Author: Karen Givens

President Trump called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday and suggested the men involved could find a way to ease tensions after the shooting deaths of two protesters by federal agents, opening a path toward federal and state cooperation amid a volatile situation. The phone call between President Trump and Governor Walz landed in a moment of raw tension in Minnesota. Officials on both sides were under pressure to act quickly while questions about what happened were still coming into focus. The president signaled that a calmer course was possible if leaders worked together and kept the public informed. Republicans…

A DHS officer shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti during a tense confrontation in Minneapolis, touching off protests, calls for impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and a heated debate over federal enforcement in Minnesota. The shooting has reopened sharp divides over the presence of federal agents in Minnesota, where thousands were deployed for a major Department of Homeland Security operation despite local objections. Supporters of the deployment argue it enforces laws and restores order, while opponents say it inflames communities and undermines local control. The facts of the encounter remain central to both the legal review and the…

Minneapolis reels after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed a local resident during an immigration enforcement operation, sparking protests, a high-profile letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and calls for extra security from city officials. A Border Patrol operation in Minneapolis ended in tragedy Saturday when an agent fired at least 10 shots while the man identified as Pretti was on the ground. Video of the encounter has ignited street protests and sharp debate over how federal and local authorities should interact. Officials and residents alike want answers about what led to lethal force being used in a…

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that a U.S. security guarantees document for Ukraine is “100% ready” after two days of talks involving representatives from Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia. The claim that a security guarantees document is “100% ready” lands in a tense moment for U.S. foreign policy. After two days of talks with representatives from Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia, leaders are signaling progress, but the phrase raises immediate questions about what the guarantees actually commit America to. Republicans should weigh the political optics against the hard facts: words on a page do not automatically translate into enforceable actions.…

House Republicans blocked a bid to limit President Trump’s ability to use force in Venezuela, ending a tied 215-215 vote that would have forced Congress to authorize any military action there. The House vote ended in a dead heat, with the resolution failing after a 215-215 tie on Thursday. That outcome kept the president’s flexibility intact and underscored the sharp partisan split in Washington over war powers. The proposal would have required U.S. Armed Forces to be withdrawn from Venezuela unless Congress passed a declaration of war or specific legislation. Supporters framed it as a check on executive power, while…

A New York judge has ruled that the 11th congressional district was drawn unconstitutionally and ordered a new map by Feb. 6, a decision that puts GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ seat at risk and sharpens the redistricting battle in a state already fraught with partisan fights over representation. The judge, New York Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Pearlman, issued an 18-page ruling saying the district that covers Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn was created in a way that disenfranchised Black and Latino voters. The decision came after a lawsuit filed last October by a group of voters who argued…

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Lindsey Halligan has left her interim post as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after Senate Democrats blocked her from staying beyond the 120-day interim appointment limit, a departure tied to court rulings that questioned her eligibility. Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed the change on Tuesday, saying Senate Democrats used procedural tools to prevent Halligan’s continuation past the 120-day cap. Halligan had been serving as Interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia during that period. The move follows a series of court orders and challenges that undercut her authority to…

Lindsey Halligan, who was named interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia by President Donald Trump, is stepping down after about four months amid legal rulings that found her appointment unlawful and ordered her to stop using the U.S. attorney title. Lindsey Halligan’s short stint as interim U.S. attorney ended quickly after federal judges concluded her appointment lacked proper authority. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Halligan’s departure on social media, noting the contentious legal fallout. Those rulings forced a confrontation between the Justice Department and the federal bench over who gets to decide who serves as a U.S.…

President Trump on Wednesday pledged to tackle housing affordability, highlighting his effort to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. The move aims to push more properties into owner-occupant hands and relieve pressure on rental markets. Advocates say this would restore opportunities for first-time buyers and stabilize neighborhoods. This plan targets an obvious problem: when big firms buy single-family homes in bulk, they turn neighborhoods into rental portfolios and drive prices up. Homeownership becomes harder to reach for regular families while rents climb and community ties fray. From a Republican perspective, protecting the chance to own a home is…

Virginia voters heard “affordability” on the stump, but once Democrats took office that slogan quickly unraveled, leaving a gap between promises and the decisions that followed. Affordability carried the day during the campaign, yet within weeks of Election Day it became clear that “affordability” was never more than a campaign slogan. The rapid shift from promise to practice has frustrated residents who expected immediate relief on costs that matter most. That contrast between rhetoric and early policy choices deserves a hard look. The new governing majority moved fast, and the initial choices sent a message about priorities. Budget moves and…