Author: Darnell Thompkins

On March 18, Senator Markwayne Mullin faces his confirmation hearing to take the reins of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), aiming to succeed Kristi Noem and reset the department toward stronger border security and practical, accountable operations. Senator Markwayne Mullin goes before the Senate on March 18 for a confirmation hearing that will decide whether he moves from the quiet halls of Capitol Hill into the frontlines of national security at DHS. The transition would place him in direct charge of issues that matter to every American, from the border to cyber defenses. For many outside Oklahoma and the…

A service member was killed and another wounded in a shooting at an Air Force installation in New Mexico, and the base and surrounding community are dealing with the immediate fallout while military investigators work to sort out what happened. A shooting at a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico on Tuesday left one person dead and another wounded, according to military officials. Local and military responders were on site quickly, securing the scene and providing medical care to the wounded. Witnesses described a tense, fast-moving situation as personnel followed lockdown procedures and first responders established triage. Base leadership…

A Live Nation ticketing employee told a court that private instant messages sent years earlier were “very immature and unacceptable,” testimony that brought fresh attention to workplace culture and the company’s conduct amid an antitrust trial. The testimony came during the company’s antitrust proceedings, where questions about ticketing practices and internal behavior have been playing out under courtroom scrutiny. Lawyers drilled into private communications to show patterns of thought and conduct among staff tasked with managing ticket sales. What was personal on an employee’s phone suddenly mattered to judges and jurors looking at larger business practices. The employee’s admission that…

The Senate moved the debate onto the floor and set the stage for a long, heated argument over a federal voter ID measure, with Republicans pushing for stricter rules and Democrats opposing them on grounds of access and fairness. The article outlines the vote, the partisan split, and the practical and political implications of trying to make voter identification a nationwide standard. The Republican-led Senate on Tuesday voted to open what is likely to be a lengthy and rancorous floor fight over a bill to implement strict voter identification rules in federal elections. That motion to proceed is the opening…

St. Patrick’s Day: how a Christian feast became a wider celebration of Irish culture Every March 17 people across the United States pull on green, pour a pint, and look for any excuse to celebrate Irish culture. What started as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become a mix of faith, folklore, food, and upbeat public pageantry. Cities big and small mark the day with parades, music, and a playful commitment to all things emerald. Saint Patrick himself was a fifth century missionary who helped bring Christianity to parts of Ireland. His story is part…

Afghanistan says Pakistan carried out an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul late Monday that killed at least 400 people, an incident that local leaders call a dramatic escalation in a long-running regional conflict. The report of at least 400 dead after an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in the Afghan capital shocked observers and raised immediate questions about responsibility, intent, and the rules of engagement. Afghan officials publicly accused Pakistan, framing the strike as an assault on a civilian facility. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes and overwhelmed local responders trying to pull survivors from rubble and provide…

Chinese military aircraft have resumed flights near Taiwan after a 10-day pause, a move that ramps up pressure on the self-ruled island that Beijing has vowed to annex and raises fresh questions about deterrence and U.S. policy in the region. The recent return of Chinese warplanes to Taiwan’s airspace marks a clear signal from Beijing that its campaign of coercion is ongoing. Taipei reported no aircraft detected in the area for 10 days, then saw sorties resume, underlining a pattern of intermittent pressure rather than a single escalation. This stop-start approach is designed to exhaust attention and readiness without triggering…

Supply shocks, not monetary policy, are driving price pressure from oil through fertilizer to food, and the practical fix is a supply-side push to expand domestic fertilizer production rather than leaning on the Fed to cut rates. Grocery prices are jumping in visible ways: beef is up 5.5% this year and sugar and sweets are up 6.7%. Coffee is noticeably pricier than it was in January, and the USDA projects food prices will rise 3.1% in 2026. Gas recently hit $3.70 a gallon, up from roughly $3 before the Iran strikes, and that volatility draws attention away from a quieter,…

Members of the Western Apache tribe went to the Supreme Court on Monday asking for an emergency order to stop a proposed land transfer to a mining company, arguing the transfer would destroy a sacred tribal place. The legal move landed at the highest court fast because the tribe says time is critical and the consequences are irreversible. They asked for an immediate stay to halt the paperwork and any work that could begin while lower court appeals continue. The request frames the dispute as one where religious practice and cultural survival are at stake. From a Republican viewpoint, courts…

President Trump has been openly criticizing federal courts and some Supreme Court justices he appointed, saying they have disappointed expectations and limited his administration’s actions; this piece examines the tensions, why they matter to conservatives, and how the dispute is shaping political and legal strategy. There is a clear strain of frustration coming from the former president toward the federal judiciary, and it is not subtle. He expected judges he nominated to align with a more assertive conservative approach, and when rulings went against his administration or allies he made that disappointment public. This public airing reflects a deeper debate…