Author: Andrew Rogers

Phillip Ensler has officially launched his campaign in the Alabama Lieutenant Governor’s Race. The Montgomery lawmaker made his announcement during a public event on Saturday. He spoke to more than 100 supporters in downtown Montgomery. His message focused on unity, fairness, and solving real problems for people across the state. Ensler said he wants to use the lieutenant governor role to bring people together. He admitted the office has limited power. Still, he believes it can be used to build trust and cooperation. He said people from different backgrounds may not agree on everything. But they can agree on shared…

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said Friday he personally convinced President Donald Trump not to deploy federal agents to the city, citing improvements in crime and local governance. In a live interview with CBS Evening News, Lurie, a moderate Democrat, described taking the call while sitting in a car. “His first question to me was, ‘How’s it going there?’” Lurie recalled. Reports in October indicated that the Trump administration had considered sending a surge of Border Patrol agents to San Francisco as part of a broader immigration enforcement campaign. Similar deployments had already occurred in Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans,…

Protests against U.S. immigration enforcement are planned across the country following two separate shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon. The demonstrations are set for Saturday as concerns grow over federal immigration operations. In Minneapolis, a federal officer fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Good in a residential neighborhood. In Portland, another officer shot and injured two people. The Department of Homeland Security stated both incidents were acts of self-defense, claiming drivers “weaponized” their vehicles against officers. A social movement organization, Indivisible, said hundreds of protests are scheduled in states including Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Florida. Many of…

North Korea has accused South Korea of flying drones across its heavily fortified border, raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and threatening consequences for what Pyongyang calls “unpardonable hysteria.” North Korea’s military said on Sunday it used special electronic warfare systems to bring down a drone flying over a border town on January 4. The unmanned aircraft, it claimed, was equipped with two cameras and had filmed unspecified locations inside North Korea. North Korean officials added that another drone had entered North Korean airspace on September 27 before being forced down by similar electronic attacks. In a strongly worded statement,…

A dramatic new alignment is emerging on the global stage as North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signal unwavering support for each other while Iran faces escalating unrest. The coordinated message is clear: neither leader will yield to pressure or sanctions. Kim, known for his provocative stance in international affairs, sent a letter to Putin expressing unconditional backing for all Russian policies and decisions. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim emphasized that his support is permanent, uncompromising, and non-negotiable. He described his relationship with Putin as “comrade-like,” highlighting deep personal and ideological ties,…

Iran is witnessing widespread anti-government protests as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that U.S. President Donald Trump will face a downfall comparable to tyrants like Nimrod and Pharaoh. The leader’s remarks came during a nationally televised speech, emphasizing that Iran will not yield to external pressure or conspiracies. The unrest has spread across all 31 provinces, with millions taking to the streets. Demonstrators are demanding the fall of Khamenei’s administration and the restoration of a monarchy. Reports indicate that 45 people have died in the first 12 days of the protests, which have included widespread fires, vandalism, and clashes…

China will cancel or reduce tax rebates on hundreds of products in a move aimed at easing concerns over surging exports. The government said the measures are voluntary steps to reassure trade partners and address trade imbalances. Starting April 1, value-added tax rebates will be removed for 249 products, including solar cells, ceramic roof tiles, and lithium hexafluorophosphate, the Ministry of Finance announced Friday. Additionally, rebate rates on 22 battery-related products, such as lithium-ion batteries, will fall from 9% to 6%, with full removal scheduled for January 1, 2027. The tax rebate cuts come amid ongoing trade tensions with key…

Titan Cement announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Titan America SA, has agreed to acquire Keystone Cement Company, a Pennsylvania-based cement and aggregates producer. The deal marks a strategic move to strengthen Titan’s footprint in the U.S. construction and infrastructure market. Keystone Cement operates an integrated cement plant in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, featuring one of the state’s most efficient cement kilns with a clinker production capacity of 990,000 short tons per year. The plant’s location positions it to serve a 6.2 million short ton per year market spanning Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Ohio. The acquisition is expected to accelerate Titan America’s…

New Mexico has launched a new division and technology platform to simplify infrastructure grants for local and tribal governments. The effort comes after wildfires burned roughly 24,700 acres across southern New Mexico in June 2024, prompting state and local officials to fund repairs and long-term recovery. The Infrastructure Planning and Development Division, created 18 months ago within the Department of Finance and Administration, now manages the New Mexico Match Fund. The fund provides matching money to help communities qualify for federal grants, manage projects efficiently, and cover compliance costs. Using a new grants management system called Euna Grants, the division…

Nevada saw an increase of 11,092 active registered voters in December 2025 compared to November, according to the Secretary of State. The total number of active registered voters in the state now stands at 2,116,453, marking a 0.53% rise. Nonpartisan voters led the growth, adding 11,938 new registrations, an increase of 1.54%. Republican registrations fell slightly by 962 voters, a 0.16% decrease, while Democratic registrations grew by 64, representing just 0.01% growth. Smaller parties also recorded modest gains. The Independent American Party added 39 voters, a 0.04% increase, and the Libertarian Party of Nevada added 7 voters, or 0.05%. Other…