'Alabama's rich diversity'

Give him his alligator back!

'Ensure all the candidates are playing by the rules'

Nothing better than the absolute chaos of players attempting to better each other‚ but now in Azeroth! Here are all the Renown level rewards in World of Warcraft Plunderstorm. World of Warcraft Plunderstorm: All renown rewards Image: Blizzard World of Warcraft Plunderstorm‚ as a battle royale‚ will award your in-game performance with an assortment of mainly cosmetic rewards and the occasional quest in the main game. There are a total of 40 Renown levels you can gain‚ which will take quite a decent amount of time. Take a look at the table below to know what rewards are waiting for you. Renown LevelRewardDescriptionQuote1Deadly DaggerUnlocks the Deadly Dagger appearance.You’re in Keg Leg’s Crew now‚ swabbie. Here’s your dagger‚ get to plundering!2SwabbieSwabbie’s GlovesUnlocks the Swabbie title.Unlocks the Swabbie’s Gloves appearance.The captain has declared you an official swabbie!Leather gloves to help you grab the loot.3Surefooted Boots:...

There is one competition where Los Angeles‚ New York‚ Chicago‚ and Philadelphia aren’t beating other major locations in this country. It is in persuading people to stay there. The Census Bureau this month released its estimates on the populations for each American county as of July 1‚ 2023. In a release about this data‚ the agency included a table listing the 10 counties with the largest one-year decline in population as of that date. Los Angeles County ranked first‚ as this writer reported for the Daily Caller News Foundation. As of July 1‚ 2022‚ it had a population of 9‚719‚765. By July 1‚ 2023‚ that had dropped to 9‚663‚345. This one-year decline of 56‚420 was approximately twice the decline in Kings County‚ New York‚ which ranked second. Kings County‚ which is the borough of Brooklyn‚ saw its population drop from 2‚589‚531 to 2‚561‚225—a decline of 28‚306. Queens County‚ New York‚ which is the borough of Queens‚ ranked third. Its population dropped from 2‚278‚558 to 2‚252‚196—a decline of 26‚362. Bronx County‚ New York‚ which is the borough of the Bronx‚ ranked fourth. It dropped from 1‚381‚808 to 1‚356‚476—a decline of 25‚332. Cook County‚ Illinois‚ where Chicago is located‚ ranked fifth. Its population dropped from 5‚111‚566 to 5‚087‚072— a decline of 24‚494. Philadelphia County‚ Pennsylvania‚ which is the city of Philadelphia‚ ranked sixth. Its population dropped from 1‚566‚836 to 1‚550‚542—a decline of 16‚294. The other four counties ranked by the Census Bureau in the top 10 for population losses between July 2022 and July 2023 were: Orange County‚ California‚ which lost 14‚617 residents; Allegheny County‚ Pennsylvania‚ the home of Pittsburgh‚ which lost 7‚780; Wayne County‚ Michigan‚ the home of Detroit‚ which lost 7‚773; and San Diego‚ California‚ which lost 7‚203. It should be noted that two of the counties in New York City—New York County (which is Manhattan) and Richmond County (which is Staten Island)—didn’t have the dramatic population losses seen in Brooklyn‚ Queens‚ and the Bronx. In Richmond County‚ the population declined by only 671 from July 1‚ 2022‚ to July 1‚ 2023. Although New York County did see a significant population decline in the year that ended July 1‚ 2021 (when it dropped by 99‚177)‚ it saw population increases in the years that ended July 1‚ 2022 (16‚488) and 2023 (2‚908). So‚ why did Los Angeles‚ Brooklyn‚ Queens‚ the Bronx‚ Chicago‚ and Philadelphia all lose population? Did people stop having babies there? No. In Los Angeles County‚ 95‚354 babies were born in the year that ended July 1‚ 2023‚ according to the Census Bureau. At the same time‚ there were 73‚138 deaths. That resulted in what the agency calls a “natural change” in population of 22‚216. Did Los Angeles County lose population because people didn’t migrate there from foreign countries? No. In the year that ended July 1‚ 2023‚ according to the Census Bureau‚ “international migration” brought 40‚388 people to the county. However‚ during that same period‚ Los Angeles lost 119‚037 residents to “domestic migration“—people who moved from that county to somewhere else in the United States. When you subtract the 40‚388 who came to the county from foreign locations from the 119‚037 who left for other domestic locations‚ it results in what the Census Bureau calls a “net migration” loss of 78‚649 for Los Angeles in the year that ended July 1‚ 2023. Subtract the natural change that resulted from births exceeding deaths (22‚216) from the population lost through net migration (78‚649)‚ and it gives you 56‚433—or approximately the 56‚420 in total population that the Census Bureau estimates Los Angeles County lost in the year that ended July 1‚ 2023. Kings‚ Queens‚ the Bronx‚ and Cook and Philadelphia counties were similarly affected by negative domestic migration. In Brooklyn (Kings County)‚ births (31‚066) exceeded deaths (16‚892) in the year ending July 1‚ 2023‚ resulting in a natural increase of 14‚174. In addition‚ the borough saw 13‚292 residents come in through international migration. But 55‚308 left Brooklyn through domestic migration‚ resulting in a net migration loss of 42‚016. There were 23‚304 babies born in Queens in the year leading up to July 1‚ 2023‚ and 15‚544 persons died —resulting in a natural change of 7‚760. International migration brought another 16‚290 to the borough. But domestic migration drew 50‚161 out of Queens‚ giving the borough a negative net migration of 33‚871. In the Bronx‚ the number of babies born (16‚614) outnumbered the number of residents who died (10‚684); international migration brought in 10‚224 from outside the country. But then‚ 41‚473 migrated out of the Bronx to somewhere else in the U.S. In Cook County‚ Illinois‚ the 53‚124 babies born in the year ending July 1‚ 2023‚ outnumbered the 43‚149 who died; international migration brought 23‚790 to the county. But 58‚105 migrated out. In Philadelphia‚ 19‚208 babies were born and 14‚689 residents died; international migration brought in 7‚038‚ but 27‚667 migrated out. Where did counties grow the most in population‚ according to the Census Bureau? Texas. Eight of the 10 counties that had the largest growth in the year ending July 1‚ 2023‚ are in Texas. The other two are in Arizona and Florida. Although the population of Los Angeles County declined by 56‚420‚ Harris County‚ Texas‚ grew by 53‚788. Harris County was followed by Collin County‚ Texas (36‚364); Montgomery County‚ Texas (31‚800); Maricopa County‚ Arizona (30‚038); Polk County‚ Florida (29‚948); Denton County‚ Texas (29‚943); Fort Bend County‚ Texas (27‚859); Bexar County‚ Texas (27‚488); Tarrant County‚ Texas (27‚301); and Williamson County‚ Texas (24‚918). COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. 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 Americans Flee Los Angeles‚ Brooklyn‚ Queens‚ the Bronx‚ Chicago‚ and Philadelphia appeared first on The Daily Signal.

As an historian‚ I found it fascinating to watch the Left try to impose new language to describe people in the country illegally. The Left has gradually pushed accepted language away from “illegal aliens” (the term in law)‚ to “illegal immigrants” (the most common term)‚ to “undocumented immigrants” (the Left’s current favorite term)‚ and now to “newcomers” (the Joe Biden White House’s latest experiment in gaining language dominance). It all reminds me of Vladimir Lenin’s great language coup of 1903. The Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party met secretly in Brussels. (The czar’s secret police made it impossible to meet openly in Russia.) At the meeting there was a split between Lenin’s hard-line revolutionary faction and a more moderate democratic wing. Lenin’s faction was the smaller group‚ but they claimed the title Bolshevik (which means “greater faction” or majority). Group with the most votes were foolish enough to accept the title Lenin gave them‚ which was Menshevik‚ meaning minority. That language dominance and branding gave Lenin an enormous advantage in the following two-decade struggle to overthrow the czar and create Soviet Russia. At least as far back as the French Revolution‚ the Left has had a passion for labeling things and ideas to gain language dominance. This process as applied to illegal immigration began at least 25 years ago for me. That’s when I first remember being lectured that using the term “illegal immigrants” was wrong‚ and I should learn to say “undocumented.” I thought this was nuts then‚ and I still do now. By definition‚ the people we were describing are illegal. Their first act on entering the United States is to break the law. Their decision to do so is an insult to every legal immigrant who patiently followed the rules and entered the United States legally. In late February‚ the Biden White House had a handout which said‚ “The bill also includes $1.4 billion for cities and states who are providing critical services to newcomers.” The reaction to replacing “illegal immigrant” with “newcomer” was so harsh that the Biden team dropped it. But their goal was clear. This process of normalizing weird and radical ideas goes on constantly on the Left. Think of pushing transgenderism on children‚ kneeling during the Pledge of Allegiance‚ ignoring the destruction caused by the Black Lives Matter riots‚ etc. The problem for the Left is that illegal immigration may be the battlefield on which they can’t win. The latest absurdity began when Biden responded to jeers from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene‚ R-Ga.‚ during his State of the Union address. He said‚ “Lincoln (sic) Riley‚ an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right. But how many of thousands of people are being killed by legals?” Note that even in acknowledging a young woman who was killed by an illegal immigrant‚ Biden had to immediately cover it with thousands being killed by legal immigrants and citizens. The illegal immigrant could not be the focus. Of course‚ he got Riley’s first name wrong‚ but the Left immediately attacked him for using the term “illegal.” That included former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Biden promptly began trying to backtrack. In an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart on the following Saturday‚ Biden acknowledged his sin of language‚ “I shouldn’t have used ‘illegal.’ it’s ‘undocumented.’” But Biden couldn’t stop there. He had to be pro-illegal immigrant. “I’m not going to treat any‚ any‚ any of these people with disrespect. Look‚ they built the country. The reason our economy is growing‚” he said. Biden’s defense of illegal immigration hurt him with the average American—and his use of “illegal” hurt him with his left-wing allies. His confusion made him look weak. So‚ in another act of language dominance‚ the White House simply decided he really never apologized for saying “illegal” in the first place. As The Hill reported: White House deputy spokesperson Olivia Dalton attempted to clarify on Monday‚ telling a reporter that “the president absolutely did not apologize” despite his expression of regret. “There was no apology anywhere in that conversation‚” Dalton told reporters on Air Force One. “He did not apologize. He used a different word. I think what we should be really clear about is the facts.” Biden (and his press team) may be confused‚ but the American people are not. As Scott Rasmussen reported: Our recent polling found that 55% of voters believe “illegal immigrant” is the proper term and another 8% prefer “illegal alien.” While 63% favor use of “illegal‚” just 24% prefer “undocumented migrant.” Among traditional Democrats‚ 54% prefer “illegal” and 33% “undocumented.” But [Bernie] Sanders Democrats prefer “undocumented” by a 48% to 30% margin. It is the progressive Democrats who forced Biden to apologize. This just moves him even further from the mainstream. Let’s be clear: Laken Riley was reportedly killed by an illegal immigrant. That illegal immigrant was in Athens‚ Ga.‚ because of Biden’s insane policies‚ which favor an open border and prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens. No word games can overcome those facts. This article was originally published by RealClearPolicy and made available via RealClearWire. The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. 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 Biden‚ the Left Channel Lenin in Language Manipulation on Illegal Immigration appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—School administrators in New York City agreed to house illegal aliens at James Madison High School in Brooklyn without including parents in the discussion‚ documents obtained by The Oversight Project show.  Emails obtained by The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project through New York state’s Freedom of Information Law show that officials from the city’s Education Department met Jan. 9 with the high school’s principal to discuss “FBF Evacuation Planning” at the high school. FBF refers to Floyd Bennett Field‚ a local airstrip where the city has housed almost 2‚000 illegal immigrants in a tent community. Impending inclement weather with “high winds” at the time prompted local officials to seek other accommodations. In a private email to staff sent at 11:17 a.m. Jan. 9‚ less than two hours before the scheduled meeting‚ Madison Principal Jodie Cohen announced that the Brooklyn high school “is the secondary sight [site] to support the residents at Floyd Bennett Field in case it is needed.” Cohen claimed that‚ if the illegal aliens were housed in the high school‚ they would be gone by morning so that students’ lessons would be unimpeded. “What does this mean to our daily instruction—NOTHING!” she wrote in the email to faculty and other staff. “The plan is for them to come here after the school day ends and leave before the school day begins.” Cohen provided a list of contingency plans for the illegal immigrants in case “the storm prevents them from returning to Floyd Bennett Field.” These included directions to “Post a Zoom code and your email address” for remote learning and to “secure all personal belongings‚ and make sure to lock all computer carts”—presumably to prevent theft by the migrants. Cohen notified Nathaniel Styer and Jenna Lyle‚ the city Education Department’s press secretary and deputy press secretary‚ respectively‚ that she had emailed her high school’s staff.  Responses from those spokespersons were omitted in the emails provided to The Daily Signal. Parents of students at the high school were not consulted or notified until five hours later‚ when Cohen posted a letter to the school’s website informing parents that classes were canceled for the next day‚ which was Wednesday‚ Jan. 10.  At 4:13 p.m.‚ the principal emailed the New York City Geographic District #22 administration that “parents‚ students and staff have been notified of [the] pivot to remote [learning].” Cohen hosted a Zoom meeting with parents to address the growing backlash at 7 p.m. Jan. 9‚ during which the Madison High principal lambasted parents for questioning her commitment to students.  “Please know that I put your kids first‚” Cohen said. “I do what I do because I care about children.” Cohen didn’t email parents or students first when deciding to close Madison High the next day. They were kept in the dark until 4 p.m. Jan. 9. Although illegal aliens told The New York Times that they had been asked to prepare to leave the high school by 2 a.m. on Wednesday‚ Jan. 10‚ Madison administrators canceled in-person learning that day anyway.  The New York Post reported that migrants “had already been cleared out of James Madison High School at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.” Parents and local leaders from the Left and Right protested outside the high school that morning. New York state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton‚ D-Staten Island‚ issued a statement  Jan. 10 referencing a Coney Island elementary school that had been proposed as a “site to house migrants” in 2023.  Scarbella-Spanton called for passage of her bill to “prohibit the use of schools‚ daycare centers‚ or community-based organizations that serve children under 18 from being used as migrant shelters.”“We must do everything possible to ensure that it NEVER happens again due to situations like this one‚” the state lawmaker said. Many parents asked why Brooklyn College‚ the storm evacuation site designated by New York City for that section of Brooklyn‚ wasn’t used to house illegal immigrants rather than displace schoolchildren.  Over two months later‚ parents still have few answers regarding the city’s apparent decision to prioritize illegal immigrants over the taxpayer-funded education of city residents’ children.  The emails from Cohen’s office obtained by The Oversight Project show that school administrators didn’t prioritize the concerns of local parents in the first place. The Daily Signal sought comment from James Madison High School‚ but didn’t receive a response by time of publication.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 EXCLUSIVE: Parents Kept in the Dark Over Illegal Immigrants Housed in NYC School‚ Emails Show appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday held a hearing on in vitro fertilization and the future of reproductive rights. One witness‚ a female doctor from Texas‚ went so far as to say that she supported abortion with no restrictions. WATCH: Democrat witness says the quiet part out loud.@SenJohnKennedy: Are you suggesting that Texas law should allow abortion with no restrictions?Witness: “If I could change Texas’s laws‚ I would be able to take care of my patients‚ if they’re in need‚ without restriction.” pic.twitter.com/K0XLpWhvGW— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) March 20‚ 2024 On the other hand‚ Sen. Lindsey Graham‚ R-S.C.‚ highlighted the need to have strong regulations to govern the practice of IVF‚ potentially as Germany does. Still‚ the question of IVF prompted a fraught discussion that cut through bipartisan lines. While Democrats push for unlimited access to IVF‚ many Republicans—especially strongly pro-life ones—have been tongue-tied. When pressed‚ most Republican leaders have claimed they’re both “pro-life and pro-IVF.” Presumably‚ they are thinking about the children born through IVF each year—who make up 2.3% of all births in the United States. But what about the other embryos; namely‚ the ones we never see? Each year‚ millions of embryos perish either intentionally or as a byproduct of IVF. Preliminary data from the 2021 Assisted Reproductive Technology Fertility Clinic and National Summary Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that “approximately 238‚126 patients had 413‚776 [assisted reproductive technology] cycles … [resulting in] 97‚128 live born infants.” In other words‚ IVF has an overall success rate of 23%‚ the ratio of “cycles” to live births. Those are low odds. For women 40 years and older‚ in vitro fertilization provides less than a 10% chance of success. But notice what’s missing: The ratio of the total number of created embryos to those that result in a live birth. The 23% success rate for IVF only refers to the number of IVF cycles and not the number of embryos created in each cycle. To increase those low odds of success‚ fertility clinics routinely create a large surplus of embryos so that they have more options to choose from. No broad recommendations or laws dictate the number of embryos created in an average IVF cycle; nor are there any laws that require clinics to report how many they create. Typically‚ the number of embryos created depends on factors such as the age of the eggs‚ their quality‚ and any underlying health problems. One report from the United Kingdom suggested an average of 15 embryos are created in each cycle‚ with only 7% of all created embryos resulting in a live birth. The number is likely somewhere between eight and 20 embryos created in a single cycle of IVF—which is much higher than the number of children most parents intend to have. For the sake of argument‚ however‚ let’s estimate that only 10 embryos are created in an average cycle of IVF. Using 2021 data from the CDC‚ that means that the 413‚776 rounds of IVF resulted in the creation of more than 4.1 million embryos. That would mean that only 2.3% of all embryos created in the United States result in the live birth of a child. The other 97%‚ or 4 million embryos‚ are variously willfully or accidentally destroyed frozen for later use placed for adoption donated to research‚ or fail to implant when transferred into the womb. For the embryos involved‚ the success rate is very low indeed. Republicans need to work out the logic of their commitment to protect life from the moment of conception. If IVF‚ as it is typically practiced‚ routinely destroys human life‚ it’s understandable that Democratic senators question the consistency of an unfiltered “pro-life and pro-IVF” stance. Embryonic life—in the womb or in a petri dish—must be honored as fellow human beings. Why should someone’s size or ability determine his or her right to live? Embryos may be harder to see or relate to as people‚ but each of us was once an embryo. With some 2.3% of the 4.1 million embryos created each year through IVF resulting in the birth of a child‚ the process as currently practiced in the U.S. is far from “pro-life.” If we believe that life begins at conception‚ then any consistent pro-life ethic would apply that to embryos. 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 From the Perspective of the Embryo‚ IVF Is Not Very Pro-Life appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Mayo Clinic Out With Some Interesting Parameters for Nursing Applicants

What a Creep