THE NEWS

Authorities in New Hampshire are searching for two minimum-security inmates alleged to have escaped from their transitional housing unit this week.

On Sept. 23, 1950, the U.S. Congress adopted the Internal Security Act, which provided for the registration of communists.

Nordics Consistently Lead The World In Gender Equality

For the 17th consecutive time, the World Economic Forum has named Iceland the most gender-equal country in the world.

This is according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2026, which was released earlier this week.

Iceland is the only country to have closed its gender gap by more than 90 percent and one of only four economies that have consistently been in the top 10 since the index’s inception in 2006.

As Statista’s Felix Richter reports, aside from Iceland, these are Finland, Norway and Sweden, with the former two making the top three for the third consecutive year.

You will find more infographics at Statista

European economies have consistently filled most of the top 10 spots over the past two decades, with Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom having each featured at least once in the past 20 years.

Several countries from Sub-Saharan Africa also made it into the top 10 over the years, including South Africa, ranked sixth in 2009, and Lesotho (2009, 2010 and 2011. Rwanda was in the top 10 for eight consecutive years between 2014 and 2022, partly due to the fact that it has achieved full parliamentary parity – a feat few nations worldwide have managed. Namibia first joined the top 10 in 2018, before it rose to sixth place in 2021 and climbed to a record fourth place this year.

New Zealand and the Philippines are the two countries in Eastern Asia and the Pacific to have appeared fairly consistently in the top 10 throughout the Gender Gap Report’s history, while in Latin America and the Caribbean, Nicaragua is the sole high performing country. Notably, the regions of Central Asia, Southern Asia, North America and the Middle East and Northern Africa are underrepresented at the top of the gender parity ranking.

The Gender Gap Index is a means to benchmark gender parity across four dimensions: economic opportunities, educational, health and political leadership. The level of progress toward gender parity is calculated as the ratio of the value of each indicator for women to the value for men, with a parity score of 1 indicating full parity. The index also expresses progress toward gender parity as a percentage.

Tyler Durden
Wed, 09/23/2026 – 02:45

As farmers across the country face rising costs, some are turning to tourism to bring in money beyond their traditional agricultural operations.At Lynette Ralph’s horse ranch in Missouri, vacationers can spend the night in a small cabin, wake up to views of the horses and get a firsthand look at ranch life.Guests can explore the property, pet and feed the horses or pay extra for horsemanship and riding lessons.”You have access to the farm life, the horses, the barns,” Ralph said.THE $1,600 LETTUCE: CALIFORNIA GROWERS WARN OF ‘MASTER PLAN’ STRANGLING FAMILY FARMSFor Ralph, welcoming guests is about more than offering a unique getaway. The income from offering short-term vacation rentals on site has allowed her to keep her ranch operating.”If I didn’t have the short-term rentals associated with the riding program, I would have to probably liquidate, sell the horses, sell the property,” she said.Airbnb and American Farmland Trust are launching a new grant program to help farmers earn extra income through tourism, the organizations told Fox News exclusively.According to USDA data cited in Airbnb’s report, households associated with intermediate farms, a category of smaller operations where farming is the principal operator’s primary occupation, reported a median loss of approximately $2,800 from farming in 2024.AMERICAN FARMERS PINCHED BY HIGH DIESEL PRICES AHEAD OF SPRING PLANTING SEASONDavid Haight, vice president of programs at American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting farmland and supporting farmers, said finding additional sources of income could help some farm families navigate financial challenges.”Many families are looking for ways to diversify income, and so bringing people out to the farm or ranch for some is a way to help bring in other dollars,” Haight said.Demand for farm stays is growing, according to Airbnb, which reported that online searches increased 61% during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.The company says the typical farm stay host earned approximately $8,000 in 2025, while U.S. farm stay hosts collectively earned nearly $120 million. Those figures represent hosting earnings, not necessarily profits after expenses.In Georgia, farm stay host Gilda Lyon said income from her existing rentals has allowed her to build additional cabins and invest in her farm.The money helped her build a greenhouse, start selling herbs and maintain blueberry plants.”The extra income actually has allowed me to invest, in many improvements and to expand the opportunities available for guests,” Lyon said.AMERICANS CHOOSING TO VISIT SMALLER TOWNS OVER BIG CITIES AS TRAVEL COSTS RISEAirbnb and American Farmland Trust’s new “Farm to Stay” Grant Program will award approximately 25 to 30 grants of up to $10,000 each, with applications opening in November.Haight said the grants may not cover every expense associated with welcoming visitors, but could help farmers in other ways, such as assisting in renovating barns for events, installing fencing or preparing accommodations for overnight guests.The benefits could also extend beyond individual farms. Haight said visitors may spend money at nearby restaurants, shops and other businesses, bringing additional tourism dollars into rural communities.Ralph said welcoming guests has allowed her to continue sharing her passion for horses while maintaining the property she loves.”The short-term rental has totally facilitated my being able to stay here and do the things that I love,” she said.

Tehran’s proposal could pave the way for restoring traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, reviving fragile hopes for a diplomatic off-ramp.

Iraqi PM Sets New June 2027 Deadline To Disarm Resistance Factions

Authored by News Desk via The Cradle,

(Photo credit: AFP)Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced a June 2027 deadline for the disarmament of the country’s resistance factions in comments released on 21 September, extending a previous deadline which had been set for the end of this month.

Iraq PM sets June 2027 deadline to disarm armed militias
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Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has pledged to disarm the country’s militias by June 2027, outlining the phased plan for the first time in an interview with The New York Times in Baghdad on Saturday.
“This is not… pic.twitter.com/nGNEtFQ9mp
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) September 22, 2026

The announcement came in an interview with the New York Times (NYT), carried out on Saturday, during which Zaidi detailed the disarmament plan that Washington has been pushing so heavily for.

“This is not something that is optional. It is a necessity. Others who spoke of this then backtracked. They yielded to pressure or to other concerns. For me, this issue, along with that of corruption, is a matter of honor,” the Iraqi premier told NYT.

“We wish to build bridges and economic ties between Iraq and the countries of the world. Under this government, Iraq will be a meeting point, not a point of hostility. Arms have to be confined first so you can build a solid economy,” he added.

Zaidi had previously announced a 30 September deadline to disarm the Iraqi factions. Yet this deadline was firmly rejected by the resistance, leading to the extension.

“There would first be a 90-day period during which the militias would not launch any attacks and be assured that they would not be attacked by US forces,” Zaidi said to NYT.

“After that, the [factions] would begin handing over their weapons, with disarmament ending by 30 June, 2027.”

According to NYT, the resistance is “pushing” to have the deadline extended to the end of next year.

The newspaper refers to the new date as ambitious.

“The timeline is extremely precarious” and “impossible to meet during a time of war,” regional diplomats and Iraqi security officials are quoted as saying by the outlet.

Zaidi claims the plan will ensure the resistance factions “cease to exist as independent entities.”

“They will join the Popular Mobilization Units as individuals and integrate into them,” he went on to say.

US President Donald Trump’s administration has adopted a significantly more coercive approach than its predecessors to disarming the Iraqi resistance, stepping up pressure on Baghdad in recent months to dismantle the resistance factions swiftly.

Washington reportedly froze security programs with Baghdad and blocked dollar shipments to the country earlier this year to pressure Iraq into dismantling Iran-backed resistance groups.

Iraqi resistance groups have demanded a full US withdrawal, rather than the “transitional” pullout agreed on between the US and Iraq, which will see Washington shift from a “combat” to an “advisory” role, while still retaining a military presence in the country.

At the height of the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran, these resistance groups inflicted heavy damage on US assets in Iraq.

They have also supported Gaza militarily throughout the genocide and have carried out operations in response to Israeli war crimes in Lebanon.

Tyler Durden
Wed, 09/23/2026 – 02:00

Hurricane Polo, drifting slowly off Mexico’s coast, remains an “extremely dangerous” Category 5 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier alleged that a teacher harassed and attempted to “cancel” an eighth-grade student and labeled him a “misogynist” over what Uthmeier described as the student’s conservative political views.Uthmeier sent a letter to Sarasota County Schools’ Superintendent Terry Connor and the school board over allegations that a Pine View School history teacher, Liz Ballard, singled out the eighth grade student on multiple occasions over his political views.Ballard often brings up political topics during class despite the student telling her that his parents “expressly forbid” him from participating in the political discussions, according to the letter.The parents’ demand was ignored and the teacher continued to hold political discussions, using the student as the “conservative perspective in the classroom,” the attorney general said.WASHINGTON FATHER SUES SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR DENYING RELIGIOUS OPT-OUT FOR 5TH GRADER FROM LGBTQ INSTRUCTIONThe teacher even labeled the student a “misogynist,” spread that characterization around the school and “openly questioned the suitability and influence of the student’s father,” Uthmeier said in the letter.Uthmeier’s letter says multiple parents previously initiated HR investigations involving Ballard.If the bullying and harassment allegations are true, Uthmeier said the teacher would have violated Florida law, School Board policy and basic ethical principles for educators.”Ms. Ballard singled out this student and, in defiance of his parents’ express instructions, pressured him to defend political positions on demand in front of his classmates,” Uthmeier wrote.PORTLAND PARENT BANNED FROM SCHOOL EVENTS AFTER OPPOSING GENDER IDENTITY ASSIGNMENT FILES LAWSUIT”She made disparaging remarks about his father. And by facilitating the spread of a damaging label throughout the school, she engaged in the reputational destruction of a child. Ms. Ballard’s deliberate bullying and harassment of this eighth-grade student violated Florida law, School Board policy, and at least six ethical principles,” he continued.He said she should be dismissed from her role with the school district and her educator certificate should be revoked if the allegations turn out to be true.”If true, she should be fired and never teach in Florida again,” he said.The attorney general gave the superintendent and school board an Oct. 1 deadline to update his office on the actions the district has taken or will take to address the allegations.Connor said Sarasota County Schools received a letter from Uthmeier about allegations involving teacher.”We take the concerns seriously and will respond to the Attorney General’s Office,” Connor said in a statement to FOX 13. “Every student deserves a classroom where they feel safe, respected, and free to learn. No student should face harassment, humiliation, or retaliation because of their beliefs or their family’s views. Respect for students and parents is fundamental to the trust our community places in our schools.””The allegations in the letter warrant careful attention. We will examine the relevant facts and records, ensure a fair process for all involved, and take appropriate action based on the findings and requirements. To protect student privacy and the process’s integrity, we will limit public discussion of individual details. This does not reduce our commitment to accountability. Our focus remains on our students’ well-being, the professionalism of our classrooms, and the confidence families place in Sarasota County Schools,” he added.

The UC San Francisco School of Medicine discriminates against White and Asian applicants in favor of their Black and Hispanic counterparts.

Content creator Frankie Lapenna fought three robots in a series of cage matches organized by REK, a company that puts on fights between remote-controlled machines.
The post WATCH: Robot Kicks Influencer to Floor in Man vs. Machine Cage Fight appeared first on Breitbart.