West
West Coast exodus driving surge in homeschooling in deep red state called 'freest' in nation
Idaho is experiencing huge growth due to West Coast transplants fleeing their liberal bastions, and along with it, more parents choosing to homeschool.
“A lot of people from California, Oregon, even from Washington, [where] the political climate is driven by more liberal enclaves, conservatives have begun to feel like their voices aren’t being heard in those states and in those communities and have opted to move out into a more conservative state,” Audra Talley, a board member for the nonprofit advocacy organization Homeschool Idaho, told Fox News Digital.
The Gem State is consistently listed as one of the fastest-growing states in the country, largely thanks to migration. The Post-Register newspaper reported Idaho was the nation’s fourth-fastest growing state, percentage-wise, in population growth between 2022 and 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Homeschooling also appears to have surged in the Gem State. Idaho doesn’t have reporting requirements for homeschoolers, but public school data indicates there’s been an uptick in parents choosing to homeschool.
WEST COAST EXODUS DRIVES SURPRISING POLITICAL EFFECT IN RED STATE, AND IT’S NOT A LIBERAL SHIFT
Idaho is experiencing a homeschooling surge as conservatives flood into the Gem State. (Courtesy: Bryndle Photography)
According to research from the Homeschool Hub at Johns Hopkins University, more students left public school to homeschool in the 2022-23 school year (nearly 4,000) than they did before the coronavirus pandemic (less than 3,000). The research, using data from the Idaho Department of Education, also found more homeschooling students are accessing public school services than before the pandemic.
While the pandemic pushed more parents to homeschool, Talley believes it continues to be a popular option in her state because parents are drawn to the freedoms the red state offers parents with minimal government involvement.
“Idaho is the freest, out of three or four states in the country that offer homeschooling as an option with very minimal regulation and [little] direct oversight,” Talley said.
WHY ARE AMERICANS FLEEING THE WEST COAST FOR THIS DEEP RED STATE? FREEDOM AND FRIENDLINESS
Homeschooling families enjoy less regulation and government oversight, Homeschool Idaho says.
“Idaho law does not require any notification in order to begin or continue homeschooling. No test scores or work samples need to be filed,” according to Homeschool Idaho. “You are not required to provide any information about what curriculum you intend to use, your education level or teaching experience, or anything else about your home or homeschool.”
The freedoms Idahoans enjoy are also why Talley’s group is wary of the school choice movement or any other movement that would give the government greater control over homeschoolers. She said it took decades of legal battles for Idaho families to earn the educational freedoms they now enjoy.
US DATA SHOWS 50,000 STUDENTS MISSING FROM EDUCATION SYSTEM SINCE PANDEMIC
U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey (Ramiro Vargas/Fox News Digital)
“We’ve spent 30, 40 years of fighting for the autonomy of homeschool parents to educate their children as they see fit, with little intrusion on the part of the state. Right now, we’ve shifted from the mentality of the state needing to control, by threat of force, that education, to now the state going, ‘Well, here’s some money to do what you already do.’ And our concern with that is, as soon as you offer money to do something that you’re already doing as a homeschooler — money always comes with strings attached,” she continued.
The red state’s pro-parent approach has made it a particularly appealing place to move for conservative families, advocates say.
A 2023 analysis of voters who moved in from other states depicts a red wave crashing down on Idaho. Californians led the pack, with 75% registering as Republicans and a mere 10% registering as Democrats. More than 60% of Washington and Oregon transplants who registered to vote in Idaho did so as Republicans.
“Idaho is a very conservative state politically and socially. And we’ve had a large movement of people moving out of higher tax states, less conservative states coming into Idaho,” Talley said. “So we’ve had, with that, more people interested and exercising their ability and their right to homeschool, and Idaho is a great place to do that.”
Fox News’ Hannah Ray Lambert contributed to this report.
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San Francisco, CA
Giants select Barry Bonds’ nephew Peyton in third round
The San Francisco Giants selected Rutgers outfielder Peyton Bonds in the third round (90th overall) of the MLB draft on Saturday.
You might note the name Bonds and the Giants and wonder. You’re mostly right.
Bonds is the son of Bobby Bonds Jr. (11-year minor league veteran, spending four seasons in the Giants’ system), the grandson of Bobby Bonds (14-year big league veteran who played seven years for the Giants and amassed 57.2 career WAR) and the nephew of Barry Bonds (seven-time MVP, all-time home run king, 22-year veteran, with 15 of those campaigns playing for the Giants).
This wasn’t a nepotism or a feel-good pick: Peyton Bonds is a real talent. He ranked 115th in ESPN’s final draft rankings, which included a number of high school players ahead of him who will be going to college instead of turning pro. Based on his talent, selecting Bonds in the third round was appropriate.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound outfielder played for Campbell in 2024 then at Rutgers in 2025 and 2026, hitting .305 with 16 home runs over three college seasons. He hit .352 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases this past season.
Bonds has plus raw power like many of his family members. He hit a ball 111.2 mph off a wood bat in batting practice at the MLB draft combine and with a maximum exit velocity of 120.7 mph with aluminum in a game this spring.
Bonds also has above-average bat-to-ball ability (.352 batting average this past season), but a poor chase rate (39%, well worse than average). He is a solid average runner, with enough speed to steal a few bases and possibly stick in center field long term.
Denver, CO
Denver weather: Warming trend continues this weekend and into next week
DENVER (KDVR) — More sunny and hot conditions are in Denver’s weather forecast for the rest of the weekend and into next week.
Denver weather tonight: Mainly clear
Saturday night will stay mainly clear and warm. Low temperatures will fall to the mid 60s, which is about 5 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year.
Denver weather tomorrow: Sunny, hot
Sunday will be sunny, breezy and hot with wind gusts out of the south southwest picking up to 20-30 mph. High temperatures will climb to the mid 90s, which is more than 5 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, but well below the daily record of 102 set in 2024.
Looking ahead: Hot week ahead
Sunshine and a warming trend continues on Monday. High temperatures will reach just below the daily record of 100 degrees set in 2003.
More sunny and dry conditions are on the way through the workweek. Every day will start with a low in the 60s, then plenty of sunshine helping to boost high temperatures to the mid to upper 90s.
There is a slight chance for showers, mostly in the High Country, that return by the end of the week and the start of the weekend.
Seattle, WA
Tech Investor Vinod Khosla to Acquire the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks for $9.6 Billion
Tech billionaire Vinod Khosla and his family have reached an agreement to buy the Seattle Seahawks for $9.6 billion, according to people familiar with the details, as reported by Variety‘s sibling sports news outlet Sportico.
The deal marks one of the largest valuations ever for a sports team in a control transaction, nearing the $10 billion price tag in Mark Walter’s purchase of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. The India-born Khosla, who is a prominent VC, is worth about $13.7 billion, according to Forbes. He is buying the defending Super Bowl champions from the estate of late owner Paul Allen.
Khosla’s group beat out a handful of other bidders, including a group led by billionaire Aditya Mittal, a member of one of India’s richest families, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the details are private. Sportico was first to report on Khosla’s interest back in May.
Khosla’s wife Neeru Khosla will serve as the team’s control owner, according to a memo that the NFL sent Saturday to its clubs. Neeru Khosla is the co-founder and chair of the CK12 Foundation, an education non-profit. Their son Neal Khosla, the CEO of Curai, will also have a leadership role in the team, according to the memo, a copy of which was viewed by Sportico.
It’s not immediately clear how the deal is being financed. Khosla didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The Allen estate said Saturday in a statement that the team had been sold to the Khosla family and included a quotation from Khosla himself. The statement did not provide any details about the deal structure or financing, but said the Khoslas would be the team’s new control owner.
The Seahawks are worth $6.59 billion, according to last year’s Sportico numbers, but the team was always expected to sell for quite a bit more than that. It’s relatively rare for NFL teams to sell—this is just the third to formally hit the market in the past decade—and the league’s structure virtually guarantees that each team turns a nine-figure profit annually.
The co-founder of Sun Microsystems, Khosla was one of a handful of local investors that bought into the San Francisco 49ers last year at a valuation higher than $8.5 billion. Sportico reported at the time that Khosla bought the biggest stake, though the specifics were not available.
It’s become common for new NFL owners to be existing LPs in other franchises, a process that gives them familiarity with the league—and vice versa. Billionaire David Tepper, who bought the Carolina Panthers in 2018, was a minority owner in the Pittsburgh Steelers. So was Josh Harris, who bought the Washington Commanders in 2023. Harris’ Commanders group included longtime business partner David Blitzer, who was also a Steelers LP. Khosla will need to sell his 49ers equity if the Seahawks deal closes.
Khosla came to the U.S. in his early 20s. He earned an MBA from Stanford, and co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982, serving as the tech company’s first CEO. His VC career started at Kleiner Perkins, and he launched Khosla Ventures in 2004. His firm’s notable exits include Affirm, Opendoor and DoorDash, which all went public.
New NFL owners are heavily restricted in how their financing can come together. There is a $1.5 billion debt limit, and the control owner must hold a minimum of 30% of the equity. Institutional funds can own 10%, and the total group cannot exceed 24 minority owners.
The Seahawks are being sold by Allen’s estate, which assumed ownership after his 2018 death. Allen’s will called for his sports assets, which included the Seahawks and the NBA‘s Portland Trail Blazers, to be sold to benefit charitable causes. His sister Jody Allen, the executor of his will and trust, has run the teams in his absence. The Trail Blazers were recently sold for $4.1 billion to a group led by Tom Dundon.
To date, the most expensive NFL team ever purchased in a control sale is the Commanders ($6.05 billion), while the Los Angeles Lakers are the most expensive sports team acquired in a control sale ($10 billion). A minority stake in the parent company of the Miami Dolphins recently sold to a Chinese billionaire at a $12.5 billion valuation.
Mittal previously contributed about $1 billion to the 2025 takeover of the Boston Celtics, his first major move into U.S. sports. His Seahawks bid group included former Celtics control owner Wyc Grousbeck, Sportico previously reported.
Latham & Watkins was legal advisor to the Allen estate in the transaction.
(Pictured: Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp on Feb. 8 at the 2026 Super Bowl held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.)
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Seattle, WA2 hours agoTech Investor Vinod Khosla to Acquire the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks for $9.6 Billion


