Author: Kevin Parker

A federal judge dismissed President Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal on Monday, saying he failed to prove the newspaper acted with malice. The ruling lands where First Amendment protections meet political controversy, and it will reverberate through media and legal circles. Public figures face a high bar in defamation cases, and this decision underscores how difficult it is to meet that standard. For those who support the former president, the result is disappointing but legally predictable. Defamation law requires a showing of “actual malice” when a public figure sues a news organization, meaning the plaintiff…

President Trump’s trade agenda, the White House reports, cut major trade imbalances in 2025 and moved the U.S. away from heavy dependence on China. The White House report that hit Monday paints a clear picture: trade gaps narrowed with key partners in 2025 and reliance on China declined. That outcome is being credited to the administration’s mix of tariffs, renegotiated deals, and targeted industrial policy. Supporters say those moves created leverage where diplomacy alone had failed. For years, critics warned that global imbalances and dependence on one supplier left America vulnerable. The report argues that shifting supply chains and reshoring…

The Trump administration responded to failed talks with Iran by ordering the United States Navy to set up a traditional blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a move meant to stop ships from transiting into or out of that crucial waterway and to send a clear deterrent signal. When negotiations with Iran broke down, the administration decided against passive measures and chose direct military action to protect American interests. The United States Navy will establish a traditional blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, preventing transit into or out of the waterway. That is a blunt, old-school step designed to control…

Rory McIlroy joined more elite company Sunday at the Masters when he pulled away with a pair of birdies around Amen Corner and, as usual, saved a little drama for the end before taking his place in Augusta. Rory McIlroy made the final day at the Masters feel like a statement, not a surprise. He separated himself when it mattered, turning key holes into momentum and showing the course some respect while taking charge. Fans who expect tension still got it—he left a touch of drama at the finish—but the result felt decisive. The swing to victory centered on a…

This article follows how drivers chased lower prices at tribal gas stations north of Seattle, what drives those price gaps, and the local and legal tensions that come with buying fuel on reservation land. Junelle Lewis was on the hunt for a reprieve from Seattle-area gas prices driven high by the Iran war when an app on her phone gave her the answer: the Tulalip Reservation north of the city. Her search reflects a larger pattern of drivers using price apps and reservation pumps to stretch their dollars. What follows is a look at why those stations can undercut nearby…

President Trump has declared that oil shipping in the Persian Gulf must flow unhindered and said it should happen “with or without” Iran’s cooperation as diplomacy starts to address the conflict in the region. The president’s blunt message puts clear emphasis on unimpeded maritime commerce through a region that moves huge volumes of global energy supplies, and it signals a willingness to press U.S. military and economic power if necessary to keep those sea lanes open. That stance ties directly to broader priorities of national security and economic stability, where secure energy routes protect American interests and support allies. Republicans…

This piece looks at the clash between originalism and the modern liberal approach on the Supreme Court, noting how internal divisions on the left undermine their own goals and how conservative principles stay relevant in legal debates. It argues that strategic mistakes by progressives make it harder for them to curtail originalist rulings. The tone is direct and unapologetic about defending constitutional fidelity. Conservative jurists have pushed originalist ideas into mainstream legal debate, and that has forced a reaction from the left. The reaction has not been tidy or unified, and that disorder is a political and legal advantage for…

I’ll walk you through what the measure does, why it matters, who pays, and what it means for rule of law and border security. The text of the proposal is short on hard enforcement and long on promises, and that gap matters. It expands legal pathways without delivering real checks on illegal entries or firm consequences for employers who hire undocumented workers. That mix raises serious questions about incentives at the border and the integrity of our immigration system. I read the bill. And frankly, it might be worse than just amnesty. The language creates new categories for people to…

The federal judge rejected Minnesota’s emergency bid to unfreeze more than $243 million in Medicaid funds, finding the lawsuit premature and indicating the Trump administration’s deferral of payments likely follows federal rules. A federal judge denied Minnesota’s emergency motion to lift a freeze on Medicaid reimbursements, ruling the state sued too early and that the federal deferral likely complies with regulations. That decision handed the administration a clear legal win in its effort to press states to address suspected billing fraud. The ruling came from Judge Eric Tostrud, who was appointed by President Trump. Judge Tostrud refused both a temporary…

A former Defense Department employee with top-secret clearance was charged Wednesday with transmitting classified military information to a journalist — an arrest that the journalist says is federal, and this article examines the legal, security, and accountability angles around the case. A former Defense Department employee with top-secret clearance was charged Wednesday with transmitting classified military information to a journalist — an arrest that the journalist says is federal. That line sits at the center of a story about national security, the obligations of cleared personnel, and how the Justice Department treats leaks. The facts are narrow and serious: someone…