Author: Karen Givens

Lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday pressed Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the acting Army Chief of Staff, for more details on why his predecessor was abruptly sacked earlier this month by Defense Secretar

Powerful overnight storms swept across parts of Michigan from Tuesday into Wednesday morning, leaving damage in their wake, including two ice arenas and dozens of uprooted trees near the University of Michigan’s main campus. Storms raced through neighborhoods late Tuesday and into early Wednesday, driven by strong winds and heavy rain. The weather left visible damage on facilities and green spaces close to the university, forcing immediate safety checks and work to clear hazards. Local residents woke to overturned branches, scattered debris, and the sudden silence that follows power interruptions. Two ice arenas reported structural and interior damage after the…

Thousands of New York City building staff voted to authorize a potential strike after contract talks stalled, giving workers leverage as negotiations over pay, benefits and working conditions remain deadlocked. Thousands of New York City apartment building doorpersons, superintendents and related staff voted Wednesday to authorize a potential strike after contract negotiations stalled. The authorization gives union leaders the ability to call a work stoppage if talks do not move forward. Members say they backed the measure to pressure employers into addressing core demands. Union representatives framed the vote as a response to stalled bargaining and a growing sense that…

The Classic Learning Test has moved from niche curiosity into the mainstream conversation as a viable alternative to the ACT and SAT, with several schools in Indiana and North Carolina adopting it and other institutions and states weighing whether to follow suit. Colleges are increasingly open to testing alternatives, and the Classic Learning Test, or CLT, is getting a fresh look as part of that shift. A handful of universities in Indiana and North Carolina now accept CLT scores alongside traditional tests, and discussions are underway in other regions. That movement is forcing admissions offices to rethink evaluation tools they…

Since the United States was founded nearly 250 years ago, Americans have felt a strong connection to the land, rooted in the work and values of the Founding Fathers and echoed by generations of farmers and small landowners. From the start, the partnership between citizens and soil shaped our politics and habits, because most of the early leaders were farmers who understood property and responsibility. George Washington, James Madison, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson lived by that agricultural ethic and treated land as the foundation of liberty. That practical tie between ownership and independence still matters to communities across the…

Residents across Cameroon’s contested Anglophone regions live with a ticking clock of violence and fear, where kidnappings for ransom, clashes between separatist fighters and government troops, and routined loss of life and property have become grim facts of daily life. Caro Bih says she was once kidnapped, chained and held for ransom by the separatist fighters who have clashed for years with government soldiers in parts of Cameroon. Several relatives have been killed, and what started as a political struggle has turned into a long-running human crisis. Families live with the constant risk that another relative will not come home.…

Ramsey County is probing a January federal arrest that left a Hmong American man taken from his home and held for hours, and local officials say the case could amount to kidnapping, burglary, and false imprisonment. Ramsey County leaders announced a formal probe into the January encounter in St. Paul where federal immigration officers seized ChongLy “Scott” Thao, a longtime U.S. citizen with no criminal record. County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher said they will seek records and cooperation from the Department of Homeland Security to determine whether officers broke state or federal law. Local officials and Thao…

Energy Secretary Chris Wright drew attention on Tuesday when he praised a new natural gas pipeline project yet warned that the country “looks like we’re going in the wrong direction,” prompting questions about policy consistency and the future of reliable, affordable American energy. Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s comments landed in a place few expected: a public endorsement of a natural gas pipeline paired with a stark assessment of the nation’s direction. His line that the country “looks like we’re going in the wrong direction” was short, plain, and it cut through talking points on both sides. The reaction shows how…

The Justice Department fired at least four prosecutors after a review found the Biden administration misused the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, and those firings were announced alongside a nearly 900-page report documenting the abuses. The Department of Justice dismissed at least four career prosecutors who took part in using the FACE Act to put pro-life Americans behind bars. Those terminations happened on Monday and were released at the same time as a nearly 900-page report that lays out how officials applied the law in ways that appear political. The move and the report together signal a rare…

Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress on Monday amid serious accusations of sexual misconduct, a development that has already generated sharp political reactions and renewed Republican calls for accountability and transparency. Rep. Eric Swalwell, the California Democrat accused of sexual misconduct and raping a woman who worked in his congressional office, resigned from Congress on Monday. The announcement ended his tenure in the House at a moment when attention was fixed on the allegations and the fallout they produced across Capitol Hill. For many voters and lawmakers, the timing raised questions about oversight and the standards that should govern members…