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Category: News
May 23, 2025
Election Integrity

U.S. Govt Says Election Officials CAN Verify Voter Citizenship.

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❓What Happened: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced reforms to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to prevent noncitizens, including illegal aliens, from being added to state voter rolls.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, USCIS, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and state election officials.

📍 Where & When: Reforms announced Thursday, May 22, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, USCIS is moving quickly to eliminate voter fraud. We expect further improvements soon and remain committed to restoring trust in American elections,” said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser.

⚠️ Impact: The reforms aim to strengthen election integrity by enabling state officials to more efficiently verify voter registrants’ citizenship using Social Security Numbers.

IN FULL:

The Trump administration has unveiled significant changes to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, aiming to bolster election integrity by removing foreign nationals, including illegal immigrants, from state voter rolls. During the 2024 elections, the issue of noncitizens and illegal immigrants casting ballots became a serious concern—especially with the former Biden government taking measures to block Republican attempts to ensure election integrity.

On Thursday, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the updated SAVE program will allow state election officials to verify voter registrants’ citizenship using Social Security Numbers (SSNs). This marks a shift from the previous system, which relied on alien numbers typically held only by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“For years, states have pleaded for tools to help identify and stop aliens from hijacking our elections,” said USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, USCIS is moving quickly to eliminate voter fraud. We expect further improvements soon and remain committed to restoring trust in American elections.”

Additionally, the reforms aim to streamline the process for state and local election officials, enabling them to submit multiple citizenship verification cases simultaneously rather than one at a time. This adjustment is expected to significantly reduce administrative burdens and expedite verification.

In April, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reported discovering thousands of foreign nationals on a limited number of state voter rolls, suggesting the issue could be more widespread. The partnership between USCIS and the Social Security Administration (SSA) aims to address these concerns by providing state officials with more efficient tools to verify citizenship status.

Previously, state and local governments were charged fees to access the SAVE program for verifying voter eligibility, as well as for driver’s licenses and other public benefits. The Trump administration has since eliminated these charges to encourage broader use of the program.

Image by Gulbenk.

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May 23, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration
World

1 in 3 Young Adults Now Come From Migrant Backgrounds in Major European Nation.

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❓What Happened: Around one in three young adult Germans now come from migration backgrounds.

👥 Who’s Involved: German government, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), immigrant-background Germans.

📍 Where & When: Destatis released the 2024 demographic statistics on May 22.

⚠️ Impact: The figures reveal the rapidly changing demographics in the European Union’s largest country.

IN FULL:

Around one in three young adults in the European Union’s largest country, by population and economy, now comes from a migration background. Among those aged 20 to 39, at least a third of Germans are either migrants or the children of two migrant parents.

Overall, the country’s migrant-background population stood at 25.6 percent in 2024, according to the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), which published the data this week. This figure is an increase compared to 2023, when migrant-background residents comprised 24.7 percent of the population.

In real numbers, migrant-background Germans total over 21.2 million people, increasing by a massive 873,000 since 2023. The German government figures also revealed that since the migrant crisis that began under Angela Merkel in 2015, around 6.5 million people had moved to Germany by 2024.

Between 2015 and 2021, the single largest nationality represented in the figures was Syrians, with over 716,000 moving to Germany. Around one in 20 Syrians worldwide live in Germany, and over 513,000 of them live on some form of government welfare. Nearly half of all welfare recipients in the country are foreigners.

Between 2022 and 2024, however, Ukrainians took the lead, with 843,000 moving to the country amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, with Syrians relegated to second place.

While the number of German residents with migrant backgrounds is high among young adults, it is much lower among those aged over 65, at one in seven.

Many of the Germans with migration backgrounds come from Muslim-majority countries such as Syria or Turkey. Last year, the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN) discovered that nearly half of young Muslims in grade nine favoured the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate in Germany.

Image by Rasande Tyskar.

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May 22, 2025
Economy
News

Bitcoin is Hitting New Highs. Here’s Why…

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❓What Happened: Bitcoin surged past $110,000 for the first time, reaching a new all-time high.

👥 Who’s Involved: Traders, institutional investors like MicroStrategy, and market analysts such as Joshua Lim and Tony Sycamore.

📍 Where & When: Early Asian trading on Thursday; Bitcoin is currently trading just under $111,000.

💬 Key Quote: Joshua Lim, global co-head of markets at FalconX Ltd., stated, “It has been a slow-motion grind into new all-time highs. There’s no shortage of demand for BTC from SPAC and PIPE deals…”

⚠️ Impact: The milestone reflects growing optimism in cryptocurrency markets, driven by regulatory developments, institutional demand, and bullish options activity.

IN FULL:

Bitcoin has reached a historic milestone, surpassing $110,000 per coin during early Asian trading on Thursday. The cryptocurrency, now trading just below $111,000, has gained 2.95 percent over the past 24 hours, fueled by growing optimism among traders and investors.

The surge comes amid increased anticipation for regulatory clarity in the cryptocurrency sector, spurred by progress on a stablecoin bill in the U.S. Senate. Market participants view the potential legislation as a step toward legitimizing and stabilizing the digital asset industry. However, some market analysis points to high levels of volatility in international bond markets as driving the flight of investors into Bitcoin.

Notably, a failed Japanese government bond auction earlier this week sent the country’s bond yields to near all-time highs. The ripple effect has dampened confidence in U.S. Treasury bonds as well, leading to a subpar 20-year auction on Wednesday, resulting in a sell-off and increasing yields. This has also made Bitcoin more attractive.

Bitcoin surged in December after President Donald J. Trump expressed an interest in creating a crypto reserve for the United States. This was later achieved in March when President Trump established a reserve of around 200,000 bitcoin, most of which had been seized by federal agencies in criminal proceedings.

Institutional demand has played a significant role in Bitcoin‘s latest rally. MicroStrategy, led by Michael Saylor, has amassed over $50 billion worth of Bitcoin, while other entities, including smaller companies and newly formed firms by crypto leaders, are financing acquisitions through methods such as convertible bonds and preferred stocks.

Joshua Lim, global co-head of markets at FalconX Ltd., highlighted the steady upward trend, commenting, “It has been a slow motion grind into new all-time highs. There’s no shortage of demand for BTC from SPAC and PIPE deals, which is manifesting in the premium on Coinbase spot prices.”

Options markets also reflect the bullish sentiment, with traders taking positions in Bitcoin calls expiring on June 27. Strike prices of $110,000, $120,000, and even $300,000 have seen significant open interest on the Deribit derivatives exchange.

Market analyst Tony Sycamore of IG noted that this new record high indicates Bitcoin’s earlier drop from January’s peak to below $75,000 in April was merely a correction within a broader bull market. “A sustained break above $110,000 is needed to trigger the next leg higher towards $125,000,” Sycamore added.

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May 22, 2025
Crime
UK

‘Success’ in Chemically Castrating Sex Offenders, Pilot Scheme Suggests.

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❓What Happened: A pilot scheme for chemical castration of sex offenders in south-west England has shown “successful outcomes,” according to a prison officers’ union. The government plans a national rollout covering 20 prisons.

👥 Who’s Involved: The British government, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), and the Prison Reform Trust.

📍 Where & When: Initial trials in south-west England, with a national rollout planned for two regions and 20 prisons.

💬 Key Quote: Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood: “I’m not squeamish about taking these further measures… so that we can build the evidence base and make sure that we are using every tool at our disposal that can cut reoffending.”

⚠️ Impact: The scheme aims to reduce reoffending rates among sex offenders.

IN FULL:

The British government has announced plans to expand a pilot programme of chemical castration for sex offenders, following what has been described as “successful outcomes” in south-west England. The scheme, which involves administering medication to suppress the sex drive of offenders, will now be rolled out to two regions covering 20 prisons.

The clinical management of sexual arousal scheme began in 2022 across five prisons. The Prison Officers’ Association (POA), representing healthcare staff in prisons, stated that its members have encountered no difficulties in administering the treatment. POA Chairman Mark Fairhurst confirmed the union’s support for the expansion but declined to specify which sites would be included in the rollout.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, addressed Parliament on Thursday, highlighting studies suggesting a 60 percent reduction in reoffending through a combination of chemical suppressants and psychological interventions. “I’m not squeamish about taking these further measures,” she said, noting the government was considering forcing criminals to undergo the treatment.

The treatment, which includes hormonal drugs like anti-androgens and non-hormonal options such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), is already in use in other countries like Germany and Denmark on a voluntary basis, and in Poland as mandatory for certain offenders. In the United Kingdom, it is currently delivered through a national program jointly commissioned by the National Health Service (NHS) and the Prison Service for offenders with complex needs.

Several U.S. states also practice chemical castration of sex offenders, including Louisiana, which passed a bill allowing judges to go even further and order the surgical castration of offenders who commit sex crimes against children.

Image by Julian Dunn.

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May 22, 2025
William Upton
Politics
SCOTUS

Fed’s Jerome Powell May be Out Sooner Than He Thinks, Thanks to SCOTUS.

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❓What Happened: The Supreme Court has granted a request by the Trump administration to stay the reinstatement of fired members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) by a lower court.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Supreme Court, President Donald J. Trump, federal government officials, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

📍 Where & When: Decision issued on May 22, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Because the Constitution vests the executive power in the President, see Art. II, §1, cl. 1, he may remove without cause executive officers who exercise that power on his behalf, subject to narrow exceptions recognized by our precedents” — Supreme Court order.

⚠️ Impact: The fired officials will not be able to stay in post while their cases progress through the federal courts. Moreover, the Supreme Court’s decision signals it will likely rule in favor of the administration when the case reaches them, and that it may rule Congressional statutes restricting the executive’s power to fire federal employees “without cause”—potentially including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell—are unconstitutional.

IN FULL:

The United States Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration a stay, effectively blocking several orders issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia enjoining the executive branch from firing several board members of so-called “independent” agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). While the decision by the high court only reinstates President Donald J. Trump’s decision to fire the Democrat-appointed officials and bars their reinstatement while the case is ongoing, the majority opinion suggests that as the case proceeds, the Supreme Court is likely to side with the President in its final determination.

“The application for stay presented to THE CHIEF JUSTICE and by him referred to the Court is granted,” the Supreme Court order reads, with the majority determining: “Because the Constitution vests the executive power in the President, see Art. II, §1, cl. 1, he may remove without cause executive officers who exercise that power on his behalf, subject to narrow exceptions recognized by our precedents, see Seila Law LLC v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 591 U. S. 197, 215−218 (2020).”

“The stay reflects our judgment that the Government is likely to show that both the NLRB and MSPB exercise considerable executive power. But we do not ultimately decide in this posture whether the NLRB or MSPB falls within such a recognized exception; that question is better left for resolution after full briefing and argument,” the justices in the majority continue, before making a potentially precedent-setting finding: “The stay also reflects our judgment that the Government faces greater risk of harm from an order allowing a removed officer to continue exercising the executive power than a wrongfully removed officer faces from being unable to perform her statutory duty.”

President Trump and his White House have signaled that they will push for a broad final ruling from the Supreme Court in arguments, with the aim of using a favorable decision to remove Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. The central bank chief and Trump have clashed over interest rates and the former’s reluctance to slash borrowing costs and increase market liquidity.

Notably, the Federal Reserve Act—the law governing the central bank—does allow the U.S. president to remove the Federal Reserve board members “for cause” in cases of negligence of duty, misconduct, or corruption. However, the law does not allow top Fed officials to be fired over policy differences—a provision intended to ensure the central bank’s independence in managing the country’s monetary policy. However, a broad enough ruling in the current Trump v. Wilcox could reopen the question regarding Powell’s job security.

The National Pulse previously reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that the White House has decided on a six-month timeline to replace Powell as the Fed chairman, suggesting interviews for his replacement would occur “sometime in the fall.”

Jack Montgomery contributed to this report.

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May 22, 2025
Health
News

Pro-Lifers Cheer ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Slashing Planned Parenthood’s Medicaid Funding.

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❓What Happened: House Republicans passed a budget bill blocking Medicaid funds from being used for abortions, including funding for Planned Parenthood.

👥 Who’s Involved: House Republicans, President Donald J. Trump, Students for Life Action, SBA Pro-Life America, Reproductive Freedom for All.

📍 Where & When: U.S. House of Representatives, Thursday morning.

💬 Key Quote: “This is an historic win for Pro-Life Americans and children in the womb, as Planned Parenthood and Big Abortion has been cut out of the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ and has been told to go fund themselves.” – Kristan Hawkins, Students for Life Action.

⚠️ Impact: The bill now advances to the Senate, with potential implications for abortion funding and Planned Parenthood operations.

IN FULL:

The U.S. House of Representatives’ “big, beautiful” budget bill, championed by President Donald J. Trump, prohibits Medicaid funds from being used to orchestrate abortions, including through organizations like Planned Parenthood. The measure, supported by House Republicans and President Trump, now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Pro-life advocates welcomed the passage of the bill. Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life Action, described the move as a “historic win” for pro-life Americans. “Planned Parenthood and Big Abortion has been cut out of the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ and has been told to go fund themselves,” she said, emphasizing her organization’s commitment to urging the Senate to prioritize “life-saving care over the interests of the abortion lobby” when it considers the bill.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of SBA Pro-Life America, also praised the bill, calling it a “big step” toward ending taxpayer-funded support for the abortion industry. “Medicaid will be stronger for those who need it most,” Dannenfelser stated, adding that taxpayers should not be forced to support what a “scandal-ridden industry” focused on abortions, gender transitions, and political activism, rather than legitimate health services.

Dannenfelser urged Senate lawmakers to unite and move the legislation forward, stating that the lives of “more than 400,000 babies a year, their mothers, and countless American taxpayers” depend on its success.

Image by Robin Marty.

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May 22, 2025
News
TECH

REPORT: Microsoft Blocks ‘Palestine’ in Internal Emails.

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❓What Happened: Microsoft temporarily blocked emails containing terms like “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “Genocide” from being sent by employees.

👥 Who’s Involved: Microsoft employees, the No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) protest group, and Microsoft leadership.

📍 Where & When: Inside Microsoft’s email systems; protests occurred during the Microsoft Build developer conference this week.

💬 Key Quote: “NOAA believes this is an attempt by Microsoft to silence worker free speech and is a censorship enacted by Microsoft leadership to discriminate against Palestinian workers and their allies,” said NOAA organizer Hossam Nasr.

⚠️ Impact: Employee protests disrupted major company events, and Microsoft confirmed email restrictions to reduce politically charged internal messages.

IN FULL:

Microsoft employees have reported that internal emails containing terms such as “Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “Genocide” are being temporarily blocked from delivery, both internally and externally. The No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) protest group claims that “dozens” of workers have experienced these restrictions, alleging that the company is targeting language critical of Israel.

Hossam Nasr, a NOAA organizer, accused Microsoft of attempting to stifle free speech and discriminating against Palestinian employees and their allies. “NOAA believes this is an attempt by Microsoft to silence worker free speech and is a censorship enacted by Microsoft leadership,” Nasr said.

Microsoft has confirmed that changes have been made to its email system to limit politically oriented communications. “Emailing large numbers of employees about any topic not related to work is not appropriate,” said spokesman Frank Shaw. “Over the past couple of days, a number of politically focused emails have been sent to tens of thousands of employees across the company, and we have taken measures to try and reduce those emails to those that have not opted in.”

The restrictions coincided with protests during Microsoft’s Build developer conference, where employees and former workers voiced opposition to the company’s contracts with the Israeli government. On Monday, an employee named Joe Lopez interrupted CEO Satya Nadella’s keynote, accusing Microsoft of enabling “Israeli war crimes” through its Azure cloud services. Lopez was later terminated after sending an email to thousands of employees.

Further disruptions occurred on subsequent days, including a protest by a Palestinian tech worker and an incident where two former employees interrupted a session.

Microsoft recently defended its contracts with Israel, stating that internal and external reviews found no evidence of its tools being used to harm civilians in Gaza.

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May 22, 2025
Education
Immigration

Trump Goes Even Further in Foreign Student Crackdown.

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❓What Happened: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked Harvard University’s student visa program over allegations of non-compliance with federal requests for records and “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.”

👥 Who’s Involved: DHS, Harvard University, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

📍 Where & When: Harvard University, effective for the 2025-2026 academic year.

💬 Key Quote: “As a result of your brazen refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information… you have lost this privilege,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote.

⚠️ Impact: Harvard cannot enroll foreign students starting in the 2025-2026 school year, and current foreign students must transfer or leave the U.S. before the next academic year.

IN FULL:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has revoked Harvard University‘s ability to host international students under the student visa program. The decision cites “pro-terrorist conduct” at campus protests and the university’s failure to comply with federal reporting requirements. The decision prohibits Harvard from enrolling foreign students for the 2025-2026 academic year, and current foreign students must transfer or leave the U.S. before the upcoming school year begins.

“This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding: “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused.”

Meanwhile, in a letter to Maureen Martin, Harvard’s director of immigration services, Noem stated that the university’s “brazen refusal” to provide requested records and its perpetuation of an “unsafe campus environment” led to the decision. Noem accused the university of fostering a hostile atmosphere for Jewish students, promoting pro-Hamas rhetoric, and implementing discriminatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.

DHS had previously requested footage of protest activity involving visa-holding students, along with disciplinary records for the past five years. According to Noem, Harvard provided responses deemed “insufficient, incomplete, and unacceptable,” despite multiple follow-up requests. The university has been given 72 hours to comply fully with DHS demands to potentially regain its visa program for the next academic year.

The crackdown follows a series of pro-Hamas protests on U.S. campuses after the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel. At least a dozen Harvard students have already had their visas revoked over protest-related activity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress this week that “thousands” of student visas have likely been revoked nationwide, emphasizing that a visa is “a privilege, not a right.”

The Trump administration has also frozen nearly $3 billion in federal funding to Harvard, citing failures to address antisemitism and concerns over DEI policies. Investigations into the university are ongoing across multiple federal departments.

Currently, it is estimated that 27 percent of Harvard’s total enrolled student population is foreign, at just under 7,000. With the total cost for a foreign student to attend the Ivy League university estimated to be over $100,000 per year, the loss of those students could be a crippling financial blow to Harvard, in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Image by Adam Fagen.

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May 22, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Crime

Far-Leftist Who Assaulted Top MAGA Official in DC Charged.

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❓What Happened: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged Emily Gabriella Sommer, who spat on then-Interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin during a live interview earlier this month.

👤Who’s Involved: Emily Gabriella Sommer, Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, and DOJ prosecutors.

🧾Key Quote: “ED, that was me that spit in your face… A pleasure to hawk a dehydrated, pithy white foam spit into your face,” Sommer posted on X (formerly Twitter).

⚠️Fallout: Sommer now faces federal charges under 18 U.S.C. § 111, which criminalizes assaulting or impeding U.S. officials, after publicly claiming responsibility in a vulgar, racially-charged online rant.

📌Significance: The incident exposes the increasingly aggressive behavior of leftist agitators targeting America First officials.

IN FULL:

Emily Gabriella Sommer, the woman caught on video spitting on then-Interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin during a live interview, has been formally charged with assaulting a federal official under 18 U.S.C. § 111. The law prohibits assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and employees of the United States. The DOJ confirmed the charge on Wednesday.

The now-viral incident occurred as Martin, who now serves as President Donald J. Trump’s Pardon Attorney and has a leadership role investigating the weaponization of government at the DOJ, was giving a live interview outside a D.C. courthouse earlier this month. Footage shows Sommer aggressively approaching Martin, shouting obscenities before spitting in his face. She shouts, “You’re a disgusting man!” before walking away.

In an uncensored video, Sommer can be heard screaming, “Who the f*ck are you?! You are Ed Martin!” moments before the assault.

In a pair of X posts made shortly after the incident, Sommer not only admitted to the assault but reveled in the act. Posting from the account @EmilyGabriellaS, she wrote: “ED, that was me that spit in your face today in front of your not USDC for D.C. Courthouse… A pleasure to hawk a dehydrated, pithy white foam spit into your face… I only apologize that this city left me so dehydrated… [Ed Martin] you punk ass bitch cuckold.”

She continued the rant in a second post: “That was meant exactly and every bit for your disgusting pig-headed swine blooded white privileged racist, misogynist… LOL. Bye, enjoy that spit on your $6k lapel, your other white bitch CRACKER. I’ll find that footage and laugh for a lifetime [sic].”

The attack on Martin—a prominent ally of President Trump—has reinforced concerns about the normalization of political violence from radicalized progressives, seemingly encouraged by the rhetoric of well-known figures like James Comey.

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May 22, 2025
News

Suspect Who Shot and Killed Israel Diplomats in DC Named.

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❓What Happened: An Israeli couple was fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening.

👥 Who’s Involved: Elias Rodriguez, 30, was arrested and accused of the murders of Yaron Lischinsky, 28, and Sarah Milgrim, 26.

📍 Where & When: The shooting occurred outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., following an event on May 21, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence,” said Dan Bongino, Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

⚠️ Impact: The attack has caused shock and mourning in the Jewish community and raised concerns about Islamist ideologies and pro-Hamas violence in the U.S.

IN FULL:

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the barbaric murder of an Israeli couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night. Elias Rodriguez, believed to be from Chicago, is accused of killing Yaron Lischinsky, 28, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, who both worked for the Israeli embassy.

Authorities say Rodriguez shouted “Free, free Palestine” as he was apprehended. Social media posts linked to him revealed extremist sentiments supporting Hamas and advocating for violence. One post on X (formerly Twitter) stated, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hamas,” while another called for escalating violence in support of Hamas in Gaza.

Rodriguez’s alleged online activity also included a post referencing a truck bomb attack on The New York Times‘ headquarters, as well as messages featuring anti-American rhetoric and symbols associated with the Marxist-Leninist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

A manifesto, believed to belong to Rodriguez, calls for violent action against the Israeli and U.S. governments. “Public opinion has shifted against the genocidal apartheid state, and the American government has simply shrugged, they’ll do without public opinion then, criminalize it where they can, suffocate it with bland reassurances that they’re doing all they can to restrain Israel where it cannot criminalize protest outright,” he allegedly wrote. The document goes on to state, “An armed action is not necessarily a military action. It usually is not. Usually it is theater and spectacle, a quality it shares with many unarmed actions.” He also argued that he believes some Americans will see his actions as “sane.”

The victims, Lischinsky and Milgrim, were attending an event at the museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, according to Metropolitan Police (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith. Officials confirmed the couple was planning to become engaged on an upcoming trip to Jerusalem. The shooting occurred amid heightened tensions related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which began when Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 Israelis on October 7, 2023.

Dan Bongino, Deputy Director of the FBI, stated: “Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence.” On Thursday, the FBI raided Rodriguez’s home in Chicago’s East Albany Park neighborhood. Reportedly, the FBI has been interviewing the alleged shooter for over 12 hours as of the time of publication.

Rodriguez, who worked for a non-profit in the osteopathy field and held an English degree from the University of Illinois, was previously associated with the Party for Socialism. However, the group has distanced itself from him.

The American Jewish Committee, whose annual Young Diplomats reception appears to have been the target of the attack, expressed grief and solidarity with the victims’ families. Ted Deutch, the organization’s chief executive, remarked, “At this painful moment, we mourn with the victims’ families, loved ones, and all of Israel. May their memories be for a blessing.”

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