Author: Andrew Rogers

TSA worker bonuses became the focus of a busy day at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Kristi Noem, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, arrived on Sunday to meet airport staff. She came to speak with the workers who kept the airport running during the long government shutdown. Many of these workers stayed on duty without pay. Her visit was meant to show respect for their service. Her goal was to give clear thanks. Her actions also aimed to lift morale after a long and stressful period. The airport was calm when she arrived. Travelers moved through lines…

Iran is taking tentative steps to improve its image and regional relations after recent US and Israeli military actions unsettled Gulf states. The moves reflect both necessity and opportunity, as much of Iran’s regional military network has weakened, and Tehran sees a chance to form less disruptive alliances. In November, an Iranian foreign ministry-linked think tank hosted a forum called “International law under assault,” highlighting US violations of international norms. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said global powers that were meant to uphold the law were now undermining it. Iran is seeking warmer ties with Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia,…

A new transparency tool on X has revealed that many influential “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) accounts are based outside the United States. Countries identified include Russia, Nigeria, India, Thailand, and parts of Eastern Europe. The tool, called “about this account,” became available to users on Friday. It shows the location of an account, when it joined X, username change history, and how the app was downloaded. Soon after the feature went live, users discovered several MAGA and rightwing influencers who claimed to be American were actually operating internationally. The account MAGANationX, which has nearly 400,000 followers, was found to…

The US and Ukraine have announced an “updated and refined peace framework” to end the war with Russia. The announcement came hours after European countries proposed their own alternative, which removed pro-Russia points from the original US-backed draft leaked last week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Switzerland with a Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Rubio said he was “very optimistic” about progress. A joint statement confirmed that any final agreement would “fully uphold” Ukraine’s sovereignty. The leaked 28-point US document had caused controversy. It reportedly demanded Ukraine give territory to…

Some AI workers are urging their friends and family to avoid using generative AI, citing concerns over ethics, accuracy, and potential harm. Krista Pawloski, who works on Amazon Mechanical Turk moderating AI-generated content, says a single experience shaped her cautious approach. While labeling tweets for racism, she encountered the term “mooncricket,” a racial slur she had previously not recognized. The discovery prompted her to question how often she and others might have missed offensive content. Since then, Pawloski has avoided using AI tools personally and discourages her teenage daughter from using them. She advises friends to test AI on topics…

The Trump administration is preparing fallback options in case the Supreme Court overturns one of the president’s major tariff powers. Officials say the team is exploring alternative ways to keep tariffs in place quickly. The Commerce Department and the Office of the US Trade Representative have reviewed backup strategies, including Section 301 and Section 122 of the Trade Act. These give the president authority to impose duties, though they are generally narrower and slower than Trump’s current powers. Legal challenges could also arise if these alternatives are used. Trump has emphasized his hope that the court will uphold his tariffs,…

Thousands of protesters across France took to the streets on Saturday to demand stronger action against violence targeting women. Despite the cold, demonstrators expressed outrage over the persistence of abuse and called for more public funding and legal protections. In Paris, crowds waved signs, chanted, and marched through the city in protests organised by the Feminist Strike collective, representing around 60 organisations. Organisers estimated 50,000 participants, while police reported about 17,000. One placard from the feminist group NousToutes read: “A man kills a woman every 2.5 days in France.” Another highlighted that “nine out of 10 victims know their rapist.”…

Western leaders attending the G20 summit in South Africa said the U.S. peace plan for Ukraine provides a basis for negotiations but requires further work. The 28-point proposal, circulated earlier this week, seeks to address the four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Leaders from the Group of Seven and the European Union met on the sidelines of the Johannesburg summit to discuss the plan. In a joint statement, officials from Germany, France, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland, Italy, Japan, Norway, and the EU said the draft “includes important elements that will be essential for a just and lasting peace,”…

Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz defended ICE and Border Patrol agents on Saturday, urging them to ignore protesters and continue enforcing immigration laws in Charlotte, North Carolina. During an appearance on The Big Weekend Show, Chaffetz was asked by co-host Tomi Lahren about the Trump Administration’s recent efforts to deport illegal immigrants in the city. The former Republican representative from Utah said President Trump has a clear “mandate” from the American people to make the country safe. He noted that traffic in Charlotte improved noticeably after federal authorities arrived. Protests against ICE and Border Patrol have occurred in cities like…

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that golf legend Jack Nicklaus will oversee renovations of two golf courses at Joint Base Andrews, a military base near Washington, D.C. Trump met with Nicklaus, whose company, Nicklaus Design, is among the world’s largest golf course design and construction firms, for an aerial tour of the base. Before departing the White House for Andrews, Trump told reporters that Nicklaus would lead the rebuilding of the courses and other recreational facilities, which he described as being “in very bad shape.” An avid golfer, Trump owns 18 golf courses worldwide, including a dozen in the…