Author: Karen Givens

Americans should not forget that peace requires strength, constant vigilance, and clear-eyed support for allies who resist aggression. Too many in the West treated a long stretch of peace as proof that security is automatic, not something you build and maintain. The results are visible now in Europe’s scramble to respond to renewed aggression and in confused debates about what deterrence actually means. We need sharper thinking about defense, supply lines, and the political will to act when freedom is threatened. Hegseth said many countries in Europe ‘grew comfortable’ after World War II and ‘forgot that peace is not wished…

Hayden Haynes, long-time chief of staff to Speaker Mike Johnson, is leaving the Speaker’s office to join K&L Gates on June 15, after a decade of close service that began with running Johnson’s first congressional campaign out of Shreveport. Hayden Haynes, a Minden, Louisiana native and Louisiana Tech graduate, is stepping down as Speaker Mike Johnson’s chief of staff to join the global law firm K&L Gates as a government affairs counselor on June 15. He first managed Johnson’s initial congressional campaign at age 27 and never left his side through the climb to the speakership. This is a departure…

Multiple people were shot Saturday near a community festival in Toledo, Ohio, and police said a search for the suspects was ongoing following an outbreak of gunfire that sent people scrambling for cover. The scene at the community festival turned chaotic when gunfire erupted and attendees fled toward safety. Witnesses described a sudden burst of shots that scattered crowds and left organizers scrambling to account for people. Local officers arrived quickly and launched a search for suspects in the area, saying the investigation remained active into the night. First responders prioritized getting injured people to care and securing the festival…

The MAGA Billionaire – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: a concise take on wealthy conservative donors stepping up, the politics of migration, and the cultural clash over who belongs and who leaves. The phrase “When whiny progressives leave blue states, we laugh. But when they leave the United States? All hands on deck.” nails the attitude driving this story. It sets the tone for a debate about money, influence, and national loyalty. The piece pushes readers to think about where big donors place their bets in 2026. An increasingly visible class of donors identifies as unapologetically MAGA and…

New survey data suggests Americans across the aisle feel values are slipping, and the debate over why is sharpening on Jun 6, 2026. The survey that surfaced on Jun 6, 2026 shows a rare point of agreement: citizens from both parties believe national morals are eroding. That bipartisan unease is striking because it forces a frank look at culture, institutions, and policy. This piece unpacks the causes conservatives point to and the kind of fixes they favor. People bringing up moral decline tend to name broken families, degrading media norms, and schools that shy away from teaching character. Technology and…

The case against Aaron Spencer was dismissed after a judge found law enforcement misconduct so serious — including a lost dash camera memory card that might have shown the shooting — that the prosecution could not continue, even as the facts of the night and Spencer’s role in local politics remain in the spotlight. A Special Circuit Court judge in Arkansas threw out the second-degree murder charge against Aaron Spencer, saying law enforcement conduct surrounding key evidence was disqualifying. The missing dash camera memory card was central to the judge’s finding that the state could not meet basic due process…

Valentina’s story shows how a child’s life with Down syndrome can be full of meaning, and it challenges the idea that not being typical makes life less worth living. Families face real decisions when a diagnosis lands on the table, and what matters most are the people who will love that child. Choosing to welcome a child like Valentina changes routines, expectations, and sometimes plans, but it also opens a life you couldn’t have imagined without them. There are hard conversations that happen in hospital rooms and clinics, and there are quiet ones at kitchen tables late at night. Medical…

The House on Wednesday approved a 215-208 resolution that would require Congress to authorize continued military action against Iran, a vote carried by four Republican defectors alongside nearly every Democrat and now headed to the Senate with a likely presidential veto looming. The House vote was 215-208 and it would force the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly authorizes military action. Reps. Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson joined Democrats in backing the resolution, and Rep. Jared Golden of Maine broke from his earlier pattern to support this version. The measure…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced Congress to lay out a foreign policy agenda focused on the rising instability in the Middle East and the dangers posed by Iran, and he pushed back when members of the other party pursued trivial lines of questioning. Marco Rubio appeared before lawmakers to explain a Republican plan for a firmer U.S. posture on global threats, with Iran at the top of the list. He framed the discussion in terms of deterrence, protecting American forces, and supporting regional partners. The hearing shifted between serious strategic debate and partisan theater. Rubio did not shy from…

This piece looks at the political logic behind a strategy of clearing the field inside a party so a single figure can take on the opposition, and why many Republicans saw it as necessary for winning against Democrats. Conservatives who backed a forceful primary approach argued that internal contests were not personal vendettas but tactical moves to build a cohesive, results-oriented party. They viewed fractures with establishment Republicans as obstacles that would hand Democratic opponents easy wins. From that angle, a decisive primary system weeds out candidates who can’t stand up to left-wing narratives or deliver conservative policy. For many…