Author: Brittany Mays

The United States and Switzerland have struck a trade agreement that cuts President Trump’s tariffs on the European nation from 39% to 15%, according to a top administration official, marking a significant shift in U.S.-Swiss trade relations and a clear win for American negotiating strategy. This move reduces a steep tariff burden that had strained commerce between the two countries and sent a sharp message about America’s willingness to use trade leverage. The reduction from 39% to 15% is a concrete change that should ease costs and restore more predictable market access. Officials framed the deal as the product of…

A confidant of Bill Pulte shared confidential Fannie Mae mortgage pricing data with a direct competitor, triggering alarm among senior officials and raising questions about regulatory boundaries and conflicts of interest. The report that a confidant of Bill Pulte passed along confidential mortgage pricing data from Fannie Mae to a principal competitor hit like a legal and ethical wake-up call inside the housing sphere. Senior officials were reportedly alarmed, which makes sense given how sensitive pricing models and proprietary inputs are in the mortgage market. Any leak of that kind can reshape competition and distort how products are priced for…

Washington is considering trade action: a Commerce Department proposal would add a nearly 92% “antidumping duty” on some pasta imports from Italy after officials said those products were sold below-market prices. The Commerce Department’s move is the kind of enforcement the Republican base expects: treat foreign firms fairly, but don’t stand for pricing that undercuts American businesses. The proposal targets specific pasta imports from Italy, alleging sales at prices that undercut normal market levels. That allegation is what triggers the nearly 92% “antidumping duty” figure now under review. Antidumping duties are meant to level the playing field, not to serve…

Employees at 65 Starbucks locations across the country walked out on the company’s Red Cup Day after talks to reach a new collective bargaining agreement stalled, sparking pickets and service disruptions at stores nationwide. Workers at 65 Starbucks cafes went on strike Thursday, choosing Red Cup Day for maximum visibility after failing to secure a fresh collective bargaining agreement. The move paired a symbolic company event with organized labor action, drawing attention from customers and local communities. Organizers say the timing was deliberate to highlight unresolved issues tied to bargaining talks. The company faced immediate operational strain as staff shortages…

Former FBI Director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James have separately asked a federal judge to toss criminal charges against them, arguing the prosecutor handling each case, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed during the Trump administration. The filings argue that the appointment of Lindsey Halligan lacked proper legal authority, and that any proceedings she initiated should be void. Both defendants are asking the court to dismiss charges on that procedural ground rather than litigate the underlying facts. The move shifts focus away from allegations and toward whether the prosecution itself followed the law. At its core…

Disney’s latest quarter showed a split picture: traditional businesses softened while newer growth engines like streaming and parks helped steady the ship. Disney’s fourth-quarter results arrived with mixed signals that demand attention from investors and customers alike. Cable networks underperformed, losing momentum after years of steady contribution. At the same time, the company’s streaming platforms and theme parks delivered noticeable strength that helped offset other weaknesses. The cable slowdown reflects broader industry shifts as viewers migrate to digital alternatives and ad revenues adjust. Those changes are structural, not seasonal, and they squeezed what used to be a reliable cash generator.…

A concise look at a Texas startup testing a novel security drone for schools that uses nonlethal measures to confront active threats. This company is developing an airborne response tool aimed at stopping attackers without lethal force, pairing technological reach with less-lethal payloads. The idea is to provide a rapid, autonomous intervention when every second matters. The approach mixes deterrence, distraction and physical interference to give school staff time to secure students or evacuate. A Texas startup company is testing a first-of-its-kind security drone designed to thwart school shooters with nonlethal sirens, physical contact, pepper spray and flash-bang grenades. The…

Former Virginia delegate Ibraheem Samirah was sentenced after pleading guilty to wire fraud tied to COVID relief funds, with prosecutors saying he used fake payroll records to secure PPP money and later spent it personally while the defendant denied wrongdoing beyond a claimed misunderstanding. Ibraheem Samirah, once a Virginia state delegate, drew attention again after a federal court resolved charges stemming from the early pandemic. In October a judge imposed three years of probation and ordered $88,000 in restitution after Samirah admitted guilt on a wire fraud count linked to Paycheck Protection Program funds. The case centers on roughly $83,000…

Democrats boxed themselves into a shutdown mess, blamed others, and now face the fallout as the government reopens and internal fights flare. Watching Democrats tear each other apart over the shutdown ending is oddly satisfying if you follow political cause and effect. They walked into a trap of their own making, had one narrow exit, and then acted surprised that reality demanded a compromise. The blame game started immediately and now the same players are furious about the result. They marched into what I call Ambush Canyon with nowhere to go and no bargaining chips. Instead of building leverage, they…

For many women, including Ballerini, choosing to marry, move to the suburbs, and raise a family remains possible, but it often demands clear trade-offs and realigned priorities. Deciding to get married and start a family later in life carries both practical and emotional costs that can reshape careers, social lives, and personal routines. It is a choice wrapped in trade-offs—some logistical, some deeply personal—and those trade-offs deserve plain talk. The idea of settling into suburban life comes with benefits and constraints that are easy to romanticize and hard to negotiate. One obvious shift is geographic: moving out of urban centers…