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2 hours ago
Podcast

Hakeem Jeffries Finally Backs Zohran Mamdani in NYC Mayoral Race.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries belatedly endorsed far-left Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor after months of delay, just one day before early voting begins.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hakeem Jeffries, Zohran Mamdani, and Democrat leaders.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The endorsement was announced on Friday, ahead of the November 4 elections in New York City.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy.” – Hakeem Jeffries

🎯IMPACT: Jeffries’s endorsement may add some further momentum to Mamdani’s campaign, though its lateness highlights divisions within the Democratic Party over Mamdani’s far-left politics.

IN FULL

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced his endorsement of Zohran Mamdani, the Democrats’ far-left candidate for New York City mayor, on Friday, ending a prolonged delay until the day before early voting begins. The endorsement follows months of pressure from progressives and repeated questions from reporters about Jeffries’s reluctance to support Mamdani, an avowed Democratic Socialist with a history of extreme policy positions, including abolishing prisons and imposing higher taxes on “whiter” neighborhoods.

“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” Jeffries said in a statement. “In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”

Mamdani secured a convincing primary victory in June, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) in what was seen as a major upset. Current polls show the Ugandan immigrant maintains a nearly 20-point lead over Cumo, who is now running as an Independent. Republican candidate Curtis Silwa polls in a distant third place.

Jefferies has largely avoided discussing Mamdani’s candidacy until now, only offering brief concerns about his past rhetoric on Israel and anti-Semitism and his ability to address gentrification in black communities. The endorsement process reportedly included two in-person meetings in Brooklyn, with race activist Al Sharpton mediating between the two camps.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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46 minutes ago
Economy
World

Canadian Province Withdraws Anti-Tariff Ads Following Trump Trade Ultimatum.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The provincial government of Ontario, Canada, has decided to pause its anti-tariff ad campaign targeting the U.S. following criticism from President Donald J. Trump.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ontario Premier Doug Ford, President Trump, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Friday, with the pause taking effect on Monday. The ad aired in the U.S. during World Series games.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada are now stalled, with Ontario’s ad campaign drawing criticism for its use of selectively edited remarks by the late President Ronald Reagan to undermine President Trump’s tariff policies.

IN FULL

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s second attempt at meddling in U.S.-Canadian talks lasted less than 24 hours. After launching a media campaign attacking U.S. President Donald J. Trump‘s tariff polices, featuring an ad using out-of-context audio from a speech delivered by the late President Ronald Reagan, Ford agreed to pull the television spot on Friday afternoon.

The misleading media campaign drew swift criticism from President Trump overnight, with the America First leader announcing he was breaking off trade talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as a result. Notably, the Ronald Reagan Foundation, which controls the rights to the audio, condemned the ad, threatening legal action against the Ontario government for its use without permission.

Late Friday, Ford announced that the campaign will be paused on Monday to allow trade negotiations to resume. However, he also confirmed that the ad would continue to air over the weekend during the first two World Series games. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, called the ad “FAKE” and accused Ontario of interfering with U.S. policy decisions. He stated, “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”

The ad in question used Reagan’s voice to argue against tariffs, with lines such as “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars.” However, Reagan did deploy tariffs at times to protect American workers and advance American trade interests, for instance by imposing a 100 percent tariff on Japanese electronics.

White House spokesman Kush Desai condemned Ontario’s campaign, calling it misleading and a distraction from serious trade discussions. “Ontario’s taxpayer-funded ad campaign on American TV networks—that misleadingly edited President Reagan’s 1987 radio address about trade—is the latest example of how Canadian officials would rather play games than engage with the administration,” Desai said in a statement.

This past March, Ford was forced to abandon his first attempt to derail trade talks, the imposition of an electricity tariff on the U.S., in less than 24 hours as well.

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1 hour ago
Jack Montgomery
News
Politics

Mamdani: My Aunt Was 9/11’s REAL Victim Because She Couldn’t Wear Her Hijab on the Subway.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Democrat New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani held back tears in a speech on “Islamophobia” on Friday, commemorating his aunt, who “did not feel safe in her hijab” on the subway after jihadists murdered 2,977 people.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani and rival candidates Andrew Cuomo (I) and  Curtis Sliwa (R).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Statements made on Friday, October 27, 2023, in the Bronx, New York, one day before early voting begins for the November 4 mayoral election.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I want to speak to the memory of my aunt, who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.” – Zohran Mamdani

🎯IMPACT: The remarks have heightened scrutiny of Mamdani, who follows the extremist Twelver sect of Shia Islam and will become New York City’s first Muslim mayor if elected.

IN FULL

Zohran Mamdani, the far-left, anti-white Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, addressed what he called “racist, baseless” attacks against him on Friday, linking these criticisms to a broader culture of “Islamophobia.” Speaking outside a mosque in the Bronx, he also paid tribute to “the memory” of an aunt of his and suggested she was the real victim of the September 11, 2001, radical Islamic terror attack on the city, as she did not feel comfortable wearing her Islamic headscarf on the subway afterwards.

“I thought that if I behaved well enough or bit my tongue enough in the face of racist, baseless attacks… it would allow me to be more than just my faith,” said Mamdani, who follows the extremist Twelver sect of Shia Islam and believes a 1,200-year-old final prophet is living in hiding somewhere, waiting for a time when he will preach Islam to world.

“I was wrong. No amount of redirection is ever enough,” he said, referring to Republican rival Curtis Sliwa alleging he supports a “global jihad,” and independent rival and former state governor Andrew Cuomo appearing to agree with a radio host who suggested Mamdani would be “cheering” if “another 9/11” happened.

Referring to 9/11, Mamdani, choking back tears, said, “I want to use this moment to speak to the Muslims of New York City; I want to speak to the memory of my aunt who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.”

The bulk of the 2,977 people murdered by radical Islamic terrorists on 9/11 were killed in New York City, with many observers suggesting that Mamdani’s focus on his aunt’s comparatively minor hardship suggests he is out of touch. A Ugandan immigrant, Mamdani only became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018.

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3 hours ago
Jack Montgomery
News

Ken Paxton Just Made a Doctor Who Transitioned Kids Surrender Her Medical License.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Dr. May Lau surrendered her Texas medical license after being sued by Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) for prescribing dangerous drugs to minors.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dr. May Lau and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

📍WHEN & WHERE: October 24, 2025, in Austin, Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Doctors who permanently hurt kids by giving them experimental drugs are nothing more than disturbed left-wing activists who have no business being in the medical field.” – Ken Paxton

🎯IMPACT: Lau is permanently barred from practicing medicine on minors in Texas, with ongoing legal proceedings against her.

IN FULL

May Lau, a doctor subject to a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) for administering “gender transition” drugs to children, has surrendered her medical license. Previously, a so-called Rule 11 agreement ensured that Lau ceased practicing medicine while the case was ongoing. Now, a press release published by Paxton’s office has confirmed that she is permanently barred from “experimenting on children in Texas” from now on.

“Doctors who permanently hurt kids by giving them experimental drugs are nothing more than disturbed left-wing activists who have no business being in the medical field,” Paxton said. “May Lau has done untold damage to children, both physically and psychologically, and the surrendering of her Texas medical license is a major victory for our state. My case against her for breaking the law will continue, and we will not relent in holding anyone who tries to ‘transition’ kids accountable.”

The legal proceedings against Lau continue as she faces accusations of violating state law by administering cross-sex hormones to minors illegally.

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3 hours ago
War

Trump Deploys Carrier to Caribbean to Support Anti-Cartel Strikes.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Pentagon on Friday announced the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and its Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in support of military operations against drug cartels in the Caribbean.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell, U.S. military forces, and Central and South American cartels.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The deployment was announced on Friday as part of ongoing U.S. anti-drug cartel operations.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In support of the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland, the Secretary of War has directed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and embarked carrier air wing to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR).” – Sean Parnell

🎯IMPACT: The United States has executed a significant buildup of military assets in the Caribbean, with more than 6,000 sailors and Marines on eight warships currently in the region.

IN FULL

The Pentagon on Friday announced the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and its Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility. This will provide support for military operations against drug cartels in the Caribbean. Currently, the Ford—the world’s largest aircraft carrier and the largest warship ever constructed—is in port in Split, Croatia. Previously, the strike group had been deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in support of U.S. military operations in the Middle East.

“In support of the President’s directive to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and counter narco-terrorism in defense of the Homeland, the Secretary of War has directed the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and embarked carrier air wing to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR),” the Pentagon’s Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs, Sean Parnell, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He added: “The enhanced U.S. force presence in the USSOUTHCOM AOR will bolster U.S. capacity to detect, monitor, and disrupt illicit actors and activities that compromise the safety and prosperity of the United States homeland and our security in the Western Hemisphere. These forces will enhance and augment existing capabilities to disrupt narcotics trafficking and degrade and dismantle TCOs.”

The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and its Carrier Strike Group to the Caribbean comes as President Donald J. Trump continues efforts to disrupt and destroy Central and South American cartel operations in the region. Earlier on Friday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced military forces had conducted another strike on a suspected drug smuggling vessel in the Caribbean, describing the operation as a “lethal kinetic strike” against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. U.S. forces have also begun to strike targets in the Pacific Ocean, near Marxist-led Colombia.

In recent weeks, the United States has executed a significant buildup of military assets in the Caribbean, with more than 6,000 sailors and Marines on eight warships currently in the region. The addition of the Ford and its strike group would increase the Navy’s manpower by over 10,000, with a significant increase in the Air Force’s presence as well.

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
Politics

The New York Knicks Really Want to Make It Clear They Didn’t Endorse Mamdani.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The New York Knicks issued a cease-and-desist letter to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D) over his unauthorized use of the team’s logo in a campaign ad.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The New York Knicks, Zohran Mamdani, Mayor Eric Adams, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred during the Knicks’ season opener in New York City, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.” – Knicks spokesman

🎯IMPACT: Continued misteps by Mamdani’s campaign, as with its Knicks logo use, could leave undecided voters seeing the far-left New York Assemblyman as too inexperienced to serve as mayor.

IN FULL

The New York Knicks have sent a cease-and-desist letter to Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after his campaign used a modified version of the team’s logo in a political ad. The ad, aired during the Knicks’ season opener, replaced the word “Knicks” with “Zohran” in the iconic orange and blue logo.

The team’s legal representatives argued that the ad could “mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks.” A spokesman for the Knicks stated, “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.”

While polling shows Mamdani, a Ugandan Muslim immigrant, leading Andrew Cuomo, the former state governor, heading into the final weeks of the campaign, continued misteps, as with the Knicks logo use, could leave undecided voters seeing the 34-year-old New York Assemblyman as too inexperienced to lead the city. In another inexplicable campaign flub in June, Mamdani’s proposal for city government-owned grocery stores fell apart after it was revealed that he didn’t understand the city budget. Among the errors was Mamdani’s confusing private investment with public investment and not understanding the budgetary impacts of  “waived tax revenue” rather than “expenditure.”

The National Pulse reported earlier this week that Mamdani shared a photo on social media last Saturday in which he appears with radical Islamist Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In the post, Mamdani, who follows the extreme Twelver sect of Shia Islam, praised Wahhaj as one of America’s foremost Muslim religious scholars and a pillar of the local community.

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5 hours ago
News
UK

Pedo Migrant Whose Crimes Sparked Riots on the Run After ‘Accidental’ Prison Release.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An Ethiopian asylum seeker convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl was released from prison, supposedly accidentally.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old Ethiopian, and Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Kebatu was released from His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Chelmsford in Essex after being jailed in September.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Epping hotel migrant sex attacker has been accidentally freed rather than deported. He is now walking the streets of Essex. Britain is broken.” – Nigel Farage

🎯IMPACT: A major manhunt is underway to locate Kebatu, who was supposed to be deported.

IN FULL

An Ethiopian migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a case that sparked nationwide protests and riots in Britain, has been released from prison, supposedly by accident, prompting a nationwide manhunt and renewed scrutiny of the United Kingdom’s inept immigration and justice officials.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was sentenced to just 12 months in prison in September for the assaults, which occurred while he was staying at a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, Essex. He was meant to be transferred from His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Chelmsford to an immigration detention centre for deportation following early release, but was let loose among the public “accidentally.” Police have launched a major search to locate him, with officers urging the public to report any sightings.

British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who also serves as Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, is reportedly furious over the incident. According to a government source, Lammy has “ordered an investigation” into how the release happened. The British Home Office and Ministry of Justice are also said to be reviewing procedures around the handling of foreign criminals awaiting deportation.

The case comes amid growing public anger over crime linked to asylum seekers and failures within the British immigration system. Earlier this year, protests erupted outside hotels used to house migrants following several high-profile incidents, including Kebatu’s initial arrest. In July, police in Essex ran over an anti-immigration protester during a demonstration sparked by outrage over the sex attack. The footage of the collision circulated widely on social media, fuelling further unrest.

In early August, the Metropolitan Police issued a 28-day protest ban after a group of mothers and children demonstrated outside a London hotel repurposed as asylum accommodation. Officers claimed the group’s behaviour “went well beyond protest to harassment.” A few weeks later, authorities prepared for what they described as the largest wave of anti-migration demonstrations in years, with more than 3,000 riot officers placed on standby across England and Wales.

The political fallout has been swift. Nigel Farage’s Reform Party has pledged to close down all migrant hotels if elected. Farage said his party would seek to end what he called “the migrant hotel racket” and enforce mass deportations of those in Britain illegally.

On Ketabu specifically, Farage commented, “The Epping hotel migrant sex attacker has been accidentally freed rather than deported. He is now walking the streets of Essex. Britain is broken.”

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5 hours ago
News
War

Hecklers Brand Kamala a ‘War Criminal,’ ‘Genocide Enabler’ at London Book Tour Event.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Failed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris faced protests during her book tour stop in London, England, with three separate interruptions from pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Former Vice President Kamala Harris, protesters, and audience members at the Southbank Centre event.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The evening of October 23 at the Southbank Centre in London, England.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Kamala Harris not welcome here!” – Pro-Palestinian protesters.

🎯IMPACT: The protests highlight Harris’s lack of popularity among leftist activists, tied to the Biden-Harris government’s actions during the Israel-Hamas war.

IN FULL

Former Vice President and failed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was interrupted several times by protesters during her book tour event in London, England. Within minutes of taking the stage at the Southbank Centre to promote her memoir 107 Days, three separate demonstrators heckled her over the conflict in Gaza. Outside the venue, protesters gathered with Palestinian flags and a banner reading “genocide enablers are war criminals,” chanting “Kamala Harris not welcome here!”

“I understand the passion and the emotion and the feeling based on everything that has happened in Gaza,” Harris said, reflecting on her time in the Biden regime and suggesting that her team could have taken alternative actions. “As I write in the book, we had levers we did not exercise,” she admits.

The protests reflect broader discontent with Harris’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict during her vice presidency. Many pro-Palestinian groups criticized the administration for continuing arms sales to Israel, and some withdrew support during the 2024 election campaign. These tensions have followed her on the 107 Days book tour, where she has faced similar protests in New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

In conversation with author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Harris discussed her brief 2024 presidential campaign following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race in August that year after a disastrous debate against President Donald J. Trump. “We did not have enough time even with 107 days,” she claimed, referring to the three-and-a-half-month campaign chronicled in her memoir.

Harris’s global book tour, organized by Simon & Schuster, runs through November 20. It will visit 15 cities across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The tour has drawn mixed reactions, with some events reportedly underselling tickets and others drawing crowds of both election-denying supporters and critics.

Though Harris recently ruled out a run for California governor in 2026, she has not confirmed whether she will seek the presidency again in 2028.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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6 hours ago
Lawfare

Trump Faces Lawsuit Over White House Ballroom.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Virginia couple filed a lawsuit to stop the demolition of the White House East Wing as part of President Donald J. Trump’s $300 million plan to build a new ballroom and modernize the structure.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Plaintiffs Charles and Judith Voorhees, President Trump, and National Park Service Director Jessica Brown.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on October 23, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: While a court date has not yet been set, the lawsuit is unlikely to advance much further. The initial filing does not actually include a formal complaint, and at least one of the laws cited as grounds for the temporary restraining order has specific and clear exemptions for the White House, the Supreme Court, and the U.S Capitol.

IN FULL

Virginia couple Charles and Judith Voorhees filed an emergency motion in federal court on October 23 to halt the demolition of the White House complex’s East Wing outbuilding, part of President Donald J. Trump‘s $300 million plan to build a new ballroom on the executive grounds for state events. In the filing, the Voorhees allege the demolition and planned ballroom violate multiple federal preservation and planning laws.

The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration bypassed laws meant to protect national landmarks and ensure public transparency. The filing requests a temporary restraining order “to halt defendants’ destruction of the East Wing of the White House… without legally required approvals or reviews,” according to the plaintiffs’ application for injunctive relief. Attorney Mark R. Denicore, representing the Voorheeses, stated, “I threw that together as fast as I could to try to get it filed as fast as I could.”

While a court date has not yet been set, the lawsuit is unlikely to advance much further. The initial filing doesn’t actually include a formal complaint, and at least one of the laws cited as grounds for the temporary restraining order has specific and clear exemptions for the White House, the Supreme Court, and the U.S Capitol.

The East Wing, historically home to first ladies’ offices and ceremonial events, has already been partially demolished as part of Trump’s proposal to construct a ballroom for official events with large attendance, like state dinners. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration had made clear that the East Wing—a largely 1940s construction entirely separate from the iconic White House Executive Residence—would need to be “modernized” and noted that “plans changed” after consulting with architects and construction firms.

The planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom will replace the “small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing” with a larger facility capable of hosting 650 guests, according to a White House press release. The project will be funded by President Trump and other private donors.

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7 hours ago
Crime
World

Chinese Cartel Money Man Extradited to U.S. from Cuba Following Escape from Mexico.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Chinese citizen accused of trafficking fentanyl has been extradited from Cuba to the United States after escaping from Mexican custody in July.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zhi Dong Zhang, also known as “Brother Wang,” along with the governments of the United States, Mexico, and Cuba.

📍WHEN & WHERE: This development occurred following Zhang’s escape from house arrest in Mexico in July.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A major international money laundering operator,” said Mexico’s Security Secretary, Omar Garcia Harfuch, about Zhang.

🎯IMPACT: The extradition is part of efforts to curb drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl, amid pressure from the Trump administration.

IN FULL

Cartel money launderer and facilitator Zhi Dong Zhang, known as “Brother Wang,” has been extradited from Cuba to the United States, following his escape from house arrest in Mexico in July. This was confirmed by the Mexican government, which played a role in securing the transfer.

Zhang is alleged to have collaborated with Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation drug cartels, both labeled as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by U.S. President Donald J. Trump earlier this year. His extradition came after a formal request, according to the Cuban government, although it remains unclear whether he was transferred via Mexico or directly from Cuba.

Omar Garcia Harfuch, Mexico’s Security Secretary, described Zhang as “a major international money laundering operator” last year. Zhang was reportedly responsible for establishing connections with other cartels to facilitate the transfer of fentanyl from China to various regions, including Central America, South America, Europe, and the United States.

Since President Trump returned to the White House in January, there has been increased pressure on Mexico and China to crack down on drug trafficking, especially concerning fentanyl. The synthetic opioid is significantly more potent than heroin and has become a leading cause of overdoses in the United States, replacing heroin and prescription opioids like oxycodone.

Since late September, the U.S. military has also conducted a number of military strikes against cartel drug boats operating in the Caribbean and the Pacific. On October 2, Trump formally notified Congress that the United States is now engaged in an official “armed conflict” with South and Central American drug cartels.

Image via Omar H Garcia Harfuch.

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7 hours ago
Health
Politics

Federal Judge Overturns Biden-Era Expansion of Title IX Protections to Include ‘Gender Identity.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge struck down a Joe Biden-era rule that expanded anti-discrimination measures to transgender healthcare, stating that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) exceeded its authority.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Louis Guirola Jr., a coalition of 15 Republican-led states, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling came from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi and follows a lawsuit filed by 15 states.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This decision restores not just common sense but also constitutional limits on federal overreach,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling vacates the rule universally, reinforcing states’ rights to regulate healthcare without federal overreach.

IN FULL

A federal judge has ruled against a former Biden government policy that expanded anti-discrimination protections to include gender identity in healthcare. Judge Louis Guirola Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi declared that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “exceeded its authority” in redefining sex discrimination under Title IX to include gender identity.

The legal challenge was brought by a coalition of 15 Republican-led states, including Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and others. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) praised the ruling, stating, “When Biden-era bureaucrats tried to illegally rewrite our laws to force radical gender ideology into every corner of American healthcare, Tennessee stood strong and stopped them.”

Skrmetti’s office highlighted that the rule would have mandated healthcare providers to offer gender dysphoria treatments, prohibited sex-segregated spaces, and required states to subsidize such treatments through Medicaid. The court determined that Congress’s original intent in 1972’s Title IX referred to biological sex, not gender identity. It stressed that federal agencies cannot unilaterally rewrite laws to advance political agendas.

The rule was originally introduced under the Obama administration in 2016, reversed by the Trump administration, and later reinstated by the Biden government. However, the policy had already been stayed since July 2024, preventing it from taking effect. Judge Guirola’s ruling now vacates the rule entirely.

“This decision restores not just common sense but also constitutional limits on federal overreach, and I am proud of the team of excellent attorneys who fought this through to the finish,” Skrmetti added.

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