President Donald Trump spent much of 2025 attempting what had eluded his predecessors: personally engaging both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. From high-profile summits to direct phone calls, the administration pushed for a negotiated settlement even as the fighting ground on and the map changed little. By year’s end, the outlines of...

The new year will bring changes for taxpayers as a slate of new state laws takes effect across the country, impacting Americans’ wallets through higher minimum wages, a new tourism tax in Hawaii and other cost-of-living measures. At the same time, a growing number of states are moving to restrict what food can be purchased with SNAP benefits or tighten eligibility requirements, signaling a broader push to rein...

There’s no denying the Democratic Party had a very good year at the ballot box. Fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation, Democrats scored decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections and overperformed throughout the year in special elections and other contests. A year after President Donald Trump and Republicans scored sweeping victories as they won back the White House and Senate and held their...