Republicans’ best shot at keeping the House in 2026 could rest with a crucial Voting Rights Act case before the Supreme Court — and it’s putting some senior Democratic leaders in the hot seat.
By some estimates, the GOP could pick up nine or more congressional seats if the high court strikes down race-based districts.
That looks likely — a majority of the conservative justices indicated they oppose the Civil Rights era restriction during oral arguments two months ago.
“It’s potentially really important for 2026,” Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told The Post.
At issue is Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which bans any law or map that results in the denial of the right to vote on account of race or color.
In practice, the law has been used to create majority-minority congressional districts that favor Democrats — especially in Republican majority states with large black populations.
“If it comes and it completely changes our understanding of Section 2 and doesn’t protect these districts anymore, you could have a significant impact,” Kondik explained.
“You could see several states in the South potentially eliminating Democratic districts in states like Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee.”
Since 1938, the party in control of the White House has lost House seats in all but two elections. Given the GOP’s ultra-slim majority, that could mean they will lose power.
The Supreme Court’s decision could completely upend that dynamic.
One analysis by the New York Times’ Nate Cohn found that if the Supreme Court entirely eliminates the Voting Rights Act race-based districts, Republicans could cut the 24 seats that Democrats hold in the South in half.
That includes nine pickups directly tied to Section 2’s demise.
Record school spending across U.S. fails to reverse decline in test scores
As national education spending per pupil rises, student enrollment is dropping and test scores across the United States are falling, which raises concern over how effectively taxpayer dollars are being used in public schools.
Since 2002, K-12 public school spending has increased by more than 35%, yet enrollment has dropped 2.1%, which is over a million students over the past five years. Student achievement has also declined, with only one-third of students nationwide scoring at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading, according to the National Assessment Governing Board.
Currently, 40% of fourth graders are working below the NAEP basic level in reading, the highest percentage since 2002.
These declines continue despite record per-pupil spending. In 2024, New York leads as the highest per-pupil spending state, at $32,284. California is also among the highest, currently at $25,941. The lowest spending states include Utah, Idaho and Mississippi.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, average reading scores fell three points, while eighth-grade math dropped eight points. These declines were largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while total nationwide school district debt rose more than 2.1% from $532.5 billion in 2021 to $543.9 billion in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
An increase in teacher and administrator salaries and benefits is a primary cause of rising school spending. Among the 50 states, California maintains the highest average starting teacher salary at $58,409. The average salary for teachers in California is $101,084, according to a WalletHub report.
School spending has risen amid concerns over test scores.
“The continued declines in reading scores are particularly troubling. Reading is foundational to all subjects, and failure to read well keeps students from accessing information and building knowledge across content areas,” National Assessment Governing Board member Patrick Kelly said in a news release.
Now, American public schools are nearing $1 trillion in annual spending, a 35% increase between 2002 and 2023, according to a report by Reason Foundation. During that period, the average per-student spending rose from $14,969 to $20,322.
Since the pandemic, a range of factors has contributed to declining enrollment and test scores, yet states have seen minimal broad improvement in educational outcomes as states continue to increase spending per pupil.
California continues to see rising spending per pupil and uneven performance.
The state spends $25,941 per pupil for a total of over a billion dollars annually.
Despite U.S. News & World Report ranking California 37th in Pre-K-12 education because of high school graduation rates, the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading and math scores are falling, along with college readiness test scores such as SATs.
In 2024, California’s fourth- and eighth-grade math performance on the NAEP was below the national average, with 35% of fourth graders and 25% of eighth graders proficient in math, respectively.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest district, has seen student enrollment significantly decrease in the past two decades from 747,009 in 2003-04 to 387,152 students this year.
In June, LAUSD board members unanimously approved the 2025-26 budget of $18.8 billion, which put the district at a $2.9 billion deficit with its projected revenue for the next fiscal year at $15.9 billion.
“Los Angeles Unified has not experienced a decline in test scores since 2020,” an LAUSD spokesperson told The Center Square. “The district continues to deliver historic academic gains, outpacing both the state and other large districts.”
In 2024, the average NAEP score for eighth graders in Los Angeles was 260 out of 500, compared to 262 in 2022. Only 18% of LAUSD students performed at or above the NAEP proficient level in 2024.
In New York, the nation’s highest spending state, per-pupil funding has continued to rise as enrollment declines. New York City public schools, which make up the nation’s largest school district, spent about $25,810 per student in 2019. That rose to more than $32,284 in 2025, with projections nearing $34,717 in 2026.
District enrollment fell from 955,490 students in the 2020-21 school year to 906,248 in 2024-25, with 2026 preliminary estimates showing further declines to 884,400 students.
“For the 2025-2026 school year, we are keeping all of our schools’ budgets stable, investing in all of our students, and ensuring our educators have the resources they need,” former New York Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement sent to The Center Square. “Amidst shifts in enrollment and funding, our educators should only have to focus on one thing: our students.”
Compared to the states, test scores in New York City have improved. In the 2024-25 school year, 56.3% of students in third through eighth grade met the state proficiency standard in English language arts, a 7.2 point increase from the prior year. Math proficiency rose to 56.9% a 3.5 point gain.
Yet these improvements, when compared to other states, show New York has continued to rank below the national average in fourth and eighth-grade performance from 2019 to 2024, according to the National Report Card.
States on the other end that have lower spending per pupil are also seeing enrollment shifts.
Mississippi has increased per-pupil spending from about $9,189.61 in the 2019-20 school year to nearly $12,998 in 2025. Over the same period, enrollment declined from roughly 466,002 students to about 424,534.
In Idaho, per-pupil spending in 2024 was $10,246, and test scores still reflect the national decline but remain near or above national averages. Numbers show Idaho is doing better with its test scores than states with higher spending per pupil.
NAEP data show eighth-grade reading performance fell from about 74% proficient in 2018-19 to roughly 66.7% in 2023-24, which is still successful compared to the 2024 national average of eighth-grade reading performance of 56% proficient.
“In spite of current challenges, public education in Idaho remains strong. Over the last three years, we have seen marked achievement gains and the state continues to show measurable returns on its investments in student success,” Maggie Reynolds, public information officer for the Idaho Department of Education, told The Center Square.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon continues to voice concerns over the steady national decline of student performance levels in K-12 education despite increased taxpayer-funded spending per pupil.
“American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12 … nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement when the 2024 NAEP reports came out. “Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.
We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. For more information, or to opt out click the Do Not Sell My Information button below.ConsentDo Not Sell My Information
(The Center Square) –
As national education spending per pupil rises, student enrollment is dropping and test scores across the United States are falling, which raises concern over how effectively taxpayer dollars are being used in public schools.
Since 2002, K-12 public school spending has increased by more than 35%, yet enrollment has dropped 2.1%, which is over a million students over the past five years. Student achievement has also declined, with only one-third of students nationwide scoring at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading, according to the National Assessment Governing Board.
Currently, 40% of fourth graders are working below the NAEP basic level in reading, the highest percentage since 2002.
These declines continue despite record per-pupil spending. In 2024, New York leads as the highest per-pupil spending state, at $32,284. California is also among the highest, currently at $25,941. The lowest spending states include Utah, Idaho and Mississippi.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, average reading scores fell three points, while eighth-grade math dropped eight points. These declines were largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while total nationwide school district debt rose more than 2.1% from $532.5 billion in 2021 to $543.9 billion in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
An increase in teacher and administrator salaries and benefits is a primary cause of rising school spending. Among the 50 states, California maintains the highest average starting teacher salary at $58,409. The average salary for teachers in California is $101,084, according to a WalletHub report.
School spending has risen amid concerns over test scores.
“The continued declines in reading scores are particularly troubling. Reading is foundational to all subjects, and failure to read well keeps students from accessing information and building knowledge across content areas,” National Assessment Governing Board member Patrick Kelly said in a news release.
Now, American public schools are nearing $1 trillion in annual spending, a 35% increase between 2002 and 2023, according to a report by Reason Foundation. During that period, the average per-student spending rose from $14,969 to $20,322.
Since the pandemic, a range of factors has contributed to declining enrollment and test scores, yet states have seen minimal broad improvement in educational outcomes as states continue to increase spending per pupil.
California continues to see rising spending per pupil and uneven performance.
The state spends $25,941 per pupil for a total of over a billion dollars annually.
Despite U.S. News & World Report ranking California 37th in Pre-K-12 education because of high school graduation rates, the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading and math scores are falling, along with college readiness test scores such as SATs.
In 2024, California’s fourth- and eighth-grade math performance on the NAEP was below the national average, with 35% of fourth graders and 25% of eighth graders proficient in math, respectively.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest district, has seen student enrollment significantly decrease in the past two decades from 747,009 in 2003-04 to 387,152 students this year.
In June, LAUSD board members unanimously approved the 2025-26 budget of $18.8 billion, which put the district at a $2.9 billion deficit with its projected revenue for the next fiscal year at $15.9 billion.
“Los Angeles Unified has not experienced a decline in test scores since 2020,” an LAUSD spokesperson told The Center Square. “The district continues to deliver historic academic gains, outpacing both the state and other large districts.”
In 2024, the average NAEP score for eighth graders in Los Angeles was 260 out of 500, compared to 262 in 2022. Only 18% of LAUSD students performed at or above the NAEP proficient level in 2024.
In New York, the nation’s highest spending state, per-pupil funding has continued to rise as enrollment declines. New York City public schools, which make up the nation’s largest school district, spent about $25,810 per student in 2019. That rose to more than $32,284 in 2025, with projections nearing $34,717 in 2026.
District enrollment fell from 955,490 students in the 2020-21 school year to 906,248 in 2024-25, with 2026 preliminary estimates showing further declines to 884,400 students.
“For the 2025-2026 school year, we are keeping all of our schools’ budgets stable, investing in all of our students, and ensuring our educators have the resources they need,” former New York Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement sent to The Center Square. “Amidst shifts in enrollment and funding, our educators should only have to focus on one thing: our students.”
Compared to the states, test scores in New York City have improved. In the 2024-25 school year, 56.3% of students in third through eighth grade met the state proficiency standard in English language arts, a 7.2 point increase from the prior year. Math proficiency rose to 56.9% a 3.5 point gain.
Yet these improvements, when compared to other states, show New York has continued to rank below the national average in fourth and eighth-grade performance from 2019 to 2024, according to the National Report Card.
States on the other end that have lower spending per pupil are also seeing enrollment shifts.
Mississippi has increased per-pupil spending from about $9,189.61 in the 2019-20 school year to nearly $12,998 in 2025. Over the same period, enrollment declined from roughly 466,002 students to about 424,534.
In Idaho, per-pupil spending in 2024 was $10,246, and test scores still reflect the national decline but remain near or above national averages. Numbers show Idaho is doing better with its test scores than states with higher spending per pupil.
NAEP data show eighth-grade reading performance fell from about 74% proficient in 2018-19 to roughly 66.7% in 2023-24, which is still successful compared to the 2024 national average of eighth-grade reading performance of 56% proficient.
“In spite of current challenges, public education in Idaho remains strong. Over the last three years, we have seen marked achievement gains and the state continues to show measurable returns on its investments in student success,” Maggie Reynolds, public information officer for the Idaho Department of Education, told The Center Square.
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon continues to voice concerns over the steady national decline of student performance levels in K-12 education despite increased taxpayer-funded spending per pupil.
“American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12 … nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement when the 2024 NAEP reports came out. “Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.
We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. For more information, or to opt out click the Do Not Sell My Information button below.ConsentDo Not Sell My Information
istrict enrollment fell from 955,490 students in the 2020-21 school year to 906,248 in 2024-25, with 2026 preliminary estimates showing further declines to 884,400 students.
“For the 2025-2026 school year, we are keeping all of our schools’ budgets stable, investing in all of our students, and ensuring our educators have the resources they need,” former New York Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement sent to The Center Square. “Amidst shifts in enrollment and funding, our educators should only have to focus on one thing: our students.”
FBI Director Kash Patel dropped a major bombshell on the massive Minnesota fraud scandal on Sunday, revealing that the FBI is pushing for denaturalization and deportation of many involved in the $250 million scheme that ripped off taxpayer dollars meant for hungry kids during COVID. Patel made it clear this is “just the tip of a very large iceberg,” with investigations ramping up to expose even more corruption in federal programs.
In a lengthy statement posted to X in response to the massively viral video uncovering Somali scams by independent journalist Nick Shirley, Patel detailed the takedown of a $250 million scheme centered around the Feeding Our Future network.
This organization, which was supposed to distribute federal food aid to children in need, instead became a hub for sham vendors, shell companies, and large-scale money laundering.
CASE UPDATE: MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME
The FBI is aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota. However, even before the public conversation escalated online, the FBI had surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) December 28, 2025
Patel wrote in full:
CASE UPDATE: MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME
The FBI is aware of recent social media reports in Minnesota. However, even before the public conversation escalated online, the FBI had surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs. Fraud that steals from taxpayers and robs vulnerable children will remain a top FBI priority in Minnesota and nationwide.
To date, the FBI dismantled a $250 million fraud scheme that stole federal food aid meant for vulnerable children during COVID. The investigation exposed sham vendors, shell companies, and large-scale money laundering tied to the Feeding Our Future network.
The case led to 78 indictments and 57 convictions. Defendants included Abdiwahab Ahmed Mohamud, Ahmed Ali, Hussein Farah, Abdullahe Nur Jesow, Asha Farhan Hassan, Ousman Camara, and Abdirashid Bixi Dool, each charged for roles ranging from wire fraud to money laundering and conspiracy.
These criminals didn’t just engaged in historic fraud, but tried to subvert justice as well. Abdimajid Mohamed Nur and others were charged for attempting to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash. Those responsible pleaded guilty and were sentenced, including a 10-year prison term and nearly $48 million in restitution in related cases.
The FBI believes this is just the tip of a very large iceberg. We will continue to follow the money and protect children, and this investigation very much remains ongoing.
Furthermore, many are also being referred to immigrations officials for possible further denaturalization and deportation proceedings where eligible.
Why would the man about to be sworn in as mayor of America’s largest city elevate a woke, anti-Israel YouTube children’s entertainer to his inner circle, appointing her as a prime member of his inaugural committee?
Simple: Because Mamdani himself is a child.
The statement is both literally and figuratively true.
At 34, New York’s mayor-elect has held no job of any real significance.
He has no experience running anything, managing anyone, or dealing with challenges on any scale.
But he also belongs to a cohort of young, privileged Americans taught by radical college professors that politics is the art of throwing public temper tantrums, making ludicrous pledges, and worrying not at all about how to fix anything in the real world.
It shouldn’t be all too surprising, then, that Mamdani would turn for inspiration to Ms. Rachel (real name Rachel Anne Accurso), whose latest video teaches a stuffie named Bean Bear how to use the potty.
At 43, she’s old enough to be Mamdani’s cool adjunct professor, introducing him to Karl Marx and inviting him to his first walk-out for Gaza.
And her public persona, just like Mamdani’s, is a political drag show involving smiling a lot and speaking sweetly while pushing the most unhinged progressive agendas imaginable on an audience not nearly mature enough to know any better.
Two years ago, for example, Ms. Rachel was forced to briefly step down from her platform — which currently has a mind-boggling 18.3 million subscribers — after she had an androgynously dressed colleague with facial piercings introduce the tots at home to a gender-non-binary puppet by sweetly cooing “their name is Patches.”
And when Hamas’ marauders crossed the border into Israel and slaughtered men, women and children in their homes, Ms. Rachel was silent, emerging only weeks later as a vocal champion of the only toddlers whose lives she holds dear — Palestinians.
Earlier this year, she sat down with the former Qatari-paid shill Mehdi Hasan to talk about “the precious children [who] have been un-alived in Gaza,” repeating claims that were as laughingly inaccurate as her grammar.
You shouldn’t count on Mamdani’s other consiglieri to right the ship, either.
That list includes luminaries like Cynthia Nixon, everyone’s least-favorite “Sex and the City” cast member, and parenting podcaster Katia Reguero Lindor, the wife of New York Met Francisco Lindor.
Throughout the mayor-elect’s campaign, much attention has been paid to Mamdani’s anti-Jewish sentiments, from his refusal to condemn such phrases as “globalize the Intifada” to his affiliation with known supporters of terrorism like Imam Siraj Wahhaj, whom federal prosecutors named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
These decisions speak volumes about Mamdani’s moral character, but his selection of Ms. Rachel is more troubling still.
It shows not only Jews but New Yorkers of all persuasions that their new mayor’s inner circle is populated not by seasoned and serious adults passionate about governing, but by influencers best known for their rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus.”
If you’re wondering what the next four years under Mamdani portend, spend a few minutes on Ms. Rachel’s channel and ask yourself if this is the person you’d like to have the mayor’s ear when it comes to instructing the NYPD, say, or coming up with a sensible and realistic housing policy.
And ask, too, why the child mayor, having his pick of advisors, chose a social media star just as famous for her crazed political views as she is for getting kids to learn their ABCs and their zoo animals.
Any competent and committed public servant should have known better than to allow someone like the cloying kiddie crooner pushing lunatic ideologies anywhere near the levers of power.
That Mamdani rushed to anoint Ms. Rachel as his advisor is further proof, as if any further proof was needed, that New York is about to be governed by the most infantile crew ever placed at the helm of a major American municipality.
Liel Leibovitz is editor at large for Tablet and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.
American Christianity includes more than 200 denominations. One of the fastest growing is the orthodoxy of Woke. Woke Christianity is the single greatest threat to the modern church since the first century.
There are two ways to tell if your church or religious organization has gone woke. First, what’s missing? And second, what replaced what’s missing?
If sound biblical preaching about sin, salvation, Jesus’ virgin birth, and other teachings are absent, that’s not woke; it’s just weak. But if those essentials were replaced by Critical Race Theory (CRT), tolerance, and a watered-down social Gospel, a woke cancer is growing.
The church has adapted to the landscape of society for ages, in most cases, harmlessly. Stained glass sanctuaries gave way to coffee shops. Hymns became “worship” — change happens. Is social justice merely another minor adjustment, or is “progress” just a deception in disguise?
A Black Lives Matter logo or rainbow banner would be an obvious red flag (pun intended). If pastor Samuel is now Samantha, do not walk away, run! Most warning signs are less obvious. How can you discern if an organization is relevant versus woke?
What is woke in a church context? Webster defines woke as: “Aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially racial and social justice).” While it can be other things, woke is most often applied to race issues, so let’s focus there.
Woke ascribes to the unbiblical philosophy that only two groups exist in history: The oppressed and the oppressors. Wealthy, educated, successful people are oppressors; everyone else is oppressed. To question the sacred doctrine of CRT is to be racist.
Jesus ministered to everyone crossing racial, ethnic, and national lines. We should be aware of injustice and oppression. Justice for the weak and oppressed is urged in Scripture (Isa. 1:17; Micah 6:8). God is not an elitist. He shows partiality to no one (Gal. 2:6, Eph. 6:9) — few Christians would argue otherwise.
Christians lead the world in helping the poor, elderly, widows, and orphans (Psalm 68:5) as we should. In 2021, American Christians donated over $145 Billion to charities, making Christians by far the most loving, caring people in the world, but that’s insufficient for the woke.
Wokeness teaches that we are not responsible for our own lives. We’re born privileged or oppressed. The Bible says we are personally accountable for our sins (James 1:13-15). God created us all equal. Acts 17:26 says we are all created “of one blood.” The sin of racism requires repentance, like any other sin. Wokeness replaces repentance with reparations.
Here are four of many warning signs your organization is going woke.
Traditional biblical doctrines redefined or “reinterpreted”
God’s word is timeless and unchanging. It applied when Moses wrote Genesis, and it applies now. “Every good and perfect thing comes from God, the Father of lights who does not change” (James 1:17).
Moral standards mirror “norms” instead of Jesus
When did “norm” replace right? Norms change. Sin is sin. The Bible is the inspired word of God, and salvation comes by faith alone in Jesus alone (Acts 4:12). If a pastor cannot articulate a faith statement that agrees with those basics, you must leave. You owe it to God to honor His word, His promises, His authority, and His Son’s sacrifice at Calvary.
Personal experience over biblical truth
There is no “your truth;” there is only God’s truth. If a church emphasizes life experiences over biblical facts, they’re wrong. Get out. Life experiences shape our personality, but they can be incorrect. God and the Bible are not. Focus your faith on what cannot change: “I am the Lord. I change not!” (Malachi 3:6).
Don’t judge!
Sixty-one years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed a dream that all people would be judged by the contents of their hearts, not the color of their skin. Now, the woke crowd demands that we judge, segregate, and condemn based on skin, race, and (assumed) privilege.
Wokeness is wicked, insidious, shifty, and deceitful. What’s woke this week won’t be woke enough next. What’s the solution? Judgment, discernment, moral conviction, and courage.
Contrary to the woke world, Jesus commands us to judge. He says it clearly, using the exact opposite criteria from the woke tolerate anything mob:
“Stop judging outward appearances and start judging justly” (John 7:24). Yes — The Son of God tells people to wisely, righteously . . . judge.
The antidote for woke is a biblical worldview. The two cannot coexist. God offers people something much better than being “woke”; through His Word, a life of being “awake.”
The Kennedy Center’s free Christmas Eve Jazz Jam did not take place in 2025 for the first time in more than two decades. The long-standing holiday tradition was canceled after the board of trustees voted to rename the venue the “Trump Kennedy Center,” adding President Donald Trump’s name alongside John F. Kennedy’s.
Jazz drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, who had hosted the concert since 2006, canceled the performance after seeing the name change appear on the Kennedy Center website and then on the building itself. The decision was announced only days before Christmas, with no replacement programming and no detailed explanation, leaving families who had planned their holiday around the event without the concert they had attended for years.
The Christmas Eve Jazz Jam was a completely free public-service event held at 6 p.m. as part of the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage program, which was created specifically to make the performing arts accessible to everyone.
The concert typically featured seven professional jazz musicians and drew families, students, elderly residents, and visitors who could not afford ticketed Kennedy Center performances. The tradition dated back to the early 2000s, with Redd taking over hosting duties from bassist William “Keter” Betts in 2006.
Redd is an internationally recognized musician with a long and secure career. The Christmas Eve Jazz Jam was a free public-service performance, meaning its cancellation carried no meaningful financial or professional cost to him.
The cancellation removed one of the few professional-caliber holiday events in Washington that required no ticket purchase and disproportionately affected members of the public who relied on free programming for access to the arts. It did not affect political leaders, Kennedy Center board members, President Trump, or major donors, none of whom depended on Millennium Stage performances.
The Christmas Eve cancellation occurred amid a broader wave of artist withdrawals from the Kennedy Center following Trump’s second inauguration. At least 26 performances were canceled, including self-withdrawals by Issa Rae, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington.
During the same period, Trump personally hosted the Kennedy Center Honors, announced honorees publicly, and selected performers with broad popular appeal, including Sylvester Stallone, KISS, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford.
Aside from the irreverence toward Christmas, the disrespect shown to the performers, and the decision to rob families of a long-standing free public Christmas Eve concert, there is also a serious legal issue involving statutory interpretation.
Critics of the renaming argue that federal law explicitly prohibits adding Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center. They cite three statutory provisions: 20 U.S.C. § 76q, which designates the Center as “the sole national memorial” to John F. Kennedy in Washington; 20 U.S.C. § 76i, which names the building by statute; and 20 U.S.C. § 76j(b), which bars the installation of “additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials” in public areas after 1983.
Legal experts and Democratic lawmakers argue that because Congress named the building through legislation, only Congress has the authority to alter that designation. Rep. Joyce Beatty’s lawsuit characterizes the renaming as a “flagrant violation of the rule of law.”
The statutory language, however, is more limited than critics claim. Under 20 U.S.C. § 76q (1964), Congress designated the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as “the sole national memorial to the late John Fitzgerald Kennedy within the city of Washington and its environs.” That provision establishes the Center’s purpose as a memorial to Kennedy, but it does not explicitly prohibit adding another name to the building’s designation.
Congress addressed additions directly in 1983 when it enacted 20 U.S.C. § 76j(b), titled “Restriction on additional memorials.” That amendment prohibits the designation or installation of additional memorials or plaques in the public areas of the Kennedy Center after December 2, 1983, with narrow exceptions for plaques acknowledging foreign gifts, plaques on theater chairs or boxes, and inscriptions recognizing major contributions. The restriction applies specifically to interior public areas and to physical memorials or plaques.
That distinction is critical. Trump’s name was added to the exterior building designation, not installed as an additional memorial or plaque inside the Center. The statute prohibits transforming the Kennedy Center into a memorial for someone else, but adding Trump’s name does not replace Kennedy or strip the Center of its identity as a memorial to JFK. Kennedy remains named, honored, and memorialized exactly as before.
If Congress intended to impose an absolute prohibition on modifying the building’s designation or adding any other name under any circumstances, it could have stated so plainly. Instead, when Congress wanted to restrict additions, it did so with precise language in 1983, narrowly targeting interior memorials and plaques. The absence of similarly explicit language barring exterior designation changes undermines claims of a clear statutory violation.
Democrats argue that “sole memorial” must mean Kennedy alone and that the board lacks authority to approve any renaming without congressional action. But that reading goes beyond what the statute actually says. The law designates the Center as a memorial to JFK; it does not state that no other individual’s name may ever appear alongside his, nor does it prohibit co-honoring another president in the building’s exterior designation. Claims that the renaming is an obvious violation of federal law rely more on political outrage than on statutory text, which is far more ambiguous than critics admit.
Democratic Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan praised Somali migrants in the state during a visit to a market in a video posted on YouTube Thursday.
President Donald Trump announced in November that he would end “Temporary Protected Status” for Somalis in the state in response to allegations of welfare fraud and said that the influx of refugees had “destroyed our country.” Flanagan, who wore a hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women, during her visit to the market, held a microphone during the video posted by Somali TV of Minnesota
“Salam Alaikum. My name’s Peggy Flanagan. I am the Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, and I’m really honored and humbled to be here with all of you today,” Flanagan said. “I am incredibly clear that the Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota. I think about my friendship with Nimco. We’ve been friends for almost 25 years and when I think of being part of Minnesota and growing up here, the Somali community has always been a part of my Minnesota.”
“So I want to just encourage the community to know that we’re with you, we’ve got your back,” Flanagan continued. “I am here shopping today and just encourage other folks to show up, support our Somali businesses, support our immigrant neighbors and I know that things are scary right now, and just know that there are more people who are looking out for you, there are more people who are here to support you than you know.”
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is surging into the Minneapolis area to target illegal immigrants from Somalia after revelations involving at least $1 billion in fraud, with the Treasury Department investigating allegations that some of the proceeds from the scheme went to the radical Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Estimates of the fraud have increased to at least $9 billion, according to federal officials, noting that multiple programs were targeted.
State employees accused Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota of engaging in “systemic” retaliation against whistleblowers who warned of the fraud schemes on Nov. 30 as the Justice Department is prosecuting multiple federal cases. Walz admitted thatthe state “attracts criminals,” but demanded that Somali residents not be demonized during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“I will continue to stand with the Somali community, to be with you, and to do all I can to return the friendship and community that the Somali community has shown me,” Flanagan said.
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
President Trump has called on supporters to protest his expected arrest next week by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on bogus charges arising out of the alleged 2016 Stormy Daniels hush money arrangement. Several so-called influencers are warning supporters to stay home to avoid being entrapped by the feds into another January 6 riot.
As one of the most experienced conservative street activists who was active in our Nation’s Capital for over a decade, I want to offer my advice on whether to go out and protest (yes) and how to do it.
First, some background. I was active in the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com from 1998 into the early 2010s, but mostly through the end of 2007 when I left the area and returned a few times a year. I organized hundreds of street protests and counter-protests against President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and other corrupt Democrat politicians. I organized an annual protest of liberal media bias outside the White House Correspondents Dinner for about fifteen years. Through Free Republic, Move America Forward and the Gathering of Eagles, we organized several rallies and counter-rallies supporting our troops in the war on terror in the years after 9/11. On a few occasions, we acted as human shields against the violent left and radical Islamists, protecting The White House, the Danish Embassy, Armed Forces Recruiting stations and even the Washington Post. I also helped organize the FReeper inaugural ball in 2005 attended by nearly 1,000 guests or so.
We dealt with D.C. Police, Capitol Police, Park Police, Secret Service, various other federal law enforcement agencies and the military in demonstrations at the White House, Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Arlington Cemetery, the old Walter Reed Army Hospital, the Vice President’s Residence, aka “Cheney’s House”, and many locales in and around D.C.
We faced off against communists, anarchists, Black Bloc (pre-Antifa), Code Pink, ANSWER, radical Islamists, Democrats, RINOs, dishonest media and the Westboro Baptist Church extremists.
We did all that by being peaceful and behaving in a civilized manner at all times. We hade a code of conduct that served us well.
Briefly, it read, “No violence, no racism, no profanity, no provocations, obey the law and treat all law enforcement officers with respect.”
Hunter Biden just shocked the Democrat party by essentially condemning his father’s entire four years in the White House.
During a rare interview on the ‘Shawn Ryan Show’ while promoting his new book, Hunter called out Joe Biden’s immigration policies for failing the American people and prioritizing illegals over veterans.
“We don’t want immigrants coming here illegally, DRAINING us of resources, and being prioritized above people that are actual, literal heroes. People that are still recovering from years of endless war, or anybody else in our society,” Hunter said.
Maybe this is why his family tries so hard to keep Hunter out of the public eye.
Watch for yourself:
VIDEO AT LINK……………..
Hunter Biden: “We don’t want immigrants that are coming here illegally, draining us of resources, and being prioritized above… anybody in our society.”
It’s very rare that I agree with Hunter Biden on something.
But this time, he’s right.
It’s estimated that around 11 million illegal immigrants crossed the border underneath Joe Biden, thanks largely to the open-border policies under his administration.
These are illegals that contribute nothing to the U.S. while siphoning away taxpayer-funded benefits and opportunities from hardworking, law-abiding American citizens.
As Hunter Biden just proved, it doesn’t take a genius to recognize the unfairness of that.
It’s really saying something when a crackpot like Hunter Biden has a better policy on immigration than his father’s previous administration.
This reply on that clip is just hilarious, but I have to agree:
Wait. Hold up, I knew he knows how to cook other things but damn he cooked here.— Jeremy (@Jeremy_rhetor) December 23, 2025
Your thoughts?
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.
THE ARTFUL DILETTANTE 