Author: Mandy Matthews

Sen. Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, placed first in the Republican primary to fill his seat for a six-year term after the powerful senator’s unexpected death, and the result has set a straightforward course for Republican voters and party leaders as they consider continuity, conservative priorities, and what comes next in the contest to replace him. The primary outcome put Darline Graham out front, and Republicans are talking about steady leadership at a time when steady leadership matters. In conservative circles the message is simple: keep the agenda intact, reinforce the party’s goals, and pick a…

This piece looks at the fractures inside the Democratic coalition, the scramble among its leaders to find a unifying figure, and the political consequences that follow when a major party struggles with identity and direction. Politics right now feels like a seesaw, and the Democratic side is wobbling. Tensions between progressives and moderates have been visible for years, and those tensions are shaping strategy, messaging, and candidate choices. As factions jockey for control, the party’s cohesion looks weaker than voters deserve. “Who can unite a divided Democratic Party?” is the blunt question that keeps surfacing in private briefings and public…

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation Monday that removes the state’s gestational limit on abortion, making Massachusetts the 10th state with no statutory gestational limit on abortion. On Monday, Governor Maura Healey signed a new law that strips the state of a defined gestational cutoff for abortion care. The change means state statute no longer sets a specific deadline measured in weeks for when abortions are permitted. This move was framed by supporters as an expansion of reproductive rights, and it immediately reshaped the legal landscape in Massachusetts. Massachusetts now joins nine other states that lack a statutory gestational limit,…

Utah Valley University’s reported pullback from a joint memorial with Turning Point USA has left questions about priorities, communication, and whether the campus will truly recognize the man killed there as the one-year anniversary approaches. Utah Valley University reportedly backed out of plans to co-host a memorial with Turning Point USA for the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s death, instead scheduling a campus closure and a volunteer “Day of Caring” on September 10, 2026. The move surprised Turning Point USA and triggered a search for an alternative venue. University officials did not publicly explain the change and campus sources say…

The latest messages tied to the Covid czar, recently turn up in the files of committees looking into his actions, and they include a direct note about ‘mutations’ that has reopened questions about judgment, timing, and transparency in public health communications. The latest communications from the Covid czar, obtained by the committees investigating him, note concerns about ‘mutations.’ The line is simple but heavy, because a single word like that can shift public health strategy and public confidence. When documents like this surface, they deserve a clear accounting from those who made the rules and those who enforced them. Republicans…

Republican Rep. Max Miller has chosen to stay in his Ohio congressional race amid allegations, and the story has split opinions inside the party while spotlighting questions of due process, political pressure, and local voter judgment. Embattled Republican Rep. Max Miller is staying in the race for his Ohio congressional district, defying voices within his own party who urged him to step aside as he faced domestic abuse allegations. That single fact has driven intense coverage and sharp debate among elected officials, activists, and voters. The situation puts a spotlight on how parties handle high-stakes accusations during an election cycle.…

A North Carolina couple was arrested after an 18-year-old allegedly took abortion medication late in pregnancy and a newborn was found in a toilet. Authorities in North Carolina arrested a woman and her boyfriend last week after a disturbing incident that left a newborn in need of urgent attention. The 18-year-old, identified as 18-year-old Syeisha Johnson, allegedly took an abortion pill when she was 31 weeks pregnant and then gave birth to a baby in a toilet. Her companion, 19-year-old Elijah Speight, was also taken into custody as part of the investigation. Both suspects face serious criminal exposure for what…

President Trump packed the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas to push his economic plan, touting tax relief for tipped workers, a new savings account for children, and job gains while social media fixated on his appearance. The Las Vegas event showcased concrete policy wins and real people affected by them, with a crowd that filled the casino and local service workers standing on stage to thank the president. He used the tip-heavy setting in a swing state he flipped to make the case that tariffs and deregulation are producing results. The scene on the ground was about jobs, paychecks,…

Bernie Sanders is escalating his attack on the Democratic donor class, pushing harder to reshape party funding and to pressure establishment figures by turning small-dollar enthusiasm into political leverage. On Aug 10, 2026, the senator dialed up rhetoric and organization in a way that signals a new phase of confrontation inside his party. Observers noticed a shift from rhetoric to coordinated pressure tactics aimed at Democratic power brokers. The move was framed plainly by the headline: Bernie Sanders Takes His ‘Donor Class’ Fight to the Next Level, and it isn’t just theater. Sanders has long painted corporate and wealthy donors…

Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington was ejected after a flagrant foul to Sophie Cunningham’s head and later posted “WHITE PRIVILEGE” on social media, sparking debate about on-court safety and online responses. The altercation happened during Saturday’s game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever when DiJonai Carrington was called for a flagrant foul on Sophie Cunningham that the officials deemed dangerous enough to warrant an ejection. Eyewitnesses described a hard contact to Cunningham’s head, and play stopped immediately so medical staff could check her. The ejection ended Carrington’s night and shifted attention from the scoreboard to player safety and…