National School Choice Week begins on Sunday‚ and this year‚ there’s much to celebrate. In 2023‚ the school choice movement made more progress expanding education options than ever before. The Year of Education Freedom saw seven states pass new education choice policies and nine states expand existing choice policies. There are now nine states with universal education choice policies that offer education savings accounts or ESA-style options to every K-12 student in the state. In 2024‚ that momentum is likely to continue as several states gear up to pass new or expanded education choice policies. Alabama The Yellowhammer State has lagged relative to its neighbors in offering education choice. That could change this year as Gov. Kay Ivey‚ a Republican‚ has set an ambitious goal for the 2024 legislative session.  “My goal is for Alabama to be the most school choice-friendly state in the nation‚” Ivey said on Alabama Public Television’s “Capitol Journal” in July. “I want us to have lots of school choices for our parents to choose from. We are working now‚ already‚ now‚ on a bill‚ an ESA bill‚ an education savings account bill‚ to present to the legislature in the next session‚ and I’m very optimistic that will pass.” Florida     In 2023‚ for the second year in a row‚ Florida ranked first in the nation on The Heritage Foundation’s Education Freedom Report Card‚ and ranked second only to Arizona for education choice. Can Florida take the top spot for education choice in 2024? Last year‚ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1‚ which expanded eligibility for the state’s Family Empowerment Scholarship to all K — 12 students. However‚ as I explained last year‚ there were some drafting errors that prevented ESA students from being able to choose religiously affiliated providers of virtual learning‚ and defined “eligible private school” in a way that limited the ability of parents to choose “blended learning” programs that combine or alternate between in-person and virtual instruction‚ as well as “hybrid homeschooling” that alternates between in-person instruction and home education. A broad coalition of advocacy organizations‚ including Heritage Action for America‚ has asked the legislature to address these issues. Although the amended version of HB 1403 attempts to address the first of these issues‚ it does not go far enough to alleviate the latter. (Heritage Action for America is the grassroots action arm of The Heritage Foundation‚ of which The Daily Signal is the news outlet.) HB 1403 still requires that participating private schools “[m]aintain a physical location in the state at which each student has regular and direct contact with teachers.” The amended version clarifies that the “regular and direct contact with teachers” requirement is satisfied if ESA students physically attend a private school “at least two school days per week‚” which would allow hybrid homeschooling. However‚ the bill would still limit the ability of ESA families to choose full-time virtual instruction or blended learning offered by private schools that have brick-and-mortar locations. If Florida wants to continue to be a leader in education‚ it must allow for greater innovation in how education is delivered. Georgia After several failed attempts to pass a robust ESA policy‚ Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is growing impatient. “Over the last few years‚ there has been a great deal of debate around different proposals to expand options for students and families when it comes to finding the education that best fits their individual needs‚” Kemp‚ a Republican‚ observed in his recent State of the State address. “At the end of the day‚ our first and foremost consideration should be the future of that student. Our job is not to decide for each family‚ but to support them in making the best choice for their child.” Kemp urged the Georgia General Assembly to pass an education choice policy this session‚ adding: “I believe we have run out of ‘next years.’” Kentucky In 2021‚ Kentucky lawmakers enacted an innovative ESA policy funded via tax credits. Unfortunately‚ the Kentucky Supreme Court struck down the ESA policy in a flawed ruling that held—contrary to the U.S. Supreme Court and nearly every other state supreme court to address the matter—that funds belonging to private citizens or corporations can become “public funds” even before reaching the public treasury. Now‚ state lawmakers are fighting back with a proposed constitutional amendment that would clarify that school choice is constitutional. According to the Courier Journal‚ the amendment “will have support by legislators in the House and Senate‚” including state Sen. Steve West‚ chairman of the Kentucky Senate’s Education Committee‚ who told the newspaper that he is “pro-school choice” because it “will enhance education in Kentucky … and it’s not going to destroy public schools.” If a supermajority of three-fifths of each chamber of the Kentucky General Assembly passes the amendment‚ it will go to Kentucky voters for final approval. Louisiana Among education choice advocates‚ the Pelican State is widely considered “most likely to succeed” in 2024. Last year‚ the Louisiana state legislature twice passed bills to enact education choice policies‚ and twice then-Gov. John Bel Edwards‚ a Democrat‚ vetoed them. However‚ there’s a new sheriff in town: Republican Gov. Jeff Landry‚ who took office Jan. 8‚ a longtime supporter of education choice whose campaign website stated that if “school cannot adequately educate its students‚ those students should be given the ability to obtain an education that is worthy of the commitment we have made to them.” At his inauguration‚ Landry declared: “Our people seek government that reflects their values. They demand that our children be afforded an education that reflects those wholesome principles‚ and not an indoctrination behind their mother’s back.” The surest policy to enable families to choose learning environments that reflect their values and work best for their children is universal education choice. Mississippi Although Mississippi was one of the first states to enact an ESA policy nearly a decade ago‚ eligibility is still limited to students with certain special needs and only a few hundred students are participating. Gov. Tate Reeves would like to change that. “There’s been a huge push among Republicans around the country to give parents more options in their kids’ education‚” Reeves said recently. “We have seen tremendous progress when it comes to educational achievement levels in our state‚ and the obvious next step is more school choice. And I hope the legislature acts on that‚ and I believe there’s a lot of people in the legislature who want to do that.” Last month‚ a poll by Arc Insights found that 79% of Mississippi voters support school choice. Tennessee Even before this year’s legislative session began‚ Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee‚ a Republican‚ had made expanding education freedom and choice a top priority. “A high-quality education has the power to change the trajectory of a child’s life‚ and there’s no question that now is the time to make school choice a reality for every Tennessee family‚” Lee said at an event announcing the proposal last November. “Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarships will empower parents with the freedom to choose the right education for their child‚ while also giving them a say in how their taxpayer dollars are invested. In the coming months‚ I look forward to working with Tennessee families and members of the General Assembly to accomplish this historic legislative initiative and establish Tennessee as a leader in providing choice for families while also striving toward the best public school system in the country.” If enacted‚ Lee’s proposal would provide 20‚000 scholarships during the 2024–25 school year‚ with half earmarked for low-income students and half available to all students. In addition to the states profiled above‚ school choice advocates‚ such as Corey DeAngelis of the American Federation for Children‚ expect to see progress in several other states‚ including Idaho‚ Missouri‚ Nebraska‚ North Dakota‚ Texas and Wyoming. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Will Education Choice Momentum Continue in 2024? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Read the original post "Food to Stockpile During January Sales" on A Modern Homestead. January has a lot of really great sales on non-perishable food items. If you're paying attention you can fill up your pantry for a fraction of the cost! Let's take a look at some of the best things to stock up on during January food sales. Food Items to Stockpile in January Buying in bulk... Read More The post "Food to Stockpile During January Sales" appeared first on A Modern Homestead.

Joy Reid: Nikki Haley Came in Third in Iowa Because...Racism

The UK Is Shrinking Its Military...Again

The authoritarians at the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) have an overwhelmingly broad new censorship demand for YouTube.  The CCDH published a Jan. 16 report‚ dutifully and uncritically promoted by CNN‚ calling on YouTube to “demonetize” and “de-amplify” content that contains any unapproved opinions on “climate change.” Even though the CCDH claimed that YouTube already takes action against denials of “climate change‚” CCDH’s “digital brownshirts” screeched that some of the content on YouTube that pushes back against the leftist “climate change” narrative was still monetized. The CCDH went on to recommend the following draconian censorship policy: “We do not allow content that contradicts the authoritative scientific consensus on the causes‚ impacts‚ and solutions to climate change.” George Orwell turns over in his grave. 🚨NEW: Online climate denial is shifting to undermine the climate movement‚ science &; solutions‚ putting the future of our planet at risk 🌎 CCDH’s innovative AI-powered research shows #NewClimateDenial constitutes 70% of denial claims on YouTube in 2023.https://t.co/55SPxAZcey pic.twitter.com/fUn6QnkkxG — Center for Countering Digital Hate (@CCDHate) January 16‚ 2024 The CCDH repeatedly celebrated past censorship victories it supposedly achieved in its 56-page report all while calling for YouTube to drastically censor more content. The report directly referred to all content on “climate change” that didn’t correspond to leftist ideology as so-called “New Denial” in contrast to what they described as “Old Denial‚” or denying the existence of “climate change.” This is certainly “Newspeak” for sure.  CNN writer Rachel Ramirez carried water for the CCDH in a recent article‚ passing on the censorship fanatics’ fears that “New Denial” content would escape censorship on YouTube. She also included this veiled threat from CCDH CEO Imran Ahmed: “There aren’t many companies that would be happy about seeing their advertising appear next to clear climate denial content…And I imagine they will be furious to find out that they are inadvertently funding climate denial content.” Ramirez also claimed that the CCDH report had already resulted in YouTube censorship. She wrote‚ “[CCDH] said that after reviewing the CCDH report‚ it found some of the videos included did violate existing climate change policies and has since removed ads from them.”  Free speech be damned.  The report also targeted other social media companies such as Instagram‚ Facebook‚ TikTok‚ and X‚ saying that they “must evaluate their own platforms for the prevalence of New Denial content.” The CCDH singled out X in particular‚ whining that the Elon Musk-owned platform had no policy pushing the censorship of different opinions on “climate change.” Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Several Washington Post stories reported from Iowa this week by staff writer Meryl Kornfield displayed an interesting double standard in proof. Republican concerns have been "debunked" that Christians have been persecuted like never before‚ but Republicans say "without evidence‚ that transgender people are a threat to children or have a mental health disorder." The first was a story on Christian Republicans headlined ‘Ordained by God’: Trump’s legal problems galvanize Iowa evangelicals. Kornfield and several other reporters linked to a New York Times fact-check we challenged on Christian persecution‚ which means both papers ignored (as usual) the frightening FBI raid on pro-life Catholic Mark Houck's home with his children at home‚ and the FBI field office in Richmond targeting traditional Catholics:  Trump has accused the Biden administration of discriminating against people of faith‚ suggesting at a campaign event in Waterloo‚ Iowa‚ that “Christians and Americans of faith are being persecuted and government has been weaponized against religion like never before.” Fact-checkers‚ however‚ have debunked that claim. Experts on religious liberty‚ such as John Inazu from Washington University in St. Louis‚ cite multiple major religion-related Supreme Court cases and say religious freedom is perhaps more protected than ever. Religious freedom has won some court victories‚ but that's separate from what the Biden administration and blue states are doing. Other selected religion professors were nastier:  "Many evangelicals now see Trump as their champion and defender — perhaps even savior‚” said Barry Hankins‚ a history professor at Baylor University who is an expert in evangelicalism. “Unwittingly‚ in my view‚ many evangelicals are welcoming authoritarianism and courting blasphemy.” In a different story‚ Kornfield described a sympathy session under the headline "At Iowa’s oldest gay bar‚ fear over Republicans’ transgender rhetoric". The star of the story was Eligh Cade‚ a "trans man" and Marine veteran:  In the final stretch of the GOP Iowa caucus‚ I went where no Republican candidate has gone before: Iowa’s most famous and oldest gay bar‚ The Blazing Saddle‚ and heard from people about the anti-trans rhetoric all around them: https://t.co/evKkpDzFFw — Meryl Kornfield (@MerylKornfield) January 15‚ 2024 Cade‚ 26‚ now hears Republican presidential candidates making the case to his fellow Iowans that he is a threat to children and watches campaign commercials on TV attacking his identity. The veteran knows there are Republicans around him galvanized by rhetoric. And it is all frustrating and worrisome to him‚ he recounts‚ sometimes teary-eyed. “I fought for their rights and now they want to take away mine‚” Cade said Friday‚ sitting in Iowa’s oldest gay bar‚ the Blazing Saddle. In the bar‚ which has offered a safe space for Iowa’s LGBTQ+ community‚ Cade and others shared how Republicans’ attacks felt personal‚ like a schoolyard bully’s abuses‚ but with far greater stakes. Targeting transgender rights has become increasingly central to the pitch many Republican politicians are making across the country‚ a trend that has come sharply into focus here in Iowa. As the leading Republican candidates for president have barnstormed the state ahead of Monday’s Republican caucuses‚ they have put the issue at the forefront of their pitches‚ saying in some cases‚ without evidence‚ that transgender people are a threat to children or have a mental health disorder. Couldn't someone believe that some transgender people could be a threat to children? We know the LGBT lobby doesn't want gender dysphoria to be seen as a mental disorder‚ but Kornfield did admit "Most Americans believe a person’s gender is determined by the sex assigned at birth‚ according to recent polling."

As the World Economic Forum’s Davos 2024 kicked off‚ multiple panels were fixated on one dangerous technology: artificial intelligence. During the first full day of panels and speeches at Davos 2024‚ the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) experts from around the world displayed a fascination with artificial intelligence (AI). While some tech experts warned last year that AI could turn into a major threat‚ including for free speech‚ WEF elites can now hardly wait for AI to transform society. From fearmongering about “misinformation‚” a term used to justify censorship‚ to calls for government regulation‚ WEF is already pushing for top-down control of AI and its content. During the panel “AI: The Great Equaliser?” United Nations (UN) Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill specifically called for “good governance” to “address some of the misuses” such as “misinformation‚ [and] disinformation.” He acknowledged that governments or private companies could use AI for surveillance and impact users’ freedoms. But he did not acknowledge the already existing threat to freedom of governments targeting alleged “misinformation.”  In America‚ the federal government worked to quash free speech while labeling it “misinformation.” WEF recently released a report naming misinformation and disinformation as among the top global risks. Big Tech is rushing to develop AI‚ and that was apparent at Davos. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella‚ during his one-on-one discussion with WEF head Klaus Schwab‚ excitedly asserted that science is accelerating with generative AI. “Up to now‚ the digitization revolution has brought new tools to science‚ but it has not fundamentally accelerated science‚” he said. He suggested AI as a solution for curing diseases like cancer‚ “the energy transition‚” and science‚ for a “profound” change. Microsoft has a track record of anti-free speech activity through its LinkedIn platform and Bing search engine‚ raising concerns that the company could weaponize AI for censorship too. Meanwhile‚ during a panel claiming that AI could be the vehicle of the so-called “Fourth Industrial Revolution‚” Accenture CEO Julie Sweet argued that AI is in every industry already‚ thus impacting every area of society. “Actually‚ every industry has leaders who are working very quickly in it‚” Sweet said. “There’s not an industry that’s not going to be impacted‚” she added. IBM CEO Arvind Krishna agreed‚ claiming AI will produce “$4 trillion of annual productivity before the end of the decade.” He discussed different jobs that will be changed by AI‚ including customer service and coding. United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Sultan Al Olama had perhaps the most concerning comment in that session. He insisted his government supports a “proactive regulation” of AI. While some regulation is to be expected‚ significant proactive regulation could create a dangerous situation for digital freedom. The Chinese Communist government already demanded that AI uphold “socialist values”. In America‚ the federal government has actively worked to crush free speech on social media platforms and will almost certainly carry over its work to AI. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency and an equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

A male got angry at speeding neighbors and threw a beer can at them — and then topped that off by grabbing his AR-15 rifle and firing shots‚ according to Grady Judd‚ sheriff of Polk County‚ Florida.What are the details?"I want to tell you a story that you're just not gonna believe‚" Judd said in a video posted on the sheriff's office Facebook page. "Now‚ we all have complaints about people speeding down the roads‚ speeding through our neighborhoods. Ol' Eric Proctor took his conduct to the extreme."Judd said Proctor claimed neighbors were speeding down his street and threw a beer can at them in retaliation.After confronting them about their speeding‚ Judd said Proctor grabbed his AR-15 rifle and fired three shots — one in the air and two in the ground.Judd said the neighbors called police for help‚ but Proctor denied their claims — except that surveillance video shows Proctor going into his house‚ exiting with the rifle‚ and going back into the house with the rifle.What happened next?Proctor‚ 35‚ was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of throwing a deadly missile as well as discharging a firearm in public and tampering with evidence following Wednesday's incident in Lakewood‚ WOFL-TV reported‚ citing an arrest affidavit.Proctor was soon released from Polk County Jail after posting a $26‚000 bond‚ the station noted‚ citing arrest records."Hey‚ if you're that stirred up‚ just call us‚" Judd added in the sheriff's office video. "We'll deal with it‚ and you won't end up in jail charged with a felony."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Conservatives across the country were pleased to see that former President Donald Trump won the Iowa caucuses with 51% of the vote and 20 delegates. And as expected‚ the liberal media is having a meltdown. On MSNBC‚ Rachel Maddow told her audience that while “the projected winner” had just started giving his victory speech‚ she wouldn’t be giving “an unfiltered live platform to remarks by former President Trump.” “It is not out of spite‚ it is not a decision that we relish‚ it is a decision that we regularly revisit‚” she continued‚ adding‚ “but there is a cost to us as a news organization of knowingly broadcasting untrue things.” Pat Gray and Keith Malinak are not amused. “If that were the case‚ in March‚ when the State of the Union happens‚ I don’t expect to see Joe Biden’s face on MSNBC‚” Malinak scoffs. Jake Tapper also made it clear he wasn’t happy‚ saying that “Iowa caucus-goers decided to believe in the ‘big lie.’” But Tapper and Maddow weren’t alone in their dismay. Joy Reid blamed “white Christians” for Trump’s win‚ saying‚ “This is a state that is over-represented by white Christians” who believe “that everyone who is not a white‚ conservative Christian is a fraudulent American.” “What an idiot‚” Gray comments. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A 4-year-old Alabama boy has been found alive and in seemingly good condition despite spending 50 hours alone in the elements‚ and the man who found him claims that it was all part of God's plan.Around 12:30 p.m. last Friday‚ 4-year-old Phenix Wilkerson‚ who has been diagnosed with autism and is considered non-verbal‚ went missing in Clayton‚ Alabama‚ a town of about 3‚000 residents located 75 miles southeast of Montgomery. Shyanne Ray‚ the boy's mother‚ claimed that she had left the family's camper to walk over to her mother's home. By the time Ray returned‚ Phenix was gone.Day turned into night‚ and on Saturday‚ temperatures dropped to near freezing. By Sunday morning‚ there was still no sign of Phenix. After law enforcement issued an emergency missing child alert‚ many officials and volunteers arrived to help with the search. One such volunteer‚ a 25-year-old mechanic named Markeith Williams‚ decided to join the group on Sunday after strong promptings from God."I had my auntie — she’s an evangelist — pray for me before we left‚" he said‚ "because I said it wasn’t going to work if she didn’t."Williams and his wife‚ Valencia‚ then arrived at the search command center and followed as other people began to look for Phenix in an area of the woods where search teams had spotted small footprints the day before. Williams claimed he could sense that God was guiding him to Phenix's whereabouts."As I was getting closer to him‚ my heart started rushing‚ so that’s how I knew I was getting close‚" he explained. "I knew it was God with me."His prayers may have paid off because Williams soon spotted Phenix lying about 150 yards away. As Williams got closer‚ he saw that the boy was alive and still wearing the same shirt from Friday‚ so he knew that the story would have a happy ending. "When I got closer and saw the shirt‚ I was like‚ 'There he is‚'" Williams said.Though barefoot and a bit frightened‚ Phenix appeared to be relatively clean and uninjured‚ Williams claimed. "His feet and stuff were pretty clean‚" he said. He was located approximately one mile from where he went missing.After rescuers put socks on his feet and a coat over his shoulders‚ Phenix was eventually flown to a hospital for further evaluation. His current condition and whether he remains at the hospital are both unclear. As of now‚ no one has been charged with any crime in connection with his disappearance.Phenix's grandparents‚ Sandra Yoemans and Andy Pittman‚ were effusive in their praise for God and for those who participated in the rescue efforts. "I would like to thank each and every person that has been here‚ that has helped with this search‚ and most of all I would like to thank the good Lord above for bringing him back to us alive. Thank everyone‚ news media‚ every person on the ground‚ everything‚ just thank y’all‚ thank y’all so much‚" said Pittman."I’m over ecstatic‚ I am praising God because this is his miracle that he brought this baby home. He’s had so many prayers‚ thank you everybody for all the prayers and everyone that’s been here to search; this baby is okay‚" added Yoemans.Even Barbour County Sheriff Tyrone Smith hinted that finding Phenix safe and sound may have been the result of divine providence. "I would not be truthful if I told you that me and many others were probably thinking and looking for another result‚" Smith stated in a press conference‚ "but thank God it didn’t happen‚ and I’m glad we got the result that we do have."Whatever others say‚ Williams humbly believes that God put him in the right place at the right time. "I was doing that because God sent me to do that‚" he stated.Yoemans also credits her fellow man with her grandson's rescue. "Don’t ever give up on mankind‚" she said. "There is so many wonderful people on this earth that has got hearts of gold." Meet the man who found Phenix‚ missing autistic boy www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!