Politics

For Americans wondering about the future of China and its relationship with the West, the latest verdict in the Jimmy Lai case proves an ominous harbinger of Hong Kong’s continued slide towards authoritarianism. Lai, the self-made billionaire, media entrepreneur and pro-democracy activist, has been held prisoner of the Chinese Communist Party for five years under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. He was finally convicted Dec. 14 on trumped-up charges of sedition.     This verdict, handed down in...

The Federal Communications Commission announced on Monday that it would ban new foreign-made drones, citing national security concerns. The FCC said it was adding uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and their critical components made in China and other foreign countries to its ‘covered list’ that features equipment that has been determined to pose an ‘unacceptable risk’ to U.S. national security and the safety of Americans. Specific drones or components would be exempt if the Pentagon or...

The Department of War announced Monday that the Pentagon is partnering with Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem to deploy Grok across its government systems. The agency said the ‘frontier‑grade’ capabilities of xAI’s Grok family of models will be integrated into the department’s recently launched AI platform, GenAI.mil.  As soon as early 2026, the partnership will allow the Department’s 3 million military and civilian personnel to safely access more advanced AI tools for everyday tasks, including handling...

The Justice Department on Monday appealed the dismissal of its criminal cases against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, making good on its vow to revive both cases despite what appear to be significant legal and procedural hurdles. Lawyers for the Trump administration appealed both cases Monday to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va.  ‘The power to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern...

The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) internal watchdog has confirmed that the agency’s publicly reported phone service data was accurate and that performance improved during fiscal year 2025, according to a new audit completed after Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questioned whether the figures could be trusted. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reviewed the SSA’s national 800-number telephone metrics and found that the data the agency released to the public was correct, and that overall...

China has reportedly loaded more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles into three newly constructed silo fields near its border with Mongolia and shows little interest in arms control talks, according to a draft Pentagon report seen by Reuters. The assessment underscores Beijing’s accelerating military buildup, with the report saying China is expanding and modernizing its nuclear forces faster than any other nuclear-armed power. Chinese officials have repeatedly dismissed such findings as attempts to ‘smear and...

A former conservative lawyer-turned-vocal critic of President Donald Trump is jumping into the crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y. George Conway, who was previously married to Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, filed to run in New York’s 12th Congressional District on Monday. The Manhattan-based district is considered a safe blue seat. Nadler, who served in Congress since 1992, announced in September of this year that he was stepping down amid...

Former President Bill Clinton’s spokesman is calling on the Department of Justice to release any remaining documents related to the former president and Jeffrey Epstein following the DOJ’s document release Friday.  ‘We call on President Trump to direct Attorney General Bondi to immediately release any remaining materials referring to, mentioning, or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton,’ a statement from Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña on Monday reads.  ‘This includes, without limitation, any records that may...

A straw poll taken at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest this weekend revealed that conservatives are, as a spokesman described, ‘all in’ for Vice President JD Vance running for president in 2028.  Asked who they would like to see as the Republican presidential nominee in 2028, the vast majority of respondents, 84.2%, answered Vice President JD Vance. Far behind Vance was Rubio at 4.8% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 2.9%. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for...

Although Vice President JD Vance might not agree, many observers saw his barn burner of a capstone speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest this weekend in Phoenix as the first major moment of the 2028 presidential election. But was Vance crowned as the nominee? It’s complicated. Anna, in her 30s and a longtime AmFest attendee, was all in on Vance after the speech. ‘I live in Florida and I love Gov. DeSantis, but he is...