Free Republic

As national education spending per pupil rises, student enrollment is dropping and test scores across the United States are falling, which raises concern over how effectively taxpayer dollars are being used in public schools. Since 2002, K-12 public school spending has increased by more than 35%, yet enrollment has dropped 2.1%, which is over a million students over the past five years. Student achievement has also declined, with only one-third of students nationwide scoring at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading, according to the National Assessment Governing Board. Currently, 40% of fourth...

President Trump championed his import tariffs Saturday as an economic game changer — while predicting the upcoming midterm elections will hinge on “pricing.” The tariffs have brought in more than $200 billion this year, according to the Customs and Border Protection agency, but face the potential of being struck down by the Supreme Court. “Tariffs are creating GREAT WEALTH, and unprecedented National Security for the USA. Trade deficit has been cut by 60%, totally unheard of. 4.3% GDP, and going way up. No inflation!!! We are respected as a Country again,” Trump wrote Saturday morning on Truth Social. Trump has...

NIGERIA — President Trump has given dozens of ISIS terrorists the gift of getting to meet Allah for Christmas. After giving much thought to what they would like, Trump decided there was simply no better gift than sending them to meet Allah. "A one-way ticket to Allah! They're going to love this," said Trump as he wrote "Merry Christmas" on the missiles destined for Nigeria. "No one gives better gifts then me, your favorite President. It's a beautiful gift, very expensive, let me tell you. I spent millions of dollars on it, but it will all be worth it for...

Seven years ago, Mr Kelvin Seah Lee Nguon stepped back from his job to be a stay-at-home dad and eventually found himself struggling with loneliness and a lack of purpose. Here's how he learnt to appreciate life's small moments again. In late 2017, my wife and I learnt that the younger of our two sons has autism. We needed more support at home. So in 2018, I went from being a full-time polytechnic lecturer to part-time, and became a stay-at-home husband and dad. Since that transformative year, my day-to-day routine has pivoted to mostly household chores, parenting and some teaching....

Don’t ever be silenced.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett (above) has faced criticism for saying the Bondi Beach terrorist attack was “not motivated by religion”. Commissioner Barrett had stated in the aftermath of the December 14 attack that the alleged terrorists were “inspired by Islamic State”.

U.S. — CBS News has descended into turmoil after new Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss asked the journalists employed there to do journalism. Internal memos show widespread outrage in response to Weiss's request, with many journalists threatening to resign rather than be forced to do journalism. "I'd rather die than do journalism," said journalist Matthew Donalds. "If doing journalism is where this station is headed, count me out. I refuse to be a part of asking questions about current events and then reporting what happened. Weiss has crossed the line." Weiss has reportedly made several harsh demands of CBS News employees, such...

Meismer, a sophomore, eventually asked his teacher to use the restroom. Matthews, a senior, did the same minutes later. The pair allegedly argued there, as Matthews confronted Meismer about a missing THC vape pen that investigators said he believed the younger student had stolen. Moments later, Matthews and Meismer allegedly walked into an empty lab classroom, which an unnamed female student also entered. That is where the fatal stabbing allegedly occurred.

Most of us have moved on from the global warming hoax — but not the moonbats running New York, unfortunately for kids. Via Fox Business: Parents in western New York are raising alarms over cold rides and breakdowns after officials mandated that all school bus purchases must be electric by 2027. Kids come home frozen in the Lake Shore Central School District. Already nearly half of its buses are electric. Running the heat drains their batteries. Several parents told the outlet that they heard of at least one instance of the buses breaking down, in addition to the heating issues....

University of Oklahoma student Samantha Fulnecky, a Christian, received a zero grade from transgender teaching assistant Mel Curth for not upholding a woke narrative for a paper on gender stereotypes. Initially, the University removed Curth from the classroom. On Monday, they announced that Curth “will no longer have instructional duties at the University.” “A student’s claim of religious discrimination on an individual assignment in an online Psychology Course taught by a graduate teaching assistant has come to resolution.” “As stated previously, the student followed two available processes at the University: the grade appeals process in the college and she made...

I have had an interesting and rewarding time in discussions and arguments(?) with various AIs. Google's is hopelessly woke, and unrepentant about it. I have abandoned it. Using Microsoft's Copilot UI on top of Smart GPT-5.1 has delivered a very different, FAR more neutral AI experience. You can actually instruct it to abandon certain built-in woke-leaning tendencies about safety and offending. One then works with a remarkably neutral AI. I decided to see how Smart GPT-5.1 would track on a 'discussion' in logic around two questions and two premises. The two premises were: (1) there is no god/deity, and (2)...

ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVB) — On the heels of a statewide mandate requiring all school bus purchases in New York State be electric by 2027, parents in the Lake Shore Central School District are speaking out, claiming some bus drivers are turning the heat down, or off completely, in an attempt to conserve battery life on their electric school buses. WIVB News 4 has received several calls from concerned parents in the school district, which covers parts of Angola, Brant, and Derby, regarding their child’s bus trips to and from school, claiming they’re coming in freezing when they get home...

“Is that Fale Pea?” a Seattle police officer asks another. “Yeah, you know him? “He’s notorious for random assaults on Third,” the officer says.

Americans should expect to be flush with cash next year, with fat tax-refund checks and more take-home pay in their pockets, says a top contender to become President Trump’s next Federal Reserve chair. “We are going to see the biggest refund cycle ever in the history of America, and people are going to get massive refund checks,” boasted National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett this week in an interview on FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” “We’re expecting just that part of it alone to be worth a couple-thousand-dollar refund … the numbers are striking.” Hassett’s comments Thursday came a day...

An artist's illustration of what exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b might look like. Because of its extremely tight orbit, the planet’s entire year—the time it takes to go around the pulsar—is just 7.8 hours. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)) ================================================================ Nothing about this planet makes sense. And that’s both confounding and exciting for astronomers. In A Nutshell * Astronomers discovered a Jupiter-sized planet with an atmosphere unlike anything seen before, dominated by carbon molecules in ratios that defy current planetary formation theories. * The planet orbits a pulsar (a dead star’s ultra-dense core) every 7.8 hours and is blasted with...

On November 24, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order designating Muslim Brotherhood chapters as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Three weeks later, Qatar—considered the world hub for the Muslim Brotherhood—hosted two major international conferences. The 23rd Doha Forum drew 6,000 participants, including Bill Gates, Tucker Carlson, Donald Trump, Jr., Hillary Clinton, and Tom Barrack. One week later, the United Nations’ Eleventh Conference on Corruption (CoSP11) brought representatives worldwide to discuss transparency and ethical governance in Doha.[…]The paradox reveals the success of Doha’s da’wa—the Muslim Brotherhood’s nearly century-old methodology for power. Originally an Arabic term meaning “invitation” or “call,” referring...

During a press conference on Wednesday, a Providence-area radio host, Chas Calenda, directly confronted Brown University officials and law enforcement with information he has received about the school intentionally disabling surveillance systems due to DEI concerns. The response from university officials and the Providence Mayor indicate Mr. Chas Calenda’s informed accusation and question is directly on target. WATCH: In addition to information we previously shared {GO DEEP} reflecting requests from various “civil rights” and “humanitarian” groups who demanded Brown University disable their surveillance system, additional information about the issue comes via the Rhode Island ACLU making the same demand in...

Conservatives can’t save the country by funding their enemies—defunding the Department of Education would return billions to taxpayers, cut grift, and let education compete. Help your enemies and harm your friends. That’s the kind of big-brain, third-eye-opened, decalcified-pineal-gland (real eyes realize real lies) type of thinking that made the post-war conservative movement into the political juggernaut it is today. I mean, just check out the Conservative Inc. plan to save America: Step 1: Hand out pocket Constitutions. Step 2: Give liberals huge sums of tax money. Step 3: Denounce Trump for being mean. Step 4: Save the Country. Brilliant stuff,...

Ahh yes, the study the cheeseheads have been looking for! Rejoice! People who regularly ate higher-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of developing dementia over 25 years, according to a new study. https://t.co/zN2g8XcEua pic.twitter.com/0gyvIcDQ91— ABC News (@ABC) December 18, 2025I didn't even have to be told this. I guess my body's constant desire for fatty cream and whole milk was just a natural desire to fight off dementia. Here's the ABC report: People who regularly ate higher-fat cheese and cream had a lower risk of developing dementia over 25 years, while low-fat dairy and other dairy foods showed...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As Congress prepared to vote on legislation that would prevent gender transitioning treatment from being given to minors, Democrats blasted Republicans for trying to put hardworking genital mutilators out of business. Democrats accused their GOP colleagues of working to send dedicated surgeons and medical personnel who devote their work to lopping off parts of young people's bodies into poverty with little regard for the negative economic impact it could have on the genital mutilation industry. "Republicans don't care about these American workers," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. "They don't stop to think about what this type...