December 31, 2025

Forget California, billionaires could leave the US entirely amid wealth tax talk

How much could a state tax a billionaire before he decides to move his money elsewhere? California, whose voters will decide next fall whether to tax the state’s ultra wealthy to fund health care for low income residents, might find out as soon as the new year. Multiple news outlets are reporting on the machinations […]

December 31, 2025

Influencer’s video steers conversation on fraud investigations in Minnesota, Somali Americans

An influencer’s YouTube video is stirring up conversations from Republicans and Democrats about Minnesota’s history with fraud and where the investigations stand. In the days since the video was published, federal officials have redirected immigration enforcement to some of those same businesses while others have dispelled a number of claims the influencer — Nick Shirley […]

December 31, 2025

The Trump administration stopped four coal plants from retiring before 2026

Last week, the Department of Energy (DOE) ordered two coal-fired power plants in Indiana to stay open past planned closure dates on New Year’s Eve. The orders are the latest step in the Trump administration’s strategy to keep aging power plants running in the name of grid reliability; critics say that strategy unnecessarily prolongs the […]

December 30, 2025

Filming ICE agents is a First Amendment right. So why might it land you in jail?

Masked and armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are arresting people for filming their activities in public spaces. Though multiple courts said these arrests violate the First Amendment, the Department of Homeland Security begs to differ.  While an official count of these arrests is not available, ProPublica tracked at least 130 Americans — including at […]

December 30, 2025

Russia alleges drone strike on Putin’s residence; Kyiv calls it a lie

Russia claims Ukraine attempted a large-scale drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s official residences — an allegation Kyiv flatly denies, calling it disinformation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that 91 Ukrainian drones targeted a presidential residence in Russia’s Novgorod region, claiming air defenses intercepted all of them with no casualties or damage, Reuters […]

December 30, 2025

Artists cancel Kennedy Center shows as venue threatens lawsuit

Two New Year’s Eve performers have canceled their shows at the Kennedy Center following the performing arts venue’s recent renaming to include President Donald Trump. A veteran jazz ensemble and a New York dance company pulled out of their scheduled performances, according to The New York Times.  The cancellations add to mounting controversy and follow […]

December 30, 2025

Privacy in 2026: Will AI further supercharge surveillance?

The tug of war between widespread data collection and data privacy has only intensified, with disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence supercharging both. Going into 2026, experts say that trends in privacy are at once reassuring and alarming. The increase in data collection, often in the form of domestic surveillance, has sparked debate across the country. […]

December 30, 2025

New deep-sea search for MH370 begins as families hope for answers

A new search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is officially underway on Tuesday morning in the southern Indian Ocean. More than a decade after the plane vanished, investigators are again scanning the ocean floor for wreckage that has never been found. As Straight Arrow News has reported, the effort is being led by Ocean Infinity, a […]

December 30, 2025

Trump escalates warnings to Hamas and Iran; Bomb cyclone moves east

President Donald Trump is drawing a hard line in the Middle East. After meeting with Israel’s prime minister, he’s warning Hamas to disarm, saying there will be “hell to pay” if the deal collapses. Plus, the U.S. drug war is moving closer to shore. After months of targeting suspected smuggling boats, the U.S. appears to […]