Author: Darnell Thompkins

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…

The Department of Education announced Monday an investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia after an illegal immigrant from El Salvador was charged with groping a dozen girls at Fairfax High, prompting federal scrutiny and local outrage. The federal probe announced Monday puts Fairfax County Public Schools under a microscope for how it handled an alleged sex-abuse case involving an individual identified as an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who is charged with groping a dozen girls at Fairfax High. This is a charged situation: the suspect is charged, not convicted, and federal investigators will be looking at records,…

A San Francisco apartment shooting left a 22-year-old woman dead after a man who had worked in a White House security role fired a round through a wall, saying he thought the gun was unloaded, and now faces involuntary manslaughter charges as officials and neighbors seek answers. A 25-year-old former White House security staffer has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after a gunshot passed through an apartment wall and killed his girlfriend while she was showering. Authorities say the man told investigators he believed the firearm was unloaded when he pulled the trigger. The victim, identified as 22-year-old Samantha Emge,…

Iran on Monday rejected President Trump’s 15-point peace plan and reiterated that Tehran is not engaged in negotiations with the U.S. or regional governments. The Iranian government’s flat refusal landed in Washington as expected, and the administration framed the rejection as further proof that firm pressure is necessary. Republican leaders see this as confirmation that diplomatic openings must be backed by real consequences, not empty talk. That stance shapes how the U.S. and its partners should respond in the coming weeks. From a Republican perspective, rejecting the plan doesn’t excuse complacency at home; it demands a clearer strategy abroad. The…

Iran’s leadership has issued an unmistakable threat about American forces in the region, and that statement reflects a broader pattern of aggression and brinkmanship that demands a firm U.S. response grounded in deterrence and clear support for allied partners. Iranian officials have been rattling sabers, and their rhetoric is not abstract. In a recent statement the country’s parliament speaker said Iranian forces “are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” the country’s parliament speaker Mohammad B. That language is both explicit and chilling, and it leaves…

The Federal Reserve faces rising market bets on higher rates as inflation stubbornly stays above target and geopolitical shocks push energy and supply costs higher. Mortgages, car loans, and credit card balances are already set to get pricier because futures markets put a greater than 50 percent probability on a Federal Reserve rate hike by year-end. What traders expect now is not a cut but another increase, reversing last year’s narrative about easing. Jerome Powell told reporters after the March meeting that “nobody knows” what happens next, and that uncertainty is contagious in markets. The Fed’s single clear mandate on…