The integrity of American elections continue to be a dominant concern among the electorate as we head into in to the 2024 election cycle. According to new data from Rasmussen Reports, 56 percent of Americans believe the outcome of the 2024 presidential election will be impacted by cheating.
Mail-in ballots are of special concern to respondents with 51 percent saying they believe the practice made cheating in elections more likely. Just 15 percent think the use of mail-in-ballots made cheating harder to accomplish. Nearly two-thirds of voters say they believe it is important to ensure there is no cheating int he 2024 election.
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According to Rasmussen, the results of the November survey show little change from their September findings, indicating voter concern over election integrity remains strong among the likely 2024 electorate. The Heritage Foundation maintains a database documenting over 1,400 confirmed cases of voter fraud that have resulted in 1,264 criminal convictions.
Last week a ‘coding error’ caused voting machines in a Pennsylvania county to erroneously tabulate votes on a ballot question asking whether two Superior Court Judges should be retained. The Pennsylvania Department of State said the error was isolated to machines in Northampton and only impacted the retention question for the two judges. County officials said the ballots would be hand tabulated with votes in the judicial retention question switched back to compensate for the tabulation error.
The National Pulse previously reported most voting machines will not meet new federal standards in time for the 2024 election, renewing concerns about legitimacy of the results. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has refused to address serious concerns about vulnerabilities in the state’s Dominion voting machines raised in the Halderman Report.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: More than 10,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota since the start of the second Trump administration, with 3,000 taken into custody in the last six weeks alone, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, federal agents, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D).
📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrests occurred in Minneapolis, with intensified operations beginning just after Thanksgiving.
💬KEY QUOTE: “In the last 6 weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens including vicious murderers, rapists, child pedophiles and incredibly dangerous individuals. A HUGE victory for public safety.” – Kristi Noem
🎯IMPACT: The arrests highlight ongoing immigration enforcement efforts and have drawn strong reactions, with claims of widespread fraud and criticism of local leadership.
IN FULL
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday that over 10,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota, since the start of the second Trump administration, including roughly 3,000 in the past six weeks. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem highlighted the enforcement surge on social media, declaring, “PEACE AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN MINNEAPOLIS!”
““In the last 6 weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens including vicious murders, rapists, child pedophiles and incredibly dangerous individuals. A HUGE victory for public safety,” Noem said.
Noem criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, accusing them of prioritizing criminals over the safety of residents. She said those arrested “were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis.” Federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have carried out what DHS describes as the largest immigration enforcement operation in the city’s history, with thousands of officers deployed since late November.
Noem said the operation has targeted individuals she called “vicious murderers, rapists, child pedophiles, and incredibly dangerous individuals.” She also pointed to a multibillion-dollar fraud investigation in Minnesota, claiming at least $19 billion has been stolen, double the $9 billion figure previously cited by U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, and said much of it is connected to members of the Somali community.
President Trump echoed the crackdown on social media, targeting Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar and writing, “She should be in jail, or even a worse punishment, sent back to Somalia.”
Local officials have strongly criticized the federal enforcement actions. Mayor Frey described the surge as an “invasion” and has sought legal measures to restrict ICE operations. Civil liberties advocates and state authorities have also filed lawsuits, alleging constitutional violations and excessive use of force during arrests.
The crackdown has coincided with several violent incidents. In one case, a migrant allegedly rammed ICE agents with a vehicle in St. Paul, prompting an agent to fire shots. In another case, an ICE officer shot a Venezuelan in the leg after being attacked with a shove, sparking protests. Additional reports have raised concerns about attempts to intimidate federal agents, including live-streamed attempts by far-left activist groups to expose ICE officers’ personal information.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Police in Britain are trialing AI technologies to prevent crime before it happens, reminiscent of Minority Report.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Shabana Mahmood, the British Home Secretary, and Sir Andy Marsh, head of the College of Policing.
📍WHEN & WHERE: January 18, 2026, in the Britain.
💬KEY QUOTE: “[M]y ultimate vision… was to achieve, by means of AI and technology, what Jeremy Bentham tried to do with his Panopticon. That is that the eyes of the state can be on you at all times.” – Shabana Mahmood
🎯IMPACT: The initiative is drawing criticism for weaponizing AI technology to undermine citizens’ privacy.
IN FULL
Police forces across Britain are exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and deter criminal activity before offenses take place, a move that has drawn comparisons to the predictive policing depicted in the film Minority Report. Around 100 separate projects are currently being reviewed by police chiefs as part of efforts to integrate AI tools into crime-fighting and public-order strategies.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood—roughly equivalent to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary—is expected to formalise the expanded role of AI in policing in a white paper due to be published next week. The proposals form part of a broader reform agenda at the Home Office. Sir Andy Marsh, chief executive of the College of Policing, has said that “predictive analytics” could help forces analyse data patterns and intervene earlier to prevent crime.
Mahmood, who previously served as Justice Secretary, has also argued for a significant expansion of GPS tagging for offenders. She has suggested that increased electronic monitoring could amount to “virtual prisons” for those serving community sentences, allowing authorities to maintain close supervision without custodial sentences. Since taking over the British Home Office, she has overseen the announcement of a nationwide rollout of live facial-recognition technology by police forces.
In a recent interview with arch globalist and former Prime Minister, Sir Tony Blair, Ms Mahmood said, “AI and technology can be transformative to the whole of the law and order space.” She added that, as Justice Secretary, her “ultimate vision… was to achieve, by means of AI and technology, what Jeremy Bentham tried to do with his Panopticon. That is that the eyes of the state can be on you at all times.”
The Panopticon, an 18th-century prison design proposed by philosopher Jeremy Bentham, allowed inmates to be observed at any moment, without knowing when they were being watched. Critics argue that Bentham’s concept has become an increasingly apt metaphor for modern surveillance technology. What was once a theoretical model is now cited by civil liberties groups concerned about the scale and reach of data collection, monitoring, and algorithmic decision-making being pursued by the state.
The push for AI-driven policing comes amid wider controversy over surveillance and free speech in Britain. The government has recently reinstated a COVID-era monitoring unit tasked with spying on online commentary related to immigration and public order, prompting accusations that lawful political speech is being spied on by the state. At the same time, government ministers have defended censorship of online platforms, arguing that restrictions are necessary to maintain public safety.
Internationally, Britain’s Labour Party government has faced criticism from President Donald J. Trump, who compared Britain to China after reports that the government pressured Apple to weaken iCloud security to assist law enforcement access.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) is putting distance between himself and anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protestors who stormed a church service with Don Lemon in St Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday, amid a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into the incident.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), anti-ICE protesters, and the DOJ.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Sunday at Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The Governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully. While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship.” – Governor Walz’s office.
🎯IMPACT: A grand jury subpoena has been issued for Governor Walz and Mayor Frey, and the DOJ is investigating their potential involvement in obstructing federal immigration operations.
IN FULL
Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) is now claiming that he has “repeatedly” urged residents to protest “peacefully” following an incident in which anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators stormed a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the incident that occurred during a Christian worship service at Cities Church, as well as Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s involvement in violent anti-ICE demonstrations in recent weeks.
“The Governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully. While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship,” Walz’s office claimed in a statement on Monday. The Walz administration, along with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Frey, and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, is suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over ICE operations in the state.
During the church service at Cities Church, one agitator recorded himself harassing attendees, accusing them of living “comfortable lives” while children were detained in “concentration camps.” He added, “You’re living real nice lives with your lattes, doing absolutely nothing for your Latino and Somali brothers and sisters.”
Alina Habba, a senior advisor to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, confirmed on Monday that the DOJ is examining the involvement of Walz and other officials in inciting the incident. Subpoenas have also been issued for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who has been vocal in his opposition to federal immigration enforcement, previously telling ICE to “get the f**k out of Minneapolis.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Gunmen attacked two churches in Kaduna state, Nigeria, abducting dozens of Christians.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Armed assailants and churchgoers, with state police investigating the incident.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Sunday in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna state, approximately 500 miles northeast of Lagos.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The gunmen used sophisticated weapons in the attack,” according to state police.
🎯IMPACT: Over 160 churchgoers may have been abducted, highlighting a growing trend of targeting Christians in Nigeria.
IN FULL
Armed gunmen in the Kaduna state in Nigeria attacked two churches on Sunday and are believed to have abducted dozens of Christians. While Kaduna police say they are still trying to determine just how many people were taken, senior leaders at the churches claim more than 160 people were taken during the attack.
The churches targeted were located in a remote forest community called Kurmin Wali. Local officials stated that the gunmen—likely members of a radical Islamist group—used “sophisticated weapons.”
Kidnappings and deadly attacks on Christians and churches in Nigeria have seen a concerning rise in recent years. The National Pulse previously reported that last year, Islamists killed an estimated 7,087 Nigerian Christians. In response to the massacres, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) on October 31, 2025.
While Nigerian President Bola Tinubu—who is Muslim—has consistently denied that his government has allowed Islamist groups to carry out a genocide against the country’s Christian population, the main opposition party has demanded that he resign if the attacks continue.
Late last year, President Trump announced the U.S. was considering economic sanctions against Nigeria’s government and air strikes against Islamist groups in the country in response to what the American leader termed a “genocide.” On Christmas Day, the U.S. military carried out strikes against Islamic State-linked groups in Nigeria’s Sokoto state.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The European Union (EU) is considering a new two-tier EU accession system that could expedite Ukraine’s membership.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The European Commission, Ukraine, and EU member states.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Proposals are currently under discussion in Brussels, Belgium, which serves as the EU institutions’ main power center.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures… We’re enlarging the concept of enlargement.” – Senior EU diplomat.
🎯IMPACT: The plan could alter EU accession rules and affect the bloc’s stability.
IN FULL
The European Commission—the European Union’s unelected executive—is working on draft proposals that could significantly reshape the EU accession process, including the possibility of accelerating Ukraine’s entry as part of a negotiated settlement to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. Although the initiative remains at an early stage, it has already unsettled several EU capitals that fear the emergence of an “enlargement-lite” approach that could weaken long-standing standards.
Ukraine, which was granted official EU candidate status after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, regards EU membership as a cornerstone of its postwar recovery and its long-term strategic alignment with the West. Ukrainian leaders argue that joining the bloc is essential for economic reconstruction, political reform, and security guarantees beyond the battlefield. Nevertheless, even sympathetic EU officials privately acknowledge that Ukraine may need around a decade to fully satisfy accession requirements, despite a U.S.-backed peace framework that envisions membership by 2027.
Under the Commission’s preliminary thinking, Ukraine could enter the EU under a staged model that limits its initial influence. While the country would be formally admitted, it would not enjoy “normal voting rights at leaders’ summits” during the early phase. Instead, Kiev would gradually gain access to the Single Market, which includes the Free Movement migration regime, and EU funding as it meets a series of post-accession reform targets.
Such an approach would represent a significant departure from the 1993 accession rules, which require candidate states to fully align with EU laws and standards before joining. Supporters inside the bloc argue that exceptional circumstances demand flexibility, particularly given Ukraine’s wartime situation. Critics, however, warn that relaxing the rules risks damaging the already tenuous cohesion of the bloc and diminishing the perceived value of full membership.
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures… We’re not undermining enlargement. We’re enlarging the concept of enlargement,” one EU official said.
The proposal has triggered debate among member states, with some governments concerned it could disadvantage other candidate countries such as Montenegro and Albania, which have spent years progressing through the traditional accession process. Others worry about the broader implications for the EU’s relationships with non-member partners like the United Kingdom and Norway, questioning whether a differentiated model for Ukraine could create new political and economic tensions.
Beyond institutional concerns, political resistance remains strong in parts of the EU. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has repeatedly expressed skepticism about Ukraine joining the bloc, arguing that such a move should not proceed without public consent. He has suggested that European voters should decide whether Ukraine can join and has cautioned that fast-tracking accession could have serious consequences for the union’s economy and stability.
Notably, Ukraine is regularly accused of mistreating its Hungarian minority and of hurting farmers in countries like Poland by dumping their agricultural produce on the EU and driving down prices.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a new study into the potential health effects of cellphone radiation.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: HHS, President Donald J. Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” Commission, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and various federal agencies.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The study was recently announced, with older federal webpages on the topic being quietly removed.
🎯IMPACT: The study aims to address gaps in scientific knowledge, though it contrasts with positions held by many major scientific and regulatory bodies.
IN FULL
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a study to examine possible health effects linked to cellphone radiation, signaling a shift from earlier federal messaging that emphasized the supposed safety of wireless devices. HHS said the research will focus on electromagnetic radiation and human health, with the goal of identifying gaps in scientific knowledge, particularly as it relates to “newer technologies.” Agency spokesman Andrew Nixon said older federal webpages asserting that cellphones are safe were removed because those conclusions are now considered “outdated.”
The effort was ordered by President Donald J. Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission and reflects a broader policy direction under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As part of that approach, HHS has pointed to actions taken at the state level, noting that 22 states have enacted restrictions on cellphone use in schools to support children’s health.
The move marks a departure from long-standing positions held by many federal agencies. While the Food and Drug Administration, which operates under HHS, has taken down webpages previously dismissing potential risks from cellphone use, other agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), continue to state that existing evidence does not demonstrate a causal link between cellphone radiation and cancer. However, those agencies do acknowledge that continued research is warranted.
Kennedy has long argued that wireless radiation poses serious health risks. Before joining the Trump administration, he represented plaintiffs who claimed cellphone use caused brain tumors and served as chairman of the advocacy group Children’s Health Defense. He has also been involved in legal challenges to FCC radiation exposure standards.
Since becoming HHS secretary, Kennedy has advanced a range of health policy changes aligned with the MAHA agenda. These include a sweeping reorganization of federal health agencies to create a new Administration for a Healthy America, efforts to ban synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply, and changes to federal vaccine policy. In late 2025, a reconstituted CDC advisory panel backed by Kennedy voted to end the long-standing recommendation that newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine on the day of birth, shifting the decision to parents and physicians.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: A video has surfaced showing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent confronting agitators interfering with an operation to detain a suspected child sex offender in St. Paul, Minnesota.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE agents, anti-ICE protesters, individuals filming the scene, and federal officials.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The weekend of January 17, 2026, in St. Paul, Minnesota, during a federal enforcement operation.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We’re here to arrest a child sex offender, and you guys are out here honking… That vehicle right there is honking and impeding our investigations while we’re trying to arrest a child sex offender. That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane.” – ICE agent
🎯IMPACT: Protests against ICE enforcement actions have intensified in Minnesota, with some demonstrators violently clashing with federal and local law enforcement.
IN FULL
A video posted to social media shows leftists attempting to interfere in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation over the weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota, being warned that their actions could result in the escape of a child sex offender. Anti-ICE activists, according the federal immigration officer in the video, were honking car horns in effort to warn the enforcement action target.
“We’re here to arrest a child sex offender, and you guys are out here honking… That vehicle right there is honking and impeding our investigations while we’re trying to arrest a child sex offender. That’s who you guys are protecting. Insane,” the ICE agent states into the camera, while pointing to a vehicle he said was disrupting the operation. Another part of the footage captured continuous honking from a car.
“We are trying to arrest a child s*x offender” ICE agents say as activists honk to alert to their presence in St Paul Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/TmL3DlZZ8F
The confrontation follows heightened tensions between federal agents and anti-ICE agitators in Minnesota, sparked by two recent high-profile shootings. Earlier this month, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, an anti-ICE activist, when she hit a federal officer with her car. Seperately, a Venezuelan illegal was shot in the leg by an ICE agent in Minneapolis after he and several others attacked the agent with a shovel.
Demonstrators have organized marches, vigils, and “ICE Watch” patrols to monitor federal enforcement actions. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating protesters who disrupted services at a St. Paul church where a local ICE official, David Easterwood, also serves as a pastor.
As some big accounts who reposted this seem confused – the agent clearly points with his finger behind him to specify who he is talking about, then addresses the journalist camera as his message to protesters pic.twitter.com/8j3rr4pGcb
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two Minnesota hotels canceled U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ reservations and temporarily closed due to “heightened public safety concerns.”
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE agents, Doubletree St. Paul Downtown, Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront, and protesters opposing ICE operations.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: St. Paul, Minnesota; closures began Sunday, with impacts continuing into the week.
🎯IMPACT: ICE agents faced challenges in securing accommodations amid ongoing protests and safety concerns.
IN FULL
Two hotels in St. Paul, Minnesota, have temporarily closed their doors in what is suspected to be a move to shield them from litigation for cancelling reservations made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The Doubletree St. Paul Downtown informed agents that their rooms were being canceled and the hotel would close for several days, while the Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront said it was temporarily closing due to “elevated safety and security concerns.”
While both hotels claim they are assisting agents in finding new or alternate accommodations, the closure decisions are drawing scrutiny, as the move appears to be designed to avoid the backlash the now-former Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis received. The National Pulse reported in early January that Hilton announced it had cut ties with the hotel’s independent ownership after it refused to honor room reservations made by federal agents and was subsequently caught lying about the matter. Notably, the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront stated that it may begin accepting reservations again on Wednesday.
The hotel closures do come amid an increase in civil unrest and violence by leftist agitators in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area in response to the fatal shooting of anti-ICE activist Renee Nicole Good earlier this month, when she attempted to run over a federal law enforcement officer. On Sunday, left-wing protestors and ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon stormed a Christian worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul. The demonstration was led by activist Nekima Levy-Armstrong and organized by the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota under the name “Operation Pullup.” Lemon accompanied the group, embedded with the protesters, and conducted interviews during the disruption. Congregants were forced to flee as the unrest unfolded inside the church.
In response to the unrest and violence, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has surged federal law enforcement officers to Minnesota to protect both the public and ICE agents.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Anti-corruption investigators have accused Ukrainian lawmaker and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko of organizing a scheme to bribe MPs, including figures from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, to undermine his government.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Yulia Tymoshenko, her Fatherland party, members of the Ukrainian legislature, and Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Investigations and raids occurred on Tuesday night, with announcements made on Wednesday in Ukraine.
💬KEY QUOTE: “It seems the elections are much closer than they appeared and someone has decided to start clearing out the competition.” – Yulia Tymoshenko
🎯IMPACT: The allegations heighten political tensions in Ukraine, as expectations of elections increase amidst ongoing corruption probes and the war with Russia.
IN FULL
Ukrainian opposition lawmaker and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is facing bribery charges from anti-corruption authorities, who allege she organized a scheme to pay lawmakers—including some from President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party—in exchange for their votes in parliament.
The accusations emerged following raids late Tuesday on the offices of her Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Investigators claim the operation involved a systematic, long-term arrangement with advance payments to secure loyal voting behavior, including instructions sent via the Signal messaging app. NABU has released audio recordings and video footage showing U.S. dollar cash seized during the searches, describing it as part of a broader effort to influence parliamentary decisions and potentially undermine Zelensky’s majority.
Tymoshenko, whose party holds about 25 seats in the 450-member Verkhovna Rada, as the Ukrainian legislature is known, denied the claims in a Facebook statement. She rejected any link to the published audio recordings and called the probe politically driven, stating: “It seems the elections are much closer than they appeared and someone has decided to start clearing out the competition.” She pledged to demonstrate in court that the accusations against her are false.
The case follows NABU’s exposure in December 2025 of several lawmakers accepting improper benefits for votes, and coincides with other high-profile corruption investigations, including those involving figures close to Zelensky and issues at the state nuclear energy company Energoatom.
Notably, Tymoshenko had earlier backed legislation that would have weakened or dismantled NABU and SAPO—the very bodies now pursuing her.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) scheduled a special election to fill the vacant seat of the late Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) on the latest possible date under state law.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Gavin Newsom, late GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa, and voters in Northern California.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The special election is set for August 4 in Northern California.
🎯IMPACT: The vacancy adds to the challenges faced by Republicans’ narrow House majority in passing President Donald J. Trump’s legislative agenda.
IN FULL
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)—a leading contender for the 2028 Democrat presidential nomination—has scheduled a special election to fill the open seat of the late Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) on August 4, 2026. This is the last possible date permissible under state law for the vacancy to be filled.
Notably, the move by Newsom appears aimed at further complicating the legislative process for House Republicans on Capitol Hill, as the prolonged vacancy will deprive GOP leaders of a critical vote in their already slim majority. Republicans have faced an increasingly difficult time passing major legislation in the House, holding just 218 seats to the Democrats’ 213, with two Republican and two Democrat vacancies.
Further, Rep. Thomas Massie‘s penchant for defecting to the Democrats on critical votes means the House GOP effectively operates with an effective one- or two-vote majority on most floor action. The winner of the California special election will only serve the remaining months of the term, which expires in early January 2027. LaMalfa passed away on January 6 at the age of 65.
The delayed special election is just the latest maneuver by Newsom to position himself for a 2028 presidential primary run, by embracing hyperpartisan tactics to tilt the midterm election in the Democrats’ favor in an effort to appeal to the more radical elements of the party’s base. Last November, California voters backed Newsom’s Proposition 50, a ballot measure that temporarily suspends the state’s independent redistricting commission and allows the legislature to redraw congressional districts, potentially creating five additional Democratic seats ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections.
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