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Friday, August 29, 2025

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3 hours ago
Immigration

ICE Has Tripled Arrests of Illegal Aliens in This Democrat City:

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has tripled the rate of arrests of illegal immigrants in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, compared to the Biden government’s final year in office.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, Pittsburgh police, eight regional agencies, and illegal immigrants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We continue to honor and protect our immigrant neighbors, who are an essential part of what makes Pittsburgh strong—through their contributions, cultures, and presence in our communities.” – Mayor Ed Gainey (D)

🎯IMPACT: ICE arrests have increased and leftist activists are protesting.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has surged agents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, taking about 580 illegal immigrants into custody in the city so far this year, compared with only 210 in the same time frame during former President Joe Biden’s final year in office. The surge in arrests comes despite Pittsburgh’s Democrat-enacted policy barring local police from assisting ICE in federal immigration enforcement actions.

Notably, the arrest data was compiled by the Deportation Data Project, a pro-open borders non-profit group that works with organizations providing aid to illegal immigrants. Estimates from both Pew and the Center for Migration Studies suggest around 300,000 illegal immigrants currently reside in Pennsylvania.

Despite Democrat-backed legal measures preventing assistance from the Pittsburgh police, at least eight other regional law enforcement agencies have approved ICE’s 287(g) cooperation agreements. The federally coordinated immigration enforcement operation has sparked backlash from far-left activists, who allege ICE raids have damaged several local businesses, including causing a restaurant kitchen fire. However, ICE contends the fire was caused by a group of illegal immigrants employed by the establishment.

According to an ICE spokesman, the “damage to the restaurant, including the small fire, was created by the illegal aliens themselves while they were trying to escape or hide from law enforcement officers.”

Despite Pittsburgh recently being removed from the Justice Department’s list of “sanctuary” jurisdictions, Democrat city mayor Ed Gainey has stressed that “It’s important to make clear that the City of Pittsburgh has not altered its policies or practices.”

“We continue to honor and protect our immigrant neighbors, who are an essential part of what makes Pittsburgh strong—through their contributions, cultures, and presence in our communities,” he added.

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19 minutes ago
News
Politics

Trump Moves $4.9 Billion ‘Pocket Rescission’ to Cut ‘Woke and Weaponized’ Foreign Aid.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has proposed a $4.9 billion cut to foreign aid funds using a rarely invoked maneuver known as a pocket rescission.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The proposal was announced in late August 2025, with the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “For the first time in nearly 50 years, the President is using his authority under the Impoundment Control Act to deploy a pocket rescission, cancelling $4.9 billion in woke and weaponized foreign aid money that violates the President’s America First priorities,” said an OMB spokesman.

🎯IMPACT: The pocket rescission would defund diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), climate change, and LGBT propaganda abroad, but will face resistance from Democrats and Republicans-in-name-only on Capitol Hill.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has moved to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid funding previously approved by Congress, using a rarely invoked tactic under the Impoundment Control Act known as a “pocket rescission.” The action, announced just weeks before the end of the fiscal year, blocks the funds from being spent by allowing them to expire on September 30 without a congressional vote.

The targeted funds were allocated to the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and international assistance programs. According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the move reflects Trump’s commitment to his “America First” agenda.

“For the first time in nearly 50 years, the President is using his authority under the Impoundment Control Act to deploy a pocket rescission, cancelling $4.9 billion in woke and weaponized foreign aid money,” an OMB spokesman said.

The rescinded accounts include USAID’s $3.2 billion Development Assistance Fund, which supported controversial programs on climate change, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and LGBT initiatives, such as $4 million for global LGBT awareness and $2 million for feminist organizing in Africa.

The $322 million Democracy Fund, criticized for promoting “gender responsive governance” and LGBT projects abroad, was also cut. Funding was withdrawn from UNESCO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) due to their globalist agendas and failure to align with U.S. interests.

U.S. contributions to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations were also slashed, including $393 million for general peacekeeping and $445 million for specific operations, amid concerns over inefficiency, sexual exploitation by peacekeepers, and other abuses. These funds had backed projects including infrastructure for foreign militaries.

The decision has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans-in-name-only (RINOs) in the GOP. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the move an attempt to sidestep Congress. “Given that this package was sent to Congress very close to the end of the fiscal year when the funds are scheduled to expire, this is an apparent attempt to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval,” Collins said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the action undermines bipartisan cooperation. “Reasonable Republicans don’t have to go along with the madness; Republicans don’t have to be a rubber stamp for this carnage,” Schumer complained.

The pocket rescission comes amid a broader overhaul of U.S. foreign aid under Trump. Earlier this year, the administration dismantled USAID’s global development programs, terminating billions in contracts and shifting remaining operations to the State Department. In March, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that “tens of billions of USAID contracts” had been cut. In July, Trump signed the Rescissions Act of 2025, eliminating an additional $8.3 billion in foreign assistance.

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59 minutes ago
Economy

Trump Tariff Triumph: U.S. Sees Record Revenue, Lower Goods Prices, Stable Inflation.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Inflation in July held steady, with the Federal Reserve’s preferred price gauge showing a slight deceleration in cost pressures, defying earlier predictions of tariff-driven price increases.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, the Federal Reserve led by Chairman Jerome Powell, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Data for July 2025, released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on Friday.

🎯IMPACT: Despite fearmongering over tariffs, inflationary pressures have remained manageable, with consumer prices for goods showing minimal increases.

IN FULL

Inflation in July remained muted, with the personal consumption expenditures price index rising 2.6 percent from a year earlier, matching June’s annual pace. Monthly inflation rose by 0.2 percent, slightly down from the previous month’s 0.3 percent increase, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Core prices, which exclude food and energy costs, increased by 2.9 percent annually and 0.3 percent for the month, aligning with Wall Street expectations. Services prices, the primary driver of inflation, rose 3.6 percent annually, while goods prices increased by just 0.5 percent.

Meanwhile, goods prices fell 0.1 percent in July, with energy costs dropping 1.1 percent and durable goods declining 0.1 percent. Over the past year, energy prices have dropped 2.7 percent, while durable goods prices rose modestly by 1.1 percent. These figures challenge earlier warnings from Federal Reserve officials about the inflationary effects of tariffs.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell previously stated, “Tariffs are highly likely to generate at least a temporary rise in inflation,” and warned of potentially persistent inflationary effects. However, consumer prices for durable and nondurable goods—the categories most affected by tariffs—have shown minimal increases despite trade tensions.

Consumer spending increased by 0.5 percent in July, driven by purchases of motor vehicles, financial services, and housing-related expenses. Personal income rose 0.4 percent, reflecting higher wages and employer contributions to employee benefits. After taxes and inflation, real disposable income edged up by 0.2 percent, providing consumers with modest additional purchasing power.

The National Pulse reported last week that a new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis projects President Donald J. Trump’s tariff policies could slash federal deficits by $4 trillion over the next decade through increased revenue.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
TECH

Trump Moves to Restrict Chinese Access to Key American Technology.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has revoked special authorizations for foreign chipmakers in China, requiring licenses for access to American semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: South Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix, Intel, and U.S. equipment suppliers like KLA Corp., Lam Research, and Applied Materials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The new restrictions were announced recently and will take effect in 120 days, applying to operations in China.

🎯IMPACT: The decision could benefit U.S. semiconductor firms like Micron and Intel.

IN FULL

The Trump White House has tightened export restrictions on foreign chipmakers operating in China, revoking special authorizations that previously allowed South Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix to access American semiconductor manufacturing equipment without individual licenses. The move was announced in a Federal Register notice and ends exemptions granted in 2022 when sweeping limits on U.S. technology sales to China were first imposed.

Under the new rules, companies will now need licenses to obtain U.S. equipment for their Chinese facilities. Intel also appeared on the list of firms losing authorization, though it sold its Dalian facility in China earlier this year. The Commerce Department stated that licenses would be approved to maintain existing operations, but would not cover expansions or technology upgrades.

U.S. equipment suppliers like KLA Corp., Lam Research, and Applied Materials are the most likely domestic companies to be impacted by the new export restrictions, which could limit their sales to China. Shares of Lam Research fell by four percent, Applied Materials dropped 2.8 percent, and KLA slipped 2.4 percent on the news.

The restrictions come amid ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, with both nations still operating under a tariff truce set to last until November. Notably, South Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix—both reliant on Chinese semiconductor facilities—had previously benefited from a Validated End User status, which streamlined equipment shipments from U.S. suppliers. With the designation now revoked, the companies must operate under the same licensing rules as other foreign firms.

The revocations will not take effect for 120 days, giving businesses time to adjust.

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2 hours ago
Politics

TX Gov. Signs Redistricting Bill, Cutting Five Democrat House Seats.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed a new redistricting bill to redraw the state’s congressional map, favoring Republicans.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Abbott, Texas legislators, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The bill was signed on Friday in Texas following approval by the state house and senate.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The new map will increase Republican-majority districts from 25 to 30, removing several Democratic-majority districts.

IN FULL

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) has signed a new redistricting bill that favors Republicans in the state’s congressional map. The bill, signed on Friday, follows a contentious process during which state Democrats staged a weeks-long walkout earlier this month.

In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), Abbott described the bill as creating “the one big, beautiful map that ensures fairer representation in the United States Congress for Texas.” The bill was approved by the Texas House of Representatives in an 88-52 party-line vote before being passed by the Texas Senate early last Saturday.

President Donald J. Trump, whose request for new congressional maps prompted the redistricting, celebrated the move last week on Truth Social, writing: “Big WIN for the Great State of Texas!!! Everything Passed, on our way to FIVE more Congressional seats and saving your Rights, your Freedoms, and your Country, itself.” He added, “Texas never lets us down. Florida, Indiana, and others are looking to do the same thing.”

The new map increases Republican-majority districts from 25 to 30 out of Texas’s 38 districts. It also eliminates Democrat-majority districts in key urban areas such as Houston, Austin, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

However, the move has drawn backlash from Democrat-aligned election and lawfare groups. Demetria McCain, policy director for the Legal Defense Fund, stated, “Black voters are not a tool for legislators to use to cut up maps as they see fit. This redistricting process in Texas is a shameful power grab at the expense of Black voices.”

Oni Blair, executive director of the ACLU Texas chapter, also condemned the move, calling it “disgraceful.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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3 hours ago
Immigration

Trump DOJ Loosens Qualifications for Temporary Judges to Tackle Immigration Backlog.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a rule change allowing attorneys without immigration law experience to serve as temporary immigration judges.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The DOJ’s Office of Immigration Review, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and immigration judges.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The rule was published on Thursday in the Federal Register and applies to immigration courts nationwide.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Immigration law experience is not always a strong predictor of success as an [immigration judge],” the DOJ stated in the Federal Register.

🎯IMPACT: The new rule aims to address a backlog of over three million immigration cases by expanding the pool of eligible judges.

IN FULL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated a rule change to allow attorneys without immigration law experience to act as temporary immigration judges as part of an effort to clear a backlog of immigration cases numbering in the millions. On Thursday, the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Review published the rule in the Federal Register removing the requirement that temporary immigration judges have substantive prior experience in immigration law.

According to the rule change, Attorney General Pam Bondi will hold authority over the approval of jurists appointed to serve as immigration judges. This represents a significant shift following the dismissal or buyout of over 100 judges by the Trump administration earlier this year, amid concerns that many had an anti-deportation bias.

The Federal Register rule change states that the DOJ “no longer believes the restriction of TIJs to current department employees with a threshold level of immigration law experience serves EOIR’s interests,” adding: “Immigration law experience is not always a strong predictor of success as an [immigration judge] and EOIR has hired individuals from other federal agencies and Department components without prior immigration experience who have become successful and exemplary [immigration judges].” It further explained that the change allows for “the greatest degree of flexibility” in finding qualified candidates.

In addition, the rule notes that attorneys with experience in prominent courts or those who have clerked for the Supreme Court should not be disqualified from serving in an immigration-related capacity.

The DOJ emphasized that the need for assistance in adjudicating immigration cases has significantly increased since the original plan to utilize temporary immigration judges was introduced in 2014.

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4 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

ICE Captures Pedophile Living Illegally in California Daycare.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An illegal immigrant, convicted sex offender, and gang member was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being found living inside a daycare for children in California.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ezequiel Cruz-Rodriguez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico and a documented member of the Logan Heights gang.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Cruz-Rodriguez was arrested in San Diego, California, at an in-home daycare facility.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is sickening to think that this pedophile criminal illegal alien was residing inside the home where a daycare operates and hiding out in a sanctuary city.” – Senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official

🎯IMPACT: The arrest ensures highlights the threat to children and the wider American public posed by illegal aliens, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have arrested an illegal immigrant from Mexico with an extensive criminal record that includes convictions for sexual abuse of a child under 14, sexual battery, illegal possession of a firearm, robbery, and drunk driving. Ezequiel Cruz-Rodriguez, a documented member of the Logan Heights gang who was previously deported from the United States on three separate occasions, was discovered living with his wife, a DACA recipient, inside an in-home daycare for children in San Diego, California.

“It is sickening to think that this pedophile criminal illegal alien was residing inside the home where a daycare operates and hiding out in a sanctuary city,” a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official said in a statement, adding: “Thanks to the brave work of our ICE law enforcement officers, this criminal illegal alien, convicted pedophile, and known Logan Heights gang member—will no longer be able to prey on children inside a daycare.”

Cruz-Rodriguez was first ordered deported by a federal immigration judge in 1996 and was removed from the United States that same year. Subsequently, he reentered illegally and was deported again in 2003. A third deportation occurred in December 2012 after another illegal reentry. Following this, he reentered the U.S. again as an unknown “got-away.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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4 hours ago
Politics
World

All German Political Parties Agree to Stay Silent on Immigration During Election—Except One.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Establishment political parties on both the left and the right in Cologne, Germany, have signed an agreement to promote positive messaging about immigration and not bring up its downsides during local elections. However, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is not part of the pact.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), Greens, Free Democratic Party (FDP), Left Party, Volt, Die Partei, the Cologne Round Table for Integration association, and the AfD.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Cologne, Germany, ahead of local elections scheduled for September 14.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our parties are so stupid that they don’t see the tactical disadvantage [in not discussing immigration] and are so weak-minded that they don’t see that they themselves are damaging our democracy by not wanting to talk about important issues.” – Political scientist Werner Patzelt

🎯IMPACT: The agreement suppresses debate on immigration but may inadvertently bolster the AfD, which has a strong stance against mass migration.

IN FULL

With local elections looming in Cologne, Germany, on September 14, all major political parties except the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) have signed an agreement to avoid criticizing immigration or linking it to social issues like crime, unemployment, or public safety. Infamously, Cologne was the epicenter of a series of mass sex attacks by migrant mobs on New Year’s Eve 2015-16, with 650 sexual assaults reported in the city, including 22 rapes.

The so-called “fairness agreement,” organized by the Cologne Round Table for Integration, was signed by the Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s notionally right-wing Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the leftist Social Democratic Party (SPD), the far-left Greens, the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), the Left Party, Volt, and Die Partei. The pledge commits signatories to speak positively about migration and to avoid blaming refugees or migrants for any local problems, despite their proven link to increased sexual offending and other criminality.

The pact also includes promises to fight racism and anti-Semitism, with church officials tasked with monitoring compliance. Citizens have been encouraged to report candidates or campaigners who break the rules.

Notably, the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was excluded from the agreement. Organizers stated the anti-mass migration party, currently the second-largest in Germany, “does not share their values.”

AfD Cologne spokesman Christer Cremer criticized the move: “I view this fairness agreement somewhat critically, because I believe it is intended to suppress debate. Especially during the election campaign, it must be possible to address all issues, including issues of migration.”

Political scientist Werner Patzelt echoed those concerns, calling the strategy “tactically stupid” and warning that it only boosts the AfD by erasing pressing concerns from the public discourse. “Our parties are so stupid that they don’t see the tactical disadvantage and are so weak-minded that they don’t see that they themselves are damaging our democracy by not wanting to talk about important issues,” he said.

Some signatories are already facing backlash. The CDU came under fire for allegedly violating the agreement after distributing a flyer opposing a planned refugee center in the Agnesviertel neighborhood. CDU leader Serap Güler dismissed the criticism as “absurd,” saying the flyer reflected concerns about the scale of the project, not hostility toward migrants.

The controversy comes as the AfD continues to surge in national polling. A Forsa poll released August 12 shows the AfD leading nationwide with 26 percent, ahead of Chancellor Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc at 24 percent.

This rise in the AfD’s support comes amid growing debate over whether the populist party should even be allowed to participate in Germany’s democratic system. In October 2023, lawmakers began crafting legislation aimed at banning the party, claiming it threatens the country’s constitutional order. But the idea has sparked fierce opposition: a July 2025 survey by the Allensbach Institute found a majority of Germans, 52 percent, oppose banning the AfD, with only 27 percent in favor.

The Trump administration in the United States has also warned against such a ban, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying of a previous move to designate the AfD as an extremist organization, “Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy—it’s tyranny in disguise.”

Image by Olaf Kosinsky.

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5 hours ago
Immigration
News

Open Borders Kill: At Least 49 Dead After Migrant Boat Capsizes.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A boat carrying migrants towards Europe capsized off the coast of Mauritania, leaving at least 49 dead and around 100 missing.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The passengers were primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on August 26, approximately 37 miles north of Nouakchott, Mauritania.

🎯IMPACT: The drownings highlight the dangerousness of Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, encouraging migrants to make hazardous journeys in the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive.

IN FULL

At least 49 migrants have died and around 100 more are missing after a dugout canoe capsized off the coast of Mauritania while heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands, a key gateway for illegal immigration into Europe. Mauritanian coastguards confirmed that 17 individuals were rescued, and search operations are still underway.

The vessel, which survivors say departed from Gambia six days earlier, was carrying approximately 160 migrants, primarily Gambian and Senegalese nationals, when it overturned off Nouakchott, the Mauritanian capital. According to coastguard officials, the boat capsized late Tuesday night after passengers, spotting lights from a nearby coastal town, moved to one side, causing the vessel to destabilize and flip.

The incident occurred along the increasingly trafficked and notoriously deadly Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands. This route has become one of the most popular and dangerous paths to Europe. More than half of migrant deaths worldwide result from drowning during illegal sea crossings, with the Canary Islands route accounting for a significant portion of those fatalities.

This incident highlights the threat to life posed by Europe’s permissive attitude towards illegal immigration, with the knowledge that they are unlikely to be detained and deported once they arrive, encouraging many migrants to embark on hazardous journeys.

Notably, the West African migration route to the Canary Islands has seen a dramatic rise recently. In 2024, illegal immigration along this route surged by 541 percent over a two-month period, overwhelming local Spanish authorities.

Image by Sebastián Losada.

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5 hours ago
UK

Farage Is Most Recognized Political Leader in Britain—Including the Prime Minister.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Research from pollster YouGov revealed that Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has better recognition than any other British party leader, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nigel Farage, Keir Starmer, other party leaders, and British voters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent polling conducted in the United Kingdom by YouGov.

💬KEY QUOTE: “An overwhelming majority of 89 per cent of Britons correctly identify Nigel Farage by name when shown a photograph of him.” – YouGov poll

🎯IMPACT: The findings highlight Farage’s enduring popularity and high profile, and the lack of recognition for other party leaders, including among those party’s supporters.

IN FULL

Reform Party leader and Brexit champion Nigel Farage enjoys greater name recognition than any other British political party leader, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Some leaders of major parties are relatively unknown even to those parties’ supporters.

According to YouGov, 89 per cent of Britons can correctly identify Nigel Farage by name when shown his photograph, just surpassing the recognition of Prime Minister Starmer, who is named correctly by 87 per cent. No other party leaders in the poll received this reaction, likely because they were largely unrecognizable.

Nigeria-raised Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke “Kemi” Badenoch, leader of the Conservative (Tory) Party, which governed Britain for 14 years before Starmer’s Labour Party regained office in mid-2024, was recognized by 62 percent of respondents. Only 37 per cent of Britons could correctly identify Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader.

Despite Ed Davey’s long tenure and stint as a minister in former Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, a third of his own party’s supporters failed to recognize him. The Green Party fared even worse, with co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsey recognized by just nine percent and two percent of Britons, respectively. Even among Green voters, Ramsey’s recognition only reached nine percent.

Recent polling has been unkind to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Beyond dissatisfaction with his handling of key issues like border control and the economy, public opinion of him personally has been unfavorable. Earlier this month, polls indicated that U.S. President Donald J. Trump is viewed more positively in the United Kingdom than Starmer, despite a media environment almost universally hostile to the American leader.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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6 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Migrant Riots Are Overtaking Another Once-Peaceful European Country.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Riots broke out in Lausanne, Switzerland, following the death of a 17-year-old migrant during a police pursuit.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Marvin M., a migration-background 17-year-old, Swiss police, and up to 200 rioters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Marvin M. died while fleeing police on a stolen scooter on Sunday in Lausanne, Switzerland, with riots taking place over the following days.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I expect that we will have [riots] again next week. Now you have these other groups, people related to more aggressive anti-capitalist positions, who say ‘OK, that’s the moment we can have riots’.” – Sandro Cattacin, sociology professor at the University of Geneva.

🎯IMPACT: The riots have raised concerns that Switzerland, a stereotypically high-trust, peaceful country, is facing the same issues with social disintegration as Britain, France, Germany, and other high-immigration European countries.

IN FULL

Lausanne, Switzerland, is facing riots after Marvin M., a 17-year-old migrant, died while fleeing police officers on a stolen scooter. The crash happened on Sunday, when Marvin drove into a garage wall. Despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at the scene.

Over Sunday and Monday nights, young rioters, many of them migrants, clashed with police, hurling Molotov cocktails and lighting fires. They accused the Lausanne police of so-called systemic racism, a charge intensified by recent findings of allegedly discriminatory messages in officers’ private WhatsApp chats, leading to the suspension of four officers.

Sandro Cattacin, a sociology professor at the University of Geneva, cautioned that the unrest could worsen if far-left anti-capitalist groups involve themselves. “If they arrive [at] the weekend, then [the riots will] be more brutal, and from the police [the response will] be more violent,” he said.

Mayor Gregoire Junod appeared to side with the rioters, urging a “cultural change” among the police to tackle alleged discrimination. Meanwhile, populist politicians have used the example of the riots to advocate for stricter immigration policies and policing.

The unrest underscores growing strains in Switzerland, a stereotypically high-trust, peaceful country, which has taken in over 200,000 refugees in the last decade and is beginning to experience some of the same social issues as Britain, France, Germany, and other high-diversity, high-immigration European countries.

Image by REGIS COLOMBO/diapo.ch.

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