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Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Category: Culture
December 7, 2025
Culture

Kennedy Center Honors Fundraising SKYROCKETS to $23M, Doubling Biden Era Figures.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Kennedy Center Honors raised a record $23 million for its 48th annual celebration, nearly doubling last year’s total.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell, Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi, and the 2025 honorees, including George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The weekend of the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, with events including an Oval Office ceremony and a gala in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The record-breaking $23 million in contributions to the Kennedy Center Honors is a testament to the extraordinary support for our mission and affirms a vibrant future for this beloved American institution.” – Roma Daravi

🎯IMPACT: The event set a new fundraising record, introduced redesigned medallions, and marked a historic Oval Office ceremony under Trump’s leadership.

IN FULL

The Kennedy Center Honors raised a staggering $23 million during its 48th annual celebration, a record-breaking amount nearly doubling the $12.7 million raised last year, as initially reported by Fox News and confirmed by The National Pulse. This milestone comes as President Donald Trump begins his tenure as chairman of the Kennedy Center, marking a new chapter for the institution.

Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell highlighted the achievement, stating, “The center nearly doubled last year’s fundraising, reaching a historic $23 million,” and described the Honors as “one of our nation’s highest celebrations of the performing arts.” Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations, added that the contributions reflect “unprecedented donor enthusiasm.”

Trump hosted the first official, on-camera Oval Office ceremony recognizing the 2025 honorees this weekend. This year’s honorees include George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone.

Trump also unveiled redesigned medallions for the Honors, created in collaboration with Tiffany & Co.

The gala capped off a weekend of events celebrating decades of American cultural achievement, including a State Department reception and ongoing renovations to the Kennedy Center. Officials emphasized that these developments signal a vibrant future for the institution under Trump’s leadership.

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December 4, 2025
Culture
Religion

Town Votes Against Expansion of Islamic Academy.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A zoning board in Hoover, Alabama, unanimously rejected a proposal to relocate a Muslim K-12 school after a heated meeting.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission, local residents, and representatives of the Islamic Academy of Alabama.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The meeting took place this week in Hoover, Alabama.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s not about religion. It’s about traffic.” – Jeff Wilson, the Hoover resident who initiated the petition opposing the relocation.

🎯IMPACT: The proposal now moves to the Hoover City Council for a final decision.

IN FULL

Residents of a city in Alabama packed a local zoning board meeting this week in opposition to a proposal to relocate an Islamic school to their town from a nearby municipality. The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 against rezoning property currently used for office space to accommodate the Islamic Academy of Alabama, currently located about 12 miles away in the city of Homewood.

Concerns about traffic congestion, adherence to long-term city development plans, and the precedent such a zoning change might set were cited as reasons for the decision. However, pressure from around 200 citizens attending the meeting likely had a significant impact on the zoning board’s decision.

A petition opposing the plan gathered over 1,700 signatures. “It’s not about religion,” said Jeff Wilson, a resident who initiated the petition, “It’s about traffic.” Meadowbrook resident Nancy Cooper also pointed out that six schools already serving more than 5,600 students feed traffic into Highway 119, often turning it into “a parking lot.”

However, some attendees expressed concerns beyond infrastructure. Signs warning of an Islamic “100-year plan” and comparisons to Muslim-dominated Dearborn, Michigan, were seen. One speaker said Muslims had implemented a “long-term cultural takeover” in Britain, drawing applause from some attendees. Commission Chairman Mike Wood interrupted, stating, “We are here to look at whether this school was appropriately placed. We’re not here for that. I’m sorry. We’re not going to listen to that.”

While Monday’s vote is advisory, the final decision now rests with the Hoover City Council, which will review the proposal in the coming weeks.

Image by Don Sniegowski.

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December 2, 2025
Culture
News

Biden Plans Rare Post-Presidency Speech to Accept LGBTQ Award.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former President Joe Biden is set to receive the Chris Abele Impact Award and deliver a speech at the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s Leaders Conference.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Joe Biden, LGBTQ+ Victory Institute President Evan Low, and other notable figures, including Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) and Maine Governor Janet Mills (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The event will take place on Friday in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “President Biden has shown unwavering commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people can participate fully and openly in our democracy,” said Evan Low.

🎯IMPACT: The recognition highlights the notionally Catholic Biden’s role in promoting the LGBTQ agenda, particularly transgenderism.

IN FULL

Former President Joe Biden will be honored with the Chris Abele Impact Award at the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, where he is also scheduled to deliver a rare post-presidency speech. During his presidency, Biden named numerous homosexual, transgender, and supposedly “non-binary” individuals to key federal roles, such as nuclear official Sam Brinton, who was later arrested for stealing women’s clothing at airports.

Victory Institute President and CEO Evan Low praised Biden, who is notionally Catholic, for having shown “unwavering commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people can participate fully and openly in our democracy.” The organization’s board similarly credited him with “historic leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.”

Previous reporting on the Biden government’s spending priorities has noted that approximately $1.5 million was directed toward international LGBTQ-focused programs in 2024, despite Congress putting a pause on such expenditures. Critics argued the spending defied legislative oversight and reflected misplaced priorities amid financial strains at home.

Biden also issued a high-profile proclamation marking the Transgender Day of Visibility in 2024 on Easter Sunday, despite it being one of the most holy days of the Christian calendar, and hosted transgender activists who displayed their chests at the White House.

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November 24, 2025
Culture
Media

Trump Wants to Reshape Hollywood By Reviving Classic ’80s and ’90s Movies.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump could soon push to reshape the entertainment industry, particularly focusing on reviving classic action and comedy films.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald Trump, Oracle CTO and executive chairman Larry Ellison, film producer Dallas Sonnier, film director Brett Ratner, and Paramount Studios.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Ongoing discussions involving Paramount Studios and its potential future projects.

💬KEY QUOTE: “A wave of classically male-driven movies with mentally tough, traditional, courageous, confident heroes. Maybe even a tad cocky, but dedicated to honor and duty.” – Dallas Sonnier

🎯IMPACT: Trump’s influence could potentially lead to a resurgence of 1980s and 1990s-style action and comedy films.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump may be looking to reshape Hollywood and the American entertainment industry at large, using his relationship with Oracle co-founder and executive chairman Larry Ellison—who owns a significant stake in Paramount Global, which is controlled by his son David Ellison—to revive classic film franchises that dominated theaters in the late 1980s into the 1990s. Ellison, who has emerged in recent months as a significant promoter of Trump’s economic agenda, is believed to be central to the President’s entertainment industry ambitions.

Notably, it has been reported that President Trump is pushing, specifically, for the revival of the Rush Hour franchise, a series of buddy-cop comedy films starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, known for their urban comedy, action, and martial arts elements. Additionally, he has shown enthusiasm for films like the 1988 Jean-Claude Van Damme sports movie Bloodsport.

Hollywood film producer Dallas Sonnier is predicting that Trump’s influence over the entertainment industry could bring about “a wave of classically male-driven movies with mentally tough, traditional, courageous, confident heroes. Maybe even a tad cocky, but dedicated to honor and duty. Plus, of course, a few explosions, gun battles, helicopters, fistfights, and car chases!”

While Trump’s influence on the entertainment industry has been limited in the past, with occasional projects like Brett Ratner’s documentary on Melania Trump, the involvement of Ellison and Paramount presents a new opportunity for a revival of the American movie industry. In May, President Trump announced he was imposing a 100 percent tariff on all film productions located outside of the United States. The influential Teamsters Union swiftly backed the move.

“The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time, adding: “WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!”

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November 19, 2025
Culture
Religion

Kennedy Center Will Celebrate Birth of Christ This Christmas Under Trump, Grenell.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Kennedy Center will celebrate the Nativity and host its first-ever Christmas tree and lighting ceremony this year, marking a new tradition for the national cultural landmark under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Richard “Ric” Grenell.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Kennedy Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Roma Daravi, and Richard Grenell.

📍WHEN & WHERE: December 17, 2023, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Kennedy Center’s inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting is a milestone for America’s cultural center.” – Roma Daravi

🎯IMPACT: Establishes a new holiday tradition at a key cultural institution while incorporating faith-focused Christmas celebrations.

IN FULL

The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will host its very first Christmas tree lighting ceremony in December—a historic new tradition for the nation’s performing arts center—as well as a Christmas concert with a live nativity and other programming centered on the birth of Jesus Christ. “We are proud to present a meaningful, faith-filled experience for families to immerse themselves in the Christmas story at America’s cultural center,” said Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations.

Kennedy Center President Richard “Ric” Grenell has highlighted the renewed emphasis on the religious meaning of Christmas under the restored Trump administration. “How crazy is it to think that we’re going to celebrate Christ at Christmas with a big traditional production, to celebrate what we are all celebrating in the world during Christmastime, which is the birth of Christ?” he said earlier this year.

The centerpiece of the tree-lighting ceremony will be an 18-foot red spruce donated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and cut from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in southern Virginia. “The Kennedy Center’s inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting is a milestone for America’s cultural center, one of Washington’s premier holiday attractions,” said Daravi. “We are grateful to partner with the… Department of Agriculture Forest Service to showcase a beautiful red spruce from the highest peaks of the Southern Appalachians and create new traditions for families and visitors this holiday season.”

The ceremony will include Christmas entertainment, remarks from the Kennedy Center’s leadership, and special guest appearances. The event signals a deliberate shift toward more traditional and faith-based holiday programming, following past criticism of politically charged performances at the venue under the Biden-Harris regime.

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November 14, 2025
Culture
News

Michelle Obama Claims Black People Can’t Swim ‘Because We’re Trying to Keep Our Hair Straight’ for White People.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former First Lady Michelle Obama discussed conforming to supposed white beauty standards during her time in the White House in an interview promoting her fashion book, The Look.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Michelle Obama and actress Tracee Ellis Ross.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Interviews and discussions held at events such as the 2025 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival and the 2025 SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Let me explain something to white people! Our hair comes out of our head naturally in a curly pattern, so when we’re straightening it to follow your beauty standards, we are trapped by the straightness!” – Michelle Obama

🎯IMPACT: Obama’s comments have reignited discussions around supposed hair discrimination and laws to ban it.

IN FULL

Former First Lady Michelle Obama claims she felt forced to conform to “white beauty standards” during her time in the White House, revealing she kept her hair straight for eight years to fit in with white expectations. Speaking with actress Tracee Ellis Ross to promote her new fashion book, The Look, Mrs. Obama described the effort as “exhausting” and blamed white society for imposing standards that many black women feel pressured to follow.

Mrs. Obama reflected on her upbringing in Chicago and her experiences navigating elite spaces, saying black people are often taught that “how you present can sometimes save your life.” She wrote in her book, “In a way, being First Lady was just another professional experience where I had to conform to a white environment of appropriateness.”

Addressing white people directly, Mrs. Obama said, “Let me explain something to white people! Our hair comes out of our head naturally in a curly pattern, so when we’re straightening it to follow your beauty standards, we are trapped by the straightness!”

She then blamed the supposed white expectation that black people straighten their hair for the fact that many black people cannot swim, saying, “That’s why so many of us can’t swim! And we run away from the water—people won’t go to the gym, because we’re trying to keep our hair straight for y’all. It is exhausting, and it’s so expensive and it takes up so much time!”

Addressing an imaginary white person harassing her, she railed, “Don’t tell me how to wear my hair, don’t wonder about it, don’t touch it—just don’t!”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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November 13, 2025
Culture
News

Poll Reveals 40% of Young Women Are Considering Leaving America.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Gallup survey revealed a record number of young women in the U.S. expressing interest in moving abroad permanently.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gallup polling firm, young women ages 15 to 44, and young men for comparison.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Survey conducted in 2025; data reflects trends since 2007.

🎯IMPACT: Highlights a growing trend among young women tied to political and cultural shifts in the U.S.

IN FULL

A new Gallup survey reports that roughly one in five Americans say they would like to move permanently to another country. Among women aged 15 to 44, that number climbs dramatically to 40 percent, quadruple the share from 2014, when only about one in ten women in that age group said the same. This surge marks the highest gender divide Gallup has ever recorded on this question, with only 19 percent of men in the same age range expressing a desire to relocate abroad.

Gallup noted that the shift among young women first appeared in 2016, during Barack Obama’s final year as President. The change, the organization suggests, seems to stem more from cultural than purely political motivations, coinciding with years of intense debate over social identity, gender ideology, and abortion.

Those cultural and political divides were also visible in Virginia’s recent gubernatorial race, where Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger captured about 65 percent of the female vote, compared to Earle-Sears’s 35 percent. The Democrat’s campaign emphasized her opponent’s pro-life stance.

A Spanberger spokesman stated, “The Republican nominee in this race has called abortion ‘wicked’ and just this year handwrote a note on Virginia’s proposed constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights in Virginia, making clear that she is ‘morally opposed.’” The contest reflected how access to abortion continues to shape gendered voting patterns, particularly since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Research has also found that nearly half of liberal women under 30 report having been diagnosed with a mental health condition, an unusually high rate that analysts link to social pressures, political polarization, and economic uncertainty. Notably, an estimated eight in 10 female voters under 30 cast a ballot for socialist Zohran Mamdani, helping fuel his victorious New York City mayoral campaign.

Surveys of Generation Z voters indicate diverging values along both political and gender lines. Young Trump supporters, especially men, are more likely to say they hope to marry and have children, while their counterparts who supported former Vice President Kamala Harris, predominantly women, tend not to want children at all.

Image by Mark Dixon.

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November 8, 2025
Culture
News

Europe Is on the Brink of Recognizing Polygamy in Muslim ‘Human Rights’ Case.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Yemeni migrant is suing the Netherlands over the refusal to allow his children from two additional wives to join him, raising the issue of polygamy before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Khaled Al-Anesi, a Yemeni asylum seeker, Dutch authorities, and the European Court of Human Rights.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The case stems from Al-Anesi being granted asylum in the Netherlands in 2011; his case is before the ECtHR right now.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Europe doesn’t have to commit this cultural suicide. It’s time to leave the [European Convention on Human Rights].” – Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman

🎯IMPACT: The case could set a precedent for effectively legalising polygamy in Europe, sparking concerns about the erosion of traditional cultural values.

IN FULL

Europe may soon face a historic legal shift as the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) prepares to rule on whether polygamous families should be recognized under European law. The case involves Khaled Al-Anesi, a Yemeni asylum seeker who was granted refuge in the Netherlands in 2011. Al-Anesi successfully brought his first wife and their eight children to the country under family-reunification rules, but now seeks to bring his two other wives and five additional children, who remain in Turkey.

Dutch authorities rejected his request, citing the nation’s prohibition of polygamy and the fact that the children are already living with their mothers in stable conditions. Officials reportedly suggested that he divorce his other wives to facilitate family reunification, but he refused. Al-Anesi has since sued the Dutch government, claiming it violated his right to family life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which is enforced by the supranational European Court of Human Rights, which is technically separate from the European Union (EU) and still has jursidiction over the United Kingdom.

Notably, the case marks the first time the Court has agreed to examine polygamy within Europe, and its ruling could set a far-reaching precedent for all member states. Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman condemned the potential implications of the case, warning, “Europe doesn’t have to commit this cultural suicide. It’s time to leave the ECHR.”

The debate comes amid growing concern about the Islamization of Europe. Reports indicate that the United Kingdom, for instance, now hosts around 85 sharia courts and more than 100,000 Islamic marriages not formally registered with the state. Critics argue that such developments erode Western legal norms and could pave the way for a de facto parallel legal system.

Image by Marcello Casal Jr/ABr.

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October 31, 2025
Culture
News

Texas Halts Business Program Excluding White Males.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Texas GOP official has suspended a program that prioritized non-white male businesses in state contracting.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock and Governor Greg Abbott (R).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Texas, this week.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In Texas, we don’t want to discriminate against anybody, and what this program does is literally discriminate against those that are white.” – Kelly Hancock

🎯IMPACT: The suspension halts new certifications for businesses under the program, challenging race-based preferences in state contracts.

IN FULL

Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock has halted new and renewed certifications under the state’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program, citing concerns that the initiative may discriminate on the basis of race. Established in 1991, the HUB program was designed to give businesses owned by black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Native Americans, service-disabled veterans, or women an advantage in competing for state contracts.

“In Texas, we don’t want to discriminate against anybody, and what this program does is literally discriminate against those that are white,” Hancock said. He said the suspension would allow his office to review whether the program aligns with constitutional requirements and the principles of equal treatment under the law.

Under the HUB program, nearly 300 state agencies were required to make a “good faith” effort to include certified businesses in procurement opportunities, including construction, commodities, and service contracts. As of 2025, more than 21 percent of certified firms were involved in state contracts, receiving over $4 billion in awards. Hancock said he supports fair competition but questioned the criteria used to determine eligibility. “How do we audit that somebody was economically discriminated against? How do we verify the information of somebody being economically discriminated against? It’s got to be more than just skin color,” he said. He added that contracts should be awarded “on merit rather than race or ethnicity.”

The move follows an executive order issued by Governor Greg Abbott (R) earlier this year prohibiting race- and sex-based preferences in the distribution of government benefits or opportunities. Abbott said the order was necessary to ensure equality in state hiring and contracting practices. Hancock echoed those sentiments, stating that “Texans deserve a level playing field where government contracts are earned by performance and best value—nothing more, nothing less.”

The suspension has sparked debate over the future of programs designed to support minority- and women-owned businesses. Supporters of the HUB initiative argue that it helps address historical disparities in access to public contracting, while critics, including Hancock, say such programs may violate anti-discrimination laws by excluding white-owned firms.

The issue comes amid a growing national conversation about what some describe as anti-white discrimination in institutions and government. Recent reports have highlighted several high-profile investigations and actions related to such claims, including allegations that the Harvard Law Review engaged in witness intimidation during an anti-white discrimination probe, a move by President Donald J. Trump to withdraw federal contracts from Harvard University over alleged anti-white and anti-Semitic behavior, and a Department of Justice investigation into the Chicago mayor for remarks suggesting anti-white hiring practices.

Image via World Travel and Tourism Council.

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October 29, 2025
Culture

Trump Fires Federal Arts Board Overseeing ‘Arc de Trump’ and Ballroom Projects.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump dismissed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency tasked with reviewing design and aesthetic matters.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald Trump, the Commission of Fine Arts members, and a White House official.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The dismissals were announced on Tuesday, with the Commission operating in Washington, D.C.

💬KEY QUOTE: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately.”

🎯IMPACT: The White House plans to appoint new members aligned with Trump’s America First policies, impacting future federal design projects.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has dismissed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency established in 1910 to provide expert advice on matters of design and aesthetics. The commission reviews designs for memorials, government buildings, and other federal projects.

An email sent to one of the commissioners stated, “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately.” A White House official confirmed the move, adding that new appointees will align with Trump’s America First policies.

The White House has not provided further comment on the matter or indicated who will replace the dismissed members. The commission is traditionally staffed by experts in art, architecture, and urban design.

Earlier this month, Trump shared plans for a grand arch near the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but featuring a gold Lady Liberty on top. Trump noted that the design could vary in size, stating, “I happen to like the large one.” Additionally, construction crews were recently seen dismantling part of the East Wing of the White House to make way for a $300 million ballroom funded by donors.

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