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20 hours ago
Election Integrity
News

Smartmatic Charged with Money Laundering, Bribing Election Officials.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal prosecutors charged Smartmatic with money laundering and bribing Philippine election officials.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Smartmatic, co-founder Roger Piñate, and Philippine election official Juan Andrés Donato Bautista.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Payments were made between 2015 and 2018, related to the 2016 Philippine presidential election.

🎯IMPACT: Raises questions about election integrity and corporate influence.

IN FULL

On Thursday, federal prosecutors charged Smartmatic, a controversial voting technology company, with money laundering and bribing Philippine election officials with $1 million. The allegations relate to payments Smartmatic allegedly made to win a contract with the Philippine government for managing the 2016 presidential election and to ensure prompt payment for its services. These transactions reportedly took place between 2015 and 2018.

In 2024, three former Smartmatic executives, including co-founder Roger Piñate, faced charges, though the company itself was not initially named as a defendant. Prosecutors also claim Piñate bribed a high-ranking Venezuelan election official with a luxury home in Caracas in exchange for political favors.

In the Philippines, Piñate faces charges in a $1 million bribery scheme involving overpriced voting machines, with the surplus funds allegedly channeled into secret accounts to bribe election official Juan Andrés Donato Bautista.

Smartmatic has sued multiple American news outlets for their reporting on allegations that its voting machines were used improperly during the 2020 elections, with Democrat megadonor and Epstein Island visitor Reid Hoffman funding the lawsuits. Previously, liberal plutocrat George Soros recruited a Smartmatic chairman to serve as president of his Open Society Foundations organization.

Image by Patrickroque01.

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10 hours ago
Immigration
News

Pro-Migrant Unions Sue Trump Admin Over Surveillance of Visa Holders on Social Media.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Three major U.S. labor unions have filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that a surveillance program using artificial intelligence (AI) and social media monitoring to root out extremist noncitizens suppresses lawful dissent.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The United Auto Workers, Communications Workers of America, and American Federation of Teachers, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and others.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on October 16, in the Southern District of New York.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We will continue to revoke the visas of those who put the safety of our citizens at risk.” – Tommy Pigott, State Department spokesman.

🎯IMPACT: The lawsuit challenges the limits of First Amendment protections for resident aliens and could set a precedent on government surveillance.

IN FULL

Three major labor unions filed a federal lawsuit this week, accusing the Trump administration of violating constitutional rights through an AI-powered surveillance program that monitors the online speech of noncitizens for extremism. The United Auto Workers (UAW), Communications Workers of America (CWA), and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) filed the complaint in the Southern District of New York on October 16.

The lawsuit targets the Departments of State and Homeland Security, claiming they are operating a surveillance system that flags “disfavored viewpoints” on social media for immigration review. The unions argue that the program is chilling free expression, claiming that noncitizens are self-censoring or avoiding political and union activity to prevent visa issues.

At the center of the case is Executive Order 14161, signed by President Trump on January 20, 2025, directing federal agencies to screen foreign nationals for “hostile attitudes” and expand interagency efforts to identify ideological or cultural threats. The unions allege this order has led to visa revocations based not on credible security concerns, but on what they consider constitutionally protected speech.

“The administration is hunting online for an ever-growing list of disfavored viewpoints,” said Golnaz Fakhimi, legal director of Muslim Advocates, who is supporting the lawsuit. However, the State Department has defended its actions, with spokesman Tommy Pigott vowing, “We will continue to revoke the visas of those who put the safety of our citizens at risk.”

The case, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America et al. v. United States Department of State et al., could have significant legal ramifications. It is expected to test the extent of First Amendment protections for foreigners and the constitutionality of using digital surveillance in immigration enforcement. A ruling on a preliminary injunction or motion to dismiss could set a major precedent, and legal experts believe the case may reach the Supreme Court.

The administration has so far taken a hard line on immigration, including revoking more than 6,000 student visas in 2025 alone.

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10 hours ago
Economy
News

Trump ‘Energy Dominance’ Strategy and Gaza Peace Deal Lead to Plunge in U.S. Gas Prices.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Gas prices across the United States are nearing a four-year low, with the national average for regular gasoline projected to dip below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, AAA, GasBuddy, and local media outlets tracking the trend.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Gas prices have been steadily declining over the past week, month, and year, with reports coming in from nearly every state across the nation.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Some areas could even see prices drop below $2 per gallon in the weeks ahead,” according to GasBuddy.

🎯IMPACT: The fall in gas prices is expected to provide relief at the pump for American motorists and boost consumer spending as the holiday season approaches.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump’s push to boost U.S. energy output is delivering savings to consumers, with gas prices across the country nearing their lowest point in four years. AAA forecasts the national average for regular gasoline to drop below $3 per gallon, a level unseen since 2021.

According to GasBuddy, prices are decreasing in almost every state, with some regions possibly hitting below $2 per gallon in the weeks ahead. This downward movement has held steady over the past week, month, and year, offering welcome relief to American drivers.

This trend is linked to record-high domestic oil production, driven in part by President Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” energy strategy, and by his stabilization of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East with his facilitation of the Gaza peace deal and the end of the Israel-Iran conflict.

Mark Schieldrop, a senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast, highlighted that the oil and gas markets are anticipating a potential global surplus of oil. This expectation follows OPEC and member countries’ commitment to increase production through the winter—again, partly under Trump’s influence.

The price of a barrel of domestic crude oil fell below $60 last week, and as crude prices drop, the cost of producing gasoline also decreases.

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11 hours ago
Immigration
News

Mexico Has Started Shutting Its New Shelters for Deportees Due to Low Occupancy.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Mexico’s government is dismantling a large migrant shelter in Nogales due to low occupancy, after earlier preparations for a potential surge in deportations from the United States.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nogales Mayor Juan Francisco Gim, President Claudia Sheinbaum, the Sonora state government, and U.S. officials under the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Nogales, Mexico; announcement made on Tuesday during a press conference.

💬KEY QUOTE: “President Trump has kept his promise and created the most secure border in history. Word of the closed border has spread so far and wide that migrants aren’t even bothering to try and make the journey—they know they will be turned away,” said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson.

🎯IMPACT: The dismantling of shelters raises questions about the scale of U.S. deportations, although current figures indicate the Trump administration may be on pace to match the previous annual high set in 2012.

IN FULL

Mexican officials have begun dismantling a large migrant shelter in Nogales, citing a sharp drop in occupancy despite earlier preparations for an expected surge in deportations from the United States. Nogales Mayor Juan Francisco Gim confirmed during a press conference on Tuesday that the facility would be scaled back significantly. “President [Claudia Sheinbaum] said we only have to keep 200 beds, and we have that capacity and more,” Gim stated.

The Nogales shelter was part of the Mexico Embraces You program, launched to provide temporary accommodations for deportees in border cities such as Nogales and Ciudad Juárez. However, the number of migrants using these shelters has declined, prompting federal and local officials to repurpose the sites. In Nogales, tents that had been set up on municipal sports fields are now being removed.

White House spokesman Abigail Jackson defended the administration’s immigration policy, saying, “President Trump has kept his promise and created the most secure border in history. Word of the closed border has spread so far and wide that migrants aren’t even bothering to try and make the journey—they know they will be turned away.”

The United States is seeing a significant rise in deportations under the Trump administration, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) potentially on track to match the previous annual record set under Barack Obama in 2012. In addition to the growing number of formal deportations, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the overall foreign-born population in the U.S. dropped by 2.2 million between January and July 2025.

Researchers suggest that as many as 1.6 million of those were illegal immigrants who either left voluntarily or were removed.

Image by Mexico City Government.

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12 hours ago
Immigration
War

FBI Catches Alleged October 7 Terrorist Living in U.S. on Visa.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has accused a Louisiana resident of participating in the Hamas-led terror raid on Israel on October 7, 2023, and lying on his U.S. visa application.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, the FBI, and Hamas jihadists.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The terror raid took place on October 7, 2023, in Israel. Al-Muhtadi later relocated to the U.S., living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Lafayette, Louisiana.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There is kidnapping, and it’s a game, which will be a good one,” Al-Muhtadi said, according to FBI-reviewed phone calls.

🎯IMPACT: Al-Muhtadi faces charges of visa fraud and conspiring to support a foreign terrorist organization.

IN FULL

Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, a Louisiana resident and legal U.S. permanent resident, has been accused by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of participating in the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror raid on Israel that left over 1,200 people dead and more than 250 kidnapped, including American citizens.

According to a federal complaint, Al-Muhtadi was allegedly part of a group that crossed into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip during the attack. He is described as an operative for the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a faction aligned with Hamas. The FBI claims Al-Muhtadi entered the United States in 2024 after falsely denying any ties to terrorist organizations on his visa application. He initially settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before moving to Lafayette, Louisiana, where he currently resides.

The FBI alleges Al-Muhtadi played an active role in coordinating the attack. In recorded phone calls reviewed by investigators, he reportedly encouraged associates to “get ready” and “bring the rifles” on the morning of the assault. He also allegedly said, “There is kidnapping, and it’s a game, which will be a good one.” His phone was reportedly traced to a cell tower near Kfar Aza, a village in southern Israel where dozens were killed and others abducted during the October 7 attack.

Investigators say Al-Muhtadi maintained longstanding ties to a Hamas-affiliated paramilitary group, evident in his social media and email accounts. Despite warnings to avoid posting about Hamas online, he allegedly stated that he could post “whatever he wanted,” including images of Hamas leaders, without fear of “repercussions.”

Al-Muhtadi has been charged with visa fraud and conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He is currently being held at the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center in Louisiana as the investigation continues.

The arrest comes amid rising global concerns over Hamas activity beyond the Middle East. On October 1, German authorities arrested three suspected Hamas operatives in Berlin who were allegedly preparing attacks against Jewish targets. Weapons and ammunition were recovered during the arrests, including an AK-47 and several pistols.

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12 hours ago
News

Kremlin Suggests Musk-Built ‘Putin-Trump Tunnel’ Linking Russia to Alaska, Trump Responds.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Kremlin envoy proposed a rail tunnel between Russia and Alaska, suggesting it could be built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kirill Dmitriev, Elon Musk, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The proposal was floated on X (formerly Twitter), following discussions between Putin and Trump in Alaska in August.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Elon Musk, imagine connecting the U.S. and Russia, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with the Putin-Trump Tunnel – a 70-mile link symbolising unity.” – Kirill Dmitriev

🎯IMPACT: The proposal aims to connect continents and promote economic and political collaboration, though challenges related to logistics and the Ukraine war make it appear unlikely.

IN FULL

A senior Russian official has proposed building a tunnel beneath the Bering Strait to connect the Russian Far East with Alaska, reviving a decades-old vision of linking Eurasia and North America. Kirill Dmitriev, Moscow’s special envoy for economic and investment cooperation, introduced the idea on social media, referring to the project as the “Putin-Trump Tunnel.” The 70-mile rail link, he claimed, could be constructed in just eight years using tunneling technology developed by Elon Musk’s Boring Company.

Dmitriev said the project could cost as little as $8 billion, far below traditional estimates of around $65 billion, and could be jointly funded by Russia and international partners. He presented the tunnel as a symbolic and strategic project, saying it would unite Russia and the United States while enabling shared access to Arctic resources. “Elon Musk, imagine connecting the U.S. and Russia, the Americas and Afro-Eurasia, with the Putin-Trump Tunnel – a 70-mile link symbolising unity,” Dmitriev posted on X. He added that it would establish Musk’s Boring Company as “the most exciting infrastructure innovator ever.”

Dmitriev’s tunnel idea echoes earlier visions of a transcontinental link between Siberia and Alaska, including the so-called “World Peace Bridge” proposed in the 1960s. Asked about the tunnel during a press event alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, President Donald J. Trump called the proposal “interesting,” while Zelensky said he was “not happy” about it.

Notably, the tunnel suggestion comes amid renewed dialogue between President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. The two met in Alaska in August, where they discussed a possible ceasefire in Ukraine and a framework for future negotiations.

Recent reports indicate the meeting was fractious, with Putin engaging in a “rambling historical discursion spanning medieval princes such as Rurik of Novgorod and Yaroslav the Wise, along with the 17th-century Cossack chieftain Bohdan Khmelnytsky… to support his claim Ukraine and Russia are one nation.” Trump is said to have been unimpressed by Putin’s intransigent attitude, raising his voice “several times.”

More recently, however, Trump has agreed to a second meeting with Putin, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán saying it will be hosted in Budapest.

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13 hours ago
News

Senate Dems’ Government Shutdown Is Halting Billions in Army Corps of Engineers Projects in Democrat Cities: Vought.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought has announced a pause on over $11 billion of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects due to the Senate Democrats shutting down the federal government.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Russ Vought, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Trump administration, and Senate Democrats.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced Friday; projects impacted in cities including New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects.” – Russ Vought

🎯IMPACT: Federal projects paused, thousands of layoffs expected.

IN FULL

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will immediately pause, and potentially cancel, over $11 billion in projects due to the ongoing government shutdown, according to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought. The Project 2025 veteran made the announcement in a post on X, stating, “The Democrat shutdown has drained the Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to manage billions of dollars in projects.”

These paused funds pertain to what Vought described as “lower-priority projects” in cities including Democrat-run New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Baltimore.

Vought has been vocal about the consequences of the shutdown, but also describes the funding lapse as an “opportunity” to streamline federal operations. President Donald J. Trump has echoes this sentiment, meeting with Vought to discuss which “Democrat agencies” can be defunded.

The White House has indicated that the shutdown will result in significant federal workforce reductions. While over 4,000 reduction-in-force notices have already been issued, Vought has suggested the total layoffs could exceed 10,000. However, a federal judge appointed by Bill Clinton temporarily blocked the administration from firing government workers during the shutdown on Wednesday afternoon.

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14 hours ago
News
Politics

Senate GOP Leader Thune Attacks ‘Bureaucrat’ RFK Jr. on MSNBC.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) criticized President Donald J. Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during an appearance on MSNBC.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: John Thune, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and MSNBC’s Ali Vitali.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The comments were made during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I think that if I were a woman, I’d be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK, or any other government bureaucrat for that matter.” – John Thune

🎯IMPACT: Thune’s remarks highlight ongoing issues with GOP lawmakers being out of step with the Trump administration and its priorities.

IN FULL

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has taken shots at President Donald J. Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show. Speaking to Ali Vitali, Thune boasted that the Senate GOP was at odds with the White House on multiple issues, including the use of Tylenol during pregnancy, which President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have warned could increase the risk of autism.

Asked if he “feel[s] the way RFK Jr. Is talking about [Tylenol] is dangerous,” Thune bluntly stated, “I think that if I were a woman, I’d be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK, or any other government bureaucrat for that matter.”

He stressed he could provide “plenty of examples” of issues where he disagrees with the Trump administration, and implied he believes he and the Senate GOP have a mandate to go against the President, as the Senate is “a co-equal independent branch of the government.”

President Trump has previously expressed particular frustration that Thune and the Senate GOP allowed Senate Democrats to obstruct the appointment of many of his nominees for months. However, Thune finally began stopping the Democrats from preventing the President from exercising his electoral mandate in recent weeks, by considering his nominees in batches.

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14 hours ago
News

John Bolton Pleads Not Guilty to Classified Information Charges.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded not guilty to 18 charges related to mishandling classified information.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: John Bolton, Judge Timothy Sullivan, and federal prosecutors in Maryland.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Bolton appeared in a Maryland federal court on Friday morning, October 20, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago,” claimed Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell.

🎯IMPACT: Bolton faces decades in prison if convicted, with his next court date set for November 21.

IN FULL

John Bolton, the former National Security Adviser to President Donald J. Trump turned anti-Trump activist, pleaded not guilty on Friday to 18 counts of mishandling classified information. The charges arise from claims that he improperly kept and disseminated national defense details via his personal email and a messaging app. A Maryland grand jury’s indictment alleges he shared over 1,000 pages of personal notes from his White House tenure.

Bolton appeared in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, before Judge Timothy Sullivan, who permitted him to stay out of custody provided he turns over his passport. His next hearing is set for November 21. Each of the 18 charges could result in up to 10 years behind bars.

Bolton’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, claims his actions were probed and dismissed long ago. “The underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago,” Lowell argued.

The probe into Bolton’s treatment of classified materials traces to the publication of his book, The Room Where It Happened. Bolton has charged that Trump is weaponizing the Department of Justice (DOJ) against his rivals. Trump dismissed the allegations and labelled the longtime war hawk a “bad guy.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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15 hours ago
News
UK

BREAKING: Prince Andrew Renounces Royal Titles.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Prince Andrew has announced he will no longer use his royal titles or honours.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Prince Andrew, King Charles III, and the Royal Family.

📍WHEN & WHERE: October 17, 2025; United Kingdom.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me.” – Prince Andrew

🎯IMPACT: Prince Andrew further detaching himself from his family may mitigate any further damage he can inflict on it.

IN FULL

Prince Andrew has announced his decision to no longer use his royal title or the honours previously conferred upon him following discussions with his older brother, King Charles III.

“I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me,” the statement reads.

Prince Andrew is best known for his ties to deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, which significantly damaged his family’s reputation. This saw him step back from official duties in 2019, while Queen Elizabeth II was still on the throne. He has attempted to remain largely out of the limelight since then, but reports have emerged in recent days that he held meetings with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) spymaster Cai Qi, now the effective chief of staff to Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, in 2018 and 2019.

Reports suggest that the King regarded this latest scandal as the final straw, causing him to ask his brother to renounce his titles.

Image via Royal Navy.

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16 hours ago
Economy

Trump Shrinks Budget Deficit by $41 Billion, Boosted by Tariff Revenues.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. budget deficit decreased by $41 billion to $1.775 trillion in fiscal year 2025.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Treasury Department, and American taxpayers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The smaller deficit was aided by a record $195 billion in net customs receipts for the fiscal year.” – Treasury Department Report

🎯IMPACT: The deficit reduction marks the first decrease since 2022, driven by increased tariff revenues.

IN FULL

The U.S. budget deficit dropped by $41 billion to $1.775 trillion for fiscal year 2025, according to the Treasury Department. This decline occurred even as overall revenues rose, with a key factor being the tariffs enacted by President Donald J. Trump.

The Treasury reported that the fiscal year, which concluded on September 30, represented the first annual deficit decrease since 2022. Officials credited the improvement to record net customs receipts of $195 billion, up $118 billion from the year before, driven by the new Trump tariffs.

Customs receipts for September alone hit a peak of $29.7 billion. These results cover nearly nine months of Trump’s second term, during which his tariff measures have been influential.

Meanwhile, the White House is preparing to relax tariffs affecting the U.S. auto sector, which could aid car manufacturers seeking exemptions from steeper import fees. The Commerce Department intends to reveal a five-year extension to lower automakers’ tariff expenses on imported vehicle components.

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to review a legal dispute over Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs next month. An unfavorable decision could significantly alter the economic landscape, as well as America’s leverage in international trade.

Fresh tariffs on kitchen cabinets, vanities, timber, and select wood products have just gone into effect, to level the playing field for American producers.

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