Author: Mandy Matthews

The U.S. added 115,000 jobs in April, the government said, a report that far exceeded forecasts and marked the second straight month of large gains. This April jobs number landed stronger than many expected and deserves attention from anyone who cares about the economy. It shows hiring is still happening at a pace that surprised forecasters, and it gives policymakers and business leaders fresh data to chew on. The details matter less than the direction: employers are still adding workers, and that changes choices across the board. From a Republican perspective, this kind of report underscores the power of private-sector…

Ted Turner died Wednesday at his home near Tallahassee at the age of eighty-seven after a long battle with Lewy body dementia, leaving a complicated legacy as a builder, conservationist, and loud-voiced billionaire. Ted Turner was a builder at industrial scale, the kind of American entrepreneur who made whole industries and cities bend around his choices. He worked across cable television, professional sports, film preservation, and ranching with the same impatient energy, and he stayed rooted in Atlanta while doing it. That mix of creation and stubborn local loyalty is what set him apart from the more recent tech-focused billionaire…

This piece outlines how organizations labeled as non-governmental can function like government proxies, channeling public funds into private hands and operating with weak oversight. Non-governmental organizations frequently aren’t non-governmental in practice. Many accept government grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements and then carry out activities that look private but are effectively extensions of state policy. That financial and operational closeness blurs lines between public responsibility and private privilege, leaving taxpayers and citizens unsure who is actually accountable. At the heart of the problem is how funds move. State budgets and international aid often land in the accounts of organizations classified as…

Russia’s Defense Ministry said 347 Ukrainian drones were shot down across 20 regions, including Moscow, in what it called Ukraine’s second-largest aerial attack since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Russia’s official brief reported that air defenses intercepted 347 unmanned aerial vehicles across 20 regions, with strikes reaching as far as Moscow. The announcement paints the operation as unusually large, and it landed in the middle of an already tense campaign of strikes and counterstrikes. Details remain limited and are filtered through the Russian Defense Ministry’s public statements. The sheer number—347—carries a political message as much as a military one, showing capacity to…

Indiana conservatives successfully pushed out multiple Republican state lawmakers who crossed the party line on mid-decade redistricting, signaling a grassroots backlash and a demand for accountability in GOP ranks. Indiana voters responded to a perceived betrayal when several Republican senators sided with Democrats to block redistricting changes ahead of the 2026 midterms. The primary results showed conservatives organizing around challengers who argued those incumbents put politics and incumbency ahead of party and voter interests. This wave of defeats reflects a broader impatience with Republicans who undermine core GOP priorities. The key flashpoint was a vote that effectively killed redistricting measures…

Quick legal update: a jury cleared former NFL receiver Stefon Diggs of criminal charges after a disputed incident in his home, a case that hinged on sharply different accounts from those involved. Former New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs was found not guilty Tuesday of assaulting his personal chef in a case marked by conflicting accounts of what happened inside his home after disputes. The verdict ends the criminal prosecution, at least for now, and leaves the competing narratives as the lasting public record. Jurors returned the not guilty verdict after hearing testimony that pointed in different directions. The contrast…

President Trump has demanded that Senate Republicans end the filibuster to pass the Save America Act, a broad election-integrity package that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, and he’s making clear the stakes for GOP senators who hesitate. Trump used Truth Social to press his point and framed the filibuster as the main obstacle standing between Republicans and their legislative agenda. He warned colleagues not to miss the moment and said Democrats would move quickly if roles were reversed. “How much abuse can the Republican Senate take from the Radical Left Lunatics in the form of Democrat…

Vice President J.D. Vance heads to Iowa on Tuesday, making his first visit since taking office to the state where Republicans in less than two years will cast the initial votes to pick their party’s nominee. Vice President J.D. Vance’s trip to Iowa on Tuesday is short, sharp, and purposeful, showing a political team that understands the state’s outsized role in the Republican calendar. This is his first trip to Iowa since taking office, and it will be read as a signal that the administration is plugged into grassroots concerns and the early nominating states. Vance arrives at a moment…

Vice President J.D. Vance is traveling to Des Moines to campaign for Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who faces a competitive race to hold his seat in the November midterm elections. J.D. Vance’s trip to Des Moines puts a national spotlight on a district Republicans are determined to keep. The visit signals party investment and gives local voters a chance to see a high-profile conservative leader in person. Energy and attention like this can shift the tone of a tight race without changing a single poll number overnight. The race for Rep. Zach Nunn’s seat is shaping up as a toss-up…

The Supreme Court on Monday moved up its final judgment in last week’s Voting Rights Act case, giving Louisiana a short-term advantage as state officials race to redraw the congressional map ahead of November’s election. The court’s decision to speed the process matters because it changes the timing around a dispute that could have clogged the timetable for candidates and election officials. Louisiana officials now have clearer, if still pressured, footing to revise districts and meet filing deadlines. For a state that prizes orderly elections, any extra time can make a real difference in logistics and voter confidence. From a…