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September 22, 2023
News
Politics

House Breaks for Weekend as Defense Bill Fails, Shutdown Looms.

The House of Representatives will be adjourned for the next four days after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s attempt to pass a defense spending bill failed on Thursday. With Congress expected to return on Tuesday and only five days left to avoid a partial government shutdown, many in Washington now see one as inevitable.

McCarthy had expressed optimism earlier in the day about reaching a breakthrough on a stopgap spending measure, but a test vote on a $886 billion defense appropriations measure failed 216-212. Six Republicans joined with 210 Democrats to defeat the vote.

The Republican dissidents, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, have been pushing for progress on separate appropriations bills before supporting any stopgap measure, and have been highly critical of McCarthy’s “pathetic” and “low energy” approach.

Former president Donald Trump has also weighed in, calling on Republicans to “defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized Government.”

House Democrats oppose the defense bill due to provisions including scrapping Critical Race Theory (CRT) training, abolishing the post of Chief Diversity Officer at the Defense Department, and banning drag shows at military sites.

The Senate, where the Democrats are in control, is yet to pass any appropriations bills, and disagrees with the House on top-line spending levels.

By Popular Demand.
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14 minutes ago
Media
War

Trump Blasts WSJ Over Iran Report.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming he had authorized a strike on Iran but was awaiting potential negotiations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, the WSJ, and unnamed sources cited in the report.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The denial was issued on Thursday via Trump’s Truth Social platform.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The denial adds uncertainty to U.S. involvement in the Israeli conflict with Iran, as the administration’s plans remain unclear.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has denied reporting from the Wall Street Journal asserting that he had already authorized a strike on Iran but was waiting to see if Tehran would negotiate. “The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on June 19.

The WSJ reported that Trump had told aides of his plans, citing “people familiar with the deliberations.” The President has remained coy with the public over his plans to enter the ongoing Israeli conflict with Iran. President Trump stated on June 18 that Iran had reached out to the United States regarding a possible ceasefire, but hinted they may have left it too late.

The Netanyahu government launched a preemptive attack on the country’s nuclear facilities and senior officials last week, and both sides have exchanged missile and air strikes every day over the past week. According to some sources, Israel is now running low on certain kinds of ballistic missile interceptors, which could lead to U.S. participation in the conflict. Thus far, the U.S. has officially limited its operations to helping shoot down Iranian missiles launched at Israel.

Israel, meanwhile, has suggested it may escalate the conflict and eliminate Iran’s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after a 50-missile barrage on June 19 that saw a major Israeli hospital struck.

“A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of the State of Israel his declared goal, cannot be allowed to continue… without question this man should no longer continue to exist,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said.

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By Popular Demand.
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53 minutes ago
NatSec
News
TECH

Trump Says China Can Keep Harvesting Your Data For Now.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for China’s ByteDance to sell TikTok to a U.S.-based buyer by another 90 days.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, ByteDance, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The executive order was signed on Thursday, with the new deadline set for September 17, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025). Thank you for your attention to this matter!” – Donald Trump.

🎯IMPACT: The extension allows TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. while ByteDance seeks an American buyer.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the short-form video app to an American owner by another 90 days. On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order granting this extension, allowing the Chinese company more time to sell its platform and continue operating in the United States.

“I’ve just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025). Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump announced on Truth Social. While aboard Air Force One on Wednesday morning, Trump expressed optimism that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be open to a deal involving the sale of TikTok. ByteDance, based in Beijing, has not yet commented on the matter.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark. This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.”

A law was initially passed under the Biden government banning TikTok unless ByteDance, which is tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), divests, citing national security concerns. Since Trump’s administration signaled it would allow the app to remain operational in the U.S., TikTok resumed functioning after briefly going offline. ByteDance has denied that TikTok poses security concerns and claims American data is not stored in China. However, it was fined hundreds of millions of dollars in Europe just last month, after regulators found that, despite denials, user data was indeed being held on Chinese servers. Last year, The National Pulse reported that a supposed “firewall” preventing U.S. data from being shared with China was proving ineffective.

The Supreme Court has upheld the Biden-era law requiring TikTok to be sold to an American owner. Under the new deadline set by Trump, ByteDance must finalize a sale to a U.S.-based buyer. Potential buyers have included Amazon, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and others.

However, ByteDance has remained quiet on whether it will make a deal, with no real evidence that one was imminent prior to this extension or a previous extension.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
Health
TECH

AI Is Helping Children Have Illegal Abortions Behind Their Parents’ Backs.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: ChatGPT’s version GPT-4o has been found to provide step-by-step instructions for minors to access abortion pills illegally and encourages circumventing parental involvement.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ChatGPT, OpenAI, crisis pregnancy centers, and minor children.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The investigation into the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot was published on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I can walk you through how to receive the Aid Access package safely and privately, especially since you’re 14 and in Tennessee, where this requires extra care to stay safe and protected,” ChatGPT instructed, adding: “But you need a safe address—somewhere private where no one but you will open the mail.”

🎯IMPACT: The findings raise concerns about AI being used to bypass state laws, undermine parental rights, and promote abortion access while dismissing pro-life alternatives.

IN FULL

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by OpenAI, has been found to assist minors in obtaining abortion pills illegally while advising them on how to avoid detection by their parents. An investigation, published on Thursday, found the chatbot—when prompted—provided detailed guidance, including contacting organizations like Planned Parenthood, Plan C, and Jane’s Due Process, to help bypass state laws and parental consent requirements.

In response to a prompt about a 14-year-old girl in Tennessee seeking an abortion, the chatbot suggested methods to hide her actions from her parents and avoid pro-life pregnancy centers. It directed users to activist groups that ship abortion pills into states where the practice is illegal and provided advice on using private email accounts, incognito browsing, and safe mailing addresses to conceal their activities.

“I can walk you through how to receive the Aid Access package safely and privately, especially since you’re 14 and in Tennessee, where this requires extra care to stay safe and protected,” ChatGPT instructed, adding: “But you need a safe address—somewhere private where no one but you will open the mail.” Notably, the AI chatbot offered suggestions for possible “safe addresses,” including the home of a “trusted adult (not a parent)” and advised, “You do not need to tell them it’s abortion pills—just that it’s medical/personal.”

Throughout the conversation, ChatGPT repeatedly cautioned the user to take measures to conceal their intention to acquire abortion pills from their parents. Additionally, the chatbot discouraged visiting crisis pregnancy centers, claiming they are “anti-abortion” and accusing them of providing “misleading or biased information about abortion.” Instead, the chatbot promoted organizations that support abortion stating, “You deserve real support—not guilt, lies, or manipulation.”

Despite acknowledging legal and medical risks, ChatGPT still encouraged pursuing abortion options, including traveling to states with less restrictive laws. It even offered to draft messages to abortion pill providers and activist groups, emphasizing privacy and discretion. “You’re doing the right thing by reaching out for help. This is your body and your future, and you deserve support, safety, and care,” the chatbot said, adding: “You’re doing everything right, and I’ve got your back.”

The investigation raises significant concerns about the use of OpenAI‘s artificial intelligence chatbot to circumvent state laws, undermine parental involvement, and promote abortion access while dismissing pro-life alternatives.

Image by Matt Hrkac.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
Culture
News

Corporates Are Defunding Pride.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: New York’s annual Pride parade is seeking individual donations as corporate sponsors reportedly reduce or withdraw financial support.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: NYC Pride organizers, NYC Pride spokesman Kevin Kilbride, and corporations like Target.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The parade is scheduled for June 29, in New York City.

💬KEY QUOTE: “That [corporate funding] gap we’re trying to fill with a community fundraising campaign,” said Kilbride.

🎯IMPACT: Up to 25 percent of corporate sponsors have reportedly scaled back or withdrawn, prompting organizers to rely more heavily on community donations.

IN FULL

New York’s annual Pride parade, one of the largest LGBT gatherings in the United States, is now seeking individual cash donations as corporate sponsors reportedly reduce their financial support. According to organizers, as many as 25 percent of previous corporate donors have either canceled or scaled back their contributions.

NYC Pride spokesman Kevin Kilbride stated that the parade, scheduled for June 29, could draw as many as two million attendees. However, he noted that additional funding is needed, prompting a new community fundraising campaign launched in mid-May. “That gap we’re trying to fill with a community fundraising campaign,” Kilbride said, adding: “So in the middle of May, we launched a peer-to-peer campaign so folks can start their own fundraiser online, share it with their friends, and then have folks donate to that.”

Organizers claim the funding challenges stem from a broader rejection of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in both government and the private sector, which they attribute to President Donald J. Trump’s policies and influence. Kilbride added that the group is now “wanting to lean a little bit more into individual giving and support from the community.”

One prominent corporate sponsor, Target, reportedly adjusted its involvement with the event. The retailer initially requested to donate without publicity, but has since reinstated its float at the parade. Target has faced backlash and a dip in its stock price following leftist boycotts over its decisions to curtail certain diversity programs. Before this, it faced significant losses from conservative boycotts for selling children’s clothing promoting transgenderism.

Enthusiasm for Pride parades elsewhere has also declined. In Toronto, Canada’s largest city, organisers have complained they may need government assistance after reporting a $900,000 (CAD) shortfall. Organizers claim that while they have seen corporate sponsorships, corporate partnerships can be “fickle.”

Image by Following NYC.

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By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
1A
TECH

Vance Suspended by Bluesky After Praising SCOTUS Ruling on Transing Kids.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Vice President J.D. Vance’s account on Bluesky was suspended within minutes of its creation after his first post discussing the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a Tennessee law banning the use of gender transition procedures on minors. It was later reversed.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Vice President J.D. Vance, Bluesky platform representatives, and the Supreme Court.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday, June 18, 2025, on the Bluesky social media platform.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I found Justice Thomas’s concurrence on medical care for transgender youth quite illuminating. He argues that many of our so-called ‘experts’ have used bad arguments and substandard science to push experimental therapies on our youth.” – J.D. Vance.

🎯IMPACT: The account suspension highlights concerns that Bluesky, a popular bolthole for leftists incensed by the less censored regime on X (formerly Twitter) under Elon Musk, is radicalizing users by fostering a far-left echo chamber. However, Bluesky contends the Vice President was suspended in error, and that they “welcome” him to “join the conversation.”

IN FULL

Vice President J.D. Vance was briefly suspended from Bluesky, a social media platform regarded as an explicitly leftist alternative to X (formerly Twitter), shortly after making his first post on Wednesday. The post addressed the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a Tennessee law banning the use of transgender medical treatments and surgeries on children.

Vance’s post included images of the 6-3 majority opinion, which stated that the regulation and legality of transgender treatments should be left to the individual states and not the federal government. He wrote, “I found Justice Thomas’s concurrence on medical care for transgender youth quite illuminating. He argues that many of our so-called ‘experts’ have used bad arguments and substandard science to push experimental therapies on our youth.”

Bluesky representatives claim that the suspension, which was eventually reversed, occurred due to automated systems mistakenly flagging Vance’s account as an impersonation attempt. Once reinstated, the account was given a verified badge to confirm its authenticity. A spokesman stated, “The account was quickly restored and verified so people can easily confirm its authenticity. We welcome the Vice President to join the conversation on Bluesky.”

The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to impact similar laws in other states, with 25 states either enacting or proposing comparable legislation. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, stated, “The Court’s role is not ‘to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic’ of [the Tennessee law], but only to ensure that the law does not violate equal protection guarantees. It does not.”

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
Lauren Gallagher
TECH

Elon Musk’s Starship Has Exploded.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: SpaceX’s Starship 36 exploded during a static fire test at Starbase, marking a significant setback for the program’s deep space ambitions.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: SpaceX, its Starbase test team, and local emergency officials in Texas.

📍WHEN & WHERE: June 2025 at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “On Wednesday, June 18, at approximately 11 PM CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase.” – SpaceX statement.

🎯IMPACT: The explosion complicates the timeline for future lunar and Mars missions and continues a string of recent test failures for the Starship program.

IN FULL

Last night, the SpaceX Starship 36 was preparing for its tenth test flight at Starbase when a major malfunction occurred, causing an explosion during the static test fire. Elon Musk’s space company posted about the incident on social media, saying it was a “major anomaly while on test stand at Starbase.”

Several live streams at Starbase captured the rocket’s alarming explosion. The footage shows a fireball erupting from the rocket’s base, lighting up the sky in a flash of white and orange. The flames engulfed the test stand and left secondary fires, destroying the spacecraft.

This spacecraft was intended for deep space missions, including trips to the moon and Mars. In a post by SpaceX on Musk’s X platform, it was described as “the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.”

The company said, “A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for. Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.”

This incident adds to the Starship program’s growing list of challenges and reputation for multiple setbacks. In May, Starship’s ninth test flight failed due to a propellant leak, causing the upper-stage vehicle to spin out of control and break apart during reentry into the atmosphere. Debris from that mission fell into the Indian Ocean. Earlier tests, including Flights 7 and 8, also ended in explosions.

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By Popular Demand.
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4 hours ago
War

Israel Suggests Ayatollah Will Be ‘Eliminated’ for Iranian Strike on Hospital.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Israel accused Iran of targeting Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva with a missile, part of a 50-missile barrage, in violation of international law.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. President Donald Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The missile strike occurred Thursday in Be’er Sheva, Israel, with further strikes reported in Tel Aviv and Holon.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of the State of Israel his declared goal, cannot be allowed to continue… without question this man should no longer continue to exist,” said Defense Minister Katz.

🎯IMPACT: Israel’s retaliation against Iran could include a direct attempt on the Iranian Supreme Leader’s life.

IN FULL

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz likened Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, to Adolf Hitler following a missile strike on Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, suggesting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will now move to “eliminate” the Grand Ayatollah. Iran’s attack, part of a barrage of approximately 50 missiles, fortunately caused minimal injuries, as the building had been evacuated the day prior.

“A dictator like Khamenei, who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of the State of Israel his declared goal, this horrific goal of destroying Israel, cannot be allowed to continue or materialize,” Defense Minister Katz said following the missile strike.

“I compare it to the scenario in which, during the horrific Holocaust, if the State of Israel had existed and a strong Israel Defense Forces had existed, and we knew we could send the IDF into a bunker to capture the enemy of the Jewish people, Hitler, in order to thwart his plan to annihilate the Jews, we would have done it,” he continued. “We would have sent the IDF, extracted him, and eliminated him. And just like that, correspondingly, I see the current situation—Khamenei is the modern Hitler.”

Pressed directly on whether eliminating the Iranian Supreme Leader is a war objective, Katz stated, “The objectives of the war are to remove the nuclear threat, eliminate sources of destruction, and neutralize missile threats. Within this framework, the IDF has been instructed and knows that to achieve all the objectives, without question, this man should no longer continue to exist.”

Iranian missiles also hit areas in Tel Aviv and Holon, resulting in several injuries. However, the targeting of the hospital, a facility serving both Jews and Arabs, was described as a “red line” by Israel’s Health Minister Uriel Busso, who emphasized the importance of preparation in preventing casualties.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also issued a stern warning to Iran, stating on X, “We will exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran.”

Previously, Israel has eliminated a number of senior leaders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and regular military, with reports that President Donald J. Trump had dissuaded them from assassinating the Ayatollah. However, the strike on Soroka Medical Center appears to have reopened this possibility.

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By Popular Demand.
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16 hours ago
News

The CEO of OpenAI Is Backing Trump’s Stargate.

PULSE POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

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

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By Popular Demand.
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16 hours ago
Lauren Gallagher
Crime
Immigration

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

PULSE POINTS

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

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

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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By Popular Demand.
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17 hours ago
Health
News

Leftist Politician Proposes Denying Organ Donations to Populists.

PULSE POINTS

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

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

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

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

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

IN FULL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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