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She’s ready to be the one writing the narrative

Wide-sweeping corruption probe

The natural bonds of community have been broken

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Wouldn’t count on young men

Now that the longest government shutdown in history is over, it’s imperative that Washington lawmakers quickly prioritize pro-economic growth policies. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by recognizing that strong families are the backbone of a vibrant and prosperous economy. After all, every American family wants the same thing: the chance to work hard, provide for their children, and leave the next generation better off than the last. That promise—the American Dream—has always been rooted in two pillars: the dynamism of the free market and the strength of the family. When those two forces work together, our country flourishes. We’ve seen this in action. President Donald Trump’s Working Families Tax Cut Act simplified the tax code and lowered rates, freeing small businesses to hire, invest, and grow.  Over time, the economy is expected to continue growing. We are beginning to see positive signs that the economy is trending in the right direction. According to the latest figures, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.8% in the last quarter. Of course, many families continue feeling squeezed. The costs of child care, housing, and groceries are eating into paychecks. Many parents feel as if they are running faster only to stay in the same place. If we want a stronger economy tomorrow, we must strengthen families today. That means pairing the power of the free market with smart, pro-family policies. One of the most effective tools we have is the Child Tax Credit. Properly designed, the credit serves two important purposes: it offsets the rising costs of raising children, and it encourages families to remain in the workforce by rewarding their work. A stronger, fully work-linked Child Tax Credit would mean more money in parents’ pockets for essentials like child care and transportation—the very costs that often push families out of the labor force. In turn, our economy gains from higher workforce participation and a stronger middle class. Some worry that expanding the credit would distort the market. The truth is the opposite: families are the foundation of the market. Raising children is not a private luxury—it’s a public good. Tomorrow’s innovators, workers, and taxpayers are being raised around dinner tables today. If we do not account for the actual costs parents shoulder, we undermine the very system we rely on for growth. Beyond the Child Tax Credit, the path forward is clear: cut red tape that drives up family costs, ensure tax policy never penalizes marriage or child-rearing, and modernize workforce programs so parents can gain new skills without losing support. Each of these reforms strengthens families while reinforcing free-market principles. Washington lawmakers will have to prioritize addressing these issues as the latest government shutdown agreement provides funding until January 2026. This means that policymakers do not have a long runway to introduce, debate, and negotiate a bill to prevent another government shutdown. Lawmakers will naturally want to include their pet issue in these negotiations, but they would do well to remember that without strong families, the social fabric frays. Without a thriving workforce, the economy stagnates. But when free markets and families are both strong, America is unstoppable. The Working Families Tax Cut Act proved that bold reform could revive opportunity. Now we need to take the next step. Expanding the Child Tax Credit, cutting unnecessary regulations, and aligning policy with the realities of family life will ensure the American Dream for future generations. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.  The post To Grow the Economy, Support Strong Families appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Two West Virginia National Guardsmen patrolling the national capital were shot the day before Thanksgiving, allegedly by a 29-year-old Afghan national who Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated "was one of the many unvetted, mass paroled into the United States under Operation Allies Welcome on September 8, 2021, under the Biden Administration."While 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe is reportedly still fighting for his life, Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom succumbed to her wounds on Thursday evening."My baby girl has passed to glory," the fallen guardsman's father, Gary Beckstrom, noted in a Facebook post on Thursday. "... This has been a horrible tragedy."'Apologize and repent.'Amid the general outpouring of prayers and support for the victims and their families, the New Yorker magazine's chief Washington correspondent, Jane Mayer, decided to publicly trivialize the military members' sacrifice."This is so tragic, so unnecessary, these poor guardsmen should never have been deployed," wrote Mayer. "I live in DC and watched as they had virtually nothing to do but pick up trash. It was a political show and at what a cost."Mayer's apparent suggestion that the National Guardsman who died and others overseeing a historic and transformative decrease in violent crime in Washington, D.C., were glorified garbage pickers did not go over well with the American people and their White House.White House communications director Steven Cheung, responding on X from his official account, wrote, "Jane, respectfully, shut the f**k up for trying to politicize this tragedy."They were protecting DC and trying to make the nation's capital safer," continued Cheung. "People like you who engage in ghoulish behavior lose all credibility. Not like you had any to begin with."RELATED: Trump to 'permanently pause' migration from third-world backwaters in wake of National Guard member's grisly murder Military members and civilians pray outside the hospital where the two wounded National Guardsmen were taken. Photo by Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images.The official White House rapid response account similarly castigated the liberal journalist, writing, "You sick, disgusting ghoul. Two of these heroes were just SHOT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. The Guard has saved countless lives — backed up by evidence (which you’re clearly too stupid to notice). They are American patriots."In August, President Donald Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., and deployed the National Guard there in order to "re-establish law, order, and public safety" to a city that had a higher violent crime, murder, and robbery rate than all 50 states.D.C. immediately witnessed a dramatic drop in crime.There was a 44% decrease in violent crime in the first three weeks of the anti-crime initiative when compared to the same stretch the previous year and a 27% drop in crime from Aug. 11 through Oct. 15 relative to the same period in 2024. In addition to saving lives, the reduction in crime led to savings of over $450 million as of Nov. 4, according to the America First Policy Institute.The White House was not alone in its disgust over Mayer's remarks.Georgia Rep. Mike Collins (R) responded, "Apologize and repent.""Stop supporting the murder of American soldiers," wrote BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre.Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) wrote, "All these sick people on the Left do is blame the victims. I’m thankful for our guardsmen and praying for them and their families as they keep protecting the peace."While others similarly bashed Mayer over her rush to politicize the attack on the guardsmen by a suspect apparently imported by the Biden administration, some critics refuted the New Yorker writer's narrative by providing accounts of critical actions taken by the National Guard in the District of Columbia. — (@) For instance, Wallace White, a reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation, noted, "On my walk back from work a few weeks back, a man was dangling off the ledge of the metro tracks at Farragut West clearly trying to commit suicide by train. If two national guardsmen weren’t there at the time, he’d be dead. These people are heroes."Logan Dobson, vice president of the political advertising agency Targeted Victory, noted that he lives in D.C. and that the city is safer thanks to the National Guard, adding on the basis of murder statistics, "Dozens of Washingtonians are alive today that wouldn't be if not for the Guard."When confronted by Dobson with evidence of the drop in crime following the National Guard's deployment to D.C., Mayer said, "I've covered crime in Washington since 1981- let's skip the mansplaining. You can play with the stats but homicides were dropping before the troops got here."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Ray D’Ariano was just 25 when he got his dream job. One month into his gig at MCA Records, he was alone backstage with two of the world's biggest music stars. The post Elton John and John Lennon at MSG in 1974: Behind-the-Scenes appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

Microsoft abandoned Internet Explorer in favor of Microsoft Edge years ago. The reasons behind it make sense when we take a trip back to 2021.