On a January evening at a restaurant in Mexico, El Jefe patiently waited for his name to be called by the karaoke host. When it was, he gently walked to the stage in a pink baseball hat and black, thick-rimmed glasses. As he approached, the host gave him instructions on how to use the microphone. "You've got to hold it up here and just don't yell in the mic," he said, illustrating as El Jefe humbly listened.He then proceeded to sing "Jesus, Etc." almost better than its original singer, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. There's a reason for that: El Jefe, as it turns out, is Jeff Tweedy. See on Instagram The song is track five on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which was released in 2002. According to the liner notes, it was written by Tweedy and Jay Bennett, a former member of the band who passed away in 2009. Pitchfork hailed the tune as "the 61st best song of the decade," which is high praise, especially considering how much excellent indie-rock music was coming out at the time.Stereogum's Chris DeVille wrote about the album's 20th anniversary, noting that Wilco streamed it at no charge. "A bold and uncommon move at that time, and one that probably made the album sound even more experimental for those with dial-up internet connections," he wrote. DeVille added, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is THE Wilco album — the one that cemented their stature as one of the all-time great American rock bands."There's a kind of perfection to Tweedy singing his own song at karaoke, and not just because it conjures so many memories for Wilco fans. Watching Tweedy in a Clark Kent–like, plainclothed role, when most fans know he can become Superman at any given moment, is something extra special. www.youtube.com Fans in the Instagram comments agreed."You guys are the coolest famous non-famous people ever," one person wrote. "How surreal. To write a song, make a record with that song (and many more) on it, and become well known in certain circles for that song and all the other songs, have that song turned into a karaoke selection because it has become that level of popularity, then sing that song like you're an everyday schmuck just doing karaoke one night on vacation, it's just…"Another person described the scene and how lovely it all was: "My heart needed this. The children playing, palm trees swaying in the neon lights, that super fun 'Ladies' sign, a few enthusiastic 'woos' and a happy, humble El Jefe. Good stuff!"One fan loved that Tweedy seemed to go unnoticed by the karaoke host. "My favorite part is the host showing him how to use the microphone," they wrote. Another person replied, "And the 'Jeffiest' reaction of playing it totally cool, no ego, totally kind, respecting the KJ's 'authority.' The least 'Do you have any idea who I am?' energy possible." See on Instagram One comment summed up the many layers of coolness on display: "This is beautiful on so many levels. I always thought you 'made it' when your song ended up in a karaoke machine. Here it is, yet (maybe) no one knows him or the song — and that's perfectly fine with him. For that, I'm so happy for him. What a gift of a moment that must have been: to be respected, successful and famous without the bad fame part. That's the sweet spot. Just to put your hand in your pocket and sing your song for yourself and your family."Upworthy had the honor of chatting with Tweedy's wife, Susan, who provided a little context for the evening. It all happened following this year's Sky Blue Sky festival, an all-inclusive vacation in Mexico featuring a musical lineup that included Dinosaur Jr., The Jayhawks, and, of course, Wilco."So after Jeff's festival, Sky Blue Sky, we stayed in the general area at a rental house for a few days to unwind," she said. "That night we were at La Buena Vida, a restaurant that apparently does karaoke every Wednesday evening."Susan noted that she and their kids egged him on: "The kids and I told Jeff he should do it! He's never done it before, but it was all families and little kids running around, and we all thought it would be fun and funny! Our son Sammy checked to see if there were any Wilco songs available to do, and there were! We signed him up, and I think he was the last one to make it on for the night." See on Instagram When asked whether Jeff was recognized, the answer was surprising. "Nobody recognized him, although I did see a post a couple days later of someone who said they were there and that they were pretty sure it was him," she said. "But nobody said a word, and people were still talking and running around and mostly ignoring the karaoke during his whole song, just like for everybody else! It was really fun for all of us!!"

When curling became an official Olympic sport in 1998, it was met with a fair amount of curiosity and confusion, at least among people outside Canada, Scotland, and the Scandinavian countries where it has long been a winter sport tradition. Without an explanation of what's happening, curling can look downright bizarre: large stones sliding across the ice toward a target, while people vigorously sweep the ice in front of them as the person who threw the stone yells unintelligibly.It's not obvious what skills are required for curling just by watching, which initially led people to poke fun at the event. More recent Olympic Games, however, have seen interest in curling grow as people find the sport strangely riveting. Now, curling has reached even greater heights of popularity, as evidenced by satirical curling-at-home videos popping up on social media.Many of them use a combo of a Roomba and a Swiffer, which works perfectly: Why Swiffer is not the official sponsor of all Olympic curling events is a mystery.Some creators take it a little further, adding in the yelling component: @amanda_carluccio We’re now professional athletes.

I’ll start this off with a question, and it may take you some time to connect it to the bulk of this column’s subject matter. But I promise we’ll get there. The question is this: who’s the most famous actor of the 19th century? While you mull that over, let me show you a couple of videos that you might have seen… This Amelia vid goes hard

Last year, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signaled that she was considering not joining the 2028 Democratic primary at all. In fact, some of Whitmer’s top staff members reportedly began looking for new jobs, believing there might not be a presidential campaign to join once Whitmer leaves office next year. Many observers had expected 2025 to be the year for Whitmer to adopt a national role of resistance against Trump, but instead, she stepped away from the limelight, decreased her media appearances, and batted away questions about a presidential bid. At one point, she said, “I don’t know if I need to be the main character in the next chapter.” Whitmer refused to outwardly criticize the president and even hugged him after he announced Michigan would get a new fighter jet mission. (RELATED: Is Gretchen Whitmer Backing Down From 2028?) But in this new year, Whitmer has flipped all that on its head. Whitmer seems to have either genuinely moved away from running for president last year or been downplaying herself for fear of peaking too soon. This weekend, Whitmer will make a high-profile move that will strongly indicate her desire to take on a national role: She will speak at the Munich Security Conference. Raising the stakes for the foreign visit, other Democrats eying the presidency are also speaking at the conference. Most notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic frontrunner, will be making his first appearance at the conference, setting up what could be another preview of the 2028 Democratic primary race. (RELATED: Whitmer Says America Is Ready for a Female President) The two previously faced off, unofficially, when they both spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month. That was far from the first time Newsom had traveled internationally and seized the mantle of leading U.S. Democrat. But facing off against Whitmer brought a new twist and a foretaste of what happens when a progressive Californian faces off against a Michigan politician who signals centrism (even though Whitmer is really just as progressive as Newsom). Newsom, however, seemed to seize all of the spotlight and drown out Whitmer’s debut appearance on the international stage. Perhaps Whitmer will hold her own more in Munich. (RELATED: Gavin Newsom’s ‘Self-Puffery’ Gets Him in Trouble With David Axelrod) Newsom and Whitmer will be joined in Munich by possible 2028 hopefuls Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will also be making an appearance at the conference. The Democrats will arrive with the hope of strengthening their foreign policy chops and signaling their readiness to take on a global leadership role. Likely, they’ll seek to assure America’s allies that all will return to normalcy once Democrats take back power. The other major signal Whitmer sent out this year that she wants to seek the presidency came last week when she launched a Substack. Her first post reads as a campaign stump speech. Whitmer first explains that she never “felt destined for politics” — a far cry from Gavin Newsom’s early years — but that she discovered her calling after her dad, who died earlier this year, encouraged her to try out an internship at the state Capitol. She then decided to run for the state House when she was 28 “because I knew I wanted to roll up my sleeves and solve problems.” Whitmer explained: “I was young, so it was just that simple for me, and honestly, it still is. I wanted to get things done that make people’s lives better.” This, she says, is the vision she has followed her whole career. She goes on to describe her focus on bipartisan work that helps Michigan families and how she has sought to do the right thing instead of “playing for a scoreboard that doesn’t actually exist.” These values are missing from today’s politics, she says — with the implication being that she could be the one to revive them. The Michigan governor goes on to rattle off her accomplishments and then say, tellingly, “I know that our successes in Michigan can be replicated nationwide.” She describes how she was just elected to the major position of vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association — another sign of her national ambitions — and how she is seeking to do everything possible to help Democrats succeed in the midterms. Whitmer also took a stronger stance against Trump this week than she has previously during his second term, when she spoke out against Trump’s threat of blocking the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor and Detroit. On Tuesday, she told reporters, “It is important that it continues to move forward and open up on time. And that’s my expectation.” Her newly proposed budget also speaks of a politician more interested in how the budget will look during a campaign than in what it will do for the state long-term. Whitmer proposed raiding the state’s rainy day fund to the tune of $400 million, setting up Michigan for distress if a recession arrives anytime soon, but allowing her to be able to tout accomplishing more in her last year in office. Seeming in particular like an obvious grab for Michiganders’ support in a primary campaign and less like an economically good idea is the handout to baby boomers she just announced. Whitmer said she wants to give seniors a refund of 10 percent of their annual property taxes. Whitmer said the money could be used “for groceries, gas, or gifts for the grandkids,” but the parents of those young children are much more likely to actually need that money for said young children for necessities than the grandparents need it for gifts. Boomers hold half of all wealth in the U.S., but of course, they also vote at higher rates than other generations. Whitmer has also made one other major move to prepare a presidential bid this year. In a well-timed comment, she disputed former First Lady Michelle Obama’s claim that America isn’t ready for a female president. Whitmer said, “I love Michelle Obama” and “the last thing I want to do is disagree with her,” but “I think America is ready for a woman president.” She pointed to the success that female candidates had in 2025, including Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. What was, of course, unsaid was that Whitmer herself could seek to be America’s first female president. Whitmer seems to have either genuinely moved away from running for president last year or been downplaying herself for fear of peaking too soon. Whatever the reason for her shyness, her lack of challenging Trump appears to have alienated her from would-be Democratic supporters. Perhaps she’s hoping voters will care more about her governance than her media appearances in 2025. READ MORE from Ellie Gardey Holmes: The Growing Liberal Backlash Against Newsom Harvard Students Will Freak Out Over New Plan to Cap A’s at 20 Percent Newsom Practically Demands to Be the Democratic Candidate

She hit it out of the park. This week, Attorney General Pam Bondi went toe-to-toe with House Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee. The subject was yet another round in the endless tale of the late pedophile/financier Jeffrey Epstein, with a zillion files now having been released. It was crystal clear from the get-go that Democrats were out to get Bondi. And at bottom, there was no question why: Bondi is not just any attorney general. She is President Donald Trump’s attorney general. And for a Committee stacked with Democrats infected with Trump Derangement Syndrome, this hearing was already set to have its explosive moments. It did not disappoint. Bondi, the decidedly experienced former attorney general of Florida, was ready for her antagonists. And on a personal note, I should say that in the way-back, at a dinner with several others, I had the opportunity to be at the table with her. Safe to say, she is a seriously talented and capable public servant who is more than capable of holding her own. The Democrats, led by retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD), wasted no time in not only going after the attorney general but attacking Trump as well. And safe to say Bondi wasted no time in dishing right back to her opponents, giving as good as she got if not better. Falling back on the old line about their time being taken up as they hurled verbal assaults at her, Bondi dished right back at them as Raskin went on about what he had previously told her. Replied Bondi: “You don’t tell me anything,” and went on to mock Raskin as a “washed-up, loser lawyer — not even a lawyer.” And directing her wrath at Nadler, she added: You said the president conspired, sought foreign interference in the 2016 election. Robert Mueller found no evidence, none, of foreign interference in 2016. Have you apologized to President Trump? You all should be apologizing. You sit here and you attack the president, and I am not going to have it. I’m not going to put up with it. None of them asked [former Attorney General] Merrick Garland, over the last four years, one word about Jeffrey Epstein. How ironic is that? You know why? Because Donald Trump. The heart of all this, but of course, was Democrat attempts to smear Trump with Epstein’s problems. Ignoring that Trump had thrown Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club for trying to steal his employees. Trump, of course, is well on record as saying: “He stole people that worked for me. I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He did it again, and I threw him out of the place, persona non grata.” The hard fact is that Democrats hate Trump, and because Bondi is not only a Trump appointee but a rising GOP star, she is therefore a target for all manner of slurs. On the political front? It is safe to say that Bondi scored some serious points with the MAGA GOP base, thanks to hostile Democrats who dished and dished at her, only to discover that she is more than capable of fighting right back. Which raises the obvious question. “Is Pam Bondi destined for a spot on the 2028 GOP presidential ticket?” Who knows? The GOP is afloat in potential candidates with great records — Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but two. But without doubt, as vividly demonstrated with Bondi’s appearance facing down a panel of hostile Democrats, the attorney general will be a serious player in GOP politics for some considerable time to come. Stay tuned. READ MORE from Jeffrey Lord: Schumer Plays the Race Card Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal Stands Up for Fascism Philadelphia DA Krasner’s Wreckless ‘Nazi’ Rhetoric

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been wounded. And now, something has got to give. President Trump has a historic opportunity to reverse decades of enmity toward “The Great Satan,” and end the exportation of terrorism to Europe, the United States, and Israel through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — known to have provided weapons and training to the defeated Hamas and Hezbollah, and to other proxies in Syria. Iran has been militarily and politically weakened.  Some of Iran’s Russian and indigenously made air defense systems were destroyed by the Israeli Air Force last June, and later that month, American B-2 aircraft successfully struck and destroyed Iranian nuclear infrastructure in Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan. Iran’s traditional allies, Russia, China, and North Korea, were observers on the sidelines. Moreover, the Islamist regime is afraid of its own people, having recently killed at least 30,000 demonstrators according to estimates appearing in The Guardian and Time, both quoting local health sources. (RELATED: US–Iran Talks Only Lead to Uncertainty) Increasing pressure on Iran, in late January, the carrier strike group led by the Nimitz-class USS Abraham Lincoln arrived from the Indian Ocean and is now on station in the Arabian Sea, off the southern coast of Oman. Typically, a strike group comprises a nuclear-powered carrier, an air wing, a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, a squadron of several Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, a nuclear attack submarine, and support ships — in this case, however, the U.S. Naval Institute does not mention a cruiser. On Wednesday, there were reports of a second carrier strike group ordered to prepare to deploy to the region. Unlike predecessor presidents who did not enforce a red line … President Trump has not flinched about the use of force. Unlike predecessor presidents who did not enforce a red line in Syria over the use of chemical weapons, and who spent many years trying to negotiate with Iran to limit its development of enriched uranium, President Trump has not flinched about the use of force. The exfiltration in early January of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, said to require over 150 aircraft and about 20 bases, and the destruction of Iranian nuclear sites, demonstrate that the commander in chief will act decisively to support the core security interests of the United States. (RELATED: America SOARs at Night) Much has been written about various alternatives: a renegotiated nuclear deal to limit development of fissile material and impede Iran’s ballistic missile capability; military strikes on nuclear and missile infrastructure, the leadership of the Revolutionary Guard, the Kharg Island oil terminal, the Bandar Abbas naval base, and other government targets; and regime change. (RELATED: Two Regimes, One Reality) However, before a course of action can be defined, there must be a well-communicated primary objective — and that objective should be the development of a secular and moderate Iran. Iran was once the West’s gendarme in the Persian Gulf, assuring oil supplies and functioning as a bulwark against Soviet expansionism, while maintaining good relations with Israel before the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Iran has an accomplished scientific establishment, and among the OPEC oil producers, the most diversified industrial economy, with emphasis on the mining and automotive sectors. A secular and moderate Iran could inhibit the spread of Islamist jihad and serve as a stabilizing force in a region seething with well-armed factionalism. Culturally, the affinity of Iran’s intelligentsia for France is well known. Direct and indirect nuclear negotiations among the United States, Iran, and the International Atomic Energy Agency of Vienna proved to be a colossal waste of time, facetiously evoking the phrase about the definition of insanity, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Through apparent subterfuge, Iran simply used the negotiations to buy time to enrich nuclear material with U-235 to near weapons grade. A nuclear deal, implying that Iran is expected to live up to commitments, would also probably mean continuation of the present regime. However, the Trump administration is known to presently want a deal with Iran. If that were the case, it should include more than dismantling of nuclear development and limitations on missiles — an end to adventurism and support of chaos, an end to violent suppression of dissent, and integration with the West should be on the agenda. The Obama administration’s 2015 nuclear accord with Iran had no such linkages and accordingly, was badly flawed — and about three years later, President Trump repudiated it. The military option would not give much help to the opposition, nor would it necessarily mean a transition in government from theocracy to a genuine republic. It could also result in the ascent of even more anti-Western hardliners in the inner circle of the ayatollahs. Worse, it could result in a wider conflict against the U.S., Europe, and Israel. Iran’s arsenal of missiles is still formidable, with a recent Israeli estimate of 1,500, down from a CENTCOM figure of 3,000 a few years ago. Iran is believed capable of hitting targets in Europe, and U.S. bases in the Middle East, such as the CENTCOM installation in Qatar and the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Iran also has a submarine fleet, mostly in the mini category, with several diesel electric attack subs, along with asymmetric assets such as drones and missile patrol boats that can swarm U.S. warships. Above all, the American public is not mentally prepared for a major conflict with Iran, having seen only spectacularly focused limited operations against Venezuela and Iran, involving no American deaths. Although it may still take more time, supporting the Iranians to transition to a new government, led by an Iranian face with Iranian fingerprints on it, would be the wisest course. Operation Ajax, in which the U.S. and Great Britain engineered the ouster of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953, was a source of protracted anti-Western resentment in Iran, as it was an obvious foreign intrusion that installed the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. A U.S.-managed covert action seems logistically difficult and a bad idea. Iran has a long, proud history extending over 2,500 years to the reign of Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century B.C. Iran has had its own parliament, the Majlis, since the early 20th century, although it has generally not been the locus of power. Now is the time to support the Iranian people, with assurances of economic aid to rebuild their energy industry, ending sanctions and isolation from the West, once the current regime is ousted. Now is also the time to intensify sanctions against companies and individuals and to encourage moderate elements in the Iranian government and military to act. READ MORE from Frank Schell: America’s Robust National Security Strategy A 50-Year Mortgage Is a Financial Narcotic The GENIUS Act: Is It Greed or Is It Good? Frank Schell is a business strategy consultant and former senior vice president of the First National Bank of Chicago. He was a Lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago and is a contributor of opinion pieces to various journals.

Don Lemon personifies America’s establishment media and our Left in general. They bought the T-shirt, so they did their part and imagined they mounted the barricades. However, at the first hint of trouble, they hide behind the legal system they flout. Don Lemon joined with a group of agitators to storm into a St. Paul church during services because they mistakenly believed a minister in the church was involved with ICE (the person the agitators incorrectly intended to target was also not conducting the service they disrupted). They went to harass and to provoke. In doing so, they made the entire congregation collateral damage — oh well, these were mere casualties of the agitators’ conscience. The agitators went with cameras and microphones in hand to record the reaction their “gottcha” moment got. The most memorable moments of their “heroic” assault were of terrified children crying, churchgoers being driven from their church, and Lemon lecturing the targeted. Throughout their imagined storming of the Bastille, the antagonists preened and postured in front of the cameras, pretending that there was a higher calling to their basest of actions: Inflicting their hatred’s self-gratification on the innocent. Throughout it, there was Don Lemon, the most public prop of this see-through assault. Of course, the whole thing was planned and staged — performance theater worthy of Jussie Smollett. It was a work, a fraud through and through; an aggressive confrontation hiding itself behind the trappings of “interviewing” those it was confronting. He raced to the revolution but now runs from the results. When what should have happened immediately — the arrest of these harassers — finally happened days later, Don Lemon ran for cover. He tapped out and copped out simultaneously: He is seeking to hide behind the façade that his role in the church storming was that of a journalist and worthy of First Amendment protection. Of course, Don Lemon is not a journalist. He was fired by CNN in 2023. Even at CNN, Lemon was not a journalist, which is one of the reasons why they fired him. Nor was he acting as a journalist in the St. Paul church storming. Desperate for the attention he no longer receives, he found this vehicle for his ego. It worked too, at least to some extent. It got him on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” show, where the two got to share their martyr complexes before a dwindling audience. And it has gotten him all the attention he can no longer get with a paid gig. During Lemon’s Fallon segment, he came up with what his faux victimhood constituted. Said Lemon: “They want to embarrass you.” Embarrassment is the cross that Lemon claims to bear. Even in the pursuit of his claim to this mildest of suffering, Lemon is wrong. First, what the authorities were doing, belatedly, was trying to enforce the law — something Lemon and many of his fellow anti-ICE protestors have been flouting for some time in Minneapolis. Second, when it comes to embarrassment, the authorities didn’t need to do this because Lemon had already handled that job for them. No one could embarrass Lemon more than he had already done (and continues to do).  Finally, embarrassment can only occur if you have something Don Lemon doesn’t have: a sense of shame. When the authorities came for Don, he could have taken the principled path, claimed he was “protesting,” and simply taken his medicine — as anodyne as we know it will be from a Minneapolis legal system long-known for its leniency. True revolutionaries, the kind that Lemon is posturing to be, have not shied away from the label and willingly accepted the consequences. It would have been an “I am Spartacus” moment, one you would have disagreed with, but at least acknowledged as honest. However, at the first gentle squeeze, this bitter Lemon was drained of his few drops of principle.  Suddenly, he is a journalist; Lemon stood for his close-up to scream, “I’m not Spartacus!” Conscious without consequences. He opted for victim-lite, embarrassment, not imprisonment, the Band-Aid of courage instead of the red badge. Lemon’s performance epitomizes the virtue signalers of the Left. They are living bumper stickers of indignation, yard signs of sanctimony, lapel pins of principle, a multicolored flag, and a T-shirt of defiance. They are in-your-face, as long as it is safe, but “I know my rights” at the first sign of a fight. These faux revolutionaries strike the pose, cop the attitude, mouth the platitudes, and then run from the confrontation they always intended to create. They treat the Constitution like a human shield, mocking what they would negate in an instant if given the chance. Like the “limousine liberals” of yore, who rode up to their cause and then rode back to their elitism, today’s self-styled “progressives” are “EV extremists”: They have an even more limited range. They talk the talk but ride the walk. They pretend that they have done their part by playing a part: Donning Che’s beret while running from his bullet. Lemon did what they all do. He raced to the revolution but now runs from the results. Sanctimony without sacrifice. They want to be lionized as martyrs without facing the lions. After all, they are already heroes: Can’t you see? My T-shirt says so, right on the front. READ MORE from J.T. Young: Joy(less) to the World How Did Summers’ Vetting Repeatedly Miss Epstein Ties? Trump Critics Unintentionally Elevate His Successor J.T. Young is the author of the recent book, Unprecedented Assault: How Big Government Unleashed America’s Socialist Left, from RealClear Publishing. Follow him on Substack.  

Schools in the San Francisco Unified School District are closed for a fourth straight day as the United Educators of San Francisco’s strike against the district continues. Home to 120 public schools and about 50,000 students, the school district employs over 2,300 teachers.  United Educators of San Francisco, the teachers’ union, has described the strike as a “fight for the future of our students,” even as district student enrollment has been declining. The union’s list of demands includes fully funded dependent healthcare, a 9 percent salary increase, an increase in the number of special education teachers, and an agreement ensuring the city’s sanctuary policies are included in union contracts. (RELATED: State of Denial) So far, the school district has countered with a 6 percent raise, recommended by a neutral arbitrator, while acceding to the union’s demands on sanctuary policies and introducing a pilot program to address teachers’ “special education workload.” The school district also caved to the unions’ demand for fully funded dependent healthcare, even though those terms are rarely ever met, even in the private sector, where only 2 percent of employers cover dependents at no cost.  It’s also unnecessary. Teachers in the district already receive over $4,000 per year for family health insurance coverage and an additional $1,897 through the Quality Teacher and Education Act, a San Francisco initiative to boost teacher salaries. In the San Francisco Unified School District, the starting base salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree is $73,689. (RELATED: Dangerous Schools and the Democratic Governors Who Ignore Them) What appears to be a cash grab has been framed as a “strike for our students”… Without the 6 percent raise, that’s still $10,000 more than the average American’s salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even as the school district struggled with a budget crisis, it still provided teachers with a 6 percent raise in 2022 and a $9,000 raise with a 5 percent increase in 2023.  What appears to be a cash grab has been framed as a “strike for our students,” even as teachers have called parents to urge them to stop their children from participating in the district’s independent study program, according to the New York Post. Without self-awareness, teachers emailed parents, urging them to forgo learning opportunities for their children in favor of supporting the right of these educators to skip work in protest of better pay. One parent called the ask from teachers “diabolical.” On Wednesday, the striking teachers spent the morning picketing individual schools, then broke for a photo op at Ocean Beach, forming a “human banner” that spelled out “Strike For Our Students.”  Merit aside, the school district has made it clear that it simply cannot afford to meet the union’s demands while it works to dig itself out of a $102 million budget deficit. Since its budget is currently under state oversight, the district can hardly afford to increase costs by adding to the 85 percent already spent on staff and benefits.  With teachers more concerned about “grading for equity” than grading homework, it’s little shock that 54 percent of students in the district fail to meet state standards for proficiency in math. Overall, 46 percent of district students are rated as minimal or developing in English literacy.  Unsurprisingly, the school district is bleeding students. It’s expected to lose an additional 4,600 students by 2032. READ MORE from Tosin Akintola: January Employment Report Outperforms Expert Predictions Targeting Food Stamp Fraud Is Good Politics and Policy Maryland Faces Grave Budget Crisis Under Wes Moore

by Joseph P. Farrell, Giza Death Star: The internet and social media have been rife over the past few years with stories about artificial intelligence, and you may have noticed a trend in those stories. Initially, they were rather like those early days of “crypto-currencies”, which we have lovingly nicknamed “kelpto-currencies” on this website. You […]

Good news! The Dow has fallen below 50,000. We can care about pedophiles again. pic.twitter.com/Z4SG2iBfuy — Chris Martenson (@chrismartenson) February 12, 2026