The Conservative Desk

The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · 56mStory

Orioles cut mascot jobs in private payroll reset

Baltimore ends the dedicated Mr. Splash role and lays off the Oriole Bird performer in a business-side reshaping after a 79-win year, drawing sharp fan pushback while the club keeps the Bird Bath alive.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 5hStory

Lincoln returns after Iran combat no carrier matched

Hegseth awarded the Presidential Unit Citation as the Abraham Lincoln ended a 321-day deployment that hit Iranian forces hard and drew scrutiny over morale and supplies.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 9hStory

Arcadia house of horrors exposes California surrogacy free-for-all

Zhang and Xuan face abuse and conspiracy charges after 21 children were linked to their mansion. Prosecutors describe beatings on camera. Defense cites a right to a large family. Experts call the industry a Wild West.

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The Conservative Desk· 6 min read · 22hStory

FBI stops ISIS mall massacre plot in Minnesota

An 18-year-old in Richfield took a disabled AK-47-style rifle and live ammo from an undercover seller he believed was ISIS, court papers say, aiming to kill dozens at the Mall of America on Oct. 24.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 1dStory

Trump approves Army firing squad for Fort Hood’s Hasan

President Trump has approved death by U.S. Army firing squad for Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 at Fort Hood in 2009. The execution is set for Dec. 3 at the same Texas base.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · 1dStory

Washington man faces life in Canada school murder plot

James Cody Bryant of Bellingham is charged with conspiracy to murder after prosecutors say he gave counsel, money, and livestream help in the Tumbler Ridge attack. The charge carries up to life.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 2dStory

US monitors Siberia after Russian plague lab death

A 28-year-old Irkutsk anti-plague lab worker dies of severe pneumonia; nearly 200 contacts are watched and institute staff sleep on floors as Rubio keeps a close eye.

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The Conservative Desk· 6 min read · 2dStory

Andrew's warrant challenge puts Epstein raid evidence at risk

Mountbatten-Windsor seeks to quash Thames Valley search warrants from the February raids. A private High Court hearing Thursday will test whether the seizures rest on lawful process.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 4dStory

Pope Leo defends human art against machine calculation

In the Consistory Hall on October 2, Leo told artists the Church needs them, drew an ontological line against AI output, and renewed a call to safeguard what no algorithm carries.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 4dStory

Angela Paxton urges GOP ticket hold in tight Texas race

Divorcing Ken Paxton on biblical grounds, the Texas senator backs the full Republican ticket in a Texas PAC ad as a Times/Siena poll shows Talarico up six and the seat rated a toss-up.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · 5dStory

Mangione arrest video shows policing and evidence still work

Unsealed Altoona bodycam captures the McDonald’s stop, the fake ID, and the station recoveries now headed toward a December federal sentencing and a pending state murder fight.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 5dStory

IRS citizenship question enforces federal benefit eligibility law

Draft 2026 Form 1040 asks filers about citizenship and work authorization as Treasury moves to bar ineligible noncitizens from refundable tax credits, citing up to $2 billion in savings.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · 6dStory

Trump warns Iran after FlyDubai cockpit stabbing

An Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed a FlyDubai captain on a Tel Aviv-bound jet. Trump says Iran may be linked and vows a hard U.S. response if the tie is confirmed.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 6dStory

DOE engineer charged in alleged Houthi material support

A Richland Energy Department engineer faces up to 20 years after the FBI alleges overseas travel, explosive precursors, drone parts, and technical aid to an Iran-backed terrorist group.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · 6dStory

Wounded captain unlocks door and stops cockpit takeover

Smit Machchhar opened the reinforced cockpit door while bleeding after his co-pilot stabbed him on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. The plunge, the passengers who rushed in, and what the case means for aviation security and public safety.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · 6dStory

Court will decide if detention statute still binds

Justices take up Trump DHS guidance that ends bond release for illegal entrants, testing whether Congress’s 1996 detention mandate still governs the interior and the border.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · 6dStory

Ex-officer rejects Sussex school paparazzi as security crisis

Photographers near Archie and Lilibet’s school drew a sharp Sussex rebuke tied to Fairford. A former royal protection chief says paparazzi are expected and RAVEC should not be swayed.

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The Conservative Desk· 6 min read · 6dStory

Dual national arrest raises Fairford sovereignty stakes

A dual British-Iranian national was arrested in Westminster over the RAF Fairford incident as investigators weigh foreign-state involvement and allies question the bail release of five men.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · 6dStory

Treasury mails $500 Obamacare refunds from Biden surplus

More than 950,000 unsubsidized HealthCare.gov buyers in 30 states get one-time checks drawn from excess user fees, with letters from President Trump returning money the White House says never belonged to Washington.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Oct 1, 2026Story

US ends Iraq mission after defeating ISIS threat

Last troops left Erbil on Sept. 30, closing a 12-year anti-ISIS campaign and 23 years of U.S. presence. Baghdad now owns remaining threats; American support shifts to training and intelligence.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Oct 1, 2026Story

Trump's Alaska LNG pledge meets Seoul party brake

Oval Office announcement of $54 billion South Korean capital for Alaska gas draws an immediate commercial-viability review from Korea’s ruling party, leaving contracts, land access and a final investment decision still in play.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Oct 1, 2026Story

Trump seals voluntary super intelligence safety with tech CEOs

At the White House, Trump and six frontier tech leaders signed a morally binding accord of internal controls, audits, and board oversight—self-policing over new federal mandates as America races China.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 30, 2026Story

FTC probes AI labs under existing consumer law

A day after Trump’s non-binding AI accord, the FTC confirmed a months-long probe of OpenAI, Anthropic and other firms—testing enforcement of current statutes over a new regulatory moat.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 30, 2026Story

Cockpit stabbing on Israel flight demands hard pilot vetting

Passengers and crew stopped a midair stabbing and dive on a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv jet. Israeli leaders call it an attempted crash; the airline says motive is unproven. Pilot access is the real stake.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 30, 2026Story

Clancy defense claims no proof after hung-jury mistrial

Kevin Reddington told a Plymouth judge the murder case rests on speculation and sought acquittal weeks after an 11-1 hung jury left three children’s deaths unresolved.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 29, 2026Story

Hegseth doubles brass cuts to free the warfighter

Pete Hegseth will announce a 20 percent cut in general and admiral billets at Quantico, doubling last year’s target to strip headquarters bulk and push authority toward troops.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 29, 2026Story

Trump faults UK bail release of Fairford suspects

Five British men arrested near RAF Fairford on terror suspicion were freed on bail under conditions. President Trump said he would not have released them and that a foreign link might exist.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 29, 2026Story

Senate passes Cruz bill to restore order in college sports

The Protect College Sports Act cleared the Senate 77-22, capping athlete pay, locking in medical and scholarship protections, and aiming to stop bidding wars that threaten women’s and Olympic programs. The House is next.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 28, 2026Story

Trump sets 34.5 mpg standard, freeing car buyers

President Trump approved new CAFE targets far below Biden’s 50.4 mpg rule, promising lower sticker prices and room for the trucks and SUVs Americans actually buy as NHTSA finalizes the change.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 28, 2026Story

Clancy returns as justice for three murdered children hangs

After a September 4 mistrial, Lindsay Clancy faces a September 29 status conference. Defense bids to end the case; the DA keeps the focus on Cora, Dawson, and Callan.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 28, 2026Story

SNL spoofs Amodei as Trump bets on winning AI

A Weekend Update sketch mocked Anthropic’s CEO hours before his first private dinner with President Trump, sharpening the fight over pace, Pentagon access, and who sets the rules.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 26, 2026Story

Pope Leo draws 800,000 to Mass at Revolution's guillotine site

An estimated 800,000 filled Place de la Concorde for Pope Leo XIV's open-air Mass, outpacing registrations in secular France as adult baptisms rise against decades of decline in priests, weddings and overall baptisms.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 26, 2026Story

White House replaces CNN with Real America’s Voice on Air Force One

Guidance issued Friday night dropped CNN from the Tennessee pool and listed Real America’s Voice for Trump’s trip to Neyland Stadium, testing the reach of a judge’s hard-pass order.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 26, 2026Story

China keeps ownership as loaned pandas head to Atlanta

Xi announces two giant pandas for Zoo Atlanta within days under a 10-year lease. Beijing retains title, a fact the 1972 crowds never faced and visitors still rarely see.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 26, 2026Story

Stars and NY nominee detained blocking streets near UN

NYPD took 103 into custody after a Jewish Voice for Peace sit-in blocked First Avenue during Netanyahu’s UN address, including Susan Sarandon and a near-certain House member.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 26, 2026Story

Caldwell’s ethics breaches leave only resignation or Senate trial

A 61-page probe found New Jersey’s lieutenant governor used his office for a romantic partner, free event tickets, and a demeaning remark. Sherrill set a Friday deadline; removal otherwise takes two-thirds of the Senate.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 25, 2026Story

Pope Leo puts human dignity before machines in France

Leo XIV opens the first official papal visit to France in 18 years with a warning on AI’s ‘paradise of machines,’ drawing crowds, a youth vigil, and a sharp free-enterprise rebuttal from Peter Thiel.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 24, 2026Story

Trump’s U.N. choice for Iran: deal or annihilation

After Iranian diplomats walked out of his General Assembly speech, Trump set a stark postwar choice—rebuild under a deal after the midterms, or face total defeat—and restated that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 24, 2026Story

Trump’s Iran choice lands hard at the U.N.

From the General Assembly dais, the president put annihilation or a deal before Tehran. Pezeshkian answered with photos and defiance as oil, flights, and Hormuz stayed on the line.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 24, 2026Story

Trump rolls out Andrews red carpet as Taiwan arms wait

Trump greeted Xi at Joint Base Andrews with bombers and a red carpet, the first such presidential airport welcome since 1962, as a $14 billion Taiwan package stays unshipped and Wicker calls the guest a dictator.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 24, 2026Story

ShinyHunters claim leaves FBI agents exposed at home

The group says it took personal data on roughly 38,000 FBI employees and applicants from the jobs portal and gave the bureau one week to retract a May FLASH report.

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The Conservative Desk· 6 min read · Sep 23, 2026Story

Florida pension fund sues Times over Israel coverage records

Florida’s retirement system and a conservative shareholder group ask a New York court to force The New York Times to show whether its board oversees the editorial standards it sells to investors.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 23, 2026Story

Clancy defense seeks dismissal after holdout juror blocks verdict

After an 11-1 mistrial in the killings of her three children, Lindsay Clancy’s lawyers move to bar a retrial on double jeopardy grounds and investigate the lone juror who refused a finding of no criminal responsibility.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 23, 2026Story

Utah carrier indicted for dumping 300 primary ballots

A Payson letter carrier faces a federal mail charge after allegedly discarding roughly 300 Eagle Mountain ballots in a church dumpster. The case tests the postal trust that mail voting requires.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 22, 2026Story

Contract pilots die on Yosemite fire still barely contained

Greg King and Ryan Cutter were killed Sunday dropping water on the Dome Fire. Private aviation carries the risk in terrain trucks cannot reach; the NTSB now leads, cause unknown.

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The Conservative Desk· 5 min read · Sep 22, 2026Story

Harris elevates progressive El-Sayed in Michigan Senate fight

Kamala Harris joins Abdul El-Sayed in Detroit as a progressive leads a toss-up race that could decide Senate control and set national policy for six years.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 22, 2026Story

Vance task force returns $2.2 billion in ACA waste

At the Eisenhower Building, Vance and Oz cancel unauthorized Obamacare enrollments covering 760,000 people, tighten broker rules, and put hundreds of thousands more under eligibility review ahead of open enrollment.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 21, 2026Story

Trump weighs Iran options after Tehran raises alert

After Houthi strikes on Riyadh, an unconfirmed Iranian military alert, and a U.S. order for citizens to leave, President Trump says very big things are coming and lists force, pressure, or a deal.

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The Conservative Desk· 6 min read · Sep 21, 2026Story

North Austin ICE shooting tests sovereignty and the law

An ICE agent shot a Venezuelan man during a Sunday pursuit in north Austin. Democrats demanded footage and retreat. The facts still point to enforcing immigration law under the Constitution.

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The Conservative Desk· 4 min read · Sep 20, 2026Story

Trump goes to Gracie after blasting Mamdani’s tax push

The president’s third meeting with New York’s mayor lands at Gracie Mansion after a housing pitch, a pied-à-terre tax fight, and a city-led suit against a federal green-card rule.

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Orioles cut mascot jobs in private payroll reset

Lincoln returns after Iran combat no carrier matched

Arcadia house of horrors exposes California surrogacy free-for-all

FBI stops ISIS mall massacre plot in Minnesota

Trump approves Army firing squad for Fort Hood’s Hasan

Washington man faces life in Canada school murder plot

US monitors Siberia after Russian plague lab death

Andrew's warrant challenge puts Epstein raid evidence at risk

Pope Leo defends human art against machine calculation

Angela Paxton urges GOP ticket hold in tight Texas race

Mangione arrest video shows policing and evidence still work

IRS citizenship question enforces federal benefit eligibility law

Trump warns Iran after FlyDubai cockpit stabbing

DOE engineer charged in alleged Houthi material support

Wounded captain unlocks door and stops cockpit takeover

Court will decide if detention statute still binds

Ex-officer rejects Sussex school paparazzi as security crisis

Dual national arrest raises Fairford sovereignty stakes

Treasury mails $500 Obamacare refunds from Biden surplus

US ends Iraq mission after defeating ISIS threat

Trump's Alaska LNG pledge meets Seoul party brake

Trump seals voluntary super intelligence safety with tech CEOs

FTC probes AI labs under existing consumer law

Cockpit stabbing on Israel flight demands hard pilot vetting

Clancy defense claims no proof after hung-jury mistrial

Hegseth doubles brass cuts to free the warfighter

Trump faults UK bail release of Fairford suspects

Senate passes Cruz bill to restore order in college sports

Trump sets 34.5 mpg standard, freeing car buyers

Clancy returns as justice for three murdered children hangs

SNL spoofs Amodei as Trump bets on winning AI

Pope Leo draws 800,000 to Mass at Revolution's guillotine site

White House replaces CNN with Real America’s Voice on Air Force One

China keeps ownership as loaned pandas head to Atlanta

Stars and NY nominee detained blocking streets near UN

Caldwell’s ethics breaches leave only resignation or Senate trial

Pope Leo puts human dignity before machines in France

Trump’s U.N. choice for Iran: deal or annihilation

Trump’s Iran choice lands hard at the U.N.

Trump rolls out Andrews red carpet as Taiwan arms wait

ShinyHunters claim leaves FBI agents exposed at home

Florida pension fund sues Times over Israel coverage records

Clancy defense seeks dismissal after holdout juror blocks verdict

Utah carrier indicted for dumping 300 primary ballots

Contract pilots die on Yosemite fire still barely contained

Harris elevates progressive El-Sayed in Michigan Senate fight

Vance task force returns $2.2 billion in ACA waste

Trump weighs Iran options after Tehran raises alert

North Austin ICE shooting tests sovereignty and the law

Trump goes to Gracie after blasting Mamdani’s tax push

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