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Monday, August 24, 2026

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42 minutes ago
Economy
News
War

Treasury Sec Bessent Declares ‘Economic D-Day’ Against Iran is Underway: ‘We Are Entering the Endgame.’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has declared the “single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled” underway as of Monday morning, targeting Iran and its “enablers.”

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declared that the Trump administration is launching an unprecedented financial offensive against Iran, likening it to an “economic D-Day.” Writing in an article published late Sunday, Bessent stated that the Islamic Republic has been a “malignant force” for decades, both domestically and internationally, and that America’s patience has run out.
📺 DETAIL: Bessent compared the administration’s strategy to the 1943 Tehran Conference, where Allied leaders planned the defeat of Nazi Germany, and warned that nations enabling Iran’s regime, whether through oil purchases, financial facilitation, or other means, are making a dangerous gamble. “Iran’s enablers purchase and transport its petroleum. They facilitate the flow of its finances through exchange houses and free trade zones… In short, these countries calculate appeasement of the regime to be the safer course. But they would do well to consider the consequences of sustaining it,” the Treasury Secretary warned, invoking the philosopher Blaise Pascal’s famous wager on the existence of God—”If you [wager that God exists], you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing”—and urging any nation gambling that it can continue to sustain the Iranian regime to consider that the repercussions could be dire.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We are entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day—the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary.” – Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, FT article published overnight
🎯 IMPACT: Bessent’s announcement signals a shift toward maximum economic pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran and its enablers, aiming to cripple the regime’s ability to fund the Islamic Revolutionar Guard Corps (IRGC), regular military, domestic repression apparatus, and international terror proxies. Bessent also suggested that nations aligning with U.S. efforts would gain greater access to global markets and economic confidence, while those continuing to support Iran would face serious consequences.

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August 22, 2026
Data
News
UK

DATA: Majority of Londoners Oppose Fourth Mayoral Term for Sadiq Khan.

Polling data has revealed that most Londoners want Mayor Sadiq Khan to stand down ahead of the next election, citing failure across a wide range of policy areas.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Most Londoners do not want Sadiq Khan to seek another term as Mayor of London, according to polling data.
📺 DETAIL: According to a poll conducted by YouGov, 56 percent of Londoners think Khan should step down as Mayor ahead of the 2028 mayoral election. This includes 31 percent of people who voted for Khan at the last mayoral election in 2024. The poll also revealed that 55 percent of Londoners believe that London has become a worse place to live since Khan became Mayor back in 2016. Sixty-six percent of Londoners believe that Khan has handled housing “badly,” compared to just 17 percent who said the Mayor was handling the issue “well.” In addition, 76 percent of Londoners said that affordability has worsened in the capital over the past decade, compared to just five percent who said it has improved. The poll further revealed that 69 percent of Londoners believe that the economy of the capital has worsened over Khan’s tenure. Sixty-two percent of Londoners believe homelessness has worsened, 62 percent think high streets and public spaces have declined, and 58 percent believe that crime has worsened.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Only 24% of [Londoners] think [Khan] should run for a fourth term as Mayor of London,” said Matthew Smith, Data Journalist for YouGov.
🎯 IMPACT: This poll demonstrates that most Londoners agree with President Donald J. Trump, who has long been critical of Khan’s time as Mayor of London. “He’s a disaster. He’s a disaster. He’s got a totally different ideology to what he’s supposed to have,” the President said of the Mayor in December last year. The finding that a clear majority of people in the capital believe that Khan has failed on affordable housing, which the Mayor has consistently described as his main priority, is particularly bad, especially since he has been in office for a decade. Khan has been elected three times previously: first in 2016, again in 2021, and most recently in 2024.
📺 FLASHBACK: The Mayor and the President have a long-standing rivalry. “I’m not a fan of your mayor… He’s a nasty person,” said President Trump said in July last year. Khan has previously attacked the President as “racist, sexist, homophobic, and Islamophobic.”

Image via East London Mosque.

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Polling data has revealed that most Londoners want Mayor Sadiq Khan to stand down ahead of the next election, citing failure across a wide range of policy areas.

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By Popular Demand.
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August 22, 2026
Data
News
UK

DATA: British Public Supports Tough Stance Against France on Migrant Boats.

A poll has revealed that a plurality of Britons support standing up to France to address illegal migrant crossings in the English Channel.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A plurality of around four in 10 Britons believe that the British government needs to take a tougher stance against France to address illegal migrant crossings in the English Channel, according to polling data. Significantly, Britain has paid hundreds of millions of pounds to France to stop the crossings, but the number of interceptions has actually declined.
📺 DETAIL: According to a poll conducted by YouGov, the largest polling firm in Britain, 41 percent of Britons think their government should take a tougher stance against France. By contrast, 35 percent supported a closer relationship with France to stop the boats transporting illegal migrants across the English Channel. The poll also revealed that 79 percent of supporters of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, which has pitched a military operation to return boat migrants to France, believe the government should take a tougher stance. Sixty-seven percent of people supporting Olukemi “Kemi” Badenoch’s nominally center-right Conservative Party said the same. In contrast, only 24 percent of Labour voters supported taking a harder line. Twenty-four percent of people backing the Liberal Democrats, a pro-open borders party that supports rejoining the European Union (EU), said the same. Meanwhile, only 19 percent of those backing Zack Polanski’s far-left Green Party want the government to take a tougher stance on France to stop the illegal crossings.
🎯 IMPACT: The poll reflects declining confidence in the British government’s failed “one-in, one-out” deal, which mandates that for every migrant the British government returns to France after an illegal crossing, Britain will admit one different legal migrant from France. However, earlier this month, it was revealed that 1,117 migrants have been admitted to the United Kingdom while only 1,087 illegals have been taken out of the country, for a slight increase in migrants overall.

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A poll has revealed that a plurality of Britons support standing up to France to address illegal migrant crossings in the English Channel.

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By Popular Demand.
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August 22, 2026
Crime
Immigration
News

Over 80% of North African Migrants Have Been Accused of at Least One Crime in This European Country:

New data reveals a massive overrepresentation of North African asylum seekers among accused criminals.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED:  Swiss migration figures show that about 80.5 percent of asylum seekers from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia have been accused of at least one offense, compared with 12.5 percent among asylum seekers overall. The figures from Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) indicate that North African applicants are significantly overrepresented among those accused of crimes. Their asylum claims are also rarely successful, with roughly 99 percent of applications reportedly rejected, according to Swiss media.
📺 DETAIL: Switzerland introduced an accelerated asylum process for applicants from several North African countries in 2024, allowing officials to quickly handle cases considered unlikely to result in protection. Officials say the process can nevertheless be prolonged when applicants decline to provide fingerprints, miss scheduled appointments, or fail to appear for deportation. SEM spokesman Daniel Bach said removing people convicted or repeatedly accused of criminal offenses remains a priority for the country’s asylum policy. Swiss authorities are considering expanding the use of coercive measures and tighter rules surrounding administrative detention to facilitate removals.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Criminals must leave Switzerland quickly. This is a priority of the asylum strategy,” said SEM spokesman Daniel Bach.
🎯 IMPACT: The figures are likely to intensify debate in Switzerland over the effectiveness of its asylum system and whether accelerated procedures and deportations are sufficient to address criminality among migrants. The data could also increase pressure on Swiss authorities to strengthen cooperation with North African governments to accelerate deportations.

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New data reveals a massive overrepresentation of North African asylum seekers among accused criminals.

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By Popular Demand.
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August 21, 2026
News

Newsom Breaks Ranks to Tout Trump Children’s Savings Accounts.

In a surprising move, California Governor Gavin Newsom has praised President Trump’s children’s savings accounts, urging parents to participate.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) endorsed President Donald J. Trump’s children’s savings accounts, calling them “one of the best things” the President has done. Newsom encouraged parents to sign up for the accounts, which provide a $1,000 federal deposit for children born during Trump’s second term and can grow rapidly with regular contributions.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I’m enthusiastic about encouraging people to get a Trump Account. It’s one of the best things he’s done.” – Gavin Newsom
🎯 IMPACT: Newsom’s endorsement could influence California parents to participate in the program despite the largely Democrat-voting state’s opposition to the President.
📰 DETAIL: Trump Accounts, launched last month, are designed to help parents save for their children’s future, with federal and corporate contributions and potentially significant investment growth that could give young Americans a head start as they become adults. Newsom, who has implemented similar savings programs in California, highlighted the importance of setting aside political differences for the benefit of children’s financial futures.
👀 FLASHBACK: Newsom’s attitude contrasts with that of other Democrats, such as Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who in July led a group of lawmakers urging parents not to take advantage of Trump Accounts despite the opportunity they provide to build generational wealth. “Democrats would rather keep working families trapped in dependency on the government programs they control than let them own a piece of their future,” the White House responded at the time, adding: “They’d rather punish their own constituents than see a policy associated with President Trump succeed and improve the lives of Americans. They’re putting their hatred of President Trump above giving American children a real shot at the American Dream.”

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In a surprising move, California Governor Gavin Newsom has praised President Trump's children's savings accounts, urging parents to participate.

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By Popular Demand.
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August 21, 2026
News
TECH

TikTok Agrees to $400 Million Settlement Over Children’s Privacy Breaches.

TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to a $400 million settlement following a federal lawsuit that alleged that the platform had violated U.S. children’s online privacy laws.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to pay $400 million to settle allegations of violating children’s privacy.
📺 DETAIL: The announcement from the Department of Justice (DOJ) came on Friday. The agreement followed allegations that the platform had violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting and retaining data from young users without parental consent. The lawsuit also alleged that the platform had knowingly permitted children to create accounts and interact with adults on the platform since 2019. The lawsuit initially stemmed from a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into the platform. The DOJ initially sued the platform in 2024. In response to the legal action, TikTok has committed to various changes, such as features to enhance parental oversight and age-related controls.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Those developments have materially advanced the public interests underlying the Department’s litigation and have strengthened protections for millions of American families,” read a statement from the Department of Justice.
🎯 IMPACT: The settlement serves as a significant step in holding tech companies accountable for protecting children’s online privacy. The changes implemented by TikTok aim to better safeguard young users. This follows a divestment deal secured by President Donald J. Trump back in September last year. In January 2026, ByteDance sold a majority stake in its U.S. operations to non-Chinese investors. The process began after a law was passed back in 2024 forcing ByteDance to divest or face a U.S. ban. This is not the only child safety-related lawsuit to face TikTok and ByteDance. In Pennsylvania, the platform is facing a lawsuit alleging that TikTok is addictive and harmful. “TikTok has built its empire based on a model of addictiveness at all costs,” said Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Dave Sunday.

Image by Solen Feyissa.

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TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, have agreed to a $400 million settlement following a federal lawsuit that alleged that the platform had violated U.S. children's online privacy laws.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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August 21, 2026
Education
News
World

Trump Admin Condemns ‘Retaliation’ Against American Academic Who Exposed Deceased Plagiarist Jason Arday.

The U.S. Mission to Belgium has criticized Ghent University for suspending Nathan Cofnas, the academic who exposed the plagiarism and fraudulent claims of the late Jason Arday, a former professor at the University of Cambridge.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Mission to Belgium has condemned Ghent University for suspending the academic who broke the Jason Arday scandal.
📺 DETAIL: The condemnation came on Friday after it was reported that academic Nathan Cofnas had been suspended from Ghent University, the second-largest university in Belgium. Cofnas gained attention after uncovering plagiarism and fabrications in the work and personal biography of Jason Arday, a former professor at the University of Cambridge. Arday was the youngest black professor at the university. Arday was found dead in his London home earlier this month after resigning from his position after an investigation into his appointment was announced. Cofnas was suspended amid the backlash to his exposé. “I was just suspended by Ghent University. They will almost certainly fire me. The decision was made by rector Petra De Sutter, a former leader of the Green Party,” announced Cofnas on X (formerly Twitter). U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Bill White has criticized the university’s actions and announced a review of U.S. relations with Ghent University. The U.S. government regularly funds and supports research, academic exchanges, and other engagements with overseas universities. “Dishonest, corrupt institutions that engage in, or reward, scapegoating mob behavior are not desirable partners for us. This is particularly true where the purpose and effect of the scapegoating is to punish accurate journalism unearthing academic dishonesty. We are therefore reviewing any relationships we have with Ghent University,” declared the Ambassador.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The ultimate purpose of freedom of speech is to overturn lies, fraud, and false ideologies. This is precisely what Cofnas was doing, and precisely the reason his home institution wants to silence him.” – U.S. Ambassador Bill White
🎯 IMPACT: The U.S. government’s review of its relationship with Ghent University could affect the institution’s funding and collaborations. The U.S Mission to Belgium’s announcement shows that the Trump administration is aligning itself against the ongoing effort to censor academics for criticizing the University of Cambridge and journalists for reporting and commenting on the scandal. Arday was accused of using more than 100 verbatim or near-verbatim passages in his PhD thesis, claiming honorary positions at universities with no records of him, and lying about past personal achievements, such as running 600 miles in six days and raising over £5 million (~$6.7mn) for charity.

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The U.S. Mission to Belgium has criticized Ghent University for suspending Nathan Cofnas, the academic who exposed the plagiarism and fraudulent claims of the late Jason Arday, a former professor at the University of Cambridge.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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August 21, 2026
Health
News
World

Ebola Crisis Escalating as Death Toll Passes 2,500.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has become the largest in the country’s history, with health workers facing violent attacks amid rising social unrest.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Over 2,500 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak, according to the United Nations (UN).
📺 DETAIL: The most recent crisis represents the largest Ebola outbreak in the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The previous largest outbreak lasted from 2018 to 2020. Roughly 160 health workers have fallen ill ‌with Ebola, and 43 have died. In addition, over 260 attacks on health workers have been reported over the past six months, with eight being killed. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments, contributing to the climate of panic. “The Ebola outbreak is growing ⁠exponentially… And all of this is happening in an area that has ​had ​three decades of conflict and is generating huge humanitarian ​needs… Fear translates into angry young men who start throwing stones at their object of fear, the ambulance,” announced Julien Harneis, Senior Ebola Coordinator at the UN. The announcement came on Friday as Harneis warned that funding for the emergency response is set to run out within weeks.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The epidemic is spreading to an area that is bigger than France, and the outbreak is growing faster and wider than the Ebola response.” – Julien Harneis.
🎯 IMPACT: The escalating outbreak threatens to overwhelm the country’s already strained healthcare system. The ongoing violence against health workers undermines the increasingly unsustainable containment operation. This report comes just a few months after former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield warned that the outbreak, which is concentrated in the DRC but has spread to various East African countries, could spiral into a significant pandemic. “I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into Southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” said Redfield back in May.

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The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has become the largest in the country's history, with health workers facing violent attacks amid rising social unrest.

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By Popular Demand.
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August 21, 2026
Crime
News

CBP, HSI Detain 11 Foreign Pedophiles on Cruise Ship.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have arrested 11 foreigners in Boston as part of a multiagency operation targeting child exploitation aboard cruise ships.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Boston, working with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other partners, arrested 11 foreign nationals during Operation Tidal Wave from August 14–16, 2026, for involvement in the reception and disbursement of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.
📺 DETAIL: The suspected pedophiles, nine Philippine citizens, one Indonesian, and one Nicaraguan, were encountered while boarding the cruise ships Volendam and Norwegian Breakaway. After searches of their quarters and devices, all 11 were processed for removal under the Immigration and Nationality Act for crimes involving moral turpitude. The multiagency operation is targeting cruise ship crewmembers linked to such material and builds on earlier phases that resulted in enforcement actions against dozens of crew members in San Diego and San Juan.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Protecting children from exploitation is among our highest priorities, and this operation demonstrates the critical role CBP officers play in identifying and stopping individuals who pose a threat to public safety.” – Julio Caravia, Acting Director of Field Operations, CBP Boston Field Office
🎯 IMPACT: The arrests of 11 cruise ship crew members under Operation Tidal Wave highlight the Trump administration’s efforts to intercept foreign pedophiles at ports of entry and protect children from exploitation.
📺 FLASHBACK: Earlier phases of Operation Tidal Wave in April, June, and July led to the removal of 41 crew members for similar offenses.

Image by Bahnfrend.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) have arrested 11 foreigners in Boston as part of a multiagency operation targeting child exploitation aboard cruise ships.

show more
By Popular Demand.
The National Pulse Now has an on-site comments section for members. Sign up today and be part of the conversation in our community of almost 15,000.
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August 21, 2026
Lawfare
News

Court Slashes ‘Excessive’ Judgment Against Alex Jones.

A Texas appeals court has ruled that damages awarded against Alex Jones exceeded state statutory limits, significantly reducing the penalty.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED:  A Texas appeals court has reduced a $50 million judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones to $1.5 million, ruling that the original award exceeded the state’s legal limit on damages. Jones was ordered to compensate Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose six-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
📺 DETAIL: In a unanimous ruling issued on Friday, the Texas Third Court of Appeals said a lower court improperly allowed damages to exceed the state’s $750,000-per-plaintiff cap. The court also found that the evidence did not justify surpassing that limit based on the harassment the families experienced after Jones’s claims. Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, remain involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
🎯 IMPACT: The ruling represents a significant financial victory for Alex Jones by sharply reducing the damages he owes to two Sandy Hook parents in Texas. However, the decision does not erase his broader legal liabilities, including a separate $1.4 billion Connecticut judgment.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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A Texas appeals court has ruled that damages awarded against Alex Jones exceeded state statutory limits, significantly reducing the penalty.

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By Popular Demand.
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August 21, 2026
Data
NatSec
News

DATA: Voters Oppose US-Israel Military Integration Plan.

A new poll shows widespread opposition among American voters to a congressional proposal that would increase U.S.-Israel military cooperation and integrate Israeli defense companies into the Pentagon.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Most Americans oppose military integration between the United States and Israel, according to a new poll.
📺 DETAIL: According to a poll conducted by Data for Progress, a left-leaning think-tank, 61 percent of likely U.S. voters oppose Section 219, the provision in the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would deepen U.S.-Israel military cooperation and integrate Israeli weapons companies into the Pentagon. This includes 78 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of Independents. When not provided surrounding context regarding the NDAA, 62 percent of Republicans oppose granting special access to any foreign military. The poll also revealed that 57 percent of Americans oppose increased Pentagon access for Israeli defense companies. Furthermore, 51 percent of respondents believed that Israel benefits more from the U.S.-Israel relationship. In contrast, only 12 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. benefits more from the relationship. Specifically, Section 219 would establish a U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative to carry out joint research and assist in the development of missile defense, artificial intelligence (AI), counter-drone systems, and other areas. The survey polled 1,217 likely U.S. voters between August 3 and August 7.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This poll is a flashing red warning sign for any member of Congress who supports the defense authorization bill… A clear majority of voters do not support further integrating the Israeli military and Israeli military companies into the Pentagon, which the NDAA is set to do,” said Cavan Kharrazian, Senior Policy Adviser at Demand Progress.
🎯 IMPACT: The findings of this poll suggest that Americans are wary about increased military integration with Israel, which is already heavily reliant on the U.S. This sentiment was echoed by Vice President JD Vance back in June, who warned Israeli officials critcizing the Trump administration: “Two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected [Israel] have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars… wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.”

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A new poll shows widespread opposition among American voters to a congressional proposal that would increase U.S.-Israel military cooperation and integrate Israeli defense companies into the Pentagon.

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By Popular Demand.
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