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Wednesday, August 12, 2026

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37 minutes ago
Corruption
News

FBI Targeted Biden Critics as ‘Russian Disinformation Conduits’ in Secret 2020 Operation.

Declassified documents reveal the FBI targeted critics of the Biden family as “Russian disinformation conduits” in a secret operation during the 2020 election, raising concerns about the political weaponization of intelligence agencies.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Newly declassified documents reveal that during the 2020 election, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and intelligence agencies labeled prominent conservatives, journalists, and even Trump administration officials as “Russian disinformation conduits” while dismissing allegations of Biden family corruption as foreign propaganda. This operation, codenamed “Round River,” targeted figures investigating Hunter Biden’s ties to Burisma and broader Ukrainian corruption concerns.
📺 DETAIL: The operation, initiated by the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, categorized individuals like Attorney General Bill Barr, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Republican lawmakers as disinformation threats while portraying Democrats such as Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama as victims of Russian interference. This effort included altering informant files to discredit evidence of Biden family corruption and providing “defensive briefings” to Congress that downplayed foreign threats involving the Bidens. The FBI’s actions mirrored tactics used in the discredited Crossfire Hurricane probe against President Donald J. Trump.
🎯 IMPACT: The revelations raise significant concerns about the political weaponization of intelligence agencies, with critics arguing that the FBI’s actions undermined legitimate investigations into corruption while shielding the Biden family from scrutiny. The operation also aligned with liberal media narratives that dismissed the Burisma allegations as conspiracy theories.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We remain concerned that defensive briefings to Congress may have been overly focused on just Biden and Ukraine rather than the balanced picture of all foreign threats.” – FBI Director Kash Patel
📺 FLASHBACK: Similar tactics were employed during the Crossfire Hurricane probe, where unverified claims of Russian collusion were used to undermine Trump’s 2016 campaign, despite later findings debunking the allegations.

Image by Dave Newman.

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3 minutes ago
Data
Economy
News

Inflation Cools for Second Month in a Row.

Inflation has cooled for the second consecutive month since May, although rising energy costs triggered by the outbreak of the Iran war and related geopolitical tensions continue to pose economic challenges.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Inflation has eased for the second consecutive month since May, according to a new Consumer Price Index (CPI) report.
📺 DETAIL: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation rose at an annual rate of 3.4 percent in July. This represents a decline from May, which saw inflation hit a three-year high at 4.2 percent. This was primarily due to the rise in oil prices resulting from the outbreak of the Iran war in late February. According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the average cost of basic goods and services, core CPI, which excludes food and energy, also slowed to 2.5 percent, down from 2.6 percent in June. Energy prices in July increased 14.7 percent compared to last year. This spike was mostly driven by rising gas prices, which increased by 24.6 percent. Nevertheless, gas prices in July were approximately ten cents cheaper than the month prior. July’s average gas price was $4.06 per gallon, significantly higher than the $3 per gallon average in February. Brent crude oil prices surged above $100 per barrel in July, although they have started to gradually decline. 
🎯 IMPACT: The Federal Reserve’s next interest rate decision in September will likely hinge on this inflation data. The Federal Reserve is also likely to consider August’s CPI report when it makes its decision. If trends continue, there is reason to believe inflation could return to the Federal Reserve’s two percent target by next year, assuming energy prices continue to stabilize. This builds on a trend first reported last month, which showed that inflation had slowed throughout June. The CPI fell 0.4 percent, its sharpest monthly decline since April 2020. This was primarily caused by a 5.7 percent drop in energy costs, including a 9.7 percent decline in gas prices. As such, this story demonstrates the importance of bringing down gas prices to lowering the overall cost of living in the United States, which is inseparable from stability in the Middle East and passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil exports pass through the strait, making it a vital chokepoint in international trade.

Image by Rafael Saldana.

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Inflation has cooled for the second consecutive month since May, although rising energy costs triggered by the outbreak of the Iran war and related geopolitical tensions continue to pose economic challenges.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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13 hours ago
Health
News

Democrats Celebrate New Law Allowing Abortion Up to Birth.

Massachusetts has expanded abortion access, allowing unborn babies to be killed all the way up to birth, sparking celebrations from Democrats and abortion advocates.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) signed legislation Monday expanding abortion access beyond the state’s previous 24-week limit, allowing abortions all the way up to birth with physician approval. Healey signed the measure surrounded by cheering Democrat lawmakers and abortion advocates.
📰 DETAIL: The law, passed by the Massachusetts Legislature in late July, removes restrictions that previously allowed abortions after 24 weeks only in circumstances involving a life-threatening condition for the mother or child. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said the legislation makes it easier for families experiencing pregnancy complications, which are now clearly defined, to abort babies, while giving physicians additional legal cover. Supporters argued that some women previously had to travel out of state for late-term abortions, separating them from their doctors, families, and support networks.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This law continues our efforts to have the strongest abortion protections in the country because in Massachusetts, we believe health care decisions should be made between women and their doctors.” – Governor Maura Healey
🎯 IMPACT: The new law will relax abortion restrictions, allowing for abortions up until the moment of birth for so-called “complications”, rather than only issues that could affect the life of the mother or child. It is unclear if such “complications” could involve diagnoses of issues like Down syndrome or other non-life-threatening conditions.

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Massachusetts has expanded abortion access, allowing unborn babies to be killed all the way up to birth, sparking celebrations from Democrats and abortion advocates.

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By Popular Demand.
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14 hours ago
News
Politics

Dem Candidate El-Sayed Blamed Transgender’s Mass Shooting at Christian School on Anti-Trans Legislation.

Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, running for Senate, sparked controversy after blaming gun laws and “anti-trans” legislation for a school shooting carried out by a transgender.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing scrutiny over comments he made in 2023 that downplayed the role of transgender ideology in motivating a trans mass shooter who targeted a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. The far leftist instead blamed American gun rights and laws protecting women and children.
📺 DETAIL: In a 2023 episode of the podcast America Dissected, El-Sayed complained, “[R]ight-wing media have chosen to concentrate on the shooter, a former student at the school who identified as trans, arguing that the attack was some kind of broader attack in an escalating battle between trans people and Christians.” He also invoked his Muslim background, stating, “Look, y’all, I’m Muslim. I know what happens when people essentialize everyone with a particular identity based on the actions of one individual who happens to identify that way. And that’s a dangerous brew. Because the other thing that happened this week is that the Republicans in the legislature of the state of Kentucky forced through a draconian set of anti-trans laws overriding the veto of their Democratic governor.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “School shootings are not a trans problem, school shootings are a gun problem.” – Abdul El-Sayed
🎯 IMPACT: El-Sayed’s comments have seen him criticized for deflecting from the deliberate targeting of Christians in the Nashville attack. Reports indicate El-Sayed has hidden as many as 100 videos, including material in which he discussed abolishing the Second Amendment and scrapping Independence Day fireworks.

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Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, running for Senate, sparked controversy after blaming gun laws and "anti-trans" legislation for a school shooting carried out by a transgender.

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By Popular Demand.
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14 hours ago
Health
News

HHS Bureaucrats ‘Sabotaging’ RFK Jr’s Efforts to Expose Fauci Docs, Vaccine Safety Issues.

Senator Ron Johnson is warning that HHS insiders are obstructing RFK Jr.’s transparency efforts, as newly-released texts from Anthony Fauci raise questions about vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), accused longtime Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials of obstructing efforts to uncover information about the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying “career bureaucrats” appear to be working against investigations led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Johnson and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) recently obtained a government-issued phone previously used by Dr. Anthony Fauci as part of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s investigation into the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director and Joe Biden advisor.
📺 DETAIL: The phone contained more than 34,000 text messages and 522 voicemails, with the committee releasing an initial batch of messages Monday involving Fauci, former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, and former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Among the messages, Fauci raised concerns in early 2021 that fever and inflammatory reactions following a second mRNA vaccine dose could theoretically be associated with miscarriage during the first trimester. Johnson described those disclosures as potentially only the “tip of the iceberg.” Johnson also said Kennedy may not yet have complete access to information within HHS, alleging that some longtime agency employees involved in pandemic-era policies are resisting efforts to increase transparency.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Remember, most of the people serving in these agencies have been there a long time, and they were involved in the cover-up. They were supposed to be surveilling for vaccine injuries, and they weren’t… Bobby Kennedy has people in those agencies sabotaging his efforts at radical transparency.” – Sen. Ron Johnson
🎯 IMPACT: The release of Fauci’s texts raises significant questions about vaccine safety and the transparency of government agencies during the pandemic. Johnson’s warnings on internal sabotage could further erode public trust in public health bureaucrats and their handling of COVID-19 and vaccine-related matters.

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Senator Ron Johnson is warning that HHS insiders are obstructing RFK Jr.'s transparency efforts, as newly-released texts from Anthony Fauci raise questions about vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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By Popular Demand.
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15 hours ago
News
War
World

Trump Strikes Deal to Remove Nuclear Material from Secret Syrian Storage Site.

A covert agreement involving the U.S., Israel, and Syria aims to extract nuclear material from a secret site in Syria, averting an Israeli military intervention.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration successfully negotiated an agreement with Syria, Israel, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to extract nuclear material from a secret site in Syria. This deal was reached after months of behind-the-scenes diplomacy and threats from Israel to take military action if the material remained.
📺 DETAIL: The nuclear material, reportedly stored at a facility known as “Site 99,” included yellowcake uranium and residues from the former Syrian regime’s Al-Kibar reactor project, which was largely destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in 2007. The material, while not suitable for nuclear weapons, could potentially be used to create a radiological “dirty bomb.” Israel had closely monitored the site and previously bombed its entrances to prevent access. The agreement was finalized three weeks ago, but the material has yet to be removed.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We think everybody is happy with the result. Hopefully, we will be able to kick off the removal process soon and end it before the end of the year,” said a U.S. official.
🎯 IMPACT: The agreement reduces the risk of Israeli military intervention and a broader regional conflict on top of the current war with Iran and its proxies. It also prevents the Syrian nuclear material from being weaponized or otherwise falling into the wrong hands. It also signals increased cooperation between the U.S. and Syria’s new regime under al-Qaeda alumnus Ahmed al-Sharaa, following the fall of the former Assad regime.
📺 FLASHBACK: Syria’s Al-Kibar reactor, developed with North Korean assistance in the mid-2000s, was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in 2007. The Assad regime had secretly stored nuclear material from the reactor, which remained a concern for over a decade.

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A covert agreement involving the U.S., Israel, and Syria aims to extract nuclear material from a secret site in Syria, averting an Israeli military intervention.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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16 hours ago
News
Politics

Senate Stalls $833 Monthly Boost for Disabled Veterans.

New legislation to provide severely disabled veterans and surviving military families with increased financial support has stalled in the Senate due to disagreements over funding mechanisms, raising concerns about legislative gridlock.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act (H.R. 6047) has been delayed by the Senate. Sharri Briley is a Gold Star widow, while Eric Edmundson is an Iraq War veteran.
📺 DETAIL: The legislation offers the first major increase in Special Monthly Compensation for disabled veterans in over 20 years. The legislation would also raise Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments for nearly 600,000 surviving spouses and family members. Specifically, payments to severely disabled veterans would rise by an additional $833 per month. However, despite bipartisan support and backing from over 20 veterans organizations, the legislation’s funding mechanism relies on shifting funds from other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs, which critics have characterized as benefitting certain groups of veterans at the expense of others. The bill has already passed the House of Representatives, but has stalled in the Senate. 
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Our nation can never fully repay the debt we owe to the heroes and families who have served and sacrificed for our freedom, but passing my bipartisan legislation today is further proof that we will never stop trying.” – Representative Tom Barrett (R-MI), an Iraq War veteran and a sponsor of the legislation
🎯 IMPACT: While the legislation is not dead, the Senate delay represents a disappointing setback to supporters. It also raises questions about how best to allocate VA resources and avoid dividing the veterans’ community. The delay leaves thousands of disabled veterans and their families in financial uncertainty, especially since many rely on the VA to cover the high costs of caregiving and medical equipment. There is no obvious plan for progression, although given the fact that the bill has already passed the House, and the amount of support behind it, a plan is likely to be unveiled at some point in the future.

Image by Ron Cogswell.

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New legislation to provide severely disabled veterans and surviving military families with increased financial support has stalled in the Senate due to disagreements over funding mechanisms, raising concerns about legislative gridlock.

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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17 hours ago
News
Politics

Dem Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Deletes Podcast Where He Called to Scrap July 4th Fireworks and the Second Amendment.

Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is under fire for past remarks, including criticism of July 4 traditions and calls to abolish Americans’ Second Amendment right to bear arms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed criticized July 4 fireworks and proposed abolishing Americans’ right to bear arms in a podcast episode.
📺 DETAIL: In a podcast episode from July 2024 that has since been made private, El-Sayed criticized July 4 fireworks. “Fireworks suck,” declared El-Sayed in a sub-section titled “Fireworks just aren’t worth it: hear us out.” Specifically, he took aim at the environmental impact of July 4 fireworks, among other things. El-Sayed also suggested removing the right to bear arms in favor of a right to healthcare. “What if we tweaked the Constitution, amended the amendment, and instead of the right to bear arms, we change it to the right to have health care?” said El-Sayed. He also dismissed the southern border as a priority, claiming that Republicans “love to flog” the issue and suggesting that illegal immigration was not an important issue to voters. This follows the uncovering of a recording of El-Sayed calling to “defund the police” in 2020. El-Sayed’s criticism of July 4 traditions was endorsed by The Marguerite Casey Foundation, a progressive grantmaking organization. El-Sayed’s campaign claims these remarks do not reflect his current views, although over 100 videos have been removed from his platforms since his Senate run began.
🎯 IMPACT: El-Sayed’s past remarks could become a focal point in the state’s general election. As Michigan is a swing state, many voters are likely to find El-Sayed’s extreme-left views off-putting. Republicans have sought to leverage El-Sayed’s past comments as a means to mobilize moderate voters against him. His nomination demonstrates the ongoing shift to the left within the Democrat Party and the mainstreaming of anti-American sentiment.
📺 FLASHBACK: El-Sayed’s comments reflect a similar sentiment expressed by Francesca Hong, a Democrat state representative in Wisconsin and member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America. Hong called to “Cancel Thanksgiving” and said she felt “attacked” by a Christmas-themed computer background display in previous posts on X (formerly Twitter).

Image by Conlan Houston.

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Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is under fire for past remarks, including criticism of July 4 traditions and calls to abolish Americans' Second Amendment right to bear arms.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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17 hours ago
Immigration
NatSec
News

Airlines Disrupt ICE Efforts to Catch Visa Overstayers, Linked to 9/11 Terror Attacks.

Major U.S. airlines are obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts, raising concerns over national security as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Federal immigration enforcement at U.S. airports has intensified ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, prompting disputes between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and several major airlines over how arrests should be conducted.
📺 DETAIL: ICE reportedly averaged nearly three dozen airport arrests per day in July, including foreign nationals who had overstayed visas or received final deportation orders. Airlines such as Southwest and JetBlue have challenged aspects of the enforcement operations, with employees in some cases restricting agents’ access to boarding areas and passenger information. During a July 25 incident in Dallas, Southwest personnel reportedly refused to allow ICE agents onto a departing aircraft without a judicial warrant, while agents were using an administrative warrant issued by ICE. The renewed debate over visa enforcement has drawn attention to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as the 9/11 Commission found that as many as five of the 19 hijackers had overstayed their visas.
🎯 IMPACT: The standoff between airlines and federal authorities underscores a critical tension in enforcing immigration laws and ensuring national security. With the anniversary of 9/11 approaching, the airlines’ refusal to cooperate raises concerns about vulnerabilities in the aviation sector, particularly as past terrorist plots have exploited visa overstays.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Airlines have had constructive discussions with ICE and TSA to ensure if law-enforcement activity occurs at an airport, there are proper procedures and protocols in place to prioritize the safety and security of all involved,” claimed a spokesman for Airlines for America.

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Major U.S. airlines are obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts, raising concerns over national security as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches.

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By Popular Demand.
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19 hours ago
News
World

Chinese Military Veterans Arrested for Spying on U.S. Bases.

Two former Chinese military officers have been detained in South Korea, accused of spying near critical U.S. military installations.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: South Korean authorities have arrested two former Chinese military officers accused of spying on or around major U.S. military installations.
📍 WHEN & WHERE: The incidents occurred near Gunsan Air Base and Camp Humphreys, two critical U.S. military installations located south of Seoul, South Korea. Gunsan is home to the U.S. 8th Fighter Wing, while Camp Humphreys is the largest U.S. military base outside continental America.
📺 DETAIL: One suspect, a Chinese national in his sixties, allegedly monitored air traffic control communications near Kunsan Air Base during multiple visits to South Korea that coincided with major U.S.-South Korean military exercises. The second suspect, a 45-year-old Chinese-Korean national who operated a military surplus store near Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, is accused of recruiting a South Korean employee at the base to obtain classified information about joint military exercises. Police said the alleged espionage activities involving the second suspect began in 2021, though authorities have not released the suspects’ names or arrest details. The men could face charges under South Korea’s Communications Secrets Protection Act and Military Base Protection Act, while an alleged violation of the Benefiting the Enemy Act could carry a life sentence.
🎯 IMPACT: The arrests come at a diplomatically sensitive moment, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit South Korea. The case underscores growing concerns over China’s espionage activities in the region, particularly against U.S. bases, which play a critical role in monitoring the strategic Yellow Sea and countering potential threats from China’s PLA.
📺 FLASHBACK: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol previously cited Chinese espionage as a justification for martial law in 2024, a move that led to his impeachment. His successor, Lee Jae-myung, has sought closer ties with Beijing while maintaining defense cooperation with the U.S.

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Two former Chinese military officers have been detained in South Korea, accused of spying near critical U.S. military installations.

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By Popular Demand.
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19 hours ago
News

Court Tosses Majority of Minnesota’s Challenge Against Trump’s Trans Directives.

A federal judge ruled that Minnesota’s claims against the Trump administration’s executive order declaring there are only two sexes lacked a sufficient legal basis.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge has largely rejected Minnesota’s legal challenge to President Donald J. Trump’s policies defining sex as male or female, ruling that the state had not demonstrated an immediate legal injury from the administration’s actions.
📺 DETAIL: Minnesota had argued that the Trump administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act and infringed on state authority, but the judge found those claims unpersuasive. Trump’s January 2025 executive order, titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” directed federal agencies to recognize only two sexes, male and female, and to base federal policy on biological sex. The order formed part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to restrict transgender participation in women’s sports and alter federal policies concerning gender identity, prompting lawsuits from Democrat-led states, leftist advocacy groups, and other organizations. Some portions of Trump’s broader gender-related agenda have faced judicial setbacks, including rulings challenging federal restrictions tied to gender ideology. Other challenges remain pending or have been dismissed.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Minnesota will not face legal consequences unless and until a hearing is held in which the relevant agency finds that Minnesota is not in compliance with Title IX, or a court finds, in a civil enforcement action, that Minnesota is not in compliance with Title IX.” – Judge Eric Tostrud
🎯 IMPACT: The ruling underscores the difficulty states face in challenging the Trump administration’s federal policies without clear evidence of legal violations. It also reinforces the Trump administration’s efforts to maintain its policies on gender and biological sex, particularly in areas like women’s sports.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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A federal judge ruled that Minnesota's claims against the Trump administration's executive order declaring there are only two sexes lacked a sufficient legal basis.

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By Popular Demand.
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