Progressive search for action

6+ min ago (213+ words) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) got into a fiery argument Tuesday over the Trump administration's lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean, off the coast of Venezuela. The two were at a classified briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Hegseth and House lawmakers when Kelly, who was apparently sitting in the front row, asked about the ongoing operations, Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio wrote on X. Hegseth " whose Department of Defense is investigating Kelly over a video he made with other Democratic lawmakers warning active military members not to follow unlawful orders " reportedly responded and referenced the difference between lawful and unlawful orders. The lawmakers in the video, including Kelly, are all veterans. "Kelly interrupted Hegseth as Hegseth was going after him for the video, noting his question had nothing to do with that," Desiderio wrote. "INSIDE…...

21+ min ago (249+ words) Wrestling legend Mick Foley says he is walking away from WWE after three decades with the company, citing its close ties to Donald Trump and what he described as the president's increasingly "cruel" rhetoric as the breaking point. Foley, 60, confirmed he will not renew his WWE contract when it expires in June, according to The Daily Beast. While he said he had been troubled for months by WWE's longstanding relationship with Trump, Foley pointed to Trump's recent comments following the deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, as the final catalyst for his decision. In a statement, Foley condemned Trump's remarks as "incredibly cruel" and said he could no longer represent an organization that continues to align itself with someone he believes lacks basic compassion and is steering the country toward authoritarianism. He also referenced Trump-era immigration policies,…...

22+ min ago (281+ words) President Donald Trump received sharp criticism from The Guardian's editorial board on Tuesday after he sued the British Broadcasting Corporation, or BBC, for defamation. Trump filed a 33-page complaint in a court in Florida on Monday, alleging that the BBC deceptively edited a portion of a documentary that details the president's actions on Jan. 6, 2021. The lawsuit seeks to recoup $10 billion in damages. The BBC has said it will defend itself in the case. The Guardian's editorial board argued in a new editorial on Tuesday that the lawsuit is "absurd" on its face and speaks to a larger aim of the administration. "A terse BBC statement on Tuesday suggested that there would be no backing down in the face of White House bullying," the editorial reads. "That is the right response to absurd claims of 'overwhelming financial and reputational harm' caused…...

25+ min ago (681+ words) This holiday season, we've found the gifts that feel great to get and even better to give. Shop our collection of editor-approved holiday gift guides'here.Holiday shopping doesn't always have to be about everyone else. Once you've checked off the gifts for your mom, jetsetting bestie, and everyone else on your list, there's one very important person worth prioritizing: you.While spa gift cards and dinner reservations will always have their place, sometimes the most meaningful treats are the ones you give yourself " because no one understands your taste, needs, or indulgences better than you do. From beauty upgrades that make you feel unstoppable to small comforts that quietly elevate everyday life, here are 11 items Refinery29 Chief Content Officer Brooke DeVard is gifting herself this season.At Refinery29, we're here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our…...

27+ min ago (572+ words) President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine American democracy persist, even if they're "haphazard," a Vox column said on Tuesday. Last week, Trump pardoned MAGA supporter and Colorado county clerk Tina Peters after her conviction on state charges tied to proving that he won the 2020 election. Peters allowed a fellow 2020 "truther" to copy hard drives from actual voting machines, yet she was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. Trump issued a federal pardon anyway'but presidents cannot pardon state crimes, which the Constitution limits to offenses "against the United States." In a Truth Social post, Trump made clear there was no doubt this was an illegal act, Vox's Zack Beauchamp wrote. Colorado officials ignored the order. Yet, Trump issued a federal pardon. A president cannot authorize a pardon for state charges. According to the Constitution, the presidential pardon only…...

27+ min ago (258+ words) President Donald Trump is on the brink of being abandoned by his own followers, as the very type of person he elevated in politics will not stick around to get his "stink" on them as he goes down, Jesse Edwards, director of Newsweek Voices and Radio, wrote in an analysis published on Tuesday. Trump "isn't the worst president in American history. He's the worst American in American history," wrote Edwards. "That distinction matters because what's coming next for him has very little to do with Democrats, policy, or ideology. Trump is going to be taken down by his own people first because that is how this always ends for men like him." The wave of MAGA figures speaking out against Trump over his posthumous attack on murdered film director Rob Reiner isn't an accident, Edwards argued " it's a sign of…...

28+ min ago (193+ words) U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) arrives for a classified briefing for all members of the U.S. House of Representatives with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the situation in Venezuela, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., December 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was recently heard getting into a "heated" argument with one Republican member of the House of Representatives. In one exchange between Johnson and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), the New York Republican was heard lamenting to Johnson that Republicans would never get another chance to pass a bill via the reconciliation process (in which the Senate can pass legislation with a simple majority, provided the bill itself pertains to strictly budgetary matters). At that point, the speaker reportedly erupted at Lawler. "At one point during a meeting between mods and Johnson things…...

32+ min ago (785+ words) No surprise that an agency known for disappearing people also can't keep its records straight," Omar's office said. Independent journalism at Truthout faces unprecedented authoritarian censorship. If you value progressive media, please make a year-end donation today. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) has hit back at the Trump administration's rogue" immigration enforcement campaign after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused her of lying about agents apprehending her son last week. In a post on X on Tuesday, DHS said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has absolutely ZERO record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar's son." With no evidence, it is shameful that Congresswoman Omar would level accusations to demonize ICE as part of a PR stunt. Allegations that ICE engages in "racial profiling' are disgusting, reckless and categorically FALSE," the agency said. Omar's office lambasted ICE…...

34+ min ago (157+ words) A CNN analyst called the White House's bluff after President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff Susie Wiles's explosive Vanity Fair interview dropped Tuesday in an article Wiles complained was a "hit piece." Kate Bedingfield, former Biden White House communications director, suggested that Wiles could have made a strategic move, and the White House could simply release the recordings if there were any questions about the context. Bedingfield suggested that Wiles could be considering her political future. Trump indicated Tuesday that he stands by Wiles and admitted that he has "an alcoholic's personality." Wiles conducted 11 interviews with the writer, Christopher Whipple, over the course of a year " not just one conversation, Bedingfield added. "You know, you kind of hear her saying it was taken out of context, although I would say if they feel there was context omitted, they should release…...

38+ min ago (865+ words) No expectations. No surge prices. No regrets. Back in college, I was slugging penny pitchers, bottomless brews, and $1 lemon drop shots, depending on the bar's promo of the night. When I moved to New York City at the age of 22, I had the stamina (and, TBH, diet) of the pizza rat " if it also considered Coors Light a form of hydration. Acclimating to a new city " especially one that never sleeps " involved a lot of saying yes. Monday night happy hour? In. Tuesday trivia? I wouldn't miss it for the world. Wednesday dinner at a sushi spot that morphs into a full-blown nightclub at the stroke of midnight? Say less. I would happily reek of spicy tuna and sake at my desk the next morning. In fact, TikTok's full-blown 2016 nostalgia revival has awakened the frat rat that still lives deep…...