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February 12, 2025
William Upton
Politics

Neocons Clutch Pearls as DOGE Sets Sights on Globalist National Endowment for Democracy.

Neoconservative advocates of global “democracy” promotion are up in arms over the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) move to freeze funds for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Eli Lake, writing in Bari Weiss’s The Free Press, contends that “NED, a key U.S. instrument for supporting grassroots freedom movements around the world, is under siege from Elon Musk’s DOGE.”

According to Lake, the DOGE-initiated funding freeze has “crippled the organization.” The neoconservative writer goes on to assert: “NED’s dismantling would be far more than a cost-cutting measure. It would symbolize a major change in U.S. foreign policy, undercutting the notion that democratic ideals foster U.S. global strength and influence.”

In halting NED’s funding, Lake argues, “…the Trump administration would be signaling that it no longer believes that promoting democracy around the globe is in the national interest.”

Lake’s essay was echoed on X (formerly Twitter) by The Free Press founder Bari Weiss, prompting a snarky response from DOGE chief Elon Musk. “What did NED get done last week?” Musk wrote in a reply to Weiss.

Established in 1983 during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the NED is a supposedly independent nonprofit that claims to be dedicated to bolstering democratic institutions worldwide. It allocates over 2,000 grants annually for nongovernmental group initiatives across more than 100 countries, primarily funded by U.S. government allocations through Congress.

Many allege it squanders funds on undermining conservative governments in allied nations such as Hungary while boosting leftist media and politicians. Similar allegations have been leveled against the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with President Trump moving to essentially abolish the agency last week.

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6 hours ago
News

The CEO of OpenAI Is Backing Trump’s Stargate.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised President Donald J. Trump’s $500 billion artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure project, Stargate, highlighting the administration’s focus on rapid development and data center construction.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sam Altman, President Trump, OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and Republican lawmakers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Stargate project was announced in January, with a major data center currently under construction in Abilene, Texas. Altman spoke at a recent tech conference in Manhattan.

💬KEY QUOTE: “President Trump has been very good, very clear about the need for policy to let people build data centers and power quickly.” – Sam Altman

🎯IMPACT: The Stargate project has attracted $100 billion in investments from major corporations and is reshaping AI infrastructure development in the U.S.

IN FULL

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has openly praised President Donald J. Trump‘s ambitious $500 billion artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure project, Stargate. The initiative, which was unveiled in January, has already drawn $100 billion in investments from companies such as OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle. These funds are being directed toward the construction of massive data centers designed to support energy-intensive AI models.

Speaking at a tech conference in Manhattan, Altman highlighted the Trump administration’s commitment to expediting the development of such infrastructure. “President Trump has been very good, very clear about the need for policy to let people build data centers and power quickly,” Altman said. He also praised the speed of construction at an Abilene, Texas, data center being built as part of the Stargate project, calling it “extraordinary.”

Trump’s administration has actively supported the AI industry, including signing an executive order in January revoking Biden-era AI policies to eliminate “barriers to American leadership” in the field. Republican lawmakers have also included provisions in the pending Budget Reconciliation Bill to prevent states from introducing stifling AI regulations.

Altman, who appeared with Trump at the White House during the Stargate announcement, has expressed his admiration for the America First leader’s approach. “Watching POTUS more carefully recently has really changed my perspective on him,” he wrote at the time. “I’m not going to agree with him on everything, but I think he will be incredible for the country in many ways!”

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By Popular Demand.
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6 hours ago
Lauren Gallagher
Crime
Immigration

These Democrats Have All Been Arrested for Interfering With Federal Immigration Enforcement.

PULSE POINTS

❓What Happened: Multiple elected Democrats have been arrested or charged with crimes tied to obstructing federal immigration enforcement across several U.S. cities and courtrooms.

👤Who’s Involved: Sen. Alex Padilla, Rep. LaMonica McIver, Mayor Ras Baraka, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Judge Hannah Dugan, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials.

📍When & Where: Arrests occurred between April and June 2025 in California, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin.

🎯Impact: The arrests highlight growing federal-local tensions over immigration enforcement and raise legal questions for several prominent Democratic figures ahead of 2026.

IN FULL

A growing number of Democrats, including elected officials, have now been arrested or charged with obstruction of justice and other crimes. The cases reflect mounting tensions between federal immigration enforcement and Democrats, particularly in sanctuary cities and states that have long resisted cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) was handcuffed by federal agents for interrupting a news conference. The conference was held by Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, in a federal building in West Los Angeles on June 12, 2025. Noem was addressing recent pro-illegal immigrant riots in Los Angeles when Padilla abruptly stood up and approached, shouting, “I have questions for the secretary!” before being confronted by Secret Service agents. Video footage shows the senator struggling with multiple agents before being dragged from the room and ultimately pinned to the ground by federal agents and arrested.

Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller and a Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, by federal agents at an immigration courthouse in Lower Manhattan. He was holding onto an illegal alien whom federal agents were seeking to arrest and demanding to see a warrant. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman said that Lander had assaulted and impeded a law enforcement officer. He has yet to face any formal charges.

“You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens,” Mr. Lander insists repeatedly in video footage of the incident. “I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant.” However, immigration lawyers say agents do not require judicial warrants to make arrests in immigration courts because they’re public spaces.

Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of Newark, was arrested at a disorderly protest outside an ICE detention center. Additionally, three Congress members with Baraka were detained at the scene on May 9, 2025. Baraka was taken to a separate federal ICE detention facility in Newark and charged with trespassing. Five hours later, he was released. Tricia McLaughlin, for the DHS, called the episode a “bizarre political stunt” in a social media post. She shared video footage from the arrest, stating, “The mayor has been informed that he is more than welcome to enter the facility, as long as he follows security protocols like everyone else.”

New Jersey Representative LaMonica R. McIver was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly assaulting two federal agents while trying to block the arrest of Newark Mayor Ra J. Baraka outside the Delaney Hall federal immigration detention center on May 9. Robert Tansey, a special agent with the DHS, said that McIver tried to use her body to prevent the mayor’s arrest, “slammed her forearm” into an agent, and “tried to restrain” him by “forcibly grabbing him.” If convicted, McIver faces up to a maximum of eight years for the two obstruction counts and one year for the third count.

Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan, who is officially nonpartisan, has been charged in federal court with felony obstruction of justice and misdemeanor concealment after allegedly helping a man avoid arrest by U.S. immigration authorities in April 2025. According to federal prosecutors, Dugan escorted Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, 31, and his lawyer out of her courtroom through a back door on April 18, 2025, after learning of U.S. ICE agents in the courthouse seeking to arrest Flores-Ruiz for being in the country illegally. Dugan could face up to six years in prison and a $350,000 fine if convicted. She has pleaded not guilty, and her trial has been postponed. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended the judge, saying it is in the public interest to temporarily relieve her of her duties as she faces federal charges.

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By Popular Demand.
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7 hours ago
Health
News

Leftist Politician Proposes Denying Organ Donations to Populists.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Green Party councilor in Weißenhorn, Germany, conducted a controversial survey about organ donation and political affiliation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Green Party councilor Julia Probst and nearly 4,000 survey participants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Weißenhorn, Germany, recently on the social media platform X.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The wording of the question is very confusing to me? Do I have left-wing or right-wing blood?” – Anonymous user.

🎯IMPACT: The survey faced backlash, and Probst has since locked her X account. Organ donation laws are supposed to prohibit discrimination based on political views.

IN FULL

Julia Probst, a Green Party councilor from Weißenhorn, Germany, created a social media survey asking her followers if they would agree to donate an organ to a voter from the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The survey, which received nearly 4,000 responses, revealed that 76 percent of participants would donate, while about a quarter said they would not.

The post sparked significant criticism, with many accusing Probst of politicizing organ donation. One user, identifying as an “AfD opponent,” stated, “As a first responder, I first help a person and not a ‘party affiliation.’” They also questioned the phrasing of the survey, asking, “Do I have left-wing or right-wing blood?”

Even users who supported the Green Party expressed disapproval of the survey, emphasizing that organ donation should not be linked to politics. Following the backlash, Probst locked her X account, limiting access to her posts.

Legally, organ donation in Germany is regulated by the Eurotransplant agency, which bases decisions on factors such as tissue compatibility, waiting times, and urgency. Political affiliation is not supposed to be a factor in these decisions. Even if a donor expressed a preference to exclude certain recipients, such a request should be disregarded under the law.

This incident comes amid growing concerns about the intersection of politics and medical treatment in Germany. In a separate case, a doctor reportedly refused to treat an AfD politician who had been his patient for years.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people in certain countries, like Canada, were denied organ transplants based on their vaccination status. Medical professionals denied an Alberta woman who needed a life-saving organ transplant. She attempted to take her case to the Canadian Supreme Court, which refused to hear her. She died in August 2023.

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By Popular Demand.
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8 hours ago
The National Pulse
News

INVESTIGATION: Woke Wall Street Firms Score MILLIONS in Taxpayer Pension Contracts.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Major ESG-linked asset managers received tens of millions in federal contracts from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation during the Biden era.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Wellington Management, Neuberger Berman, Allspring Global Investments, the PBGC, and various Biden-era advisory committees.

📍WHEN & WHERE: 2016–2026; Washington, D.C.; contracts accessed via USAspending.gov.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our north star is the belief that material ESG issues can affect the long-term value of assets we invest in.” – Wellington Management

🎯IMPACT: U.S. taxpayer dollars continue subsidizing ESG-aligned firms advancing progressive climate and diversity agendas within federal financial systems.

IN FULL

An investigation by The National Pulse has revealed that global asset management firms with extensive ties to left-wing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) networks received tens of millions of taxpayer dollars in contracts from the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) under the Biden government. These funds have primarily gone to firms like Wellington Management, Neuberger Berman, and Allspring Global—each deeply embedded in climate and diversity advocacy groups.

Wellington Management, managing over $1 trillion in client assets, was awarded over $114 million in federal contracts and maintains affiliations with other leftist entities like Ceres, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), and other ESG institutions. Wellington executives also sit on Biden-era federal advisory boards within the Treasury and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the firm champions DEI programs through partnerships like Pride+, Black Opportunity Fund, and Shades.

Understanding such networks and how taxpayer cash is funneled to them is critical to Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-style efforts and assessing how left-wing corporate and media echo chambers function.

Neuberger Berman, managing $508 billion, was granted over $24 million by the PBGC and has used its leverage to pressure corporations, including Costco and Coterra Energy, into publishing climate disclosures and cutting emissions. It partners with groups like the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative and maintains ties to the Chinese market through its Shanghai and Hong Kong offices, recently launching onshore investment products targeted at Chinese retail investors.

Allspring Global Investments, which advises over $600 billion, received $22.2 million in federal funds and has aggressively lobbied firms like Dominion Energy and Xcel Energy to phase out coal operations and hit net-zero emissions by 2030. Since 2021, Allspring’s ESG engagement has tripled, supported by its own DEI framework and eight dedicated employee groups focused on identity-based representation.

PBGC, the agency disbursing these funds, was originally created to protect private-sector pensions, not bankroll ESG-aligned Wall Street firms. Under Biden’s Treasury, its leadership was advised by the Climate-related Financial Risk Advisory Committee (CFRAC), a highly partisan panel that even included Wellington’s Head of Sustainable Investment.

This growing federal–ESG alliance threatens to continue redirecting public funds toward private ideological missions without public consent or oversight.

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By Popular Demand.
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9 hours ago
Crime
News

Antifa Arson Campaign Targets Amazon.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Specialist police are investigating after dozens of Amazon and Deutsche Telekom trucks were set ablaze in Berlin, Germany, with an ultra-left group claiming responsibility for the attacks.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Berlin fire brigade, state security services, and an anonymous group using the Antifa-linked left-extremist platform Indymedia.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The fires occurred early Tuesday morning in the Lichtenberg and Britz neighborhoods of Berlin.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Both companies profit immensely from global militarization and the escalating wars.” – Anonymous ‘Antimilitarist’ author

🎯IMPACT: The attacks are part of a broader, years-long campaign by radical leftists targeting infrastructure to undermine public confidence in Western systems.

IN FULL

Specialist police are investigating after an ultra-left group claimed responsibility for the burning of dozens of Amazon and Deutsche Telekom trucks in Berlin this week. The Berlin fire brigade deployed 100 firemen to tackle the blazes in the Lichtenberg and Britz neighborhoods early Tuesday morning, where large numbers of vehicles were destroyed.

The fires started simultaneously at the two locations, miles apart, and were already well-established when emergency services arrived. In total, 19 Amazon delivery vans and 17 Deutsche Telekom vans were destroyed. Five additional vehicles were damaged by flames at the Amazon compound, according to Tageschau. The attacks coincided with Amazon celebrating the opening of its new Berlin headquarters, the city’s tallest office tower.

A letter published on the Antifa-linked left-extremist platform Indymedia claimed responsibility for the incidents. The anonymous author alleged both Amazon and Deutsche Telekom are “legitimate targets” due to their connections with Israel and Germany‘s security services. The statement claimed, “Amazon’s servers and cloud services are used by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to store the vast amounts of data obtained from mass surveillance of the Palestinian population.”

The letter also condemned Deutsche Telekom, asserting it supports “border authorities, police, and intelligence services” and criticized its collaboration with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which the group accused of aiding military operations in Ukraine and Israel. The group called for further attacks against infrastructure systems that allegedly sustain “fascism” and “imperialism.”

These attacks are part of an ongoing campaign by leftist extremists targeting critical infrastructure across Europe. Similar incidents have occurred in recent years, including sabotaging railway systems, power lines, and communication networks in Germany, France, and Italy.

Image by Oompje.

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By Popular Demand.
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9 hours ago
Christopher Tomlinson
War
World

Israel Is Running Out of Interceptors to Stop Iranian Missiles.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: At least one U.S. official believes Israel is running low on medium-range missile interceptors as Iran continues strikes.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Israel, Iran, and a U.S. official cited by The Wall Street Journal.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The report was published on June 18.

🎯IMPACT: Israel running low on interceptors and becoming vulnerable to Iranian strikes could prompt the United States to become directly involved in the conflict.

IN FULL

At least one U.S. official believes that Israel is running out of medium-range ballistic missile interceptors as the Iranian regime continues to attack cities across the country. A report by The Wall Street Journal claims that the U.S. has been aware of Israel’s situation for several months, has helped augment the country’s defence, and has moved significant missile assets to the Middle East.

Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, stated that neither Israel nor the United States has the capacity to intercept missiles indefinitely. “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste to do whatever needs to be done, because we cannot afford to sit and play catch,” he said.

The shortages largely revolve around Israel’s Arrow missile systems, which are powerful enough to intercept missiles from Iranian or Yemeni airspace. The more famous Iron Dome system is equipped mainly to shoot down drones and smaller rockets.

President Donald J. Trump is reportedly considering involving the United States directly in the conflict between Iran and Israel. On June 17, President Trump said, “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” and indicated that the U.S. knew the location of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin,” Trump warned.

Trump said Wednesday that the Iranian regime has reached out to the United States to negotiate.

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By Popular Demand.
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10 hours ago
Crime

Someone Broke Into Assassinated Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman’s Home.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A break-in occurred at the home of the late Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman just three days after she and her husband were killed in an apparently politically motivated attack.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The late Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were victims of a fatal attack. Suspect Vance Luther Boelter is in custody; the person or persons who broke into the Hortmans’ home are currently unknown.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The break-in occurred overnight on June 17, 2025, at the Hortman residence in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The home appeared to have been searched by an unknown individual; however, the family has indicated that they don’t believe anything is missing,” Brooklyn Park Police stated.

🎯IMPACT: The incident has heightened concerns about the safety of public officials and their families following politically motivated violence.

IN FULL

The home of slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman (D) was broken into on Tuesday evening, prompting law enforcement to establish a security perimeter around the residence. The break-in occurred just three days after Hortman, the former Speaker of the Minnesota state House of Representatives, and her husband, Mark, were murdered by Vance Luther Boelter, a former appointee of Governor Tim Walz (D-MN).

“At 8:00 AM, Brooklyn Park Police were alerted to an overnight break-in at the residence of late State Representative Melissa Hortman,” police stated. “It was discovered that the plywood covering the rear window of the home had been pried off and the window broken to gain entry.”

“The home appeared to have been searched by an unknown individual; however, the family has indicated that they don’t believe anything is missing,” the police statement continued, emphasizing that “all evidence related to the homicides had been collected” before the burglary.

The fact that the home had been searched by an unknown person or persons has renewed speculation among the public that Boelter, 57, may not have acted alone. A former state board appointee of Gov. Walz, Boelter visited the homes of at least four Minnesota lawmakers in the early hours of June 14, disguised as a law enforcement officer. Hortman and her husband were shot and killed, while State Senator John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, were both critically wounded in another shooting. The other two lawmakers, whose identities have not been made public, were not at home when Boelter arrived.

Law enforcement apprehended Boelter late Sunday night, following what officials described as the largest manhunt in Minnesota’s history. He now faces both state and federal charges, some of which could carry the death penalty if he is convicted.

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By Popular Demand.
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11 hours ago
Politics

Biden Will Emerge for ‘Juneteenth’ Celebration.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former President Joe Biden is set to attend a Juneteenth celebration in Galveston, Texas.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Joe Biden and attendees of the Juneteenth event at Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday at the Reedy Chapel AME Church in Galveston, Texas.

🎯IMPACT: The event marks a rare public appearance for Biden in 2025, following news he has been diagnosed with cancer and mounting evidence that former White House staff hid the octogenarian Democrat’s cognitive and physical decline from the public in office.

IN FULL

Former President Joe Biden will attend a Juneteenth celebration at the Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Galveston, Texas, on Thursday, June 19. The church, the first and oldest operating AME church in Texas, holds historical significance, as it was allegedly one of the locations where the order announcing the end of slavery in Texas was delivered on June 19, 1865.

The Juneteenth event marks a rare public appearance for the 82-year-old Democrat, who was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer earlier this year. Additionally, evidence continues to mount that Biden’s White House staff worked to conceal the octogenarian Democrat’s cognitive and physical decline from the American public.

Notably, Biden signed legislation in 2021 establishing Juneteenth—once predominantly just a holiday in Texas—as a federal holiday. The holiday ostensibly marks the date when Major General Gordon Granger moved to enforce former President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in Texas upon the end of the American Civil War. Lincoln had actually signed the proclamation ending slavery two years earlier, and the order had already been enforced in other states as Union soldiers captured Confederate territory.

The church Biden will attend is, according to Galveston, Texas historians, the same church where Maj. Gen. Granger read and moved to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. However, there is actually scant evidence that Granger visited the church himself or even read Lincoln’s order aloud.

What is documented is that Union soldiers posted the proclamation at a number of public buildings around Galveston, including what is described as the “Negro Church on Broadway” which is believed to now be the Reedy Chapel AME Church.

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By Popular Demand.
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11 hours ago
War

The U.S. Is Sending More Warships Towards Israel.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, is set to be deployed to the Mediterranean amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The USS Gerald R. Ford, U.S. Navy, and other American military personnel.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Deployment expected next week to the Mediterranean Sea, joining other U.S. carriers in the region.

🎯IMPACT: The deployment signals a heightened U.S. military presence in response to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

IN FULL

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy’s largest and newest aircraft carrier, is set to be deployed to the Mediterranean. This move—which relocates a significant U.S. military asset—comes as tensions between Israel, located on the Mediterranean coast, and Iran escalate, with mutual airstrikes ongoing.

The $13 billion nuclear-powered carrier, which spans 1,100 feet, is expected to leave for Europe as early as next week. This will make it the third U.S. aircraft carrier group in the area, joining the USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf and the USS Nimitz, which was sent from Southeast Asia earlier this week.

The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford was reportedly scheduled last year, but its arrival in the Mediterranean will still be viewed as a significant response to the rising tensions in the region. The carrier is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and serves as the flagship of America’s naval fleet.

In addition to the carrier group, other U.S. warships have departed from a naval base in Bahrain, and aerial refueling tankers have been sent to the region, the latter likely towing a number of Air Force warplanes. These movements come amid reports of increased military activity following Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejecting calls for unconditional surrender.

Image via NATO.

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12 hours ago
NatSec
News

Fetterman Joins With GOP Senator to Fight CCP Takeover of America’s Farms.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Republican Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Democrat Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) introduced the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act to enhance oversight of foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senators Pete Ricketts, John Fetterman, Tommy Tuberville, John Cornyn, Roger Wicker, and Rep. Don Bacon, alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The bipartisan bill has been introduced amidst growing concerns over foreign land ownership and national security.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Communist China is our greatest geopolitical threat. This is a way for us to improve the disclosure that’s going on with regard to the purchase of this agricultural land, so we can take other action if necessary.” — Sen. Pete Ricketts.

🎯IMPACT: The bill seeks to increase transparency, protect sensitive U.S. military installations, and safeguard the nation’s food supply from foreign adversaries like China.

IN FULL

A bipartisan effort led by Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) aims to strengthen oversight of foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act seeks to implement recommendations from a January 2024 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report highlighting the shortcomings of the current AFIDA framework in combating foreign land acquisitions.

“Communist China is our greatest geopolitical threat,” Ricketts said, emphasizing the need for increased disclosure and action to prevent China’s purchase of American agricultural land. The bill’s introduction coincides with the arrest of two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling biological materials, including a dangerous crop-destroying fungus, into the U.S., which authorities described as a potential agroterrorism weapon.

Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Protecting America’s food supply and national security remains a top priority. Last week’s smuggling attempt by Chinese nationals of Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous crop-destroying fungus, poses a significant bioterrorism threat.”

The bill also addresses concerns over Chinese ownership of farmland near sensitive military installations, such as Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. Between 2010 and 2021, Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland increased significantly, according to the USDA. Ricketts warned, “American farmland should not be a tool that our adversaries, like Communist China, can use to attack us from inside our own country.”

This follows news of debilitating attacks being carried out by Ukrainian and Israeli drones in Russia and Iran after earlier infiltrations, raising concerns that the U.S. could face similar attacks out of Chinese-owned farms near American military installations.

The AFIDA Improvements Act proposes enhanced reporting requirements, updates to the AFIDA handbook, and the establishment of an online system for tracking foreign investments. Co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Tommy Tuberville, John Cornyn, Roger Wicker, and Rep. Don Bacon. “We are at the most dangerous point in our history right now since World War II,” Ricketts said, urging vigilance in protecting national security.

Image by Tom Wolf.

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