Author: Karen Givens

The Iran war is squeezing small businesses from all sides: shipping snarls, rising input costs and customers pulling back, and owners are scrambling to keep doors open and paychecks flowing. Small shops from Main Street to light manufacturers face tougher freight, pricier insurance and tighter credit, and those pressures are showing up in higher prices and tougher choices. Local owners are adapting fast, but the strain is real and growing. Shipping has become unpredictable, with freight moving slower and routes changing as carriers avoid risky waters. That raises transit times and forces businesses to hold more inventory, which ties up…

High fuel costs, a president tied up in a foreign conflict, and a stalled Republican Congress set a tense scene for the GOP as it looks toward 2026. Gas prices are stubbornly high and everyday Americans feel it at the pump and in their budgets. The president is visibly entangled in a foreign war, which complicates the national conversation about priorities and leadership. Against that backdrop, voters are watching how Republicans respond to practical issues they care about most. One of those practical issues is something the public broadly supports, described by insiders as an “80/20” issue where most Americans…

The court said it lacked authority to rule, and a three-judge panel dismissed the lawsuit brought by Marc Elias’ firm over claims tied to the Russia-collusion saga. The decision came from a three-judge panel that concluded it did not have the power to decide the legal challenge introduced by Marc Elias’ firm. That dismissal clears one procedural hurdle while leaving the underlying disputes and political arguments to be handled elsewhere. For Republicans, the outcome reinforces a view that courts should not be used as a backstop for politically driven litigation. The ruling shifts the battleground back to election officials and…

Iran struck an oil tanker near Qatar and hit Kuwait’s airport as airstrikes pummeled Tehran, unfolding in the hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was nearly Iran’s recent strikes against an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and an attack on Kuwait’s airport came amid heavy airstrikes on Tehran, creating a rapid escalation in an already tense region. The incident stacked hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was nearly, a fragment that was widely reported as part of the unfolding reactions. The pattern shows Iran willing to operate aggressively across the Gulf, testing regional defenses…

On March 30, Gov. Bob Ferguson signed SB 6346, the “millionaire’s tax,” a move that immediately sparked legal threats and fierce opposition from critics who say the law breaches Washington’s constitution and economic common sense. On Monday, March 30, Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson signed SB 6346, commonly called the “millionaire’s tax,” and opponents wasted no time lining up lawsuits. The measure targets top earners with an additional tax layer, and critics argue the state constitution may not allow this kind of targeted levy. From the start, the response has mixed legal posturing with sharp political rhetoric. The law’s supporters…

NBA guard Jaden Ivey was released by the Chicago Bulls after publicly stating that sexual immorality and pride are “unrighteousness,” and several professional athletes have publicly defended him, citing religious conviction and free speech while sparking debate about tolerance and institutional pressure in pro sports. Jaden Ivey’s release from the Chicago Bulls came after he expressed a common Christian view that sexual immorality and pride are “unrighteousness.” The move landed in the spotlight quickly, and the debate around it has not cooled. People on both sides are talking about belief, expression, and consequences. One widely shared remark put the conflict…

Bipartisan US senators met with President William Lai at the Presidential Office in Taipei on Monday (March 30) during a two-day visit to the region, marking the first trip to Taiwan by US lawmakers since last April. The sight of a bipartisan delegation on Taiwanese soil sends a clear message: lawmakers from both parties still see value in direct engagement with allies. This trip underscored the routine duties of governance, diplomacy, and oversight that come with representing American interests abroad. The meeting with President William Lai was both symbolic and practical, reminding partners and rivals that ties remain active. From…

Reporters counted an estimated eight million people across more than 3,300 “No Kings” events, many of which featured largely elderly white leftists holding signs calling President Donald Trump a “dictator” or “tyrant” or a “king,” and the demonstrations played out the usual split between public spectacle and social media commentary. The scale of the weekend protests was dramatic on paper, but scale alone doesn’t tell the full story. Local gatherings varied wildly in size and tone, and many scenes repeated the same imagery: older demonstrators, recycled slogans, and theatrical language aimed squarely at elected conservatives. Those visuals make for memorable…

White House messaging pushed back on claims that a major conservative gathering has faded from relevance, stressing continued ties between President Trump and the broader movement. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that President Trump does not think the Conservative Political Action Conference has become irrelevant. That line landed in the middle of a larger conversation about where conservative organizing goes next and who sets the tone for grassroots activism. For Republicans watching, it was a clear note from the administration about where they place value. The comment is short, direct, and meant to settle chatter about CPAC’s…

Many modern protesters operate from ritual and identity rather than from clear goals, creating a loud culture of grievance that often substitutes noise for solutions. What we see on streets and social feeds is less a focused movement and more a culture of performance. People have adopted the language and rhythms of protest so thoroughly that the act becomes its own form of belonging, separate from any specific demand or outcome. That shift turns public demonstration into a kind of social signaling where the signal matters more than the substance. “They speak in a vernacular of protest out of habit…