Author: Rana McCallister

Congress returned from recess with an aggressive agenda that mixed high-profile bipartisan gestures and predictable political theater in the run-up to the midterms. In 1948 President Harry Truman labeled the 80th Congress the “do-nothing Congress” even though it passed 906 bills and created major institutions like the DOD, CIA, and Air Force while backing the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, the Taft-Hartley Act, and joining the United Nations. That historical contrast hangs over the current 119th Congress, which after 2025’s slow start and the longest partial government shutdown in US history seemed stalled heading into 2026. Lawmakers failed to pass…

New polling shows many Democrats back redistricting moves that could erase black-majority congressional districts, and Democratic leaders frequently call any move away from race-based mapmaking racist while accusing opponents of prejudiced motives. Unsurprisingly, Democrats are willing to eliminate black-majority congressional districts through redistricting in order to gain more political power, a new poll finds. This pattern is not accidental: party leaders often treat district lines as a tool to lock in advantage rather than to reflect population changes. Voters who want fair maps that respect communities and the law are left hearing partisan spin instead of a clear case for…

The Justice Department on Thursday accused Yale University of illegally considering race in admissions to its medical school — the second institution to face discrimination allegations by the federal government. The Justice Department moved on Thursday with a formal accusation that Yale University factored race into admissions decisions at its medical school. This action names Yale as the second institution targeted in recent federal efforts challenging what the government calls race-conscious admissions. The announcement has stirred a broader debate over admissions policy, fairness, and the proper role of federal civil-rights enforcement. Republicans who favor a merit-based system see this as…

The war in Iran is shifting the inflation picture by adding cost pressure to energy, shipping, and risk premiums, and those effects are now showing up in official readings and markets. This article lays out how those channels work, which price measures are rattled, and why policy choices matter for keeping inflation from becoming entrenched. It also flags where the pain is most likely to be felt and what to watch next. “The second major inflation report of the war in Iran is showing signs of concern.” That line captures the immediate headline: conflict around Iran is no longer a…

The Pentagon on Wednesday signed framework agreements with four defense contractors to mass-produce low-cost cruise and hypersonic missiles, aiming to boost U.S. stockpiles and speed delivery. The Pentagon’s move to lock in framework agreements with four defense contractors marks a deliberate push to scale production of both cruise and hypersonic missiles. Officials framed the step as an effort to expand domestic stockpiles and reduce unit costs through higher production rates and standardized designs. The program couples acquisition pressure with industrial base incentives to make more weapons available faster. Low-cost cruise missiles have been a priority because they can be produced…

After a Nashville protest over congressional redistricting spiraled out of control, the Republican speaker of the Tennessee House removed Democratic lawmakers from all standing committees and subcommittees for their involvement in the demonstration. The protest began as opposition to a redistricting plan and quickly became a chaotic scene in Nashville, disrupting legislative activity and drawing public attention. Organizers intended to make a point about district lines, but the event escalated beyond peaceful assembly and interfered with the normal operations of government. The speaker responded decisively, framing the removals as a necessary step to restore order. That move has reshaped committee…

New national polling shows Marco Rubio leading JD Vance among Republican voters, a reversal from last winter, with Trump publicly weighing a Vance‑Rubio pairing even as he stops short of an endorsement. The latest AtlasIntel survey, conducted May 4 and 7 with 2,069 American adults, puts Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead among Republican respondents with 45.4% to Vice President JD Vance’s 29.6%. That marks a dramatic flip from the same pollster’s December numbers, when Vance led Rubio 46.7% to 22.6%. The new snapshot also shows Ron DeSantis at 11.2%, 10.3% undecided or preferring someone else, and Vivek Ramaswamy at…

Eleven people survived a plane crash off the coast of Florida and spent five hours adrift on a life raft as a thunderstorm approached, surviving without any way to call for help and unsure if rescue would arrive. They spent five hours in a liferaft after the plane went down, fully exposed to open water and changing weather, and we can picture the anxiety that comes with not knowing if help is on the way. Being adrift with no means of communication strips away certainty and forces people to focus on immediate survival tasks. Even short stretches of time in…

The Washington Nationals added a new roster member with four legs, a canine presence that has strolled into the clubhouse and into fan conversations about mascots, morale, and how animals fit into professional sports spaces. When a dog shows up at a major league clubhouse, it changes the energy in a single afternoon. Players and staff tend to relax, conversations shift to lighter topics, and social media lights up with photos and short videos that capture the moment. Teams increasingly bring animals into training and game-day environments for a simple reason: they work. Whether acting as a low-key mascot, a…

The House Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat has kicked off an inquiry into claims that the Department of Justice paid out millions to pro-Trump FBI agents who were fired during the Biden administration, and that move has opened a political fight over accountability, partisan influence, and how taxpayer money is being spent. The allegation is straightforward: millions of dollars were reportedly directed to former FBI personnel described as pro-Trump after they lost their jobs under the Biden administration. That claim alone raises plain questions about motive and process. People across the aisle should want clarity about whether taxpayer funds were used…