Luke Borwegan, a Special Assistant to Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), fled from “guerrilla” journalist James O’Keefe after being confronted over comments he made about his boss wanting to overturn the Second Amendment.
Borwegan was tackled by O’Keefe on camera after telling an O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) undercover reporter the Democrat politician does not want American citizens to have the right to keep and bear arms.
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An unsuspecting Borwegan had told the OMG reporter that Senator Fetterman would “probably… be OK with, like, overturning the Second Amendment,” adding: “I think he would much rather, prefer, nobody has guns at all.”
Watch me confront the Special Assistant to Fetterman on his statements captured on hidden cam about banning constitutional amendments and using journalists as “puppets.”
Borwegan also made revealing comments about members of the media, explaining: “When you’re so exclusive with who you give interviews to, it’s like, the ones you pick, like, will just say exactly what you f***ing want them to.” He went on to describe these journalists as “puppets”.
Greeted by O’Keefe himself at what he thought was going to a second meeting with the undercover reporter, Borwegan was reluctant to answer whether Senator Fetterman wanted to repeal any other amendments, or explain in what sense certain journalists were his “puppets”.
Footage published by O’Keefe shows Borwegan fleeing the restaurant where O’Keefe confronted him, wandering seemingly directionlessly through the streets with the reporter in close pursuit, and at one point appearing to hide in a restroom.
Whether Borwegan remains in Fetterman’s employ was unclear as of the time of publication, as his LinkedIn page has been deleted.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Starting in July 2026, all U.S. newborns from 2025 to 2028 will receive a $1,000 government-funded account to help with future financial needs. These accounts are similar to hybrid IRAs, allowing investments and contributions from family and employers. When the child turns 18, the account will convert to a traditional IRA, offering tax benefits and growth potential.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Ian Berger, an analyst with Ed Slott and Company, and Cheryl Costa, a financial adviser in Framingham, Massachusetts.
📍WHERE & WHEN: United States, 2025-2028
💬KEY QUOTE: “To me, it’s a supercharged IRA.” – Cheryl Costa
🎯IMPACT: Newborns receive a $1,000 investment at birth to kickstart lifelong savings, encouraging early financial planning for families of all incomes. While it won’t cover immediate expenses, it lays the foundation for future wealth, especially when supplemented by additional contributions.
IN FULL
American newborns are eligible to receive $1,000 from the U.S. government starting this year through 2028, according to a provision included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. These new ‘Trump Accounts’ are intended to assist families with their children’s financial and economic needs.
The government will provide a one-time contribution of $1,000 to each account for U.S. citizens born between 2025 and 2028 who have been assigned Social Security numbers, aligning with Trump’s current term in office. According to financial experts, they are structured almost like hybrid individual retirement accounts.
There are no income restrictions for this contribution. Family members and employers can contribute up to $5,000 each year to the accounts. There’s no tax deduction for contributions made before a child turns 18, but funds provided by employers, up to $2,500 a year, won’t count as taxable income.
Money in the accounts must be invested in low-cost stock mutual funds or exchange-traded funds tracking a U.S. stock index, like the S&P 500. Withdrawals are permitted when the beneficiary turns 18, and from then on, the account will be converted to an IRA, subject to standard contribution limits and rules, according to Ian Berger, an analyst with Ed Slott and Company. Under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules, traditional IRA contributions are tax-deductible for those who qualify based on income and other factors.
Withdrawals from traditional IRAs before age 59½ are generally taxed as ordinary income, plus a 10 percent penalty, although this can be waived in certain circumstances, such as using the funds to pay for higher education, for the birth of a child, or to make a down payment on a first home. “To me, it’s a supercharged IRA,” said Cheryl Costa, a financial adviser in Framingham, Massachusetts, of the ‘Trump Accounts.’ The accounts are expected to launch in July 2026.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: New details from the Florida Attorney General’s office reveal that migrants awaiting deportation at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center include those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, and organized crime.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Florida Attorney General’s office, Communications Director Jeremy Redfern, several convicted criminals awaiting deportation, and President Donald J. Trump.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The detention facility, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” opened earlier this month in the Everglades, Florida.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ which is very appropriate, because I looked outside, and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon.” — President Donald J. Trump
🎯IMPACT: The facility is housing dangerous migrants, including murderers and gang members, who are bound for deportation.
IN FULL
Florida officials have disclosed the criminal histories of several migrants currently held at a new state-run detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The information, released by the office of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, outlines the serious offenses committed by several individuals awaiting deportation.
“The left-wing press continues to spend their time amplifying false reports, but the reality is that there are monsters awaiting deportation within Alligator Alcatraz far worse than the monsters lurking in the surrounding Everglades,” said a spokesman for Uthmeier.
Among those detained is Lazaro Rodriguez Santana, a Cuban national who was convicted in Texas for sexual assault and for failing to register as a sex offender. Jose Fortin, a citizen of Honduras, was found guilty of second-degree murder in Miami-Dade County. Another Honduran detainee, Oscar “Satan” Sanchez, reportedly affiliated with the notoriously violent MS-13 gang, was convicted in New York of conspiracy to commit murder, assault, and charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Other individuals include Guatemalan national Luis Donald Corado, who was convicted of burglary and voyeurism, and Wilfredo Alberto Lazama-Garcia of Venezuela, wanted in his home country for murder and robbery, and convicted in the U.S. for conspiracy to defraud the federal government.
Particularly disturbing is the case of Eddy Lopez Jemot, a Cuban national with convictions for murder, arson, and assault. According to authorities, Jemot slit an elderly woman’s throat in Key Largo, Florida, and set her home ablaze. He also reportedly later threatened to behead another woman.
“Alligator Alcatraz,” located in Florida and opened earlier this month, is backed by the state government and expected to utilize repurposed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding. President Donald J. Trump recently toured the facility and remarked, “It’s known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ which is very appropriate, because I looked outside, and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon.” He added, “But very soon, this facility will have some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: An English police force has launched an investigation into allegations that records were falsified in a “grooming gang” case involving a father’s attempts to rescue his daughter from Pakistani-heritage rapists.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, South Yorkshire Police, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), and “Jack” (a pseudonym) alongside his daughter “Elizabeth” (also a pseudonym).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The events occurred in Rotherham, England, in 2005, with recent developments unfolding in 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “However bad we thought the grooming gang scandal was, it just got worse.” – Nigel Farage
🎯IMPACT: Calls for the Rotherham incident to be included in an official national inquiry into grooming gangs have intensified.
IN FULL
Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has raised concerns over Britain’s child sexual “grooming gang” scandal, stating it is “getting worse” following reports of police corruption in Rotherham, England.
These reports suggest that records may have been falsified to cover up two arrests of a father, “Jack,” who was attempting to rescue his daughter, “Elizabeth,” from a rape gang in 2005. South Yorkshire Police has confirmed it has launched an investigation into the allegations.
Farage said, “However bad we thought the grooming gang scandal was, it just got worse.” He also stated on X that “South Yorkshire Police have failed yet again in their duty to protect children.”
Jack reported that his daughter was abused and trafficked by a gang over a 10-week period. Despite making “hundreds” of reports to South Yorkshire Police, Jack claims it is he who was arrested twice while trying to rescue Elizabeth. Police records covering the period show inconsistencies, including an address listed for Jack that he did not live at until years later.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) reviewed complaints made by Elizabeth, upholding several but not the claim regarding Jack’s arrests due to insufficient evidence. In 2021, the IOPC referred the matter back to South Yorkshire Police, which has now decided to investigate itself.
The investigation coincides with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper‘s announcement that nearly 1,000 previously closed grooming cases have been reopened as part of a national inquiry into grooming gangs. Farage has called for the Rotherham case to be included in this inquiry.
A government-commissioned report on Britain’s grooming gangs, comprised largely of South Asian Muslims preying on working-class white girls, was released last month. It showed that in many cases, the ethnicity of the gangs was not recorded or was ignored. Notably, grooming gang abuse went unchecked for years because the police and other authorities feared stoking racism or being accused of racism if they tackled it properly.
Despite this, the report still noted that Pakistani-background men were vastly overrepresented in grooming gang activity, contrary to establishment claims that such overrepresentation is a myth.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. State Department will begin mass layoffs of many employees in the coming days.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. State Department, Secretary Marco Rubio, and the Trump administration.
📍WHEN & WHERE: United States, over the coming days.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It will happen quickly.” – State Dept. spokeswoman Tammy Bruce
🎯IMPACT: Thousands of civil and foreign affairs employees face termination as early as this week.
IN FULL
On Thursday, the State Department informed US-based employees that nearly 2,000 workers will be laid off after a recent Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to proceed with mass job cuts to downsize the federal government. In April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared a plan to streamline the department by cutting out redundant functions and offices.
In an e-mail, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael Rigas announced that employees impacted by the “reduction in force” will soon receive notifications. He noted that efforts have been made to support departing staff, including those in the Deferred Resignation Programs. “On behalf of Department leadership, we extend our gratitude for your hard work… and ongoing dedication to advancing U.S. national interests,” Rigas said.
The department did not specify how many employees would be dismissed. However, according to a plan sent to Congress in May, approximately 1,800—out of an estimated domestic workforce of 18,000—were proposed for layoffs.
Workers laid off will be from the civil and foreign services. Congress stated that more than 300 of the department’s 734 bureaus and offices would be streamlined, merged, or eliminated.
Tammy Bruce, a spokeswoman for the State Department, informed reporters that the implementation of force reductions had been delayed due to judicial interventions, but mass layoffs will now occur rapidly.
“There has been a delay—not to our interests, but because of the courts,” Bruce noted. “It’s been difficult when you know you need to get something done for the benefit of everyone.”
“When something is too large to operate, too bureaucratic, to actually function, and to deliver projects, or action, it has to change,” she added.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump appears to be set to utilize a little-known federal government entity to launch a renewed effort aimed at ousting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The National Capital Planning Commission, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) aide Stuart Levenbach, President Trump, and Jerome Powell.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The Trump White House aides were named to the commission on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I am going to request a full review of plans of the Federal Reserve project. I’m going to ask that they send us a detailed explanation package of any and all upgrades, changes and modifications to the plan that was submitted here in 2021 and approved. I’m going to request a site visit.” — Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair
🎯IMPACT: Should the National Capital Planning Commission uncover evidence of serious malfeasance or ethical lapses on Powell’s part, it could lay the groundwork for President Trump to fire Powell as Federal Reserve chairman.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump appears to be set to utilize a little-known federal government entity to launch a renewed effort aimed at either ousting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell or, at the least, forcing the central bank chief to succumb to pressure to slash interest rates. In a political maneuver reminiscent of President Richard Nixon’s efforts to push his Fed chairman, Arthur Burns, to cut interest rates, Trump has quietly replaced a number of Biden-era appointees on the National Capital Planning Commission with key figures in his White House.
The move suggests the America First leader will use the commission’s authority over government buildings—including the Federal Reserve’s headquarters—to fuel a negative media campaign against Powell, who has overseen a lavish renovation of the central bank’s offices that has far exceeded its approved budget. However, should the National Capital Planning Commission uncover evidence of serious malfeasance or ethical lapses on Powell’s part, it could lay the groundwork for President Trump to fire the Federal Reserve chairman outright.
Leading the anti-Powell effort on the National Capital Planning Commission are its newest appointees, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) aide Stuart Levenbach. “We should not be made fools of,” Blair told commission members on Thursday, continuing: “I am going to request a full review of plans of the Federal Reserve project. I’m going to ask that they send us a detailed explanation package of any and all upgrades, changes and modifications to the plan that was submitted here in 2021 and approved. I’m going to request a site visit.”
Dubbing the central bank’s headquarters the “Taj Mahal on the National Mall,” Blair suggested it is possible that Jerome Powell lied under oath—committing perjury—while testifying before the U.S. Senate regarding the Fed renovations. Notably, perjury is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1621, while 18 U.S.C. § 1001 makes it a crime for individuals to make material false statements to any branch of the federal government, including Congress, regardless of whether they are under oath.
“Please count me in,” Levenbach replied, adding: “I look forward to working with you on this letter and in scrutinizing this building.”
In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon successfully mustered a negative media campaign that, along with the threat of Congressional legislation exerting greater control over the central bank, forced then-Fed chairman Arthur Burns to drop his opposition to interest rate cuts. A similar result could manifest from President Trump’s use of the National Capital Planning Commission and revelations it may uncover regarding Powell’s approval of renovations at the Fed.
However, should Powell prove more entrenched in his opposition to rate cuts than Burns was during the Nixon administration, President Trump could also use any evidence that Powell lied to Congress or engaged in unethical behavior to fire him as Fed chair. The Federal Reserve Act stipulates that a President can only fire the central bank’s chairman “for cause,” which has been interpreted by federal courts as meaning serious misconduct and not merely policy disagreements.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United States is selling weapons to NATO allies who are then transferring them to Ukraine, amid intensified Russian drone and missile attacks.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, NATO allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Ukrainian and Russian forces.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent weeks, with statements from Trump and Rubio on Thursday and Friday, and Russian attacks reported in Kharkov, Odessa, and Kiev.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 percent.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: NATO allies are coordinating with the U.S. to supply Ukraine with critical defense systems, while Russia increases its aerial and ground offensives.
IN FULL
The United States is advancing military support for Ukraine through an indirect strategy: selling American-made weapons to NATO allies, who then pass those arms on to Ukrainian forces. In a recent interview, President Donald J. Trump confirmed the approach, highlighting that NATO allies are covering the expenses. “We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 percent,” Trump said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided more context, explaining that transferring weapons already stationed in Europe enables faster delivery to Ukraine compared to shipping new equipment from the United States. “It’s a lot faster to move something, for example, from Germany to Ukraine than it is to order it from a [U.S.] factory and get it there,” Rubio stated.
Amid intensified Russian airstrikes, including a recent night in which more than 700 drones were launched, Ukraine has appealed for additional military aid, especially Patriot air defense systems. Cities such as Kharkov and Odessa have suffered casualties and infrastructure damage as a result of ongoing attacks.
Rubio noted that NATO members like Germany and Spain, which already operate Patriot systems, are in a position to send some of their current inventory to Ukraine. In turn, these countries are ordering new systems from the U.S. to replace what they have given. He outlined how these financial arrangements allow NATO countries to assist Ukraine without depleting their own defense readiness.
It is unclear how many Patriot missile systems are currently available to Ukraine. One report suggests the United States has only 25 percent of the Patriot missile systems needed for its own use. The stockpile has allegedly fallen so low that some are concerned it could harm American military operations.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western partners to accelerate their assistance, emphasizing Ukraine’s urgent need for both equipment and funds. “We need financing. And then, we will intercept,” Zelensky said.
President Trump is also, for the first time, using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to resupply Ukraine directly from Pentagon stocks, as he grows increasingly frustrated with Russia’s “bulls**t” in peace negotiations.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Columbia University is nearing a deal with the Trump administration to compensate victims of unlawful discrimination and increase transparency in hiring and admissions.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Columbia University and the Trump administration.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The draft agreement was first reported on Friday, July 11, 2025; Columbia University and the White House.
💬KEY QUOTE: A senior White House official told the media that the deal would “solidify reporting obligations related to foreign gifts” and ensure compensation for “victims of civil rights abuses.”
🎯IMPACT: The deal could set a precedent for other universities and increase accountability on anti-Semitism and racial discrimination issues.
IN FULL
Columbia University is in the final stages of negotiations with the Trump administration on a deal addressing unlawful discrimination and anti-Semitism. The agreement would require Columbia to compensate victims and adopt measures to increase transparency in hiring and admissions processes.
Notably, The National Pulse reported on Thursday that attorney Jay Lefkowitz, known for once securing a lenient deal for sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, was hired to act as a negotiator for Columbia in its discussions with the Trump administration. Sources told The National Pulse that Lefkowitz has outplayed federal negotiators in the Trump administration and was on the verge of finalizing an agreement with the U.S. government to rescue the far-left college from financial disaster.
The university’s board of trustees convened on Sunday to discuss the draft agreement, which would also restore access to $400 million in federal grants and contracts previously frozen by the White House’s anti-Semitism task force. A senior White House official told the media that the deal would “solidify reporting obligations related to foreign gifts” and ensure compensation for “victims of civil rights abuses.”
Notably, the agreement includes provisions for public disclosure of hiring and admissions data to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action. Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, is expected to supervise compliance. The agreement also includes measures that Columbia University agreed to earlier this year, such as tightening protest rules and placing its Middle Eastern Studies department under receivership. However, it is believed that in its current form, the deal lacks systemic reforms like the consent decree pushed by the Trump White House earlier this year and a politically diverse presidential search committee tasked with replacing the school’s interim president, Claire Shipman.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., overturned a plea deal for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants, halting efforts to conclude the long-running legal case.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, two co-defendants, former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was issued Friday by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out,” wrote Judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao in the majority opinion.
🎯IMPACT: The ruling delays the sentencing and keeps the death penalty as a possible outcome for the three terrorists.
IN FULL
A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to reject the plea agreements that would have barred 9/11 terror mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) and two co-defendants from being sentenced to capital punishment in exchange for the three pleading guilty to their crimes. The plea deals were initially negotiated between the former Biden government’s military prosecutors and defense attorneys for the three terrorists in August 2024.
However, after public backlash—including from family members of the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks—then-Secretary Austin moved to withdraw the plea agreements. The move was subsequently challenged by KSM and his co-defendants, with a military appeals court this past January determining that Austin could not overturn plea agreements for detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
The 2-1 decision by the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., effectively reinstates the former Secretary of Defense’s decision, putting the potential for the death penalty back on the table for KSM and his associates. Austin argued that only the Secretary of Defense could decide whether to remove the death penalty from consideration.
Judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao, writing for the majority, stated that Austin acted within his legal authority and explained his decision adequately. The court noted, “The families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out.” Additionally, the court found that since the plea agreement had not been fulfilled, Austin had the authority to withdraw from it.
Meanwhile, Judge Robert L. Wilkins dissented, calling the majority’s decision “stunning.” He argued that the government failed to meet the legal standard required for overturning the plea deal, stating, “It is impossible for me to conclude that the government has shown it is clearly and indisputably entitled to relief.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Footage from near Jeffrey Epstein’s prison cell at the time of his 2019 death was modified before being released by the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to an analysis by WIRED and video forensics experts.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The DOJ, independent video forensics experts, WIRED, and Jeffrey Epstein.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The Epstein footage was released earlier this week, pertaining to events from August 2019.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The file appears to have been assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website, where it was presented as ‘raw’ footage.” – WIRED report.
🎯IMPACT: The lack of clarity about the editing process fuels further skepticism surrounding the circumstances of Epstein’s death and the authorities’ transparency about it.
IN FULL
Analysis conducted by the technology industry news site WIRED and independent video forensics experts suggests the footage released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) from near the prison cell holding Jeffrey Epstein at the time of his August 2019 death was edited with Adobe Premiere Pro, having been stitched together from two separate clips. The claim directly contradicts the DOJ’s assertion that the video was “full raw” footage sourced directly from the prison’s surveillance system.
The video file released by the DOJ, according to WIRED‘s forensic investigation, was edited and saved multiple times, with the tech news outlet asserting the footage was likely altered using Adobe Premiere Pro, a professional editing tool. It combines several clips that had been exported from the source video. Subsequently, after edits were made, the altered footage was uploaded to the DOJ website and presented as supposedly “raw” video.
“If a lawyer brought me this file and asked if it was suitable for court, I’d say no. Go back to the source. Do it right,” Professor Hany Farid, who researches digital forensics and misinformation at UC Berkeley, told WIRED. He added: “Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business.”
Farid, who reviewed the video file’s metadata, believes that “the video is not a continuous, unaltered export from a surveillance system.” Additionally, the UC Berkeley professor notes that the aspect ratio of the clip uploaded by the DOJ shifts several times, something that should not occur in unedited source footage. “Why am I suddenly seeing a different aspect ratio?” Farid questioned.
Notably, a minute is missing from the footage the DOJ has released, from 11:58:58 PM to 12:00:00 AM. Attorney General Pam Bondi has attritubted this to a technical issue.
The footage also does not cover Epstein’s cell door, due to all but two cameras in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) where Epstein was located not working correctly. However, the DOJ insists the footage from those two cameras does confirm that no one entered the tier where Epstein’s cell was located around the time of his death.
On Sunday, the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ruled Epstein’s death was a suicide, with no evidence of a “client list” or blackmail involving prominent individuals being released. Subsequently, as reported by The National Pulse, WarRoom host and former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon has called on President Donald J. Trump to appoint a special prosecutor to release all government files related to Epstein.
“They have to go to the court and demand and unseal the sealed evidence in Epstein. It starts there,” Bannon said, continuing: “Bundle everything together… release it all. Or, which I called for yesterday, appoint a special prosecutor—he should appoint a special prosecutor, a special counsel now, for the 2020 election and everything after that, and include Russiagate and all this. You have to do that. That should be done immediately, and that should report to the President.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is set to send weapons directly to Ukraine from Pentagon reserves under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for the first time since his reelection.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Pentagon officials, and Ukrainian forces.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was announced this week, following a temporary halt in shipments, amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Russian advances.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: The move could provide Ukraine with up to $300 million in military aid, including Patriot missiles.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump is poised to exercise his authority to deliver weapons directly to Ukraine from Pentagon stockpiles for the first time, according to Reuters, citing two sources. Previously, the Trump administration had only supplied arms approved during former President Joe Biden’s term.
Trump is expected to utilize the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which enables presidents to provide military assistance in urgent situations swiftly. This decision comes despite ongoing concerns about the depletion of U.S. military equipment in general and missile interceptors in particular ahead of a possible direct confrontation with a major power like Russia or China.
On Tuesday, Trump signaled that additional weapons would be sent to Ukraine as Russian advances and airstrikes escalate. The aid package, reportedly valued at up to $300 million, will likely include Patriot air defense missiles and medium-range rockets.
President Trump had appeared reluctant to arm Ukraine to the same extent as Biden before now, indicating this was encouraging the Ukrainian government to refuse a compromise peace. However, he has expressed frustration at Russia also appearing disinterested in peace in recent weeks, telling the press, “We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
The U.S. military reportedly only has about 25 percent of the Patriot missile interceptors it needs. Some have already been sent to Ukraine over recent years, and others have been depleted defending Israel against Iranian missile strikes. U.S. defense manufacturers are reportedly capable of producing only about 500 Patriot missiles annually, raising questions about the long-term viability of sustaining current aid levels to Ukraine.
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