Author: Mandy Matthews

The price of oil surged higher and showed no signs of halting its rapid climb a week after the U.S. and Israel launched major attacks on Iran that escalated into a war in the Middle East. Markets moved fast once the strikes began, and traders reacted to the new reality almost immediately. Crude climbed on fears of disrupted supply routes and a broader regional conflagration that could choke shipping lanes and production. Energy desks cited a mix of actual disruptions and the risk premium markets put on conflict, pushing benchmarks higher across the board. These price moves matter at home…

For decades the old idea that political fights stop at the water’s edge meant we stood together when our nation faced threats, and that unity made our foreign policy sharper and our troops safer. There was a time when Americans accepted that partisan battles belonged on the home front and not on the battlefield. That sense of shared purpose gave commanders clearer guidance and service members steadier support from the nation they defended. When the country moved in one direction, policy had teeth and the sacrifice of citizens felt honored rather than exploited. Today, political warfare often bleeds into actual…

The House committee has rewritten its kids online safety bill again, and that instability cost the measure bipartisan backing and dimmed its chances of passing the full House. A House committee has revamped its version of kids online safety legislation for at least the third time, losing bipartisan support in the process and likely impairing its ability to pass the House. The repeated rewrites have created a policy that now lacks the broad coalition it once had, making cliff notes of fixes less helpful than clear principles. Lawmakers on both sides see the stakes, but the political math has shifted…

A quick overview: this piece examines why some conservatives see Cornyn as having sided with the establishment, outlines specific patterns of votes and leadership choices that caused concern, and argues why an endorsement from Trump would be a pivotal moment for grassroots skepticism. When talk surfaces that Trump might endorse Senator John Cornyn, it’s worth revisiting why many conservatives feel let down. Cornyn has long been seen as a reliable Senate figure, but in recent years his record shows a pattern of compromise that rubbed the base the wrong way. That history explains why any endorsement would need careful selling…

Sen. Josh Hawley says President Trump acted within his executive authority after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran, rejects a Democratic push for a war powers vote, calls for briefings and information, and emphasizes the human cost after American service members died. Sen. Josh Hawley defended President Trump’s decision to authorize a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran, arguing the action sits inside the president’s wartime authority when it involves no ground troops. Hawley made clear he will not back the war powers resolution several Democratic senators are pressing to force to a vote. He framed his stance as…

President Trump is reportedly weighing support for militia groups inside Iran, opening diplomatic channels with Kurdish leaders and exploring a broader strategy to press Tehran from multiple directions while U.S. officials and allies assess the risks and opportunities. Reports say Trump has been in contact with Kurdish leadership in Iraq following recent bombing campaigns, signaling a possible shift from pure deterrence to a more active policy of empowering internal opposition. This diplomatic outreach is described as part of widening strategy discussions rather than a finalized decision. The conversations themselves are significant: they reveal a willingness to consider unconventional partnerships to…

U.S. and Israeli strikes have hit more than 2,000 targets under Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion, aiming to blunt Iran’s missile threat and choke off support for hostile actors across the region. The allied campaign has focused on key missile launchers, storage facilities, and support infrastructure in a concentrated push to degrade Iran’s long-range capabilities. Commanders have emphasized precision and the need to reduce collateral damage while striking hard enough to change Tehran’s calculus. For Republicans, this approach looks like decisive action to protect American forces and allies. Operational planners say the core aim is to render Iran…

U.S. policymakers face tough questions about who would govern Iran, what a stable coalition would look like, and when America can stop fighting another Middle East war. The core dilemma is practical and immediate: if Iran’s top leadership is removed, who steps into the vacuum and actually governs? That’s not a theoretical worry — it’s a strategic problem that shapes any decision to use force and determines whether chaos or order follows. Republicans should demand clarity on how a successor government would form and whether it could maintain internal cohesion long enough for regional stability to return. Endless uncertainty invites…

Hillary Clinton used a closed deposition to press the House Oversight Committee to target President Trump, spending much of her time recounting his legal troubles while saying she had no personal knowledge about Jeffrey Epstein. Hillary Clinton appeared for a closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee and pivoted quickly from questions about Jeffrey Epstein to arguments for questioning President Trump. She insisted she had nothing to offer about Epstein himself and instead outlined why Trump should be on any witness list. The exchange was released to the public when the committee published video of the session, and it looked…

A direct account of a sweeping military operation that toppled Iran’s leadership, the catastrophic retaliatory strikes on Gulf states, and how those events reshaped regional alignments and U.S. policy choices. American and Israeli forces carried out Operation Epic Fury in broad daylight, striking 24 of Iran’s 31 provinces and hitting military, naval, and nuclear centers with precision. The attacks killed Supreme Leader Khamenei, at least 40 senior regime figures, and thousands of soldiers while sinking 17 naval vessels and knocking out the nuclear program and missile headquarters before noon. The operation effectively decapitated a regime 47 years in the making.…