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Thursday, May 15, 2025

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8 hours ago
William Upton
Economy
News

U.S. Economy Showing Signs of Deflation, Not Inflation.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: U.S. wholesale prices unexpectedly dropped in April, marking the first decline in over a year. Additionally, retail sales data released by the Department of Commerce show sales slowing in April. The numbers are further evidence that America is experiencing deflation, not inflation.

👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. Labor Department, U.S. Department of Commerce, President Donald J. Trump, and American consumers.

📍 Where & When: United States, with the data released on May 15, 2025, reflecting economic transactions from April 2025.

⚠️ Impact: The producer price index saw its largest drop in five years, and retail sales slowed, suggesting that the U.S. could be entering a deflationary cycle. The data could finally push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.

IN FULL:

New data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce suggests that the American economy is experiencing deflation, despite President Donald J. Trump’s detractors insisting his tariffs would cause a spike in inflation. Consumer retail spending dropped in April, partly because consumers frontloaded purchases ahead of President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs taking effect. However, the slowdown in retail purchases also suggests that there is ongoing downward pressure on demand, giving strong support to the idea that inflation has subsided but has been replaced by deflation.

Retail sales in April rose by only 0.1 percent after a surge in purchases in March, where sales rose by 1.7 percent. The minor positive growth was almost entirely buoyed by restaurant and bar purchases, with retail, hobby, and miscellaneous stores all reporting negative growth of over one percent. Gasoline sales at stations fell by half a percent.

The deflation signals in the retail sales numbers are further backed by a surprising Producer Price Index (PPI) number from April. The PPI, which measures price changes before reaching consumers, dropped 0.5 percent compared to March, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department. This represents the largest monthly decrease since 2018.

Critics of President Trump’s tariffs predicted that the PPI would rise, fueled by higher tariff costs. This, they contended, would be a form of inflation. Notably, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has taken a similar line, suggesting that the Federal Reserve has been hesitant to cut interest rates as they believe the Trump tariffs to be inflationary in impact—which has so far proven to be incorrect.

By not cutting interest rates at the last two Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings, the Federal Reserve likely made a grave error and may need to resort to emergency measures to head off a deflationary spiral, which could portend an economic recession.

Since the start of 2025, President Trump has repeatedly called on Powell and his colleagues at the Federal Reserve to reduce rates.

Image by Rafael Saldana.

By Popular Demand.
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42 minutes ago
William Upton
Crime
Politics

Foreign Democrat Mega Donor Hit With Sexual Harassment Lawsuit.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Swiss billionaire and Democratic Party dark money mega donor Hansjorg Wyss has been hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit, alleging the 89-year-old subjected a 30-year-old employee to repeated sexual propositions, groping, and sexual exposure.

👥 Who’s Involved: Hansjorg Wyss, Madison Busby, and a network of dark money groups that advocate for progressive political policies and back Democratic Party candidates for office.

📍 Where & When: The lawsuit was filed on April 25, 2025, in the San Luis Obispo County, California Superior Court. Details emerged publicly on May 14, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Mr. Wyss told Ms. Busby how much he enjoyed having a threesome, even with another man,” the lawsuit alleges, adding: “He even suggested a ‘foursome’ and stated it would be ‘fun’ for the three of them and another woman by the name of ‘Lori.’”

⚠️ Impact: The lawsuit could sideline one of the Democratic Party’s most significant and influential dark money donors ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections.

IN FULL:

Hansjorg Wyss, an 89-year-old Swiss billionaire and Democratic Party mega donor, is the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a 30-year-old employee at one of his California wineries. In the legal filing, Madison Busby—an employee at Halter Ranch Winery—alleges Wyss subjected her to repeated sexual propositions, groped her, and exposed himself to her. Wyss’s political contributions to far-left advocacy groups and Democratic Party-aligned nonprofits have been the subject of controversy as he lacks both U.S. citizenship and permanent residency.

“Madison has suffered severe emotional distress from the harassment which took place over the course of many years, and also from lost wages and then future damages. She’s been harmed immensely,” Busby’s attorney, John Ly, said after the lawsuit‘s filing. Busby claims that after she rejected Wyss’s advances, the Swiss billionaire engaged in retaliation against her.

While not as publicly well-known as far-left Democrat donors like George Soros and Reid Hoffman, Wyss has quietly become one of the party’s most influential financiers over the last decade. Notably, Wyss is a major backer of the progressive political consulting firm Arabella Advisors‘s dark money network. In recent years, the Swiss billionaire contributed an estimated $162 million to Arabella’s key left-wing political money operations, Sixteen Thirty Fund and New Venture Fund.

Using a network of nonprofits and foundations that help conceal his political giving, Wyss has funnelled over $200 million in total to Democrat Party-aligned nonprofit advocacy groups, including the Center for American Progress, NewsGuard, and Priorities USA.

Notably, United States election laws bar noncitizens from contributing to federal candidates for office and political action committees (PACs). However, Wyss—a Swiss national who lacks American citizenship or permanent residency—circumvents these restrictions by contributing to outside political advocacy organizations that use donor money to help influence elections in favor of Democratic Party candidates.

According to the lawsuit, Wyss aggressively pursued the potential of group sex with Busby. “Mr. Wyss told Ms. Busby how much he enjoyed having a threesome, even with another man,” the filing states, adding: “He even suggested a ‘foursome’ and stated it would be ‘fun’ for the three of them and another woman by the name of ‘Lori.’” The lawsuit notes that in 2022, Wyss admitted to Busby that “if you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win.”

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By Popular Demand.
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1 hour ago
News

DOJ Redirects Trans, DEI Grants to Bolster Law Enforcement Funding.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reallocating funds previously designated for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and transgender initiatives to support law enforcement and crime prevention.

👥 Who’s Involved: Attorney General Pam Bondi, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, and the DOJ.

📍 Where & When: United States; decision follows a recent inquiry from Grassley about DOJ grant funding cuts.

💬 Key Quote: “The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi will not waste discretionary funds on DEI passion projects that do not make Americans safer,” a DOJ official stated.

⚠️ Impact: Funds will now focus on combating violent crime, aiding victims, and enhancing law enforcement coordination, while grants for DEI programs are terminated.

IN FULL:

The Department of Justice (DOJ), under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has announced a significant shift in funding priorities. Resources will be redirected away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) projects to focus on law enforcement and public safety initiatives.

The decision comes after Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley sought clarification regarding the DOJ’s recent move to cut $811 million in grant funding. Grassley’s inquiry prompted the DOJ to disclose that much of the affected funding had been awarded to non-governmental organizations rather than directly to state or local agencies serving communities.

According to a DOJ response, the funds will now be allocated toward efforts such as combating violent crime, protecting children, aiding victims of trafficking and sexual assault, and improving coordination among law enforcement agencies.

“The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi will not waste discretionary funds on DEI passion projects that do not make Americans safer,” a DOJ official said. “We will use our money to get criminals off the streets, seize drugs, and in some cases, fund programs that deliver a tangible impact for victims of crime.”

Under the former Biden-Harris government, the DOJ had awarded grants to organizations promoting DEI and LGBT-related initiatives. For instance, $200,000 was granted to the Diversity Center of Oklahoma for services targeting “Black and Brown women, including Black transgender women,” which included funding for so-called “gender affirming medical care.”

Another $700,000 was awarded to FORGE Inc. to address violent crimes against transgender individuals, with a particular emphasis on trans women and girls of color.

The move is just another part of President Donald J. Trump’s initiatives to scrap DEI policies and rein in wasteful spending. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order banning all DEI initiatives within the federal government.

Image by Steve Fernie.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
Corruption
Media

White House Fumes Over Don Jr’s Media Treatment.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Trump administration is reportedly considering a federal investigation into Axel Springer, the German parent company of POLITICO and Business Insider. The possible probe follows a thinly sourced story published by Business Insider suggesting that Donald Trump Jr.’s business interests could be akin to Hunter Biden’s corrupt political activities.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump White House, Donald Trump Jr., Business Insider journalist Bethany McLean, and Axel Springer.

📍 Where & When: The issue arose following a May 6 report by Business Insider, with rumors of a possible federal probe emerging between May 13 and 15.

💬 Key Quote: An unnamed White House adviser reportedly referred to Axel Springer as a “German influence operation” and suggested its reporting could be “illegal foreign political meddling.”

⚠️ Impact: The potential probe could place Axel Springer under federal scrutiny for its media activities in the U.S.

IN FULL:

The Trump White House is reportedly weighing a federal investigation into Axel Springer, the German media conglomerate that owns POLITICO and Business Insider. The move follows a recent report by Business Insider comparing Donald Trump Jr.’s business activities to Hunter Biden‘s alleged selling of White House access, involving his father, former President Joe Biden.

On May 6, journalist Bethany McLean published a piece in Business Insider titled “Don Jr. Is the New Hunter Biden.” The report highlighted Trump Jr.’s involvement with the venture capital firm 1789 Capital and quoted an anonymous source allegedly close to the Trump family claiming, “What they’re doing is selling access to the president via the back door.”

The comparison parallels Hunter Biden, who has faced scrutiny for years over his foreign business dealings and accusations of leveraging White House access during his father’s political career. Notably, other Biden family members, including Joe Biden’s brother, Jim Biden, faced similar allegations of political corruption.

Following the Business Insider story, reports emerged that the Trump White House is considering a federal probe of the media outlet’s foreign owner, Axel Springer. Speculation regarding the investigation has been further fueled by a story from Matthew Boyle of Breitbart News, which cites an unnamed White House adviser who described Axel Springer as a “German influence operation.” The adviser also suggested that the company’s activities might amount to “illegal foreign political meddling.”

Axel Springer’s media outlets, including POLITICO and Business Insider, are believed to have attracted the attention of senior administration officials. Notably, the German-based media conglomerate and its U.S.-based media properties could face scrutiny for potentially violating federal ethics norms.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
Immigration
NatSec

Texas Moves to Block Land Sales to Hostile Nations.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Texas House advanced Senate Bill 17, which restricts land sales to individuals and entities from specific foreign nations deemed national security threats. The legislation’s House and Senate versions will now be reconciled before receiving final votes for approval in the state House and Senate.

👥 Who’s Involved: Governor Greg Abbott (R), state Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R), state Representative Cole Hefner (R), and members of the Texas legislature.

📍 Where & When: Texas; preliminary approval in the House last week and reconciliation conferees appointed on May 14, with potential enactment on September 1, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “As Senate Bill 17 has moved through the legislative process, we have taken the utmost care not to reduce the ability to buy property for those who have fled oppressive regimes and want to build an American life here. As the bill currently stands, those individuals who come here lawfully and remain here lawfully still have that opportunity,” says Rep. Hefner.

⚠️ Impact: If passed, the bill would restrict property purchases by individuals and entities from nations deemed security threats, with exemptions for lawful permanent residents.

IN FULL:

The Texas House of Representatives has advanced Senate Bill 17, a measure aimed at restricting land purchases by individuals and entities from countries identified as national security threats. The bill, originally filed by Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R), has undergone significant amendments in the House before receiving preliminary approval in an 85-60 vote. Differences between the legislative text approved by the House and Senate will now be reconciled by conferees appointed by each chamber before the bill receives final votes of approval and heads to Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) to be signed into law.

If enacted, S.B. 17 would allow Gov. Abbott to determine which nations and entities will be deemed national security threats and face restrictions. Currently, the list includes China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, as designated by the United States National Director of Intelligence.

After moving from the Senate, where the legislation was approved along a 24-7 vote, the text of S.B. 17 underwent a series of changes through amendments in the House. These changes included narrowing an exemption for leased property. While the Senate version exempted leases of under 100 years, the House limited this to leases of one year or less. Additionally, lawmakers amended the bill to exempt lawful permanent residents from the restrictions.

“As Senate Bill 17 has moved through the legislative process, we have taken the utmost care not to reduce the ability to buy property for those who have fled oppressive regimes and want to build an American life here,” the bill’s House sponsor, Representative Cole Hefner (R), told the media. He added: “As the bill currently stands, those individuals who come here lawfully and remain here lawfully still have that opportunity.”

Texas Democrats have attempted to portray the legislation as an attempt to strip property rights from immigrants, with far-left state Rep. Gene Wu (D) claiming the bill’s supporters are motivated by “hate.” According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Chinese investors currently own less than on percent of all foreign-held acreage in the United States. Combined, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean investors own fewer than 3,000 acres.

If the reconciled text receives final approval in both legislative chambers, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025, applying to property purchases made after that date.

Image by Cory Doctorow.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
Immigration
Lawfare

Once Again, Amy Coney Barrett is Helping the Far-Left.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett sided with her liberal colleague, Justice Elena Kagan, and pressed Solicitor General John Sauer over the Trump White House’s position on whether there are instances when lower federal courts can issue nationwide actions blocking executive branch actions.

👥 Who’s Involved: Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Elena Kagan, Solicitor General John Sauer, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

📍 Where & When: U.S. Supreme Court, on Thursday, May 15, 2025, during oral arguments in a landmark birthright citizenship case.

💬 Key Quote: Justice Barrett asked Sauer, “Are you really going to answer Justice Kagan by saying there’s no way to do this expeditiously?”

⚠️ Impact: The case involves challenges to injunctions against President Donald J. Trump’s executive order on ending birthright citizenship, potentially affecting nationwide legal precedents.

IN FULL:

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett pressed Solicitor General John Sauer during oral arguments on Thursday as the Court reviewed a series of cases challenging injunctions against President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order aimed at ending birthright citizenship. The cases—Trump v. CASA, Trump v. Washington, and Trump v. New Jersey—center on whether nationwide injunctions issued by lower courts were appropriate in blocking the executive order.

The justices debated the procedural and legal frameworks surrounding the matter, with liberal Justice Elena Kagan questioning Sauer on how the Court could rule on the issue without allowing nationwide injunctions. Kagan, during the session, asked Sauer to assume the executive order was “dead wrong” and explain how the judiciary could address the matter efficiently: “And, you know, look, there are all kinds of abuses of nationwide injunctions, but I think that the question that this case presents is… it’s quite clear that the EO is illegal; how does one get to that result, in what time frame on your set of rules without the possibility of a nationwide injunction?”

“On this case and on many similar cases, the appropriate way to do it is for there to be multiple lower courts considering it, the appropriate percolation that goes to the lower courts, and then ultimately this court decides the merits in a nationwide binding precedent,” Sauer replied, arguing: “You have a complete inversion of that through the nationwide injunctions with a district court.”

At this point, Justice Barrett intervened and, in an exasperated tone, pressed Sauer: “Are you really going to answer Justice Kagan by saying there’s no way to do this expeditiously?” Barrett went on to push Sauer on whether forming a class of individual plaintiffs could resolve the matter more quickly. President Trump’s Solicitor General said that class certification could expedite the process, though he noted it had not been briefed in the lower courts.

Justice Barrett’s line of questioning marks the latest instance of the Trump-appointed jurist siding with the high court’s leftist faction over her more conservative colleagues. Notably, Barrett is among the bloc of justices that have upheld several injunctions against President Trump’s actions to remove illegal immigrants from the United States.

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
William Upton
Immigration
TECH

Data Shows American Workers Are Still Being Replaced by Cheap Foreign Labor.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Native-born American workers continue to be replaced by cheap foreign labor, with the number of H-1B visas approved for 2026 topping 120,000. The number of approvals comes despite continued layoffs in the American technology industry, suggesting the visa program continues to be abused to source cheap workers rather than meet industry labor demands.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, Elon Musk, David Sacks, American technology companies, American workers, and cheap foreign labor.

📍 Where & When: The H-1B approvals for 2026 were highlighted by U.S. Tech Workers, an American worker advocacy group, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, May 15, 2025.

💬 Key Quote:  “Despite mass tech layoffs and voter backlash—especially after the Christmas H-1B uproar—the Trump team stays hands-off: 120,141 NEW H-1Bs selected for FY2026. Demand remains high despite layoffs—a clear sign U.S. workers are being replaced,” U.S. Tech Workers wrote.

⚠️ Impact: The H-1B approvals suggest that technology industry leaders Elon Musk and David Sacks, who also serve as Trump White House advisors, may be continuing to exert influence over U.S. immigration and labor policy.

IN FULL:

The replacement of native-born American workers with cheap foreign labor remains unabated despite strong public opinion against the policy. While the total approvals for 2026 are lower than the peak years under the former Biden government, data shows 120,141 H-1B visas have been accepted for the next year. This is about equivalent to the total number of H-1Bs approved for 2021, cleared during the final year of President Donald J. Trump’s first term in office.

U.S. Tech Workers, a group that advocates for American-born technology workers against foreign labor predation, notes that the approvals come despite industry layoffs and public backlash against the rate at which foreign workers are replacing native-born workers. “Despite mass tech layoffs and voter backlash—especially after the Christmas H-1B uproar—the Trump team stays hands-off: 120,141 NEW H-1Bs selected for FY2026,” the group wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), late Wednesday. They added: “Demand remains high despite layoffs—a clear sign U.S. workers are being replaced.”

Notably, there was a sharp drop in eligible H-1B registrations for 2026, totalling 343,981, marking a 26.9 percent decline from 2025’s total of 470,342. However, this drop was primarily driven by reforms enacted under former President Joe Biden, aimed at cracking down on multiple visa filings and fraud. Additionally, the Biden-era reforms and subsequent drop in eligible registrations suggest that demand from tech companies for cheap foreign labor has not actually fallen.

The National Pulse reported in January that survey data shows 60 percent of Americans feel the nation already possesses enough skilled workers for white-collar roles. Meanwhile, only 26 percent of respondents said they wanted to see the United States increase its number of foreign workers.

During Christmas last year, the debate over H-1B visa policy boiled over onto social media. Trump White House advisors Elon Musk, who fronts the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and David Sacks, who chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, pushed back against calls from Trump’s MAGA base for a reduction or even elimination of the foreign worker visa program.

Musk, who also serves as the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, argued at the time that the government would need to double the number of approved H-1Bs to meet engineering demands in the semiconductor industry.

Image by TechCrunch.

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By Popular Demand.
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5 hours ago
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
Lawfare

Soros Foundation Director Admits Progressive NGOs Use Lawfare to Protect Illegals Against Public Wishes.

PULSE POINTS:

❓ What Happened: Gregory Maniatis, director at George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, admitted that progressive politicians’ failure to manage migration and progressive foundations’ lawfare to protect illegal aliens has sown chaos.

👥 Who’s Involved: Gregory Maniatis, Open Society Foundations, progressive non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the Trump administration.

📍 Where & When: United States, with Maniatis’s remarks made at a Carnegie Council event in April.

💬 Key Quote: “Chaos is the defining story of failure amongst progressives,” Maniatis confessed.

⚠️ Impact: Maniatis’s admission exposes how progressive elites’ legal tactics and refusal to enforce order paved the way for America First.

IN FULL:

Gregory Maniatis, a director at George Soros’s far-left Open Society Foundations, has admitted that progressive immigration policies plunged America’s border into chaos. Speaking candidly at a Carnegie Council event in April, Maniatis admitted that 12 years of Democrat control over the past 16 years failed to deliver a functional immigration system, instead fostering anarchic conditions that President Donald J. Trump has capitalized on to restore order.

“Chaos is the defining story of failure amongst progressives,” Maniatis said, pinpointing the refusal of Democratic leaders to address a “chaotic” border system, particularly over the last decade. He criticized the “conspiracy of silence” that allowed employers to exploit illegal alien workers while progressive politicians used a broken illegal immigration system to let illegal aliens “disappear” into communities rather than persuade the public to accept mass migration or manage it effectively. “Not everyone has the right to stay,” he conceded, acknowledging that this leniency fueled public frustration.

Maniatis said progressive elites have been ignoring the “public desire for order,” noting that only when Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) began busing migrants to Democrat cities were urban liberals forced to confront the consequences of their policies.

Maniatis also criticized the role of foundations like his own, accusing them of over-relying on lawfare to expand migrants’ opportunities to establish themselves in the U.S. without winning public support. “I think foundations have played a negative role in a lot of this. We have relied way too much on litigation… when in fact this is a project of political persuasion,” he said, recalling that “we have quietly gone into courts to try to expand rights without actually winning in the court of public opinion.”

However, he suggested he still wants asylum seekers to be brought to the U.S. in historically high numbers through sponsorship programs, and—despite conceding to an overreliance on lawfare—he said some his key work at the moment “is litigating a series of cases that include the refugee program and the sponsorship programs.”

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By Popular Demand.
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6 hours ago
Politics

WATCH: Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Arrested for Heckling RFK Jr. About Gaza During Senate Hearing.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen was arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest inside the U.S. Capitol.

👥 Who’s Involved: Ben Cohen, six other protesters, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and law enforcement officials.

📍 Where & When: U.S. Capitol, during a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.

💬 Key Quote: “You’re killing poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by cutting Medicaid for kids here,” Cohen shouted at Kennedy.

⚠️ Impact: Cohen and six others were detained for disrupting the hearing, with charges including resisting police and assault on an officer.

IN FULL:

Ben Cohen, co-founder of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company, was among seven people arrested during a protest at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The demonstration took place during a Senate committee hearing where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was testifying about his plans to downsize the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The proceedings were disrupted by protesters who shouted accusations against Kennedy, including “RFK kills people with AIDS!” and “anti-vax, anti-science, anti-America,” referencing Kennedy’s views on vaccines.

Amid the interruptions, Cohen, 74, stood and criticized what he described as U.S. government policies contributing to the deaths of children in Gaza. “You’re killing poor kids in Gaza and paying for it by cutting Medicaid for kids here,” Cohen shouted at Kennedy, whose father, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy Sr., was assassinated by a Palestinian in 1968.

Capitol Police detained Cohen and six other demonstrators, with some facing charges of resisting arrest and assaulting officers, according to reports. Following the incident, Cohen shared a video of the protest on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating: “I told Congress they’re killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they’re paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities’ response.”

WATCH:

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By Popular Demand.
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6 hours ago
News
Religion

Vance, Rubio to Attend Pope Leo XIV Inauguration.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, in Vatican City.

👥 Who’s Involved: Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Second Lady Usha Vance, and Pope Leo XIV.

📍 Where & When: Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Sunday.

💬 Key Quote: “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church,” wrote Vice President Vance.

⚠️ Impact: The installation of the first U.S.-born pope marks a historic moment for American Catholics and has sparked commentary on his political and theological stance.

IN FULL:

Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, in Vatican City on May 18. The Holy Mass, which will take place in Saint Peter’s Square, marks the formal installation of Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in Chicago.

Vance, Rubio, and Second Lady Usha Vance will be part of the U.S. delegation for the event. Vance, a Catholic convert since 2019, briefly met with the late Pope Francis during Easter before his passing.

Pope Leo XIV was elected by a conclave last week, becoming the first U.S.-born pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church. Prior to his elevation, Leo, then Cardinal Prevost, had been known to occasionally share social media posts critical of Vice President Vance, President Donald J. Trump, and their worldview. In one instance, he shared an article with a headline including the words, “J.D. Vance is wrong.”

Despite these past remarks, Vance extended congratulations to Pope Leo XIV upon his election. “I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church,” Vance wrote on X, adding: “May God bless him!”

In an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Vance addressed questions about potential political differences with the new pope. “It’s very hard to fit a 2,000-year-old institution into the politics of 2025 America,” Vance stated. “I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love. I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all.”

President Donald J. Trump also commented on the American pontiff’s historic election, calling it “a Great Honor for our Country” in a Truth Social post.

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PULSE POINTS:

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By Popular Demand.
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7 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Judge Claims ‘Judicial Immunity’ After Arrest for Aiding Criminal Illegal Immigrant.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan has been indicted for allegedly helping a dangerous illegal immigrant evade federal immigration enforcement.

👥 Who’s Involved: Judge Hannah Dugan, Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Attorney General Pam Bondi.

📍 Where & When: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; indictment issued this week, incident occurred last month.

💬 Key Quote: “The problems with this prosecution are legion, but most immediately, the government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” Dugan’s attorneys argued in a legal filing.

⚠️ Impact: The case raises questions about judicial immunity, federalism, and the balance of state and federal authority in immigration enforcement.

IN FULL:

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan is facing federal charges after allegedly assisting a Mexican national in evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. A federal grand jury indicted Judge Dugan this week on counts of concealing a person from arrest and obstruction.

The incident occurred last month when ICE agents were stationed outside Dugan’s courtroom to apprehend Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican national with an administrative warrant for his arrest. According to the complaint, Judge Dugan confronted the agents, attempted to send them elsewhere, and then directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to exit the courtroom through a restricted “jury door” leading to a nonpublic area, bypassing the public exit where law enforcement was positioned.

Dugan’s legal team has argued that the charges violate long-standing principles of judicial immunity and federalism. “The government cannot prosecute Judge Dugan because she is entitled to judicial immunity for her official acts,” her attorneys stated in a legal filing submitted Wednesday. They further claimed that the indictment infringes upon the U.S. Constitution’s Tenth Amendment, which reserves certain powers to the states.

The filing also referenced historical legal precedent, asserting that judges have been granted absolute immunity for their official actions since at least the early 17th century in England, a tradition carried over into U.S. common law. Dugan’s attorneys have called for the immediate dismissal of the indictment, labeling the prosecution as “barred” under these principles.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), which brought the charges, has maintained that the case underscores the principle of equality under the law. Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized Dugan’s actions, stating, “Shame on her. It was a domestic violence case, of all cases, and she was protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime.”

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By Popular Demand.
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