Wednesday, July 29, 2026

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Maricopa County SUED For Ignoring Election Laws.

American First Legal has filed a lawsuit against Maricopa County, Arizona, for continuing to violate state election law. The conservative legal group — led by Stephen Miller, a long-time adviser to former President Donald Trump — alleges that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the County Recorder failed to lawfully administer elections for years. The lawsuit asks the Arizona State Superior Court in Maricopa County to issue several legal orders requiring the county government to comply with election statutes in future elections.

During the 2022 mid-term elections, numerous irregularities with how the administration of the county election were documented. The plaintiffs allege county officials failed to maintain the mandatory chain of custody for ballots. This resulted in a discrepancy of over 25,000 votes. Razor-thin margins decided several 2022 state-wide races. The gubernatorial contest saw just 17,117 votes separate now Governor Kaite Hobbs (D) from Kari Lake (R).

One of the most well-documented allegations the lawsuit levels is that the county recorder ignored state law ballot verification procedures. The statute requires ‘human’ election officials to match signatures on early ballots with the respective voter registration record. An AI program was used to verify ballot signatures during the 2022 election. Officials say they intend to use it again in 2024. County officials also face accusations of ignoring mandatory reconciliation procedures to track each ballot printed or issued to a voter.

“The legitimacy of our government relies on the people’s trust that elections are free and fair. Maricopa County’s errors, lapses, and mistakes in administering elections have seriously eroded that trust,” America First Legal counsel James Rogers said in a statement. He added: “This lawsuit seeks to hold Maricopa County accountable for its failures and to restore Arizonans’ trust in their elections.”

By Popular Demand.
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Dem Lawmakers Launch DEI Program Prioritizing Muslims for State Employment.

A new proposal in Massachusetts seeks to establish an all-Muslim commission to prioritize Muslims for state government positions, raising concerns about religious favoritism and equal treatment under the law.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Massachusetts lawmakers are advancing a bill to create a permanent all-Muslim commission that would prioritize the hiring of Muslims for state government jobs.
📺 DETAIL: The commission seeks to recommend Muslims to be appointed to state government positions in order to address a range of issues ranging from the economy to healthcare. The 11-person all-Muslim panel would be appointed by Democrat Governor Maura Healey. “Massachusetts has always prided itself on being a leader in equality and civil rights, a legacy this bill builds upon,” said Democratic state Senator Jamie Eldridge, the bill’s sponsor. This follows efforts by the Trump administration to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). According to the wording of the bill, the commission intends to “Identify and recommend qualified American Muslims for appointive positions at all levels of government, including boards and commissions, as the commission considers necessary and appropriate.” Critics argue that prioritizing a specific religious group for state government positions undermines the principle of equal treatment under the law.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “There is no reason to prioritize Muslims for state offices. They can seek such positions on their own, and under the founding principle of equal treatment under the law, they can be evaluated for such positions by the same objective criteria as anyone, regardless of race, religion, or anything other than their experience and their ability to do the job,” said Ward Clark of RedState.
🎯 IMPACT: The bill has sparked backlash with critics warning it could set a precedent for government hiring based on group identity rather than merit. The bill is likely to create tension between state and federal government, especially since the Trump administration has pushed to end DEI across the United States. Back in February, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit gave the administration the go-ahead to end DEI programs within federal contracting. This shows a preoccupation with DEI in the public sector specifically, meaning that a proposal to explicitly grant government jobs to Muslims based on their identity is likely to invite scrutiny from the administration.

Image via King of Hearts.

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A new proposal in Massachusetts seeks to establish an all-Muslim commission to prioritize Muslims for state government positions, raising concerns about religious favoritism and equal treatment under the law.

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By Popular Demand.
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Education Department Hack Dumps 607,000 Officials’ Details on Dark Web.

A significant data breach at the United Kingdom’s Department for Education has leaked sensitive information belonging to government officials and educational staff.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Hackers have stolen over 600,000 records containing personal data from the United Kingdom’s Department for Education.
📰 DETAIL: On Wednesday, it was revealed that Britain’s Department for Education (DfE) had been hacked. The breach targeted the DfE’s help desk and the Turing Scheme database, which tracks British students studying abroad. The breach resulted in the leak of over 607,000 records of government officials, university staff, and head teachers. The records contained sensitive data such as the full names, job titles, email addresses, and phone numbers. ExfilSquad, a cybercriminal and ransomware group, has since claimed responsibility for the hack. “The issue is this isn’t a one-off and the UK government should be learning from its mistakes. There are now multiple examples of government and local government agencies being struck in similar attacks which often lead to weeks of disruption and have a huge knock-on effect to wider communities,” commented Jake Moore, global security adviser at ESET, a cybersecurity firm.
🎯 IMPACT: The incident has been reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the government body for data protection. An investigation is being conducted by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the National Crime Agency (NCA), Britain’s national cybersecurity and law enforcement agencies, respectively. The identified vulnerabilities in the DfE’s help desk and the Turing Scheme’s database are reportedly in the process of being fixed. DfE claims that the data protection risk is low because the records obtained include different datasets, meaning they supposedly cannot be connected. The number of cyberattacks deemed “nationally significant” in Britain rose from 63 in 2022 to 204 in 2025, suggesting this attack is part of a wider trend of increasing cybercrime.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This hack shows the government has not really learnt from their mistakes last year.” – Jake Moore.

Image by Sora Shimazaki.

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A significant data breach at the United Kingdom's Department for Education has leaked sensitive information belonging to government officials and educational staff.

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By Popular Demand.
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UK PM Burnham Opens Door to New ‘Death Tax’ to Fund ‘National Care Service.’

New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled plans for a new National Care Service to be integrated into the National Health Service (NHS), Britain’s public healthcare system, sparking concerns over tax rises to fund the proposal.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not ruled out tax rises to fund a new National Care Service, tasked with providing senior and disability care.
📰 DETAIL: On Wednesday, Prime Minister Burnham unveiled plans for a new National Care Service, pay increases for care workers, improved care training, and integrating the care sector with the already socialized National Health Service (NHS). Burnham also announced that an ongoing review into social care would be published next summer, earlier than previously planned under his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer. The Prime Minister has reportedly initiated talks with the Liberal Democrats, a progressive liberal party that supports open borders and re-joining the European Union, and Kemi Badenoch’s Conservatives, the nominally center-right party responsible for the migrant “Boriswave.” He has not invited Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party or Zack Polanski’s far-left Green Party, despite the former coming ahead of the Lib Dems in the popular vote in the 2024 general election and topping most national polls for months. Burnham first proposed a universal social care system while serving as Secretary of Health in the Labour government of then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown back in 2009. At the time, Burnham proposed a levy on people’s estates after they die to fund the idea, characterized as a “death tax” on top of Britain’s existing inheritance tax. “Some of what we would want to do in the fuller sense will require difficult decisions but we will be honest with people about those, we will put them before the country at the right time, and we will hopefully proceed with people’s consent,” said the Prime Minister in a speech at Westminster on Wednesday.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Make no mistake, today Andy Burnham fired the starting gun on his scheme to raid the little money that hundreds of thousands of regular people have struggled to save over their lifetimes. That’s why he can’t rule out the new universal death tax,” commented Reform UK Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick.
🎯 IMPACT: The fact that Burnham is only consulting two other parties suggests that the new Prime Minister’s offer of consensus-building only extends to those belonging to the political establishment. The likelihood of tax rises is likely to spark backlash as the country languishes under a rising cost of living. This represents Burnham’s most substantive and significant policy proposal since becoming Prime Minister last week. It was reported earlier this month that Burnham was planning a tax raid worth roughly $51 billion on Britain’s middle class.

Image by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street.

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New British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled plans for a new National Care Service to be integrated into the National Health Service (NHS), Britain's public healthcare system, sparking concerns over tax rises to fund the proposal.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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Fauci Faces Contempt Vote After Using the Fifth Amendment to Dodge Senate Questions.

Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to answer Senate questions about COVID-19’s origins on Wednesday, claiming legal protection under the Fifth Amendment.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a U.S. Senate hearing led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Wednesday, declining to answer any questions about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic after saying he feared his testimony could be used in a perjury prosecution. Fauci said he had previously testified under oath before Congress on multiple occasions and argued Paul’s repeated calls to see him prosecuted left him no choice but to remain silent on the advice of his attorneys. However, as former President Joe Biden has already issued Fauci a blanket pardon, Paul believes the Fifth Amendment does not allow him to refuse to answer questions, and has said he will face a vote to find him in contempt of Congress.
📺 DETAIL: The hearing became contentious as Paul and other senators questioned Fauci despite his refusal to respond. One of Fauci’s attorneys was ordered removed by security after repeatedly attempting to interject. Paul cited more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s pandemic-era writings, claiming they contradicted his public statements by showing he privately considered the possibility that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Fauci’s writings show he initially kept an open mind about both a natural spillover and a laboratory leak before later insisting a natural animal-to-human transmission was the more likely explanation. Republican senators, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), criticized Fauci’s refusal to testify, while Democratic lawmakers defended him, arguing the hearing was intended to entrap him. Fauci, who retired in 2022 after becoming the public face of the U.S. pandemic response, was granted a preemptive pardon by former President Joe Biden before Biden left office, with Biden stating the pardon should not be interpreted as an admission of wrongdoing.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something… that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up… ‘behind bars.’” – Anthony Fauci
🎯 IMPACT: Paul argues Fauci’s use of the Fifth Amendment to avoid questions was impermissible, as his pardon from Biden already protected him from prosecution. “It’s against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress. There will be repercussions for your refusal to testify,” he warned.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci refused to answer Senate questions about COVID-19's origins on Wednesday, claiming legal protection under the Fifth Amendment.

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By Popular Demand.
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Far-Left Green Party Leader Zack Polanski Refuses to Apologize for Sharing Death Threat Against Nigel Farage.

British Green Party leader Zack Polanski has refused to apologize after sharing a death threat against Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage on Instagram.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Green Party leader Zack Polanski has refused to apologize after sharing an Instagram collaboration post featuring an image of a man wearing a T-shirt featuring a guillotine and the slogan, “We’re only making plans for Nigel,” widely understood as referencing a public beheading of Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage. Polanski said the post was shared unintentionally, claiming that he condemns political violence and will be more careful with his social media in the future. Significantly, the post comes just weeks after Reform immigration and justice spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe, 78, was beaten to death in her home in what is believed to be a politically motivated murder.
📺 DETAIL: Reform has reported the post to the police, and Farage has argued Polanski should face the same legal scrutiny that figures on the political right would for posting similar content. London‘s Metropolitan Police said officers are conducting inquiries into the matter and take such reports seriously. Polanski has refused to apologize, saying any apology would wrongly suggest he had deliberately incited violence. Polanski argued that Reform UK’s response, including reporting him to the police and describing the post as incitement to murder, had unnecessarily escalated the situation and placed him in a “dangerous spot.” He confirmed police have not contacted him and said he would not “play” Farage’s game by issuing an apology for what he maintains was an honest mistake.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “If I’d done it deliberately, I’d be apologizing. But because this was a mistake… I also make sure that I condemn political violence.” – Zack Polanski
🎯 FLASHBACK: Farage has been subject to hundreds of death threats and several physical attacks in recent years, mostly perpetrated by leftists and migrants.

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British Green Party leader Zack Polanski has refused to apologize after sharing a death threat against Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage on Instagram.

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By Popular Demand.
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Nigel Farage Guillotine T-Shirt Pulled Following Police Investigation.

A T-shirt depicting a guillotine aimed at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has sparked a police investigation, resulting in the company behind the shirt pulling it from shelves.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A T-shirt calling for Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage to be beheaded has been pulled from sale following widespread backlash.
📺 DETAIL: Sabcat Printing, a Manchester-based “anarchist co-operative,” removed the T-shirt from sale following an investigation into an Instagram post shared by Zack Polanski, leader of the far-left Green Party. The post shows a man at a Green Party event wearing a shirt with a picture of a guillotine and the phrase “We’re only making plans for Nigel,” a clear reference to executing the Reform UK leader. The company has stated fewer than 20 shirts were sold and that it was intended as “satire.” The incident follows the brutal murder of Ann Widdecombe, a legendary former Conservative Member of Parliament and government minister turned Reform UK immigration and justice spokeswoman.
💬 KEY QUOTE:I accept it’s a dangerous message that I shared inadvertently, and I’ve corrected that immediately.” – Zack Polanski, Green Party leader on BBC Newsnight
🎯 IMPACT: The incident has reignited debates over political rhetoric. Since the post was shared, it has been reported that Reform UK has contacted the police to investigate Polanski. “If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski,” Farage stated on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday. The fact that the post was shared only a few weeks after the murder of Widdecombe, who was reportedly hit in the head 21 times with a hammer at her Devon home in an apparently politically motivated terror attack, has added to the backlash. However, Polanski has refused to apologize for sharing the post, despite mounting legal, political, and public pressure.

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A T-shirt depicting a guillotine aimed at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has sparked a police investigation, resulting in the company behind the shirt pulling it from shelves.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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Trump Vows to ‘Beat the F***ing S**t’ Out of Iran Over Surprise Missile Attack on U.S. Base.

President Trump pledged that Iran is about to “get a beating” for launching a surprise missile attack on U.S. forces in Jordan, breaking a multi-day pause in fighting in the region.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump vowed that he will “beat the f***ing s**t out of” Iran in retaliation for a surprise Iranian missile strike targeting American forces in Jordan, a U.S.-aligned Arab state.
📺 DETAIL: Trump highlighted Iran’s history of bad-faith negotiating in a telephone interview on Wednesday morning, stating, “We’ll be hitting them hard. They’re going to get a beating.” American forces reportedly had mere minutes to intercept what the President Trump described as a “surprise attack” on the Jordanian base, the first Iranian strike against U.S. forces since Trump paused operations against the Islamic Republic almost a week ago. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated overnight that “All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “At 5:45 p.m. ET today, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East. All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.” – CENTCOM
🎯 IMPACT: Trump’s strong statement suggests that the pause in strikes against Iran will end imminently. Prior to the pause, he had threatened that the U.S. would begin destroying an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran targeted a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a key supply route for global oil, liquefied natural gas, and fertilizer supplies.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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President Trump pledged that Iran is about to "get a beating" for launching a surprise missile attack on U.S. forces in Jordan, breaking a multi-day pause in fighting in the region.

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By Popular Demand.
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Boat Migrants Spike in New UK PM Burnham’s First Week.

More small boats of illegal migrants have arrived in Britain during new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first week in office compared to his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: More illegal migrants on small boats crossed the English Channel during new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first week in office than during former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s.
📰 DETAIL: In the week ending July 27, Burnham’s first week in office, 13 small boats carrying a combined total of 881 illegal migrants arrived in the United Kingdom. In contrast, 546 small boat migrants arrived during the first week of Burnham’s predecessor, former Prime Minister Starmer, between July 5 and July 11 in 2024. This follows a report from last week, which revealed that a vessel carrying a record-breaking 165 illegal migrants had crossed the English Channel on a single boat just days into Prime Minister Burnham’s premiership. “The situation is alarming, unique, and exceptional,” said a French lifeboat service spokesman, describing the launch of the vessel. The previous record was set on July 12, when 128 illegal migrants arrived in the country on a single boat.
🎯 IMPACT: The increase in arrivals during Burnham’s first week raises questions about his interest in handling small boat crossings, despite the fact that much of his predecessor’s widespread unpopularity was attributed to ineffective border control. This continues a trend of rising illegal immigration under the new Prime Minister. Earlier this month, it was reported that small boat crossings had recommenced once Burnham entered 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s official residence, after a brief pause. Earlier this year, in May, it was reported that over 200,000 illegal migrants had entered the country after crossing the English Channel since 2018, per British government data. This included approximately 50,000 illegal migrants who arrived within roughly one year of the Labour Party coming to power.

Image by Kirsty O’Connor / No 10 Downing Street.

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More small boats of illegal migrants have arrived in Britain during new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first week in office compared to his predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer.

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By Popular Demand.
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Trump Discloses Lindsey Graham’s Last Wishes on Iran.

President Donald J. Trump said the late Senator Lindsey Graham adopted a surprising shift on foreign policy during his final weeks, calling for diplomacy.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump said late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), whose funeral was held on Tuesday, privately shifted his stance on Iran in the weeks before his death, and that the longtime foreign policy hawk urged pursuing a negotiated settlement rather than continued military action.
📺 DETAIL: Graham, who died suddenly on July 11 at age 71, had long been one of the Senate’s strongest advocates for military intervention abroad, including support for action against Iran and continued U.S. backing for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Trump said Graham had become convinced “it’s better to make a deal” with Iran. The President also reflected on Graham’s legacy, saying he often joked the senator “liked war” and had “never seen a war he didn’t like.” Graham had frequently argued that supporting Ukraine was in America’s national interest and, following a visit to Kiev, said he believed there was a path to ending the conflict by strengthening Ukraine while pursuing a diplomatic resolution. Trump’s remarks came as family, friends, and political leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., for Graham’s funeral, where he was remembered for his decades of service in the Senate and his influence on U.S. foreign policy.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Lindsey liked war, to be honest with you… He’s never seen a war he didn’t like,” said Trump, but added that the late lawmaker had recently said, “It’s better to make a deal in this case than just destroying the rest of the country.”
🎯 IMPACT: Trump’s remarks on Graham’s advocacy for diplomacy in his final weeks stand in stark contrast to the senator’s longstanding reputation as a proponent of military intervention.

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President Donald J. Trump said the late Senator Lindsey Graham adopted a surprising shift on foreign policy during his final weeks, calling for diplomacy.

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By Popular Demand.
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Illegal Alien Gangster Pleads Guilty to Attacking Border Patrol with Vehicle.

A Venezuelan illegal alien associated with the violent Tren de Aragua gang pleaded guilty after ramming a Border Patrol vehicle during an attempted arrest in Portland, Oregon.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED:  A Venezuelan illegal immigrant with alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang has pleaded guilty to a federal charge after he rammed a pickup truck into a Border Patrol vehicle while attempting to evade arrest in Portland, Oregon. Luis Nino-Moncada, 33, pleaded guilty Monday to felony depredation of government property and faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release after prosecutors said he repeatedly struck a federal vehicle during a January 8 arrest operation, prompting an agent to fire his service weapon.
📺 DETAIL: Nino-Moncada and passenger Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, a Venezuelan national whom the Department of Homeland Security has linked to a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring, were both wounded, fled the scene, and were later apprehended. Court records state Nino-Moncada admitted he was living in the United States illegally and had been ordered removed by an immigration judge in November 2024. Federal investigators said the pair had previously come to the attention of law enforcement, including during a 2025 prostitution sting in which Zambrano-Contreras allegedly identified several Tren de Aragua members and admitted involvement in a prior Portland shooting. Zambrano-Contreras later accepted a plea agreement on a 2023 illegal entry charge and received one year of supervised probation with GPS monitoring before being arrested again in May for repeatedly violating her court-ordered curfew. The January confrontation also sparked protests outside Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility after city officials suggested federal agents had shot innocent local residents, a characterization disputed by federal authorities.
📺 FLASHBACK: Nino-Moncada’s attack sparked riots in Portland after city officials falsely claimed federal agents had shot innocent people, referring to the suspects as “neighbors.” Zambrano-Contreras, who has a history of violating probation, had previously been involved in a prostitution sting and other criminal activities connected to the gang.

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A Venezuelan illegal alien associated with the violent Tren de Aragua gang pleaded guilty after ramming a Border Patrol vehicle during an attempted arrest in Portland, Oregon.

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By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.