Jonathan J. Cooper, Author at The Rapid City Post

West Virginia National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe receive the Purple Heart as his mother, Melody, watches during President Donald Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump honors National Guard members shot in Washington

February 24, 2026

President Donald Trump has presented the Purple Heart medal during his State of the Union Address and honored two National Guard members who were shot while patrolling in Washington last year. Trump paused his speech Tuesday so a military officer could pin the medal on Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe in the House gallery. He also honored Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, who died from her injuries, as “a true American patriot” and introduced her parents. Wolfe and Beckstrom, members of the West Virginia National Guard, were ambushed in November while deployed to Washington as part of Trump’s executive order to battle what he said was rampant crime.

Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, left, visits at a coffee shop, in Corpus Christi, Texas, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Mayra Flores fights to reclaim a Rio Grande Valley seat in Congress as Trump backs a rival

February 24, 2026

Mayra Flores is fighting for a political comeback in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. She made history in 2022 by winning a special election, becoming the first Republican to win a seat in Congress in this part of Texas in more than 150 years. Her victory gave Republicans hope of winning in the Rio Grande Valley, and it foreshadowed Trump’s win there in 2024. But Flores went on to lose twice to Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. She’s running again, but must win a GOP primary on March 3. Trump has endorsed Eric Flores, a former prosecutor and Army officer.

FILE - Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., flanked by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., left, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks to reporters following Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, at the Capitol in Washington, Nov. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Ex-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema sued for allegedly breaking up bodyguard’s marriage

January 15, 2026

Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema allegedly had a romantic relationship with a member of her security detail, leading to the breakup of his marriage. His ex-wife claims in a lawsuit that Sinema pursued Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married. The lawsuit, filed in North Carolina, seeks at least $75,000 from Sinema. It alleges Ammel’s wife discovered messages between him and Sinema in early 2024. Sinema allegedly gave Ammel a job in her Senate office and paid for psychedelic treatment for him. Sinema and her attorney have not commented on the allegations.

FILE - Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords talks during a vigil remembering the 25th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting, April 19, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

Former Rep. Gabby Giffords returns to House floor on 15th anniversary of shooting

January 8, 2026

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords returned to the House floor on the 15th anniversary of the assassination attempt that ended her political career. Giffords, accompanied by her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, received a standing ovation as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised her service and advocacy for gun control. Giffords was shot in 2011 while meeting constituents in Tucson, Arizona. She left Congress to focus on recovery. Giffords and Kelly later founded a group advocating for tougher gun laws. Jeffries pledges Democrats will prioritize gun control if they win the House majority in November.

FILE - Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA speaks during the Turning Point Action conference, July 15, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

Turning Point youth conference begins in Phoenix without founder Charlie Kirk

December 17, 2025

Turning Point begins its annual Christian youth conference on Thursday, marking the first event since the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk. The four-day meeting in Phoenix gathers thousands of young supporters of the MAGA movement, which faces internal debates over its future. A year ago, the conference celebrated President Donald Trump’s victory, but now, the movement faces challenges, including debates over antisemitism. Turning Point, led by Kirk’s widow, Erika, confronts its own future. The event features MAGA influencers like Donald Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson. Erika Kirk has stepped into the spotlight, addressing conspiracy theories surrounding her husband’s death.

FILE - Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear waves to a cheering crowd after his speech during the Ben Nelson Gala Nov. 7, 2025, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz, File)

Democratic governors say the party’s midterm strategy must focus on voters’ pocketbook concerns

December 7, 2025

Democratic governors who met over the weekend in Arizona say the party must focus on affordability in next year’s midterm elections. They aim to build on wins last month in governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia by addressing everyday concerns such as housing prices, rent and grocery costs. The strategy seeks to unite Democrats across the ideological spectrum while confronting President Donald Trump’s policies. Yet there are risks if economic conditions change for the better or if Democrats fail to deliver on their promises. Governor’s offices will be up for election in 36 states next year.

FILE - The Department of Defense seal is seen on the podium in the Press Briefing room at the Pentagon on Oct. 29, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

Who is Mark Kelly, the senator the Pentagon is targeting for urging troops to defy illegal orders?

November 24, 2025

The Pentagon suggests it could recall U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly to active military duty for appearing in a video urging troops to defy “illegal orders.” Kelly, a Democratic senator from Arizona, was a senior Navy officer and NASA astronaut. On Monday, he responded on social media, saying intimidation won’t silence him. Kelly flew combat missions in the Gulf War and commanded space shuttle missions. His political career began after his wife, Gabrielle Giffords, survived a shooting. In the Senate, he focuses on national security and the military. He was instrumental in crafting the CHIPS and Science Act.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green takes questions from media during the Western Governors' Association meeting Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Scottsdale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rebecca Noble)

Hawaii Gov. Green predicts Newsom won’t satisfy Americans’ desire for a peacemaking leader in 2028

November 21, 2025

Democratic Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii predicts Americans will want a peacemaking leader by 2028. He says the “hand to hand combat” of partisan politics will struggle after President Donald Trump’s second term. Green, a moderate, worries Gov. Gavin Newsom, an early frontrunner, may be seen as “a radical from California.” He believes Newsom needs to adopt more conciliatory rhetoric. Green hopes both parties nominate candidates committed to healing the partisan divide. He mentions Democratic Govs. Wes Moore and Josh Shapiro, and Republican Gov. Spencer Cox as potential leaders. Green is open to running himself but prefers supporting someone else.

FILE - Artist Norman Rockwell, right and his wife Molly, left, in his last public appearance at a 'Norman Rockwell Day' parade in Stockbridge, Mass., Nov. 9, 1978. (AP Photo, File)

White House Historical Association reclaims Rockwell sketches for $5.8 million at auction

November 14, 2025

The White House Historical Association has paid $5.8 million at auction to reclaim a series of Norman Rockwell sketches that once hung in the West Wing. The sketches are titled “So You Want to See the President!” and depict various people waiting to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They were removed in 2022 due to a family dispute over who owned them. The association made the winning bid at an auction on Friday. The sketches were created in 1943 and published in the Saturday Evening Post during World War II.

FILE - Hunter Biden listens while his father, President Joe Biden, speaks during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Melania Trump demands Hunter Biden retract ‘extremely salacious’ Epstein comments

August 14, 2025

First lady Melania Trump is demanding that Hunter Biden retract comments linking her to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. She threatens to sue if he does not. Biden made the comments in an interview this month, claiming Epstein introduced Melania to Donald Trump. Melania Trump’s lawyer, Alejandro Brito, calls the statements false and defamatory. Brito says the comments have been widely shared on social media, causing harm to the first lady’s reputation. Biden attributed the claim to author Michael Wolff, whom Trump has criticized. The Trumps have long said they were introduced by a modeling agent in 1998.

FILE - Arizona Democratic party supporters walk to the exit after attending a watch party on election night Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Arizona Democrats oust embattled chair amid party turmoil

July 17, 2025

Arizona Democrats have removed their chair just six months into a tumultuous tenure. Two-thirds of the state Democratic committee voted Wednesday to oust Robert Branscomb following public disputes with top Democratic leaders and concerns about fundraising. Branscomb was elected in January after a party shakeup. He faced criticism for firing senior staff and clashing with elected officials including Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego. Last month, the party’s treasurer warned the party was on track to run out of money by the end of the year. This turmoil threatens Democratic efforts in key 2024 races. First Vice Chair Kim Khoury will temporarily lead the party until a new chair is chosen.

FILE - This July 25, 2013, file image provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows financier Jeffrey Epstein. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement via AP, File)

In their own words: Trump, Patel, Bongino and Bondi on the Epstein scandal

July 16, 2025

When Jeffrey Epstein died in prison, then-President Donald Trump speculated that authorities might be wrong in ruling it a suicide. Many of his allies in the pro-Trump media went further, casting Epstein’s death as a murder meant to continue a decades-long coverup of pedophilia by elites. Now back in the White House, Trump has elevated prominent proponents of Epstein conspiracies to senior law enforcement roles, and they’re struggling to contain a fire that they spent years stoking. Much of Trump’s base is choosing to believe the president’s earlier claims about Epstein over his latest contention that there’s nothing of substance in government files.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks about President Donald Trump's policies and the GOP's tax and spending cut bill that passed this month, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Democrats are trolling Trump and the GOP over the Jeffrey Epstein case

July 15, 2025

Democrats are latching on to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. On Tuesday, they trolled Republicans in online posts and demanded records be released, reveling in a rare backlash roiling President Donald Trump’s fiercely loyal base. Conspiracy theories over Epstein’s death in prison have largely been a fixation for the right. But as some of Trump’s most influential allies refuse to heed his pleas to move on, Democrats sense an opening to further divide Republicans and appease elements of their own base hungry for a more aggressive confrontation with the other side.

FILE - Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, center, applauds for those affected by the Los Angeles area wildfires as she gives the State of the State address in the House of Representatives at the state Capitol with Speaker of the House Rep. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, left, and Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, flanking the governor on Jan. 13, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Arizona Democrats will bypass struggling state party in midterms, with key races on ballot

July 1, 2025

Arizona’s top Democrats will bypass the state Democratic Party for next year’s midterms. They announced plans Tuesday to run their grassroots organizing through the Navajo County Democratic Party instead. This move follows financial struggles and leadership turmoil within the state party under Chairman Robert Branscomb. National Democratic committees back the decision. The state party faces accusations of mismanagement, with warnings it could run out of money by year’s end. The announcement sends a message to donors and Democratic activists that party dysfunction won’t hamper the re-election campaigns of Arizona’s Democratic governor, secretary of state and attorney general.

Jonathan J. Cooper.