Politics

• A society without liberals can’t adapt. • A society without conservatives can’t remain stable. We need both perspectives, and we need to stop demonizing the other side just because they don't agree with us. Both sides have a place in civil society.

As of December 22, 2025, President Donald Trump has signed eight executive orders during the month of December. These orders cover a range of topics, including economic security, technology policy, investor protection, national security threats, medical research, federal operations, space exploration, and federal pay adjustments.

The initiative builds on existing US sanctions aimed at pressuring political change in Venezuela, but it now explicitly ties into claims that Maduro's officials facilitate drug trafficking routes. This dual focus—on oil sanctions and counter-narcotics—has resulted in lethal strikes on suspected drug boats and record drug seizures, further straining the regime's resources and international standing.

As President Donald Trump's second term gains momentum, animal welfare has emerged as a surprising priority, blending bipartisan legislative wins with high-profile policy shifts aimed at curbing federal cruelty. From defunding painful military experiments on dogs and cats to launching a multi-agency strike force against abuse, the administration is touting "historic" progress.

President Trump's "Trump Accounts" initiative establishes tax-advantaged investment accounts for American children to build long-term wealth, modeled loosely on individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The program, enacted through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, provides a one-time $1,000 government seed deposit for U.S. citizen children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, with parents enrolling via a new IRS form during tax filing.

On December 19, 2025, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik announced she is suspending her recently launched campaign for New York governor and will not seek re-election to her U.S. House seat in 2026.  At 41, Stefanik’s retirement ends a rapid ascent in the GOP, where she evolved from a moderate to a key Trump ally.

Passionate and dedicated to her advocacy work, Leslie Sawyer has been reporting on news in Shasta County to keep the public informed of local governmental issues through her podcasts which air on social media and Mountain Top Media.  Leslie spends countless hours at the Board of Supervisors’ meetings, school board meetings, and Redding City Council meetings, then does informative podcasts to let the public know what issues were discussed and/or voted on by the elected officia

As Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues his vocal campaign against direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising, the push to ban drug ads on television remains a contentious battleground in U.S. health policy. Kennedy, a longtime critic of the pharmaceutical industry, has made restricting these ads a cornerstone of his agenda under the Trump administration.

In a stark economic contrast across Latin America, remittances from the United States—the lifeblood for millions of families—have taken divergent paths in 2025. While Mexico grapples with a historic decline in these inflows, Central American nations are experiencing a surge, largely fueled by migrant fears over intensified U.S. immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.

In a move that could reshape the American food industry, San Francisco has filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against ten major manufacturers of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), accusing them of creating addictive products that have sparked a public health crisis. Echoing the epic battles against Big Tobacco in the 1990s, this case highlights how corporate strategies—rooted in historical ties between tobacco and food giants—have engineered overconsumption.

Mayor Littau’s first full council meeting featured a heartfelt farewell to a city leader, spirited public comments, and a renewed focus on funding Redding’s civic auditorium.

As the clock ticks toward the 2026 midterm elections, a high-stakes federal lawsuit challenging California's newly approved congressional redistricting maps under Proposition 50 has wrapped up its expedited hearing, leaving the state's political landscape hanging in the balance.

SNAP fraud not only drains $24 million daily ($8.76 billion annually) but undermines aid for 42 million needy Americans. Trump's reforms could save billions but risk disrupting benefits as a result of federal funds being cut off due to states unwillingness to share SNAP benefit data.

Widespread social media speculation has centered on Mustapha Kharbouch, a first-year Brown University student, as a potential suspect. Kharbouch is described in archived and screenshot-based profiles as a third-generation Palestinian refugee born and raised in Lebanon, who received a scholarship to attend United World College (UWC) Maastricht before enrolling at Brown.

Federal authorities announced today the disruption of a major domestic terrorism plot, arresting four alleged members of the far-left extremist group Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF) who were accused of planning coordinated bombings across Southern California on New Year's Eve. The suspects, described as part of an anti-capitalist, anti-government, and pro-Palestinian organization, were apprehended last Friday in the Mojave Desert while allegedly assembling and testing e

On December 13, 2025, a tragic mass shooting unfolded at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, during the second day of final exams, claiming the lives of at least two students and wounding nine others. The attack occurred in a classroom within the Barus & Holley building, specifically in a Judaic Studies course taught by Professor Rachel Friedberg, who has a Jewish background and has taught in Israel.

The tactics highlighted in this article are irrefutable. There is ample evidence of them being deployed successfully by the US and other world powers.  However, the CIA has no monopoly on these tactics.  There is no mistaking that much of what has taken place on the US political stage since  Donald Trump announced his quest for the Presidency in 2015 has the all the hallmarks of the destabilization “playbook”.

On December 3, 2025, the Redding City Council convened to appoint new leaders following the conclusion of Mayor Jack Munns's one-year term. In a 4-1 vote, council member Mike Littau, a local insurance agent, was selected as the new mayor. Dr. Paul Dhanuka was named vice mayor, and Aaron Resner was appointed mayor pro tempore. The process, which extended over 45 minutes, devolved into heated arguments about the proper method for selecting the mayor.

In a bold move amid escalating geopolitical tensions, the United States Navy, in coordination with the Coast Guard, intercepted and seized a Venezuelan oil tanker on December 10, 2025. This operation, described by President Donald Trump as involving the "largest one ever seized," underscores the ongoing enforcement of US sanctions against Venezuela and its allies. The incident has drawn international condemnation from Venezuela, which labeled it an "act of piracy," ...

Just when you thought the Somali welfare fraud scandal couldn't get any wilder, the whispers on X (formerly Twitter) and many video posts on YouTube have cranked it up to eleven: "$3 billion stolen!" "$8 billion funneled to terrorists!" Viral posts are flying faster than a Minnesota blizzard, accusing everyone from Gov. Tim Walz to Rep. Ilhan Omar.