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5 hours ago
News

Two Firefighters Have Been Killed in a ‘Sniper Fire’ Ambush.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Firefighters responding to a blaze on Canfield Mountain in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, came under “active sniper fire,” resulting in at least two deaths.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Firefighters, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, and an unidentified suspect armed with a high-powered rifle.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident began around 1:21 PM local time on Sunday, June 29, on Canfield Mountain, a popular recreation area in North Idaho.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We do believe the suspect started the fire, it was an ambush, and it was totally intentional. This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance,” Sheriff Bob Norris said.

🎯IMPACT: After a standoff lasting around 90 minutes, cell phone data suggested the shooter was no longer moving on the mountain, and he was discovered to be deceased by law enforcement. It remains unclear whether police killed the man or if he took his own life.

IN FULL

Authorities in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, took “active sniper fire” for nearly two hours after firefighters responded to a call reporting a fire on Canfield Mountain. At least two firefighters were killed, and one was critically injured. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris stated the fire was reported at 1:21 PM local time, and shots were fired at first responders around 2 PM. After a lengthy standoff, law enforcement discovered the body of a man believed to have been the suspect, though it is unclear whether the police killed the suspect or if he took his own life.

“We do believe the suspect started the fire, it was an ambush, and it was totally intentional,” Norris said. “This was a total ambush,” Sheriff Norris said, adding: “These firefighters did not have a chance.” Law enforcement from local, state, and federal agencies responded to the scene, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) dispatching a helicopter for aerial support.

Idaho Governor Brad Little (R) condemned the attack, calling it a “heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters” in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Thank God it’s over. It’s so tragic,” Kootenai County Commissioner Bruce Mattare said late Sunday, adding, “The people we lost were absolutely top-notch professionals. It’s unheard of for something like this to happen in this community. People are still trying to process exactly what happened.”

The shooter’s identity remains unclear, and law enforcement continues to work the crime scene, gathering evidence before it is damaged or destroyed by fire. At this time, it is believed the suspect acted alone. The brush fire, believed to have been started by the suspect, has subsequently spread to about 20 acres and remains uncontained.

Image by Brandon Anderson.

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27 minutes ago
Immigration
News

82-Year-Old Woman Dies Following Illegal Alien Terror Attack.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An 82-year-old woman, Karen Diamond, has died following a Molotov cocktail attack by an illegal alien against a peaceful demonstration in Boulder, Colorado.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Karen Diamond, suspect Mohamed Soliman, and 28 other victims of the attack.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack took place on June 1, 2023, during a demonstration urging the release of Israeli hostages in front of the Boulder County Courthouse.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This horrific attack has now claimed the life of an innocent person who was beloved by her family and friends. Our hearts are with the Diamond family during this incredibly difficult time.” – Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty

🎯IMPACT: Mohamed Soliman now faces multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, federal hate crimes, and over 100 state criminal charges.

IN FULL

Karen Diamond, 82, has died from the severe injuries she sustained during a Molotov cocktail attack at a peaceful demonstration in Boulder, Colorado. The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office announced her death on Monday, along with additional charges against the suspect, Egyptian illegal alien Mohamed Soliman.

Soliman now faces two counts of first-degree murder related to Diamond’s death, in addition to 12 federal hate crimes and over 100 state criminal charges. “This horrific attack has now claimed the life of an innocent person who was beloved by her family and friends. Our hearts are with the Diamond family during this incredibly difficult time,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement. “Our office will fight for justice for the victims, their loved ones, and the community.”

The attack, described by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as an “act of terror,” occurred on June 1, 2023, in front of the Boulder County Courthouse, where Soliman allegedly disguised himself as a gardener and threw Molotov cocktails at a group called Run for Their Lives. The group had been peacefully walking weekly for nearly two years to raise awareness about hostages taken during the Hamas terror raid against Israel on October 7, 2023.

According to authorities, Soliman shouted “Free Palestine!” during the attack, which he admitted to planning for over a year. The victims, ranging in age from 25 to 88, included 13 people who were physically injured. Diamond’s death brings the number of fatalities to two. The Boulder Jewish Community described Diamond as “a cherished member of our community, someone whose warmth and generosity left a lasting impact on all who knew her.”

Soliman faces charges including 52 counts of attempted first-degree murder, eight counts of first-degree assault, and 18 counts of attempted first-degree murder, among others. He pleaded not guilty to federal hate crimes on Friday and is scheduled to appear in state court on July 15.

Following the incident, President Donald J. Trump said, “Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland.”

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1 hour ago
Immigration
News

Mayor Blames Hot Weather for Migrants Molesting Minors at Public Pool.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A group of underage girls was sexually assaulted by four Syrian migrant men at the Barbarossabad swimming pool in Gelnhausen, Germany.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Four Syrian men, aged 18 to 28, were arrested, and at least nine girls, aged 11 to 17, came forward as victims. A fifth suspect is still at large.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incidents occurred at the Barbarossabad swimming pool in Gelnhausen, Germany, during a hot summer day.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Of course, it’s always high temperatures, and sometimes tempers are frayed,” said Mayor Christian Litzinger, of the notionally right-wing Christian Democratic Union (CDU) formerly led by Angela Merkel.

🎯IMPACT: The suspects were arrested and banned from the pool. The incident highlights ongoing issues of violence and sexual assaults in German swimming pools linked to migrants.

IN FULL

In Gelnhausen, Germany, a group of underage girls was sexually assaulted at the Barbarossabad swimming pool by four Syrian nationals. The victims, aged between 11 and 17, reported being groped and molested in the lazy river area. Despite complaints to a lifeguard, no immediate action was taken, and the police were only called after multiple incidents were reported.

The suspects, aged 18 to 28, are reportedly from the same family in the Main-Kinzig district. They were arrested, charged, and banned from the pool. Mayor Christian Litzinger of the notionally center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), formerly led by Angela Merkel, downplayed the assaults with reference to hot weather, saying, “Of course, it’s always high temperatures, and sometimes tempers are frayed.”

Alice Weidel, co-leader of the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, called for immediate deportations of the suspects. “Sexual harassment of girls cannot be tolerated. Immediate deportations of the perpetrators must be initiated,” she wrote on social media in response to the incident.

This incident is part of a broader trend in Germany and neighboring European countries, which have seen an influx of Syrians. Swimming pools have increasingly become hotspots for violence and sexual assaults, and have now been an ongoing issue for years. Employees and officials have cited the involvement of migrant groups in many of these cases, leading to increased security measures, including the deployment of police at some facilities.

Previous years have seen swimming pool incidents, including mass brawls and attacks on lifeguards. Some pools have even been shut down indefinitely due to safety concerns. Critics have accused the media and officials of downplaying these incidents, with some attributing the violence to external factors such as hot weather or cultural differences.

Image by Rasande Tyskar.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
Crime
World

El Salvador Wants to Deport Gang Members to France. Here’s Why…

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has said he is willing to deport gang members and illegal aliens incarcerated in his country’s Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) super-prison to France, after a Paris Fashion Week show paid tribute to its inmates.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Bukele, designer Willy Chavarria, models at the Paris Fashion Week.

📍WHEN & WHERE: June 2025, during Paris Fashion Week in France.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We’re ready to ship them all to Paris whenever we get the green light from the French government.” – Nayib Bukele

🎯IMPACT: The controversy highlights the growing focus on and disdain for Bukele, who has bucked the increasingly soft Western approach to criminal justice in favor of mass incarceration—and taken El Salvador from being one of the most dangerous countries in the western hemisphere to one of the safest in the process.

IN FULL

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele issued a sharp response after a Paris Fashion Week show appeared to criticize his administration’s treatment of inmates at the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) super-prison, which recently began accepting illegal aliens from the U.S. Bukele accused the show of “glorifying criminals” and said he was ready to send CECOT inmates to France.

The controversy began when designer Willy Chavarria showcased a collection featuring models wearing white T-shirts and shorts resembling prison uniforms. The models reenacted scenes reminiscent of images from CECOT, where inmates are often shown kneeling with their heads bowed. Chavarria’s show, in collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), also featured political messaging, including invitations styled like immigration summons.

Bukele responded on X, saying, “We’re ready to ship them all to Paris whenever we get the green light from the French government.” In a follow-up post, he shared a video of an American woman crying after being constantly harassed in Paris, captioning it, “This is the result of glorifying criminals in Paris. He who spares the wolf sacrifices the sheep.”

CECOT houses thousands of gang members, including those from MS-13 and the 18th Street Gang. Bukele often promotes the facility as part of his successful crackdown on the gang violence that has plagued El Salvador for years, while liberals who favor a soft-on-crime “restorative justice” approach have long railed against it. This antipathy increased in the West after Bukele offered to host illegal aliens in the U.S. and potentially even U.S. criminals at the facility.

Image by Gobierno Danilo Medina.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
William Upton
Politics

Top Ukraine Ally Quits Congress.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), an outspoken proponent of U.S. military assistance for Ukraine, announced he will not seek re-election in 2026.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Don Bacon, President Donald J. Trump, and other congressional Republicans.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made Monday; Bacon represents Nebraska’s second congressional district.

💬KEY QUOTE: “After 30 years in the Air Force and 10 years in Congress, it’s time to spend my future with the love of my life, our four kids, and our wonderful grandchildren. Thank you, Nebraska!” – Don Bacon

🎯IMPACT: Bacon’s retirement opens up a key battleground district for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Nebraska Republican’s exit from Congress also marks a significant blow for the coalition of Democrats and Republicans who continually insist on propping up Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his ongoing conflict with Russia.

IN FULL

Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), a key House Republican ally of Ukraine who has continually pushed for increased American military assistance for the Eastern European country, announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2026. Bacon, who has represented Nebraska‘s second congressional district since 2017, stated his intention to focus on his family. “After 30 years in the Air Force and 10 years in Congress, it’s time to spend my future with the love of my life, our four kids, and our wonderful grandchildren. Thank you, Nebraska!” Bacon said.

The Nebraska Republican has been one of just a handful of GOP lawmakers who have often worked to undermine President Donald J. Trump‘s America First agenda in Congress. While Bacon ultimately voted for President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill‘ last month, he has often expressed concerns about specific provisions. Currently, Bacon is among a group of House Republicans who could potentially derail the legislation’s final passage in the lower chamber later this week.

A so-called ‘moderate’ Republican, Bacon has on occasion served as a foil to Trump’s agenda in the House. Most recently, he indicated opposition to a White House rescission proposal if it included cuts to an AIDS program. Additionally, Bacon was the only Republican to vote against a House bill that would make Trump’s name change for the Gulf of America permanent.

Bacon has criticized Trump’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, both taking umbrage with Trump’s pursuit of an end to the conflict and mounting Republican opposition to further supplying military aid.

In a March post on X (formerly Twitter), Bacon declared, “real Republicans know that Putin’s Russia hates the West and freedom. We also know that Ukraine wants democracy, free markets and rule of law. We stand with right vs evil. Reagan, Churchill, Eisenhower… that is our legacy. I won’t walk away from it.” Notably, Bacon announced his retirement just over three months after the post.

Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, which former Vice President Kamala Harris won by nearly five percentage points in 2024, remains a key target for Democrats in the upcoming 2026 midterms. The state is one of two that splits its Electoral College votes by congressional district. Bacon narrowly won re-election in 2024 by less than two percentage points.

Image via the Presidential Office of Ukraine.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
1A
Politics

Could This SCOTUS Case Limit the Need for SuperPACs and Dark Campaign Cash?

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Supreme Court has agreed to review federal limits on coordinated spending by political parties in support of their candidates, questioning whether these restrictions violate the First Amendment.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Republican Party political committees, Vice President J.D. Vance, former Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH), the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and the Justice Department (DOJ).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Supreme Court will hear the case during its next term, with a decision expected before the 2026 midterm elections.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Congress has built a wall of separation between party and candidate, forcing party committees to figure out how to get their candidates elected without hearing from them.” – GOP appeal filing

🎯IMPACT: The case could reshape campaign finance rules and affect the role of political parties in U.S. elections.

IN FULL

The Supreme Court announced it will review federal limits on coordinated spending by political parties in support of their candidates, raising questions about whether such restrictions violate the First Amendment. The case will be heard in the court’s next term, with a decision anticipated just months before the 2026 midterm elections.

The case was brought by Republican political committees, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), along with Vice President J.D. Vance and former Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH). The Department of Justice (DOJ) has joined the GOP in arguing that the limits are unconstitutional. Democratic Party committees have been allowed to intervene to defend the law, as the government has declined to do so in this instance.

Notably, if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Republican challenge, the legal changes would likely empower campaign committees directly under the control of political parties and actually reduce the influence of SuperPACs and dark money groups like the far-left Sixteen Thirty Fund. Since the high court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC, outside political spending in elections has been taken over by well-financed consulting operations like the politically progressive Arabella Advisors, which controls a network of nonprofits—like the Sixteen Thirty Fund and New Venture Fund—and political PACs.

The limits in question stem from a 50-year-old provision of the Federal Election Campaign Act. For the 2024 election cycle, coordinated spending limits range from $123,600 to $3.7 million for Senate candidates and $61,800 to $123,600 for House candidates. A U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit decision upheld these limits, citing a 2001 Supreme Court ruling that supported an earlier version of the restrictions.

In their appeal, Republicans argued that the spending limits violate the First Amendment by restricting political parties’ ability to coordinate with candidates. They asked the Supreme Court to either clarify or overturn its 2001 decision, describing it as “plainly wrong the day it was decided.”

“Congress has built a wall of separation between party and candidate, forcing party committees to figure out how to get their candidates elected without hearing from them,” the GOP filing contends, adding: “The result is a more polarized process in which political parties—an institutional force almost as old as ‘the formation of the Republic itself’—have been supplanted by less-restricted speakers.”

The DOJ, represented by Solicitor General D. John Sauer, stated that the expenditure limits burden the rights of political parties and candidates, calling the restrictions a significant impediment to political speech. Democratic Party committees stepped in to defend the law after the government sided with the Republicans. Noel Francisco and Don McGahn are representing the Republican campaign committees.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
Economy
News

Canada Caves, Resumes Trade Negotiations With Trump Admin.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Canada has paused its digital services tax following President Donald J. Trump’s decision to end trade negotiations over the levy.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald J. Trump, and former U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Sunday evening following a G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Rescinding the digital services tax will allow the negotiations of a new economic and security relationship with the United States to make vital progress,” said François-Philippe Champagne.

🎯IMPACT: The decision aims to facilitate trade negotiations and address concerns over the tax’s compliance with international agreements.

IN FULL

Canada has decided to pause the implementation of its digital services tax, which imposes a three percent levy on revenue generated in the country by large tech companies, including America’s Google, Meta, and Amazon. The tax, enacted last year, was set to take effect at the end of this month.

The decision follows President Donald J. Trump’s announcement on Friday that the United States would end trade negotiations with Canada over the levy. Trump described the tax as “a direct and blatant attack on our country” and threatened new tariffs in response.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated, “Today’s announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this month’s G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis.”

The former Biden regime also opposed the tax, with former U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai calling it “discriminatory” and suggesting it may violate the USMCA trade agreement. Carney’s government has now announced plans to introduce legislation to rescind the tax, noting their preference for a multilateral agreement to address tax issues with tech firms.

François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of finance and national revenue, emphasized that removing the tax would allow progress in negotiations with the United States, create jobs, and boost Canadian prosperity. “Rescinding the digital services tax will allow the negotiations of a new economic and security relationship with the United States to make vital progress,” he said.

The move would be just the latest undoing of some of the taxes former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau created. Carney, shortly after becoming Prime Minister earlier this year, scrapped Trudeau’s unpopular carbon tax, something conservatives had demanded for years.

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4 hours ago
Culture
News

‘Death to the IDF’ Glastonbury Duo Dropped by Their Own Agents.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED:  Talent agency UTA dropped punk duo Bob Vylan following for leading chants of “death, death to the IDF” at England’s Glastonbury Festival.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bob Vylan, UTA executives, Glastonbury organizers, and the BBC.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The performance took place on June 28 at Glastonbury’s West Holts stage, and the fallout occurred in the days following.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are appalled by the statements made from the West Holts stage by Bob Vylan yesterday. Their chants very much crossed a line.” – Emily Eavis, chief festival organizer.

🎯IMPACT: The BBC faced backlash for streaming the performance, and UTA removed Bob Vylan from its client roster.

IN FULL

UTA, a leading talent agency, has dropped punk duo Bob Vylan for leading crowds in chants of “death to IDF” at the Glastonbury Festival in England. During their June 28 set, Bobby Vylan complained about working for a “f***ing Zionist.” The performance also included the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be, will be, inshallah, it will be free,” streamed live on the BBC, which is widely understood as a call for the destruction of the State of Israel, which extends from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea.

Glastonbury Festival organizers, including chief Emily Eavis, condemned the statements, calling them anti-Semitic and unacceptable. “There is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence,” Eavis said in a statement. UTA has since removed Bob Vylan from its website, declining to comment further.

Bob Vylan have also had their U.S. visas revoked by the U.S. State Department, with Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau warning that “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred” are not welcome in America.

The BBC also faced criticism for broadcasting the performance. The network issued a statement expressing regret, saying, “The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves.” The broadcaster admitted it should have cut the stream during the performance.

Bob Vylan also performed a song addressing native Britons with the lyrics “I heard you want your country back? Shut the f**k up… you can’t have that” during the performance.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage reacted to the performance by saying, “If you vote Reform you can have your country back from these lunatics.”

Image by NMK Photography.

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4 hours ago
Breaking

BREAKING: Trump State Dept Pulls Visas from ‘Death to IDF’ Glastonbury Band ‘Bob Vylan.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. revoked visas for the UK-based punk band Bob Vylan after their Glastonbury performance featured chants calling for the death of the Israeli military.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bob Vylan, the BBC, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Glastonbury organizers, and UK government officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Glastonbury Festival, England, Saturday performance; visa action announced Monday in the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” – Christopher Landau

🎯IMPACT: The band’s U.S. tour is effectively cancelled, while UK officials and media come under fire for broadcasting and allowing hate-filled incitement on public platforms.

IN FULL

The punk-rap band Bob Vylan has had its U.S. visas revoked following a controversial performance at Glastonbury, where the lead singer led the crowd in chanting “death, death to the IDF.” The Department of State announced the move via Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, declaring such “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred” are not welcome in the United States.

The BBC, which live-streamed the set, has faced mounting criticism for airing the event uncensored. The broadcaster admitted on Monday that it should have pulled the stream mid-performance, noting the incident “crossed a line” and pledging to revise guidelines for live coverage. Ofcom, the UK broadcast regulator, is investigating, saying the BBC “clearly has questions to answer.”

The band’s frontman, Bobby Vylan, also led chants including “free, free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea,” a slogan widely interpreted as calling for the destruction of Israel.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the performance as “hate speech,” while Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called for legal prosecution of both the band and the BBC under the UK’s Public Order Act. Glastonbury organizers issued a distancing statement, saying the act’s words “very much crossed a line,” and emphasized that antisemitism and incitement have no place at the festival.

Bob Vylan, formed in Ipswich in 2017, has previously toured with The Offspring and performed at major UK festivals. Their lead singer responded online with a defiant “I said what I said,” avoiding directly mentioning the incident while calling for more political expression on public stages.

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4 hours ago
William Upton
Politics

Here’s Where the Big Beautiful Bill Currently Stands.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ is entering the homestretch toward passage in the United States Senate after narrowly clearing a procedural vote this past weekend. Once adopted by the upper chamber, the legislation will face a final vote in the House before heading to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, and House Republicans.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Senate vote-a-rama on amendments began Monday, June 30, at 9:00 AM, and a vote on final passage is expected late tonight. The House is expected to vote on adopting the Senate changes on Wednesday, July 2.

🎯IMPACT: While the budget reconciliation bill is entering the homestretch, several hurdles remain, which could derail the legislation or delay its passage beyond July 4—President Trump’s deadline for the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ to land on his desk.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill‘ is entering the homestretch toward passage in the United States Senate after narrowly clearing a procedural vote this past weekend. The budget reconciliation bill, which enacts much of Trump’s domestic policy agenda, sat in limbo for several hours on Saturday as Senate Republican leadership and Vice President J.D. Vance worked to hammer out last-minute compromises to attain the 51 votes on a motion to proceed. Notably, Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Rand Paul (R-KY) both voted with Democrats against the measure. At the same time, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) eventually switched his vote from “No” after protracted talks with Vance and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), giving the bill the support it needed to clear the procedural hurdle.

Typically, after legislation clears the “motion to proceed” hurdle, the Senate swiftly moves to debate and amendments. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) used a procedural motion to force the entire 900-page-plus bill to be read aloud by the Senate clerk, which—along with the Democrats’ 10 hours of debate time—took up much of Sunday.

As of 9:00 AM on Monday, the Senate had finally moved to the amendment phase before a vote on final passage. Under usual circumstances, the “vote-a-rama” is a highly orchestrated process tightly controlled by Senate leadership. However, the current vote-a-rama is being described as a far more “fluid” process with a number of key compromises and amendments enacting significant changes expected to be brought to the floor. Each amendment receives a 10-minute voting period. Should any of the compromise amendments or other modifications fail, it could erode support for President Trump’s signature legislation—as it only cleared the “motion to proceed” by a single vote.

Sens. Tillis and Paul appear poised to vote with Senate Democrats against the bill once again. However, the Republican duo may be joined by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who has indicated that while she supported the “motion to proceed,” she remains undecided on voting for passage. Concerningly, the combination of Tillis, Paul, and Collins would leave the Senate evenly split on the legislation, meaning Vice President Vance would be required to break the tie. Should the adoption or rejection of an amendment alienate any other Republican vote, Senate Republicans could face the very real possibility of losing majority support for the legislation. Barring any erosion in Republican support, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ should see a vote on final passage late this evening—possibly as late as midnight.

Once adopted by the Senate, the budget reconciliation legislation will return to the House of Representatives, which will need to vote on it again to adopt the changes made to its text in the Senate. A notice from House Republican leadership, issued late Sunday, recalled lawmakers to Washington, D.C. for an expected vote on Wednesday, with Tuesday being reserved for the bill’s reading. Here again, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ could face headwinds if members of the House Freedom Caucus or the New York Republican delegation balk at the Senate changes. However, lawmakers will likely be under intense pressure from the Trump White House to drop any opposition and back the bill.

President Trump has repeatedly stated that he expected the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ to clear Congress and be on his desk by July 4 for his signature. Barring any significant conflicts in the Senate today or in the House on Wednesday, the bill should land on Trump’s desk with about 24 hours to spare before the July 4 holiday.

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5 hours ago
Health
Science

NIH Funded Hundreds of Genetically Engineered COVID Variants.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A peer-reviewed study revealed that U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded researchers created over 200 synthetic SARS-CoV-2 constructs using genetic engineering.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine, funded by NIH grants, conducted the study.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Published January 15, 2025, in the journal Science Advances, research conducted in federally regulated BSL-3 labs.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We generated genetically BC [barcoded] SARS-CoV-2 viruses… We pooled >200 BC viruses and WT-D614G based on equal infectious viral titers,” the study stated.

🎯IMPACT: The study raises concerns about taxpayer-funded research creating transmissibility-enhanced pathogens despite the experience of the Wuhan virus pandemic.

IN FULL

A peer-reviewed study published earlier this year confirms that the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded researchers to create over 200 synthetic versions of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These were developed using lab-based genetic engineering to construct novel entities not found in nature.

The study, published on January 15, 2025, in the journal Science Advances, was conducted at Washington University School of Medicine and supported by multiple NIH grants. The research team employed a reverse genetics system to assemble genetic material and created a pool of over 200 genetically barcoded versions of the virus, each carrying a unique tracking barcode.

The authors confirmed that these synthetic constructs do not resemble any naturally occurring SARS-CoV-2 lineage. “We generated genetically BC [barcoded] SARS-CoV-2 viruses… We pooled >200 BC viruses and WT-D614G based on equal infectious viral titers,” the study explained. The work adhered to NIH biosafety protocols and was carried out in federally regulated BSL-3 biocontainment labs.

Additionally, these constructs were engineered to include the D614G spike mutation, a genetic alteration associated with increased transmissibility in humans and animals. The study notes, “We also introduced a D614G mutation in the Spike gene of SARS-CoV-2.” This mutation has been linked to gain-of-function traits, enhancing the pathogen’s ability to bind to host cells and sustain transmission.

While researchers framed the project as a tool to study viral transmission, the creation of transmissibility-enhanced constructs raises serious safety questions. The COVID-19 pandemic is widely believed to have been caused by a leak following similar research at a lab in Wuhan, China.

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