Do you know how much you spend per student in your local public school? Surveys find that most Americans cannot answer this question. And public education interest groups such as teachers unions benefit from this knowledge gap because then they can ask for more spending and few, if any, taxpayers and voters know what the figures are or how the money is being used. This election year, lobbyists in states such as California, Missouri, and New Mexico are asking taxpayers directly to increase spending on K-12 schools through ballot initiatives, claiming schools are underfunded. Yet spending patterns tell a different story. In each of these three states—and nationwide—public education spending is increasing and has been for many years. Since the 1969-1970 school year, inflation-adjusted spending per child in California and Missouri has nearly tripled, while New Mexico school spending has more than doubled. How educators use resources is crucial. Missouri’s Show Me Institute, a research and policy organization, recently published a guide on education spending in the state and explains that school budgets are devoting less to instruction and more to noninstructional uses today than a decade ago. Notably, while the number of students in Missouri public schools has been on the decline, there has been a sharp uptick in the number of teachers—and administrative staff, in general. In fact, the number of staff has increased by 44%. The increase in administrative staff is part of a national trend. Our colleague, Lindsey Burke, testified before a U.S. House subcommittee in 2022 and reported that the number of principals and assistant principals has increased 37% since 2000. The number of school district administrative staff has increased 88%. Kennesaw State University professor Ben Scafidi studies administrative bloat in K-12 schools and finds that the increase in noninstructional staff over the last 30 years is more than double the size of student enrollment increases. Teachers make up only 48% of the K-12 workforce today. It’s not news that students are struggling in class, but the price tag on this underperformance is staggering. In California, the fiscal year 2023-2024 K-12 budget was the size of the entire state budgets of Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Tennessee—combined ($128 billion). Approximately 3 out of 4 students are performing below grade level in core subjects. Yet special interest groups have introduced a ballot proposal to authorize $10 billion in general obligation bonds for K-12 and community colleges. The bonds are estimated to cost state taxpayers a whopping $500 million per year for 35 years. The Reason Foundation finds that California school districts already have $220 billion in debt and liabilities, the equivalent of $40,000 per current enrolled student. These spending figures do not account for the substantial influx of federal funding that school districts nationwide received during the COVID-19 pandemic, amounting to $190 billion in additional spending. This was on top of the annual federal funding public school districts also receive. Prior to the pandemic, federal taxpayers provided K-12 schools about $70 billion each year. As part of the COVID-19 relief packages, California alone was awarded more than $23 billion, Missouri about $3 billion, and New Mexico around $1.5 billion in new federal funds. As of early August 2024, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education, each of these states still had roughly 10% of funds left to allocate. Forthcoming research by this op-ed’s co-author, Madison Marino Doan, and Kennesaw State’s Scafidi will reveal that school districts are more financially secure than ever before. Several factors contribute to this, including higher property tax revenues since 2020, which account for nearly half of most school district budgets; healthy cash reserves built up prior to the pandemic to manage economic downturns; the large influx of COVID-19 relief funds, which allowed districts to bolster their reserves and invest in infrastructure projects that reduce future costs; and record-high state “rainy day” funds put on reserve in 2022. Few Americans know how much taxpayers spend per student in their hometown, nor do they realize the extent of the increase in school district bureaucracy or the massive federal funding districts received during the pandemic. This surplus in funds has not reliably translated into more instruction or improved student achievement. So, before voters decide on whether to increase spending on public schools, they should know where their money is going and whether it’s truly benefiting students in the ways that matter most. The post The Myth of Underfunded Public Schools appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A deaf cat has a clean, comfy place for the first time in her life. She's truly living up to her new name. Cloud 9LittleWanderersNYCRescuers at Little Wanderers NYC responded to a request to help a number of cats living in a hoarding situation.After searching through the trash-filled apartment, they brought the cats to safety with additional help from Animal Care Centers. Among the felines, one gazed at them with sad blue eyes.She looked exhausted but relieved to have been rescued. After she was taken to the vet for treatment and a cleanup, she regained a sparkle in her eyes. LittleWanderersNYCWith some food, she began to relax, letting her guard down and accepting pets from the people around her. Without a hiss or swat, she leaned into a volunteer for head scratches and melted into their hand.After getting fully vetted and spayed, she moved in with a foster volunteer and was lovingly named Cloud 9. LittleWanderersNYCAfter living in squalid conditions with many cats, Cloud 9 was amazed by her new foster home, filled with furniture to jump on, toys to play with, and large windows to gaze out of. She was delighted to no longer have to compete for food and space, claiming every inch she touched.When she discovered the big bed, she flopped on the soft bedding and purred herself to sleep. LittleWanderersNYCBefore long, she began venturing through the house, inspecting everything in her path. She explored the bathroom from sink to tub, taking little sips of water from the tap, fascinated by the running water.It quickly became clear that Cloud 9 was deaf, but it didn't slow her down in the slightest. LittleWanderersNYCConfident and affectionate, she greets her people as soon as they enter the room. Eager for attention, she follows them everywhere, never missing a chance to snag a treat.Cloud 9 has found her favorite perching spot by the screened window, where she breathes in the fresh air and watches the day go by. LittleWanderersNYC"Like many all-white animals, her hearing is impaired, but despite that, she is adventurous, loves to play, and will explore every corner of the house," Little Wanderers NYC shared. "She will do best as the only kitty in a home (without kids) as sudden movements startle her."Though she doesn't like to be surprised, she enjoys watching sunbeams gliding up and down the wall, trying to catch them with all her might. LittleWanderersNYCAfter a life spent in cramped, dirty conditions, she's thriving in a comfy home as a solo cat. She has space to run, toys to chase, and most importantly, humans to adore. Always cheerful and ready for anything, she truly lives up to her name.Cloud 9 has a penchant for boxes. Regardless of their size, she curls up inside, fitting perfectly every time. LittleWanderersNYC"She wears the prettiest white fur coat, and it brings out her beautiful blue eyes. She's super playful and has a lot of energy."When she isn't dashing around, she savors the quiet moments, napping wherever she pleases, even on top of the fridge. LittleWanderersNYC After about four months in foster care, Cloud 9 is ready to find a place of her own.Lounging contentedly on a table with her chin resting on a plushie, Cloud 9 dreams of being someone's one and only. LittleWanderersNYCShe may not hear a thing, but she's living the royal life. With a clean home, room to roam, and endless affection, every day is an adventure for Cloud 9. LittleWanderersNYCShare this story with your friends. More on Little Wanderers NYC on Instagram@littlewanderersnyc and Facebook and Cloud 9 @cloudyinbrooklyn.Related story: Cat Curled Up Outside House on Bitter Cold Day, When the Door Opened, He Walked in Ready for Change

A Group of Pro-Hamas Wikipedia Editors Have Rewritten the Israel-Palestine Narrative

The Fraser Institute in Vancouver, Canada, just published, for 2024, its annual Economic Freedom of the World Report. There are many ideas about what freedom means. Economic freedom, which the Fraser Institute focuses on, is of key and central importance. It is about the extent to which individuals have control of their economic life. It’s about law that protects private property, having an honest court system that adjudicates disputes, that government power to interfere with and regulate enterprise is prudent and limited, that individuals and enterprises have freedom to do business not just at home but internationally, and that governments do not debase their national currency. The Fraser Institute gathers data from various international institutions and measures these various factors that define economic freedom and compiles an index of economic freedom in 165 countries around the world. The correlation between economic freedom in a country, and the economic success and prosperity of that country, is powerful. The average per capita income in the top 25% of countries in economic freedom is almost eight times higher than in the lowest 25%. Singapore, until recently the most economically free country in the world, has average per capita income, per the International Monetary Fund, of $88,450. The United States, the fifth most economically free country in the world, has average per capita income of $85,370. This data also sheds important and revealing light on the current hostilities taking place in the world, particularly in the Middle East. Israel ranks number 41 out of the 165 countries in the Fraser economic freedom ranking, which puts it in the top quartile. Israel, per the IMF, has average per capita income of $53,370. Iran has the third largest holding of oil reserves in the world, exceeded only by Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Iran has oil reserves 2.6 times greater than those of Russia and 4.5 times greater than those of the United States. Yet Iran’s per capita income is $5,310, only 10% that of Israel. Why? Out of the 165 countries that the Fraser Institute ranks in economic freedom, Iran stands at 158. There is virtually no economic freedom in Iran. Look at some of the components of the lack of economic freedom in Iran: Its legal system is ranked 143 out of 165 in the world; its management of its national currency ranks 135 out of 165; and government regulation ranks 157 out of 165. The bottom line is that Iran’s per capita income is 10% that of Israel’s because the Iranian regime simply steals the wealth of its citizens -- both the natural wealth of its bountiful oil reserves and the wealth that comes from the creativity of a free people -- to finance its treacherous ideology of murder and terror. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, recently killed in Gaza, had reported wealth of $3 billion. Did this come from some creative high-tech startup? Of course not. This is stolen wealth, much of it coming from Iran, financed on the backs of Iranian citizens. In the video released by Israel showing Sinwar moving with his family into a tunnel in Gaza prior to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, his wife is seen carrying a $32,000 Hermes Birkin handbag. Compared to the vast natural wealth of Iran, Israel’s wealth and prosperity comes almost entirely from the creativity and entrepreneurship from a population given vastly more economic freedom than Iranian citizens are granted. If the average Iranian citizen was asked if they are happy losing tens of thousands of dollars in annual income so their government can finance death and terror, what do you think they would say? How can it be that so much of the allegedly civilized world is so deeply confused, that good and evil are so profoundly obfuscated, that so many refuse to see what is going on?

On Thursday evening, the Dallas County Elections Department seemingly made quiet modifications to online sample ballots following allegations that the downloadable PDFs were, in fact, actual voter ballots.Barry Wernick, a Republican running for Texas House District 108, filed a complaint with the Texas secretary of state on Tuesday after he claimed he discovered his actual ballot was posted online, Blaze News previously reported. He stated that anyone with a Dallas County voter's first and last name and date of birth could pull up a downloadable, printable ballot.'Not locked, encrypted, or watermarked in any way.'Wernick explained that when trying to view his sample ballot on the DCED's website, he was redirected to Clarity Elections, an election night reporting portal operated by SOE Software."After clicking on the link & being transferred to the Clarity Elections portal, instead of seeing a sample ballot, I viewed a downloadable & printable .pdf file of my actual die-cut mail-in ballot with a colored stamp of the initials (HG) of Election Administrator Heider Garcia," Wernick stated.A screenshot of Wernick's supposed sample ballot featured Garcia's initials at the bottom corner and time marks in the margins. He noted that the ballot was "not locked, encrypted, or watermarked in any way."Wernick warned that someone could "easily and legally print out or digitally manipulate that voter's ballot" and then "illegally and potentially surreptitiously inject it into the system thereby disenfranchising and diluting" voters.On Thursday morning, Blaze News replicated Wernick's process to access his ballot by using the information of another Texas voter, a Blaze Media employee who lives in Dallas County, producing identical results. The online ballot did not have a "sample" watermark; it included timing marks and featured Garcia's signed initials, just like Wernick's.However, Blaze News repeated the process on Thursday evening, yielding a different result. This time, the Texas voter's ballot included a "sample" watermark and did not have any signed initials at the bottom. Before Thursday evening: Image Source: Blaze NewsAfter Thursday evening: Image Source: Blaze NewsThe DCED did not respond to requests for comment. The Texas secretary of state told Blaze News, "I cannot speak to any formal election complaints because that information is considered private.""I can point out that printing a sample ballot does not provide a means for it to be inserted into the election process as there are checks for ballots both for in-person voting and voting by mail. There is not a way for voters to use a sample ballot in place of a regular ballot," the secretary of state stated.SOE Software President Jonathan Brill told Blaze News, "I am only aware of this matter from your email, and I haven't directly connected with the Dallas County Elections.""I can tell you, however, that our software is not built for, nor does it have anything to do with voted ballots whatsoever, including tabulation," Brill continued. "Rather, we created and host Dallas County Election's website (including showing SAMPLE ballots) and then facilitate the reporting of results on Election Night. Said more simply, we have nothing to do with live ballots. Our system only presents sample ballots."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Arizona police commended a teen girl for her quick wits that helped land a potential sexual predator behind bars. The 14-year-old girl was walking home from school on Oct. 16 when 37-year-old Isaiah Navarro approached her, according to a statement from the Glendale Police Department. 'Navarro arrived at the location but instead of the 14-year-old young lady, Navarro met up with some handcuffs and was placed under arrest.'Police obtained Ring security video that shows the teen walking across the street in a residential neighborhood when Navarro was inside his car and started a conversation with the girl. The teen told police Navarro asked her where the closest McDonald's was located. She gave him an answer. Then, the man allegedly asked for the girl's phone number. The quick-thinking teen wisely provided her mother's cell phone number instead of her own. Once the teen told her mother what had happened, the mom got law enforcement involved. Navarro allegedly began texting the number — not knowing he was talking to detectives and not the 14-year-old girl. Glendale detectives posed as the underage girl and allegedly communicated with the suspect through text messages from the mother's cell phone. The police shared alleged screenshots of the text message conversation. When asked how old he was, Navarro reportedly said he was 37 years old.He then allegedly asked, "Is that OK?"Detectives responded: "I'm a minor." Police purportedly wrote to the man, "My mom will get so mad so will my dad. I'm only 14." Navarro reportedly replied, "Maybe one day. Can you keep our convo between me and you?" Navarro allegedly requested photos of the 14-year-old girl. "The conversation became more and more graphic with Navarro describing and asking for specific sex acts, without any regard for the age of the victim," police said.Police added that Navarro "invited the victim to perform sexual acts with him."Navarro repeatedly asked to meet up with the girl and reportedly called the number up to 30 times.Detectives set up a place and a time to meet, and Navarro allegedly went there a few hours later. "Navarro arrived at the location but instead of the 14-year-old young lady, Navarro met up with some handcuffs and was placed under arrest," the police said.Navarro was arrested on the spot. The accused pedophile was booked into the Maricopa County Jail and is facing charges of luring a minor for sexual exploitation and attempting to commit sexual conduct with a minor.He's being held on a $250,000 bond."Here is a prime example of a young lady who thought quickly on her feet and did the right thing," police said. "We at the Glendale Police Department commend this young lady for her bravery and her smart thinking!"Police are urging anyone who's had a similar encounter with the suspect to contact detectives at 623-930-3000.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Microsoft's 2024 diversity and inclusion report highlights race- and sexuality-based programs dating back to the 1980s.The report begins with the chief diversity officer stating that the company's inclusivity mission aims to empower "every person and every organization on the planet" to achieve more. These vague platitudes were followed with a list of disturbing initiatives that started as early as 1985.This included naming a "diversity director," establishing a "minority student day," and even race-based employee groups such as "Blacks at Microsoft," all in the 1980s.Along with groups for gays, women, and Asians, Microsoft bragged that since 1989, it has been "promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion."Between 1996 and 2006, Microsoft infused its progressive beliefs into politics by partnering with organizations like the United Nations and the Human Rights Campaign.The HRC is an adamant supporter of transgender surgeries for minors. Microsoft boasted that in 2005, it achieved a perfect score on the HRC's Equality Index."We donated over $1 million (including company match) to 220 nonprofits supporting LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide, totaling over $16.3 million in all-time donations to these organizations," Microsoft wrote.During this time period, Microsoft said it also offered "gender-affirming benefits" to U.S. employees.The report stretched its claims of inclusion by reporting on generic, nonspecific woke viewpoints within the company. For example, Microsoft reported that 83.5% of its employees agreed or strongly agreed that they have seen coworkers "demonstrate allyship in the workplace."Other statistics showed a 2.3% year-over-year increase in groupthink (78.9% to 81.2%) regarding "diversity" being "critical" to the company's success.'We believe gaming should be inclusive of all, accessible to all, and safe for all.'Some of Microsoft's other initiatives are even more troubling, including "hiring inclusively" and "supplier diversity."Described as partnerships that intend to "increase opportunities for communities," "diversity" in this sense is not really explained.Glenda Dengah, director of supplier diversity, is quoted as saying the supply program is about "cultivating enduring partnerships" from "the diverse communities we represent."Microsoft also claimed, using uncited research, that 71% of gamers think it's very important to have diverse characters and content. Again, these terms were not defined."We believe gaming should be inclusive of all, accessible to all, and safe for all," the company wrote.Despite this claim, diversity-driven games have failed to capture audiences, with several big-budget games tanking in 2024 within just days of their release.While the report was still published, it is important to note that Microsoft quietly laid off a diversity, equity, and inclusion team in July but insisted its commitment to diversity is "unwavering."Blaze News reached out to a spokesperson representing Microsoft to discuss what "hiring inclusively" means, what "supplier diversity" means, and where its video game-related research came from.The spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment despite initiating contact and sending the report.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In the summer of 2023, actor and musician Jamie Foxx came down with a mysterious illness that very nearly killed him. In July, after it was determined that he had narrowly escaped death, a pale, sickly-looking Foxx released a tearful video letting the public know that he was okay but traumatized. “I’ve been to hell and back,” he said, before thanking his family, medical team, and God. Foxx never would say what it was that nearly took his life, leaving many speculating that his illness was due to taking the COVID vaccine, which could not be questioned or criticized at the time due to the collusion between the federal government, Big Pharma, and Big Tech. The approved narrative was that Foxx had a stroke. However, a new story has since emerged. In the wake of Sean "Diddy" Combs' arrest, a celebrity bodyguard who goes by the name of Big Homie.CC has reported that Foxx’s near-death experience was due to Diddy poisoning him. Apparently, Foxx then reported him to the FBI. ¼ Black Garrett, Angela Boggs, and Derek Richards, filling in for Dave Landau, bring equal parts humor and analysis to the disturbing news. "‘In a shocking interview with Cam Capone News, celebrity bodyguard Big Homie, which by the way is the name on his driver's license in case you're curious, "made bold accusations against music mogul Diddy, alleging that Diddy poisoned actor Jamie Foxx,’” says Richards, reading from a report. In a YouTube video that dropped last week, Big Homie stated the following: “Well, I know [Diddy] poisoned Jamie Foxx, and Jamie Foxx reported him to the FBI because of it. I know that’s a fact.” When questioned whether Foxx’s mysterious illness was due to this alleged poisoning, Big Homie confirmed yes – Foxx’s 20-day stint in the hospital and three-month hiatus from the public eye was indeed a result of being poisoned by Combs. Angela then points to “Brittany Murphy and [Diddy’s] ex-wife,” Kim Porter, and several others who “have died of pneumonia who were involved with [Diddy].” “Actually one of the causes of pneumonia is breathing in baby oil,” she says. When Diddy’s home was raided by the FBI, 1,000 bottles of baby oil were found. Could it be that they were also poisoned by Diddy in a different way? “All my freak parties have coconut oil – organic from Whole Foods,” Richards jokes. To hear more of the conversation, watch the episode above. Want more 'Normal World'?To enjoy more whimsical satire, topical sketches, and comedic discussions from comedians Dave Landau and 1/4 Black Garrett, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Keith Olbermann Having Kittens Over Anderson Cooper and the CNN Town Hall Best Thing on X Today

You Can See Kamala Harris' Brain Break in Real Time When Journo Questions Campaign Priorities