President Donald Trump has declared victory after a ruling came down that will allow his lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board to continue. 

CVS Health has announced they are closing over 200 stores in 2025 as a part of an ongoing effort to “realign” their retail footprint. 

The Battle Between Guitars and Synths in the 1980s Will Blow Your MindIn the 1980s, something big happened to music. It got shinier. It got weirder. And it definitely got more electronic. Synthesizers and drum machines started popping up everywhere, blasting from boomboxes and lighting up dance floors. But even with all that new technology, one thing didn’t go away—the guitar. That six-string icon, already worshipped in the '60s and '70s, refused to step back. Instead, guitarists got louder, faster, and flashier, fighting for a place in a world filled with glowing buttons and robotic beats. This is the story of how guitars didn’t just survive the 1980s—they thrived in their own electric way.Synths Rise, But the Guitar Fights BackAs the 80s kicked off, a lot of bands ditched traditional instruments in favor of slick, futuristic sounds. It was the age of the synthesizer. With one keyboard, a musician could suddenly sound like an entire band. Songs like “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and “Tainted Love” were everywhere. They were catchy. They were cool. And they didn’t have much guitar at all.But guitarists didn’t sit around and sulk. Instead, they turned up the volume and leaned into a bigger, bolder sound. Hair metal exploded—bands like Van Halen, Poison, and Mötley Crüe shredded their way into stadiums with wailing solos, crunchy riffs, and bright, neon guitars. These guys weren’t afraid of the synth wave. They wanted to drown it out.Even pop artists who loved synths still made room for guitar. Hall and Oates, with their polished, radio-ready hits, often had tasty little licks tucked into the mix. Prince, who could play almost any instrument, made his guitar sing, scream, and sparkle, even while swimming in a sea of synths. The guitar wasn’t just surviving—it was showing off.Guitar Heroes Step into the SpotlightOne reason guitars stuck around in the synth-heavy 80s? The players. This was the era of the guitar hero. These weren’t just musicians—they were legends with giant hair, tight pants, and lightning-fast fingers. They turned playing guitar into a kind of magic trick. Eddie Van Halen melted faces with solos that sounded like spaceships taking off. Steve Vai looked like he was sent from another planet. Even in the synthiest songs, fans waited for that moment when everything paused…and the guitar tore through.Guitarists also started playing with more toys. Pedals, amps, and effects racks gave them tools to change their sound completely. They could add echo, distortion, and even weird pitch-shifting effects to keep up with all the spacey synth sounds. Suddenly, guitars didn’t sound like old rock machines anymore—they sounded brand new.And it wasn’t just hard rockers grabbing guitars. New wave bands like The Cure and The Smiths leaned on jangly, chorus-soaked guitar tones. Their sounds were dreamy and layered, standing shoulder to shoulder with synths instead of fighting them. It was clear: if you had the right tools and the right style, guitars could still be the star.Bass Gets a 1980s MakeoverWhile lead guitarists were stealing the show, bass players weren’t exactly sitting quietly in the corner. They were getting a style upgrade too. The 80s gave us slap bass, funk grooves, and some truly wild-looking instruments. And in the middle of it all came a little revolution that made a big impact: the short scale bass guitar.Smaller, lighter, and easier to handle, this bass wasn’t just for beginners. It had a tight, punchy tone that fit perfectly into the slick production of 80s tracks. Bands wanted their basslines to pop without getting muddy, and short scale models delivered. From punk to funk, this style of bass helped define the groove of a whole decade.It also looked cool—something that definitely mattered in the 80s. Whether it was painted in bright colors or shaped like a weapon from a sci-fi movie, it fit right in on MTV. This wasn’t your granddad’s bass guitar. It was the sound of cool.How Technology Changed Guitar Playing ForeverWhile many feared that synths would replace real instruments, the opposite happened in a lot of cases. Guitarists didn’t back down from technology—they embraced it. With digital effects units and MIDI systems, players could suddenly control sounds in a way that had never been possible before. Want to make your guitar sound like a keyboard? Done. Want to add reverb that made it sound like you were playing in a cave on Mars? No problem.Some guitarists even used synths alongside their guitars, blending the two worlds into one new sound. Bands like Yes and Genesis, known for their earlier progressive rock, started mixing guitars and synths in wild, experimental ways. The future didn’t scare these players—it gave them more to play with.And of course, the look of the guitar changed too. In the 1980s, form was just as important as function. Guitars came in bright neon colors, strange shapes, and with custom graphics that looked like comic books or video games. You couldn’t just sound good. You had to look like you stepped off a spaceship and into a rock video.Pop, Rock, and the Lasting Clash of StylesBy the end of the decade, music was more mixed up than ever. There were pop bands with heavy guitar solos, rock bands using synth pads, and funky grooves showing up in metal songs. The lines had blurred. No one style won. And that’s what made the 1980s so unforgettable.Guitars didn’t vanish. They adapted. They evolved. They strutted into this strange new world full of drum machines and laser sounds and found a way to shine. Whether it was a screaming solo in a metal anthem or a dreamy riff floating through a new wave hit, the guitar proved it still had something to say.Final NoteThe 1980s didn’t kill the guitar—it gave it a fresh coat of paint and a jetpack. Even as technology changed everything around it, the guitar held its ground with style, power, and a little bit of flash. The synth may have taken center stage, but the guitar never left the building.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the U.S.-backed organization tasked by President Donald Trump with delivering humanitarian aid to Gazans with a strategy intended to prevent Hamas from stealing it. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Leavitt touted the success of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which says it distributed approximately 17,820 boxes, totaling around 1,838,182 meals, to Gazans in the past three days. “The aid was rolled out to Gaza for the first time in many months and meals and food was given to hungry people, thanks to President Trump,” Leavitt said. “The president is the reason that aid went into Gaza. He got the Israelis to support that plan.” Strong defense from the White House of American-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation which has disrupted close to 2 million meals in 3 days. "Food was given to hungry people thanks to President Trump." pic.twitter.com/1cdOIgX0Kl — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 29, 2025 Leavitt contrasted the GHF to former President Joe Biden’s attempt to build a floating pier in Gaza, which resulted in the death of one American service member and injuries to 62 more, damaging $31 million worth of military equipment in the process. WATCH: U.S.-BACKED GAZA AID CENTERS SEE CHAOS, ‘THANK YOU AMERICA’ CHANTS, AND 500,000 MEALS ON DAY ONE “It was the previous administration that tried to build this pier,” Leavitt said. “There been so much criticism…for this president having a humanitarian heart and giving people badly needed food and supplies.” Leavitt added that the pier “did nothing for the people of Gaza.” Biden announced his pier plan during his 2024 State of the Union Address, and pushed forward with the $230 million project, despite warnings against the plan from federal workers. Biden’s plan fell short of its goal to sustain 1.5 million Gazans for several months, with less than a third of the aid being delivered during the 20 days it was in use. Much of the aid from the pier was reportedly stolen. GHF has been tasked with implementing President Trump’s aid initiative, designed to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from seizing supplies — a problem that has persisted since the war began following the group’s October 7, 2023, massacre. GAZANS FLOOD THE STREETS TO PROTEST HAMAS AS IDF OPERATIONS INTENSIFY In its three days of operation, the group has faced relentless attacks, including false accusations of it sharing AI-generated videos of Gazans cheering on American contractors. A source close to GHF operations told The Daily Wire that the video disrupts the narrative that the American-backed aid can be popular. EXCLUSIVE: Video of Gazans shouting “Thank you, America!” at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution center today. My source tells me some Gazans said this was the first time they’ve received humanitarian aid without having to pay for it. pic.twitter.com/ZiystBCxpC — Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) May 27, 2025 “Some people can’t accept that a new model is working — that in the middle of war, Gazans are showing up, getting fed, and walking away with dignity,” the source said. “They’d rather believe it’s fake than rethink what effective humanitarian aid looks like.” TERRORIST WHO KILLED ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS WAS INFLUENCED BY A FOREIGN-LINKED LEFTIST ORG GHF has also faced attacks for the security contractors helping with the aid, American military veterans affiliated with Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions. Both companies helped Egyptians with supervising the checking of vehicles passing through southern to northern Gaza in January when the ceasefire went into effect, The Jerusalem Post reported. GHF is operating as an apolitical group in Gaza and working with the Israel Defense Forces for security and logistical purposes. “GHF is in communication with Israeli officials solely for the purposes of deconfliction and to ensure aid can be delivered safely,” according to a GHF statement. “IDF will not have a presence within the immediate vicinity of the distribution sites.” GHF plans to continue scaling up its operations, including opening a new site in northern Gaza and is also developing a “last-mile” delivery plan to reach civilians unable to access the secure aid centers. The group hopes to collaborate with traditional aid organizations, including United Nations-affiliated groups, by offering its delivery infrastructure to help ensure aid is distributed safely and protected from misuse or theft.

The Department of Labor said Thursday that it will “begin a phased pause” of an almost $2 billion federal job training program that has persisted since 1964 despite a dubious record. The Job Corps houses a mix of runaway teens and 20-something ex-cons in residential campuses, where 16- to 24-year-olds are paid to receive their GED diplomas and training in several trades.  For decades, there has been evidence that monetary incentives have led to fraud, with contractors — who get paid bonuses for recruiting students and for having positive job-placement statistics — cooking the books to misrepresent post-graduation job outcomes, and tolerating criminal behavior on campus to avoid the loss of federal dollars that would come from expulsions. Contractors, including large for-profit companies, operate 99 of the Job Corps’ 131 facilities, which collectively house 25,000 students. Those contracts were “terminated for convenience” on Thursday, with the contractors beginning to “mobilize students safely to their home of record” by June 30, the Labor Department said. Campuses operated by government entities, such as the Department of Agriculture, are not affected by the pause. “Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement. “However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve. We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program’s possibilities.” The Daily Wire reported in April that the Job Corps spends up to $764,000 per graduate, while participants go on to earn $17,000 annually. One-third of students typically simply disappear, one-third are expelled for serious misconduct, and the remaining third graduate.  The Labor Department said it is not eliminating the Job Corps, which only Congress can do, but that finances dictated ending the contracts. It said the program was operating at a $140 million deficit in 2024, and that the Biden administration paused operations at two campuses as a result. The deficit was projected to grow to $213 million in 2025. It also said the program is “failing students,” with the post-program wages of participants hovering barely above the poverty line, despite an average cost per student higher than Harvard’s. “Considering only two out of every five participants actually graduate from the program, this is a massive amount of money being spent with little results,” it said in a statement. Job Corps critics have long pointed out that GEDs and vocational training are available for free in most locations through public school systems and unions, and that many people who signed up for Job Corps were simply looking for a $1,200 stipend and free room and board. The Department of Labor said it will cover costs for students to return home, and connect them with other existing job and training opportunities. The department also said the model of housing 16- to 24-year-olds — many of whom had criminal records — together was harming children. “Our nation’s vulnerable young adults deserve better,” it said. According to data obtained by The Daily Wire, more than 500 sexual assaults have been reported at Job Corps facilities in the last three years, including a male student climbing through a female student’s window and raping her as she slept, according to a source with knowledge of the program. Last year, a 16-year-old girl who identified as a transgender boy, and whom the Job Corps apparently enabled to be separated from her parents, was assigned to room with a 23-year-old man at the Glenmont Job Corps near Albany, New York. Demetrius Fair allegedly intimidated his “roommate” into performing oral sex on him before pinning her to the bed and raping her. Then there were 4,600 reported violent assaults and 8,000 drug-related incidents over the past three years. Those numbers likely significantly understate the reality, since only the most severe incidents are recorded. Democrats have introduced legislation in recent years to further tolerate bad behavior at Job Corps centers by making it more difficult to expel people. Job Corps participants brawl / YouTube Eligibility requirements say that only people on welfare or living in poverty are eligible for the Job Corps, that refugees and non-citizen parolees are eligible, and that “no individual shall be denied enrollment in Job Corps solely on the basis of contact with the criminal justice system, except for the disqualifying felony convictions of murder…child abuse, or a crime involving rape or sexual assault.” The program requires that applicants not be able to read at higher than an eighth grade level, saying they must be “unable to compute or solve problems…at a level necessary to function on the job, in the individual’s family, or in society,” or he must be homeless, a runaway, a high school dropout, or a victim of sex trafficking. Staff are trained to tell applicants, “I see that you have (describe gang-related behavior, symbol, activity). Do you agree that if you are admitted to Job Corps, you will not (use/wear/display) (list behavior or symbols, etc.)?” Although the program’s intent was to take youth from the margins of society and get them on the straight and narrow, over time, the dominant culture of Job Corps campuses became so heavily gang-ridden that, participants told The Daily Wire, it was more likely to turn a good kid bad than the reverse. The program has been combatting a reputation as a dysfunctional inner city program since soon after its inception. In 1966, the New York Times ran a piece with the headline “Job Corps Seeks Racial Balance; Acts to Halt Trend Toward All-Negro Enrollment.” In the 2010s, the Job Corps became a YouTube sensation, where the program’s “students” would post videos of them viciously fighting each other on their “campuses,” often while other participants stood by cheering. A CBS investigation from that time period obtained video of a student cutting lines of white powder on a textbook during class. The head of security at a Job Corps facility told CBS he was pressured not to report crimes, because doing so could jeopardize the contractor’s funding. A Job Corps “career adviser” told CBS that 85% of the “job placements” reported by the contractor were fake, existing only to trick Congress about the efficacy of the program, and to get bonuses for staff who hit targets. Another teacher said students wouldn’t show up to class, but were certified as welders anyway, potentially creating safety issues for anyone who hired the person. An inspector general report found that Job Corps graduates often wound up in fast food jobs that did not require any “training.” Job Corps fight / Youtube

The White House is banking on the highest court in the land to save President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on foreign nations that were blocked by a trio of judges in an ongoing legal fight this week. “These judges are threatening to undermine the credibility of the United States on the world stage,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing on Thursday, adding moments later, “Ultimately, the Supreme Court must put an end to this, for the sake of our Constitution and our country.” .@PressSec: “Last night the Trump administration faced another example of judicial overreach…Three judges of the U.S. Court of international trade…brazenly abused their judicial power to usurp the authority of President Trump…the courts should have no role here.” pic.twitter.com/NchnASHzJP — CSPAN (@cspan) May 29, 2025 On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the New York-based Court of International Trade rejected Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) and struck down his sweeping levies on imports from countries around the world. The Trump administration is challenging the ruling and says it “plans to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court” on Friday “to avoid irreparable national-security and economic harms at stake” if a federal appeals court does not provide interim relief. Leavitt said the U.S. Court of International Trade judges “abused their judicial power to usurp the authority of President Trump” and “failed to acknowledge that the President of the United States has core foreign affairs powers and authority given to him by Congress to protect the United States economy and national security.” Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships After the Republican-led Senate rejected last month a resolution spearheaded by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to stop the national emergency declaration that Trump used to impose his “Liberation Day” tariffs, the courts “should have no role here,” Leavitt insisted. “America cannot function if President Trump, or any other president for that matter, has their sensitive diplomatic or trade negotiations railroaded by activist judges,” Leavitt said, alluding to negotiations the U.S. is having with other nations to strike trade deals. There are more hurdles ahead for the Trump administration. Another federal judge issued a ruling on Thursday, around when Leavitt spoke to reporters, that placed a stoppage on the president’s tariffs. In a post on X, Sen. Paul said, “I have said time and time again that the Founders wanted to prevent one person from having unilateral control and decision-making powers. That’s why the power of the purse and the ability to tax lie with Congress, not the president.”

Former first lady Michelle Obama said that a woman’s unique ability to grow a human life inside her body is “the least of” what the reproductive system is for. Obama, a prominent Democrat and supporter of abortion, discussed her thoughts during an episode of her “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson” podcast on Wednesday. The “Becoming” author said that the “frustrating thing” is that the issue “has been reduced to a question of choice, as if that’s all of what women’s health is.” “I attempted to make the argument on the campaign trail this past election that there’s just so much more at stake because so many men have no idea what women go through,” Obama said. “We haven’t been researched, we haven’t been considered, and it still affects the way a lot of men lawmakers, a lot of male politicians, a lot of male religious leaders think about the issue of choice, as if it’s just about the fetus, the baby.” Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “Women’s reproductive health is about our life,” Obama added. “It’s about this whole complicated reproductive system that the least of what it does is produce life.” She continued, “It’s a very important thing that it does, but you only produce life if the machine that’s producing it—if you want to whittle us down to a machine—if the machine is functioning in a healthy, streamlined kind of way. But there is no discussion or apparent connection between the two.” The former first lady’s friend, OB/GYN Dr. Sharon Malone, was a guest on the episode. She agreed with Obama’s thoughts, saying, “one of the things that is disturbing” is that the “government has gotten involved in decisions that are personal and healthcare decisions.” “It’s not just about whether someone chooses to have a pregnancy or not, but this is a situation where a woman should have control over her body—when and if to have a baby, and to decide how that pregnancy should continue,” she said. At another point in the episode, Dr. Malone also mentioned a link between “older sperm” and “more autism.” “They’ll never let that secret out. That may be the key behind all the defunding everything,” Michelle Obama replied. “Then old men can keep marrying 20-year-olds. It’s like, ‘I’ll give you the baby you want.'”

Jill Biden should testify to what she knew about her husband’s mental and physical health and when she knew it, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Leavitt ripped into the former first lady during a press briefing on Thursday after she fielded a question about Congressional Republicans considering subpoenas for former President Joe Biden’s inner circle. The White House press secretary said Jill Biden should “certainly” speak openly about her husband’s infirmities. “I think, frankly, the former first lady should certainly speak up about what she saw in regards to her husband and when she saw it and what she knew,” said Leavitt, adding, “because I think anybody looking again at the videos and photo evidence of Joe Biden with your own eyes and a little bit of common sense can see this was a clear cover-up. Jill Biden was certainly complicit in that cover-up.” “There’s documentation, video evidence of her clearly shielding her husband away from the cameras. They were just on ‘The View’ last week. She was saying everything is fine,” Leavitt continued. “She’s still lying to the American people. She still thinks the American public are so stupid that they’re going to believe her lies, and, frankly, it’s insulting and she needs to answer for it.” .@karolineleavitt slams Jill Biden for covering up Joe Biden’s mental decline: “She still thinks the American public are so stupid that they will believe her lies, and frankly, it is insulting, and she needs to answer for it.” pic.twitter.com/2zumqDvBLw — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) May 29, 2025 Republican Rep. James Comer (KY), who chairs the House Oversight Committee, suggested on Wednesday night that both Bidens and former Chief of Staff Ron Klain could receive subpoenas to testify on the former president’s use of an autopen to sign official documents. “Wherever the trail leads is where we’re going to bring them in. And look, I would love to ask Joe Biden a lot of questions, but right now, we’re starting with the staffers who are operating the autopen,” said Comer on Fox News’ “Hannity.” Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships “Obviously, we believe that some of the names, like the chief of staff and perhaps the first lady, were involved in a lot of the decision-making. If that’s where the trail leads, then we’ll bring them in as well,” he added. Biden’s diagnosis of prostate cancer earlier this month has added to the debate around his health and whether he was fit to sit as President of the United States. It has also added to the questions around who knew what about the former president’s health, and how widespread the cover-up was to keep the severity of Biden’s frail state hidden from the American people. A new House resolution would create a committee to probe the questions and cover-up around the former president’s health.