Restoration News Uncovered Stories in 2025 that Nobody Else Reported

In 2025, the team at Restoration News broke stories that had impressive impact on elections, public policy, and news consumers across America. Our reports changed the course of multiple elections, spurred government investigations, and made their way into the halls of Congress. Our authors also had bylines in several major publications with guest posts and interview appearances, like The Daily Wire, American Greatness, American Spectator, Real Clear Politics, The Federalist, Fox News, Newsmax, and several others.

As 2025 winds to a close, we want to reflect on the impact we had this year.

And, of course, we're just getting started. With midterm elections dominating the coming year, we've already begun investigations into some of the biggest stories that will impact 2026.

But first, let's take a look back at how our researchers and investigative journalists made life uncomfortable for those who did not want sunlight to disinfect their shady dealings. Among the highlights, we caused Attorney General-elect Jay Jones of Virginia to enter office under several black clouds of corruption; we made Abigail Spanberger answer for supporting numerous radical causes in her quest to become Virginia's next governor; and perhaps most impactfully, we caused the U.S. Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reconsider its support for mifepristone, the abortion pill, after the shocking revelation of how much harm it causes.

Mifepristone Risks—Up to and Including Death—22x Higher than Claimed

Associate Editor Samantha Flom dug in on many stories around the horrors of abortion in America. None had more impact than her shocking exposé on the dangers of the abortion pill, mifepristone. In her report, "Pill Pushers: How a Dark Political Agenda Made Abortion More Dangerous Than Ever," Flom revealed the horrifying statistics abortion advocates have hidden from Americans for decades: Up to 22 times more adverse effects happen due to this "medication" than the manufacturer reports. These adverse effects include heavy blood loss, loss of consciousness, septic infections, and death. The Restoration News investigation revealed that more than one in ten women who took the abortion pill suffered a major adverse health outcome. This led to congressional inquiries and a review by HHS.

Flom wasn't done there. She continued to dig into the horrors committed by the abortion industry in the U.S., like her investigation, "Illinois Abortion Clinic Promises Hope, Delivers 'A Nightmare'" that revealed a shocking lack of safety at the ironically named Hope Clinic. She also raised serious questions about the surrogacy industry in her article, "Pedophiles Are Buying Children. Does Surrogacy Deserve More Scrutiny?" These and related reports should force America to take a hard look in the mirror and decide what we really want to support as a society.

New Podcast

Restoration News launched a brand-new podcast this year that reflects an investment into professional production. Restoration Spotlight features Founding Editor Hayden Ludwig as host. Ludwig interviews some of the heavyweight personalities on the Right in America. The premiere episode started off with a bang: "Could America Lose WWIII? | Restoration Spotlight."

Jay Jones and Abigail Spanberger

The off-year elections in Virginia and New Jersey always bring the fireworks. 2025 was no exception. Senior Investigative Researcher Victoria Manning, a former school board member in Virginia Beach, had the inside scoop on controversies that jeopardized the electoral prospects for several prominent Democratic candidates.

Manning's reporting threw the race for Virginia Attorney General into chaos with her exclusive reporting on Jay Jones' reckless driving charges, and subsequent allegations of a sweetheart deal from a friendly judge: "EXCLUSIVE: Prosecutor Confirms Ragin' Jay Jones Did NOT Have Permission to Complete Community Service with PAC."

Even worse, leaked texts showed a much darker side of Jones: "Democratic Virginia AG Candidate Jay Jones Wished for Speaker Gilbert’s Children to Die"

In addition, several investigations into Abigail Spanberger, the Democrat and former CIA agent, caused her to have to address questions she didn't feel like addressing: "School District Used Taxpayer Resources to Promote Dem Spanberger During Work Hours." Manning continued to dog Spanberger, revealing her true character: "Abigail Spanberger is a Socialist Aligning Herself with Anti-Israel Radicals."

Earlier in 2025, Restoration News rocked another off-year special election, this time in the race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court: "BREAKING: Susan Crawford Holds Event Tonight with Weather Underground-Tied Group that Boasts '17 Genders'" (Crawford inexplicitly backed out of the event at the last minute).

Microsites

Manning wasn't done with mere reporting. In her spare time, she compiled the data for several microsites published by Restoration of America that collated important information on topics shaping public policy. This included RestoringEDU: "What's Your State's Education Freedom Grade? Our New Tool Reveals the Truth." We also published RestoreTheMilitary.com and placed an op-ed from our founder and CEO, Doug Truax, at The Daily Wire to discuss it: "Social Justice Warriors Shouldn’t Control West Point."

Investigating the Humanitarian Crisis of our Open Borders

There were too many stories in 2025 to count. Suffice to say each of our writers contributed exclusive reporting that exposed just how bad the Biden Border Invasion had gotten, and just how many victims of violent crime it created. Investigative Researcher Jacob Grandstaff wrote prolifically on this subject, making the case that getting control of our border and immigration levels would help native-born workers, farmers, and businesses. Grandstaff makes the case for American farmers as the backbone of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement: "Make Food Great Again by Making Farmers Hire American Again." In two exclusive analyses, he used advanced statistics to reveal the true motivations for Democrats backing illegal immigration: "Stacked Seats—How Immigration Tilts the Scales for Democrats in Congress"; and, "High Foreign-Born Congressional Districts Undermine American Democracy." Even some Republicans haven't handled illegal immigration properly: "This Republican Governor Wants to Make Illegal Aliens Second-Class Citizens Instead of Deporting Them."

The border stories don't end with human trafficking, undercutting American labor, and stacking congressional districts for Democrats. Grandstaff produced several reports on the foreign-born truck driver epidemic we face in America. Two prominent examples: "We Have a Sikh Problem in Trucking"; and, "California is Licensing the Illegal Alien Truck Drivers Killing Americans. Sean Duffy is Fighting Back."

Grandstaff didn't hog all the illegal immigration stories. Senior Investigative Researcher Kevin Mooney did a deep analysis of the NGOs funding the "resistance:" "Investigation: Violent Venezuelan Gangs Fueling Illegal Alien Crime Wave in Chicago Using Flood of Dark Money." Other stories emerged from Chicago, like this exclusive report from Senior Editor Jeff Reynolds: "Chicago, That Toddler Traffickin’ Town."

Mourning the Senseless Killing of Charlie Kirk

The entire team at Restoration News, and our sister organization Restoration of America, took the assassination of Charlie Kirk like a punch to the gut. Many of our team members worked for Turning Point USA or knew Charlie personally.

In the aftermath of that seminal event, the world paused and reflected. We did too.

We created an entire new category on our website, We Are Charlie, to give our writers the space to reflect on Charlie's life, his senseless death, and how to move forward. Just a few entries:

The Assassination of Charlie Kirk Shakes America

Dear America: Holding Normal Opinions Does Not Make One a Fascist

The Religion of Militant Secularism Killed Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk's Legacy is Restoring America, One Conversation at a Time

Before he was killed, Kirk was appointed to the oversight committee of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Few other outlets covered the results: "Charlie Kirk Asks Tough Questions at U.S. Air Force Academy Oversight Meeting."

We Stood Up for the Second Amendment in a Big Way

Our man in the know, Investigative Researcher Bronson Winslow, brings firepower to a robust defense of the right to bear arms. He won't back down from officials who abuse their authority to infringe on that right. Like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), a frequent violator of personal liberty. His most powerful report centered around the murder of a legal gun owner by the ATF: "Biden's ATF Shot Her Husband Dead for Legally Collecting Guns. Now Maria Malinowski is Seeking Justice." Winslow revealed just how badly the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor will jeopardize public safety in his report: "When the Guns Go, So Does Gotham: Mamdani’s Dangerous Dream."

Hand in hand with his coverage of the Second Amendment, Winslow also zeroed in on the fight against crime—or lack of it, in blue cities. He took the governor of Wisconsin to task: "Tony Evers' Record of Putting Criminals First Caused the Crime Wave."  He took on radical NGOs in Georgia: "Cash Bail Groups Threaten to Deepen Georgia’s Crime Crisis." And he targeted extreme leftists who threatened violence in Arizona: "Threatening Stickers Raise Fears of Violence in Arizona Political Races."

Winslow produced several reports that dug up the dark money fueling these anti-American and anti-constitutional campaigns: "Silicon Valley Giants Bankroll Wisconsin's Crime Wave"; and, "Radical Gun Control Group Pours $600,000 Into Wisconsin Supreme Court Race."

His biggest exclusive, however, tracked the people behind the organized crime effort to destroy Tesla in response to DOGE: "Exposed: The Radicals Coordinating the $460 Billion Tesla Terror Attacks."

Killing the Green New Deal as Europe and Blue States Flounder with Renewables

Restoration News has two seasoned journalists with expertise in energy and environment issues: Senior Investigator Kevin Mooney and Senior Editor Jeff Reynolds. In 2025, each produced exclusive reports that revealed the massive grift and faulty science behind climate activism. The demise of the Green New Deal was a welcome development this year as we look forward to winding down hundreds of billions in wasteful spending of American taxpayer dollars.

Mooney authored several reports exposing the inefficiency and wasteful spending on offshore wind projects in New Jersey, Virginia, and other east coast states. He offered this intriguing idea to end the madness: "Could Trump Use National Security Measures to Block Offshore Wind Projects?" He also noted how green energy tightened the polls in both New Jersey and Virginia: "Offshore Wind is the Wildcard in New Jersey Gov Race"; "Climate Activist Running for Delegate Seat Could Put Virginia on the Path Toward Power Blackouts."

Meanwhile, Reynolds struck several blows for common sense with exclusive reporting of his own. He reflected on the shifting political winds: "The End of the Green Panic"; and reviewed a documentary: "New Film 'Blown Away' Wrecks the Myth of Wind Power."

Reynolds also committed journalism, reporting stories most outlets refused to cover. In February, he exposed the faulty and fraudulent data behind the "global warming" narrative: "EXCLUSIVE: NOAA Caught Manipulating Temperature Data to Advance the Global Warming Narrative." Then, two entire nations had a catastrophic, day-long blackout after going to 100% renewable energy: "The Iberian Nightmare Forecasts a Future Using Only Renewable Energy." In another exclusive covered nowhere else, Reynolds reported on a corrupt process in a blue state that caused a minor media firestorm: "INTERVIEW: Oregon’s Failed Wildfire Hazard Map Reveals a Wider Scandal."

Keeping Up the Pressure on Election Integrity

Restoration News produced a large number of reports in 2025 that kept the focus on election integrity and the need for significant reforms in America. Jacob Grandstaff led the way, taking on ballot harvesting: "GEORGIA: Leftist GOTV Groups Ambushing Naturalized Citizens May Be Breaking the Law." He also examined state-by-state election laws: "INTERVIEW: New Jersey Has Saner Election Laws Than Virginia. That Has to Change." Grandstaff exposed the ease with which Democrats can steal elections, even in red states: "Texas Voter Fraud Bust Shows How Elections Get Stolen." And he championed voter roll transparency: "Major Win for Election Transparency: Court Sides with Voter Reference Foundation on Voter Registration Records."

Fighting Back Against the Trans Cult and LGBTQ+ Agenda

Despite the waning popularity of the trans cult among young people, it still had an outsized effect on the news in 2025.

Samantha Flom took it on in looking at polling: "Trans Fad Fades as God Makes Gains With Gen Z."

Victoria Manning dogged Abigail Spanberger in her gubernatorial debate: "Spanberger Dodges Questions in the Virginia Governor Debate."

Jacob Grandstaff took a victory lap over a radical non-profit organization: "Pro-LGBT Group That Attacked Christian Colleges Throws in the Towel."

Hayden Ludwig covered the Wisconsin Supreme Court (drag) race: "Drag Queens Rallying for Susan Crawford in WI Supreme Court Race (Explicit)."

Kevin Mooney reported the steady, consistent wins for Republicans on culture war issues: "Voter Opposition to Transgender Policies a Huge Political Winner for GOP."

Exposing CCP Assets and Infiltrators

Restoration News conducted several investigations into infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party in 2025, with more to come in 2026. Jeff Reynolds exposed the deep ties to the CCP by an influencer who claimed to have switched from D to R after Trump won: "'Conservative Influencer' Lindy Li’s Ties to the CCP Go Deeper than We Knew."

Kevin Mooney's exclusive reporting drew a direct line between the democrats running in New Jersey and Virginia and the Chinese Communist Party: "Communist China Lurking Behind Money Trail Funding Anti-Energy Climate Activism."

Hayden Ludwig examined the source of the deadly scourge of fentanyl in America: "The Narco Nation Flooding Our Streets With Poison." Then, in a deep dive report, Ludwig raised the alarm over our military readiness to take on China: "Is America Prepared for a War with China?"

Dark Money Continues to Fuel the Radical Left

Several members of our team earned their journalistic chops—and their reputations—over the years by digging into the dark money that funds the worst of the worst. That experience paid off in 2025 with a number of reports that blew the lid off leftists and their finances.

Bronson Winslow continued to hammer the folks behind the attacks on Teslas: "Tesla Terror Attacks Show Americans Aren’t Buying the Left’s Fake ‘Grassroots’ Game Anymore."

Victoria Manning dug into the Biden administration and DEI: "Taxpayers Paid $3 Billion for Radical DEI Kickbacks Under Biden."

Jacob Grandstaff reported on Harvard's influence over the mainstream media narratives that hide the truth: "From the Russia Hoax to Biden's Dementia, the Liberal Media Gets Its Narratives from Harvard's Shorenstein Center."

Hayden Ludwig took particular delight in reporting the demise of the dark money machine on the Left: "The Left’s Top Dark Money Monster Is Dying—and Taking the Democratic Party With It."

More to Come in 2026

Restoration News has established itself as your go-to source for America First news. We accomplish this by seeking out the most effective researchers, writers, and analysts to bring you stories you won't find anywhere else. Our news team specializes in not just following the news cycle, but leading it—by uncovering and reporting the news that powerful people wish to keep hidden.

We had an unbelievably successful 2025. And we're going to keep it going in 2026. With the mid-term elections approaching, the fate of the Trump 2.0 agenda hangs in the balance. You can count on us to continue to report the news you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.

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Restoration News, a project of Restoration of America, is your trusted investigative news source for the America First movement. As a rapidly growing conservative news site, we focus on delivering accurate and insightful exposés on political news, immigration news, leftist lies, and other pressing issues affecting everyday Americans. Our uncompromising commitment to a hard-hitting, fact-based, America First, and faithful perspective ensures that you receive news that aligns with your values. 

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