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Thursday, April 24, 2025
10 minutes ago
News
World

Government Outlaws Muslim Brotherhood.

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❓What Happened: The Muslim Brotherhood has been banned in Jordan, with officials arresting 16 people linked to security threats involving weapons and explosives.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Jordanian government and security services, the Muslim Brotherhood.

📍 Where & When: Jordan, announcement made on Wednesday.

💬 Key Quote: Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh stated that “elements of the Muslim Brotherhood” had “worked in darkness to carry out activities that undermine stability and tamper with security and national unity.”

⚠️ Impact: The decision highlights Jordan’s measures to counter Islamist national security threats and points to broader concerns over the Muslim Brotherhood’s operations.

IN FULL:

The Kingdom of Jordan has taken action to ban the Muslim Brotherhood as of April 23, citing national security concerns. This move follows the April 15 acknowledgment by Jordanian security services of arrests involving 16 individuals accused of posing national security risks linked to weapons, explosives, and plans involving drones and fighter training.

Interior Minister Mazin Al Farrayeh explained the reasoning behind the ban, highlighting that elements of the Muslim Brotherhood “worked in darkness to carry out activities that undermine stability and tamper with security and national unity.”

The Muslim Brotherhood, established in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna in Egypt, has often been scrutinized. Al-Banna famously wrote that Islam is naturally inclined to assert its influence globally. In recent years, various entities have expressed concern about the group’s activities and influence. These include a 2007 declaration of support for Osama bin Laden.

During President Donald J. Trump’s first administration, there was consideration of potentially labeling the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. European security services have mirrored these concerns, consistently taking a negative view of the Muslim Brotherhood’s presence. Investigations have pointed out elaborate networks linked to the group throughout Europe, operating under various front organizations.

Jordan is just the latest country to ban the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East. The organization is considered a terrorist group in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt.

Image via World Economic Forum.

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51 minutes ago
News

Alex Soros Criticizes Climate Group for Fixation on ‘Palestine.’

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❓What Happened: Alex Soros, heir to billionaire plutocrat George Soros, criticized the Sunrise Movement for diverging from its environmentalist goals to focus on “Palestine.”

👥 Who’s Involved: Alex Soros, Sunrise Movement, George Soros, Democracy PAC, Sixteen-Thirty Fund.

📍 Where & When: United States, during and after the 2020 election season.

💬 Key Quote: “We gave them money, and now all they do is talk about Palestine. It’s ridiculous.” — Alex Soros

⚠️ Impact: The controversy led to accusations of antisemitism against the Sunrise Movement for boycotting events with Zionist Jewish groups and called into question the use of funds by Soros-backed organizations.

IN FULL:

Alex Soros, son of billionaire plutocrat George Soros and current chairman of his Open Society Foundations activism empire, has publicly voiced dissatisfaction with the Sunrise Movement. In an interview, Alex Soros expressed frustration over the environmentalist group’s focus on Israel and the Palestinians rather than climate change.

“What the hell did they do, by the way?” he said of the group, which receives around a third of its funding from Soros-supported entities. “We gave them money, and now all they do is talk about Palestine. It’s ridiculous.”

The Sunrise Movement, which publicly identifies its mission as attacking fossil fuels, received $750,000 during the 2020 election period from sources associated with Soros. However, tensions have since emerged between the group and its billionaire funder due to recent controversies involving its Washington, D.C. chapter.

In October 2021, the D.C. branch of Sunrise Movement declined participation in a rally for D.C. statehood, citing the involvement of certain Jewish organizations known for their support of Israel. This decision was met with significant backlash, including accusations of anti-Semitism, due to the group’s call to exclude what it described as “Zionist” groups.

While George Soros is ethnically Jewish, the liberal atheist has not historically been a supporter of the Jewish State. The Israeli government has even defended his critics, such as Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, against accusations of anti-Semitism, saying such allegations should not be used to “delegitimize criticism of George Soros, who continuously undermines Israel’s democratically elected governments by funding organisations that defame the Jewish state and seek to deny it the right to defend itself.”

Image by World Economic Forum/Valeriano Di Domenico.

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1 hour ago
Culture
News

Trump Admin Exploring $5,000 Baby Bonus Plan to Tackle Demographic Decline.

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❓What Happened: The White House is considering a “baby bonus” of $5,000 for new mothers to encourage higher birth rates in the U.S.

👥 Who’s Involved: White House aides, policy experts, birth rate advocates, and the Trump administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

📍 Where & When: United States, ongoing discussions reported by The New York Times.

💬 Key Quote: “While a $5,000 baby bonus may temporarily increase birth rates…such financial incentives alone have minimal lasting impact on overall birth rates,” stated Theodore D. Cosco, a research fellow at Oxford Institute of Population Ageing.

⚠️ Impact: If implemented, the policy could provide financial assistance to new mothers, but experts caution it may not significantly alter birth rates without broader systemic support.

IN FULL:

The White House is examining a proposal to offer a $5,000 “baby bonus” for women having children to address declining birth rates in the United States. This comes amid discussions with policy experts and advocates seeking solutions to boost the nation’s fertility figures, as an alternative to mass migration.

Encouraging more births could address long-term demographic challenges, with more deaths than births observed in recent years. The Congressional Budget Office projects the U.S. fertility rate to average 1.6 births per woman over the next 30 years, well below the 2.1 necessary for maintaining a stable population without mass migration.

President Donald J. Trump has previously expressed concern over birth rates. Initiatives under this administration have included expanding IVF access and prioritizing federal funding for regions with marriage and birth rates above the national average. Vice President J.D. Vance also wants to see “more babies” born in the U.S.

Comparative policies in other countries show mixed results. Australia’s “baby bonus” and Hungary’s pro-family policies offer insights into various approaches, yet external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war, and their associated shocks to jobs and prices, have hampered their short-term effectiveness.

Mass migration is unlikely to be a long-term solution to demographic issues, however. United Nations studies dating back to the turn of the century show that, because migrants also age, the annual influx would have to increase to impossibly vast totals to maintain a 4:1 ratio of working-age people to senior citizens.

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2 hours ago
Immigration
News

WATCH: Nigel Farage Proposes Creation of Deportation Secretary.

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❓What Happened: Nigel Farage has urged the British government to appoint a minister focused on deportations.

👥 Who’s Involved: Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform Party, and Robert Jenrick, former Conservative Party leadership candidate.

📍 Where & When: Farage spoke at a press conference in Dover, England, on April 24.

💬 Key Quote: “What I’m calling for isn’t actually anything particularly radical. It’s actually just common sense,” Farage stated.

⚠️ Impact: Farage’s comments precede English local elections in May, which will be a significant test of whether Reform’s growing popularity can translate into votes.

IN FULL:

Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform Party, has proposed the establishment of a ministerial post dedicated to deportations within the Home Office, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “What I’m calling for isn’t actually anything particularly radical. It’s actually just common sense,” he said.

Farage delivered these statements at a press conference in Dover, England, amid ongoing local election campaigning. These elections will test Reform’s popularity and assess how it translates to voter turnout. Reform leads in some polls nationally, but it remains unclear how many seats that could translate to on May 1.

Farage also addressed the possibility of a political alliance with the formerly governing Conservatives, following former Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick‘s comments suggesting a united front on the right to challenge the ruling Labour Party. Farage stated unequivocally that his party’s supporters would resist any attempt to form an agreement with the Conservative Party, given its record governing from the left from 2010 to 2024 and broken promises on mass migration, which reached unprecedented heights towards the end of their final term.

Farage expressed outright distrust towards the Conservatives, positioning Reform as an alternative poised to replace them on the political right. Farage has advocated for a policy of net-zero migration, meaning that the number of immigrants should be no more than the number of people emigrating from the country.

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3 hours ago
William Upton
Education
NatSec

University Faces Scrutiny Over Undisclosed Millions From China.

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❓What Happened: Harvard University faces a U.S. Department of Education probe over $1.1 billion in foreign contributions, including $100 million from China, amid allegations of incomplete disclosures.

👥 Who’s Involved: Harvard University, U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Linda McMahon, Open The Books, and foreign entities, including those linked to China and the Palestinian territories.

📍 Where & When: Investigation announced in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2025, following Open The Books’ report released on April 17, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: Secretary Linda McMahon stated, “Harvard has not been fully transparent or complete in its disclosures, which is both unacceptable and unlawful.”

⚠️ Impact: The probe could lead to penalties for Harvard, including loss of federal funding, and raises national security concerns over foreign influence, particularly from China, in U.S. academia.

IN FULL:

Harvard University faces increasing government scrutiny over its funding sources, with allegations emerging that it made “incomplete and inaccurate disclosures” regarding over a billion dollars in foreign contributions. Since 2017, the Ivy League institution has accepted $1.1 billion from foreign entities, with over $100 million coming from China. Additionally, it is believed Harvard took $1.6 million from organizations associated with the Palestinian territories.

The revised financial data comes from an investigation by Open the Books, which released its report on foreign gifts to Harvard on Thursday. On April 18, the U.S. Department of Education announced it was launching a probe into the university’s foreign funding, accusing Harvard of not being forthcoming with accurate data.

“As a recipient of federal funding, Harvard University must be transparent about its relations with foreign sources and governments,” President Donald J. Trump’s Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, said at the start of her department’s investigation. “Unfortunately, our review indicated that Harvard has not been fully transparent or complete in its disclosures, which is both unacceptable and unlawful.”

“This records request is the Trump Administration’s first step to ensure Harvard is not being manipulated by, or doing the bidding of, foreign entities, which include actors who are hostile to the interests of the United States and American students,” Sec. McMahon added.

The report released by Open the Books found that Harvard provides very little detail regarding what projects or programs received the Chinese money, though several million dollars were earmarked for research projects headed by a Chinese-designated lead. Financial arrangements that essentially guarantee the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can designate individuals to serve in key roles raise serious national security concerns, given the numerous examples of Chinese nationals having engaged in corporate espionage and foreign spying in the past.

Harvard is currently locked in a protracted legal battle with the Trump administration over the university’s refusal to limit pro-Hamas and antisemitic protests on its campus. The Ivy League school faces losing potentially billions of dollars in federal funding.

Image by Joseph Williams.

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China Spying
4 hours ago
TECH
World

South Korea Accuses DeepSeek of Unauthorized Data Transfer to Chinese Firm.

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❓What Happened: South Korea’s data protection authority found that the Chinese AI app DeepSeek transferred personal data to a cloud services platform without user consent.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), DeepSeek, Volcano Engine, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

📍 Where & When: The issue was identified in South Korea and announced on Thursday, April 24.

💬 Key Quote: “Initially, DeepSeek transferred personal data to companies located in China and the United States without obtaining users’ consent,” stated Nam Seok of the PIPC.

⚠️ Impact: DeepSeek has been suspended from download in South Korea—and a number of other localities—until its data practices are reviewed. The Chinese AI app has been the target of scrutiny over claims made regarding its technical specifications and data security. DeepSeek is only the latest Chinese-made app that has faced allegations of being a data mining tool for the CCP, with the social media app TikTok being the most prominent example.

IN FULL:

A South Korean government agency has uncovered that the Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) application DeepSeek was involved in the unauthorized transfer of personal data to a cloud service associated with ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) detailed on Thursday that the data, which included device specifics and user inputs, was being moved to servers hosted by Beijing’s Volcano Engine platform.

The broader implications of this revelation have prompted nations such as South Korea, Italy, and Australia, along with certain U.S. states, to either restrict or ban the app. DeepSeek, which had rapidly gained attention early this year due to its alleged ability to rival Western AI tools at a reduced cost, has assured cooperation with the PIPC and a prospective review of its data protection strategies.

The PIPC initiated a comprehensive investigation in February, compelling DeepSeek to halt new app downloads pending a stringent evaluation of its data collection methods. Speaking on behalf of the PIPC, Nam Seok highlighted the issue with DeepSeek collecting data without consent or transparent privacy disclosures. “Initially, DeepSeek transferred personal data to companies located in China and the United States without obtaining users’ consent, or disclosing this in the privacy policy at the time the service was launched,” Seok said, adding: “In particular, it was confirmed that DeepSeek transferred not only device, network, and app information, but also user inputs in AI prompts to Volcano Engine.”

Responding to Seoul’s findings, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) reaffirmed its commitment to data privacy and denied any involvement in mandating illegal data practices by firms or individuals. The Foreign Ministry, represented by spokesman Guo Jiakun, emphasized China’s supposed adherence to legal data collection standards.

The entity behind Volcano Engine, ByteDance, counts among its holdings the popular social media platform TikTok. Notably, TikTok and ByteDance have been accused of dubious data security practices in the United States, and the social media app faces a potential national ban if its Chinese parent company does not divest itself.

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4 hours ago
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
NatSec

FBI: Maduro’s Regime Aiding Infiltration of U.S. by Terrorist Group.

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❓What Happened: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicates that Venezuelan officials may be aiding Tren de Aragua gang members’ entry into the United States, endangering national security.

👥 Who’s Involved: Venezuelan government officials, Tren de Aragua gang, FBI, Trump administration officials, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

📍 Where & When: United States, potential for Venezuelan state-sanctioned violence over the next six to 18 months. Chile, Ecuador, and Peru are also affected.

💬 Key Quote: “These findings should shock Americans but not the law enforcement community,” said a Trump administration official regarding the threat posed by these gang members.

⚠️ Impact: Heightened potential for threats, kidnappings, and violence against Americans, as well as Venezuelan expatriates critical of President Nicolás Maduro.

IN FULL:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) believes that some officials within the Venezuelan government may be facilitating the entry of members from the Tren de Aragua, a gang classified as a foreign terrorist organization, into the United States. This presents a threat to public safety and national security, especially against Venezuelan nationals located in the U.S. who are critical of President Nicolás Maduro.

The FBI assesses that, within the next six to 18 months, these gang members could be used as proxies to execute threats, abductions, and potential killings targeting Venezuelan dissidents residing in the United States. This potential influx and use of gang members coincide with Venezuela’s similar destabilization tactics in other countries in the region, including Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

“These findings should shock Americans but not the law enforcement community,” a Trump administration source commented. “They reflect the sentiments of numerous other intelligence assessments across multiple agencies. Nicholas Maduro is a Marxist dictator who hijacked a once-prosperous Venezuela and brought in nothing but total economic collapse and gang takeover. He crumbled Caracas, now overrun with drugs and violence, and wants to do the same across the United States by sending his most violent and dangerous criminals into our communities.”

On April 18, a classified National Intelligence Council report, which supposedly found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government, was leaked, but the FBI warning suggests this is inaccurate.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard condemned the leak and warned that the leakers and their media allies had “twisted and manipulated” the report “to convey the exact opposite finding.” She vowed that officials weaponizing classified intelligence “to undermine the President’s agenda” will face “the full force of the law.”

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5 hours ago
Economy
News

Trump Tariff Strategy Sparks Surge in U.S. Manufacturing Investments.

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❓What Happened: Several companies announced significant investments in American manufacturing operations due to the Trump administration’s tariff policy and efforts to boost domestic production.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, American manufacturing companies, and workers across the United States.

📍 Where & When: Investments and growth were announced by the White House on April 23.

💬 Key Quote:  “Increasing our footprint in the U.S. is important.” — Regeneron CEO Leonard Schleifer

⚠️ Impact: Increased investments have led to job creation and economic growth in various regions across the country.

IN FULL:

American manufacturing has seen a surge in investment, attributed to Trump administration efforts to strengthen the sector and promote domestic economic growth. In recent days, multiple firms have announced substantial plans to enhance their manufacturing capabilities on U.S. soil, supporting job creation nationwide. This trend aligns with a concerted strategy to reduce reliance on overseas production and increase self-sufficiency.

On April 23, the White House released a statement revealing that foreign companies are investing billions of dollars in U.S.-based manufacturing. These include Swiss drug and diagnostics company Roche, which looks to invest $50 billion into manufacturing and R&D in the U.S.

Likewise, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a major player in biotechnology, has also stated it would be investing $3 billion. The company looks to produce pharmaceuticals in North Carolina. “Increasing our footprint in the U.S. is important,” said Regeneron Chief Executive Officer Leonard Schleifer.

The administration’s policies, which include tax incentives and reductions in regulatory burdens alongside tariffs against foreign producers, are cited as pivotal in these decisions.

President Donald J. Trump has made it clear through his tariff strategies that he is determined to bring back U.S. manufacturing jobs. NVIDIA, one of the largest tech companies, also recently announced it would be investing as much as $500 billion. The money will be used to create infrastructure to support the domestic manufacture of artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputers.

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6 hours ago
Wake Up Right
NatSec

Military Recruitment Surges Under Hegseth’s Warrior Ethos.

U.S. military recruitment is surging under the Trump administration and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—in spite of relentless attacks from the mainstream media and Democrats.

The details: According to data released by the Department of Defense, recruitment is up big in every branch of the military. In February 2025 alone:

  • Army: +23,586 (115 percent of goal)
  • Navy: +16,201 (105 percent of goal)
  • Air Force: +5,847 (106 percent of goal)
  • Marines: +13,329 (100 percent of goal)
  • Space Force: +299 (100.1 percent of goal)

Hegseth weighs in: Speaking to Fox News, the Defense Secretary said:

  • “These recruiting numbers don’t surprise me… one bit. They’re a reflection of a yearning from the American public, of young people to be proud of their country.”

Zoom out: Hegseth embodies the ‘warrior ethos’ and brings a breath of fresh air to the position as a former Army infantry officer with deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since taking the reins, he’s reshaped the Defense Department away from woke DEI standards and towards “lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness.”

  • But if you ask him, he says: “There is no better recruiter in my mind for our military than President Donald Trump.”

Back up: Recruitment officially reached crisis levels under Joe Biden:

  • 🚨 Army missed its recruitment goal in 2022 by 25 percent
  • 🚨 Navy missed its recruitment goal in 2023 by 20 percent
  • 🚨 Air Force missed its recruitment goal in 2023 by 10 percent, the first time in over 20 years.

In spite of attacks: While young Americans flock to serve under this administration, the mainstream media has been relentless in its attempt to scandalize Hegseth—most recently overhyping the report that a journalist was accidentally added to a Signal chat where a successful bombing of Houthi terrorists was discussed.

Trump touts success: “Since November 5th, it’s all happened. Enrollment in the military is at a record. We’re setting records and six months ago we couldn’t get anybody.”

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U.S. military recruitment is surging under the Trump administration and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—in spite of relentless attacks from the mainstream media and Democrats. show more
6 hours ago
Politics

DNC Issues Ultimatum to David Hogg Over Primary Challenge Advocacy.

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❓What Happened: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is set to introduce new rules that require members to stay neutral in primaries, potentially impacting co-vice chair David Hogg’s role.

👥 Who’s Involved: David Hogg, DNC co-vice chair; Ken Martin, DNC Chair; James Carville, Democratic strategist.

📍 Where & When: Announcement expected from DNC on Thursday; rules implementation scheduled for August.

💬 Key Quote: David Hogg highlighted, “Currently, if we had the same number of 25- to 30-year-olds in Congress as we do proportionally to the population, we would have over 40 people under the age of 30 in Congress, and I don’t know if you’ve looked at Congress recently, we have one that is under the age of 30. That is not good for the future of the Democratic Party.”

⚠️ Impact: Potential curtailment of Hogg’s political activities within the DNC and impact on his group’s financial endeavors aimed at primary campaigns targeting incumbent Democrats.

IN FULL:

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is set to enact rules that would require members, including current co-vice chair David Hogg, to remain neutral during primary elections. DNC Chair Ken Martin is expected to announce the changes during a call with party leaders scheduled for Thursday. If approved, these rules would be implemented in August.

This policy change emerges after David Hogg, an ardent anti-gun rights activist, declared plans to allocate $20 million towards Democratic primary campaigns nationwide via his organization, Leaders We Deserve. The group’s objective is to promote younger, more diverse candidates to align with shifting demographics and push the Democratic Party in a more leftward and “progressive” direction.

Hogg’s dual role as a DNC co-vice chair and his active participation in primary challenges have drawn scrutiny from some within the Democratic Party. The National Pulse previously reported that Clinton White House strategist James Carville blasted Hogg over his plan to primary incumbent Democrats, calling the activist a “contemptible little twerp” and suggesting the DNC sue over a breach of duty.

In response, Hogg defended his actions, asserting the need for a strategy that addresses generational representation in Congress. “Currently, if we had the same number of 25- to 30-year-olds in Congress as we do proportionally to the population, we would have over 40 people under the age of 30 in Congress, and I don’t know if you’ve looked at Congress recently, we have one that is under the age of 30,” Hogg said, adding: “That is not good for the future of the Democratic Party.”

The proposed DNC rules could compel Hogg to choose between his leadership role within the party and his primary-focused initiatives. Additionally, the move risks alienation of younger Democrats who may see Hogg’s primary operation as a political positive for the party.

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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