After a pause in student loan repayments during the COVID-19 pandemic, borrowers have started paying again. But if history is any guide, some student loan borrowers will pay next to nothing—and after 10, 20, or 25 years, taxpayers, not borrowers, will be forced to pay the outstanding balances. Now, some members of Congress are trying to extend this freeloading loan scheme to even more students. A new federal report on student loans found that the share of borrowers who choose income-driven repayment plans increased between 2009 and 2019. Under these plans, borrowers’ monthly repayment amounts vary according to their income. Meanwhile, interest accrues as students pay little or nothing on the principal. The interest accrual would be bad news for borrowers, except that under the current rules for these repayment plans, taxpayers—not borrowers or students—pay off the balances after 20 or 25 years. This gives borrowers a significant incentive to pay as little as possible and wait for two decades. While courts have repeatedly blocked President Joe Biden’s administration’s unconstitutional attempts to off-load college loans on to taxpayers, the income-driven repayment plan system has this taxpayer burden built in to its rules already. The administration has tried to lower cancellation to just 10 years under its SAVE proposal, but the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a nationwide injunction halting the effort. Now, lawmakers who support Biden’s attempts to move outstanding student loans to taxpayers want to amend another federal loan program, called Parent PLUS loans, to operate like income-driven repayment plans. Currently, under Parent PLUS, parents take out federal loans to cover tuition payments for their undergraduate students. Parents can borrow up to the cost of attendance but pay higher interest rates on the loans. The repayment schedules can result in some parents repaying student loans well into retirement. Nearly 4 million Americans had Parent PLUS loans in 2023 totaling more than $100 billion. Under the proposed plan from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., taxpayers would pay any remaining balances on Parent PLUS loans after 20 or 25 years, the same thing that happens with income-driven repayment plans now. The sponsors of the new proposal are ignoring U.S. Supreme Court precedent. The high court has appropriately blocked several attempts by Biden to shift hundreds of billions of dollars in outstanding college student loan debt to working Americans. Most recently, the court declined to lift an earlier appeals court order pausing Biden’s SAVE plan. The SAVE plan would reduce the monthly payments for some loans and, again, includes provisions that would increase the likelihood taxpayers would be forced to pay outstanding student debt. When the Biden administration introduced SAVE, some observers, such as leaders of the NAACP, complained that Parent PLUS borrowers were not eligible under the proposal. Van Hollen, Adams, and the other sponsors of the proposal that would require taxpayers to pay outstanding Parent PLUS loans after 20 or 25 years were listening. Their proposal ignores the various court rulings against Biden’s plans to shift costs to taxpayers while catering to interest groups. It’s important to keep in mind how big the expense of administration’s student loan schemes has been so far. The American Enterprise Institute’s tracker of the administration’s loan write-offs is currently over $406 billion. That’s a cost of around $3,100 for every household in the country. The benefit has mostly gone to high earners who don’t need handouts. With the gross federal debt now an inconceivable $35.3 trillion, the last thing politicians should do is pretend they’re in a position to ask taxpayers to take on more debt—especially when two-thirds of those taxpayers don’t hold bachelor’s degrees themselves and 80% of Americans don’t have any student loan debt. It’s bad for the budget, encourages high inflation for college tuition, and is unfair to hardworking Americans who got through life without degrees in puppet arts or gender studies. Rather than looking for new ways to put taxpayers on the hook for other people’s advanced degrees, Congress should try the opposite approach and get Washington out of the business of subsidizing academia. The post Taxpayer Trap: Lawmakers Push Another Student Loan ‘Forgiveness’ Scheme appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Take a peek at these fall and winter garden tips and ideas before you turn over for the cold seasons. These fall and winter garden tips may just be what you need for gardening success and to satisfy your gardening fix! Must-Do Tps And Ideas For Your Fall And Winter Garden This post is courtesy of gardenseason.com and shared with permission. Looking at the falling leaves made me think of a dull fall and winter garden ahead. What else is there to do but wait for the coming spring and summer growing season? Well, check out these fall and winter garden tips and ideas and you might be running out of time! It can be frustrating when you've just recently enjoyed your first harvest and want to grow more but then comes the winter season. While winter gardening is limited, there are actually a lot of things you can do. In fact, I was in a hurry to get working on some winter crafts, I almost forgot some of the essential fall and winter garden activities. Read on to find out what tasks you could be missing or had left undone. You'll find the winter season isn't a dull gardening season after all but a great break from the mundane of gardening.   1. Fall And Winter Garden Clean Up With all the fallen leaves and the left-overs from your vegetable garden, a fall cleanup is really necessary. This will prevent rot in your grass and spread of plant diseases in the next growing season. All the waste after cleanup also make good compost materials. Pruning helps prevents the spread of plant diseases with the affected parts cut out. This is ideal in late winter in many regions to encourage growth and flowers in spring. Avoid pruning in fall when the spread of fungi is more prolific in this season. 2. Cook Up A Compost | Although the cold season will hinder speedy micro-organic activities, you can compost in winter. Considering how compost materials are in abundance from a fall garden cleanup, composting this season is just practical. When pruning branches and plant stems with diseases, it would be best to burn them first and use the ashes as a compost material. This will prevent the spread of disease in your compost. 3. Plant A Perennial Bulb Flower Garden Don't plant bulbs in your flower garden and you'll miss out on a beautiful almost magical flower garden. With perennial flowering bulbs like tulips and crocuses, you'll make a winter wonderland of your garden with them popping in the snow. Grow small flowering bulbs like as crocuses and snowdrops in clumps for an impact. Don't plant bulbs in soggy grounds as they are prone to rots, and mulching your bulbs will protect them in dormancy. 4. Inventory Of Garden Tools And Seeds Your gardening tools have been doing the hard work just as you have over the last growing season. So it's only natural to clean them up and check if they needed some repairs before they go into tool storage. Doing this activity this fall and winter will help you save money on long-lasting gardening tools. Plus you'll avoid any hitch over your gardening tools come growing season in spring. 5. Extend Growing Season For the avid grower, this task is nothing new. After all, a self-sufficient will go to great lengths as extend the growing season. Greenhouses, high tunnels, row covers, and grow lights are the season extending tools you can use. If you don't have enough space or the expenses to spare then grow plants and vegetables indoors this winter. You get to save on the energy since the atmosphere inside your home is conducive to plant growth. 6. Start Seeds Indoors One of the easier and essential tasks in winter for your garden is to start seeds in a greenhouse or indoors. You can do this with indoor grow lights which you can make on your own. Growing seeds indoors is ideal for brassicas when you are planning to grow veggies in early spring since they are cool season crops. Starting seeds by batch in succession will help ensure a successful harvest if some of the seedlings fail.   If you're an urban farmer, these seed saving tips will be especially useful to you ???? https://t.co/OsNVBNSz6H pic.twitter.com/cE6MymX8Gi — Homesteading (@HomesteadingUSA) November 20, 2016   7. Grow A Cold-Hardy Vegetable Garden | You can extend the growing season with season extending tools, but with cold-hardy vegetables, you won't even need these tools at all. All you need are the right plants in the cold hardy ones. Brassicas are some of the well-known vegetables tolerating the cold fall and winter temperature. They tolerate the light frost and are even enhanced in terms of flavor with overwintering.   Want to see the full list? Check it out on GardenSeason.com. Want some more fall and winter gardening ideas? Then check this video: These 15 simple gardening-fix is a strong proof that the end of summer is not the end of gardening season. Gardening is a real year-round activity you cannot neglect. So put on your gardening gear and take some action this fall and winter and be a happy gardener! Want to have a successful spring garden? Check out these fall gardening tips for great success in spring! Up Next: Top Hardy Plants to Grow in Winter | Homesteading Tips For Gardeners   Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook!   Editor's Note: This post was originally published in December 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.

The 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Awards nominees are out! And you’re in for a treat to find the goodest boys and girls competing for the coveted American Hero Dog title this year. The American Humane Hero Dog Awards is by American Humane, an animal welfare organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare and well-being of animals.  The annual and nationwide competition, now on it’s 14th year, searches for and recognizes America’s Hero dogs, which are often “ordinary dogs who do extraordinary things”. According to the Hero Dog Awards’ website, the nominees are competing in the following five different categories: Therapy: Dogs with the credentials to help people, other than their owner/handler, with their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive challenges. Emerging Hero and Shelter: Dogs that are proof of resilience, hope, and positivity. These dogs are considered “ordinary” four-legged friends doing extraordinary things after getting rescued. Military: Dogs that are proof not all heroes wear capes! They are pivotal to our troops’ health and safety, at home and overseas. Service and Guide/Hearing: Dogs that do not only keep their hoomans safe but ensures the improvement of the lives they touch. Law Enforcement and First Responder: Dogs that help keep our communities safe from crime, drugs, diseases, and arson – talk about heroes! Five hero canines will be featured for each category. However, only one dog will come out on top to become 2024’s American Hero Dog. Competition is tight when the nominees are all certified good boys and girls! Credit: Hero Dog Awards Last year, a Great Dane from the Therapy category, named Maverick, took home the coveted American Hero Dog title. This year, in the same category, we have Dayo from Dublin, California who was previously a companion dog for a cheetah at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, OR. Today, Dayo works as a therapy dog who provides warmth and joy to patients, families, nurses, and staff at the George Mark Children’s House in San Leandro, CA. We also have Pepper from Alexandria, Virginia who does a remarkable job at being a Courthouse dog with her special power of comforting those in need. Oh, and did we mention that she knows over fifty commands? Other paw-sitively amazing pooches that are making a change in the lives of hoomans include Oscar from Coral Springs, Florida, Archer from Stanhope, New Jersey, and Bogey from North Miami, Florida. Credit: Hero Dog Awards In the Emerging Hero and Shelter category, we have Lieutenant Dan from New Richmond, Ohio, who, despite having his hind limbs and tail amputated due to birth defects, now lives a full and happy life – a true icon of positivity and perseverance! Cal from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is another heartwarming tale of resilience and dedication. He came from a war-torn village in Ukraine and now lives at a loving home in South Carolina. His owner, Jeff, hopes to one day train Cal as an official search and rescue canine. Other inspiring dogs in the category include Penny from Louisville, Kentucky, Tank from Naples, Florida, and Jerry Lee from Emory, Texas. Credit: Hero Dog Awards Meanwhile, in the Military category, we have K9 Niki from Seattle, Washington who continues to have an extensive career as a police dog. She has secured major events like the Rose Bowl, Seattle Sea Fair, and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. In addition, she has boarded over 250 vessels, conducted 25,000 vehicle sweeps, and participated in 150 community demonstrations, safeguarding around 7 million people.  Other brave and courageous canines who risked and continue to risk their lives everyday to ensure the safety of ours include John from San Antonio, Texas, Ffancy from Barnegat, New Jersey, Maci from Enid, Oklahoma, and Dasty from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Credit: Hero Dog Awards In the Service and Guide/Hearing category, we have Sampson from Sierra Vista, Arizona who has been supporting his handler for nine incredible years. Aside from changing the life of his handler for the better, Sampson and his handler are pushing to amend CDC guidelines to remove barriers for service dog handlers. In the same category, we have Coby from Wayland, Michigan, with an instinct like no other. Aside from being a remarkable hearing aid every day, in October 2023, he was able to pull back his partner while crossing a busy intersection, just in time to avoid a speeding fire engine. Other service and guide/hearing dogs that are making an impact by changing hooman lives for the better include Willow from Henderson, Nevada, Percy from Meriden, Connecticut, and Justice from Seffner, Florida. Credit: Hero Dog Awards And last but definitely not the least, in the Law Enforcement and First Responder category, we have Layla from Grand Prairie, Texas who is as remarkable as one can be. Her nose is a gift in the work she does as a Detection K9. She can detect devices buried underground, submerged in water, or frozen in ice. And thanks to her extraordinary skills, she was able to help uncover evidence of child exploitation. Other dogs in the same category as Layla include Charlie from Kansas City, Kansas, Jacky from Portland, Oregon, Detective K9 Briggs from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, and Bo from Gastonia, North Carolina. You can vote for your favorite four-legged friend in each category on the Hero Dog Awards’ website! After the voting, winners from each category will be honored at the star-studded American Humane Hero Dog Awards Gala in Palm Beach on January 08, 2025.

The Left Wails in Mourning for Nasrallah

“Through the stem cell register, we are providing an opportunity for thousands of people to survive.”

A new study suggests that aliens might be aware that humans lack the necessary quantum technology to detect them, which could explain why decades of searching have failed to uncover signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Theoretical physicist Latham Boyle proposes that advanced alien civilizations may use quantum communication methods, making them too sophisticated for us to perceive using conventional technology. “The concept of interstellar quantum communication is crucial because it broadens our understanding of how communication could occur across vast distances in space,” Boyle explains. If quantum communication exists, it could revolutionize human technology. However, scientists currently lack the equipment to detect such signals. Classical communication relies on electromagnetic waves to transmit messages over long distances. In contrast, quantum mechanics involves probabilistic methods and the behavior of particles, which could allow for the transmission and teleportation of information between light waves. Experiments have demonstrated that light waves can maintain their quantum states over large distances, making interstellar quantum networks theoretically possible. Boyle studied how aliens might use the quantum properties of light by comparing the information capacity and error rates of both classical and quantum communication. While a standard radio signal requires only a few captured light waves to be received accurately, quantum communication demands the reception of many photons in their delicate quantum state to decode the message correctly. According to Boyle’s calculations, antennas would need to be over 100 kilometers (more than 60 miles) wide to generate quantum states with a reasonable chance of success, even when collecting signals from relatively close galactic neighbors. Smaller antennas could work, but they would need to be positioned above Earth’s atmosphere, such as on the moon, to gather enough photons. “Any civilization capable of quantum communication would likely have the technology to observe Earth and realize that we are currently incapable of detecting their signals, which is why they may not be attempting to contact us,” Boyle concludes. The post Aliens Might Use Quantum Communication and We Can’t Detect Them appeared first on Anomalien.com.

A new book by the award winning film-maker and author Mark Christopher Lee -looks at the history of the Rendelsham UFO incident of 1980 and investigates more recent sightings of UFOs, Orbs and Cryptids. In December 1980  US military personnel at RAF Bentwaters saw UFOs and beams of light in the forest and went to investigate. Some of them claimed to have had contact with a landed UFO which gave them coded messages – which were later deciphered as a message to warn the human race about the destruction of the planet. The book is  called The Rendelsham UFO – The British Roswell and is based on the forthcoming documentary film of the same name featuring X Files – star – William B Davis (Cigarette Smoking Man).  Lee is also the film’s writer and director and decided to write this book to add further detail to the film. Lee states: “What we found on our investigations at Rendelsham was bizarre and creepy. We were hoping to see Orbs and UFOs as others have seen since the 1980 incident but what we encountered when filming was far weirder. Once we started meditation in order to manifest something the forest when completely silent! Then minutes later we started hearing a scary electronic sound that kept bouncing around the forest. We decided to try and locate the source but it would change direction and we all would start feeling sick.” They also encountered an Orb racing through the forest as well as a howling cryptid creature which may have been the Rendelsham Shrug Monkey or the Black Shuck dog like creature. The book also looks at the cover up imposed by the British Ministry Of Defence who have silenced those that have tried to get access to the truth. Lee adds: “I have spoken to several people who worked at the RAF Bentwaters base which is located near the forest. They tried to obtain information about the 1980 incident but were told to leave it alone or face the consequences. I’m sure the authorities know that this is an area of high strangeness much like Skinwalker Ranch in the United States, and as they don’t fully understand what is causing this weirdness, they don’t want anyone investigating it!” Lee adds: “As soon as we started filming a military helicopter arrived and started circling us. Also, when I returned back home to St Albans in Hertfordshire I saw the same type of helicopter circling my home.” The book also looks at sightings others have experienced since the 1980 incident including one by retired CID Police Officer John Hanson who claims to have seen a UFO in 2000 and also reported hot stones falling from the sky. Hanson sent these stones off for scientific analyses and was told that it was as if these rocks, that fell from the sky above Rendelsham, had just been made. The book is out now on Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHH4JSB3 The film will be out in December.         The post New Book Investigates The British Roswell And Finds It’s More Like The UK’s Skinwalker Ranch appeared first on Anomalien.com.

In a time when our nation faces unprecedented moral and political challenges, the status quo is clearly no longer acceptable. We all feel it — especially after seeing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump shake hands on stage and unite for America.This image of unity represents what our country can become. The truth is that they need our support. Away from the spotlight, we must do more than talk — we must take action. We need a force unafraid to challenge the establishment, speak truth to power, and restore the values that made this country great. That’s why I’m proud to announce the launch of PIT PAC, a faith-based, pro-freedom team with one mission: flippin’ tables.In these next 35 days, we can make history. Are you ready to stand with us?PIT PAC isn’t just another political action committee. We’re a movement — driven by a deep commitment to faith, freedom, and the belief that it’s time for a change. Our name stands for Patriots in Truth, and truth and patriotism embody everything we do. We’re here to disrupt the complacency, challenge the corruption, and stand boldly for the values that this country was built upon.Our goal is clear: to support and elect leaders who are unafraid to take a stand, who will put the needs of the American people first, and who will fight tirelessly for the preservation of our constitutional rights.The phrase “flippin’ tables” may sound unconventional, but it perfectly describes our approach. It refers to the moment Jesus Christ entered the temple, overturned the tables of the money changers, and drove out those who had turned a place of worship into a den of thieves. That’s the spirit we bring to the political arena. We’re here to flip the tables on corruption, expose the deceit and hypocrisy in our government, and clear the path for leaders who will serve with integrity and honor.The PIT PAC advantageIn recent years, we've witnessed an alarming erosion of the values that define us as a nation. Freedom of speech is under attack, religious liberties are threatened, and the principles underpinning our Constitution are being questioned. This isn't just a political issue — it's a moral one. PIT PAC is ready to confront it head-on.We are unapologetically faith-based in our approach. We believe that the principles of faith — truth, justice, and righteousness — should guide our actions and inform our policies. We’re here to stand up for those values, to defend the rights of all Americans to live, speak, and worship freely, and to ensure that our government reflects the will of the people, not the agenda of the elite.What sets PIT PAC apart from other political organizations is our use of cutting-edge technology and unmatched political strategy expertise. Our team leverages Ground Fusion, a powerful tool that allows us to execute microtargeting and messaging with remarkable precision. This ensures that we deliver messages that resonate on a personal level, making our campaigns not only heard but deeply felt.In addition to our technological edge, PIT PAC collaborates with leading pollsters and innovative startups to bring fresh insights to critical issues. Our data-driven approach enables us to understand voter sentiment in real time, providing the intelligence needed to craft winning strategies. We don't just react to polls — we use them to lead, anticipate, and act with confidence.Time to actPIT PAC’s launch comes at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. The choices we make today will shape the future of our country for generations. Now is the time for bold action, unwavering commitment, and leaders who will stand firm in their convictions.We want to lead that charge. We support candidates who embody faith, freedom, and patriotism — candidates unafraid to flip the tables and bring real change to Washington and beyond. But we need patriots across the country to join us in this mission.As we embark on this journey, we invite you to take part. Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word, your involvement is crucial to our success. Together, we can flip the tables on the establishment, restore faith in our institutions, and reclaim the America we know and love.In our fight for America, we have been sued, slandered, abused, attacked, and imprisoned. But we are unbowed. We stand for and with every patriot on the ground working tirelessly to hold the line and save our beloved America. Help us give these patriots the tools they need but can’t afford. Help us empower this new generation of Paul Reveres who, with a little support, can and will help save our country.In these next 35 days, we can make history. PIT PAC is ready to lead the charge. Are you ready to stand with us?

RedState Sports Report: A Doubleheader Doubles the Chase for the National League Wild Card

Marine Le Pen, the longtime leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN) party, will stand trial in a Paris criminal court on Monday alongside 26 others and the RN itself over alleged misappropriation of European Union funds.Coming almost a decade after initial...