[FoxNews] California state librarian Greg Lucas is facing scrutiny from lawmakers after roughly $650,000 tied to a statewide literacy program connected to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library could not be accounted for.
The issue surfaced during a Thursday Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 1 on Education hearing, which examined how funds were distributed for California’s participation in the book-gifting program.
Documents shared by the subcommittee as part of its hearing agenda claim that a nonprofit created to help administer the program reported spending roughly $1.2 million, while bank statements provided to Senate budget staff showed $555,000 in expenditures, leaving about $649,000 without supporting documentation.
"I find this to be incredibly concerning," said state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena, chair of the subcommittee. "There’s $650,000 that’s been unaccounted for in a program, a bipartisan effort that was intended to increase literacy among children. This is incredibly serious."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] A trial has concluded in the state of Florida in the brutal attack and murder of a teenage girl. Her mother and sister also suffered at the hands of the perpetrators. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the tragic events unfolded after the victim, 17-year-old Isabella, reported the sexual assault to police.
The victim reported that her older sister's boyfriend committed the assault, taking advantage of the fact that she was home alone. Upon learning of Isabella's visit to the police, the suspect fled the state and, according to investigators, hatched a plan for bloody revenge.
He recruited his cousin and an acquaintance to assist him in the killing for $10,000. Late that evening, the criminals arrived at the victim's home, rang the doorbell, and Isabella's mother opened the door. The men opened fire, wounding all three. The girl was shot twice.
The wounded mother and sister were able to call emergency services. The perpetrators were quickly apprehended.
According to the court's decision, one of the defendants will spend 17 years behind bars, while the main organizers and perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
[RNS] The State of the Church research shows that Gen Z and Millennial church attendance has nearly doubled since 2020
A good place to avoid the nose ring nuts.
New research by Barna Group and Gloo, as part of their State of the Church initiative, reveals a historic shift in church attendance. For the first time in decades, younger adults, specifically Gen Z and Millennials, are now the most regular churchgoers, surpassing older generations who have traditionally led in church attendance. The typical Gen Z churchgoer now attends 1.9 weekends per month, while Millennials average 1.8 times, representing a steady upward shift since the attendance decline observed during the pandemic. In fact, the frequency of churchgoing for Millennials and Gen Z has nearly doubled in just five years, rising from approximately one weekend per month in 2020 to nearly two in 2025.
"The makeup and rhythms of church life are shifting," said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. "Young people today are showing a renewed openness to faith, and many are finding their way back into church communities. This moment invites leaders to lean in and guide young people toward deeper faith. While churchgoing alone doesn’t form disciples, churches that offer relational connection, volunteer engagement, and clear discipleship pathways that resonate with younger generations can help them build a resilient and lasting faith."
Overall, the data shows that even regular churchgoers do not attend often. Among all self-described Christian churched adults, the average attendance is 1.6 times per month, or roughly two out of every five weekends. While older adults have historically been the most reliable churchgoers for decades, their participation rates have consistently declined over the past 25 years. Looking back, Elders (those born before 1946) who attended about 2.3 times per month in 2000 now attend around 1.4 times, and Boomers’ attendance has dropped from 2.0 to 1.4 times per month. Gen X attendance has remained steady, sitting at 1.6 times per month, but has not seen growth.
"These shifts in church attendance open the door for leaders to innovate in how they engage with their people," said Brad Hill, president, Gloo Media Network. "Since many aren’t in the pews every week, churches that prioritize relational touchpoints and digital engagement — through text, social media and other online tools — can better reach younger generations where they already are. Every interaction counts, and this trend presents an opportunity for leaders to help grow their faith in new and impactful ways."
The detailed findings of this month’s release are available here. Leaders can learn more about the largest initiative for the Church at stateofthechurch.com.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The first prolonged magnetic storm of spring is occurring on Earth. This was reported on March 14 by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"Starting at approximately [00:00 Moscow time], a planetary magnetic storm was recorded. The event is associated with a sharp increase in solar wind speed near Earth, which, in turn, is caused by a coronal hole on the Sun. The storm is unusually stable—for the entire nine hours it lasts, the index remains at the same level of G1.7, corresponding to an average event," the experts noted.
The solar wind speed is currently around 700 km/s, compared to normal values of around 300–400 km/s, almost twice the normal speed, and shows no signs of abating. Therefore, geomagnetic disturbances will continue, although there are currently signs of a lull. A temporary stabilization of the situation is possible in the coming hours, the scientists noted.
Magnetic storms of this magnitude can affect energy systems and radio wave propagation at high latitudes. In central and southern Russia, their impact remains weak, they added.
The current storm is the second in March, but it is the first significant in terms of intensity, according to the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The day before, specialists recorded the first strong solar flare since February 25.
Earlier, astrophysicist and Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Sergei Yazev told Regnum News Agency that a weak magnetic storm is possible on Earth on March 13–14. Yazev explained that the forecast is based on a relatively small coronal hole on the Sun, and that powerful flares are not yet expected.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The upcoming El Niño climate phenomenon could be the most powerful in the last decade. This was reported on March 14 by Mikhail Leus, a specialist at the Phobos weather center, on the "Weather from the Chief" Telegram channel.
According to the expert, the natural phenomenon is associated with an abnormal increase in sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which leads to a sharp rise in global temperatures and provokes dangerous weather conditions across the planet.
Experts from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expect the El Niño phenomenon to intensify between June and August and persist until at least the end of 2026. There's a good chance the phenomenon will intensify during the winter. As a result, 2026 or 2027 could be among the warmest years on Earth.
Water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean may exceed the climate norm by 1.5–2 degrees.
Leus noted that El Niño has acquired the prefix "super"—the phenomenon is expected to affect the intensity of hurricanes in the Atlantic and lead to even greater coral bleaching and other destructive consequences.
During El Niño events, the risk of blocking anticyclones over European Russia increases, which can lead to prolonged periods of dry and hot weather. An example of such a phenomenon was the El Niño of 2009–2010, followed by the abnormally hot summer of 2010.
Earlier, Lyudmila Parshina, head of the laboratory at the Russian Hydrometeorological Center, stated that abnormally warm weather is expected in the European part of Russia starting March 14. In some regions, temperatures will reach 17 degrees Celsius.
[FoxNews] State media denies shots were fired during unrest in Morón as Cuba faces worsening blackouts and economic crisis
Protesters attacked a Communist Party headquarters in Cuba overnight, ransacking the building and attempting to set it on fire, and video appeared to capture gunfire and a man on the ground outside, according to footage obtained by Fox News Digital.
Cuban state media later denied that anyone had been struck by police gunfire and announced five arrests.
Dramatic footage shows a large crowd gathered outside the building in the city of Morón as a fire burns in the street and protesters throw burning objects at the building.
Protesters can be heard chanting "Libertad, libertad!" — Spanish for "Freedom, freedom!" — moments before gunfire rings out in the video.
A young man appears to collapse as others nearby scream in Spanish.
"They shot him! They’re shooting! They said they wouldn’t shoot, but they shot him."
The video then shows people carrying the injured man away.
In another video obtained by Fox News Digital, large crowds can march through Morón’s unlit streets before unrest spread to the Communist Party headquarters.
Morón is located on Cuba's northern coast about 250 miles east of the capital of Havana near the tourist resort of Cayo Coco.
"The image circulating shows the scene of the protest, but it's important for the public to know the truth: no one was injured by gunfire," state media outlet Vanguardia de Cuba said on X.
"Media manipulation seeks to sow fear and confusion among our people. Let's not fall for provocations."
State media said police had detained five people and that a "drunken" participant fell and was being treated for injuries at a hospital.
Over the past week, several small groups of residents across Havana have banged pots in protest against extended blackouts.
Cuba has faced rolling blackouts, food shortages and renewed protests tied to the island’s worsening energy and economic crisis.
A recent nationwide blackout was triggered by a failure at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant, the island’s largest power station, cutting electricity across much of the country, according to Reuters.
The crisis has been compounded by fuel shortages after the Trump administration moved to curtail oil shipments to the island, particularly from Venezuela, one of Cuba’s main suppliers.
Cuban officials say U.S. sanctions have worsened the country’s economic difficulties, while repeated power plant failures and an aging electrical grid have left millions facing prolonged blackouts that have fueled growing public frustration and protests.
"What initially began peacefully, and after an exchange with local authorities, turned into acts of vandalism against the headquarters of the Municipal Party Committee," the state-run Invasor newspaper reported, according to Reuters.
"A smaller group of people stoned the entrance of the building and started a fire in the street with furniture from the reception area."
Vandals also targeted several other state-run establishments in the area, including a pharmacy and a government market, the report said.
On Friday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said he was holding talks with the U.S. government, marking the first time the Caribbean country has confirmed widespread speculation about discussions with the Trump administration.
Díaz-Canel said that no petroleum shipments have arrived in Cuba in the past three months and blamed a U.S. energy blockade for that. He said the island is running on a mixture of natural gas, solar power and thermoelectric plants.
In 1980, there were 22 officially Communist or Marxist states.
Today there are five. Four of these have explicitly adopted capitalist objectives and elements such as foreign investment, market reforms, and private enterprise. Almost the only "communist" feature they've kept is… pic.twitter.com/UFSTP0UcbW
[Forbes] The U.S. has the most billionaires in the world — a record 989 with a combined fortune of $8.4 trillion.
Eighty-eight of them are in Texas, including the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, who ranks first on Forbes’ new billionaire list. His net worth of $839 billion comes from his companies, Tesla and SpaceX.
"There has never been a better time to be a billionaire," Forbes states. "Thanks to AI’s explosion, sizzling markets and favorable fiscal policies, a record 3,428 entrepreneurs, investors and heirs made this year’s World’s Billionaires list, 400 more than in 2025. They are richer than ever, worth a record $20.1 trillion, up $4 trillion from last year."
The analysis counted a record 3,428 billionaires worldwide living in 80 countries and territories. More than half, 51%, live in three countries: the U.S., China and India.
China, including Hong Kong, has the second most billionaires of 610. India has the third most of 229. The analysis is based on data from stock prices and exchange rates from March 1, 2026, Forbes says.
Forbes provided a list of the 10 richest Texans on the list to The Center Square.
Following Musk is Michael Dell of Dell Technologies, ranking second with a net worth of $141 billion.
Ranking third and eighth are Walmart heiresses Alice Walton ($134 billion) and Ann Walton Kroenke ($14.6 billion).
Ranking fourth are Elaine Marshall and family, who amassed a net worth of $30.9 billion from Koch Inc., followed by Lundal Stephens Greth and family whose $30 billion fortune comes from oil and natural gas.
The sixth wealthiest Texan on the list is Stanley Kroenke, who amassed his $22.2 billion from sports and real estate investment. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his family are not far behind with a net worth of $20.3 billion.
Next is Ken Fisher, the ninth wealthiest Texan with $13.2 billion from money management.
[CNBC] As they jointly planned, preventing the widows from being a burden on the next generation. Thank you.
An estimated $54 trillion is expected to pass on to spouses during the so-called great wealth transfer, with $40 trillion of it going to women who are baby boomers or older, the research shows.
This is largely because the average life span for males in the U.S. is 76.5 years as of 2024, compared with 81.4 years for females.
BUT:
The gap shrinks once you reach age 65. At that point, life expectancy for men is another 18.4 years, or to age 83.4, according to the CDC data. For women, that average is 20.8 years, or age 85.8. So those who were going to die young already did, and the rest of you will be enjoying it together rather than being fondly remembered. I’m so glad.
Older women whose spouses have traditionally handled investments and long-term planning may want to make sure they at least know some basics, financial advisors say.
#3
#1 - the gals are just donating it to the Left anyways. Other than Oprah and Ms Swift, most of the high wealth females got their money from the death or divorce of a male partner.
Could this have been revealed had RFK, Jr. not been made secretary of Health and Human Services by President Trump? Dr. Malone doesn’t say.
[Malone] Military released 282,800 radioactive ticks, suppressed co-infection research for 40 years
I have a friend whose life was ruined by Lyme disease.
An extensive investigation based on declassified government documents and previously suppressed scientific research has uncovered compelling evidence that U.S. biological weapons programs contributed to the emergence of Lyme disease, which now affects hundreds of thousands of Americans annually.
The investigation reveals a pattern of concealment spanning six decades, including the systematic suppression of critical medical research and the release of nearly 300,000 radioactive ticks across Virginia to study how the disease-carrying insects would spread.
IA DEPLOYED INFECTED TICKS AGAINST CUBA
Declassified documents and testimony from a CIA operative describe the 1962 deployment of infected ticks against Cuban sugarcane workers as part of Operation Mongoose, the Kennedy administration’s effort to destabilize Fidel Castro’s regime.
The operative, now in his seventies, told researchers that the "strangest thing he ever did was drop infected ticks on Cuban sugarcane workers" using C-123 transport aircraft flying nighttime missions "almost skimming the surface of the Caribbean to avoid Cuban radar."
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
