Contributing Writers

Minnesota Lt. Gov. and progressive Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan is taking criticism, including from inside her own party, for her leadership during what has been described as the nation’s largest COVID-era fraud scheme.Along with Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, Flanagan, who has helped lead the state as lieutenant governor since 2019, has come under fire for allowing the fraud scheme to grow during her watch.

Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter Monday directing Texas state agencies to investigate potential child care funding fraud, following a major Minnesota social services scandal that cost taxpayers millions.”Recently, the Trump Administration and independent journalists have uncovered potential systematic fraud in subsidized child care systems in states like Minnesota,” Abbott said in a statement. “Such fraud will never be tolerated in Texas.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. is now in control of Venezuela following the arrest of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro, outlining a plan to run the country, rebuild its economy and delay elections until what he described as a recovery is underway.Trump made the remarks during a gaggle with reporters as questions mounted about who is governing Venezuela after a U.S. military operation led to Maduro’s arrest early Saturday.

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk appear to have repaired their once-strained relationship, according to a post shared by the billionaire Tesla founder on X.In a post shared Sunday, Musk wrote, “Had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS,” before adding, “2026 is going to be amazing!”The photo, taken from a Saturday evening event at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, sparked speculation that the pair’s bromance may be back on after months of tension.

President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning to Venezuela’s new leader on Sunday, suggesting severe consequences if she continues to resist U.S. demands following the American-led operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

As President Donald Trump  vows to return U.S. energy investment to Venezuela, the Latin American country remains on the hook for billions of dollars owed to American energy companies following years-old legal battles over oil contracts.Once a key supplier to global oil markets, Venezuela reshaped its relationship with international energy companies in the mid-2000s, as then-President Hugo Chávez tightened state control over the oil industry.

Dan Bongino returned to private life on Sunday after serving as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for less than a year.Bongino said on X that Saturday was his last day on the job before he would return to “civilian life.””It’s been an incredible year thanks to the leadership and decisiveness of President Trump. It was the honor of a lifetime to work with Director Patel, and to serve you, the American people.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday evening condemned the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, calling the operation both “unlawful” and “unwise.”In a lengthy post on X, Harris acknowledged that Maduro is a “brutal” and “illegitimate” dictator but said that President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.

As the U.S. military carried out a daring operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, a second front opened up within minutes in the United States  an information warfare, psychological and propaganda operation run by a hardened cell of self-described Marxist, socialist and communist leaders.For years, this cell has fomented anti-American hate in the U.S. under the cover of “anti-war” protests, rallying activists after the 9/11 attacks to condemn the U.S.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday he was briefed on plans to imprison Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in New York City, calling their capture an “act of war and a violation of federal and international law.

President Donald Trump revealed during an exclusive interview with “Fox & Friends Weekend” that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a “fortress”-like house, where he got “bum rushed so fast” by American special forces. Trump said he huddled with generals inside a room at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida as they “watched every aspect” of the “extremely complex” operation unfold.

In the predawn hours on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced the stunning capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a dramatic development for a nation that, despite sitting atop the world’s largest oil reserves, has been hobbled by years of economic collapse and political turmoil.Trump accused Venezuela’s socialist government of seizing American energy assets and dismantling an industry built with U.S. investment.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) said Friday that federal agencies have terminated or reduced 55 contracts over the last three days with a combined ceiling value of $1.6 billion, claiming $542 million in savings.DOGE, whose name nods to Elon Musk’s high-profile involvement, was launched during the opening days of President Donald Trump’s second administration as part of a broader effort to reshape federal spending and bureaucracy.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday issued a proclamation declaring January Muslim American Heritage Month across the state and directed 16 state landmarks, including NYC’s One World Trade Center, to be illuminated green Friday night in “celebration of the heritage and culture of Muslim Americans.

A federal appeals court on Friday struck down California’s ban on openly carrying guns across most of the state.In a 2–1 decision, the San Francisco-based Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled California’s ban on open carry in counties with more than 200,000 people — covering roughly 95% of the state’s population — violates the Second Amendment, according to Reuters.U.S.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Friday his first executive order as mayor was meant to draw a line after former Mayor Eric Adams was indicted while also launching a new City Hall office aimed at changing how the public is involved in decision-making.

Republican state senators in New York on Friday wrote a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging her to launch an independent investigation into possible fraud involving government programs in response to similar allegations in Minnesota.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced Thursday that it suspended 6,900 Minnesota borrowers after uncovering what it says is widespread suspected fraud.SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said the agency reviewed thousands of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loans approved in Minnesota, and identified nearly $400 million in potentially fraudulent loans tied to borrowers in Minnesota.

Sworn in at midnight and again hours later publicly, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used his first day in office Thursday to hit the ground running with new executive orders targeting city landlords and housing development. And he said the city will take what he called “precedent-setting action” to intervene in a private landlord bankruptcy case he said was tied to 93 buildings.”Today is the start of a new era for New York City,” Mamdani said.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., appeared without the iconic mittens that helped make him a viral sensation during former President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration when he administered the oath of office for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at City Hall Thursday.

President Donald Trump spent the first year of his second White House term signing a torrent of executive orders aimed at delivering on several major policy priorities, including slashing federal agency budgets and staffing, implementing a hard-line immigration crackdown and invoking emergency authority to impose steep tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner.

As 2025 ends, tensions between China and Taiwan are higher — and more overt — than at any point in recent years, fueled by expanded U.S. military support for Taipei, increasingly bold warnings from regional allies, and Chinese military drills that look less like symbolism and more like rehearsal.

New York City socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn in as mayor in a midnight ceremony by New York Attorney General Letitia James.”This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.The early Thursday morning event was a private ceremony where Mamdani was accompanied by family members at the Old City Hall Station, a decommissioned subway station with deep historical roots.

President Donald Trump railed against alleged social services fraud in Minnesota during remarks at his New Year’s Eve celebration at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday.”Can you imagine they stole $18 billion,” Trump said. “That’s just what we’re learning about. That’s peanuts. And California is worse, Illinois is worse and sadly New York is worse.”Trump continued, “We’re going to get to the bottom of all those. It was a giant scam.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday outlined a list of its accomplishments during President Donald Trump’s first year back in office, arguing that the agency has ended the political weaponization it says existed under the Biden administration.The DOJ claimed in a statement posted on X that it has “turned around” the agency, restoring fairness and law enforcement priorities.

Though touting himself as the peace president, President Donald Trump has not been afraid to unleash lethal rocket strikes on U.S. enemies when he feels the need arises.In 2025, Trump ordered strikes on nine different countries and regions in the interest of furthering U.S. national security.Here are the countries, groups and regions that felt the power of the U.S. military in action this year.Throughout the year, the U.S.

A whiskey sour for the distilled spirits industry. Consumers are souring on drinking alcohol.And that’s one of a host of complex reasons why Jim Beam is placing its main distillery in Clermont, Kentucky, on ice for at least a year.Claudia Coffey knows Kentucky bourbon country as well as anyone. She’s a podcaster and bourbon insider.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is expected to announce Wednesday that he will appoint Kamar Samuels, a longtime New York City educator and Manhattan superintendent, as the next schools chancellor, according to multiple reports.