Author: Brittany Mays

Documents released by the White House allege that Chinese actors sought to amplify racial unrest and influence the 2020 U.S. election, and that intelligence summaries about those efforts were not shared with President Donald Trump at the time. The newly released documents claim China tried to stir Black Lives Matter protests and other unrest in 2020 with the goal of weakening President Donald Trump’s reelection chances. They say Beijing used friendly outlets in the corporate media to push the narrative, effectively laundering disinformation through established channels. The timing and scale of those efforts raise hard questions about foreign influence and…

Lithuania says its spies uncovered a Russian plot to damage the infrastructure that links the Baltics to Europe, and the foreign minister has publicly warned about the threat. This episode sharpens the debate over deterrence, intelligence sharing, and how allies should respond to hostile state behavior. Days after Lithuania said its intelligence services had caught Russia preparing sabotage against the infrastructure that ties the Baltics to Europe, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys drew a public line. The allegation is serious: critical connections for trade, energy, and movement across the region were reportedly targeted, not by shadowy criminals but by a state…

Christopher Nolan’s long-awaited Greek epic “The Odyssey” drew $17.6M in Thursday previews, the highest preview haul of any film in 2026 and a clear early signal of strong box office momentum. Director Christopher Nolan landed a big opening-night bump with “The Odyssey,” and the $17.6M Thursday preview number is impossible to ignore. That figure instantly makes the film the top preview performer so far in 2026, showing there is serious excitement for a movie built around grand visuals and a mythic setting. The turnout suggests audiences are ready to treat this as a cinematic event, not just another summer release.…

The woman tied to Gavin Newsom’s earliest public scandal is preparing a long-awaited first-person account that could redraw the old narrative and raise fresh questions about power, accountability, and how political allies handled the fallout. The story dates back nearly two decades to San Francisco City Hall, and it has followed Newsom through a rise from mayor to governor. Ruby Rippey-Gibney, who worked in his office and later had a sexual relationship with him, is said to be writing about her experience in Vanity Fair. That claim was reported by news outlets citing sources close to the matter. The timing…

The appeals court has ruled that the Pentagon can require journalists to enter the building only when accompanied by a government-provided escort, a decision that carries real consequences for press access and security procedures and delivers a blow to The New York Times. The federal appeals court decision confirms that national security and facility management can outweigh a newsroom’s insistence on unrestricted access inside sensitive government buildings. Critics of the press often argue that reporters want privileges that ordinary visitors do not receive, and this ruling reinforces the idea that no one is above established safeguards. At the same time,…

The United States expanded its airstrike campaign against Iran early Friday, striking bridges, energy sites and collapsing a tower at a key Iranian port as part of a broader operation ordered by President Trump. The strikes hit multiple logistical and energy targets, including bridges that connect inland supply routes and an energy facility that feeds regional infrastructure. Military aircraft and precision munitions were used in operations timed for early Friday, aiming to disrupt Iran’s ability to move materiel and sustain operations. Reports describe a tower at a major port collapsing after targeted strikes that focused on chokepoints rather than population…

The Trump Justice Department has filed suit to block Maryland’s law that grants in‑state tuition rates to people in the country illegally, arguing the state measure conflicts with a federal law that limits states’ ability to grant certain benefits to unauthorized immigrants. The case centers on a Maryland statute that extends in‑state tuition to people who do not have legal immigration status, and the Trump Justice Department says this runs afoul of federal limits on state benefits for people here illegally. From the federal perspective, state actions that deliver public benefits to unauthorized immigrants risk undercutting national immigration rules and…

Mexico has taken U.S. law to American courts, asking prosecutors and international bodies to challenge U.S. deportations while insisting its citizens dying in custody demand global attention. This week Mexico moved beyond diplomatic protest and filed legal actions inside the United States, pressing criminal complaints over the deaths of Mexican nationals during or after interactions with U.S. authorities. President Claudia Sheinbaum said the deaths are “not just a matter for the Mexican government” but a cause for “all of Mexican society.” Those filings seek to limit who the United States can remove and to hold American officers criminally accountable. Roughly…

Actor RICHARD GERE’s blunt line about Donald Trump landed in the middle of a crowded conversation, and it’s worth looking at the remark, the reaction it provoked, and what it says about celebrity commentary in politics. Actor RICHARD GERE on Trump: “He’s a rogue personality who’s destroyed so much; he’s caused so many deaths. But it will be over. He’s an old man; he’s a damaged personali” Celebrity takes on politics are nothing new, and they often get amplified beyond their weight. Gere’s comment is sharp and personal, but it’s one perspective among many, and pundits on both sides were…

Joe Biden has written a memoir titled “Promise Me, America.” This piece examines what that book aims to do and how it will play to different audiences. The tone is skeptical about the idea that a personal narrative can undo public record. The title of Biden’s memoir is Promise Me, America. And it promises to be a reinvention of the former president’s miserable term. That alone tells you the book is less about fresh facts and more about managing a legacy through selective memory and storytelling. Memoirs are inherently subjective, and political ones even more so. Expect careful framing, clipped…