Author: Karen Givens

President Trump is weighing whether to approve a major U.S. arms sale to Taiwan after a three-day trip to China, and he has not yet made a final call. President Trump says he’s not yet made a determination on whether a major U.S. sale of arms to Taiwan can move forward, following his three-day visit to China. The line between deterrence and diplomacy is tight, and Republicans want clarity that American strength and alliances come first. This pause is deliberate, not indecision, and it reflects a president balancing national security with the realities he saw on the ground. The administration’s…

Summary: A rapid U.S. pressure campaign aimed at Havana combined indictments, diplomacy, humanitarian offers, and pointed symbolism to force change in Cuba as the island reels from a fuel-driven blackout and long-term communist collapse. Thursday morning Cuba plunged into darkness when the national grid failed across the eastern provinces, from Guantánamo through the center of the island. The island’s energy minister admitted on state television that the country had “absolutely no fuel, and absolutely no diesel. We have no reserves.” With residents banging pots and setting fires to trash cans in protest, the blackout made Cuba’s deeper crisis impossible to…

Senate Republicans face a choice: reshape parts of their $72 billion immigration-enforcement funding plan so it can clear the Senate under filibuster rules, while keeping a hard line on border security and enforcement priorities. Republican senators are working through a practical problem that is political and procedural at once. The current draft of the $72 billion immigration-enforcement package has elements that could trigger objections or require more than 60 votes to pass. That reality forces a rethink if the goal is to keep the bill filibuster-proof and still deliver tough, enforceable measures at the border. Conservative senators insist any funding…

The piece examines claims that oil markets are rigged, weighs the effects of the Iran war on prices, compares today’s supply and demand to 2008, and explains why fundamentals—not a shadowy conspiracy—are the main drivers of energy prices. The conflict in Iran has pushed global energy prices higher, but the reaction in markets is more nuanced than simple panic. US crude sits near $95 a barrel, Brent is slightly above $100, and the national pump price averages about $4.50 per gallon. Much of the pressure stems from disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly 20% of global seaborne…

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks quit on Thursday, the latest in a string of top immigration officials to depart. The sudden resignation of Chief Mike Banks is another headline in an ongoing personnel exodus at the agencies charged with securing the border. For Republicans, this is not just a personnel story; it is a symptom of broader policy failure and mismanagement at the Department of Homeland Security. The timing and frequency of these departures raise real questions about leadership, priorities, and the ability to carry out the mission. Border Patrol agents operate on the front lines and expect clear…

A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to repeatedly ramming his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City, telling a judge he did so because he was intent on damaging the Jewish landmark. The defendant admitted in court that he drove his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters multiple times. Authorities say the building is a well-known target because of its public profile, and the admission came during a hearing on Wednesday. Court documents and public filings reflect the guilty plea and the defendant’s own explanation for the attacks. The location involved is internationally recognized as the…

Alabama’s attorney general has asked the Supreme Court to lift a court injunction and let the state use its own congressional map, citing a recent high court ruling that he says undercuts the basis for previous redistricting orders. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has filed emergency petitions at the Supreme Court seeking permission for the state to use its 2023 congressional map. He argues the court’s recent decision in Callais provides the legal framework to defend maps drawn on traditional redistricting principles. The move could flip one U.S. House seat from Democrat to Republican and alter redistricting battles ahead of…

A look at recent public moments and behavior involving Lane Kiffin and what they mean for Ole Miss and its future. Recent interviews and public behavior have changed how people talk about the relationship between Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss, and those shifts matter for the program. Coverage and conversations around his remarks created a louder public debate than usual, making the coach’s public persona part of the story. That dynamic has pushed questions about fit and forward momentum into the spotlight. Comments on and off the field ripple through a college program in ways that are hard to measure…

New depositions back The Federalist’s reporting that the Georgia “Get Trump” lawfare began with a misinterpreted and illegally recorded phone call. This is a significant development for anyone watching politically motivated prosecutions. Newly released depositions confirm Federalist reporting that ‘Get Trump’ lawfare in Georgia was based on a misinterpreted and illegally recorded phone call. That single line changes the narrative for many observers and raises hard questions about how the investigation unfolded. Witness testimony now on the record shows investigators relied on a recording that was not legally obtained and that the contents were read through a partisan lens. When…

Project Freedom is the U.S.-led effort to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a tougher stance to protect global trade and deter Iranian harassment while accepting the real risk of escalation and continued Iranian mischief. On May 11, 2026, Project Freedom was announced as a practical response to repeated threats in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The plan pairs naval escorts with intelligence sharing and coalition coordination to keep chokepoints open for commerce. Republicans view this as necessary muscle to safeguard American and allied economic lifelines. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic bottleneck…