GET THE APP
Thursday, May 14, 2026

Category: Culture
April 7, 2026
Culture
Immigration

Florida Weighs Ban on ‘Stealth Jihad’ Cousin Marriages.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed banning first-cousin marriages in the state, a practice currently legal but prohibited in most states.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Florida lawmakers, and supporters of HB 733.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made during a Tampa signing ceremony on Monday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Florida doesn’t ban cousin marriage: That’s a hanging curveball for us to do; we need to do that.” – Ron DeSantis

🎯IMPACT: The proposal could reignite debate on cultural values, public health concerns, and immigration policies in Florida.

IN FULL

Florida is considering a potential ban on marriage between first cousins. “Florida doesn’t ban cousin marriage: That’s a hanging curveball for us to do; we need to do that,” said Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in Tampa on Monday.

He added, “Other states have done it. I don’t know why we wouldn’t, but obviously that feeds into some of the stealth jihad that we see, when you’re allowing things like that. It’s things that are coming in from other cultures that are not consistent with the United States culture, and certainly our culture here in Florida.”

The Sunshine State already bans marriages between many close relatives, such as siblings, parents, grandparents, nieces, and nephews, but has yet to ban marriage between first cousins, though it is already prohibited in most U.S. states.

In 2025, a proposal (HB 733) to ban marriage between first cousins was dropped by the state’s legislature. If passed, the proposal would have gone into effect on July 1 this year. Supporters of a ban on marriage between first cousins cite genetic disorders and muddled, potentially abusive, family dynamics.

President Donald J. Trump’s administration has already taken a hard line against cousin marriage. Earlier this year, the White House criticized the government of the United Kingdom for evading demands to ban cousin marriage, reflecting the administration’s “civilizational concerns” about the country, as outlined in its National Security Strategy late last year.

Image by F McGady.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
April 6, 2026
Culture
UK

Starmer Urged to Ban Kanye West From Britain So He Can’t Headline Festival.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Jewish groups and Members of Parliament (MPs) in Britain have urged the Wireless Festival to cancel Kanye West’s headline booking.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Kanye West, known as Ye; Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer; the Campaign Against Antisemitism; the Board of Deputies of British Jews; festival sponsors Pepsi, Diageo, and PayPal.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Wireless Festival, July 10-12 in Finsbury Park, north London, England.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.” – Prime Minister Starmer

🎯IMPACT: Festival sponsors, including Pepsi, Diageo, and PayPal, have withdrawn their support, and calls have increased from Members of Parliament and Jewish organizations to deny entry to West.

IN FULL

Several Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have joined various Jewish organizations to criticize Wireless Festival, an annual hip-hop festival in London, for scheduling rapper Kanye West. “It is deeply concerning Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism,” Starmer said.

West’s previous antisemitic actions include releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler” and selling a T-shirt with a Nazi swastika on the front. West has also described himself as a “Nazi” and posted on social media about going “death con 3 on Jewish people.” Consequently, the British government faces mounting pressure from MPs and Jewish organizations, including the Campaign Against Antisemitism and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, to bar West from entering the country.

Since it was announced that West would be headlining Wireless Festival in July, several sponsors have pulled out, including beverage giants Pepsi and Diageo. Furthermore, PayPal announced that its branding will no longer appear on promotional material for the festival. It is expected to attract 50,000 attendees per day and remains under pressure to disinvite West.

The rapper has previously apologized for his remarks and behavior, attributing them to bipolar disorder. In January, he took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, stating, “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite,” and expressing regret for his actions.

Image by Peter Hutchins.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
April 6, 2026
Bonkers Britain
Culture
Religion

Art Exhibition Portrays Christian Saint as Asian Transgender.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Saint Sebastian has been depicted as an Asian transgender man in a new art exhibit at London’s National Gallery.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Singaporean artist Ming Wong, The National Gallery in London, transgender models, and Christians.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The exhibit is currently displayed at the National Gallery as part of the institution’s Modern and Contemporary Programme.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There isn’t a better time to reimagine the stories that these characters and creatures inhabiting these worlds can tell one another, and their exchanges that cross centuries and civilizations beyond the frames.” – Ming Wong

🎯IMPACT: The exhibit has sparked criticism and backlash from Christians, social media users, and the British tax-paying public.

IN FULL

A new art exhibit at London’s National Gallery portrays Saint Sebastian, an early Christian martyr, as an Asian transgender. Created by Singaporean artist Ming Wong, the exhibit uses transgender models to portray the saint in a series of videos. “There isn’t a better time to reimagine the stories that these characters and creatures inhabiting these worlds can tell one another, and their exchanges that cross centuries and civilizations beyond the frames,” Wong argues.

Supposedly inspired by St. Sebastian’s martyrdom, in which he was shot to death with arrows by Roman soldiers while bound to a tree or pillar, the exhibit depicts transgender models listening to a seashell, dancing, and performing martial arts. The exhibit also includes audio of a Latin translation of British art historian Kenneth Clark’s final monologue from Civilisation, a seminal 13-part series released in 1969 by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The series provides a history of Western culture and is highly regarded by conservatives.

St. Sebastian was martyred after he was found converting Roman officials to Christianity and providing aid to imprisoned Christians in the third century. The saint was executed on the orders of Roman Emperor Diocletian, who led the infamous Great Persecution of the early Christians, and is a symbol of enduring Christian faith and male beauty.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
March 26, 2026
Culture
Lawfare

New ‘Kennedy Center’ Lawsuit Targets Trump-Era Renaming.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Joyce Beatty (D-OH) has filed a motion in federal court to reverse the renaming of the Kennedy Center as the Trump-Kennedy Center.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Joyce Beatty, President Donald J. Trump, the Kennedy Center board, and various artists and organizations.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The motion was filed on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., federal court.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Donald Trump’s attempt to rename the Kennedy Center after himself is not just an act of ego. It is an attempt to subvert our Constitution and the rule of law.” – Rep. Beatty

🎯IMPACT: The name change has led to lawsuits and boycotts by left-wing artists; the Center is being closed for major renovations and rebuilding.

IN FULL

Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty (D) has submitted a motion in federal court seeking to restore the Trump Kennedy Center’s original name, “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.” The filing, lodged on Wednesday, asks the court to reverse the Trump administration and the current board’s decision to rebrand the facility.

Beatty’s lawyers contend that the board’s action broke federal law. “Can the Board of the Kennedy Center—in direct contradiction of the governing statutes—rename this sacred memorial to John F. Kennedy after President Donald J. Trump? The answer is, unequivocally, ‘no,’” the filing claims.

Roma Daravi, the Trump Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, said the organization believes the court will uphold the board’s choice and that ongoing renovations and improvements, which are also subject to a legal challenge, will continue on schedule.

The name change was first announced in December by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and was carried out without any vote in Congress. The center’s website, promotional materials, and exterior signage were updated immediately. Beatty filed the lawsuit soon afterward, citing the original congressional legislation that created the memorial.

Left-leaning arts world figures and institutions have been waging a guerrilla campaign against the Trump Kennedy Center under its current leadership, with artists including composer Philip Glass, musician Béla Fleck, and Broadway star Patti LuPone, who said the Center “should get blown up.”

Richard “Ric” Grennell, who served as the Center’s executive director until shortly after its closure for renovations was announced, hit back at LuPone, saying she was “giving aid and comfort to somebody who says, ‘Patti Lupone wants me to go blow up the Kennedy Center…’ This needs to stop—this radical left extremism that’s morphing into violence.”

Image by Dclemens1971.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
March 23, 2026
Culture
News

Trump Installs Christopher Columbus Statue at White House.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A statue of Christopher Columbus was installed on the White House grounds.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump and White House officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: March 23, 2026, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero,” a spokesman said.

🎯IMPACT: The installation is part of a broader effort to restore historical monuments.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has installed a new statue of Christopher Columbus on the White House grounds. The statue is located just outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the west side of the White House complex, and is visible from Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street NW.

Notably, the statue is a reconstruction of a monument first unveiled by President Ronald Reagan in Baltimore in 1984. The original was infamously torn down and dumped into the Baltimore harbor in the summer of 2020 during the violent Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots. At the statue’s base is a plaque referencing its history, stating that the monument was “Destroyed July 4, 2020” and later restored.

“In this White House, Christopher Columbus is a hero,” a White House spokesman said of the statue’s rededication.

Importantly, the Columbus statue’s installation is part of a broader project, pushed by President Trump, to add classical art and statuary paying tribute to historic figures who had a critical impact on American history on the White House grounds and other federal property across the country. Earlier this month, President Trump unveiled several new statues honoring great American leaders and cultural figures in the Rose Garden.

In addition, the Trump administration plans to install a much larger sculpture display, called the “Garden of Heroes.” The proposed site is in the Black Hills near Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and will include dozens of statues and sculptures honoring American heroes.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
March 23, 2026
Culture
Lawfare

Architecture Groups Sue to Stop Trump Kennedy Center Renovations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A coalition of architecture and cultural organizations has filed a lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center board over planned renovations to the arts complex.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the D.C. Preservation League, and others, alongside President Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center board.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed on Monday at the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “President Trump is committed to making the Trump-Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility in the world. We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue.” – The White House

🎯IMPACT: The lawsuit challenges the legality of the renovations and argues that federal preservation laws have been ignored.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump is being sued by eight architectural and cultural groups over planned renovations to the Trump Kennedy Center. The plaintiffs, which include the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the D.C. Preservation League, filed the lawsuit in federal court on Monday seeking to ensure President Trump and the center’s board comply with historical preservation laws and secure Congressional approval before the renovations can proceed.

In their filing with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the plaintiffs allege that President Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center’s board of trustees intend “to fundamentally alter this iconic property without complying with bedrock federal historic preservation and environmental laws, and without securing the necessary Congressional authorization.” They further contend the event and cultural venue stands “as a living memorial to a slain president, a national gathering place for the arts and a defining landmark within the monumental core of the Nation’s capital. Its Modernist design, grand public spaces, and role as a premier cultural institution together form an irreplaceable legacy of history, architecture, and civic purpose.”

The lawsuit cites Trump’s assertion that the Trump Kennedy Center will undergo a “complete rebuilding” as a significant concern. Further, the plaintiffs contend that the President’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make way for renovations and the construction of a large-capacity ballroom is evidence that the Trump Kennedy Center’s renovations could be far more extensive than publicly claimed. While not dismissing the lawsuit outright, the White House responded to the filing, stating, “President Trump is committed to making the Trump-Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility in the world. We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”

In February, The National Pulse reported that the Trump Kennedy Center will close for a two-year period starting July 4, 2026, to allow for comprehensive renovations. Last Monday, the center’s board approved the closure. Architectural plans for the renovation have not yet been made public.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
March 14, 2026
Culture

Bill Maher Blasts Hollywood ‘Diversity’: ‘Titanic, Braveheart, Amadeus Wouldn’t Get Oscar Nomination Today.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Left-libertarian comedian Bill Maher addressed the tenth anniversary of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, declaring it is time to move on from the diversity complaints surrounding the Oscars.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bill Maher, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and notable actors such as Ke Huy Quan and Zoe Saldaña.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Maher’s remarks were made during his HBO show Real Time on Friday, March 13, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You couldn’t make Titanic today and hope to get nominated, or Braveheart, or Amadeus.” – Bill Maher

🎯IMPACT: Maher criticized new Academy rules for Best Picture eligibility and called for an end to ongoing complaints about the Oscars’ diversity, arguing that significant progress has already been achieved.

IN FULL

Comedian Bill Maher, during his HBO show Real Time, marked the tenth anniversary of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign by declaring that it is time to move on from the movement, as its goals have largely been achieved. Maher pointed out that eight of the last ten Best Director awards have gone to individuals from underrepresented groups and that 60 percent of honorary Oscars have also been awarded to such groups.

“Take the win,” Maher told his audience, adding, “The Oscars are no longer a long, boring show full of white people. It’s a long, boring show full of all people.” He highlighted recent diverse winners, including Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once in 2023 and Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez in 2025. Maher also referenced films like Moonlight, CODA, and The Shape of Water, which have won major awards in recent years.

Maher criticized the Academy’s new rules for Best Picture eligibility, which require films to meet specific diversity quotas in casting and crew composition.

“You couldn’t make Titanic today and hope to get nominated, or Braveheart, or Amadeus,” he argued. He also noted that critically acclaimed films like Apollo 13 would not meet the current criteria, stating, “White people have done some stuff.”

Maher dismissed the notion that Hollywood remains biased in favor of white actors, saying, “No Academy member this year filled out their ballot thinking: ‘Well, I didn’t think Timothée Chalamet was very good, but I’ll vote for him because he’s white.'”

He also criticized the Academy for creating rules that he believes amount to “affirmative action” for films, adding, “The whole thing is so Hollywood. A room full of know-nothings who call themselves the Academy, making everyone tremble before their judgment.”

The #OscarsSoWhite campaign began in 2015 as a hashtag from April Reign, a former lawyer-turned-editor, in response to the lack of diversity among nominees. While it gained significant traction online, Maher argued that the campaign’s goals have been realized and that ongoing complaints are unwarranted. He concluded by saying, “Maybe the hashtag should be #OscarsSoWrong.”

Join Pulse+ to comment below and receive exclusive email analyses.

show less
show more
March 10, 2026
Culture
News

Trump Pulls Biden-Era Grants for LGBT Comics Research and ‘Multiethnic’ Studies.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration halted $120,000 in grants for “LGBTQ” and “multiethnic” research projects.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Margaret Alice Galvan, and Maite Urcaregui.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Grants were terminated in April 2025, originally awarded at the end of 2024.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Both grants were awarded at the end of 2024, under the Biden administration, and terminated in April 2025.” – NEH

🎯IMPACT: NEH took steps to ensure future awards are merit-based and do not promote far-left ideology.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has withdrawn $120,000 in grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) tied to projects focused on LGBTQ-themed comics and multiethnic studies. The move affects grants originally approved under the former Biden regime.

One of the canceled grants was a $60,000 award to Margaret Alice Galvan, an English professor at the University of Florida. Her research project, “Comics in Movement,” aimed to examine “LGBTQ+” cartoonists in the 1980s and 1990s.

Another $60,000 grant had been awarded to Maite Urcaregui, an assistant professor at San José State University. Her book project, “Seeing Citizenship,” was intended to explore the relationship between race, citizenship, and political belonging within multiethnic graphic literature.

Although both grants still appear on the NEH website, the agency said they were terminated in April 2025 as part of staffing reductions and funding cuts tied to broader federal cost-cutting measures. The NEH said it is also taking steps to ensure future awards are merit-based and aligned with projects that promote an understanding of America’s founding principles.

“Both grants were awarded at the end of 2024, under the Biden administration, and terminated in April 2025,” the agency said.

The funding cuts are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to scale back federal support for woke diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Federal officials have pushed agencies and institutions to review or eliminate DEI-related programming tied to taxpayer funding.

Recent actions include threats to cut funding to the Smithsonian Institution if it refuses to comply with a federal review of DEI programs, as well as plans by the State Department to reduce university research funding connected to DEI initiatives. The Department of Justice has also redirected grants previously allocated to transgender and DEI-related programs toward strengthening law enforcement resources.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
February 27, 2026
Crime
Culture
UK

Churchill Statue Vandalized with ‘Free Palestine,’ ‘Zionist War Criminal’ Graffiti.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square was defaced with graffiti branding him a “Zionist war criminal” alongside other phrases such as “Globalise the Intifada!” and “Free Palestine”.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage. The Dutch group Free the Filton 24 claimed responsibility for the act.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, February 27, at Parliament Square in Westminster, central London.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is a disgraceful desecration of the statue of Britain’s greatest wartime leader,” said Zia Yusuf, for Nigel Farage’s Reform Party.

🎯IMPACT: The statue’s vandalization, seemingly by a foreign national, underlines the growing disregard for Britain’s heritage in its increasingly hyper-diverse capital city.

IN FULL

Early on Friday morning, the statue of wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill in London’s Parliament Square was vandalized with graffiti phrases including “Zionist War Criminal”, “Globalise the Intifada”, and “Free Palestine.” The Metropolitan Police arrested a 38-year-old man on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage shortly after the incident was reported at 4:00 AM.

Officers arrived at the scene within two minutes. The statue was subsequently cordoned off and cleaned later that morning. A Dutch group called Free the Filton 24 claimed responsibility, posting a video on Instagram that appeared to show a man identified as Olax Outis defacing the statue.

This is not the first time the wartime prime minister’s statue has been targeted. During the Black Lives Matter disorder in 2020, it was regularly vandalized by agitators, often with accusations of racism. Other statues in Parliament Square were also targeted, including one depicting Abraham Lincoln.

The 12-foot monument, created by Ivor Roberts-Jones and unveiled in 1973 by Lady Churchill, is one of 12 statues in Parliament Square. It commemorates Churchill’s leadership during World War II and serves as a symbol of British history and values—which are being treated with increasing disregard in London, a hyper-diverse city where only an estimated 36.8 percent of the population is White British.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
February 16, 2026
Culture
Immigration
Religion

Trump Admin Launches Investigation Into Islamic EPIC City.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The state of Texas and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are investigating the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) over alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act and other state laws.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the Texas Workforce Commission, and EPIC’s affiliates, including Community Capital Partners (CCP).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Investigations began in 2023 and continue into 2024, focusing on EPIC City (now renamed “The Meadow”) near Josephine, Texas, in Collin and Hunt counties. The HUD investigation was announced on February 13, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Meadow was marketed as an exclusively ‘Muslim community’ intended to serve as ‘the epicenter of Islam in America.’ … Together, we will hold anyone involved in violating the law accountable.” – Governor Abbott

🎯IMPACT: Multiple state and federal investigations into EPIC and its affiliates, including allegations of discriminatory practices, securities fraud, and permit violations, have led to lawsuits, settlements, and regulatory actions.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is joining a State of Texas investigation into the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), probing whether the Islamic group’s land development project has violated federal and state laws, including the Fair Housing Act. HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the investigation, led by the agency’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, into EPIC last Friday, following a request from Texas state officials.

“It is deeply concerning the East Plano Islamic Center may have violated the Fair Housing Act and participated in religious discrimination,” said HUD Secretary Scott Turner after announcing the probe, adding, “As HUD Secretary, I will not stand for illegal religious or national origin discrimination in housing and will ensure that this matter receives a thorough investigation so that this community is open to all Texans.”

At the center of the investigation is EPIC City, an Islamic real estate development project near Josephine, Texas, now rebranded as “The Meadow” after the launch of a state probe and lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Planned by Community Capital Partners (CCP), an EPIC affiliate, the project includes 1,000 homes, a K-12 Islamic school, athletic fields, and retail spaces. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) previously found evidence suggesting the development was marketed as an exclusively “Muslim community” and that discriminatory financial terms were imposed on buyers.

In response to TWC findings, EPIC agreed to complete a fair housing training program. However, further investigations by HUD and state agencies have raised additional concerns. Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) has directed over a dozen state agencies to examine EPIC’s activities, including alleged securities fraud, failure to obtain environmental permits, and operating without proper licenses for funeral services. Some investigations have led to lawsuits, cease-and-desist orders, and settlements.

Governor Abbott emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, “The Meadow was marketed as an exclusively ‘Muslim community’ intended to serve as ‘the epicenter of Islam in America.’ … Together, we will hold anyone involved in violating the law accountable.” While EPIC has denied wrongdoing, its attorney, Dan Cogdell, criticized the investigations, calling them politically motivated. Despite some probes being dropped, such as one by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), others remain ongoing.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more