POLITICS

May 17 2026POLITICS

Secret Bases in the Iraqi Desert

The Bedouin community near al‑Nukhaib in Iraq’s western desert knows the routine of a local shepherd’s pickup truck. It usually drives past at 2 p. m. , carrying supplies to the nearest town, then returns in a few hours. One March day, that routine was shattered when the truck burst into flames and

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May 17 2026POLITICS

A New Face for Pennsylvania’s 7th: Who Will Represent the Working Class?

Bob Brooks, a longtime firefighter and union boss, stepped up in the local primary with a short speech that cut straight to the point. He said he’s “been working since I was ten” and that the system is unfair to people like him. His solution? Get folks from ordinary backgrounds into Washington so th

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Trump’s War Talk and the Cost of Luxury

President Trump has long claimed that his wealth and business experience give him a special ability to help ordinary Americans. Recently, however, he has said that the economic pain people feel from his war with Iran will not change his approach. In a brief interview, he answered that the figh

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Virginia Court Ruling Sparks Surprise Appeal to Supreme Court

The Virginia state Supreme Court just handed down a 4‑to‑3 decision that rejected a new voting map, a move that could have shifted four U. S. House seats from Republican to Democrat. The loss stunned Virginia Democrats, who had hoped the map would boost their representation. In a swift reaction, Ja

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Lamar Alexander Urges GOP to Push Back Against Trump

Senator Lamar Alexander, who served Tennessee for many years and once ran for president, has written a new book that calls out former President Trump. In his memoir, Alexander criticizes how the president spoke to a large crowd that later stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The senator says Trum

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Global Tensions and US Strategy: A Fresh Look

Robert Gates, the former Defense Secretary, speaks on a TV show about how America faces new challenges from China and Russia. He says the world is in a risky period because those two countries have built up nuclear weapons and are catching up to US technology. Gates explains that China has almost tw

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Feeling Stuck: How Americans View Their Economy Today

The last month, a survey of more than two thousand U. S. adults revealed that worry about money has reached new highs, and many feel less confident than they did a year ago. A majority say their pay isn’t keeping pace with rising prices, and most describe the economy as “uncertain. ” Gas prices

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Uyghur Fighters in Syria: A Tale of Struggle and Ambition

A group of Uyghur volunteers, a Turkic minority from China’s Xinjiang region, joined the Syrian war after years of persecution at home. In 2024 they helped plan a daring night attack that cut supply lines to Aleppo, a key city under the Assad regime. The operation began with fighters clearing an old

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Long Island Rail Road Strike: Trains Stop, Commuters Stagger

The first morning of a new LIRR strike saw the entire network grind to a halt. Workers from several unions walked off the job early Saturday, shutting down all stations across Long Island for the first time since 1994. The move left more than 200, 000 daily riders without their usual train rides and

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May 17 2026POLITICS

Ukraine Launches Big Drone Attack on Russia, Killing Four

Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone assaults against Russian territory, striking homes and infrastructure near Moscow and killing four people. The attack hit a house in Khimki, a town northwest of the capital, and two men in Pogorelki, a village just north of Moscow. A drone also struck a t

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