Saturday, August 2, 2025

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Trump Trial Day 16: The Defense Rests.

The sixteenth day of former President Donald J. Trump‘s Manhattan-based hush money trial ended well before noon as defense witness Robert Costello‘s cross-examination by prosecutors concluded, and the defense rested their case after a brief redirect. While Costello’s testimony lacked the fireworks seen Monday afternoon — where Judge Juan Merchan cleared the entire courtroom at one point — the former legal adviser to Michael Cohen delivered a few parting blows to his former client’s claims.

Following Costello’s testimony, representatives for the prosecution and defense met in conference with Judge Merchan for a lengthy debate on what instructions the jury would receive ahead of their deliberations.

COSTELLO PART II. 

Costello’s cross-examination by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger continued Tuesday morning. Kicking off her questioning, Hoffinger pressed Costello on whether disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen ultimately retained his law firm. The former federal prosecutor and defense attorney acknowledged that Cohen eventually hired a different firm to represent him.

Hoffinger showed the jury a 2018 email in which Cohen asked Costello to stop contacting him. It read: “Gentleman, Please cease contacting me as you do not and have never represented me in this or any other matter. Your interest and offers to become part of the team and to serve as a contact was subject to existing counsel, Guy Petrillo (cc’d) approval, which was denied.”

COSTELLO AND GIULIANI. 

Pressing on, Hoffinger zeroed in on the 2018 Regency Hotel meeting between Michael Cohen and Robert Costello. Cohen previously testified that Costello had asked him during that meeting how he was connected with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“That’s not true,” Costello replied to Hoffinger. He added that Cohen‘s relationship with Giuliani did come up at a later meeting between the two. Hoffinger went on to confirm with Costello that Giuliani was a guest at his wedding.

The prosecution next presented Costello and the jury with an email on April 19, 2018, in which Costello informed Cohen that Giuliani was joining the Trump legal team. “I am sure you saw the news that Rudy is joining the Trump legal team. I told you my relationship with Rudy which could be very very useful for you,” he wrote to Cohen. Hoffinger also produced an email between Costello and Jeff Citron, where the former wrote: “All the more reason for Cohen to hire me because of my connection to Giuliani, which I mentioned to him in our meeting.”

Costello acknowledged he authored both emails.

MERCHAN’S RULING SNAGS COSTELLO. 

Yesterday, Judge Merchan ruled that Robert Costello’s testimony would be limited to rebutting two specific claims made by Michael Cohen and that further elaboration was out of the scope of the trial. The dubious ruling prevented Costello from going into detail regarding his communications with Cohen, allowing prosecutors to undermine Cohen‘s former legal adviser to a degree on Tuesday.

Hoffinger presented Costello with another email in which the latter refers to a “backchannel.” She asked him if he pushed to represent Cohen to serve as a backchannel between the disgraced attorney and former President Donald Trump. Costello denied the accusation.

“That was your email to Michael Cohen?” Hoffinger asked, with Costello replying, “Yes.” Pushing further, the prosecutor asked Costello: “The email speaks for itself, right sir?”

Sensing an opportunity to trip up the prosecution and widen the scope of his testimony, Costello replied, “No, not quite. There are circumstances about that email which I would be delighted to tell you.”

Unfortunately, Hoffinger quickly responded, “That’s alright; let’s move on to the next one.” The exchange earned laughs in the courtroom.

AN EMAIL PROBLEM?

The prosecution continued to hammer at Costello using a series of 2018 emails he sent regarding the possibility of representing Cohen. In a May 15, 2018, email presented by Hoffinger, Costello wrote: “Our issue is to get Cohen on the right page without giving him the appearance that we are following instruction from Giuliani or the president. In my opinion, this is the clear correct strategy.”

Pressed as to the meaning of the email, Costello replied, “No, not to follow instructions but to get everybody on the same page because Michael Cohen had been complaining incessantly that Rudy Giuliani was making statements in the press.”

Next, Hoffinger presented an email authored by Costello on June 13, 2018. “Since you jumped off the phone rather abruptly, I did not get a chance to tell you that my friend has communicated to me that he is meeting with his client this evening, and he added that if there was anything you wanted to convey, you should tell me, and my friend will bring it up for discussion this evening,” he wrote at the time.

“I was encouraging Michael Cohen, as I just explained to you in my previous answer, to express any of his complaints, and he had several, so that I could bring them to Giuliani, and get them worked out, whatever they were,” Costello explained to Hoffinger regarding the email’s contents.

After a few more moments discussing the emails and Costello’s rocky relationship with Michael Cohen, the prosecution ended the witness’s cross-examination.

A BRIEF REDIRECT. 

Former President Trump‘s defense attorney Emil Bove engaged in a brief redirect with Costello on the stand. He asked Cohen’s former legal adviser, “Who first used the word backchannel?” Costello told Bove that Giuliani first used the term.

Circling back to the June 13, 2018 email, Bove asked Costello whether he thought he was pressuring Cohen. Bove specifically highlighted a line in the email reading: “You have the ability to make that communication when you want to. Whether you exercise that ability is totally up to you.”

“Was that pressuring Michael Cohen to do anything?” Bove asked. Costello replied: “No, not at all.”

“Did you ever pressure Michael Cohen to do anything?” Bove followed up. Costello responded: “I did not.”

Former President Donald Trump‘s defense team rested after presenting a two-hour case on Monday and Tuesday.

SUMMATION AND DELIBERATION.

After Trump’s defense team rested their case, Judge Merchan dismissed the jury for an entire week. The judge told jurors and counsel that summations — also known as closing arguments — would occur on Tuesday, following the holiday weekend. The jury — barring a dismissal of the case by Merchan — is expected to begin deliberations as early as next Wednesday.

“I’ve considered all the permutation… at the end of the day, I think the best thing that we can do is to adjourn now until next Tuesday,” Merchan said. He continued: “At that time, you will hear summations from the attorneys. Probably Wednesday I’ll ask you to come in … hear jury charge and then I would expect that you will begin your deliberations hopefully at some point on Wednesday.”

JURY INSTRUCTIONS.

Following a lengthy break, counsel for the prosecution and defense returned to the courtroom at 2:15PM for a jury instruction conference with Judge Merchan. Trump‘s defense attorney Emil Bove asked Merchan to include an instruction that any campaign finance violation must be “willful” in nature. He argued that omitting the instruction “would allow the jury to think about the predicate offense in civil terms.”

Matthew Colangelo, representing the precaution, countered: “The plain text of the statute provides that the election law conspiracy occurs when its intended results are executed through unlawful means. There’s no need to add the word willful.”

He added: “The other crime here is the election law violation, which becomes a criminal violation when two or more persons conspire to promote” a candidate for election by unlawful means.”

Judge Merchan, interjecting, noted that the charge of falsifying business records in the first degree “requires that there be an intent to defraud that includes the intent to commit another crime.” While Merchan did not rule immediately on the issue, he did appear inclined to agree with the defense.

Regarding whether the National Enquirer did publish articles and promote Karen McDougal as part of her agreement with them, Judge Merchan sided with the defense and included language about the tabloid’s “legitimate press function.”

CLARIFYING COHEN’S CRIMES.

In another win for Trump‘s defense, Judge Merchan agreed with the former President’s attorneys to strike proposed language from the prosecution that stated Cohen “participated in and was convicted of two crimes.” Instead, the instructions will read that Cohen “participated in crimes.” Removing the reference to “convicted” was important to the Trump team as they did not wish the former President to be implicated in Cohen’s 2018 conviction for tax fraud.

Judge Merchan also appeared inclined to side with the defense regarding language referring to the falsified business records. Specifically, Bove asked Merchan to strike the phrase “a person causes a false entry when…”.

“They could convict based on someone else causing a false entry and accessorial liability — basically causing the causer — where (for example, if) Allen Weisselberg caused someone to do something and then President Trump caused Allen Weisselberg,” Bove contended. He added: “It doubles up on accessorial liability.”

In addition, the defense pushed Merchan to use an expanded instruction on intent. Bove noted, that there is a “significant issue with instructing to the jury that intent to defraud could include defrauding the government and the voting public, based on the facts of this case.” While Merchan did not immediately rule, he appeared inclined to find a middle ground between the proposed defense and prosecution language.

Judge Merchan did rule against the defense’s request that jurors be instructed that hush money payments are not illegal. “I think that to take it to the next level and actually give an instruction to the bench is taking it too far. I don’t think it’s necessary,” he said.

You can read The National Pulse’s Day Fifteen trial coverage here, and if you find our work worthwhile, consider joining as a supporter.

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More From The Pulse
Trump Border Mass Deportations

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Top Immigration Official Wants Tougher Citizenship Test, Overhaul of Naturalization Process.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow has proposed changes to the U.S. naturalization test, calling it too lenient and misaligned with congressional intent.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Joseph Edlow, USCIS adjudicators, and naturalization applicants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced Friday, August 1.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The test needs to reflect the letter and the spirit of what Congress intended. It’s important for people to understand English, our history, our government… and the way the test is written and executed right now doesn’t meet that bar.” — Joseph Edlow

🎯IMPACT: Proposed changes could increase the difficulty of the naturalization test and tighten oversight of immigration programs.

IN FULL

Newly appointed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow is pushing for significant changes to the U.S. naturalization test, which he described as too lenient and not reflective of congressional expectations. Edlow contends that the test format is insufficient to ensure that those seeking naturalization know American civics sufficiently. The current test only requires applicants to answer six out of 10 civics questions correctly and complete basic English reading and writing tasks.

“The test needs to reflect the letter and the spirit of what Congress intended,” Edlow said, adding: “It’s important for people to understand English, our history, our government… and the way the test is written and executed right now doesn’t meet that bar.” He proposes deeper evaluations of English skills throughout the interview process and more comprehensive civics questions to ensure readiness.

Edlow also highlighted flaws in the H-1B visa system, citing instances where U.S. companies exploited the program to underpay foreign workers and replace American employees. “Companies are going for the highest-skilled workers but paying them at the lowest wage level,” he said, calling for tighter oversight and expanded worksite enforcement to prevent abuse.

On welfare-related immigration policies, Edlow announced plans to revisit the public charge rule, which determines whether green card applicants are likely to rely on public assistance. He noted that the rule needs careful review to ensure it aligns with longstanding principles and protects U.S. taxpayers. Additionally, he flagged the growing backlog in USCIS cases as a national security concern, blaming the Biden government’s focus on illegal border crossings for diverting resources away from legal immigration priorities.

“Backlogs that continue to grow are nothing short of a national security threat to this country,” Edlow said. While pledging to reduce adjudication times, he warned that maintaining the integrity of the system would take precedence over quick fixes. “There may be short-term pain, but we will decrease the backlog at a steady clip while protecting the integrity and security of the system,” he concluded.

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China Building Up Nuclear Arsenal to Match America, Dominate Asia by 2030s.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A report by the Hudson Institute highlights China’s nuclear ambitions, revealing its strategy to challenge U.S. influence in Asia and sow doubts among American allies.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Hudson Institute, China, U.S. allies including Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea, and the United States.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Findings are based on projections through the mid-2030s.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The purpose of amplifying uncertainty is to manipulate notions of risk to China’s advantage,” the report states.

🎯IMPACT: The report warns of China’s nuclear buildup and urges the U.S. to strengthen deterrence while exposing Beijing’s coercive tactics.

IN FULL

According to a new report from the Hudson Institute, China is expanding its nuclear arsenal not just for traditional deterrence but also to assert greater influence in Asia and challenge the United States’ regional leadership. The think tank warns that by the mid-2030s, Beijing is on track to achieve nuclear parity with the U.S., developing a modern, survivable, and flexible nuclear force that includes “over 1,000 warheads, a fully developed nuclear triad, and tactical nuclear capabilities.”

While the report doesn’t suggest China is preparing to fight a nuclear war, it highlights a more nuanced strategy: using nuclear coercion to undermine U.S. alliances and credibility. The goal, it says, is to “manipulate and degrade trust in America’s nuclear umbrella,” particularly in East and Southeast Asia. By creating uncertainty over whether Washington would actually defend allies such as Japan, South Korea, or the Philippines in a crisis, Beijing hopes to increase doubts and push those nations toward “strategic passivity.”

“The purpose of amplifying uncertainty is to manipulate notions of risk to China’s advantage,” the report states. “This is primarily about exacerbating hesitancy among U.S. allies by exploiting persistent fears of abandonment and doubts regarding America’s commitment.”

China’s nuclear buildup is only part of a broader military and political strategy that combines rapid force modernization with psychological and information warfare. Advanced weapons development is central to this effort, including systems like hypersonic boost-glide delivery vehicles and fractional orbital bombardment platforms.

Beijing’s growing range of delivery methods now includes fixed silos, submarines, road-mobile launchers, and aircraft.

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Migrant Crime

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ICE Catches Illegal Immigrant Released by Sanctuary County Despite Child Sex Charges.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: An illegal immigrant facing multiple charges of sex crimes against children was arrested after being released from a county jail due to sanctuary policies.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Oscar Adalberto Penate, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Montgomery County officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Arrested on July 27 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, after release from Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If the elected officials in Montgomery County are not going to protect the citizens of the county, we will.” – ICE ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director Brian McShane.

🎯IMPACT: Penate remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings, with charges of serious sexual offenses against minors still pending.

IN FULL

A 56-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, charged with multiple sex crimes against children but released by a sanctuary county in Pennsylvania, has been detained by federal immigration officials. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Philadelphia, arrested and detained Oscar Adalberto Penate on July 27 after the accused child sex offender was released from the Montgomery County Correctional Facility due to the county’s sanctuary laws.

“If the elected officials in Montgomery County are not going to protect the citizens of the county, we will,” said ICE ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director Brian McShane. “An illegal alien who committed a crime by unlawfully entering the United States, who is then charged with heinous crimes like this, should never be released to prey on the citizens of Montgomery County.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Penate had an ICE detainer placed on him, but Montgomery County’s sanctuary policies led to his release regardless. McShane criticized these policies, saying, “The sanctuary policies recently enacted by the Montgomery County Commissioners forced prison officials to release this individual to the streets rather than turn him over to ICE officials on the detainer filed against him. I am just glad we got him before he could harm another.”

Penate, who claimed to have entered the United States in 1998 by crossing the border into Texas, was arrested on July 22 by the Pottstown Township Police Department. Charges against him include indecent assault of a person under 13, corruption of minors, and other offenses. These charges remain pending.

DHS also revealed that Penate has a prior criminal history, including a 2001 arrest by the Houston Police Department for resisting arrest, to which he pleaded guilty. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

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Trump Achieves Record 1,300 Deportations Per Day.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is deporting a record number of around 1,300 migrants per day.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, President Donald J. Trump, illegal aliens.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The figures were revealed on July 31.

🎯IMPACT: The figures reveal that President Trump appears to be following through on his campaign promises to deport illegals at scale.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now deporting nearly 1,300 migrants per day, according to new agency data released July 31. The figures show a significant ramp-up under the Trump administration and put the agency on track to surpass the modern-day deportation record set by former President Barack Obama in 2012.

As of July 26, ICE has formally removed 246,287 individuals in fiscal year 2025, up from 228,282 on July 12—an increase of 18,005 deportations in just two weeks. That averages out to 1,286 removals per day. If sustained, ICE could remove nearly 470,000 individuals by the end of the fiscal year, topping Obama’s 2012 record of nearly 420,000.

However, ICE is facing challenges in sustaining this pace. The agency reported that its daily arrests, known as book-ins, have dropped below 900. This decline suggests ICE is struggling to meet President Donald J. Trump’s goal of deporting the millions of migrants who entered the country during what the administration calls the “Biden border chaos.”

The drop in new border crossings contributes to the slower pace. June saw the lowest number of border arrests on record for the Trump administration. In the interior, ICE is having difficulty identifying new deportation targets, and efforts to widen its enforcement scope are encountering legal pushback.

A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled last month that ICE agents conducted unconstitutional sweeps to increase arrest numbers in June. Separately, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled on July 26 that ICE cannot use “expedited removal” procedures on migrants who entered the country under President Biden’s controversial humanitarian parole program.

Despite these hurdles, ICE’s detention numbers remain high. The agency held 56,945 people in custody as of July 26, down slightly from a peak of 57,861 in late June, but still well above the 30,000 to 40,000 detainees regularly held under the Biden government.

President Trump’s recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a significant funding boost to expand ICE’s manpower, detention, and deportation infrastructure. ICE may, therefore, be able to ramp up enforcement in the coming months.

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British Govt Revives Covid-Era ‘Spy Unit’ to Monitor Online Immigration Critics.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A secretive government “spy” unit in Britain has been revived to monitor and flag social media posts critical of migrants being hosted in hotels and “two-tier policing”.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Civil servants under Science, Innovation, and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, social media firms, and critics, including U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).

📍WHEN & WHERE: E-mails were sent during the Southport protests against mass migration in August 2022, with revelations concerning them recently.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Many tweets get you a longer prison sentence than many violent offences.” – Jim Jordan

🎯IMPACT: Critics argue this undermines free speech, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government insists it is protecting public safety and monitoring harmful content.

IN FULL

A secretive British government unit, previously known as the “Counter Disinformation Unit,” has been revived to monitor social media posts critical of migrants being housed in hotels at taxpayers’ expense and “two-tier policing.” The unit, operating under Peter Kyle’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, flagged posts to social media firms, warning they could “exacerbate tensions.” E-mails sent during the Southport protests against mass migration in August 2022 revealed concerns over posts, including one video captioned “Looks like Islamabad but it’s Manchester,” which officials claimed was shared to “incite fear of the Muslim community.” The e-mails requested explanations on how flagged content was being handled, though they did not explicitly call for removal.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, revealed the correspondence after subpoenaing a social media company for documents. Jordan criticized the British government’s approach, stating accurately that, “Many tweets get you a longer prison sentence than many violent offences.”

Government officials have denied censorship claims, asserting the unit’s role is to monitor trends and flag content that violates platforms’ terms of service. A British government spokesman claimed, “Free speech is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Online Safety Act protects it.”

In fact, the Online Safety Act has resulted in a range of content wholly unrelated to child protection being censored, and Britons do not enjoy American-style free speech protections, with thousands being arrested under the Communications Act and other legislation outlawing “grossly offensive” messages, “stirring up hatred,” and other speech-related crimes.

Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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Anti-NYPD Mamdani Gets NYPD Security Detail.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zorhan Mamdani admitted he enjoys a New York City Police Department (NYPD) security detail despite his support for defunding the department and past comments calling them “racist” and a “threat” to public safety.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, the NYPD.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Mamdani commented about his security on July 31.

💬KEY QUOTE: “My life is sadly not the one that it was. There are far more threats and with that comes precautions that I wish I didn’t have to take, though they are precautions I am immensely grateful for. Especially the example of the NYPD detail that I have here in New York City.” — Zohran Mamdani

🎯IMPACT: The revelations expose Mamdani’s hypocrisy when it comes to law enforcement, advocating for less policing and more lenient treatment of criminals while enjoying personal protection.

IN FULL

The Democrats’ New York City mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, has revealed he enjoys a New York City Police Department (NYPD) security detail, despite smearing the department and advocating for it to be defunded for years.

“My life is sadly not the one that it was. There are far more threats and with that comes precautions that I wish I didn’t have to take, though they are precautions I am immensely grateful for. Especially the example of the NYPD detail that I have here in New York City,” Mamdani said at a press event on July 31.

The Indian-heritage Ugandan socialist, who only became a U.S. citizen in 2018, has been widely criticised for his past comments on the NYPD, particularly following a mass shooting earlier this week on July 28 that saw four people killed, including an NYPD officer.

In June of 2020, Mamdani referred to the NYPD as “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety,” while in 2021 he stated that, “We can’t reform a system working exactly as designed – to control Black, brown & poor New Yorkers. We need to defund the police… free the thousands locked up unjustly & invest the savings in those most impacted by state violence.”

WATCH:

Image by Bingjiefu He.

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Trump Ousts Biden-Appointed Labor Stats Chief Following Disputed Jobs Revision.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has fired Erika McEntarfer, the Joe Biden-appointed Commissioner of Labor Statistics, after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released multiple jobs reports dating back to well before the 2024 election that overstate labor market growth.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Erika McEntarfer, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and Fed Governor Christopher Waller.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Statements were made via Truth Social on August 1, 2025, addressing July 2025 jobs data and jobs reports leading up to the 2024 election.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The controversy has reignited debates over the politicization of economic data and the Federal Reserve’s continued obstinacy toward reducing interest rates.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has taken aim at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and its now former Commissioner, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, claiming that job numbers have been continually and intentionally manipulated to favor Democrats since before the 2024 election. Trump announced McEntarfer’s firing via Truth Social, citing significant errors in job data revisions.

“I was just informed that our Country’s ‘Jobs Numbers’ are being produced by a Biden Appointee, Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the Commissioner of Labor Statistics, who faked the Jobs Numbers before the Election to try and boost Kamala’s chances of Victory,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. He highlighted that the BLS overstated job growth by 818,000 in March 2024 and by 112,000 in August and September 2024, calling these errors “records” and unacceptable.

Trump further stated, “Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.” He also criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who—along with the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)—once again declined to lower interest rates during the FOMC’s July meeting. “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell should also be put ‘out to pasture,’” Trump added.

Earlier on Friday, the BLS released significant downward revisions to labor market data for May and June. Meanwhile, July’s jobs numbers fell well below expectations. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller, a member of the FOMC, made the unprecedented move to publish an official statement blasting his colleagues’ hesitancy to slash borrowing costs. “When labor markets turn, they often turn fast. If we find ourselves needing to support the economy, waiting may unduly delay moving toward appropriate policy,” Waller warned.

The Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, backed President Trump’s decision to oust McEntarfer. “A recent string of major revisions has come to light and raised concerns about decisions being made by the Biden-appointed Labor Commissioner,” Chavez-DeRemer wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting possible malfeasance by McEntarfer. She continued: “I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS.”

“During the search for a replacement, Deputy Commissioner William Wiatrowski will serve as Acting Commissioner,” the Labor Secretary announced.

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Jury Orders Tesla to Pay $329 Million After Fatal Autopilot Crash.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A federal jury in Miami, Florida, ordered Tesla to pay $329 million in damages to victims of a crash involving its Autopilot technology.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Tesla and the victims of the crash.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The verdict was delivered on Friday in Miami after a four-year-long legal battle.

🎯IMPACT: The decision could lead to further costly lawsuits against Tesla and challenges to its safety reputation.

IN FULL

A jury in Miami, Florida, has ordered Tesla to pay $329 million to victims of a deadly crash involving the company’s Autopilot driver assist technology. The federal jury determined that Tesla’s technology bore significant responsibility for the crash.

Many similar lawsuits against Tesla have been dismissed or settled out of court to avoid public scrutiny. This decision could set a precedent for future legal challenges to Tesla’s Autopilot and other driver-assist technologies.

The crash involved a young couple who were struck while stargazing, and the jury’s decision underscores the potential risks associated with the use of semi-autonomous driving systems. Tesla has often marketed its vehicles as being safe and capable of autonomous driving, but this verdict raises questions about the reliability of such claims.

Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, has been actively promoting the idea of driverless taxis and expanding the company’s autonomous driving capabilities in several cities. However, this legal setback could complicate those plans and impact consumer confidence in the technology.

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Ghislaine Maxwell Secures Transfer to Minimum-Security Facility, Eyes Pardon.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Child sex trafficker and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred from a low-security prison in Florida to a minimum-security facility in Texas.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ghislaine Maxwell, her lawyer David Oscar Markus, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The transfer occurred this week from a Florida prison to the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in southeast Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity.” – David Oscar Markus

🎯IMPACT: The move has sparked further questions about Maxwell’s cooperation with authorities and her appeal for a potential pardon.

IN FULL

Ghislaine Maxwell has been discreetly relocated from the low-security Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tallahassee, Florida, to Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a minimum-security facility in southeast Texas. The Jeffrey Epstein associate’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, confirmed the transfer, which represents a notable shift for the 63-year-old as she continues to serve a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking.

What makes this transfer stand out is that it was reportedly managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons rather than the U.S. Marshals Service, an uncommon procedural move. Before arriving in Texas, Maxwell spent a short time at a federal facility in Oakdale, Louisiana. Her new prison placement is known for housing mostly nonviolent offenders. At Bryan, Maxwell will have access to various commissary items such as cosmetics.

Maxwell’s legal team has made it known that she is pursuing a pardon from President Donald J. Trump. Her lawyer emphasized that she is prepared to speak “openly and honestly” to members of Congress, provided she is granted immunity in return for her testimony. The House Oversight Committee recently issued a subpoena requiring Maxwell to give a deposition on August 11. However, Markus warned that she would remain silent without immunity.

“Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity. Nor is a prison setting conducive to eliciting truthful and complete testimony,” Markus said.

When asked about potentially granting Maxwell a pardon, Trump responded, “Well, I’m allowed to give her a pardon, but nobody’s approached me with it.”

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche visited Maxwell in Florida last week to question her about Jeffrey Epstein. According to Markus, officials asked about “maybe 100 different people” during that meeting. Despite growing public demand for transparency, the Justice Department recently reaffirmed that it will not release further records tied to the Epstein case, asserting that no so-called “client list” for Epstein exists, despite Attorney General Pam Bondi previously saying it was “sitting on [her] desk.”

Maxwell is pursuing an appeal of her conviction, claiming that a 2008 agreement made with Epstein by federal prosecutors should have also granted her protection from prosecution.

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Radical Biden Judge Blocks Trump Deportations, Says Policy Motivated by ‘Great Replacement’ Theory.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge ruled against the Trump administration’s plans to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua—bizarrely claiming, without evidence, that the administration’s policy change is motivated by racial animosity and fear of the white population’s replacement.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Court Judge Trina L. Thompson, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, and plaintiffs representing TPS immigrants from the affected nations.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on Thursday, with the case continuing as protections remain in place. A hearing is set for November 18.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek. Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names, and purify their blood.” – Judge Trina L. Thompson

🎯IMPACT: TPS protections for the affected groups will remain in place while the case proceeds, miring the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts in further legal battles.

IN FULL

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson ruled against the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 60,000 immigrants from Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The judge stated that the administration’s decision was influenced by discriminatory beliefs, including the notion that non-white immigrant groups could replace white Americans.

“The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek. Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names, and purify their blood,” Judge Thompson wrote in her order, arguing without evidence that the decision to end TPS for certain immigrants is motivated by a “discriminatory belief that certain immigrant populations will replace the white population.”

Judge Thompson, appointed by former President Joe Biden to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, further pontificated: “Color is neither a poison nor a crime.”

TPS allows immigrants to live and work for a brief period in the United States if their home countries are deemed unsafe. However, the former Obama and Biden governments abused the TPS designation, extending the deportation protection far past its intended expiration and well after the crisis impacting the migrants’ nations of origin ended.

The Trump administration had already ended protections for immigrants from countries including Venezuela, Haiti, and Afghanistan. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem argued that conditions in Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua no longer warranted protections, but the court disagreed.

Judge Thompson argued that the administration failed to conduct an “objective review of the country conditions,” claiming political violence in Honduras and the aftermath of hurricanes in Nicaragua were grounds to extend the TPS designation. She also editorialized that, in her opinion, the decision seemed tied to broader campaign rhetoric rather than legitimate policy analysis.

The protections for the affected immigrants will remain in place as the case continues, with the next hearing scheduled for November 18.

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