses, subways and light rail trains when he heard the announcement this week over the intercom at the 69th Street Transit Center. “Due to a lack of funding, reduced service on all Metro lines begins Aug. 24,” the announcement said. ---SNIP--- Transit agencies also can no longer rely on the billions of dollars of aid they received during the pandemic from the federal government. Philadelphia received $1.5 billion in federal funds, which were spent by June 2024. Meanwhile, fare revenue has climbed back to just...

Our 15-year-old son Noah is a baseball player. Baseball gear today can be quite expensive. A new (and sometimes even used!) quality bat or glove alone can easily cost several hundred dollars. For many years now, we’ve used Christmas and Noah’s birthday to provide him with a new bat or glove based on what he most wants or needs. If it’s not gift-giving time and Noah wants an expensive baseball item, he typically either waits or uses his own money (maybe with a little help from us) to purchase the item. If it’s the latter, Noah will often look for...