Author: Rana McCallister

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…

The Minnesota Medicaid fraud case exposed a massive failure of oversight where a large portion of fraudulent billing traced back to Somali refugee-run clinics, and media outlets as well as public records have confirmed many of the core facts. The scandal showed how fear of being labeled racist can freeze enforcement and let abuse grow. Officials who ought to have audited suspicious claims hesitated, and that hesitation turned into a multiyear taxpayer burden. The result was a system ransacked by organized billing schemes that cost Minnesota taxpayers dearly. Investigations revealed patterns: inflated visit counts, fabricated services, and coordinated billing across…

A tight, direct look at the strange cluster of 11 missing or dead US science experts and how that situation moved from online chatter to the attention of President Donald Trump and Congress. The story started online and grew until the White House could not ignore it, and that alone raises questions about why so many cases drew national attention. The core fact remains that 11 US science experts are either missing or dead, a number that demands clarity. Republicans are calling for straight answers and stronger oversight. When issues reach the executive level, they stop being speculative and become…

The Department of Homeland Security reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement made multiple arrests nationwide of violent criminals illegally present in the United States, including a California gang member and people convicted of child cruelty, kidnapping, and robbery. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Friday multiple Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests of violent criminals illegally present in the country, including a California gang member and individuals convicted of child cruelty, kidnapping, and robbery. “Just yesterday, ICE arrested criminal illegal aliens across the country convicted for despicable crimes, including a Fullerton Tokers Town gang member,” the statement said. Those words underline the…

Three Los Angeles-area residents were convicted for using a bear suit to stage attacks on luxury cars to rake in insurance payouts. The conviction centers on an unusual and brazen fraud scheme that drew attention because of its method as much as its motive. Investigators say the group used a bear costume to create the appearance of random vandalism and then filed claims for costly damage to high-end vehicles. The case highlights how small teams can exploit gaps in insurance oversight for repeated payouts. Prosecutors described a pattern of staged incidents aimed at maximizing claim value, focusing on luxury cars…

Gas prices slipped to $4.11 after five straight daily drops, but the relief is tiny compared with the steep climb drivers have endured this year and the policies that help explain why prices vary so much by state. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline fell to $4.11 on Wednesday, marking the fifth consecutive day of declines since Friday. That one-cent drop from Tuesday is real, but drivers are still paying nearly a dollar more per gallon than a year ago. Small daily dips do not erase a rapid, months-long increase. A week ago regular gas averaged $4.16…