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September 22, 2024
World

UPDATED: Right-Wing AfD Surges Again.

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) finished an agonizingly close second to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) in elections in Brandenburg this past weekend.

This follows the AfD’s significant performance in other eastern states, including a recent first-place finish in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony.

Per the BBC:

Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) won Sunday’s regional election in stronghold Brandenburg by just one or two percentage points, according to polls by the two main public broadcasters.

Alternative for Germany (AfD) stood a chance of winning the state, which has been governed by the SPD since German reunification in 1990.

But after voting ended at 18:00 (16:00 GMT), predictions put the SPD on 31 to 32% to the AfD’s 29 to 30%.

The AfD’s rise is part of a broader trend among rightist groups in Europe, who are dominating on concerns about economic slowdown, immigration, and the Ukraine-Russia war.

These issues are notably prevalent in formerly Communist eastern Germany.

By Popular Demand.
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49 minutes ago
Crime
News

Federal Agents Raid Minnesota Daycares in Fraud Crackdown.

Federal authorities executed search warrants at approximately 20 childcare centers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where widespread daycare fraud linked to the Somali community is suspected.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Federal agents conducted raids at around 20 childcare centers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, early Tuesday morning as part of an ongoing investigation into fraud schemes in the state. The Department of Justice (DOJ) confirmed the law enforcement actions but did not announce any arrests during the operation.
📺 DETAIL: Since 2021, 92  people—many of them members of the Somali community—have been charged with fraud in Minnesota, with 67 convictions, including cases tied to the Feeding Our Future scandal that exploited federal nutrition programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tuesday’s raids appeared to be part of a broader effort to address suspected fraud at Somali daycares, following viral reporting online by citizen journalist Nick Shirley. These investigations have faced pushback from Democrat officials who have courted the Somali community for votes, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who previously denounced criticism of Somalis as divisive and harmful.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Today the FBI with federal, state and local law enforcement is involved in court-authorized law enforcement activity as part of an ongoing fraud investigation,” a Justice Department spokesman stated.
🎯 IMPACT: The raids underscore federal authorities’ renewed focus on combating fraud, which has cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Vice President J.D. Vance is leading the Trump administration’s anti-fraud task force, and has already frozen certain Medicaid funding to Minnesota and suspended hundreds of California hospices suspected of engaging in fraudulent activity.

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Federal authorities executed search warrants at approximately 20 childcare centers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where widespread daycare fraud linked to the Somali community is suspected.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
Christopher Tomlinson
UK
World

Argentina’s Vice Prez Calls for Ethnic Cleansing of Britain’s Falkland Islands.

Argentina’s Vice President has called for all of the residents of the Falkland Islands to leave for Britain, as her country presses its claim to the territory.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel said Falkland Islanders who feel British are “not part of the discussion” about sovereignty over the territory their ancestors settled hundreds of years ago, and they should “go back to England.” Notably, this covers almost the entire population, with 99.8 percent of the population voting to remain British in a 2013 referendum with a turnout of 92 percent.
📺 DETAIL: Buenos Aires is pushing for renewed bilateral talks on Argentina’s sovereignty claims, with Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno calling for an end to British “colonialism” after the leak of a Pentagon memo suggesting the Trump administration could review its “diplomatic support” for British sovereignty. Vice President Villarruel’s comments raise concerns that Argentina hopes to ethnically cleanse the islands, which they call “Las Malvinas,” of their British residents. British government officials—despite their parallel efforts to give away the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to China-allied Mauritius, against the Trump administration’s wishes—have stated that their commitment to the Falklands is “unwavering,” emphasizing the Falklanders’ right to self-determination. Reform Party leader Nigel Farage is planning a visit to Argentina to underscore that British control of the islands is “non-negotiable.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The Kelpers [Falklanders] are English people who live in Argentine territory; they are not part of the discussion. If they feel English, they should go back to the thousands of miles away where their country is.” – Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel.
🎯 IMPACT: The call for the Falkland Islanders to leave their homes has sparked fears that the Argentines would forcibly deport residents if they took the territory by force. In 1982, Argentina launched an invasion of the Falklands, causing Britain to send the largest naval force it had assembled since World War II to liberate them. The fighting lasted just over two months, with hundreds of dead on both sides. However, Argentina suffered significantly heavier losses, with over 11,000 soldiers captured following a British victory.

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Argentina's Vice President has called for all of the residents of the Falkland Islands to leave for Britain, as her country presses its claim to the territory.

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By Popular Demand.
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16 hours ago
Health
News

Drug-Laced Vapes Are Putting Minors in Hospital.

A 16-year-old student at Thomas Stone High School in Maryland was hospitalized after using a THC-laced vape, reinforcing growing concerns about vape use among minors.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A 16-year-old student at Thomas Stone High School in Maryland was taken to hospital after falling ill from using a vape laced with THC, obtained from another student. The incident occurred on April 22, with the student being transported to hospital by ambulance after visiting the school nurse.
📰 DETAIL: The student who provided the THC vape was identified and received a civil citation for cannabis possession. Notably, another student at Thomas Stone High School was hospitalized after collapsing in the school cafeteria after being seen using a vape in November, although in that case, no vape device was recovered following the incident.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Parents are urged to talk with their children about the dangers of using vapes with THC which contain potentially harmful and mind-altering components.” – Charles County Sheriff’s Office
🎯 IMPACT: The Thomas Stone High School case is just the latest in a string of recent incidents in the area involving middle and high school students who were caught with THC vapes. The Charles County Sheriff’s Office reports that, on April 20, a THC vape was seized from a 14-year-old at Mattawoman Middle School. Two days earlier, on April 16, a THC vape was recovered from a 13-year-old at Piccowaxen Middle School. And on April 15, a 14-year-old at Davis Middle School was found in possession of a THC vape.
📺 FLASHBACK: In March, police in Smithfield, North Carolina, caught four out of ten vape stores they investigated selling to children. Similar problems have been observed on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, with vape shop owners and clerks in Britain not only selling to minors but also using the premises to groom and rape underage girls. Some teenagers in Britain have suffered even worse health effects after vaping than the students at Thomas Stone High School, with one 18-year-old in Norfolk, England, falling into a life-threatening coma after she shared a vape.

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A 16-year-old student at Thomas Stone High School in Maryland was hospitalized after using a THC-laced vape, reinforcing growing concerns about vape use among minors.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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17 hours ago
Media
News

CBS Has Fired Its London Editor for Not Being Sufficiently Pro-Israel.

The ouster of CBS News London Bureau Chief Claire Day follows internal disputes over reporting on Israel, with a new foreign editor set to oversee international coverage.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: CBS News London Bureau Chief Claire Day is leaving her position following internal tensions over the network’s coverage of Israel, particularly with respect to the wars it has been fighting in Gaza and Iran. CBS is introducing a new foreign editor role, with Shayndi Raice, formerly of The Wall Street Journal, set to take over international coverage starting May 11. A CBS source complained that Day’s replacement “has no previous television experience and very little managerial experience—certainly on the scale required.”
📺 DETAIL: Insiders report that Day, who has worked at CBS News for two decades, had been “pushing back on calls” against editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, an avowed Zionist, over perceived biases in reporting on Israel and the Middle East. Day reportedly advocated for balanced coverage, while a cameraman and editor in contact with Weiss accused Day of running the bureau in London like a “Hamas cell.” An internal investigation cleared Day of bias allegations.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Claire has been the most committed soldier to CBS News for nearly a quarter of a century… For Bari and [CBS News President] Tom [Cibrowski] to discard her because she failed some undefined purity test is appalling.” – CBS insider.
🎯 IMPACT: The leadership change signals a shift in CBS News’ approach to international reporting, raising questions about editorial independence on the subject of Israel and its military actions in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and other states and territories in the region.
📺 FLASHBACK: In March, Weiss and Cibrowski announced major layoffs at CBS, including the shutdown of its radio division after almost a century of operation. “It’s no secret that the news business is changing radically, and that we need to change along with it,” the pair stated in a joint memo.

Image by Studio Sarah Lou.

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The ouster of CBS News London Bureau Chief Claire Day follows internal disputes over reporting on Israel, with a new foreign editor set to oversee international coverage.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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18 hours ago
Immigration
UK
War

The Iranian Embassy in London is Recruiting Expats for a Martyrdom Campaign.

The Iranian Embassy in London, England, encouraged expatriates to register for a martyrdom campaign in a post on its Telegram channel.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Iranian Embassy in London posted a message on its Telegram channel calling on Iranian expatriates in the United Kingdom to join a “Sacrificing Life for the Homeland” campaign. The post called on “the children of Iran” to give their lives in battle against “the enemy”.
📺 DETAIL: Posted on the Embassy’s Telegram channel on April 15, the message calls on the “brave and distinguished children of Iran” to register for the campaign to demonstrate that “their hearts are bound to the dignity and greatness of their homeland.” The post concludes with a verse from The Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), the national epic poem of Greater Iran, reading: “Let us all, one and all, give our lives in battle. Rather than surrender our country to the enemy.” The message gained hundreds of reactions. The Telegram channel where the message was posted dates back to August 2021 and is linked on the Embassy’s official website.
🎯 IMPACT: The campaign raises concerns about terrorist sleeper cells and the potential for the radicalization of migrant communities in Britain and the wider West by Tehran.
📺FLASHBACK: In March, thousands of demonstrators gathered in London in support of the Iranian regime. Despite Britain not taking part in the strikes against Iran, the war is having an impact in Britain, with a knife-wielding illegal immigrant attempting to break into the Israeli Embassy in London in April, in what prosecutors described as an attempted terror attack.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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The Iranian Embassy in London, England, encouraged expatriates to register for a martyrdom campaign in a post on its Telegram channel.

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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18 hours ago
Health
News

MAHA vs Trump Admin: SCOTUS Protests After EPA Caves to Big Pharma.

A group of Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) activists protested in front of the Supreme Court over a case involving the biotech and pharma giant Bayer and its use of the pesticide glyphosate, which critics have linked to cancer, despite the Trump administration siding with Bayer.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) advocates protested outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments on Bayer’s liability for not warning consumers about potential cancer risks regarding its pesticide Roundup, which contains glyphosate.
📰 DETAIL: The Trump administration is backing Bayer, arguing that federal regulations should preempt such claims because the company follows approved labeling standards. The protest is being led in part by activist Vani Hari, known as “The Food Babe,” who has previously organized campaigns against food additives. The case has drawn national attention because it could limit individuals’ ability to sue over alleged cancer risks linked to pesticides. Polling shows broad bipartisan concern about pesticide safety and opposition to shielding companies from liability in cancer-related cases. Activists argue the administration’s stance conflicts with its Make America Healthy Again agenda, while Bayer maintains its product is safe and compliant with federal guidelines. Hari has previously criticized President Donald J. Trump for signing an executive order in February that granted national security protection to Roundup. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leader in the MAHA movement, has expressed concerns over glyphosate in the past. The outcome of the case could have significant legal and political implications, including potential effects on voter sentiment ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We wouldn’t be doing this if the Trump administration just stayed out of things and hadn’t gotten involved. They did in such a way that ran counter to our movement… we have to do something.” – Vani Hari
🎯 IMPACT: The outcome of the case could influence public health and voter turnout in the 2026 midterm elections, particularly among MAHA women who prioritize health issues. A conflict between the MAHA movement and the Trump administration could fracture the broad political alliance that helped Trump win in 2024.

Image by Joe Ravi.

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A group of Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) activists protested in front of the Supreme Court over a case involving the biotech and pharma giant Bayer and its use of the pesticide glyphosate, which critics have linked to cancer, despite the Trump administration siding with Bayer.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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19 hours ago
News

DOJ Outlines Assassination Attempt Against President Trump After Suspect Formally Charged.

California teacher Cole Allen has been formally charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) held a press conference following Cole Tomas Allen’s first appearance in federal court on Monday, where he was charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
📰 DETAIL: Allen allegedly traveled from California to Washington, D.C., with a pump-action shotgun, a handgun, and three knives, intending to carry out a political assassination. He had made a hotel reservation for three nights and checked into the Hilton on Friday. A note found at his home expressed anger towards the Trump administration. He traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago on April 1 and from Chicago to Washington, D.C. on April 24th, before checking into the Washington Hilton.
🎯 IMPACT: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, joined by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, confirmed at the press conference that Allen faces a count of attempted assassination of the President of the United States, punishable by up to life imprisonment, interstate transportation of a firearm to commit a felony, punishable by up to ten years in prison, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, punishable by up to life and a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro confirmed additional charges will follow.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “At approximately 8.40 PM, on the night of April 25th, Allen approached the security checkpoint on the terraced level of the hotel, a floor above where the dinner was taking place. He ran through the magnetometer holding a long gun. As he did so, U.S. Security Service personnel assigned to the checkpoint heard a loud gunshot. One Secret Service officer was shot in the chest, but was wearing a ballistic vest that worked. This heroic officer who was hit fired five times at Allen, who was not shot but fell to the ground and was promptly arrested.” – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche

This story is developing…

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California teacher Cole Allen has been formally charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

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By Popular Demand.
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20 hours ago
Politics

New Plan Could Claw Back 4 GOP Seats After Virginia Referendum Defeat.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has introduced a redistricting proposal reflecting the state’s population growth, which could allow Republicans to gain four additional seats in the November midterms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has unveiled a new congressional map that could give Republicans four additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The map reflects Florida’s population growth and demographic shifts, with the governor emphasizing that it ensures fair representation for the state. This follows the GOP losing referendum on redistricting that will favor the Democrats in Virginia.
📺 DETAIL: The proposal, shared on Monday ahead of a special legislative session to consider redistricting, would reshape multiple districts in a way that favors GOP candidates. DeSantis argues the proposed reforms are justified by the state’s population growth and issues with prior census data. Democrats complain the plan amounts to partisan gerrymandering and have threatened legal challenges, noting Florida’s constitution prohibits maps from being drawn to benefit a political party. Notably, DeSantis’s effort follows a Democrat-led redistricting push in Virginia, which is likely to hand Democrats several additional House seats. If approved by Florida lawmakers, DeSantis’s map could significantly influence the balance of power in Congress, although it will face legal challenges.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since.” – Ron DeSantis.
🎯 IMPACT: The new map could solidify Republican dominance in Florida, where the GOP already holds a 1.5 million voter registration advantage, and balance out the Democrats’ redistricting push in Virginia, which is likely to hand them four additional seats.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has introduced a redistricting proposal reflecting the state's population growth, which could allow Republicans to gain four additional seats in the November midterms.

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By Popular Demand.
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20 hours ago
NatSec
News

White House Blames Left-Wing ‘Cult of Hatred’ for Third Trump Assassination Attempt, Demands Dems Fund DHS.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Democrats and media figures for inspiring political violence following a third assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump, and demanded Congress fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the Saturday assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump at a Monday press conference, calling out the “hateful and constant and violent rhetoric directed at President Trump day after day after day for 11 years [that] has helped to legitimize this violence and bring us to this dark moment.”
📰 DETAIL: Leavitt stressed, “This political violence stems from a systemic demonization of [Trump] and his supporters by commentators [and] yes, by elected members of the Democrat Party, and even some in the media.” The White House Press Secretary, who was present during the assassination attempt during the White House Correspondents’ Assocation (WHCA) dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel, singled out Late Night host Jimmy Kimmel for particular criticism, citing recent remarks he made describing First Lady Melania Trump as “glowing” as an “expectant widow.” She also pushed congressional Democrats to stop blocking funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which includes the Secret Service. “Make no mistake, this defunding of DHS should be a national scandal. If Republicans defunded DHS and we saw another attempted assassination on a Democrat president, I would hope that the media coverage would be relentless and unforgiving,” she said, adding: “There should be no further debate about this; Democrats need to do what President Trump has been calling on them to do for 73 days in a row and fund the Department of Homeland Security, period. This is a national emergency, and every member of Congress needs to put their country over party and get the Department of Homeland Security funded.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The left-wing cult of hatred against the President and all of those who support him and work for him has gotten multiple people hurt and killed, and it almost did so again this weekend.” – Karoline Leavitt
🎯 IMPACT: The record third assassination attempt against President Trump has also seen the Department of Justice (DOJ) redouble its efforts to dismiss a lawsuit against a planned White House ballroom championed by Trump, which it argues will provide a more secure venue for major events such as the WHCA dinner.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized Democrats and media figures for inspiring political violence following a third assassination attempt against President Donald J. Trump, and demanded Congress fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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By Popular Demand.
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21 hours ago
Economy
News

State Ballot Wealth Tax Amasses Enough Signatures.

Supporters of a proposed one-time tax on California billionaires say they have gathered enough signatures for the measure, opposed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D), to go to a public vote in November.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Proponents of a one-time five percent tax on billionaires in California claim they have gathered enough signatures to put the measure on a state ballot in November. The proposed tax would target businesses, stocks, and intellectual property, among other assets.
📺 DETAIL: On Monday, supporters of the billionaire tax announced that the measure has gained 1.6 million signatures of endorsement, enough for the measure to be placed on the state ballot, provided they can be verified. The proposal is sponsored by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, a trade union representing roughly two million workers across healthcare, property services, and public services. Supporters claim the revenue raised from the proposed tax could be used to fund healthcare for low-income residents. Governor of California Gavin Newsom (D) has announced his opposition to the measure, citing economic concerns, such as a potential exodus of billionaires from the state. Newsom’s position has divided the left, with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) among those endorsing the tax.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This is not how I wanted to spend my last year.” – Gavin Newsom, January 2026
🎯 IMPACT: If Newsom decides to run for President in 2028, it is likely that his opposition to the measure, which is popular with grassroots Democrats and the left more broadly, will become a source of criticism. Newsom’s second term as Governor is scheduled to end in January 2027, with Trump-backed Republican candidate Steve Hilton currently leading in the packed race to replace him.
👀 IRONY: While proponents argue the billionaire tax will generate revenue to fund healthcare and welfare programs, the tax could do the opposite by incentivizing billionaires to leave the state, resulting in less tax revenue overall and fewer services for low-income Californians.

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Supporters of a proposed one-time tax on California billionaires say they have gathered enough signatures for the measure, opposed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D), to go to a public vote in November.

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By Popular Demand.
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