As temperatures drop in the nation’s capital and politicians hunker down for the holidays, here’s a look back at some of the political controversies that sent a chill through Washington, D.C., this year. The government was shut down for 43 days in 2025, setting the record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Republicans blamed Democrats and Democrats blamed Republicans, leaving Capitol Hill at a standstill for a...

President Donald Trump used his Christmas Eve Truth Social post to tout his administration’s accomplishments and to bash those on the left whom he accused of trying to “destroy” the U.S. “Merry Christmas to all, including the radical left scum that is doing everything possible to destroy our country, but are failing badly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We no longer have open borders, men in women’s sports,...

As families across the United States gather for the holidays, thousands of U.S. service members are spending the season overseas, marking the occasion far from home while continuing their duties. American troops remain deployed across Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, supporting missions that range from NATO deterrence operations to maritime patrols and humanitarian assistance. While Christmas abroad rarely resembles celebrations back home, service members often find...