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October 9, 2025
Crime
News

Texas Arrests Eight Illegal Abortionists, Half Are Foreign Nationals.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Eight people, including four foreign nationals, were arrested for allegedly collaborating with a Houston-area abortion provider accused of illegal procedures and practicing medicine without a license.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), Maria Rojas, and the eight arrested suspects.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrests were announced on October 8, 2025, following law enforcement operations across the Houston area.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted.” — Ken Paxton.

🎯IMPACT: The arrests highlight Texas’s commitment to enforcing its strict abortion laws and ensuring medical practices operate within legal boundaries.

IN FULL

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced on Wednesday, October 8, the arrests of eight people accused of operating illegal abortion clinics in the Houston area. The arrests are connected to Maria Margarita Rojas, a 49-year-old midwife previously indicted on 15 felony counts, including the unlawful killing of unborn babies and practicing medicine without a license. Rojas allegedly operated unlicensed clinics in northwest Houston, where prosecutors say she and others performed illegal medical procedures, including abortions.

The suspects arrested this week were allegedly working under Rojas, providing unauthorized medical services without proper licensing. Those named by Paxton’s office include Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez, Alina Valeron Leon, Dalia Coromoto Yanez, Yhonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandales Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Sabiel Bosch Gongora, and Jose Manuel Cendan Ley. According to a statement from Paxton, these individuals “endangered the very people they pretended to help” by operating outside the law.

“In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,” Attorney General Paxton said.

These arrests follow the recent closure of a major Planned Parenthood facility in Houston, once one of the largest abortionist clinics in the country. Texas enforces some of the strongest pro-life laws in the United States, banning nearly all abortions except in limited medical emergencies.

Rojas is the first person charged under a new Texas law that heightens penalties for those involved in unlawful abortions.

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6 minutes ago
Health
News

Dem Governor Declares Emergency as Democrat-Led Shutdown Halts SNAP.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) declared a state of emergency as millions of residents face the loss of food assistance due to the ongoing federal shutdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Kathy Hochul, Republicans and Democrats in Congress, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and other state leaders, including Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Thursday, with the shutdown now in its 30th day, impacting New York and other states across the U.S.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I am doing everything in my power to soften the blow of the destruction Republicans in Washington are inflicting on our state,” said Governor Hochul, despite the fact that it is the Senate Democrats who are blocking funding.

🎯IMPACT: Around three million New Yorkers could lose benefits worth $650 million a month.

IN FULL

New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has declared a state of emergency as millions of residents face losing food assistance on November 1 due to the ongoing Democrat-caused federal government shutdown. The governor is trying to blame Republicans in Congress for the funding lapse, saying Democrats have been pushing for clean resolutions to restore funding, despite the fact that Democrats have repeatedly blocked GOP spending legislation.

Hochul announced $65 million in emergency state funds to help food programs across New York. “The Trump Administration is cutting food assistance off for three million New Yorkers, leaving our state to face an unprecedented public health crisis and hurting our grocers, bodegas, and farmers along the way,” she alleged.

The federal shutdown, now in its 30th day, has disrupted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides food benefits to 42 million Americans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that contingency funds used to maintain SNAP during previous shutdowns have been exhausted, marking the first time the program has faced a complete lapse in funding. In New York alone, about three million residents risk losing $650 million in monthly benefits.

The Trump administration stated that it could not reallocate other federal funds to cover the November payments, citing legal restrictions. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defended the decision, saying, “If they transferred funds from other sources, it would pull it away immediately from school meals and infant formula. It’s a tradeoff.”

Other governors have also stepped in as the shutdown continues. California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) deployed the National Guard to assist food banks, while Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) announced plans to declare a state of emergency. Hochul’s office stated that New York’s emergency aid is a temporary measure intended to prevent hunger while negotiations continue in Washington.

The crisis follows weeks of partisan deadlock. Earlier this month, House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark boasted that the hardships faced by Americans could be used as leverage against the GOP in the standoff. “Of course, there will be families that are going to suffer,” she said. “But it is one of the few leverage times we have.”

At the same time, President Donald J. Trump has touted a reduction in SNAP dependency since his administration began, saying that more than 600,000 Americans have left the program. Data cited by his team show that from January to May 2025, SNAP participation fell from 42.38 million to 41.73 million, a decline of roughly 645,000 recipients.

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2 hours ago
News
Politics

Dutch Elections Appear to Be a Tie Between Populists and Liberals.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Dutch populist Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) appear to be tied at 26 seats with the liberal-progressive D66 party following national elections in the Netherlands.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Geert Wilders’s Party for Freedom and Rob Jetten’s D66 party.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The election took place on Wednesday in the Netherlands.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The difference between the two leading parties was just over 2,000 votes nationwide,” according to Dutch national news agency ANP.

🎯IMPACT: The unprecedented tie is expected to delay the formation of a new coalition government.

IN FULL

The Dutch populist Party for Freedom (PVV), led by Geert Wilders, and the liberal-progressive Democrats 66 (D66), led by Rob Jetten, both appear to have secured 26 seats in the Dutch legislature with 98 percent of votes counted, according to figures published by the Dutch national news agency ANP. The difference between the two parties was reported to be just over 2,000 votes nationwide, marking the first time in Dutch history that a national election has concluded in such a tie.

The results show Wilders’s PVV losing 11 seats in the 150-member House of Representatives, while D66 gained 11. This razor-thin outcome is expected to prolong and complicate coalition negotiations, a process already notorious for taking months in the Netherlands’ fragmented political landscape.

Wilders reacted to the results, saying, “At the top with 26 seats just like D66. Nobody beats the PVV. Absolutely nobody! The entire campaign attacked by other parties and ‘journalists’, but they won’t bring us down, we stand tall and proud at the top and no other party has more than our 26 seats!!”

The vote follows years of turbulence in Dutch politics. In 2023, the government of long-serving liberal Prime Minister Mark Rutte collapsed after his four-party coalition failed to agree on asylum policies, particularly family reunification rules. Migration has remained one of the country’s most divisive issues, fueling the rise of populists like Wilders, who has long advocated for tighter border controls and a tougher stance on immigration and Islamization.

Economic and social tensions surrounding immigration have also intensified. A major study found that mass migration cost the Netherlands nearly half a trillion dollars between 1995 and 2019. These findings have intensified public debate over the long-term sustainability of migration policies and the pressure they place on housing, healthcare, and social welfare systems.

As the vote count nears completion, the tie between PVV and D66 has thrown the process of government formation into uncertainty. Building a majority coalition will require negotiations among multiple parties with sharply differing priorities. Analysts warn that forming a stable government could take months, or potentially trigger another round of elections if talks fail.

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2 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Syrians Linked to a Crime Every 39 Minutes in This European Country.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The federal government in Germany has revealed that over 135,000 crimes were committed by Syrian suspects between 2015 and 2024, averaging one every 39 minutes.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Federal Ministry of the Interior, Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel, AfD Bundestag (federal parliament) member Christopher Drößler, and other political figures.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Germany, between 2015 and 2024, with data released in response to a parliamentary inquiry.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This development is not only extremely alarming but also the result of government mismanagement and uncorrected political misjudgments.” – Alice Weidel

🎯IMPACT: The figures have reignited calls for stricter migration controls, large-scale deportations, and increased border security in Germany.

IN FULL

Newly released government statistics have ignited fierce debate over immigration policy in Germany, revealing that suspects of Syrian origin were linked to 135,668 crimes between 2015 and 2024, one every 39 minutes on average. The figures were disclosed by the Federal Ministry of the Interior in response to a parliamentary query from the populist, anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The data has prompted renewed demands for stricter border controls and mass deportations, as critics decry migrants’ toll on public safety.

The report also tallies significant offenses tied to other nationalities: 82,960 from Afghanistan, 69,946 from Iraq, 39,918 from Morocco, and 32,383 from Algeria. In total, suspects from the top 10 countries of origin accounted for more than 460,000 violations over the decade.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel seized on the numbers to blast the coalition government. “More than half of all women in Germany no longer feel safe in public spaces. This alarming figure is further proof of the government’s failure. Between 2015 and 2024, 135,668 Germans were victims of crimes committed by suspected Syrian perpetrators. This development is not only extremely alarming but also the result of government mismanagement and uncorrected political misjudgments,” she said.

Christopher Drößler, the AfD Bundestag (federal parliament) member who initiated the inquiry, echoed the sentiment and pushed for aggressive action. “Numbers don’t lie. The statistics confirm once again: Germans are primarily victims of criminal foreigners from [Middle] Eastern countries,” he said. Drößler advocated for enabling deportations to Syria, Afghanistan, Morocco, and Iraq, stressing the AfD as the only party with “clear solutions” like fortified borders, swift deportations of criminal migrants, and more police resources.

The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of explosive growth in Germany’s Syrian community. By late 2023, their numbers had ballooned to at least 972,000, a 16-fold increase from 60,000 in 2014. Overall, around one in 20 Syrians now live in Germany. Of these, over half, or more than 513,000, depend on welfare benefits such as Bürgergeld, with migrants comprising nearly half of all recipients. Foreigner-related expenditures reached €50 billion in 2023 alone, part of a €145 billion total since 2010. Studies show elevated violent crime rates among groups like Syrians and Afghans compared to native Germans.

High-profile offenses have heightened fears about migrant crime. On October 28, 2025, for instance, four Syrian teenagers and a 22-year-old Iraqi woman were arrested in Hamburg for allegedly throwing a 15-year-old Iraqi boy to his death from an eighth-floor apartment. Earlier in October, prosecutors in Heinsberg charged five Syrian men, adults and juveniles, with gang-raping a 17-year-old girl. These cases underscore the raw nerves exposed by the data, as the AfD leverages them to challenge the status quo on migration and security.

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3 hours ago
Crime
Politics

Zohran Mamdani Faces Criminal Referrals Over Alleged Foreign Donations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Democrat New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing two criminal referrals over alleged campaign finance violations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, and campaign finance expert Dan Backer.

📍WHEN & WHERE: New York City mayoral race, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors.” – Dan Backer

🎯IMPACT: Allegations of foreign contributions could lead to fines, but enforcement appears unlikely.

IN FULL

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s socialist nominee in New York City‘s mayoral race, is under scrutiny following two criminal referrals filed by the Coolidge Reagan Foundation. The complaints allege that Mamdani, a Ugandan immigrant, accepted nearly $13,000 from at least 170 donors located outside the United States, which would be a violation of federal and local campaign finance laws.

Dan Backer, president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation and a national campaign finance expert, stated, “These are not isolated incidents or clerical errors.” He further asserted that this represented “a sustained pattern of foreign money flowing into a New York City mayoral race,” accusing the campaign of failing to take meaningful action to prevent such violations despite being “on notice for months.”

The Mamdani campaign has responded by claiming that 31 of the 170 donors have proven their citizenship or legal permanent residence, and that the remaining 139 donations have been refunded. However, the criminal referral argues that refunding questionable donations does not rectify the violation.

“Despite being well aware of this influx of illegal foreign contributions, it appears he did nothing throughout most of 2025 to prevent his campaign from accepting them in the first place,” reads the referral. Notably, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) can only impose fines, and local prosecutors are unlikely to pursue charges.

The National Pulse reported in July that during the Democratic Party’s New York City mayoral primary, Mamdani’s campaign was bolstered by political dark money operations, including over $2 million in PAC spending, mostly from Silicon Valley billionaires and a cadre of elite Democratic Party donors.

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4 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

DHS Calls Out NBC for Framing Pedo Migrant as ‘Undocumented Father.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: NBC Bay Area is being criticized for omitting the criminal history of an illegal immigrant featured in their report on a federal arrest.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gerardo Rojas-Leyva, federal agents, NBC Bay Area, and the Department of Homeland Security.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrest occurred last week in San Jose, California, as Rojas-Leyva was leaving his home for work.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Why is [NBC Bay Area] peddling a hoax for a PEDOPHILE?” – Department of Homeland Security.

🎯IMPACT: The omission of Rojas-Leyva’s criminal background has fueled criticism of media narratives surrounding federal immigration enforcement operations.

IN FULL

An NBC News affiliate is facing backlash for attempting to portray an illegal immigrant with an extensive criminal background—including lewd and lascivious acts with a child—as merely an “undocumented father.” The coverage mirrors similar corporate media attempts to portray Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 gang member facing human trafficking charges, as a more sympathetic “Maryland father with protected legal status.”

Gerardo Rojas-Leyva, an illegal immigrant whose arrest by federal agents was covered by NBC Bay Area—a California affiliate station covering San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland—has “a rap sheet including lewd and lascivious acts with a child, battery of a spouse, domestic battery, and providing compensation for prostitution,” according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Despite his criminal record, NBC Bay Area sought to frame Rojas-Leyva as a victim after his arrest last week.

Federal officers approached Rojas-Leyva, 42, as he sat in his black truck at 7:45 AM, instructing him to exit the vehicle. NBC Bay Area reported that his family and neighbors recorded the arrest, with his wife, Idalia, claiming that a woman who was not in uniform struck her 22-year-old daughter with a baton. However, this alleged incident was not visible in the footage.

Following the publication of the story, DHS publicly criticized NBC Bay Area on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Why is [NBC Bay Area] peddling a hoax for a PEDOPHILE?” DHS went on to detail Rojas-Leyva’s criminal history.

The department also noted that Rojas-Leyva had illegally re-entered the United States after a prior removal, which constitutes a felony. They emphasized the Trump administration’s commitment to prioritizing the removal of criminal illegal immigrants, stating, “President Trump and [DHS Secretary Kristi Noem] are removing criminal illegal alien predators from our communities and putting the safety of Americans FIRST.”

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4 hours ago
William Upton
Economy
Politics

The Outcome of the Trump-Xi Trade Summit, Explained.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has yielded some benefits for American farmers, manufacturers, and consumers—although the meeting appears to have only paused the U.S.-China trade war rather than brought it to a comprehensive conclusion.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The agreement was announced on Thursday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “So you know, our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns, that’s off the table, and they should prosper in the years to come,” – Scott Bessent.

🎯IMPACT: China agreed to increase its purchases of U.S. soybeans, finalize approval for the sale of TikTok, delay the implementation of rare earth mineral export controls, and crack down on the export of fentanyl precursors. In exchange, Trump agreed to slight reductions in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump‘s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping has yielded some benefits for American farmers, manufacturers, and consumers—although the meeting appears to have only paused the trade war rather than brought it to a comprehensive conclusion. China agreed to increase its purchases of U.S. soybeans, finalize approval for the sale of TikTok, delay the implementation of rare earth mineral export controls, and crack down on the export of fentanyl precursors. In exchange, Trump agreed to slight reductions in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods.

“It was an amazing meeting,” President Trump said aboard Air Force One after departing the summit with Xi, held in South Korea. He ranked the talks, “Twelve out of ten.”

The most significant development to emerge from the summit was China’s three-year agreement to purchase 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually. “So you know, our great soybean farmers, who the Chinese used as political pawns, that’s off the table, and they should prosper in the years to come,” Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent detailed Thursday morning. As part of the trade dispute with the U.S., China had slashed its imports of American soybeans to near zero.

Additionally, Secretary Bessent revealed that President Trump secured Xi’s approval for the sale of the TikTok social media app. “In Kuala Lumpur, we finalized the TikTok agreement in terms of getting Chinese approval, and I would expect that would go forward in the coming weeks and months, and we’ll finally see a resolution to that,” the Treasury Secretary said.

Trump also forced Xi to, at least for the moment, back down from imposing unprecedented export controls on Chinese rare earth minerals, refined rare earth materials, and equipment needed to process rare earths. Set to take effect on December 1, 2025—and impact nearly every country around the world—China agreed to delay export control implementation for one year. However, Xi ultimately did not remove the threat entirely.

Lastly, President Trump announced that Xi pledged to work “very hard to stop the flow” of fentanyl precursors to Central and South American drug cartels. Precisely what measures the Chinese intended to implement to stymie its lucrative illicit drug industry are unclear.

In exchange, Trump agreed to cut a 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods, imposed in response to the fentanyl trade, in half. This will effectively bring the overall tariff rate on Chinese exports from 57 percent to 47 percent. While the concessions made by Xi mark a degree of progress and cooling of trade tensions, markets appear to have already largely priced in the progress. By and large, market analysts see the summit outcome as a tactical pause, but expect U.S.-led global efforts to decouple from China to continue.

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5 hours ago
Crime
UK

Nearly 40,000 Inmates Released Early Amid Prison Overcrowding Crisis.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Nearly 40,000 inmates have been released early in England and Wales under a government scheme aimed at tackling prison overcrowding.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ), former Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and prison officials across England and Wales.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The scheme began in September 2024, with releases continuing through June 2025 across various prisons in England and Wales.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The criminal justice system was on the verge of collapse.” – Shabana Mahmood

🎯IMPACT: The scheme has temporarily alleviated overcrowding, but at the cost of public safety, and long-term prison capacity and operational challenges remain.

IN FULL

An estimated 40,000 prisoners across England and Wales have been released early under the Labour government’s emergency program, which it says is aimed at addressing prison overcrowding. According to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), 38,042 inmates were freed as of June 2025 after the program was launched on September 10, 2024. The program allows eligible prisoners to be released after serving just 40 percent of their sentence, instead of the usual 50 percent.

The initiative came as the prison population hit a record 88,521, with officials warning that male prisons could reach zero capacity by November 2025. His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Humber in Brough has released the highest number of inmates under the Labour government scheme (1,126), followed by Berwyn in Wrexham (1,064), Fosse Way in Leicester (1,037), and Parc B in Bridgend (830).

Then-Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood—currently the Home Secretary, roughly equivalent to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary—introduced legislation in September 2024 to address the crisis, stating, “The criminal justice system was on the verge of collapse.” However critics have noted that a lack of asylum accommodation has not stopped the government from allowing an ever-increasing number of boat migrants to lodge claims, with additional spaces for them always being funded at the taxpayers’ expense. Spending on migrant hotels alone is now more than the entire prison budget.

Notably, figures show that as of September 30, 2025, the prison population in England and Wales was 87,465, with 12.3 percent being foreign nationals. Prisons suffer serious operational issues related to foreign criminals, as highlighted by a recent incident where a migrant pedophile was mistakenly released instead of being transferred to an immigration detention center for deportation.

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6 hours ago
Corruption

FBI Accused of Targeting Whistleblowers with Probes.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent has alleged that the agency uses its internal review processes to retaliate against whistleblowers.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Valentine Fertitta, a former FBI special agent, and his wife Emily Fertitta, a former FBI employee, along with their attorney Matthew Crotty.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The events began in 2021 following Fertitta’s return from an overseas deployment and have continued through his ongoing clearance dispute.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is an agency that makes loyalty part and parcel to its core—and if you go against it by trying any of these internal processes—[they] are going to get back at you.” – Matthew Crotty

🎯IMPACT: The Fertitta family’s case highlights broader concerns about whistleblower protections within the FBI, with implications for national security and federal employment law.

IN FULL

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the former Biden government, has been accused of retaliating against whistleblowers by using its internal review processes to discourage complaints, according to former special agent Valentine Fertitta. Fertitta’s case began in 2021 after he returned from an overseas deployment with serious injuries, which limited his workplace productivity. A manager’s dissatisfaction with his reduced output led to Fertitta being blocked from a promotion, which he believed violated federal employment law.

Fertitta filed a whistleblower complaint after alleging that the FBI violated protections for injured employees and veterans. Shortly after, he received his first-ever negative performance review and faced additional challenges, including being asked to provide past, present, and future medical records, according to his wife, Emily Fertitta. The case escalated when Fertitta appealed to the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management (OARM), the FBI’s internal body for whistleblower retaliation claims. Within weeks, the FBI began evaluating his security clearance.

“The key thing is the timing,” said the Fertitta family’s attorney, Matthew Crotty. He continued: “Within two weeks of Val starting this OARM process, the FBI starts to investigate Val’s suitability to hold a top-secret security clearance.” Crotty explained that revoking a clearance is a way the FBI can effectively terminate an employee without formally firing them. During this process, Fertitta’s pay was suspended, and his wife, Emily, was pressured to testify against him without access to legal counsel. Emily Fertitta eventually resigned from the FBI.

The Fertitta family’s case is ongoing, with a pending civil lawsuit against the FBI. Crotty noted that the Supreme Court has granted the FBI broad authority over employee security clearances, leaving agents with little external recourse. “It doesn’t matter who’s in the White House. It’s a structural FBI thing. It’s been going on since Hoover,” Crotty stated. He added that Congress could address the issue by allowing FBI reservists to take retaliation claims to federal court.

According to records, the OARM has received 107 whistleblower complaints in the past decade, with only nine cases identified as retaliation. Emily Fertitta emphasized the broader implications of their struggle, saying, “This is much bigger than Val and Emily. It applies to so many other people who just don’t have the ability to speak up.”

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6 hours ago
Crime
News

Democrat Congressional Delegate, 88, Loses Thousands to Scammers.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An 88-year-old Democrat politician was scammed out of thousands of dollars in her home by scammers posing as HVAC workers.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the District of Columbia’s at-large district, and her house manager, Jacqueline Pelt, and the alleged scammers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred in Norton’s Washington, D.C. apartment last week.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Congresswoman Norton doesn’t have a caretaker. A longtime employee and friend serves as the house manager.” – Norton’s spokesman

🎯IMPACT: Norton’s credit card and driver’s license numbers may have been compromised, and the incident is under felony fraud investigation.

IN FULL

Eleanor Holmes Norton, the oldest member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a non-voting delegate from Washington, D.C., fell victim to a scam at her home last Thursday. Posing as HVAC workers, a group of people entered her apartment, charged her nearly $4,400 using her credit card, and left without performing any work. The fraud was discovered when Norton’s house manager, Jacqueline Pelt, reviewed security footage and called the police.

The police report revealed that Norton is in the “early stages of dementia” and has a caretaker with power of attorney, though her office disputes this claim. Norton’s spokesman insisted, “Congresswoman Norton doesn’t have a caretaker. A longtime employee and friend serves as the house manager, residing at a separate address.” The spokesman also said that Norton initially believed the visit was prearranged by her staff.

Authorities, including the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and U.S. Capitol Police, are investigating the incident as felony fraud. They noted that this was the third fraud attempt targeting Norton this year, though the first two were unsuccessful. No arrests have been made.

Norton, who has announced her intention to run for re-election despite her advanced age and visible frailty, has faced increasing scrutiny over her ability to serve. At public events, she has appeared unsteady, relying on aides for assistance. Some Democrat colleagues and former allies, such as Donna Brazile, have publicly urged Norton to retire, arguing that the district needs “a new champion to defend us.”

Despite these challenges, Norton has doubled down on her decision to remain in office, citing her seniority as a key asset. “I say that my seniority is what is very important, and I am not going to step aside,” she vowed in September.

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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8 hours ago
UK
World

Colonialism: London Politicians Neglect Duties to Run for Office in Bangladesh.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Local politicians in Britain’s capital are also running for office in their native Bangladesh, a move the British government says is unacceptable.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: London councilors Sabina Khan, Ohid Ahmed, and several others from London’s Tower Hamlets area.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Bangladesh’s national elections are expected in February of 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I don’t believe it is fair. Most of the time she is in Bangladesh. She should resign. We elected her to represent us, not Bangladesh.” – London resident Mohammed Hussein.

🎯IMPACT: If allowed, the move could lead to foreign national governments having direct power in British politics, approaching a form of colonialism.

IN FULL

Criticism is growing over East London councillors in England pursuing parliamentary seats in Bangladesh while serving their British constituents. Several officials in the Borough of Tower Hamlets municipal government have confirmed plans to seek nominations for the South Asian nation’s February 2026 election, the first since protests overthrew the former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, in August 2024.

Sabina Khan, a key figure on the council’s Overview and Scrutiny and Licensing Committees, is campaigning for the Bangladesh National Party (BNP). Elected for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leftist Labour Party in Mile End in 2022, she defected to the council’s ruling Aspire party, which only runs Bangladeshi candidates, last year. Council records show she has attended fewer than half of the required meetings since February, with social media posts indicating time spent promoting her bid in Bangladesh.

Mile End resident Mohammed Hussein voiced outrage to the local press: “I don’t believe it is fair. Most of the time she is in Bangladesh. She should resign. We elected her to represent us, not Bangladesh.”

Neighbor Zakir Hussain added: “I am not happy with my councillor. There are a lot of not happy people. Five or six months we have not seen her. Any problems [we have] she cannot answer.”

Independent councillor Ohid Ahmed, representing Lansbury ward in Poplar, is also vying for BNP candidacy. His online activity highlights Bangladesh’s economy, women’s education, and regional infrastructure issues like northeastern potholes. At least one other Tower Hamlets councillor shares similar ambitions.

Bangladesh’s top UK diplomat, Abida Islam, recently noted that “so much of London—especially east London—feels like Bangladesh.” Local governance under Aspire Mayor Lutfur Rahman, a Bangladesh native once removed from office for electoral fraud, has sparked controversy, including allowing Palestinian banners post-October 2023 while removing English flags.

A British Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman condemned the actions of the councillors: “This behaviour is unacceptable. We are clear that councillors must be able to effectively serve the constituents who elected them. All councillors must uphold the Nolan principles including integrity, objectivity, accountability.” In 2025, ministers were dispatched to monitor the council after a 2024 report decried distrust among parties and dominance by Rahman’s inner circle.

A council spokesman noted: “UK law does not automatically disqualify a person from being a councillor in Tower Hamlets solely because they are running for or hold an elected office in another country. The other country however may have laws that restrict dual mandates or foreign office-holding.”

Image by Peter Trimming.

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