Author: Rana McCallister

BART tightened fare enforcement and saw crime and fare evasion drop sharply, while a 2019 plea decision in Shreveport illustrates how prosecutorial choices can leave dangerous people armed; the contrast between these outcomes and policy debates about prosecution and policing is stark. In January, BART reported that crime on its trains fell 41 percent in 2025 after the agency installed 715 new fare gates across all 50 stations. Fare evasion dropped 55 to 60 percent, maintenance hours inside stations fell by 961 in the first six months after the rollout, and the system generated roughly $10 million in new revenue…

Democrats edged closer to shifting power in Virginia after a Tuesday vote, backed by tens of millions in out-of-state dark money and a push that critics say will weaken rural voters and strengthen the state legislature’s control over redistricting. Democrats moved one step closer to disenfranchising millions of rural Virginians on Tuesday night, and for that they have tens of millions of dollars in out-of-state dark money to thank. According to The New York Times, preliminary results show the constitutional amendment that grants the Democrat-run General Assembly the power to redraw the state’s political maps passed in initial counts. That…

Months after federal agents opened an inquiry called Rampart Twelve, the FBI and DOJ had still produced no evidence showing Lauren Boebert or Paul Gosar were guilty of the allegations lodged against them. Months after opening Rampart Twelve, the FBI and DOJ still had no evidence to indicate that Lauren Boebert and Paul Gosar were guilty of the allegations against them. That simple fact matters because investigations that linger without evidence damage reputations and raise real questions about fairness. When federal power moves without clear proof, the people targeted and the voters who elected them both feel the consequences. This…

Kevin Warsh told senators he has not promised the president rate cuts and stressed the need to preserve central bank independence while facing scrutiny over monetary policy and markets. Kevin Warsh faced lawmakers under tough questions about his views on interest rates and the Fed’s role. He told the committee directly and repeatedly that he’s focused on the Fed’s credibility and the long-term health of the economy. Republicans on the panel pushed for clear answers about whether politics would sway policy, and Warsh responded by emphasizing professional standards. The hearing set the tone for how nominees will be judged on…

Shoppers picked up the pace in March compared with February, but the bulk of that extra spending went straight to fuel costs. The shift in where consumers spent their money matters for how we read the strength of the economy and what it means for retailers. This piece looks at the patterns behind the numbers and what they suggest about buying behavior. Shoppers accelerated their spending in March from February, but they spent most of their money at the gas pump. That single line captures the odd mix of momentum and constraint playing out at checkout lanes and filling stations.…

The D.C. Circuit paused a district judge’s block so work on President Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom can proceed temporarily, and crews are expected to keep building until the June 5 hearing. The appeals court issued its stay late Friday, reversing a lower-court order that had frozen above-ground work at the former East Wing site. The move arrived barely a day after the district judge stepped in, and it cleared a path for construction to resume while the legal fight continues. The project has been controversial from the start because of its scale and the decision to demolish the…

New government data shows Homeland Security recorded more than 70,000 “got-aways” last year — people who crossed the border and evaded capture — and that figure raises serious questions about enforcement, policy, and public safety. The term ‘got-aways’ refers to migrants whom authorities believe crossed into the United States but were not detained or recorded. That count, now over 70,000 in a single year, is not a small anomaly; it is a measure of how porous parts of our border have become under current practices. For many Americans, this number confirms what they see and hear in border communities every…

President Trump has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding experienced medical and military leadership as the agency emerges from a chaotic stretch marked by leadership turnover, policy fights over vaccines, and sharp political scrutiny. Trump named Dr. Erica Schwartz, a Brown University–trained physician, military veteran, and former deputy surgeon general, to take the CDC helm after a year of upheaval. The nomination installs a credentialed public health official at an agency that has seen mass firings, budget cuts, and a shooting at its Atlanta headquarters. The timing makes the pick as much…

The Hennepin County filing accuses an ICE officer of pointing his service weapon at two civilians on a Minneapolis-area highway in February, opening a state criminal case that tests the limits of federal immunity and spotlights tensions between local prosecutors and federal immigration enforcement. A county prosecutor has charged Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon for an incident on a Minneapolis highway in February. Authorities say a nationwide arrest warrant has been issued and the case ties directly to the federal Operation Metro Surge deployment in…

Summary: The Obamas’ production company is moving off Netflix to operate independently, a shift driven by business strategy and creative control, and it raises practical and political questions about Hollywood, media influence, and how high-profile partners fit into streaming platforms. The Obamas’ production company has decided to end its relationship with Netflix and will operate independently, multiple news outlets report. This move removes a high-profile content partner from one of streaming’s biggest platforms. The shift will be watched closely for both business and cultural implications. For years, the partnership carried symbolic weight more than undeniable commercial dominance. Netflix benefited from…