Author: Rana McCallister

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…

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…