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Thursday, May 14, 2026

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News

Brigitte Macron Slapped French Prez Over Flirty Texts with Iranian Actress, Book Claims.

A new book claims French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped by his wife, Brigitte, during a foreign trip because she found a message from an Iranian actress on his phone.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A new book claims that French First Lady Brigitte Macron delivered a two-handed slap to French President Emmanuel Macron on a foreign trip in May 2025 because she found a message from Iranian-born actress Golshifteh Farahani on his phone.
📺 DETAIL: The incident was caught on camera as the Macrons were about to disembark a plane in Hanoi, Vietnam, fueling international speculation about the motive Mrs. Macron’s attack. Journalist Florian Tardif, author of the book An (Almost) Perfect Couple, claimed in a May 13 interview that tensions rose on the flight after Mrs. Macron, 73, read messages between her husband and Farahani, 42, which allegedly included President Macron calling her “very pretty.” Farahani has denied any relationship with President Macron, and a representative for Mrs. Macron has denied that she checks her husband’s phone.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Brigitte Macron categorically denied this account… specifying that she never looks at her husband’s mobile phone,” a representative for Mrs. Macron told French newspaper Le Parisien.
🎯 IMPACT: The allegations have reignited speculation about the Macrons’ personal lives. Notably, the pair became romantically involved when she was a married teacher aged around 40 and he was a 15-year-old boy at her school. However, President Macron has long been dogged by rumors that he is homosexual, with unsubstantiated allegations of same-sex affairs with a former bodyguard and former Radio France president Mathieu Gallet.

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By Popular Demand.
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47 minutes ago
News

UK ‘Conservatives’ Cut Dirty Deal With Far-Left Greens to Keep Farage’s Reform Out of Power.

A coalition of Conservatives, Greens, Liberal Democrats, and independents has ousted Reform UK from leadership in Worcestershire County Council, citing instability under its administration.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Reform UK has lost control of Worcestershire County Council after a coalition of Conservatives, Greens, Liberal Democrats, and independents formed an unholy, power-sharing alliance. The coalition removed Reform’s leadership, which had been in power for 12 months. Reform UK recently won nearly 1500 council seats around the country, in a democratic mandate now being assailed by the other parties.
📺 DETAIL: Green Party councillor Matt Jenkins, a “social justice” warrior who blogs about climate change, has been appointed as the new council leader with the help of Britain’s Conservative Party.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “After bankrupting Worcestershire County Council when they were in charge, the Tories have now inflicted on local residents a radical outfit that wants an amnesty for all illegal migrants and the blanket legalization of every drug.” – Richard Tice, Deputy Reform UK leader.
🎯 IMPACT: The coalition claims it wants to stabilize the council and address financial challenges without cutting essential services. In reality, the council has been spending far more than it can take in from local taxpayers, with the bulk of its spending going on “Adult Social Care, Public Health and Communities,” which includes elderly and disability care, healthcare, and local services like libraries, archives, and community cohesion efforts.
📺 FLASHBACK: Reform UK took control of the council after last year’s local elections but has struggled to maintain stability, with internal disputes and financial crises due to previous council mismanagement.

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A coalition of Conservatives, Greens, Liberal Democrats, and independents has ousted Reform UK from leadership in Worcestershire County Council, citing instability under its administration.

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By Popular Demand.
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1 hour ago
News

UK PM Starmer Faces Leadership Challenge After Health Secretary Resigns.

British Health Secretary Wes Streeting has stepped down from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government and called for a leadership contest following heavy election losses for the governing Labour Party last week.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s now-former Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, resigned from Cabinet on Thursday, criticizing the premier’s leadership of Britain’s governing Labour Party, citing “drift” and a lack of vision. His resignation follows Labour’s poor performance in local and regional elections across England, Scotland, and Wales last week, which saw the party lose heavily to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party and, to a lesser extent, the far-left Green Party.
📺 DETAIL: In his resignation letter, Streeting stated that Labour’s leadership under Starmer has a “vacuum” in place of vision, and criticized the Prime Minister for failing to take genuine responsibility for the party’s crashing popularity. “Leaders take responsibility, but too often that has meant other people falling on their swords,” he wrote. Several junior government ministers and ministerial aides had already resigned over recent days, but Streeting is the first Cabinet-level departure, and widely reported to be preparing a leadership challenge.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Last week’s election results were unprecedented – both in terms of the scale of the defeat and the consequences of that failure. For the first time in our country’s history, nationalists are in power in every corner of the United Kingdom – including a dangerous English nationalism represented by Nigel Farage and Reform UK… It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour Unions want the debate about what comes next to be a battle of ideas, not of personalities or petty factionalism. It needs to be broad, and it needs the best possible field of candidates. I support that approach and I hope that you will facilitate this.” – Wes Streeting
🎯 IMPACT: Streeting’s resignation likely precedes a leadership contest, with former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, and others emerging as potential candidates. However, Labour remains divided, with no clear successor and questions about whether Streeting himself has enough support to mount a leadership challenge. Over 80 Labour MPs have signed a letter calling on Starmer to resign, which would meet the threshold to trigger a contest, but only if they back a specific challenger. Notably, British prime ministers can be replaced between elections at any time if they can no longer command a majority in the House of Commons. In practice, this generally means the support of the largest party.

Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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British Health Secretary Wes Streeting has stepped down from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's government and called for a leadership contest following heavy election losses for the governing Labour Party last week.

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By Popular Demand.
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15 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Illegals Face Execution for Shooting Pregnant Teen, Killing Unborn Baby.

Two illegal immigrants in Texas face capital murder charges for shooting a pregnant 17-year-old and killing her unborn child.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Two illegal immigrants, Yeremy Alexander Zapata Aleman, 17, and Keyner Ariel Calero Jiron, 20, from Honduras and Nicaragua, respectively, have been charged with capital murder after allegedly shooting a pregnant 17-year-old in Dallas, Texas. The victim’s unborn child died as a result of the shooting, which occurred after a verbal altercation at a 7-Eleven parking lot escalated into a drive-by attack.
📍 WHEN & WHERE: The drive-by took place on May 3 at around 12:40 AM in Dallas, Texas.
📺 DETAIL: According to reports, the suspects followed the victim and another person after a confrontation at the parking lot. Shots were fired from the suspects’ vehicle, hitting the pregnant teen and her unborn baby. Police later pursued Calero Jiron, who crashed his vehicle, leading to his arrest. Cocaine, MDMA, and illegal firearms were reportedly found in the car. The victim, 22 weeks pregnant, underwent an emergency cesarean section, but her child did not survive.
🎯 IMPACT: If convicted, the suspects could face the death penalty under Texas law. The case highlights ongoing concerns about violent crimes involving illegal immigrants and has reignited calls for the Trump administration to deliver mass deportations.
📈 DATA: Both suspects face additional charges, including multiple counts of felony aggravated assault and possession of illegal substances. Calero Jiron also faces charges for unlawfully carrying a weapon.

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Two illegal immigrants in Texas face capital murder charges for shooting a pregnant 17-year-old and killing her unborn child.

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By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.

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16 hours ago
News
Politics

Mississippi Governor Backs Off Redistricting Before Midterms.

Republican Governor Tate Reeves has suggested that Mississippi will not redraw its congressional maps before the 2026 midterms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Mississippi will not redraw its congressional maps before the 2026 midterms, according to Governor Tate Reeves (R).
📺 DETAIL: In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Governor Reeves announced that he expected Mississippi lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional, legislative, and Supreme Court districts before the 2027 elections, rather than before the 2026 midterms in November. At present, Mississippi’s congressional map includes four districts, one of which is represented by Bennie Thompson, a Democrat. This announcement followed reports on Wednesday that Gov. Reeves canceled a special session centered around the possibility of redistricting the state. The session was scheduled for Wednesday next week. “Just to clarify, I said I expect lawmakers to redraw congressional lines BETWEEN NOW and 2027 elections! I also expect them to redraw legislative and Supreme Court lines between now and 2027 elections,” Reeves said. While it initially appeared Reeves was leaving the door open to redistricting before November, a follow-up announcement clarified that Mississippi will not be pursuing a redraw of its maps, which the governor suggested are now unnecessary, citing the dissolution of a District Court’s injunction preventing the use of the state’s current Supreme Court map.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “[T]here is no need for the Legislature to draw a new map. I am recalling and dissolving my April 23, 2026, Proclamation which called for a special session to redraw Mississippi’s Supreme Court map next Wednesday.” – Governor Reeves
🎯 IMPACT: Mississippi’s map is very unlikely to change ahead of the 2026 midterms, although Reeves claims he is open to doing so in the future. “Today is not the end of the redistricting process—it is just the beginning!” he said on X. However, assuming any potential redistricting proposal for Mississippi will not take place until after the November midterms, Republicans will have to look to other states to shore up additional potential representation. Reeves called for a special session prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana’s redistricting case, one of several battles to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms. States like California and Virginia have pushed proposals favoring Democrats while states like Texas and Florida seek to boost Republican representation in Congress. This week, it was reported that South Carolina and Missouri are making their own pushes to redistrict.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Republican Governor Tate Reeves has suggested that Mississippi will not redraw its congressional maps before the 2026 midterms.

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By Popular Demand.
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16 hours ago
Corruption
Crime

Minnesota Grocer Abdidwahid Mohamed Charged Over $1M EBT Fraud Scheme.

Grocery store owner Abdidwahid Mohamed has been charged with defrauding taxpayers of over $1 million in the latest case of mass welfare fraud in Minnesota.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Minnesotan grocer Abdidwahid Mohamed has been charged with defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) out of over $1.1 million.
📺 DETAIL: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also called food stamps, provides monthly benefits to low-income individuals and households to supplement their grocery budget. It is the largest federal anti-hunger program in the United States. However, SNAP is regularly abused through fraudulent schemes that redirect public funds into private pockets. This week, Abdidwahid Mohamed, owner of Minnesota Food Grocery LLC, was charged with using stolen Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase goods for resale at his grocery store. Mohamed allegedly used the EBT cards of people who were either out of the country or claimed to have never shopped at the stores where the cards were eventually used. Mohamed made purchases at Costco and Sam’s Club, according to surveillance and GPS data collected by the authorities.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Minneapolis didn’t become America’s fraud capital by accident. It was earned. This week, it’s a grocer charged with running up $1.1 million in charges on other people’s EBT cards. Next week, it will be something else, but the bill always lands on the Minnesotans who actually pay taxes,” commented Dalia al-Aqidi, Republican candidate for Minnesota’s 5th District, currently represented by Ilhan Omar (D).
🎯 IMPACT: If found guilty, Mohamed faces up to 20 years in prison or a $100,000 fine. Notably, this is not the first time that Minnesota has been hit by a major welfare fraud scandal. Last week, it was reported that a co-defendant in Minnesota’s largest Medicaid fraud case had pleaded guilty as part of no-jail plea deal with the office of Minnesota’s Attorney General. The charges involved stealing millions in taxpayer funds. In a similar case in December last year, another prominent member of the state’s Somalian community pleaded guilty to profiting from a fraudulent child food scheme, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from taxpayers. Somali-run daycares are also under investigation in the state.

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Grocery store owner Abdidwahid Mohamed has been charged with defrauding taxpayers of over $1 million in the latest case of mass welfare fraud in Minnesota.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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17 hours ago
Crime
News

Former Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate, Swalwell Donor Arrested.

Stephen Cloobeck, a former Democrat mega-donor, gubernatorial candidate, and Eric Swalwell supporter, has been arrested and faces potential charges of attempting to impede victim or witness testimony.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Stephen Cloobeck, a former Democrat mega-donor and California gubernatorial candidate, has been arrested pending possible charges of attempting to impede victim or witness testimony.
📰 DETAIL: Cloobeck was arrested on Tuesday in the Los Angeles, California area and booked into custody in West Hollywood. Cloobeck initially launched a gubernatorial campaign before withdrawing and supporting former Democrat Representative Eric Swalwell. However, following a slew of sexual assault allegations against Swalwell, Cloobeck distanced himself from Swalwell and the Democrats entirely. “I am no longer associated with a man that takes advantage of women… I support women’s rights,” Cloobeck said at the time. Records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department suggest the possible charges against Cloobeck relate to attempting to impede victim or witness testimony. Specifically, Cloobeck is alleged to have threatened three male victims in an attempt to stop them from giving a testimony in a case concerning his fiancée, Adva Lavie, a 29-year-old influencer and model currently facing charges of burglary.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “These charges are false and we look forward to our day in court.” – Elias Dabaie, Cloobeck’s attorney
🎯 IMPACT: Cloobeck has been released on $300,000 bail. While Cloobeck’s attorney insists the charges are false, the news of his arrest only worsens the reputation of Swalwell’s now-suspended gubernatorial bid. Earlier in the year, when Cloobeck publicly ended his support for Swalwell and the Democrats, it was revealed that Cloobeck had given over $1 million in donations to Swalwell and allowed him to stay at his mansion. Moreover, Cloobeck has historically been a powerful and reliable Democrat donor, donating more than $4 million in federal contributions since 2000. As such, these charges not only harm the now-dispersed Swalwell camp, but the Democrats’ campaign machine as a whole.

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Stephen Cloobeck, a former Democrat mega-donor, gubernatorial candidate, and Eric Swalwell supporter, has been arrested and faces potential charges of attempting to impede victim or witness testimony.

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By Popular Demand.
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18 hours ago
Crime
Election Integrity
Immigration

ICE Detains Non-Citizen Ex-Mayor After Years of Illegal Voting.

Joe Ceballos, a former Kansas mayor and green card immigrant, faces deportation after being detained by ICE for voting and holding local office as the mayor of a town illegally.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Joe Ceballos, a former mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for both voting illegally as a green card holder and holding political office. After pleading guilty to misdemeanors related to election conduct, Ceballos was taken into custody and now faces potential deportation.
📰 DETAIL: Ceballos claims he was unaware that his status as a green card holder made him ineligible to vote or hold office. His lawyer said ICE detained him on Wednesday in Wichita and is expected to begin deportation proceedings, though Ceballos plans to fight removal in immigration court. The case has gained national attention amid the Trump administration’s focus on voter fraud and immigration enforcement, with federal officials publicly pledging to seek his deportation if convicted. Ceballos had twice been elected mayor and said he did not know it was illegal for noncitizens to vote. After he pleaded guilty last month to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly election conduct and avoided jail time, many supporters believed the matter was resolved. However, federal officials later cited both his recent conviction and a 1995 battery conviction while emphasizing that U.S. elections are reserved for citizens.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This alien has now been convicted… our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.” – Lauren Bis, Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman
🎯 IMPACT: The detention of Ceballos underscores the federal government’s stance against voter fraud and the legal consequences for non-citizens who violate election laws. The case calls into question how many other non-citizens may be either voting illegally in elections or even holding office, as Ceballos did.

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Joe Ceballos, a former Kansas mayor and green card immigrant, faces deportation after being detained by ICE for voting and holding local office as the mayor of a town illegally.

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By Popular Demand.
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19 hours ago
Economy
News

Kevin Warsh Confirmed as Fed Chairman Amid Rising Inflation.

Kevin Warsh’s confirmation as Federal Reserve Chairman signals potential monetary policy shifts, with inflation rising amid the Iran war and disruption to global energy supplies.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve Chairman on Wednesday, succeeding Jerome Powell. Warsh, a former Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, assumes the role amid spiking inflation related to the Iran war, and clashes between the central bank and the Trump administration over interest rates.
📺 DETAIL: Warsh has indicated that he wants “regime change” at the Federal Reserve, including closer alignment with the Department of Treeasury. His confirmation comes as inflation pressures mount, driven in large part by rising oil prices linked to Iran’s disruption of trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best. On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.” – President Donald J. Trump, announcing Warsh’s nomination in January
🎯 IMPACT: Warsh’s leadership could mark a shift toward a more inflation-conscious and less interventionist Federal Reserve. The National Pulse previously reported in August 2025 that Warsh had publicly aligned with President Trump on cutting interest rates, stating, “The President’s right to be frustrated with [Jerome] Powell and the Federal Reserve.” Notably, Powell—who has clashed publicly with Trump on numerous occasions—has said he intends to remain on the Fed’s board, so he may retain influence over U.S. monetary policy in spite of Warsh.

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Kevin Warsh's confirmation as Federal Reserve Chairman signals potential monetary policy shifts, with inflation rising amid the Iran war and disruption to global energy supplies.

show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.
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19 hours ago
Health
News

Massive Fraud Crackdown Freezes $1.4 Billion in Healthcare Funds.

The Trump administration has announced a six-month freeze on new Medicare hospice and home health providers to combat fraud.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration announced a six-month nationwide freeze on new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health providers as part of a broader crackdown on healthcare fraud, with officials saying scammers have exploited vulnerable patients and billed the government for unnecessary services.
👤 WHO WAS INVOLVED: The initiative is being coordinated with Vice President J.D. Vance and his anti-fraud task force, which is spearheading efforts to root out fraudulent activity in high-risk sectors.
📺 DETAIL: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said existing providers will not be affected, but the pause will allow regulators to strengthen oversight and investigate suspicious billing practices. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the move is intended to protect patients and taxpayer dollars. Vice President Vance is leading a federal anti-fraud task force focused on abuses in hospice and home healthcare programs. Federal officials estimate tens of billions of dollars are lost annually to healthcare fraud, with California receiving particular scrutiny over allegations of widespread hospice abuse and fraudulent claims. Medicare spent roughly $28.3 billion on hospice care and $16 billion on home healthcare in 2024, according to federal data.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “A third of all hospices… in the entire country are in Los Angeles. Ask yourself, ‘How is that possible?’ It’s not. There are not that many people dying in Los Angeles… We believe that at least half of the hospices in the entire area around Los Angeles are fraudulent.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz
🎯 IMPACT: While current providers remain unaffected and can continue serving patients, the freeze could greatly reduce the fraud in hospice care for anyone trying to acquire federal funds going forward.

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The Trump administration has announced a six-month freeze on new Medicare hospice and home health providers to combat fraud.

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By Popular Demand.
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20 hours ago
Health
News

U.S. Overdose Deaths Fall Amid Cartel Crackdown.

Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 14 percent drop in overdose deaths in 2025.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Preliminary government data shows that approximately 70,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2025, marking a 14 percent decline compared to the previous year. This is the third consecutive annual drop, bringing the total back to pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019.
📺 DETAIL: Health officials said deaths involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids saw some of the steepest drops, but fatalities tied to cocaine and methamphetamine also declined. Experts credited expanded access to naloxone, increased addiction treatment, opioid settlement funding, and shifts in the illegal drug supply for the improvement. The fall also comes amid an ongoing crackdown on cartels and cross-border and seaborne drug trafficking by the Trump administration, including military strikes on drug smuggling vessels.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I’m cautiously optimistic that this represents really a fundamental change in the arc of the overdose crisis.” – Brandon Marshall, Brown University researcher
🎯 IMPACT: While the decline offers hope, experts warn that shifts in the drug supply could reverse progress. Several states, including Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, still experienced increases in overdose deaths despite the broader national decline.
📺 FLASHBACK: Overdose deaths surged during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking at nearly 110,000 in 2022. Regulatory changes in China, where many fentanyl precursors are produced, and improvements in border security have helped bring the crisis under greater control.

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Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 14 percent drop in overdose deaths in 2025.

show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.
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