Author: Rana McCallister

US F-15 downed over Iran on April 3; one of two crew members rescued amid sharp criticism of Tehran’s actions. An F-15 fighter jet was reportedly shot down over Iran on April 3, and one of two crew members has been rescued, US officials told The Hill. Iranian state media said the country had shot down what appeared to be a US Air Force F-15, a development described by Tehran as a strike against foreign aircraft. The report marks a striking escalation in tensions and raises immediate questions about mission parameters and rules of engagement. US officials speaking to The…

NASA’s Artemis II crew ignited their engines and pushed away from Earth on Thursday night, marking a major push back into deep space and the next step in returning humans beyond low Earth orbit. The spacecraft’s engines fired on schedule and the vehicle accelerated along a trajectory that carries it away from the familiar low orbits where most human spaceflight has stayed in recent decades. For the crew and the ground teams, that burn meant leaving routines and moving into a different class of mission readiness. The moment underscored how the space program is shifting from short hops and stations…

A coalition of pro-Trump immigration groups is urging President Trump to dramatically escalate deportations, press employers who hire undocumented workers, and deploy the IRS as a tool to track enforcement efforts. A loose coalition aligned with Trump wants a tougher, more systematic approach to removing illegal immigrants from the country. Their calls center on stronger enforcement on the ground, going after the employers that create demand for illegal labor, and using federal agencies in new ways to identify and penalize violations. The message is clear: enforce the law more aggressively and use every available federal resource to do it. First,…

NASA launched Artemis II on April 1 from Kennedy Space Center, sending a four-person crew — three Americans and one Canadian — into an Earth orbit before the capsule continues on a planned trip around the Moon. The liftoff on April 1 came from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and put Artemis II squarely back into the spotlight for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The mission carries four astronauts, three Americans and one Canadian, who will ride the spacecraft through an orbital dress rehearsal before the lunar leg begins. That crew configuration marks another step in international collaboration on…

A federal judge has ordered a Missouri man to pay more than $140 million in damages and penalties for his role in running an unlawful timeshare exit scheme that affected more than 11,000 consumers. Federal court found the operation engaged in unlawful practices tied to timeshare exit services, and the judgment reflects the scale of harm involved. The ruling carries both monetary penalties and civil damages meant to address widespread consumer losses. That judgment sends a clear message about accountability for deceptive business models. The scheme targeted consumers looking to escape timeshare contracts, promising fast relief in exchange for upfront…

Today, April 1, the Supreme Court will hand down a decision that could reshape how courts treat long-standing precedents and the scope of President Donald Trump’s executive authority. The case arriving at the high court brings questions that have simmered for years about how much space the presidency legitimately occupies inside our constitutional structure. Lower courts disagreed and the dispute escalated until the Justices had to step in. The ruling will clarify whether established doctrines stay intact or are reined in. This litigation tests the boundaries between settled law and evolving judicial interpretations, forcing a close look at how precedent…

The Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision in Chiles v. Salazar rejected Colorado’s ban on certain therapeutic speech, with Justice Gorsuch writing for the majority and Justice Jackson dissenting; the opinion treats viewpoint-based limits on therapy as blatant First Amendment violations while flagging future, content-based regulations for further review. The Court ruled 8-1 that Colorado cannot bar a licensed therapist from having a particular conversation in the office, and that vote tells you which side of this issue carried the day. More than two dozen state legislatures passed laws like Colorado’s, and lower courts, including the Tenth Circuit, upheld them before the…

Leslie Sherman-Shafer’s routine and the shifting economics of driving for ride-hail services paint a clear picture of how fuel, strategy, and platform rules shape a driver’s day-to-day life. Leslie Sherman-Shafer, an Uber driver in the San Francisco Bay Area, likes to start each shift with a full tank of gas. That simple habit matters because fuel stays one of the largest variable expenses for people who make a living behind the wheel. Small choices before a shift can change whether a day ends in profit or just covers costs. Drivers nationwide are adjusting routes, hours, and vehicle choices as operational…

The Army has opened an administrative review after two AH-64 Apache helicopters on a training run hovered near the hillside home of Kid Rock, who is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. The incident involved two AH-64 Apache helicopters that reportedly hovered near the hillside home of Kid Rock during a training run, prompting the Army to launch an administrative review. Local residents noticed the low-altitude activity and raised concerns about safety and privacy. The military’s response is to examine the circumstances and determine whether procedures were followed. People expect the armed forces to train effectively, but they also…

Cambodian lawmakers voted unanimously — all 112 members present — to pass the country’s first law aimed squarely at online scam operations. The new legislation marks a clear shift toward a coordinated legal response to online fraud, a problem that has grown more visible and more complex in recent years. Lawmakers framed the move as necessary to protect both local residents and foreign nationals who have been targeted. Officials stressed the need for a legal framework that matches the cross-border and tech-savvy nature of modern scams. The law creates specific criminal offenses tied to running, organizing, and profiting from online…