Kelli Ballard

Knowing those who live near you is an important part of retaining your liberty. How well do you know your neighbors?

The Golden State doesn't look so golden anymore. California has long boasted of better weather, more job opportunities, and a greater

In a controversial move, the Department of Defense (DoD) is reducing the number of religious faiths and belief systems from its personnel records, dropping the total from 211 to only 31. The faith and belief coding system will be renamed to religious affiliation codes. The agency claims the action is more administrative while opponents cry foul, accusing the DoD of taking away their religious identities and imposing politics over religion. Which is the truth?

Americans still believe in the country but have lost faith in its leaders.

However, some suggest that modern life and these advantages are actually making us less adaptable to the heat.

"Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet, they go together in the good ol' USA."

You don't have to take a bite from someone's food, share a toothbrush, or drink from the same glass to pick up their germs. Simply living under the same roof may be enough. New research suggests that the people in the same household share far more than meals, chores, and living space. They also share many of the same microbes, with scientists finding that family members, roommates, and romantic partners can influence each other's gut health. In other words, the people you live with may be shaping your

At what point does self-improvement become self-surveillance? Do you need to know how many calories are in that chicken dinner you ordered?

The Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC, has recently been in trouble for allegedly funding the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, and the National Socialist Party of America, as well as facing 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The agency tried to explain its actions of providing financial backing to these hate organizations by claiming it was part of its informant program. However, SPLC has now ended the program, suggesting that maybe they realize the error of their ways. But that's not all. The organization released its yearly report, and wouldn't you know, the country's racism problem can be laid at President Donald Trump, his administration, and supporters' feet.

The stories may differ, but they all point to the same troubling reality: Human trafficking is still thriving in America. Whether it involves children exploited for sex, migrants forced into labor, or families extorted by smuggling organizations, traffickers continue to find ways to profit from vulnerable people.