Tate McRae Graces Rolling Stone Cover, Reflects on Breakout Year

written by a member of the WCB

Pop sensation Tate McRae caps off a whirlwind 2025 by landing the cover of Rolling Stone's January 2026 issue. The 22-year-old Canadian singer, songwriter and dancer opens up about her meteoric rise, navigating public scrutiny, and coming into her own as a bona fide pop star.

McRae's breakout hit "Greedy", released in September 2023, marked a turning point in her career. Co-written with Troye Sivan, Ryan Tedder and Jasper Harris, the infectious track peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and showcased McRae's evolution as an artist. "I feel it changed people's perspective on who I was," she tells Rolling Stone.

The singer followed up with the equally addictive "Exes", with both songs featured on her 2023 album "Think Later". But it was 2025's "So Close to What" that truly signaled McRae's arrival. "I'm going to be a dancing pop star," she declared to herself in 2023. "I will make this happen." Immersing herself in the greats - from Beyoncé to Madonna to Lady Gaga - McRae began merging her expressive dancing side with her songwriting talents to explosive effect on stage.

However, McRae's banner year was not without challenges. In January 2025, a month before its release, over 600 of McRae's songs, dating back to when she was 12, were leaked online. "It's like having your whole phone released," she says of the devastating privacy breach. "It was really scary and overwhelming."

The singer also had to weather intense public interest in her relationship with Australian musician The Kid LAROI. The couple, who first sparked dating rumors in January 2024, called it quits in June 2025. "I didn't realize how much it would affect me, the public knowing my private life — because no one knows the full story of anything, ever," McRae reflects.

Despite the trials, McRae emerges stronger and more self-assured than ever. With a wildly successful tour under her belt and legions of devoted fans (affectionately dubbed "Tater Tots") in her corner, the pop powerhouse has proven she's no one-hit wonder. As McRae looks ahead to 2026 and beyond, one thing is certain - she's just getting started.

Sweet Sounds of Principle: Unwrapping “Candy” by The New Respects

Art by Mitchell Royel, now playing "Candy" by The New Respects - a melodic fusion of youthful creativity and musical brilliance that captures the essence of pure, unbridled joy.

Photo by Mitchell Royel, now playing "Candy" by The New Respects - a melodic fusion of youthful creativity and musical brilliance that captures the essence of pure, unbridled joy.

Photo by Mitchell Royel, now playing "Candy" by The New Respects - a melodic fusion of youthful creativity and musical brilliance that captures the essence of pure, unbridled joy.

Photo by Mitchell Royel, now playing "Candy" by The New Respects - a melodic fusion of youthful creativity and musical brilliance that captures the essence of pure, unbridled joy.

written by a member of the WCB

In the intricate landscape of modern music, The New Respects emerge as a testament to family, talent, and the delicate balance between artistic expression and principled living. Their latest single “Candy” represents more than just a musical offering - it’s a nuanced exploration of artistic integrity and familial bonds.

Comprising twins Zandy and Lexi Fitzgerald, her brother Darius, and cousin Jasmine Mullen, The New Respects are a Nashville-based musical collective that defies conventional genre boundaries. Since their debut in 2017 with the EP “Here Comes Trouble”, they’ve garnered significant attention, with their breakout song achieving over two million streams.

As conservatives, we understand that life - much like music - is not always sweet. “Candy” serves as a metaphorical journey, reminding us that momentary pleasures can be deceptive. The biblical wisdom rings true: pride comes before a fall. The New Respects embody this principle, approaching their musical career with a measured, intentional perspective.

Their musical philosophy centers on creating space that “invites anyone who wants to come to be there.” As band member Alexis Fitzgerald notes, their music isn’t about a specific ideology, but about “freedom and fun and family”.

The single represents more than a musical piece - it’s a nuanced exploration of life’s complexities. Just as candy offers momentary sweetness, the song suggests the fleeting nature of surface-level experiences. The band has deliberately self-produced their music, maintaining creative control and bringing an authentic energy to their work.

An interesting footnote to the band’s story is Zandy Fitzgerald’s connection to an equally remarkable family. Her husband, Tavior Mowry, brings his own rich entertainment heritage:

The Mowry Siblings

1. Tia Mowry: A renowned actress best known for “Sister, Sister” where she co-starred with her twin sister.

2. Tamera Mowry-Housley: An actress who appeared in Disney Channel movies and was a co-host on “The Real”.

3. Tahj Mowry: An actor known for roles in “Smart Guy” and “Baby Daddy”.

The New Respects offer more than music - they provide a harmonious blueprint for navigating life’s complex rhythms. Their single “Candy” reminds us that true artistry, like true character, is built on a foundation of discipline, authenticity, and principled living.

Fox News: Karoline Leavitt Stands Firm: Democrats' Attack on Military Leadership Reveals Their True Priorities

written by a member of the WCB

Karoline Leavitt didn't mince words when addressing the relentless assault from the left on the Trump administration's decisive action against drug cartels. The White House press secretary cut through the noise with clarity—Democrats attacking our military leadership for conducting lawful strikes against narco-terrorists reveals the depravity of their political calculations. They would rather score points than acknowledge a fundamental truth: President Trump campaigned on demolishing foreign drug cartels, and he's delivering on that promise.

The strikes speak to resolve. Twenty-two operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels represent the kind of action Americans demanded in 2024. Yet Democrats respond with accusations of "war crimes"—a hollow rhetorical gambit designed to undermine military personnel executing orders well within the law. Leavitt's defense wasn't defensive; it was an indictment of progressive priorities that prioritize procedural hand-wringing over the lives destroyed by cartel poison flooding American streets.

The real question Democrats refuse to answer: where was their moral clarity when fentanyl ravaged communities? When families like the Fundners lost children to overdoses? Trump's administration recognized what the previous administration ignored—that combating cartels demands strength, not apologies. Leavitt reminded America that this White House stands with the brave men and women executing these operations, not with politicians who weaponize national security for partisan advantage. That's leadership. That's conviction. That's what winning looks like.

Helios and Hegemony: Solar Thermodynamics in the Crucible of Conservative Thought

written by a member of the WCB

In the grand amphitheater of celestial discourse, the sun emerges not merely as an astronomical entity, but as a profound metaphor for conservative ideological resilience. Its radiant dominion over terrestrial temperature serves as an allegory for the unyielding principles of thermal governance that parallel conservative political philosophy.

Thermodynamic Conservative Paradigm

The sun—that immutable sphere of plasma and potential—represents more than a celestial body. It embodies the conservative ethos of unchanging natural order, its consistent energy output a testament to the immutability of fundamental systems. Where progressive narratives might suggest complex anthropogenic climate mechanisms, the conservative solar perspective remains elegantly simplistic: the sun dictates, the earth responds.

Thermal Sovereignty and Planetary Dynamics

Conservative solar theory posits a hierarchical model of planetary temperature regulation. The sun is not a negotiator but a sovereign, its radiation a unilateral decree of thermal policy. Unlike the equivocating models of climate alarmists, this perspective embraces a clear chain of thermodynamic command: solar radiation enters, terrestrial temperature adjusts.

Key Conservative Solar Principles:

• Natural cycles trump human intervention

• Solar energy represents pure, unmediated power

• Temperature fluctuations are inherent, not manufactured

Epistemological Landscape

To comprehend solar influence through a conservative lens is to reject the cacophony of climate hysteria. It is to understand temperature not as a malleable construct, but as a divine arithmetic—calculated, predetermined, beyond the petty manipulations of contemporary environmental discourse.

The sun does not negotiate. It radiates.

Rhetorical Implications

This solar conservative framework extends beyond mere meteorological observation. It becomes a philosophical stance—a declaration that natural systems possess an intrinsic wisdom far surpassing the transient political machinations of human institutions.

Stellar Conservative Manifesto

In the end, the sun remains—constant, unapologetic, a beacon of thermal conservatism. Its rays do not bend to political whim, its energy does not compromise. It is, in its purest form, the ultimate conservative metaphor: unchanging, powerful, and gloriously indifferent to the ephemeral debates of terrestrial politics.

GOP Perspectives on Earth's Climate Policy in 2025

written by a member of the WCB

Key Insights

Shifting Attitudes Towards Climate Change

Contrary to popular belief, a significant number of conservatives are increasingly concerned about climate change. A Savanta survey revealed:

• 61% of conservative-leaning voters in the U.S. consider themselves “very worried” or “somewhat worried” about climate change

GOP Messaging Strategies

Conservative leaders suggest reframing climate action through distinctly conservative principles:

1. Market-Driven Solutions

   • Emphasize free market approaches

   • Focus on individual choice and personal responsibility

   • Highlight economic opportunities in clean energy

2. National Security Perspective

   • Stress national security advantages of renewable energy

   • Promote energy independence

   • Showcase climate action as a strategic national interest

Policy Challenges and Project 2025

Conservative Policy Approach

Some conservative groups propose radical environmental policy changes:

• Potential dismantling of environmental agencies

• Expansion of fossil fuel production

• Reversal of existing climate legislation

Potential Consequences

• Risks to global climate action

• Potential reduction in climate monitoring capabilities

• Possible undermining of international climate commitments

Emerging Conservative Climate Perspectives

• Growing recognition of climate change as a serious issue

• Desire for conservative-aligned solutions

• Emphasis on economic opportunities and national resilience

Recommended Messaging for Conservative Climate Engagement

1. Use positive, hopeful narratives

2. Connect climate action to conservative values

3. Focus on economic benefits and innovation

4. Avoid apocalyptic language

Note: Perspectives continue to evolve, reflecting a complex political landscape around climate policy.