At least one person has died in the Smokehouse Creek fire‚ as firefighters struggle to contain the blaze. The Texas Panhandle region of the state’s 26 northernmost counties is being ravaged by a series of what may soon become the state’s worst wildfires in recorded history. Here’s what we know so far about the wildfires‚ which have also spread to parts of Oklahoma‚ and are destroying homes and forcing residents to evacuate. When did the fires start and how have they spread? Multiple wildfires...

Joe Biden’s advisers see the polls on the issue‚ and they’re on the losing end of it if they don’t do something about illegal immigration. Despite what the progressive wing thinks‚ this is and never has been a slam-dunk issue for Democrats. Hispanic voters aren’t high on mass amnesty‚ nor are they overly warm about a pathway to citizenship for newly arrived illegal aliens.  Health care is where Democrats have an actual advantage over Republicans. Still‚ the spike in violent crime...

A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi militants damaged a British-owned cargo ship on the Red Sea on Feb. 18 and forced its crew to evacuate. Some social media posts falsely claimed the Houthis “made sure to rescue” the 24-member crew. U.S. Central Command said the crew was rescued by a “coalition warship along with another merchant vessel.” Full Story The Houthis‚ who control much of western Yemen‚ have attacked more than 50 commercial and military ships since Nov. 19 as the...

When Mitch McConnell stepped out of his Senate office in the Capitol at 12:30 on Wednesday to announce that he would conclude his tenure as the longest-serving Senate leader in American history at the end of this Congress‚ I asked him why now. McConnell grinned‚ said‚ “I’m going to cover that‚” and then walked into the Senate chamber he’s wanted to serve in since being an intern here 60 summers ago. His decision was no surprise. Having just turned 82 and facing health challenges since...

New York Times columnist Ezra Klein suggested an open Democratic National Convention to replace Biden. New York magazine’s Jonathan Chait floated a counterproposal whereby Biden picks his successor with the help of various Democratic grandees if things don’t improve by summertime.  Longtime Democratic operative James Carville got the ball rolling on this latest round of Biden doubt when he questioned the decision to forgo a Super Bowl...

GOP senators say Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) saw the writing on the wall in choosing this term to be his final as Senate Republican leader‚ arguing it’s increasingly obvious that the party is drifting away from him and embracing former President Trump as its likely presidential nominee. “I think it’s a reflection of Mitch’s understanding of the room. I think it’s a reflection of both his personal situation as he described eloquently in his speech and his reading of the political...

An Israeli Defense Forces officer acknowledged at a Feb. 18 Chabad of Madison speech that Israeli soldiers have killed babies‚ but immediately added it was unintentional and "horrible." AllSides highlights content from Gigafact‚ a network of newsrooms that respond to online claims. View this fact brief on Wisconsin Watch.

Measured by how many bills he successfully ushered into law‚ Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)‚ who announced Wednesday that he will step down as Republicans’ Senate leader in November‚ was extraordinarily ineffective. He famously failed to deliver on the GOP’s years-long promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2017‚ and more recently clashed with hardline House Republicans who refuse to pass bipartisan legislation supported by McConnell. During...

The shocking death of U.S. Air Force member Aaron Bushnell‚ who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. on Sunday‚ has been labeled a "tragic event" by the Pentagon as authorities continue to investigate the incident. Bushnell‚ 25‚ filmed himself as he stood outside the embassy‚ screaming "Free Palestine" repeatedly before nearby responders extinguished the flames. At a press conference on Monday‚ Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder...

Genesse Ivonne Moreno entered a Houston megachurch on Super Bowl Sunday and began firing an AR-style rifle at worshippers‚ police said. Investigators were still piecing together details from the violent scene — celebrity pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church — when social media claims focused on the shooter’s gender. "The Lakewood Church shooter was transgender‚" the popular Libs of TikTok X account posted Feb. 12. "He went by the name ‘Genesse’ and previously...