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4 hours ago
News

Anna Paulina Luna Exposes Epstein’s Alleged Intelligence Links.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) highlighted a potential connection between intelligence agencies and deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Anna Paulina Luna, Jeffrey Epstein, his victims, intelligence agencies, and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

💬KEY QUOTE: “In my opinion, there is definitely an intelligence connection.” – Anna Paulina Luna

🎯IMPACT: Luna’s comments will renew scrutiny of Epstein’s alleged ties to intelligence agencies and demands for transparency in the investigation into his activities and death.

IN FULL

U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who leads the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, has suggested a link between deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and intelligence agencies. Her comments followed a private Capitol Hill meeting with Epstein’s victims.

On Thursday, Luna posted on X, “In my opinion, there is definitely an intelligence connection. Countries named by the lead attorney for the witnesses [Epstein’s victims] included Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Israel, as well as a former CIA director,” with the last of these “inferred to be the CIA director under the Bush administration, based on the attorney’s description of interactions while Epstein was in his work/arrest program.” Michael Hayden was the CIA Director when Epstein’s plea deal was finalized in June 2008 and during the early part of his sentence.

Luna stressed that the Task Force’s ultimate goal is criminal referrals, revealing that “thousands” of Department of Justice (DOJ) e-mails are currently under review. She also highlighted the ongoing impact of the Epstein scandal on victims, saying it is “important to understand how frightening this is for some of the women involved. In some cases, they were threatened.” Finally, she emphasized that “both the victims and others have stated to the press that President Trump was not involved.”

Epstein, known for his connections to powerful and wealthy figures such as the Clintons, has long faced accusations of ties to domestic and foreign intelligence agencies.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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4 minutes ago
Crime
NatSec

Former State Dept Official Gets Four Years for Spying for China.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A State Department employee was sentenced to four years in prison for selling national defense secrets to people he believed were working for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Michael Charles Schena, 42, of Alexandria, Virginia, and people he believed to be Chinese government agents.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Schena’s espionage activity began in April 2022, culminating in his arrest in February 2025. Key incidents occurred in the United States and during a meeting in Peru.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The defendant threw away his career, betrayed his country, and abused the trust the United States placed in him by granting his Top-Secret security clearance.” – Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg

🎯IMPACT: The case highlights the dangers of insider threats and serves as a warning to those who might consider betraying their country for personal gain.

IN FULL

A State Department employee, Michael Charles Schena, 42, of Alexandria, Virginia, has been sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information to individuals he believed to be working for the Chinese government, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Schena began his espionage activities in April 2022, communicating with people he met online who claimed to be employees of international consulting companies.

Despite clear indications that these people were working on behalf of the Chinese government, Schena continued to provide them with sensitive government information in exchange for money. In August 2024, Schena met with one of these individuals at a hotel in Peru, where he was given $10,000 and a cellphone to facilitate further exchanges.

Using this cellphone, Schena took photographs of classified documents marked as SECRET while at work and transmitted at least four of these documents in October 2024. In February, he used the phone again to photograph seven additional classified documents, an act that was captured by surveillance video.

Before Schena could transmit the latest photographs, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents seized the cellphone and arrested him. The DOJ said that Schena’s actions represented a significant betrayal of trust and a violation of his Top-Secret security clearance.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated, “The defendant threw away his career, betrayed his country, and abused the trust the United States placed in him by granting his Top-Secret security clearance. He will spend years of his life in prison for passing classified information to individuals he believed to be Chinese government agents. Today’s sentence serves as a warning to those who would violate the trust placed in them by our Nation and double-cross the American people.”

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By Popular Demand.
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42 minutes ago
News
UK

Top Conservative News Site Blocked on UK Trains for Being ‘Contentious.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Top conservative news site Citizen Free Press has been blocked on British train Wi-Fi networks after being labeled “contentious.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Citizen Free Press, Virgin Wi-Fi, The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam, British commuters, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

📍WHEN & WHERE: September 2025, on British trains.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I’m on a train in England and can’t access [Citizen Free Press] because it’s blocked for being ‘contentious.'” – Raheem Kassam

🎯IMPACT: The incident has sparked criticism of the United Kingdom’s growing censorship regime, previously criticized by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and other senior officials in the Trump administration.

IN FULL

Top conservative news site Citizen Free Press has been blocked on public Wi-Fi networks aboard British trains. The restriction, justified by network provider Virgin Wi-Fi on grounds that the site has been branded “contentious,” was highlighted by Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief at The National Pulse.

Kassam shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter), posting a screenshot of the restriction notice he encountered while travelling in England, where he is covering the annual party conference for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party. “I’m on a train in England and can’t access [Citizen Free Press] because it’s blocked for being ‘contentious,'” Kassam reported.

The incident has fueled further debate about the erosion of free speech in Britain under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. While people have long been subject to arrest for so-called “grossly offensive” communications in Britain, speech restrictions have tightened since Starmer entered office in mid-2024, particularly following the wave of anti-immigration protests that followed the mass murder of multiple young girls by a migration-background teenager in Southport, England.

Last August, England’s chief prosecutor warned that the “offense of incitement to racial hatred involves publishing or distributing material which is insulting or abusive, which is intended to or likely to stir up racial hatred,” and, “If you retweet that, you’re republishing it, and potentially, you’re committing that offense.“

He added that “dedicated police officers” were “scouring social media,” looking to identify the people behind such posts and reposts and arrest them.

In one high-profile recent incident, Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan was arrested by a team of armed police officers on landing at London’s Heathrow Airport from Arizona, for posts on X critical of transgenderism and transgender activists.

Notably, Starmer has overseen the implementation of Britain’s new Online Safety Act—initially championed by the formerly governing Conservative Party—that mandates platforms and service providers to filter supposedly harmful content. Overseen by government regulator Ofcom, it has been framed as protecting Internet users, particularly children, from harmful content such as child pornography. However, the legislation is so broad that it has already been used to censor mere opinions, including video of speeches in Parliament discussing the Muslim rape gangs scandal.

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1 hour ago
News
UK

UK Deputy PM Resigns Amid Tax Scandal.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner resigned after an investigation into her tax affairs revealed she misrepresented her primary residence.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Angela Rayner, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Reform Party leader Nigel Farage.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The resignation followed an investigation earlier this week concerning her $1 million residence in Hove, East Sussex.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You simply can’t get away from being the Housing Secretary and avoiding £40,000 of stamp duty.” Nigel Farage.

🎯IMPACT: The resignation has sparked criticism of her conveyancing firm, Verrico & Associates, which claimed they acted in “good faith” but were being made “scapegoats.”

IN FULL

Angela Rayner has officially resigned from her role as British Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary after a probe into her tax affairs revealed irregularities surrounding the purchase of a $1 million property in Hove, East Sussex. The controversy stemmed from her designation of the home as her primary residence, an error that resulted in a significant underpayment of stamp duty, a British tax on property transactions.

Earlier this week, Rayner claimed she was unaware she owned another home. She did purchase a home in Manchester in 2016 with her now-former husband. However, in 2020, her son received a large payout from the socialized National Health Service (NHS) after failings in his care left him disabled, and the couple set up a trust to manage the money. Upon her divorce from her husband, 50 percent of the home was placed in the trust, with Rayner taking 25 percent.

Rayner later sold her share of the home to the trust in 2025. Despite selling her share, the property remained her primary residence for tax purposes, as her son is under 18 and cannot legally take possession of it.

Rayner voluntarily referred the matter to Sir Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministerial standards. In a report submitted to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Laurie concluded that Rayner’s “position in government was ‘untenable.’”

Acknowledging the mistake, Rayner stated she is cooperating with both her legal team and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to address the issue. The scandal is not the first for Rayner, who was accused of spending the equivalent of $86,000 of taxpayer money on a private photographer late last year.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage reacted to Rayner’s resignation during his party’s conference on September 5, saying, “You simply can’t get away from being the Housing Secretary and avoiding £40,000 of stamp duty.”

The resignation could be a significant blow for Prime Minister Starmer, as Rayner was one of the few demonstrably working-class members of the Labour Party leadership. It is just the latest problem for the Prime Minister, whose government has been marred by multiple scandals. In addition to losing Rayner as Housing Secretary over not paying taxes on property, he also lost his former Anti-Corruption Minister, Tulip Siddiq, after her family was caught up in a corruption investigation.

Starmer also faces growing accusations of presiding over a rapid erosion of free speech rights and a two-tier justice system that favors minorities and disfavors Christians, white people, and critics of immigration.

Image by Parliament / Maria Unger.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
William Upton
Economy

Too Late Powell: August Jobs Report Will Likely Force Rate Cut.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the addition of only 22,000 jobs in August, with significant downward revisions for prior months, likely signalling a slowing labor market.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. labor market, with notable changes in employment among various demographic groups and industries.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The report was released on September 5, 2025, reflecting employment data for August 2025 across the United States.

🎯IMPACT: The data underscore a weakening labor market, leading to increasing speculation that the Federal Reserve will finally cut rates by 25bps later this month—though a 50bps cut could now be on the table.

IN FULL

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its employment report for August 2025, revealing a significant slowdown in job creation. Only 22,000 jobs were added, falling short of Wall Street’s expectations of 75,000. Additionally, revisions to previous months showed June’s numbers dropping to -13,000, marking the first negative print in five years.

August’s lower-than-expected job growth—along with the June negative revision—may put a 50bps cut to interest rates on the table for the Federal Reserve‘s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting later this month. Markets appear to have already priced in a 25bps rate cut for the FOMC’s September meeting. Concerningly, lagging demand and slowing job growth suggest Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s fixation with the possibility of renewed inflation blinded the central bank to the deflationary pressures impacting the economy.

Notably, the unemployment rate only increased slightly to 4.3 percent, with 7.384 million unemployed individuals. Among major demographic groups, unemployment rates rose for blacks (7.5 percent), whites (3.7 percent), Asians (3.6 percent), and Hispanics (5.3 percent). Labor force participation edged up to 62.3 percent, while the employment-population ratio remained steady at 59.6 percent.

Full-time employment saw a sharp decline, with 357,000 jobs lost, while part-time employment surged by 597,000, the largest increase since February. The number of native-born workers dropped by 561,000, while foreign-born workers increased by 50,000. Additionally, the number of multiple jobholders rose by 443,000, reaching 8.785 million, the highest since COVID-19 pandemic.

Hourly earnings increased by 0.3 percent month-over-month, aligning with expectations, but the annual growth rate slowed to 3.7 percent from 3.9 percent the previous month. The average workweek remained unchanged at 34.2 hours, with manufacturing seeing a slight decline in hours worked.

Industry-specific data showed gains in healthcare (+31,000) and social assistance (+16,000), while federal government employment fell by 15,000, continuing a downward trend of over 100,000 jobs cut since President Donald J. Trump enacted his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cost-cutting effort earlier this year.

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction also experienced job losses (-6,000), as did wholesale trade (-12,000) and manufacturing (-12,000). Most other sectors saw little change in employment.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
Immigration
News

‘No Go Zones’ Warning Becomes Reality as Police Roll Out Arabic Patches.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Dearborn Heights Police Department in Michigan introduced an optional uniform patch featuring Arabic and English text.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dearborn Heights Police Department, Officer Emily Murdoch, and Rep. Randy Fine of Florida.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Dearborn Heights, Michigan, announced recently via social media.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This patch represents unity, respect, and our shared commitment to service,” the department claimed.

🎯IMPACT: The patch aims to reflect the diversity of the community, though it has sparked criticism from some public figures.

IN FULL

The Dearborn Heights Police Department in Michigan has announced an optional patch for its officers, featuring text in both Arabic and English. The patch includes the words “DEARBORN HEIGHTS” and “POLICE” written in both languages.

“The Dearborn Heights Police Department is proud to share a new optional patch that our officers may wear as part of their uniform,” the department said in a Facebook post. Officer Emily Murdoch designed the patch, allegedly to reflect the community’s diversity. The department further noted, “By incorporating Arabic script alongside English, this patch represents unity, respect, and our shared commitment to service. We are proud of Officer Murdoch’s creativity and dedication in helping our department better represent the people we serve.”

Dearborn Heights, part of the greater Detroit metropolitan area, boasts a population of around 60,000 people, with 25 percent being of Arabic extraction. The city has drawn attention in the past for its public displays of support for Hamas. Shortly after the terrorist group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the city government in Dearborn Heights—led by Mayor Abdullah Hammoud—erected two Palestinian flags flanking the city’s welcome sign. Some saw the move as an endorsement of Hamas’s action.

Notably, The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam wrote about Dearborn in No Go Zones in 2017, noting back then that it was developing into a parallel society similar to infamous Muslim-dominated localities in Europe such as Belgium’s Molenbeek and Sweden’s Malmö.

In Germany last year, police even warned Jews and homosexuals to hide their identities in neighborhoods in Berlin with large Arab populations who may be sympathetic to terrorist groups. Meanwhile, in 2023, a London borough council was forced to cancel a Hanukkah menorah lighting ceremony due to Muslim anger at the event.

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By Popular Demand.
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7 hours ago
News
UK

Another Rape Gang Conviction in English Grooming Hotspot.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A man has been found guilty of grooming and raping two young girls in Rotherham, England during the early 2000s.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Obaidullah Omari, 46, and two victims aged between 13 and 14 at the time of the abuse.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The abuse occurred in Rotherham between 2003 and 2004. Omari was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court.

💬KEY QUOTE: “What they have been through is unimaginable, yet they were still able to tell us their stories and give evidence.” – Alan Hastings, National Crime Agency (NCA)

🎯IMPACT: To date, 48 predators have been convicted through Operation Stovewood, which continues to investigate grooming gang abuse in Rotherham.

IN FULL

Obaidullah Omari, 46, has been found guilty of grooming and raping two young girls in Rotherham, England, during the early 2000s. The offences, which took place between 2003 and 2004, involved victims aged 13 and 14. A jury at Sheffield Crown Court convicted Omari of three counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault following a two-week trial. He was sentenced to 19 years on Thursday.

The case is part of Operation Stovewood, a major investigation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into child sexual exploitation by mostly Muslim, Pakistani-background groomers targeting mostly white, working-class girls in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. With Omari’s conviction, 48 predators have now been found guilty under the operation, making it the largest investigation of its kind.

Alan Hastings, a senior investigating officer with the NCA, praised the victims for their strength in coming forward: “What they have been through is unimaginable, yet they were still able to tell us their stories and give evidence.” He emphasized that the investigation remains active and continues to support survivors.

In Parliament, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips confirmed that 1,273 closed grooming cases have been reopened for review, with 216 being prioritized “as a matter of urgency.” She also claimed there has been progress on organizing a national inquiry into rape gangs, stating: “The chair must have credibility and experience to command the confidence of victims and survivors as well as the wider public.” A dedicated panel of survivors will supposedly assist in the selection process.

Public trust in how the media and authorities have handled the grooming gang scandals remains low. A January 2025 poll revealed that a plurality of 43 percent of Britons believe the media downplayed the issue due to “political correctness,” compared to only 18 percent who disagreed. Journalist Andrew Norfolk, who helped expose the scandal, admitted, “I didn’t want the story to be true because it made me deeply uncomfortable.”

In July 2025, several women came forward claiming South Yorkshire Police officers abused them during the original Rotherham crisis. One survivor says she was raped in a marked police car and threatened with being returned to her abusers. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is now overseeing an investigation into these claims.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage recently warned that the grooming scandal is only “getting worse,” highlighting a case involving a father arrested while trying to rescue his trafficked daughter. He accused police of systemic failure and called for the Rotherham case to be included in the national inquiry.

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19 hours ago
News

Activists Rally in Support of Transgenderism at Catholic School Targeted by Shooter.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Pro-transgenderism activists gathered outside Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis to demonstrate against a visit by Vice President J.D. Vance after a shooting that left two children dead and 17 others injured. The shooter, a transgender, targeted the church during a back-to-school Mass.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, formerly Robert, along with victims, church attendees, and Vice President Vance, who visited the site to meet with families.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The shooting occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during a back-to-school Mass. Demonstrations followed in the days after the tragedy.

🎯IMPACT: The incident has reignited debates on gun violence, mental health, and the role of transgender ideology in mass shootings.

IN FULL

Pro-transgenderism protestors gathered outside the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, demonstrating against a visit by Vice President J.D. Vance following a mass shooting that claimed the lives of two children and left 17 others injured. The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, formerly Robert, fired through the church’s stained-glass windows during a back-to-school Mass.

Westman, who was a transgender, had a documented history of mental health struggles and fascination with mass killings. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.

Pro-trans activists gathered outside the church on Wednesday as Vance and his wife, Usha, arrived to meet with victims’ families. The group’s actions, which included displaying a transgender flag near the site of the attack, were widely criticized as provocative and insensitive.

On Thursday, The National Pulse reported that the Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering imposing restrictions that would prevent those undergoing gender transition or diagnosed with gender dysphoria from purchasing firearms. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the attack as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) has called for avoiding the “villainization” of the transgender community.

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By Popular Demand.
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19 hours ago
Lawfare

Biden Judge Orders Trump to Disburse Withheld Foreign Aid.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release $11.5 billion in foreign aid, ruling the administration’s decision to withhold the funds was likely illegal.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali, the Trump administration, and Congress.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued late Wednesday in Washington, D.C., with funds set to expire at the end of the month.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Defendants do not have any discretion as to whether to spend the funds.” – Judge Amir Ali

🎯IMPACT: The ruling could set a precedent on executive authority over congressionally approved funds, with the administration filing an appeal.

IN FULL

U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration’s withholding of $11.5 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid was likely illegal, issuing a preliminary injunction to release the funds before they expire at the end of the month.

“To be clear, no one disputes that Defendants have significant discretion in how to spend the funds at issue, and the Court is not directing Defendants to make payments to any particular recipients,” Judge Ali wrote. “But Defendants do not have any discretion as to whether to spend the funds.” Ali, a Biden appointee, insisted that Congress—not the executive branch—has the authority to rescind appropriated funds.

The ruling challenges the administration’s use of a “pocket rescission,” a tactic where a president submits a late request to Congress to not spend approved funds, effectively bypassing the legislative branch. President Donald J. Trump had previously informed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that he would not spend $4.9 billion of the aid, citing it as wasteful and misaligned with his foreign policy goals.

The administration filed an appeal following the ruling, and Ali acknowledged that his decision is unlikely to be the final word on the matter. “This case raises questions of immense legal and practical importance, including whether there is any avenue to test the executive branch’s decision not to spend congressionally appropriated funds,” Ali wrote.

The case also marks the first use of pocket rescission in nearly 50 years, a move that could set a significant precedent on the limits of executive authority. Ali stated that Congress would need to approve any rescission proposal for the funds to remain unspent, as outlined by existing law.

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20 hours ago
Economy
Lawfare

Trump Takes Tariff Fight to the Supreme Court.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to swiftly review a lower court ruling that invalidated the President’s tariffs.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, the Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, and attorney Jeffrey Schwab, representing the plaintiffs.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The appeals court ruling was issued last week, with the Supreme Court asked to hear the case as soon as November.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Few cases have so clearly called out for this Court’s swift resolution.” – Trump administration filing.

🎯IMPACT: If the ruling stands, President Trump’s tariffs would be rescinded, significantly affecting his trade policies and negotiations.

IN FULL

The Trump administration is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly review a lower court decision that found the President’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to enact certain tariffs was unconstitutional. According to the filing, the Trump White House is requesting that the high court hear arguments as soon as November. Notably, the lower court ruling is currently stayed from taking effect until October 14, 2025.

In the filing, the administration argues the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling “gravely undermines the President’s ability to conduct real-world diplomacy and his ability to protect the national security and economy of the United States.” The filing further states, “That decision casts a pall of uncertainty upon ongoing foreign negotiations that the President has been pursuing through tariffs over the past five months, jeopardizing both already-negotiated framework deals and ongoing negotiations.”

On August 29, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority under the IEEPA to impose tariffs. The court stated, “Absent a valid delegation by Congress, the President has no authority to impose taxes. Given these considerations, we conclude Congress, in enacting IEEPA, did not give the President wide-ranging authority to impose tariffs of the nature of the Trafficking and Reciprocal Tariffs simply by the use of the term ‘regulate … importation.’”

Under the IEEPA—enacted in 1977—the President is empowered to impose tariffs after declaring a national emergency. Earlier this year, President Trump declared a national emergency over foreign trade practices, stating that reciprocal tariffs were necessary to protect American workers and strengthen the U.S. economy. Subsequently, the Trump White House has reached bilateral trade agreements with a number of U.S. trade partners, while the tariffs have brought in record revenue for the federal government.

Jeffrey Schwab, representing the plaintiffs, expressed confidence in the legal arguments against the tariffs, saying, “Both federal courts that considered the issue agreed that IEEPA does not give the President unchecked tariff authority.” Meanwhile, President Trump criticized the “Highly Partisan Appeals Court” and warned, “If allowed to stand, this Decision would literally destroy the United States of America.”

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By Popular Demand.
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21 hours ago
Education
Lawfare

Harvard Wins Legal Battle Against Trump Administration… For Now.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Barack Obama-appointed federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reverse over $2.6 billion in funding cuts to Harvard University, citing retaliation for the university’s rejection of governance and policy demands.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs, the Trump administration, and Harvard University.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on Wednesday; the events involve federal funding cuts tied to Harvard’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In fact, a review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that [the government] used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities.” – Judge Burroughs

🎯IMPACT: The ruling restores funding to Harvard and bars further retaliatory actions.

IN FULL

U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs, appointed to the bench by former President Barack Obama, has ordered that the Trump administration must reverse over $2.6 billion in funding cuts to Harvard University. According to Judge Burroughs, the funding freeze was an act of retaliation against Harvard for rejecting changes the administration sought in the university’s governance and policies.

Notably, Burroughs has made rulings on a number of cases involving the Trump White House and Harvard, including the issuance of a temporary restraining order in May blocking the administration from revoking Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which would have barred them from enrolling foreign students. The judge’s latest determination follows a lawsuit filed by Harvard, which argued that the cuts violated its free speech rights under the First Amendment. Burroughs stated that the administration’s justification for the cuts, citing Harvard’s handling of anti-Semitism, was a “smokescreen” for an ideologically motivated attack.

The District Court Judge acknowledged that Harvard had been “plagued by antisemitism in recent years” and criticized the university for its slow response to the issue. However, she also insisted that Harvard has taken steps to address the problem and appears willing to continue improving its efforts.

Burroughs’s decision ensures that Harvard’s federal grants cannot be terminated for the time being, pending a possible appeal by the Trump administration. The ruling also bars President Donald J. Trump from withholding future funding in retaliation.

Image by Adam Fagen.

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