Author: Rana McCallister

Sen. Thom Tillis, who once voted to confirm Pete Hegseth, has publicly urged President Trump to remove Hegseth, citing what he calls mismanagement, mass turnover at the Pentagon, and the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll after 18 months on the job. What began as a personnel disagreement has spilled into full view of Capitol Hill and the country, with a Republican senator using his oversight role to demand action from a Republican president. Tillis framed his case around the steady loss of senior leaders and a leadership void at the top of the armed forces. Tillis praised Dan Driscoll…

Parents broadly back the deal that adds new limits for teens on social platforms, and the debate now shifts to enforcement, privacy, and practical effects for families and platforms alike. Public reaction to changes at major social media companies is rarely unanimous, but recent polling shows a strong parental consensus that favors tighter rules for younger users. The conversation now moves from headlines into real choices about privacy, safety, and how teens use Instagram and Facebook every day. Regulators, companies, and families will all feel the impact as policies are rolled out and tested. Four out of five parents support…

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi publicly laid out a regional war strategy in reply to his Jordanian counterpart, framing Tehran’s posture toward its Arab neighbors and signaling greater use of proxies and political pressure across the Middle East. Abbas Araghchi’s comments arrived in a public exchange with Jordanian officials, and they were presented as a clear statement of how Iran intends to operate regionally. The message stressed a forward posture that mixes diplomatic messaging with support for allied groups across neighboring states. For anyone watching the region, it read as a deliberate blueprint rather than an offhand remark. The basics…

A volatile Iran now threatens the region in new ways, with competing power centers, proxy violence, and an emboldened clerical regime that tests Western resolve and American strategic patience. Kill one, sideline the other, and deal with the political? Is this the way? The Iranian system looks less like a single monolith and more like a fragile coalition of hardliners, the Revolutionary Guard, and local proxies fighting for influence. That fragmentation makes Tehran unpredictable, and unpredictability in a nuclear-capable state is dangerous for neighbors and for global trade routes. Republicans watching this know chaos invites bad actors to expand their…

A superseding indictment has been unsealed charging two Idaho residents and five people from other states in connection with an alleged $57 million tax fraud scheme, the Justice Department announced. The case centers on a multi-state network accused of exploiting tax rules and loopholes to generate massive false refunds and evade federal tax obligations. Prosecutors say the scheme moved millions through sham entities and false filings, and the indictment expands an earlier charging document to include new defendants and allegations. The superseding indictment outlines a complex set of transactions and claimed losses tied to fabricated tax credits and refund claims.…

Vice President JD Vance faced the Republican Jewish Coalition with a clear defense of U.S.-Israel ties and a refusal to disavow Tucker Carlson, prompting sharp questions from fellow Republicans about judgment and party direction. Vance spoke privately to the Republican Jewish Coalition and reinforced American support for Israel while acknowledging growing divisions about antisemitism on the right. Leaked audio captured him saying “a lot of people in this room are going to disagree with things that Tucker Carlson or Megyn Kelly or Joe Rogan have said.” He urged Republicans to keep talking to popular media voices rather than writing them…

Many people wake at 3 a.m., lie still and wait, then reach for their phone; sleep experts say that instinct makes the problem worse and offer clearer, calmer alternatives to get back to sleep. Waking up around 3 a.m. is a familiar, frustrating pattern for a lot of adults. The usual playbook is to lie still and try to will sleep back. When that fails, the next move is often to grab a phone and scroll, which is exactly what sleep specialists warn against. Staying in bed and staring at the ceiling can make the brain more alert, not less,…

A man convicted of killing a teenage girl who rejected his romantic advances and wounding two of her friends was put to death Tuesday in the first of three executions planned this month in Florida. This article looks at the case, the response from victims’ families and officials, and the broader questions it raises about justice and public safety. The case begins with a brutal act that targeted a young woman simply for turning down a romantic advance. A man convicted of killing a teenage girl who rejected his romantic advances and wounding two of her friends was put to…

Venezuela’s main international airport has partially resumed commercial flights, a cautious step in the slow recovery from a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck the country weeks earlier. Venezuela’s main airport partially resumed commercial operations on Tuesday, nearly 10 weeks after two devastating earthquakes struck the South American country. Airlines returned in limited numbers and authorities emphasized that service is being phased back to match safety checks and available infrastructure. The restart aims to reconnect hard-hit regions to supplies, medical support, and travelers while engineers continue inspections. Initial flights have focused on essential routes rather than a full schedule, reflecting…

Federal officials said an illegal immigrant convicted of sexually assaulting several girls at a Fairfax County high school has been handed over to immigration authorities, signaling a rare break from past local inaction. The transfer came after a criminal conviction involving multiple victims at a Fairfax County high school, according to federal officials who confirmed the case. Law enforcement and federal immigration authorities coordinated to take custody after the conviction was finalized. The move has drawn attention for stepping outside the usual pattern of local-federal handoffs. Local parents and community members reacted with a mix of relief and frustration, noting…