Author: Mandy Matthews

President Trump announced on Truth Social his nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calling her “a STAR,” a move that signals a push for new leadership at the agency and a focus on accountability and practical public health. President Trump posted the nomination on Truth Social on Thursday, making the choice public in his signature direct style. The president described Dr. Erica Schwartz as “a STAR,” using that exact phrasing. The announcement puts the CDC squarely in the political spotlight as the administration seeks to reshape federal public health leadership. The…

Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife early Thursday before taking his own life inside their Annandale home, police said.

After years of #MeToo infamy, legal peril and prison, Harvey Weinstein is again going on trial on a rape charge in New York City. Harvey Weinstein’s legal saga keeps rolling back into public view with another trial in New York City. The man who helped shape modern Hollywood now finds himself at the center of a courtroom drama that touches on power, accountability and the long reach of allegations. This case arrives after convictions, prison time and a public reckoning that changed the industry. The original wave of accusations against Weinstein ignited the #MeToo movement and reshaped how people talk…

History’s winning formula is clear: Reject proportionality, embrace decisive force, and see the mullahs’ grip weaken. The argument here is straightforward: measured restraint has not loosened hardline regimes, while firm, clear action can change strategic calculations and protect American interests. Talk about proportionality sounds reasonable until it ties our hands and lets rivals test our resolve. Too often, calls for carefully measured responses translate into tiny gestures that do nothing to alter hostile behavior. From a Republican perspective, national security should be organized around deterrence and clarity, not endless debates over optics. Decisive force is not about being reckless; it…

It’s Tax Day on Wednesday, the deadline for most Americans to file taxes, and the Trump administration says millions of people have already used new breaks such as no tax on tips and overtime. The rollout of these changes has been framed as direct relief for workers who rely on variable pay, and officials point to high uptake as evidence the rules are reaching people who need them. It’s Tax Day on Wednesday, the deadline for most Americans to file taxes, and the Trump administration says millions of people have already used new breaks such as no tax on tips…

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to continue direct negotiations after “productive discussions” between their ambassadors in Washington on Tuesday as they seek a framework to move talks forward. The decision to press on with direct talks follows what officials called “productive discussions” in the U.S. capital, signaling a rare moment of diplomatic engagement between the two neighbors. Washington’s involvement has been visible, with envoys and diplomats pushing both sides toward an orderly negotiation process. For observers, the willingness to meet directly marks a shift from indirect or third-party driven exchanges. From a Republican perspective, these talks should be grounded in…

Atkinson’s own 2019 testimony, now public, confirms the Intelligence Community Inspector General changed the rules and that Davis and The Federalist were not “conspiracy theorists,” but were reporting what others ignored. The release of that testimony forces a reexamination of how watchdog offices handle complaints and how legacy outlets treated dissenting reporting. This revelation matters because it shows official process was altered and that independent reporters were vindicated. When internal rules shift without notice, it undermines trust in oversight and in the people who should protect the public interest. The basic facts are simple and stark, and they deserve clear,…

The Board of Immigration Appeals issued a final order of removal for Mahmoud Khalil, denying his latest attempt to dismiss deportation proceedings and moving him closer to possible re-arrest and expulsion from the United States. The decision closes his administrative options in immigration court and leaves the question of federal intervention and enforcement next. The case centers on a 31-year-old former Columbia University graduate student who is a lawful permanent resident born in Syria and who also holds Algerian citizenship through a distant relative. He became a focal point after leading highly visible pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus. Federal authorities say…

A federal indictment says two Pennsylvania teenagers tried to detonate explosives outside the New York City mayor’s residence on March 7, and their plan was ISIS-inspired, voluntary statements and physical evidence show. Federal prosecutors allege Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, drove to New York with multiple explosive devices and a third bomb stashed in their car. According to the indictment, neither of the devices detonated as intended and no one was hurt, but the planning and intent were clear. The indictment frames the plot as a deliberate attempt at mass killing modeled on past attacks. Prosecutors say a…

Short bursts of sound now steer how we find and value music, and social media is where a fragment’s fate is decided before anyone bothers with the whole song. Music discovery has shifted from album listening to micro-moments in feeds, where three to fifteen seconds can make or break a track. Fans scroll fast and decide faster, so the opening lick or a clever lyric often acts as the shop window. That attention economy changes everything about how songs are written and promoted. Instead of being consumed in its entirety, a song fragment must typically succeed on social media before…