Mark Masterson

Mark Masterson has written more than 1,700 articles for Live News Chat since 2022 and files most days. His beat is the news the networks on this site are carrying live: US politics, world affairs, breaking news, and the courts, with regular work on technology, sport and entertainment. Because the site exists to point readers at live coverage, most of his reporting is written within hours of the broadcast it follows, and is sourced from primary material where one exists: the filing, the transcript, the agency release, the company statement. Originally from Canada, he has worked in online publishing for over a decade. Corrections and story tips go to security@livenewschat.eu, and the standards his work is held to are set out in the Live News Chat editorial policy.

Shots Fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner: Gunman in Custody, Trump Safe, Officer Saved By Vest

Shots Fired at White House Correspondents Dinner Trump Rushed From Room

A gunman identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of California opened fire near the security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, prompting Secret Service to rush President Trump from the ballroom. Allen is alive and in custody. One officer was shot but saved by a protective vest. No attendees were injured.

Shots Fired at White House Correspondents’ Dinner: Gunman in Custody, Trump Safe, Officer Saved By Vest Read More »

RFK Jr. Testimony 2026: Kennedy Faces Congress on Measles Outbreaks, Vaccine Rollbacks, and the Dismantling of Public Health

RFK Jr. Testimony 2026 Kennedy Faces Congress on Measles Outbreaks, Vaccine Rollbacks, and the Dismantling of Public Health

RFK Jr. is in the middle of a seven-hearing congressional marathon, defending measles outbreaks on his watch, a $16 billion budget cut to HHS, and vaccine policy rollbacks that a federal judge had to block. The hearings reveal how far America’s public health infrastructure has eroded under his leadership.

RFK Jr. Testimony 2026: Kennedy Faces Congress on Measles Outbreaks, Vaccine Rollbacks, and the Dismantling of Public Health Read More »

Gates Foundation Epstein Investigation: Inside the Reckoning That Could Reshape Global Philanthropy

Gates Foundation Epstein Investigation Inside the Reckoning That Could Reshape Global Philanthropy

The Gates Foundation has hired an independent investigator to examine its ties to Jeffrey Epstein while cutting 500 jobs. With Bill Gates set to testify before Congress on June 10, the world’s largest philanthropy is racing to get ahead of a reckoning that could reshape how we think about accountability in charitable giving.

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Virginia Redistricting Results 2026: Voters Approve New Map That Could Hand Democrats Control of the House

vote elections

Virginia voters narrowly approved a referendum to redraw the state’s congressional map, giving Democrats a structural advantage in 10 of 11 House districts. The vote could reshape the 2026 midterms, but a pending state Supreme Court challenge may erase the results entirely.

Virginia Redistricting Results 2026: Voters Approve New Map That Could Hand Democrats Control of the House Read More »

Tim Cook Stepping Down: What John Ternus as Apple CEO Means for the Company’s AI Future

Tim Cook Stepping Down: What John Ternus as Apple CEO Means for the Company's AI Future

Tim Cook will step down as Apple CEO on September 1, becoming executive chairman. John Ternus, the 50-year-old hardware engineering chief who joined Apple in 2001, takes the helm in only the third leadership transition in the company’s modern history, signaling a pivot toward AI and engineering-first innovation.

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The Onion Buys InfoWars: How Alex Jones’ Conspiracy Empire Becomes a Comedy Network for Sandy Hook Justice

The Onion Buys InfoWars: How Alex Jones' Conspiracy Empire Becomes a Comedy Network for Sandy Hook Justice

The Onion has reached a deal to take over Alex Jones’ InfoWars for $81,000/month, with comedian Tim Heidecker as creative director and all profits flowing to Sandy Hook families. A judge must approve the arrangement at an April 30 hearing. Jones is vowing to fight, but the satirical takeover represents a novel form of media accountability.

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