Author: Darnell Thompkins

This piece examines, from a Republican point of view, what practical levers exist to influence the Supreme Court and whether bold claims about overturning birthright citizenship are realistic. It separates political promises from legal mechanics and looks at nominations, legislation, constitutional change, and other tools within the constitutional system. The goal is clarity: what can be done, what is unlikely, and what political steps matter most. Start with the basics: the president cannot directly “do” things to the Supreme Court the way a governor might reorganize an agency. The most concrete presidential power is the nomination of justices when vacancies…

Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke was arrested Wednesday in Arkansas on charges including speeding and possession of a controlled substance. The incident has already drawn attention because of Clarke’s role with the team, and it raises immediate legal and professional questions for the player and the franchise. As details remain limited, the situation will likely unfold through court filings and any team or league responses that follow. Brandon Clarke’s arrest in Arkansas on Wednesday centers on alleged speeding and possession of a controlled substance, and those two points are the only confirmed details released so far. The report naming those…

A mysterious blues singer called Eddie Dalton rose up the iTunes charts on a wave of viral tracks, but the “artist” behind those songs turns out to be entirely artificial. Digital music fans woke up to Eddie Dalton on the iTunes charts and assumed they had found a new blues discovery. Play counts and purchases made the name feel legitimate, and the tracks circulated across playlists and social feeds. But as people dug deeper, it became clear that Dalton is not a person in the traditional sense. The recordings credited to Eddie Dalton were polished, soulful and convincingly human at…

Congressional debate over a proposed moratorium on data center expansion has heated up after a group on Capitol Hill introduced a bill saying it would halt growth “to ensure the safety of humanity.” On Capitol Hill a left-leaning group is pushing a bill to freeze construction of new data centers, arguing the pause is necessary for safety and oversight. The bill’s language includes the striking phrase “to ensure the safety of humanity,” which opponents say signals alarmist motives rather than careful policy. Republicans should push back on sweeping bans that treat critical infrastructure like a political target. Data centers are…

This piece looks at how Passover starting Wednesday at sundown overlaps with Christian Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday, March 29, and what that means for communities and calendars. Passover kicks off Wednesday at sundown, and this year its dates line up with Christian Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday, March 29 and moves toward the Easter weekend. When two major religious calendars converge like this, the immediate effect is practical: services, meals, and travel plans get reshuffled to accommodate time-honored rituals. Families and congregations adjust schedules to hold Seders, services, and community events without forcing people to…

Gravel gardens are compact, low-water landscapes that cut maintenance and handle poor drainage while reflecting a simple, resilient approach to planting. Gravel gardens started in landscapes where fire and drought shaped plant choices, but they have moved into mainstream gardens because they suppress weeds, help water soak where it belongs, and demand far less ongoing care. They pair coarse surfaces with drought-tough plants to create tidy, breathable beds that age well. Homeowners appreciate the clean look and the way gravel hides bare soil while letting rain pass through instead of running off. Good gravel garden soil favors structure over volume;…

ERIC enrollment and the SAVE America Act are colliding with partisan lines, and the political landscape shows 25 ERIC member states plus D.C., with only three led by Republicans while senators from Democrat-run states push back on the bill. The national voter-roll consortium known as ERIC has 25 member states and the District of Columbia — only three are run by Republicans. That imbalance has become a talking point in Republican circles worried about how voter data is managed and who controls the systems used to clean lists and match records. For conservatives, the composition of ERIC’s membership raises questions…

President Donald Trump’s campaign against Iran appears to be reaching a turning point after the strikes launched on February 28, and the outcome now looks different from what his team initially expected as Congress prepares to weigh in. President Donald Trump moved quickly after the strikes on February 28, and the situation has evolved faster than many outside the administration anticipated. What began as a clear show of force has shifted into a complex mix of limited military action, diplomatic signaling, and domestic political jockeying. That mix is forcing Republicans to balance support for decisive leadership with demands for clear…

President Trump spoke to hundreds of farmers on the White House driveway and announced an expansion of small-business loan guarantees aimed at strengthening American agriculture, with tractors from John Deere and Caterpillar lining the grounds and clear promises about cutting costs and easing regulations. President Trump gathered hundreds of farmers on the White House driveway Friday and rolled out a plan to expand small-business loan guarantees for agriculture. The visual — tractors from John Deere and Caterpillar parked on the grounds — reinforced the message that farmers were the priority. The crowd heard a direct pitch linking policy to lower…

The FBI director is pushing to make public files from the decade-old counterintelligence inquiry that links Rep. Eric Swalwell to Christine Fang, a Chinese national tied to alleged intelligence activity, and the move could force long-avoided transparency about a sitting lawmaker’s foreign entanglements. FBI Director Kash Patel has asked for investigative files on Rep. Eric Swalwell and Chinese national Christine Fang to be prepared for release, according to reports that say agents in California were ordered to gather and redact sensitive material for senior Trump administration officials. Those reports indicate the documents come from a counterintelligence probe that began roughly…