Author: Darnell Thompkins

The U.S. military has confirmed that a third service member is believed to be dead in Friday’s attack on a base in Jordan and identified them as Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of New York. The military confirmed a fresh, grim detail about last Friday’s attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. Local and U.S. officials are working through the immediate aftermath, while families and comrades cope with unfolding loss. Authorities have not released a full public timeline of the incident, but investigators are treating the scene as a priority. Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of New York, has been…

The Israeli military is quietly but quickly building a giant earthen barrier separating the over 50% of the Gaza Strip it controls from the rest of the territory, according to satellite imagery. Satellite imagery shows the Israeli military moving fast on a construction project described as a giant earthen barrier, and the scale of it is striking. The line of work appears to cut between areas under control and the remaining territory, and observers note that more than half of the Gaza Strip is affected. This development is drawing attention because it changes the landscape and the logistics on the…

New research shows traffic fatalities have been falling across the United States and in many parts of the world, but the gains are uneven and lower-income countries are seeing little to no improvement, according to a study published Monday. The study analyzed recent trends in road deaths and found a clear downward trajectory in high- and middle-income regions, driven by advances in vehicle safety, better road design, and stronger enforcement of traffic laws. In contrast, many lower-income countries have stalled or seen only marginal declines, leaving a growing share of global road fatalities concentrated where resources for prevention are limited.…

Questions about Mojtaba Khamenei’s whereabouts and influence keep surfacing, framed by a mix of sparse public appearances, state secrecy, and outside speculation; conservative observers see this opacity as part of a larger pattern of regime behavior that matters for the region and for U.S. policy. The name Mojtaba Khamenei carries weight in Tehran even though he rarely shows himself in public. Where exactly is Mojtaba Khamenei? That precise question captures both curiosity and concern among analysts who watch Iran’s corridors of power. His low profile fuels rumors and gives the regime plausible deniability when claims of influence and direction come…

Senator Lindsey Graham’s exit prompts a hard look at a long, complicated career — a mix of hawkish foreign policy, high-stakes courtroom politics, and shifting stances on Donald Trump, capped now by a South Carolina succession plan that names his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, as a temporary placeholder. Was he a chameleon or pragmatic realist? That question hangs over every chapter of Graham’s time in Washington, and it’s the sort of thing people on the right argue about over coffee and campaign strategy sessions. He built a reputation as a relentless advocate for a muscular foreign policy while also working…

New York’s mayor threatened to detain Israel’s prime minister, stirred a firestorm over the International Criminal Court, and drew sharp criticism for mixing grandstanding with contested legal claims and troubling personal associations. On Saturday the mayor of New York said the prime minister of the Jewish state belongs in a jail cell. Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times that Benjamin Netanyahu “belongs in the Hague,” called him “a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” and confirmed that his administration is working out whether it can arrest the Israeli leader when he comes to New…

Democrats are rolling out blue-collar candidates and hoping biography beats policy, but deep cultural and policy gaps between the party and working Americans make that a risky shortcut. The latest push features a group called the Blue-Collar Brigade — five working-class Democratic candidates running in House races who are coordinating fundraising and messaging. Their rise follows other high-profile bids, including Graham Platner’s Senate run and the attention that followed his campaign. On the surface this looks like a clever image play, but it deserves a skeptical look from anyone who pays attention to voting trends and cultural loyalties. Party strategists…

Rapper Boosie Badazz says he paid $600,000 to Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman for a presidential pardon that never appeared, and he’s suing to recover half the fee as a refund while the White House says it never dealt with those operatives. Boosie Badazz filed a lawsuit accusing political operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman of selling access they did not have, claiming a $600,000 payment was meant to secure a pardon from former President Trump. The suit seeks $300,000 back under a refund clause Boosie says was part of the deal, while the White House has denied any contact…

California textile makers and sellers are now facing an unclear cost future tied to environmental scoring that will change how products are priced and produced. If you make or sell any kind of textile product in California, you already know the rules can shift without clear numbers attached, and this is a fresh example of that trend. Regulators say future costs will be adjusted by environmental factors, but the details are vague and the timeline is uncertain. Businesses must decide how to respond while the rules are still being written and the budget impacts remain unknown. That uncertainty is the…

President Trump quickly overturned a Department of Homeland Security pause on ICE vehicle stops after two fatal shootings, publicly ordering agents back onto the roads while insisting operations remain careful and focused. The president announced his reversal via Truth Social, creating a sharp, public break with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who had paused routine traffic stops following two deadly encounters. The shootings—one in Biddeford, Maine, and one in Houston, Texas—occurred within a single week and touched off intense scrutiny of street-level enforcement. The administration paused most vehicle stops after those incidents, citing the need to review tactics and reduce…