Author: Karen Givens

The voters have spoken: the baby female Asian elephant at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo will be called Linh Mai, zoo officials announced Friday. The announcement that the National Zoo’s newest calf is named Linh Mai landed quickly and clearly. Fans, visitors and supporters followed the naming process closely, and the zoo confirmed the choice on Friday. That public involvement turned a simple naming into a community event people felt part of. The moment underscored how a single name can connect a zoo to a wider audience. Naming contests at zoos are more than window dressing; they invite real participation. Museums…

A whistleblower complaint about an intercepted foreign call mentioning Jared Kushner was filed, quickly judged not credible by inspectors, then kept under wraps for months before resurfacing and fueling a politically charged narrative. An intercepted phone call between two foreign nationals that discussed Iran — and included allegations about Jared Kushner — sits at the center of a whistleblower complaint against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The complaint, filed last May, accused Gabbard of restricting access to the call for political reasons and was administratively closed within weeks after being deemed not credible. The highly classified nature of the…

Jeanine Pirro has filed a $250,000 slip-and-fall suit against the City of Rye and Con Edison after tripping over a piece of plywood embedded in gravel on a local road, alleging serious injuries and ongoing pain related to the August 28 incident. The fall happened on August 28 on Boston Post Road in Rye, about a mile from Pirro’s five-bedroom home in Westchester County. Police reports say the 74-year-old looked both ways before crossing and then went down hard on the roadway. That single misstep set in motion a negligence claim against both the municipality and a utility company. “Next…

Slade Gorton & Co., Inc. has initiated a recall of one lot of farm-raised Atlantic salmon sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club stores across seven states after FDA sampling detected potential listeria contamination. Slade Gorton & Co., Inc. is recalling one lot of farm-raised Atlantic salmon that was sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club stores across seven states following FDA sampling that detected potential listeria contamination. The recall applies to a single production lot, and the company has identified the affected product through routine testing and inventory records. Retailers and health officials are monitoring the situation while additional testing and tracebacks continue.…

President Trump publicly threw his support behind Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, endorsing him for reelection while noting Orban is a personal friend and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The endorsement has stirred debate across Europe and the United States, touching on ideology, geopolitics, and pragmatic alliance-building. It puts a spotlight on how conservative leaders align on sovereignty and security even when those ties complicate relations with NATO partners. Viktor Orban has become a defining figure of modern European conservatism, known for pushing strict immigration controls, defending national sovereignty, and challenging Brussels on cultural and economic issues.…

The story around Seamus Culleton’s arrest sparked a misleading media line saying ICE is scooping up innocent, law-abiding people, and that claim needs a clear look from a public-safety and rule-of-law angle. The arrest of Irishman Seamus Culleton fueled a false media narrative that ICE is grabbing law-abiding people who have done nothing wrong. That single sentence became a headline shortcut that ignored context and the legal process that brings immigration actions about. Headlines moved fast while facts moved slower, and that gap matters when policy and public opinion are on the line. A clear-eyed breakdown helps separate political spin…

A Palestinian woman detained in an immigration jail after attending a New York City protest told authorities she fainted, hit her head and suffered a seizure last week. The case centers on a Palestinian woman who has been held in an immigration jail for nearly a year following her presence at a protest in New York City. She reports that last week she fainted, struck her head and then experienced a seizure while in custody. That account raises immediate questions about medical care and the daily realities inside immigration detention facilities. For nearly a year she has remained behind bars…

The Department of Homeland Security has been rapidly growing its footprint across the country, and California ranks near the top for new and expanded ICE offices. Federal enforcement is expanding across the state of California as the Department of Homeland Security steps up its presence. That growth includes new field offices and expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement capacity aimed at addressing illegal immigration and criminal networks. From a Republican perspective, the increased footprint is a necessary correction to years of local policies that have prioritized sanctuary practices over public safety. The conversation now centers on whether federal resources will be…

Jonny Greenwood has asked that his Phantom Thread score be removed from the Melania documentary, sparking a public dispute that highlights rights, contracts, audience reaction, and big-studio economics. Jonny Greenwood, co-founder of Radiohead and composer of the 2017 film score for Phantom Thread, has formally requested that his music be stripped from the Melania documentary. He and director Paul Thomas Anderson demanded that the song “Barbara Rose,” originally composed for the Paul Thomas Anderson-directed Phantom Thread, be pulled from the film about the first lady. A representative for Greenwood framed the complaint as a breach of agreement with the studio…

The Senate gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would force the District to adopt a set of tax cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill, even though city leaders sought to decouple those provisions to protect local revenue, and the vote has opened a political fight over control, fairness, and fiscal priorities. The measure cleared a first procedural hurdle Wednesday after senators debated whether Washington should be required to follow tax provisions written into broader federal legislation. Supporters argued the changes would bring consistent tax treatment and provide relief to taxpayers, while opponents in the District said…