On April 25, 2026, gunshots were fired near the security area at the annual White House correspondents dinner. Following the gunshots, President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J.D.Vance, and some members of the cabinet were evacuated by the Secret Service. Trump attended the dinner for the first time as president. Journalists and news anchors present at the scene, including CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, described the shooter to be firing a “very serious weapon,” at least six times before being tackled by the police. The Secret Service stopped the suspect from entering the ballroom and took him into…

Through March 31st, 2026 from the start of the year, the number of competitive grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is down by more than half compared with the same period last year, according to an analysis done by the Washington Post. The same analysis also reports that biomedical funding has also been cut and there have been fewer grants focused on women’s health, cancer, and mental health. The NIH supported 2,700 fewer scientific projects in the fiscal year of 2025 and there was a 31% drop in the number of projects funded that included the word…

On April 9th, 2026, The American Library Association (ALA), the largest library association in the world, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the largest union of cultural workers in the U.S., reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to continue the work of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS is the only federal agency dedicated to providing funding for the nation’s libraries. Additionally, the IMLS provides coordination, research, and funding for museums, public gardens, aquariums, zoos, and other cultural institutions. It also assists in supporting early childhood education, workforce…

“One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong said these iconic words as he became the first human to walk on the moon, followed closely by Buzz Aldrin and watched from orbit by Michael Collins. This was the Apollo 11 mission, a culmination of humankind’s exploration of the stars. In 1969, an estimated 600 million people watched as humanity left its eternal mark on the moon. Upon landing, these three men were honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and an irreplaceable position in the world’s history. Armstrong passed in 2012 and Collins in 2021. Aldrin…

On Thursday, March 26, the U.S. The Treasury Department announced plans to put President Donald Trump’s signature on new U.S. paper currency. This follows the many instances of Trump putting his name and face on cultural institutions, including the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts venue and a new class of battleships. Additionally, earlier in March, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved a final design for a 24-karat gold commemorative coin bearing Trump’s likeness for America’s 250th birthday on July 4. The commission’s members, appointed by Trump earlier this year, voted on this design without objection. …

Tuesday, March 31st is Cesar Chavez Day, a federal holiday added by President Barack Obama in 2014. It commemorates the legacy of Cesar Chavez, cofounder and president of the United Farm Workers Union, which empowered more than tens of thousands of farmworkers to stand up for their rights and needs. However, after what was learned about Chavez, his activism is forever tarnished. On Wednesday, The New York Times published an investigation into Chavez which revealed that Chavez had sexually assaulted and abused children as young as 12. This statement was corroborated by Dolores Hureta, another civil rights leader and second…

Ever since the United States and Israel launched coordinated attacks against Iran on February 28th, 2026, President Trump has given conflicting explanations. According to PBS, Trump initially said on March 3rdthat the U.S. has “the capability to go far longer” than the projected four to five week time frame. However, on March 9th, Trump stated in a phone interview to CBS that the war could be almost over: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. [Iran has] no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown…

On March 5th, 2025, President Trump announced a sweeping renovation of the East Wing of the White House, following up on his September plans. This redesign effort would be the most dramatic by a U.S. president since the 1950s, when President Harry Truman rebuilt the White House. At that time, the White House was in danger of collapse because of a fire in 1814 and added indoor plumbing and other modifications compromising its structure. Truman’s rebuilding project makes up what the White House looks like today and what Trump has already destroyed. The most significant project with the White House…

“Umm… I know we all thought the last guy had dementia, but…” This quote comes from a tweet posted by Trump podcaster Shawn Ryan on Thursday in response to the White House posting “nothing is more important than peace,” which referred to the inaugural meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace. Ryan’s support for Trump has diminished recently, especially after the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files. He expressed his disappointment, stating, “I voted to get these damn files released, and it’s like a total 180 just happened.” Many Republicans have noticed Ryan’s change of opinion, and several Democrats…

A complaint that I have about the Democratic Party is that there isn’t a rallying cry. Republicans united under the Make America Great Again slogan, a simple phrase that resonates with others. They all have different definitions of great, but they are all striving to achieve “great.” Meanwhile, Kamala Harris, in her 2024 election run, ran under the slogans of “Let’s win this!” and “When we fight, we win!” There’s spirit in those slogans, sure, and on the surface, it doesn’t seem like a bad approach. However, it is missing one very important thing that Make America Great Again has:…