❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is expected to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug on Thursday.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, federal health and law enforcement agencies, and lawmakers from both parties.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The reclassification is believed to be planned for Thursday, though the timing could shift.
💬KEY QUOTE: “A lot of people want to see it—the reclassification—because it leads to tremendous amounts of research that can’t be done unless you reclassify,” Trump said.
🎯IMPACT: The reclassification would ease federal restrictions and allow more research on marijuana’s medical uses, but it would not result in full legalization.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump is reportedly set to move marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III classification on Thursday, per reports. This change would loosen federal controls and open doors for expanded medical research on the substance, without leading to outright federal legalization.
On the campaign trail in 2024, Trump remarked that he would “focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana [as] a Schedule III drug.” The proposal has garnered support across party lines from legislators who highlight possible therapeutic advantages.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) describes Schedule I substances, including heroin, as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” In contrast, Schedule III drugs—like Tylenol with codeine, ketamine, and testosterone—are viewed as carrying “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
Specialists point out that the existing Schedule I status has restricted cannabis studies. Dr. Kevin Hill of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center observed that shifting schedules creates potential for broader research efforts, stressing that states and cannabis-related businesses should invest more in those studies. J
However, Professor Jonathan Caulkins at Carnegie Mellon University has voiced doubt over the likelihood of major new medical discoveries, saying, “It is hard to imagine that there are many wonderful medical benefits of cannabis waiting to be unlocked by this change because U.S. federal scheduling status, of course, has no impact on the ability to do such medical research in any other country. If there were such benefits, they could have been discovered by any of the other countries with a modern pharmaceutical research base.”
Although CNN reports the shift is slated for Thursday, journalist Kit Maher has quoted a senior White House official noting that “timing could always shift.”
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal investigators have reportedly uncovered a “massive underground fraud network” in Minneapolis linked to the anti-ICE movement.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and federal investigators.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Reported on February 3, 2026, concerning Minneapolis, Minnesota.
💬KEY QUOTE: “[I]t’s not just coincidence that these massive numbers of protesters and rioters and agitators show up at the same time, and they’re pushing back on what has been a profit center for fraudsters.” – Todd Blanche
🎯IMPACT: The investigation is ongoing, with an emphasis on tracing financial connections to the alleged fraud network.
IN FULL
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has stated that federal investigators suspect a “massive underground fraud network” is orchestrating efforts to expel U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from Minneapolis, Minnesota. “We had a massive fraud [scandal] going on all through Minneapolis, all through Minnesota, and suddenly it turned,” he said in an interview. “It turned almost on a dime, and it became suddenly all about ICE, all about getting ICE out, and how horrible ICE was doing.”
Blanche said the Department of Justice (DOJ) was making progress on tracing the funding linked to the network, although he cautioned this was “not something we’re going to do overnight.” He emphasized that “it’s not just coincidence that these massive numbers of protesters and rioters and agitators show up at the same time, and they’re pushing back on what has been a profit center for fraudsters.”
This all comes against a backdrop of heightened friction between ICE, state Democrats, and local agitators, worsened by recent deadly encounters involving federal immigration officers and anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis that intensified the demonstrations.
Federal officials are pressing forward with their examination of the purported fraud operation and what it might mean for immigration enforcement in the area, keeping the atmosphere charged despite efforts by Border Czar Tom Homan to cool the situation.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: French prosecutors raided the Paris office of Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) as part of an investigation into allegations including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Elon Musk, former X CEO Linda Yaccarino, French prosecutors, the British Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and British communications regulator Ofcom.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The raid occurred in France, with investigations ongoing since January 25. British regulators also launched probes into Musk’s AI tool, Grok.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The reports about Grok raise deeply troubling questions about how people’s personal data has been used to generate intimate or sexualised images without their knowledge or consent.” – William Malcolm, the ICO’s executive director for regulatory risk and innovation.
🎯IMPACT: The investigations could lead to significant legal and reputational consequences for X, with both French and British authorities scrutinizing the platform’s practices.
IN FULL
French authorities have raided the Paris offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X as part of a widening criminal investigation into alleged data and content-related offences, including unlawful data extraction and possible complicity in the possession or distribution of child pornography. The search was carried out by the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit, which said the probe began in January 2025 and initially focused on content promoted by X’s recommendation algorithms.
By mid-2025, investigators expanded the inquiry to include Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Grok. Prosecutors said they are examining potential crimes ranging from fraudulent data extraction by an organized group to violations of image rights through the creation of sexual deepfakes. Both Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to hearings scheduled for April.
In Britain, regulators have also turned their attention to Grok. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced it had opened an investigation into the AI tool over concerns about its “potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content.” The inquiry follows reports that Grok was allegedly used to generate sexual deepfakes, often using real images of women without their consent. X has not publicly responded to the French or British investigations.
The ICO said it is working alongside media regulator Ofcom to assess how personal data may have been processed by Grok. William Malcolm, the ICO’s executive director for regulatory risk and innovation, said, “The reports about Grok raise deeply troubling questions about how people’s personal data has been used to generate intimate or sexualised images without their knowledge or consent, and whether the necessary safeguards were put in place to prevent this.”
The actions in France and the United Kingdom come amid broader tensions between European authorities and X over regulation and free speech. European Union (EU) regulators have previously fined the platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA), prompting criticism from U.S. officials. Senior American figures, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have warned that European censorship efforts risk “encroaching on Americans’ free speech,” while the Trump administration has described European penalties against X as an assault on U.S. tech companies and their users.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—The National Pulse traveled with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Monday for an in-depth look at what has quietly become a priority for the Trump administration and the final frontier of American innovation.
In Cape Canaveral and Titusville, Florida, the Trump White House—through partnerships with some of the biggest names in the technology industry—is working to “Make Space Great Again,” with a revival of NASA and its mission capabilities, and a robust Space Force presence working with private industry on the development of commercial and national security space flight.
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The moves come after decades in which America took its eye off the ball on space matters.
Secretary Hegseth took to the road in what the Pentagon has dubbed “The Arsenal of Freedom Tour,” visiting key civilian and military installations on Florida’s Space Coast. The trip includes discussions with Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos. A key theme has been de-monopolizing the defense industry to deliver more for the U.S. military and taxpayers.
Image credit: Will Upton for The National Pulse
The Secretary has also used the tour to personally administer oath ceremonies for newly enlisted service members, swearing in 72 new U.S. military recruits at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum in Titusville.
Following the ceremony, Sec. Hegseth visited NASA’s Cape Canaveral facilities and took to the air in an F-5 supersonic light fighter, piloted by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. Sec. Hegseth—who also flew in an F/A-18 Super Hornet at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada last October—is the second Secretary to personally take to the skies, following Robert Gates.
Within a few square miles, major aerospace and national defense operations are underway, with SpaceX having two rocket launch facilities just down the road from NASA’s historic space flight center, where, possibly as early as February 8, the Artemis II mission will launch, carrying two U.S. and one Canadian astronaut in the first American moon mission in over 50 years.
While the Artemis II mission will only orbit the Earth’s lunar companion, Artemis III, slated for 2028, will see the boots of American astronauts once again walk on the moon’s surface—something that last happened in 1972.
Image credit: Will Upton for The National Pulse
The Space Coast revival is emblematic of this vision, with private-sector aerospace companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) having a significant presence—including employing thousands of Floridians and supporting hundreds of American companies.
Importantly, nearly every military service branch has a presence as well, with the U.S. Space Force serving as the area’s hub of command—including building out what will essentially become an air traffic control system, but for rocket launches by NASA, the Department of War, and around a half-dozen private-sector companies.
MAKING THE MILITARY GREAT AGAIN.
Senior Department of War officials stressed that the implications for the work occurring on Cape Canaveral and the surrounding area go beyond commercial and national security space flight, but will also impact the future of American hypersonic and interceptor missile technology.
Notably, this comes amid a broader push by the Trump administration to make defense procurement more efficient, cost-effective, and supportive of America’s most immediate military needs.
In January, President Donald J. Trump warned the most entrenched contractors in the defense industry that the days of cost overruns, stock buybacks, overly generous CEO pay, and—importantly—production delays are over. This new policy was heavily emphasized by Hegseth at the end of the tour stop, where he met with Bezos and addressed hundreds of the workers at Blue Origin’s sprawling rocket construction facility at Merritt Island.
“American strength has to partner with American manufacturing… If we unleash the American worker and American industry, we will outcompete. We will out-innovate. But institutions like the Pentagon have held us back for decades. With this Arsenal of Freedom Tour, we say: No more. We will unleash American space dominance,” Sec. Hegseth declared.
“I want the rest of the world to know that the U.S. Department of War is teamed up with the greatest companies in America,” he added.
The Secretary went on to praise the dedication of the Blue Origin workers, stating, “What you’re building, here at Merritt Island, is a core function of the Arsenal of Freedom.”
.@SECWAR “If we UNLEASH the American worker and American industry, WE WILL OUTCOMPETE. WE WILL OUT INNOVATE, but institutions like the Pentagon have held us back for DECADES.
Speaking with The National Pulse, a senior military official with the Pentagon’s procurement operation said the Trump administration’s approach is unlike anything done before, with a focus not just on speed and production quality, but also on the need for immediate battlefield application. Secretary Hegseth also stressed this point at Blue Origin, stating that the Department of War wants a defense industry that is focused on the here and now first and foremost, rather than projects that will take 15 years and never enter production.
A streamlined, efficient defense production base will be critical if the Trump administration intends to begin the initial phase of bringing the Golden Dome missile defense system online by 2028, which senior Pentagon officials say the President has set as the goal.
Still, concerns and roadblocks remain. The Pentagon hasn’t passed an audit in nearly a decade, and whether several young, upstart companies in the defense production sector can actually compete and produce at the level the Trump administration expects remains to be seen.
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—The National Pulse traveled with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Monday for an in-depth look at what has quietly become a priority for the Trump administration and the final frontier of American innovation.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) has appointed Stanley Richards, a former inmate at Rikers Island, as the city’s new Department of Correction commissioner.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Stanley Richards, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain, and the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA).
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📍WHEN & WHERE: Richards’ appointment was announced in New York City during a recent news conference.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Stanley will make history in this role as the first ever formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner. That achievement is not merely symbolic.” – Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
🎯IMPACT: Richards is the latest controversial appointment by Mamdani, who, as mayor, has sought to elevate a number of radical and far-left ideologues to key posts in New York City.
IN FULL
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) announced he is appointing former Rikers Island inmate Stanley Richards as the city’s new Department of Correction commissioner. Stanley served two and a half years on Rikers in the 1980s for robbery before finishing four and a half years of a nine-year prison sentence elsewhere. The appointment marks the first instance in New York City history of a former prisoner holding the position of commissioner, with Richards becoming the latest far-leftideologicalally of Mamdani to be elevated to a key city.
“Stanley will make history in this role as the first ever formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner,” Mayor Mamdani said during a news conference announcing the appointment. He added, “That achievement is not merely symbolic. It is a testament to the thought and leadership he will bring to every member of correction staff and incarcerated New Yorkers underneath his purview.”
Following his release from the New York prison system in 1991, Richards began working as a counselor with the Fortune Society, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and re-entry assistance for ex-convicts, eventually rising to become the group’s president and CEO. A staunch far-left “prison reform” activist, Richards advocates against incarceration policies he claims are punishment-oriented. “Under Mayor Mamdani’s leadership, we will chart a path of hope, healing, and transformation,” Richards stated at the press conference announcing his appointment, adding: “[Mamdani’s] administration made clear that the future of Rikers is not endless confinement, scapegoating or demonizing.”
Previously, Richards served a stint as the first deputy commissioner of programs and operations at the Department of Correction under former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, as well as the vice chairman of the Board of Correction’s Task Force to Close Rikers. However, the choice of Richards is already being viewed with caution by those whose jobs it is to ensure public safety and security at Rikers and other city prison facilities.
“Despite the many false narratives that have portrayed COBA as an ‘obstacle to reform,’ we have been ready, willing and able to meet and work with anyone, as long as they respect the rights of our Correction Officers and understand that their safety and security matter,” Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association (COBA), said in response to Mamdani’s decision tap Richards for Department of Correction commissioner, adding: “The jails cannot and will not operate as safely as possible if the concerns of our members are brushed aside. It is our hope that Mr. Richards understands that dynamic as he takes on this new role and demonstrates a commitment to putting safety and security before any political ideology.”
Notably, Richards will have only limited authority over Rikers Island, as the prison has been under federal oversight for the past 10 years. Last spring, U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain appointed Nicholas Deml, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer and Vermont Corrections Department chief, as a federal monitor to oversee Rikers, granting him much of the authority and duties previously held by the city-appointed commissioner.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, have agreed to testify in a House investigation into their ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bill and Hillary Clinton, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), and the House Oversight Committee.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The offer to testify was made late Monday night, with depositions to take place on mutually agreed-upon dates.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We don’t have anything in writing,” Rep. Comer said, but left the door open to reaching an agreement for them to testify, adding, “It depends on what they say.”
🎯IMPACT: While attorneys for Bill and Hillary Clinton say their clients will now comply with the Oversight Committee’s subpoenas, Chairman Comer stated he will not be dropping his push for criminal contempt of Congress charges for the time being.
IN FULL
Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, appear to have reversed course late Monday night and agreed to testify in a House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision comes after months of resisting in-person testimony regarding their alleged ties to Epstein and his visits to the Clinton White House.
The agreement, communicated through their attorneys, avoids—for now—a vote to hold the Clintons in criminal contempt of Congress. According to attorneys representing the former President and his wife, the couple now accepts Comer’s conditions and “will appear for depositions on mutually agreeable dates.” Still, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) says he will not drop his committee’s criminal contempt of Congress charges against the Clintons for their initial refusal to testify under subpoena. However, the House Rules Committee moved late Monday night to table the two contempt resolutions for the time being.
“We don’t have anything in writing,” Comer said, but left the door open to accepting the Clintons’ offer, noting that “it depends on what they say.” He stressed that the former President and his wife “don’t get to dictate the terms of lawful subpoenas.”
The National Pulse reported in late January that the House Oversight Committee, on a bipartisan vote, moved to adopt resolutions of criminal contempt of Congress against Bill and Hillary Clinton after months of negotiations over the conditions under which they would testify before the panel. Last month, both Bill and Hillary Clinton defied a congressional subpoena compelling them to testify before the House panel. The testimony was slated for January 13 and 14; however, an attorney representing the Clintons stated that neither would appear before the House panel and argued that the congressional subpoena is “legally unenforceable.”
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Biden-appointed judge blocked President Trump’s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 350,000 Haitian migrants, citing a novel interpretation of the law.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Ana Reyes, President Joe Biden, President Donald J. Trump, Haitian migrants, and pro-migration groups like FWD.us.
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📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued recently in Washington, D.C., affecting Haitian migrants residing across the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “This is lawless activism. Temporary means temporary and the final word will not be from an activist judge legislating from the bench.” – Tricia McLaughlin, DHS spokeswoman
🎯IMPACT: The ruling delays Trump’s efforts to enforce immigration laws, prolongs the stay of illegal migrants, and benefits employers seeking low-wage labor.
IN FULL
U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes, appointed by former President Joe Biden, has issued a ruling temporarily halting the Trump administration’s effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 350,000 Haitian nationals. Judge Reyes, a Harvard-educated Uruguayan immigrant, admitted that the TPS statute limits judicial review of the substantive decisions on country designations, but argued she could intervene regardless to examine whether the administrative process followed proper procedures.
However, in her 83-page opinion, Reyes asserted that the Department of Homeland Security’s termination decision, set to take effect on February 3, 2026, appeared to disregard evidence about conditions in Haiti, and alleged the decision may have been influenced by bias against non-white immigrants—clearly appearing to make a value judgment rather than taking issue with the administrative process.
She also claimed that many Haitians with TPS are well-integrated and skilled workers who will be reluctant to return to their own country due to Haiti’s governance challenges. “A stay is in the public interest… Haitian TPS holders substantially benefit the U.S. economy, contributing approximately $3.4 billion annually,” she insisted, appearing to substitute her own opinions for those of the elected President and his administration.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin sharply criticized the decision as “lawless activism,” stressing: “Haiti’s TPS was granted following an earthquake over 15 years ago. It was never intended to be a de facto amnesty program.”
Trump immigration advisor Stephen Miller also condemned the ruling, noting: “An unelected judge has just ruled that elections, laws, and borders don’t exist.”
The underlying lawsuit received support from the pro-immigration organization FWD.us, which was established by tech investors and business leaders advocating for policies that allow employers to exploit low-wage migrant labor at the expense of American workers.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: The president of the National Education Association (NEA) referred to former President Donald J. Trump as a “dictator” during a far-left activist call organized by the Sunrise Movement.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Becky Pringle, president of the NEA, and the Sunrise Movement, a far-left organization with ties to Antifa.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The comments were made during a Zoom event last week titled “Roadmap to Political Revolution.”
💬KEY QUOTE:“It is truly shocking that the head of the largest teachers union in the country, who is meant to represent the best interests of her members, would join in such a radical event—one that is openly calling to change the US political system, and to call for collective action and political activism.” – Mika Hackner, North American Values Institute
🎯IMPACT: Concerns have been raised about the NEA’s alignment with far-left activism and its influence on education and, by extension, American children, with critics questioning the organization’s federal charter.
IN FULL
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association (NEA), is facing criticism after referring to President Donald J. Trump as a “dictator” during a virtual activist call hosted by the Sunrise Movement. The event, titled “Roadmap to Political Revolution,” focused on opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), criticizing Trump, and promoting progressive congressional candidates.
During the call, Pringle said the NEA’s roughly three million members and thousands of affiliates would be mobilized to “advocate,” “litigate,” and “elect people” who align with the union’s political priorities. She accused the Trump administration of scapegoating immigrants and criticized ICE, saying the agency had caused “fear and trauma” in schools by allegedly targeting educators, students, and families.
The Sunrise Movement, which organized the event, is known for advocating policies such as the Green New Deal and other left-progressive policies. The group has drawn scrutiny from conservative organizations and lawmakers over reported links to Antifa-aligned activists. Antifa factions have been associated with riots, vandalism, and attacks on law enforcement and infrastructure during protests in multiple U.S. cities.
Critics have raised concerns about the NEA’s involvement in events hosted by radical groups. Mika Hackner of the North American Values Institute questioned the union’s leadership actions, saying, “It is truly shocking that the head of the largest teachers union in the country, who is meant to represent the best interests of her members, would join in such a radical event—one that is openly calling to change the US political system, and to call for collective action and political activism.” Previously, an NEA whistle-blower described the organization as a “cult,” alleging it prioritizes advancing far-left agenda items over addressing the practical needs of educators and students.
Under the Trump administration, federal authorities have taken several steps to monitor and investigate Antifa-linked activity. In 2025, the administration directed financial institutions to monitor transactions potentially tied to Antifa and other left-wing domestic terror groups. Later that year, Trump announced efforts to designate violent Antifa groups overseas as foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs). In December, Attorney General Pam Bondi instructed federal law enforcement agencies to begin probing Antifa-affiliated groups for potential tax crimes and domestic terrorism offenses.
❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced a trade deal with India that includes reduced tariffs and increased U.S. exports.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced Monday following a call between the two leaders.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%.” – Donald Trump
🎯IMPACT: India will reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers to zero, increase purchases of American goods, and stop purchasing Russian oil.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump said on Monday that the United States has struck a new trade agreement with India, following a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a posting on Truth Social, Trump said the pact calls for Washington to reduce its “Reciprocal Tariff” on Indian goods from 25 percent to 18 percent and that India “will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO.” Trump added that Modi agreed to significantly increase purchases of U.S. products, including more than “$500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products.” He described the relationship between the two leaders as strong, saying they “GET THINGS DONE.”
Trump also said Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. “We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine,” he wrote. “He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!”
The announcement comes after more than a year of strained trade relations between Washington and New Delhi. In August 2025, the Trump administration imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian exports and signaled plans to double it to 50 percent, linking the levies to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and citing concerns about the war in Ukraine and trade imbalances. Industry groups warned that steep U.S. tariffs were weighing on Indian exporters in key sectors such as textiles and leather and could slow India’s manufacturing growth, with credit ratings agencies flagging the potential economic impact.
In early 2026, Trump backed legislation that would allow punitive tariffs of up to 500 percent on countries continuing to import Russian oil, with India among the nations specifically mentioned by lawmakers as potentially subject to such duties.
India’s trade landscape has already shifted in response to U.S. pressure, with New Delhi scaling back Russian oil imports and exploring alternative suppliers.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: Iran’s leadership is reportedly concerned that U.S. strikes could embolden protesters and break their regime’s hold on the country following a bloody crackdown on anti-regime demonstrations.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iranian officials, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, and opposition figures like Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Over recent days in Iran, amid ongoing tensions with the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “If America attacks, I will go back to the streets to take revenge for my son and the children this regime killed,” said one Tehran resident.
🎯IMPACT: Rising public anger and potential for renewed protests could destabilize the Iranian regime, particularly under external pressure.
IN FULL
Iranian officials have privately warned Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that public anger following the regime’s violent crackdown on protests has reached a dangerous tipping point, according to people familiar with the discussions. The officials cautioned that fear is no longer restraining many Iranians and that U.S. military strikes eroding the regime’s hard power could reignite mass demonstrations.
One former official said, “The wall of fear has collapsed. There is no fear left,” adding that external pressure could embolden citizens to return to the streets. The warnings come amid sharply rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, including the deployment of additional U.S. military forces to the region, which has increased speculation about possible American intervention.
Prominent opposition figures have also issued stark warnings. Former prime minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi said, “The river of warm blood that was spilled on the cold month of January will not stop boiling until it changes the course of history.” Former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi blamed decades of failed domestic and foreign policies under Khamenei, 86, for the current crisis, arguing that the Islamist system itself is now at risk of collapse.
Accounts from ordinary Iranians reflect similar anger. A Tehran resident whose son was killed during the protests said, “If America attacks, I will go back to the streets to take revenge for my son and the children this regime killed.” Human rights groups estimate that thousands were killed or injured during the unrest, with security forces accused of using live ammunition and mass arrests to crush demonstrations.
Grand Ayatollah Khamenei has publicly dismissed the protests as “sedition” engineered by the United States and “Zionists.” In a recent speech, he compared Iranian protesters to Islamic State militants, accusing them of committing atrocities similar to those carried out by the Sunni extremist group.
The United States recently imposed new sanctions on Iranian officials accused of orchestrating the violent suppression of protests. President Donald J. Trump has warned that Iran would be “wiped off the face of the earth” if he were assassinated, while also saying Tehran wants a deal. The European Union (EU) has also formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, a move taken as U.S. carrier strike groups arrive in the Middle East for possible intervention.
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❓WHAT HAPPENED: National median rent has fallen to its lowest level since 2022, with rents posting their sixth straight monthly decline in January, down 6.2 percent from their peak under the Biden government.
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👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, renters across the U.S., and real estate market analysts.
📍WHEN & WHERE: January 2026, across major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, and more.
💬KEY QUOTE: “2026 is shaping up to be one of the more renter-friendly periods we’ve seen in a decade,” said luxury real estate broker Michelle Griffith.
🎯IMPACT: Renters across the country are experiencing relief as housing costs decline, while President Trump continues to focus on long-term affordability and homeownership solutions.
IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump is delivering measurable relief to Americans facing high housing costs, with new data showing the national median rent has fallen to its lowest level since 2022. Rents declined for the sixth consecutive month in January, marking the steepest year-over-year drop in more than two years, down 6.2 percent from their peak under the Biden government.
“2026 is shaping up to be one of the more renter-friendly periods we’ve seen in a decade,” said luxury real estate broker Michelle Griffith, pointing to broad-based declines across the country. Major metro areas, including Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh, are reporting notable reductions in rental prices. In Los Angeles, rents have fallen to a four-year low, while Denver renters are seeing the most affordable prices in at least nine years, according to market data.
These gains for renters come amid a broader affordability push under President Trump, as Americans benefit from multi-year-low gas prices, easing mortgage rates, tax refunds, and rising wages. The White House credits stronger immigration enforcement as one factor easing pressure on housing demand, boosting wages for American workers, and improving overall affordability, as reduced competition for housing has helped stabilize prices while strengthening labor markets.
At the same time, President Trump has taken direct aim at large corporate investors, making clear that “homes are for people, not corporations.” His administration has advanced reforms designed to curb Wall Street’s dominance in the housing market and ensure families, not institutional buyers, are renting and owning homes.
Beyond housing, the administration’s affordability agenda has extended to other household costs, including aggressive action to lower prescription drug prices, further reducing financial strain for working families and seniors.
President Trump has made clear that restoring the American Dream of homeownership, not merely lower rents, remains a central goal of his administration. “Homes are built for people, not for corporations, and America will not become a nation of renters,” he said last month.
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