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Friday, January 30, 2026

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1 hour ago
Immigration
News

Far-Left Mayor Orders City Police to ‘Investigate’ ICE.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Mayor Katie Wilson (D) announced sweeping measures targeting federal law enforcement in Seattle, Washington, including prohibiting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using city-owned property and allocating $4 million in taxpayer funds to support illegal immigrants.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes, and federal law enforcement.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made this week in Seattle, Washington.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Whoever you are, and wherever you come from: if Seattle is your home, then this is your city.” – Mayor Katie Wilson.

🎯IMPACT: Wilson’s measures aim to thwart the enforcement of federal immigration law in Seattle, despite no current evidence of a particular increase in ICE activity in the city.

IN FULL

Far-left Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson (D) announced a set of new measures on Thursday designed to disrupt federal immigration enforcement activities within the city, even as officials acknowledged there is no evidence of particularly increased activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in Washington.

The plan includes allocating $4 million in city funds to provide legal and financial assistance to illegal immigrants, prohibiting ICE from using city-owned property for civil immigration enforcement, and directing the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to “investigate, verify and document ICE activity.” City departments will also conduct privacy reviews to restrict data-sharing, update employee training, and post signage on municipal properties designating certain areas as private spaces.

Wilson said the actions are meant to be preventative. “Whoever you are, and wherever you come from: if Seattle is your home, then this is your city,” she said. “And it’s our responsibility as city leaders to move quickly and get organized so we can keep people safe. That is why I am taking immediate steps today to bar federal agents from using city property for federal civil immigration enforcement activity, update SPD protocols, and support trusted community partners to aid the community response, which is our most powerful tool.”

The mayor also announced the creation of a “Stand Together Seattle Initiative” to encourage private property owners to restrict ICE access to their premises. Despite acknowledging that there is no current surge in federal immigration enforcement, Wilson and other city officials described the measures as necessary to prepare for potential future actions by the federal authorities.

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said SPD officers will not participate in immigration enforcement and will comply with the mayor’s directives to document federal activity when notified. “The City of Seattle is a welcoming city, and my officers will continue to abide by all laws and regulations that prohibit our participation in immigration enforcement,” Barnes said. “While we have no authority over federal agents or federal policies, we will document incidents if and when notified.”

Wilson, who took office earlier this year and has identified as a socialist, has faced several controversies during her short tenure. Earlier this month, city ethics officials fined her campaign for failing to disclose more than $10,000 in donations from her parents. She has also drawn criticism for suggesting she would have citizen journalists covering Somali fraud charged with hate crimes, and for directing police in Seattle not to arrest certain drug criminals.

Image by nathantain.

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3 minutes ago
Politics

Senate Finally Set to Advance Trump-Backed Funding Package, Too Late to Avert Temporary Shutdown.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senate Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement to advance the government appropriations package, despite resistance from both sides of the aisle.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), President Donald J. Trump, and members of Congress.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The deal was struck on Friday, with a final Senate vote expected late Friday evening, as the government funding deadline looms at midnight.

🎯IMPACT: The agreement virtually ensures passage in the Senate but does not prevent a partial government shutdown over the weekend since it will take several days for the House to return to Washington, D.C.

IN FULL

The Senate cleared a key procedural hurdle late Friday afternoon, advancing a government appropriations package despite resistance from both sides of the partisan aisle. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has scheduled a final vote on the appropriations deal, initially struck late Thursday, for Friday evening after Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dropped his hold on the combined government funding bills.

Called a minibus, the legislative package includes appropriations for five federal government departments but excludes funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a key demand of Senate Democrats seeking to defund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Instead, the chamber will vote on a two-week continuing resolution (CR) for DHS, setting up another funding fight in February.

President Donald J. Trump engaged in direct negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Republicans to reach the deal, which will avoid a prolonged government shutdown. Still, even with the Senate likely adopting the minibus and CR for DHS later Friday evening, the federal government will experience a brief funding lapse over the weekend as it will take several days for members of the House of Representatives to return to Washington, D.C. and approve the package.

The National Pulse reported earlier on Friday that an attempt to pass the funding deal fell apart late Thursday evening after Sen. Graham objected to procedural motions that would have expedited its passage. Graham expressed his dissatisfaction with the deal, stating, “This is a bad deal,” as he entered Thune’s office late Thursday evening. However, by Friday afternoon, the South Carolina Republican had dropped his opposition.

Image by Ron Cogswell.

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By Popular Demand.
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27 minutes ago
News

After Taunting Trump, It Turns Out Elon’s the One in the Newest Epstein Files.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Elon Musk’s emails to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein about visiting his island have been revealed in newly released government files.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Elon Musk, Jeffrey Epstein, Talulah Riley, Donald Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Communications took place in November 2012 and December 2013; Epstein’s island.

💬KEY QUOTE: “What day/night will be the wildest party on =our [sic] island?” – Elon Musk

🎯IMPACT: The revelations raise questions about his connections to Epstein, which he has previously denied.

IN FULL

Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX, and Tesla, has been shown in the newly-released Epstein Files to have had a number of friendly exchanges with the late pedophile financier. Emails show Musk expressing a strong interest in visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island, known as a notorious hub for his abuse.

In one November 25, 2012, email, Musk replies to a question from Epstein about how many people he planned to bring to the island, writing: “Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on =our [sic] island?” At that time, Musk was married to British actress Talulah Riley.

A December 2013 email shows Musk asking about visiting the island over the holidays. Epstein responded: “always space for you.” However, Epstein later had to cancel on the tech mogul due to a scheduling conflict, writing, “Bad news- Unfortunately, my schedule will keep me in New York. I was really looking forward to finally spending some time together with just fun as the agenda. so i am very disappointed. Hopefully we can schedule another time in the near future.”

Notably, these exchanges occurred years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida for child sexual abuse-related offenses.

Previously, Musk had accused President Donald J. Trump of being involved with Epstein, writing on X, “[Donald Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,” and adding “Have a nice day, DJT!”

Elsewhere, Musk wrote of an alleged Epstein-Trump connection, “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”

This followed Musk’s departure from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the summer of 2025, which was initially smooth but turned acrimonious when Musk began aggressively lobbying against the One Big Beautiful Bill that Trump was championing. Musk opposed the bill, which increased spending on defense and immigration enforcement and cut taxes on tips and overtime for workers, among other provisions.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
News

Epstein Doc Says Bill Gates Infected Wife With STD From ‘Russian Girls.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Bill Gates was said to have contracted a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) from “Russian girls” in a newly-released memo written by deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bill Gates, Jeffrey Epstein, Melinda Gates, and others mentioned in Epstein’s documents.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The email was sent on July 18, 2013, and released by the Trump administration on January 30, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “TO add insult to the injury you them [sic] implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda and the description of your penis” – Jeffrey Epstein

🎯IMPACT: These allegations add to the public understanding of the relationship between Epstein and Gates, further undermining Gates’s public image.

IN FULL

Bill Gates is alleged to have contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from Russian women, according to a newly released email from deceased financier and child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The message, dated July 18, 2013, was part of a trove of documents made public by the Trump administration on Friday, and reads, “TO add insult to the injury you them [sic] implore me to please delete the emails regarding your std, your request that I provide you antibiotics that you can surreptitiously give to Melinda and the description of your penis.”

A second email, apparently written in someone else’s voice, reads, “I have been caught up in a severe marital dispute between Melinda and Bill… In my role as his right hand man, I have been asked and wrongly acquiesced into participating in things that have ranged from the morally inappropriate, to the ethically unsound and have been repeatedly asked to do thing that get near and potentially over the line into the illegal…”

“From helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trusts [sic], with married women, to being asked to provide adderall for bridge tournaments, as I am a medial doctor, but have no presriptions [sic] writing ability.”

Notably, Gates appears in photographs released by the Epstein estate, including one alongside the now-former Prince Andrew, and admits to having met with Epstein despite his child sexual offending conviction, supposedly to discuss charitable ventures.

UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferr.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
William Upton
Corruption
Crime

Govt Official Who Tried to Bar DOGE From Inspecting His Books Pleads GUILTY to Corruption.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Mathieu G. Zahui, the Director of Financial Management for the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), agreed to plead guilty in federal court on Friday to criminal allegations that he accepted kickbacks from a USADF contractor and attempted to hide the scheme from federal law enforcement.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mathieu G. Zahui, the USADF, a Kenyan company owned by Zahui’s friend, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Zahui pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday, January 30, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “President Trump has made it clear that he will put an end to the fraud, waste, and abuse that was commonplace throughout these agencies.” — U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro

🎯IMPACT: Zahui was the center of controversy last year when he tried to bar DOGE from accessing the USADF’s financial books and rejected the new chairman of the organization appointed by President Donald J. Trump.

IN FULL

Mathieu G. Zahui, the Director of Financial Management for the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), was charged and agreed to plead guilty in federal court on Friday to criminal allegations that he accepted kickbacks from a USADF contractor and attempted to hide the scheme from federal law enforcement. Notably, Zahui was the center of controversy last year when he tried to bar the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the USADF’s financial books and rejected the new chairman of the organization appointed by President Donald J. Trump.

DOGE officials eventually entered the USADF offices and conducted a review of the foundation’s finances with the assistance of U.S. Marshals. According to the federal indictment, Zahui’s scheme involved funneling payments to the USADF’s vendors and contractors through a Kenyan company owned by a friend of 20 years.

“President Trump has made it clear that he will put an end to the fraud, waste, and abuse that was commonplace throughout these agencies,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said on Friday after the guilty plea. She added, “There will be serious consequences whenever corruption is unearthed, whether at the U.S. African Development Foundation or any other foundation.”

The Department of Justice (DOJ) states that the Kenyan company—designated “Company-1” in the indictment—processed an estimated $617,625.49 in payments from the USADF. Consequently, Company-1 received an estimated $ 134,886.34 in “markup.” Of that, Zahui received $12,000 in cash kickbacks from his friend, who owned Company-1.

Importantly, the DOJ revealed that Zahui and his friend worked to hide the kickbacks from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), which authorized the USADF’s payments to third parties and nongovernmental entities. Zahui faces a combined maximum of seven years in prison on the kickback charge and for lying to federal law enforcement.

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3 hours ago
William Upton
TECH
World

How China Uses Porn and a Millions-Strong Bot Army to Censor Social Media:

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses a five to 10 million-strong bot army to flood X (formerly Twitter) with illicit adverts and pornographic Mandarin language posts to suppress the ability of Chinese speakers to view uncensored news when significant events occur in China.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: X (formerly Twitter), X’s head of product Nikita Bier, the CCP, and X’s Mandarin-speaking users.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The CCP social media bot army was revealed by Bier in a series of posts on X on Friday, January 30, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Chinese government floods X search results with porn whenever there is political unrest—to prevent their citizens from finding out real-time information.” — Nikita Bier

🎯IMPACT: The revelation that the Chinese government has such a large and aggressive bot operation on the platform raises serious concerns about its potential use to impact and influence politics and media beyond its borders as well.

IN FULL

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses a five to 10 million-strong bot army to flood X (formerly Twitter) with illicit and pornographic Mandarin language posts to suppress the ability of Chinese speakers to view uncensored news when significant events occur in China. Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, revealed the CCP’s alternative censorship strategy in a series of posts on the platform early Friday morning.

“The Chinese government floods X search results with porn whenever there is political unrest—to prevent their citizens from finding out real-time information,” Bier wrote, continuing, “This has been a difficult problem to solve but we are aware & working on it.”

When another X user raised the question of why the platform’s rate limit doesn’t prevent the CCP’s bot censorship strategy, Bier noted, “They have a pool of 5-10 million accounts that were registered before I locked down signup.”

In 2009, the CCP blocked access to X, then still known as Twitter, for Internet users in China. However, in recent years, the platform has seen a spike in Mandarin-speaking users, and Internet users in China have found ways to work around the communist regime’s censorship through VPNs and other methods.

The revelation that the Chinese government has such a large and aggressive bot operation on the platform raises serious concerns about its potential to impact and influence politics and media beyond its borders. This is especially concerning in light of the CCP losing one of its most successful propaganda tools earlier this month, when the Chinese company ByteDance finally sold off most of its stake in the TikTok social media app to a group of non-Chinese investors with an all-American corporate board established to oversee the platform. The sale marked the culmination of months of negotiation by President Donald J. Trump’s administration to secure ByteDance’s divestment and the transfer of TikTok to non-Chinese—and predominantly American—investors.

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4 hours ago
Economy
Health

Trump’s War on High Drug Prices is Slashing Costs for Patients.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Drugmakers have reduced prices for several widely used medicines, including diabetes and blood clotting treatments.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Companies like Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, and others.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Price data was released on January 30, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “These are heavyweight drugs, and to see them crater in price like this is historic,” said Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn Research, a Dayton, Ohio-based firm that analyzes drug pricing.

🎯IMPACT: The price cuts are expected to lower costs for patients who pay a percentage of the list price.

IN FULL

The costs of a number of widely used prescription drugs have seen significant price cuts since the start of 2026, bucking the long-standing trend of price increases at the beginning of a new year. Among the list price drops are popular drugs used to treat conditions like diabetes and blood clots.

President Donald J. Trump‘s sweeping drug price reforms are largely credited with driving the price drops, including Medicare‘s newly negotiated lower prices that took effect for the first time this year. A total of 20 brand-name drugs saw list-price reductions this month, ranging from 9.8 percent to 91.7 percent.

Among the notable reductions were a 43 percent cut for the blood thinner Eliquis from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and a 44.4 percent drop for the diabetes treatment Jardiance from Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly. “These are heavyweight drugs, and to see them crater in price like this is historic,” said Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn Research, a Dayton, Ohio-based firm that analyzes drug pricing.

For patients who pay the full price or a copay based on a percentage of the list price, these reductions will mean lower costs, equating to lower prices for millions of Americans.

The National Pulse reported in December that President Trump finalized agreements with nine major U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies to lower their drug prices for American consumers, in line with the prices they charge in other countries. The agreements with Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Genentech, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi were announced by President Trump during an event at the White House alongside the executive leadership of the drug companies.

“As of today, 14 out of the 17 largest pharmaceutical companies… have now agreed to drastically lower drug prices for… the American people and the American patients,” Trump said during the White House even last month, adding, “This represents the greatest victory for patient affordability in the history of American health care, by far, and every single American will benefit.”

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5 hours ago
News

Trump DOJ Releases 3 MILLION More Epstein Files Pages.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) released over three million pages of documents, more than 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the DOJ, and Congress.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Files were released on Friday, following the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I take umbrage at the suggestion, which is totally false, that the attorney general or this department does not take child exploitation or sex trafficking seriously.” – Todd Blanche

🎯IMPACT: The release complies with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, though some materials remain redacted to protect victims and sensitive information.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made public more than three million pages of documents, together with over 2,000 videos and 180,000 images, to fulfill its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. These materials relate to the criminal investigation and death of convicted pedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche shared the news at a press conference on Friday. He noted that more than 500 lawyers and staff members put in extensive work, including work on weekends and holidays, to complete a review of the documents and meet the law’s demands. The team examined over six million pages in total, removing duplicates and irrelevant items while safeguarding sensitive details about victims. Blanche likened the volume reviewed to “two Eiffel Towers of pages.”

“I take umbrage at the suggestion, which is totally false, that the attorney general or this department does not take child exploitation or sex trafficking seriously, or that we somehow do not want to protect victims,” Blanche said. He stressed that the department was not protecting any prominent figures, countering various allegations tied to the delay in releasing all documents.

The DOJ explained that any redactions were kept to a minimum and focused solely on shielding victims and their families. “Some pornographic images, whether commercial or not, were redacted, given the Department treated all women in those images as victims,” said a DOJ statement.

Notably, Blanche said no redactions were applied to the names of notable people, including politicians, in the released materials.

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5 hours ago
News

‘C*cksucker, Stop!’ – Nicki Minaj Roasts Don Lemon Moments Before Arrest.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Nicki Minaj roasted Don Lemon shortly before his arrest related to a church invasion.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nicki Minaj, Don Lemon, Katie Miller, anti-ICE activists, and Christians in Minnesota.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Friday morning; Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles, California, in connection with a church invasion in St. Paul, Minnesota.

💬KEY QUOTE: “C*cksucker, stop.” – Nicki Minaj

🎯IMPACT: Lemon’s arrest followed a grand jury indictment related to the church invasion.

IN FULL

Rapper Nicki Minaj roasted former CNN journalist Don Lemon during an appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast, aired shortly before his arrest in Los Angeles, California, following a federal grand jury indictment. Minaj, a supporter of President Donald J. Trump who had called for Lemon’s arrest over his participation in the invasion of a Minnesota church by anti-ICE activists, was questioned on the activist-journalist’s comments branding her “racist, unhinged, homophobic, and out of your depth.”

Minaj’s sharp retort, “Cocksucker, stop,” went viral as news broke of Lemon’s arrest in connection with the aforementioned invasion of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lemon, though ostensibly present in a journalistic capacity, was hostile when engaging with church members, and sympathetic when engaging the invaders, even telling one, “Thank you for your service.” Federal law enforcement views him as an active participant in the invasion rather than a mere observer.

Notably, the invasion disrupted a church service, terrifying children in attendance and causing many congregants to flee. The activists were motivated by suspicions that the pastor had ties to federal immigration enforcement.

Several others have also been arrested over the church invasion, including radical black activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, who runs the Racial Justice Network (RJN).

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6 hours ago
News
Politics

Senate Funding Deal Collapses, Saturday Shutdown Looms.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. government is heading toward a partial shutdown after a Senate vote on a funding deal stalled.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), President Donald J. Trump, and members of Congress.

📍WHEN & WHERE: January 29 and 30, 2026, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is a bad deal.” – Sen. Lindsey Graham

🎯IMPACT: A partial shutdown of federal operations is expected to begin at 12:01 AM. ET Saturday without a funding deal.

IN FULL

The U.S. government is on the verge of a partial shutdown after the Senate’s planned vote on a funding deal stalled late Thursday. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and other Republican leaders had aimed to push the deal forward, but it faced opposition within their own ranks over what Republican senators characterize as leadership caving to Democrats on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding.

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) confirmed he placed a hold on the funding package, effectively blocking it from quick consideration. Graham expressed his dissatisfaction with the deal, stating, “This is a bad deal,” as he entered Thune’s office late Thursday evening.

Late Thursday, just before the Senate attempted to move the Democrat-backed funding deal, President Donald J. Trump pushed for lawmakers to vote for the appropriations package. “America is setting Records in every way, and our Growth Numbers are among the best ever. The only thing that can slow our Country down is another long and damaging Government Shutdown,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, continuing, “Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together to get the vast majority of the Government funded until September, while at the same time providing an extension to the Department of Homeland Security (including the very important Coast Guard, which we are expanding and rebuilding like never before). Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”

It is believed that Sen. Graham‘s hold specifically stems from a provision passed by the House that removed legislative language allowing senators to sue for up to $500,000 if their phone records were obtained by former special counsel Jack Smith during the former Biden government’s Arctic Frost scandal.

Without a funding agreement, a partial shutdown of federal operations is set to begin at 12:01 AM ET on Saturday. Even if the Senate reaches an agreement on Friday, the House of Representatives is not scheduled to return until Monday, though Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has indicated he may be able to bring the House into session late Sunday if necessary.

A number of conservative members of the Senate have expressed opposition to the DHS funding deal, arguing it surrenders leverage and will likely result in a number of Democrat policy victories that could effectively gut U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—including a requirement for agents to obtain a judicial warrant rather than an administrative warrant in order to arrest migrants with outstanding removal orders.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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7 hours ago
Crime
News

Biden Judge Blocks Death Penalty in Luigi Mangione Case.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A judge ruled that Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, will not face the death penalty if convicted on federal charges.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Luigi Mangione, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and Judge Margaret Garnett.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling occurred on Friday, January 30, 2026.

🎯IMPACT: Mangione could still face life in prison if convicted, though the death penalty removal is likely to be appealed.

IN FULL

The federal judge presiding over the murder trial of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson ruled on Friday that Luigi Mangione, 27, will not face the death penalty if convicted. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret Garnett, nominated by former President Joe Biden, dismissed the federal murder charge but maintained a stalking charge that carries a maximum punishment of life in prison. Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to both federal and state charges.

Notably, Judge Garnett’s reasoning in dismissing the federal murder charge revolves around a requirement that the killing was committed during another “crime of violence.” The judge agreed with Mangione’s defense team that the stalking charge did not constitute a violent crime.

While the removal of the death penalty is—for now—a significant win for Mangione, the ruling is likely to be appealed. Meanwhile, Mangione’s legal defense also suffered a considerable setback when Judge Garnett rejected his defense attorneys’ attempt to suppress evidence obtained during the search of his backpack at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s on December 9, 2024. Items recovered included a 3D-printed handgun, a loaded magazine, a notebook, a map, and a “survival kit.” Police testified that such searches are standard procedure during arrests.

The Friday ruling means that jury selection in the federal case against Mangione will now likely begin in October of this year rather than on September 8. State prosecutors in New York are pushing to start their state case against the alleged assassin in early July, though Mangione’s attorneys argue this does not give them enough time to prepare an adequate defense.

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