Author: Brittany Mays

This article looks at why a Southern state has topped the Napa Legal Institute’s Faith and Freedom Index for a third straight year, what that ranking signals about protections for religious practice and conscience, how the legal environment affects families and faith-based organizations, and why conservatives should keep defending state-level gains for religious liberty. For the third year in a row, the Southern state led the Napa Legal Institute’s Faith and Freedom Index, topping the rankings of 50 states and the District of Columbia on laws affecting religious- This repeat showing isn’t an accident; it reflects consistent policy choices that…

Mexico’s Senate is debating a bill to raise the tax on tobacco, pitched as a way to cut smoking and boost revenue. The plan mixes public health goals with fiscal aims, but it raises serious questions about fairness, enforcement, and unintended consequences. This article walks through the likely effects, practical challenges, and alternative approaches worth considering. The bill’s stated logic is simple: higher prices reduce consumption and bring in money for the budget. Lawmakers argue that nudging smokers away from tobacco will lower health costs and save lives. Those sound like sensible goals, but the means deserve scrutiny. Tax hikes…

Cheryl Hines, wife of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., spoke publicly about allegations that surfaced during her husband’s 2024 campaign and made clear she’s standing by him. She addressed the controversy on the Katie Miller Podcast and pushed back at the idea that a few sensational headlines should define a marriage. The story reconnects the campaign-era reporting, the reporter at the center of the dispute, and Hines’s direct comments defending her husband. Hines appeared on the Katie Miller Podcast and framed the episode as one more confusing flap in a campaign season full of noise and…

Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine overnight into Saturday killed at least four people and wounded 20, officials said, and prompted fresh pleas from Ukraine’s president for Western air. The strikes mark another brutal wave in a conflict that keeps testing Kyiv’s defenses and Western resolve, and they sharpen the debate over how far the West should go to help. Political leaders in Washington and allied capitals face clear choices about air defense, aircraft transfers, and long-term deterrence. The human toll and the damage to critical infrastructure are once again forcing planners to weigh risk against necessity. The strikes…

Suing to force policies that failed at the ballot box has become a common tool for the left, used where elections and elected bodies did not produce the outcomes they wanted. This piece explains why that tactic matters, how it sidelines legislatures and city councils, what it does to civic accountability, and why conservatives view judicially driven policy change as a threat to democratic decision-making. The aim is to show the practical consequences when courts become policy shops rather than interpreters of law. When a political movement cannot win elections, litigation becomes a shortcut to change. Instead of persuading voters…

I’ll explain how protesters in Illinois have stepped up clashes with federal immigration officers, describe the federal response, outline public safety and legal concerns, and look at consequences for enforcement and local communities. Anti-ICE demonstrations in Illinois have moved from protests to aggressive confrontations that federal agents say forced them to respond with riot-control tactics. Those encounters have occurred in urban centers including Chicago, where crowds have directly blocked agents and disrupted operations. Local residents and business owners report heightened tension and uncertainty as enforcement actions and demonstrators collide in public spaces. Federal immigration officers, operating under the Department of…

The Starmer government must rethink its China strategy if it wants to keep the United States confident in Britain as a partner. This piece argues that a softer line risks strategic friction, economic vulnerability, and weakened security cooperation. It calls for clearer alignment with U.S. concerns while balancing Britain’s commercial interests and national sovereignty. Trust between allies is built on predictable behavior and shared threat assessments, and recent ambiguity from London has raised eyebrows in Washington. When the U.K. appears hesitant to toughen controls or push back on coercive tactics, allies start to question whether intelligence and policy coordination remain…

We have created a demoralized right, perpetually apologizing for existing while the left advances unimpeded. This piece looks at why that happened, where the costs show up, and how conservatives can stop shrinking and start competing again. It traces cultural, strategic, and media drivers and offers clear directions for rebuilding confidence without compromising core principles. First, the problem is mostly psychological but it has real consequences. Too often conservatives act as if simply being conservative requires an apology, and that posture hands initiative to opponents. That constant defensiveness weakens messages and cedes cultural ground to a movement that never apologizes…

President Donald Trump’s counterterrorism push is back in full force, and the White House is publicly counting results: a newly disclosed tally credits U.S. operations with taking out 370 jihadist leaders since the start of his second term. Senior counterterrorism officials are describing direct, lethal pressure on global terror networks and a renewed focus on preventing plots before they reach American soil. The administration is also coordinating domestic work across agencies to address support networks and extremist violence inside the United States. This piece lays out the numbers, the names publicly cited, and how the policy translates into action at…

Saudi Arabia’s late-Wednesday appointment of a prominent ultraconservative scholar as the new grand mufti, the kingdom’s top religious scholar, marks a clear signal about the direction of religious authority in Riyadh. The move tightens control over theological messaging and will matter for social policy, regional influence, and the kingdom’s place with Western allies. This article breaks down what the appointment means, who it affects, and why conservatives in the United States should care. The grand mufti role is the public face of religious interpretation in Saudi Arabia and carries real influence over daily life for millions. Naming an ultraconservative figure…