When Marco Rubio and Donald Trump first encountered each other as rivals in the 2016 Republican primary, the contrasts could not have been starker. Trump denounced George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq as a disaster, while Rubio defended it with difficulty; the two naturally traded insults. After Rubio's nomination as Secretary of State in 2024, speculation abounded that he would be a mere placeholder, perhaps serving no longer than his predecessor from Trump's first term, Rex Tillerson. But the US military raid on 3 January that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife ensures that Rubio will leave a greater mark on the second Trump presidency.

Back in October, the U.S. Department of Defense — yes, I know what the administration calls it, but check the Federal Register or the most recently passed appropriations bill — instituted a new set of rules that stated that Pentagon correspondents who "solicit" "classified national security information" or "controlled classified information" may be considered a security risk.

Traveling from country to country without restrictions. Shorter lines at the border. The right to live and work in your dream destination, or to reconnect with family roots. All that, and more, is the dream of those who seek dual citizenship. And that includes monsieur George Clooney, who celebrated the end of 2025 by acquiring French citizenship for himself and his family.

The children of slain Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman are urging President Donald Trump to remove a post on Truth Social that promotes a conspiracy theory alleging the state's governor, Tim Walz, was involved in Hortman's death. Hortman — a Democrat — and her husband, Mark, were killed in June at their home in what authorities described at the time as "politically motivated" shootings. State Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were also shot and wounded in their home the same day.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Jan. 5 that Vasyl Maliuk will step down as head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) but remain in the agency to focus on asymmetric operations against Russia. "(Maliuk) knows how to do this best and will continue within the SBU system," Zelensky said. "Together, we discussed candidates for the new head of the SBU."

"You don't joke with John Lennon." The post The absolutely manic way The Beatles recorded ‘Yer Blues’ first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Behind closed doors, officials are discussing baby barcodes.

Patrick Byrne gives his insider take on Trump's Venezuelan operation.

In Freely Sober: Rethinking Alcohol Through the Lens of Faith, Ericka Andersen has written a book for people like her: evangelical Christian women struggling in secret with a dysfunctional relationship to alcohol. Continue Reading...