Politics – Headline Smart

Former Lt. Gov. Kills Wife, Then Himself, Police Say

Their two teenage children were home in Annandale during the overnight shooting, and one called 911. ANNANDALE, Va. — Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax fatally shot his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, and then killed himself at the couple’s home shortly after midnight Thursday as their two teenage children were inside, Fairfax County police said. The deaths closed a violent chapter in a high-profile divorce and ended the public story of a onetime Democratic rising …

Trump Ousts DHS Chief Kristi Noem and Names a New Pick

President Donald Trump said Thursday he is replacing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and will nominate Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to run the department that oversees border security, immigration enforcement, disaster response and transportation screening. The shake-up comes after days of intense hearings on Capitol Hill and a widening dispute over a costly federal advertising campaign that featured Noem. It also lands as the Department of Homeland Security remains partly shut down in a funding …

Armed Suspect Shot Dead at Mar-a-Lago

U.S. Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed an armed man early Sunday after authorities said he breached the secure perimeter outside Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club and residence, during a predawn confrontation near the property’s north gate. The shooting, which investigators said happened around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 22, 2026, triggered a multiagency review led by the FBI and renewed attention on security at a high-profile site …

Text Reignites Affair Claims Tied to Congressman Aide’s Fiery Death

A text message attributed to a former aide to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales has renewed allegations that the Texas Republican had an affair with the staffer months before she died by suicide in 2025, adding a volatile new dispute to an already competitive primary campaign. The allegations center on Regina Ann “Regi” Santos-Aviles, a district staffer who worked for Gonzales and died after an incident at her home in Uvalde. The San Antonio Express-News reported …

GOP Chair Waterboards Daughter as Punishment

A 54-year-old Utah man who leads a county Republican Party organization was arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after investigators said his 16-year-old daughter reported he repeatedly pushed her head under water in a bathroom sink because her room was not clean enough. The case has drawn attention beyond this mountain town east of Salt Lake City because the suspect, David Nephi Johnson, is the chair of the Wasatch County Republican Party and the …

Candidate Ends Campaign After Daughter Stabbed to Death

A Minnesota Republican candidate for governor ended his campaign after his 22-year-old daughter was found stabbed to death in her St. Cloud apartment over the weekend, and her husband was taken into custody and charged with murder, authorities said. The death of Hallie Marie Tobler and the quick shift from a political race to a homicide investigation drew reactions from both parties across the state. Police said officers initially responded to what was reported as …

Librarian Arrested for Recruiting Online to Assassinate Trump

A Jackson County woman was arrested Sunday evening after investigators said she used social media to recruit people to assassinate President Donald Trump, a plan described in online posts that prompted a fast-moving inquiry and a single felony count of making a terroristic threat. Authorities identified the suspect as Morgan L. Morrow, 39, of Ripley. Sheriff Ross Mellinger said deputies and the Jackson County Bureau of Investigations tracked the posts over the weekend and took …

Romney’s Sister-in-Law Left Note Before Fatal Fall

Carrie Elizabeth Romney, the sister-in-law of former U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, left a handwritten note before she fell from the roof of a multistory parking garage in October 2025, according to records and law enforcement summaries. The Los Angeles County medical examiner later ruled the death a suicide caused by blunt-force injuries. The case drew national attention because of the family’s public profile and because investigators noted a written note was found in Romney’s vehicle. …

Seven-Term Congressman Dies Suddenly at 65

U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a Republican who represented California’s 1st Congressional District since 2013, died suddenly early Tuesday at age 65 after a medical emergency, his office and state officials said. Tributes quickly flowed from both parties as colleagues absorbed the loss and the U.S. House adjusted to a slimmer Republican majority. LaMalfa’s death matters immediately in Washington and across Northern California. The vacancy narrows the GOP’s working edge in the House and triggers California’s …

Americans Will Soon Get Large Refunds, Up to $2K Per Household

In the early months of 2026, American households can expect to receive substantial tax refunds ranging from $1,000 to $2,000, as announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. These refunds are a direct result of tax reductions implemented under President Donald Trump’s comprehensive, budget-centric legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Bessent, speaking on Wednesday, projected that the total amount of refunds could fall between $100 and $150 billion. This would translate to individual …