Author: Karen Givens

The pledge master for a Northern Arizona University fraternity was indicted Friday on a felony hazing charge after a student died in late January following a night of drinking at a rush event, and the case has raised renewed questions about fraternity culture, accountability, and criminal consequences. The indictment centers on a rush event where alcohol was consumed and a student later died, prompting prosecutors to pursue felony hazing charges against the fraternity’s pledge master. Authorities say the actions that night go beyond a tragic accident and amount to criminal conduct under hazing laws. The move to indict reflects growing…

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries seized on a narrow Florida special election win to threaten a redistricting fight, turning a local result into a national story and pinning his warning at Governor Ron DeSantis ahead of a planned special legislative session. In a Palm Beach County state House race, Democrat Emily Gregory beat Republican Jon Maples by 2.2 percentage points in a district that includes Mar-a-Lago, with Decision Desk HQ providing the initial count. The loss carries symbolic weight because President Trump reportedly carried the area by double digits in 2024, but the race was a low-turnout, localized contest. Republicans…

Three recent reports say American democracy is slipping, but the studies’ methods and framing deserve scrutiny from a skeptical, conservative angle. In the last month, three separate reports declared that U.S. democracy is backsliding, and those headlines spread fast. The reports present themselves as nonpartisan, yet their findings rest heavily on the opinions of scholars who tend to lean left. Two of the groups then shaped that data into a stark narrative about an authoritarian president, “destroying America’s […]” Start with the basics: surveys that rely on academic judgments or expert panels are inherently subjective. Method choices — who counts…

Local leaders and parents are pushing back hard against recent Colorado measures they say chip away at parental authority, sparking high emotions and renewed focus on school policy, transparency, and the role of state government in family life. There is a straightforward argument being made across communities: parents should decide how their children are raised and educated, not state officials or one-size-fits-all mandates. That message is finding traction in school board meetings, local forums, and conservative circles where people feel their influence has been trimmed back. Those concerns are about more than classroom material; they reach into privacy, health decisions,…

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in France meeting his Group of Seven foreign minister counterparts on Friday, after President Trump attacked NATO countries over a reluctance or refusal to take U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in France to join his Group of Seven foreign minister counterparts, arriving amid a charged atmosphere after President Trump publicly took aim at NATO allies. The visit comes at a time when allies and Washington are squaring off over who pays for defense and how responsibilities are shared. Republicans see this as a moment to press hard for fairness and clarity…

University System of Maryland regent Tom McMillen is resisting student calls to resign amid scrutiny over his past connections to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the dispute is putting university governance and standards of accountability under the microscope. Tom McMillen, a regent with the University System of Maryland, is facing persistent demands from students that he step down because of reported ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The controversy has become a flashpoint on campus, drawing attention from alumni, faculty and outside observers. With pressure building, McMillen has so far chosen to remain in his post. The campus debate taps…

A federal judge has extended an order in Minnesota that requires federal authorities to provide detained immigrants with access to lawyers immediately after arrest and before any transfer, a decision that raises practical, legal, and enforcement concerns. The judge’s extension reiterates a requirement that people taken into federal custody in Minnesota be allowed to consult attorneys right away and before they are moved between facilities. This order directly affects how federal officers handle arrests and transfers inside the state. The change is already prompting questions about coordination, timelines, and how quickly agents must act on the ground. On its face…

A Minneapolis woman who confronted federal immigration officers with Alex Pretti in January was among a group of potential litigants who spoke Thursday about alleged excessive force. The woman who stepped between federal immigration officers and others during a January enforcement action in Minneapolis has come forward again. She joined a group of people who spoke Thursday about what they described as alleged excessive force during that operation. Their accounts are part of a developing story that mixes enforcement, confrontation, and questions about tactics. Federal immigration operations are meant to enforce the law, but they happen in public places and…

The United States and Iran are sending mixed signals about whether negotiations are happening, creating public confusion and strategic risk as both capitals posture for advantage. Statements from the Trump administration have repeatedly suggested talks are underway, while Tehran insists no negotiations are taking place, and that contradiction leaves observers guessing. That he said, she said pattern matters because ambiguity can be exploited by Iran’s leaders and their regional proxies. For a country that needs clear leverage, mixed messaging is a liability. The White House has emphasized diplomacy as an option while simultaneously signaling readiness to act, a blend that…

A Democratic lawmaker has asked a federal judge to force the Kennedy Center to stop efforts to attach President Donald Trump’s name to the performing arts venue, sparking a broader debate about politics, patronage, and institutional independence. A Democratic lawmaker is asking a federal judge to force the Kennedy Center to block and reverse efforts to attach President Donald Trump’s name to the historic performing arts venue. That single line has become the flashpoint in a fight about whether cultural institutions should bow to political pressure or protect their ability to honor supporters. The legal move throws a spotlight on…