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Depp famously portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in the first five films of the franchise.

Depp famously portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in the first five films of the franchise.

Footage outside the 79-year-old actor and special effects artist’s Bloomfield, Pittsburgh home shows black smoke billowing as firefighters battle the Aug. 15 blaze.

“Kick rocks and don’t come back,” Delsia Bare told the AI company reps after learning they hoped to build a data center on her farm land.

The 10 States Losing Public School Students The Fastest

Public school enrollment is shrinking across much of the United States, but nowhere faster than West Virginia. An August 2026 study by family location-tracking app iSharing found that the state lost more than 10,500 public school students between 2021 and 2024, a decline of 4.2%, the steepest in the country, according to family location-tracking app iSharing,

The trend reflects a broader demographic shift. Births have fallen in 44 of the 50 states, meaning many schools are receiving smaller incoming classes. In West Virginia, births dropped 18.3% between 2005 and 2024. New Mexico experienced an even larger 26% decline. Migration can offset some of these losses, but in many states it has not been enough to reverse the trend.

The  iSharing study compared public school enrollment across all 50 states over three years and examined changes in births and migration. It also considered federal projections for 2031 to identify where enrollment could fall further.

West Virginia ranked first, with enrollment falling from about 252,000 students in 2021 to 242,000 in 2024. Although the state recorded slightly positive net migration, declining births continue to reduce the number of school-age children. Enrollment is projected to fall to roughly 217,000 by 2031, another 13.5% decline.

Hawaii ranked second after losing more than 6,000 students, or 3.5%, in three years. Unlike West Virginia, Hawaii faces pressure from both declining births and population loss. Births are down 16.8% since 2005, while net migration was negative. By 2031, Hawaii could lose another 16% of its public school enrollment, the largest projected decline among the states highlighted in the study.

New Hampshire followed with a 3.4% decline and nearly 6,000 fewer students. Although the state continues to attract new residents, births have fallen 18.4% since 2005. With about 11 students per teacher, shrinking enrollment also means increasingly small classrooms. Enrollment is projected to decline another 7.3% by 2031.

Wyoming experienced a similar 3.4% drop, losing more than 3,000 students. Births have fallen 15.9% since 2005, though migration remains slightly positive. Unlike some other states, Wyoming's decline may soon stabilize. Enrollment is projected at about 89,300 students in 2031, close to its current level.

Maine completed the top five, losing nearly 6,000 students in three years. The state had the strongest positive migration among the leading states, yet that growth could not overcome a 17.8% decline in births. Maine also averages only about 11 students per teacher, and enrollment is expected to fall another 6.3% by 2031.

The consequences extend beyond smaller classrooms. Because public school funding is often tied to enrollment, fewer students can mean fewer resources. An iSharing spokesperson noted that declining enrollment can contribute to cuts in programs such as arts, sports, counseling and teaching support. School closures can also force remaining students to travel farther each day.

Research cited by the company found that 98 schools across 15 states closed during a single school year because of declining enrollment. For families, that can mean longer bus rides, changing districts and greater distances between children, schools and parents.

The numbers point to a challenge that is likely to outlast short-term population shifts. With birth rates falling across most states, many school systems are preparing for a future with fewer students, tighter budgets and difficult decisions about which schools and programs they can continue to support.

Tyler Durden Sun, 08/16/2026 - 18:05

Ian Machado Garry is too nice.

Does Lanterns finally do Green Lantern justice?

"This man is so out of touch with his party. How is he their leader??"

Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site that, although it was too late to cancel the exercises entirely, he was "not happy" that the United States had previously agreed to participate.

Officers were called to a home at 126 Ludlow St. on the Lower East Side over a domestic dispute when the man charged at cops with a large knife, sources said.

Katie Ledecky's long reign as the world's best 800-meter freestyle swimmer is, at least temporarily, over.

How Socialism Gains Popularity

Authored by Sylvia Xu via The Epoch Times,

More than 80% agreed economic hardship can make socialist policies attractive even to people who oppose socialism.

Most Americans see communism in an unfavorable light, and a strong majority of Epoch readers say it’s incompatible with the United States’ founding principles. Yet socialism, an early stage of communism, continues to attract people by promising equal wages, low costs, and public benefits.

The goal sounds appealing, but the means have historically included higher taxes and extensive state control.

When asked about a movement in the United States to embrace socialism, Vice President JD Vance said in an Aug. 13 Fox News interview, “Our response to that can’t be to just ignore the economic concerns that I think are feeding this rising interest in socialism.”

American citizens deserve a good life in this country and a good government to make that happen, said Vance.

The Trump administration is rebuilding the industrial base and the heartland, making streets safer, and making it possible for young people to afford a home, Vance said.

“This is how you stop socialism.”

“You don’t stop socialism by throwing slogans at people about the free market—as much as I love the free market—you stop socialism by making people’s lives better, and that’s what we’re trying to do every single day,” Vance said.

Here is a look at Epoch readers’ attitudes towards socialist ideology and a government-controlled economy.

Socialism and Cost

The majority of survey respondents are against the socialist ideology of high taxes and income redistribution.

Ninety percent of readers opposed substantially higher taxes on high-income Americans to fund benefits for working- and middle-class families.

A whopping 97 percent opposed using the tax system not only to fund the government, but also to make incomes more equal, with 92 percent strongly against.

The same 97 percent agreed that the public ultimately absorbs the cost of free government benefits.

Additionally, more than 90 percent of readers would not consider voting for a democratic socialist candidate even if they supported the candidate’s economic policies.

Government Control

Around 96 percent of survey takers oppose greater government economic control in exchange for greater economic security.

Nearly all those polled (98 percent) were against government determining wages and prices rather than leaving them to the free market.

Ninety-three percent opposed allowing extensive government intervention in wages, prices, and social benefits, even if private ownership were preserved.

When it comes to life and affordability, readers’ attitudes softened toward government intervention.

Just over 80 percent of respondents opposed government limits on prices (85 percent), a higher mandated minimum wage (83 percent), and limits on rent increases (81 percent).

Public Benefits

Almost all of those surveyed (97 percent) opposed government providing more basic needs if it weakens individual initiative and productivity.

While 90 percent opposed fare-free public transportation, there was a modest drop to 80 percent who were against taxpayer-funded child care for needy families.

When asked about homeowners funding public schools through property taxes even if they do not use public schools, 67 percent of survey takers opposed, 16 percent were unsure, and 17 percent supported the idea.

How Socialism Gains Popularity

A majority of respondents (94 percent) agreed socialism can expand gradually by eroding private control of property while retaining the label of capitalism.

A similar majority of readers (93 percent) agreed that socialist policies can gain support when presented as benefits rather than as government control.

Eighty-seven percent agreed that people may reject socialism by name while accepting its policies one at a time.

Meanwhile, 82 percent agreed economic hardship can make socialist policies attractive even to people who oppose socialism.

Tyler Durden Sun, 08/16/2026 - 17:30

He also sold propane accessories.

In a scathing piece, she described the admissions process as "less like careful evaluation and more like chance" at the prestigious California college.

The Los Angeles Rams worked out Aaron Donald for the second time this summer. On Sunday, Donald was listed as a player who “tried out” for the team, according to the NFL’s transaction wire. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year first auditioned for the team he previously spent 10 seasons with earlier this month...

An opponent of an ambitious city public-private housing redevelopment project in Manhattan's Chelsea is posting ugly antisemitic, racist and homophobic flyers in the neighborhood, a Post investigation has found.

Michael and Dawn Tarling, whose son Finlay died at 19 after being hit by a car during the Volta a Portugal cycling race earlier this week, shared a tribute post on Instagram Sunday.

Not in your future backyard.

The "X-Files" alum also revealed she dated a 24-year-old man when she was 15 years old.

The "X-Files" alum also revealed she dated a 24-year-old man when she was 15 years old.