Author: Rana McCallister

Texas health regulators told Camp Mystic’s owners Tuesday they are investigating hundreds of complaints following last year’s devastating floods that killed 27 girls as the state considers what steps to take. State health officials have opened a formal review after a wave of complaints tied to last year’s floods at Camp Mystic. The inquiry follows the tragic deaths of 27 girls and aims to sort out what went wrong, who was responsible, and whether the camp met required safety standards. Regulators notified the camp’s leadership about the probe and are gathering records and witness statements. Families and the wider community…

The Department of Education on Monday granted a reprieve to school districts that had been penalized under the previous administration for declining to enforce transgender pronoun policies, shifting enforcement and raising fresh debates over local control, parental rights, and religious conscience in schools. This decision landed like a wake-up call in many school districts that had been dinged for refusing to implement mandatory pronoun rules. Local officials who argued for parental notification and religious accommodations felt vindicated by the reprieve. Republicans are framing the move as a necessary correction to federal overreach into classroom speech and belief. For years the…

Russian drones struck Odesa, killing at least three and hitting a power substation that left thousands without electricity, a blow to civilian life and critical infrastructure that Ukraine and its allies must reckon with. The strike on Odesa came as a series of drone attacks attributed to Russian forces, and local officials reported at least three people killed and multiple others wounded when a power substation was struck. The loss of electricity affected hospitals, apartment blocks, and essential services across the region, forcing emergency teams to work under deteriorating conditions. Eyewitnesses described explosions and a thick haze over parts of…

Summary A webcam performer known as Lydia Love alleges Bryon Noem, the 56-year-old husband of Kristi Noem, paid as much as $25 a minute—$1,500 an hour—to interact with her on Camsoda across roughly ten to 15 sessions, and those claims are specific but unverified. A woman who identifies as a femdom performer says Bryon Noem used her services repeatedly over about two years and that their last contact was six months ago. Kristi Noem has said she was “blindsided.” There is no independent corroboration beyond the performer’s own account, so caution is warranted when weighing the details. The performer described…

U.S. forces carried out a high-risk operation to retrieve an American fighter pilot from deep inside Iran, a move President Trump announced Sunday and followed with the warning to Tehran to “open the f—— Strait”. This operation was described by the president as a daring raid into hostile territory to recover one of our own, and the timing of his statement made it clear the administration wants to project strength. The message was blunt and unmistakable, underscoring that the United States will go after its citizens even in the most dangerous places. Republicans applauded the resolve and the willingness to…

The Trump administration marked Easter by pushing faith into the federal spotlight, with multiple Cabinet agencies issuing faith-forward statements and messaging that went beyond the usual presidential Easter remarks. Across administrations it’s common for the president to issue an Easter message, but this year the Trump team amplified that practice by coordinating statements from several departments. Those messages emphasized religious freedom, national resilience, and the role of faith in public life. The coordinated push reflected an administration eager to make faith a visible part of its public identity. Many Cabinet agencies released content that linked faith to service and government…

President Trump announced a bold American operation that retrieved an American pilot from behind enemy lines in Iran, framing it as a decisive and precise military success that reflects strong leadership and capable armed forces. The claim landed early Sunday when President Trump said, “The U.S. mounted a daring rescue mission and retrieved an American pilot behind enemy lines in Iran, President Trump said early Sunday.” That single line set the tone for a narrative of competency and urgency pushed by the administration. Supporters are treating the operation as proof that decisive action can bring service members home quickly and…

Gina Maria’s Pizza, a Twin Cities pizza chain that served Minnesota communities for half a century, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation, bringing an end to a long local run and leaving customers and employees facing immediate uncertainty. Gina Maria’s Pizza built a quiet reputation across the Twin Cities over roughly 50 years, becoming part of routines for families and late-night crowds alike. The chain’s move into Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation signals a legal conclusion rather than a restructuring, and it confirms the company will wind down operations and sell assets to satisfy creditors. For longtime patrons, the news…

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to retire immediately, setting off a wide shakeup of senior military leadership as Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve steps in as acting chief and the Pentagon braces for a remade uniformed command. Pete Hegseth asked Gen. Randy George to step down and retire immediately, a Pentagon official told The Hill on Thursday, and the Pentagon later confirmed George’s departure. Lt. Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s vice chief of staff and a former military aide to Hegseth, will serve as acting chief of staff. Hegseth has made no secret of…

The Supreme Court heard oral argument on President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at halting prospective birthright citizenship, with the president present in the courtroom and the justices offering no clear signals during the session. The courtroom scene was striking: President Donald Trump sat in the front row as justices probed the legal and constitutional questions behind his executive order. Those arguments focused on whether an administration can alter a constitutional interpretation that has long governed citizenship by birth. At the center is the long-debated phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” in the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Republican argument that…