Free Republic

Human beings are unique among living creatures in being able to alter their own fertility deliberately, imposing their own constantly changing choices and preferences on childbearing. We are now watching a revolutionary transformation of human birth choices play out around the world in a way that only science fiction writers could have imagined even a generation ago. Humanity is in the midst of a headlong global birth crash—a plunge underway all around the world, in rich and poor regions alike, very possibly presaging an indefinite global depopulation, with our “peak human” moment coming shockingly soon. For many decades, demographers assumed...

America has experienced stock market crashes, great depressions, and other national financial or economic emergencies. As we enter our 250th anniversary, it seems that we’re no stranger to economic difficulty. But there’s something about pride that keeps America from facing up to the fact that she’s sliding down the tubes. Add to that the fact that we have someone at the helm of this nation in the person of President Donald Trump that helps us to feel a little bit extra confident about our economic future. He’s experienced, he’s rich, and he constantly puts the welfare of this nation at...

New York City has long been a place of extremes. During the Gilded Age (about 1870 to 1900), the contrast in the way the wealthy and the poor lived in New York was drastic... Photograph of William K. Vanderbilt’s home on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street, where the lavish costume ball was held in 1883.In stark contrast to lavish balls and mansions of the city’s wealthiest citizens, photojournalist Jacob Riis captured the shocking living conditions of New York’s poverty-stricken population in How the Other Half Lives: Studies among the Tenements of New York (1890). His photographs reveal...

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, unexpectedly took center stage in debates over the federal government shutdown.As funding for the program, formerly known as Food Stamps, ran out in October, Congress, President Donald Trump, and the federal courts have wrestled with what to do about feeding millions of Americans who depend on this benefit each month.SNAP has grown in size and cost since its inception in 1964, as have many other social welfare programs.Here’s a closer look at the program, what it costs, the participation rates in different states, and how it has come to top $100...

It’s not so much the idea that rich Christians are bad people. It’s more the idea that we live in a land that is quite literally the richest nation that has ever been and yet, we are surrounded by a large population of people who lack basic necessities. It raises the question – Why? …It doesn’t matter if we are hearing prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah, or Jesus’ own words. The message is the same – God cares how the poor are treated and does not look kindly on those who exploit the poor for their own benefit because when...

During a Canadian parliament Finance Committee hearing Krista Carr, the CEO of Inclusion Canada, which is a national federation of people with disabilities, stated that: People with disabilities are now very much afraid in many circumstances to show up in the healthcare system with regular concerns because often MAiD is suggested as the solution to what is considered to be intolerable suffering that happens to be caused by some of the things that this committee addresses like poverty and the situations that people with disabilities disproportionately find themselves in compared to other Canadians. This is explosive testimony from Krista Carr...

America loves to tally its billionaires and track the S&P’s every tick, but the millions struggling to cover rent or stock the fridge rarely make the headline scroll.Poverty is the country’s most persistent invisibility cloak, present in every zip code, yet ignored in a culture that equates success with worth.In this chart Visual Capitalist's Pallavi Rao breaks down where the poor in America actually live, ranked by each state.Data for this visualization is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau.It averages three years of Current Population Survey results (2021-2023) to estimate how many residents in each state live below the federal...

I saw this a couple of days ago, and it was so intriguing, I had to hang on to it, figuring there would be a time it would come in handy.Little did I know our president would go into the United Nations General Assembly today with a flamethrower and give me the perfect opportunity to illustrate one of the scorched remnants of European superiority he left smoking on the expensive carpet in that room.When the man told them that their countries were going to fail.IF YOU DON'T GET AWAY FROM THE GREEN ENERGY SCAM, YOUR COUNTRY IS GOING TO FAILIF...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been fond of sending out lists on social media in recent months, tallies of where his state stands on a number of issues. The "fourth largest economy in the world," "number one in manufacturing," number one in farming," and so on—all impressive numbers, to be sure.What he’d like to avoid, however, is the fact that the Golden State is tied with Louisiana for another title: number one in poverty.A new report released this week by the California Budget and Policy Center, a Sacramento-based think tank, found that 7 million California residents, or 17.7% of the...

Inflation has caused increases in grocery prices across the country, but for military families who are more vulnerable to increasing costs due to frequent moves, putting food on the table is a growing struggle for many.

In an apparent lack of confidence in the leadership of Raul Castro, the number of Cubans leaving the island illegally by sea has been rising, according to U.S. officials. The number of people attempting the perilous voyage across of the Florida Straits has risen 21 percent compared to the same period last year. The number intercepted by the Coast Guard increased 65 percent. Since the beginning of October 2007, some 2,891 Cubans have attempted the journey across the straits. While 1,697 successfully reached the United States, 1,194 were intercepted at sea and returned to Cuba. Nearly ten times the number...

Israeli compound in Kirya, housing the IDF's secure command centre. Paper Dome did not prevent it from being nearly completely destroyed.

Debt, illegals, outsourcing -- the United States is heading for a catastrophic fall. Trump understands this. Middle-class America is rapidly going the way of the dinosaur and the dodo bird. And California, where mansions and homeless people abound, is the template Democrats want to bring to America as a whole. Because it suits their needs. Big money donors and poor people in crisis who think they need ‘compassionate’ Democrats’ help. The ‘American Dream’ was that any normal person who worked hard and saved could have a house and a relatively comfortable — and meaningful — life, expecting to live better...

FUBAR inflation, catering to migrants, and high taxes are impoverishing New Yorkers. Details in this 16 minute videoditorial and the attached transcript.

Another shocking statistic from the budget hawks at EPIC.Based on the government’s own data, we spend twice as much on welfare as it would take to move every family in America above the poverty line. In other words, if we just gave these families enough cash to increase their income, no one would be in poverty.Yet we spend twice that much and STILL have 36.8 million people who live in poverty.One idea is the old Milton Friedman negative income tax. Scrap all the scores of welfare programs and the massive bureaucracy and simply provide a cash subsidy to any family...

On November 5, 2024, there was a seismic event of immense magnitude: Donald J. Trump was elected president of the United States. Trump won both the Electoral College and the popular vote. The Republicans won control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Most of the country moved right, but Oregon, with its broken, corrupt election system, moved farther left into the New Dark Ages. There were thousands of illegal registrations in the election, without any resolution on whether or not these illegal ballots were used to vote. But Oregon’s governor and secretary of state certified the election with...

If you've ever lived in a capitalist country, you'll know exactly how difficult it can sometimes be to keep your nose above the poverty line. We at the Babylon Bee have conducted extensive research and discovered 17 red flags of poverty that often show up in capitalist countries. Take a look. You can only afford the standard iPhone and not the Pro Max: How do people even live under these conditions? Your vacation cabin is single-story: And it doesn't even have wifi. You're forced to buy generic Dijon mustard instead of Grey Poupon: Now every time someone asks you...

The crisis in Cuba has seen its government approach the United Nations for aid to address its food shortage, as residents take to the streets in a rare sign of social unrest Cuba is "on the verge of total collapse" as the country has been hit by blackouts with residents taking to the streets calling for "food and power". The crisis has seen the Cuban government approach the United Nations for aid to address its food shortage. As the Caribbean island goes through its harshest economic crisis in three decades, the communist regime is resorting to hitherto unseen cries for...

Mum of two Liza* explains the reality of hygiene poverty – but you can help Boots and charity The Hygiene Bank support struggling familiesRoughly 4.2 million adults in the UK are living in hygiene poverty, struggling to afford everyday essentials such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. The rising cost of living has meant that, for many families, basic items have had to be sacrificed as they stretch their budgets to pay bills and buy food. These are among the findings of a new report by grassroots charity The Hygiene Bank*. For mum of two Liza**, having to let her children go...

Dollar General stock plunged 27% on Thursday after the company released second quarter financial results that showed softening consumer demand and prompted a cut to its annual sales and profit forecast. The company's operating profit decreased by 20.6% to $550 million, while its diluted earnings per share fell 20.2% to $1.70. Its net sales for the quarter were $10.21 billion, shy of analysts' average estimate of $10.37 billion, according to LSEG data.