All posts tagged: Rebuttal

Democrats pick Gov. Spanberger to give State of the Union rebuttal

Democrats pick Gov. Spanberger to give State of the Union rebuttal

Published by Sam Flores

Then-Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., poses in her office in the Cannon House Office Building on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Bill Clark | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address next Tuesday, a primetime slot for the newly elected state executive to lay out the Democratic Party’s vision ahead of the pivotal 2026 midterm elections. Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earl-Sears by 15 points in last year’s elections, flipping the state from Republican to Democratic control. She was previously a member of the House of Representatives from Virginia. The rebuttal to the State of the Union is a high-stakes opportunity for the party outside of the White House to lay out its vision for the country after the president gives his speech. The stakes are even higher for Democrats this year, who are looking to rip away Trump’s complete control of Washington in the midterm elections. “Virginians and Americans across the country are contending with rising costs, chaos in their …

Anne Boleyn Portrait ‘Rebuttal’ of Witchcraft Rumors, Say Historians

Anne Boleyn Portrait ‘Rebuttal’ of Witchcraft Rumors, Say Historians

Published by José Betancourt

A portrait of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s ill-fated second wife, is now thought to be an attempt to rehabilitate her image after her death. Using infrared reflectography, historians and curators have uncovered evidence that the work was at least partially created to dispel rumors that Boleyn was a witch with six fingers. In the painting, which hangs in Hever Castle in England, both of Boleyn’s hands, each with the usual number of digits, are visible. But the new infrared scans reveal that the underdrawing for the portrait didn’t show her hands at all, suggesting that the work’s unknown maker deviated from the drawing to include them. Related Articles Sixteenth-century portraits, especially those of royalty, were often based on “patterns”—sketches made from life during brief sittings. Not only were these used by the artist who made the original sketch, copies of this “official” likeness were circulated to other studios and workshops to ensure a consistent image of the sitter.   The Hever portrait may have been made from one such copy, but at a later time. …