Did the Pandemic Really Make Scores Drop? – The Joe Cunningham Show

The Joe Cunningham Show airs 3-4 p.m. every weekday on NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL. The daily show notes offer you a look into the topics of the day and the links to the top stories and Joe's own writings on the state of politics in Louisiana and around the country. Follow Joe on Twitter at @JoePCunningham and Like the Joe Cunningham Show on Facebook. You can also subscribe to the Joe Cunningham Show podcast on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or Amazon.

Nationwide Panic Over Plummeting Scores

The headlines around the country are dire. "The Pandemic Erased Two Decades of Progress in Math and Reading," writes the New York Times. "Reading and Math Scores Plummeted During Pandemic," says the Wall Street Journal. In a new report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, 9-year-olds lost ground in math, and scores in reading fell by the largest margin in more than 30 years.

But it wasn't the pandemic that caused this. It was the policies of public schools, at the behest of teachers' unions and Democrats, and emboldened by media fear-mongering, that caused this.

Related: While Nationwide Test Scores Tanked, Lafayette Parish Saw Growth (READ)

Donald Trump Is In Trouble

The possibility of Donald Trump being indicted is very real. I'm sure that's not what you want to hear, but that is the case. The fact of the matter is that the DOJ's filing is not great for the Trump legal team. Andrew McCarthy at National Review has a good breakdown here.

Is Alaska Turning Blue?

Last night's special election in Alaska saw a Democrat take a congressional seat from Republican hands. Sarah Palin, the pro-MAGA former governor of the state, lost her bid for Congress through ranked-choice voting (RCV). The system is extremely flawed and played a part in Palin's loss, but the fact is she was a terrible candidate who had worn out her welcome with a majority of Alaskans. Only half of the voters who had supported the other Republican in the race put Palin as her second choice.

Several folks in the world of punditry say this is a significant sign for Democrats come November, but it's not like Alaska is some bastion of conservatism. After all, they routinely re-elect Lisa Murkowski.

Headlines Of The Day

• Jeremy Grantham Warns ‘Super Bubble’ in Stocks Has Yet to Burst (Bloomberg)
• U.S. Forces Ordered to Stop Using Gender Pronouns to Improve ‘Lethality’ (Washington Free Beacon)
• This is the minimum amount of cash you need to be prepared for an unexpected emergency, new data finds (CNBC)
• House GOP Puts Zuckerberg On Notice, Probes FBI's Role in Burying Hunter Biden Laptop Story (RedState)
• Republicans are readying lawsuits to block Biden’s student debt plan (Washington Post)

Tweet Of The Day