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Thursday, July 10, 2025

Category: News
February 10, 2025
Immigration
Politics

IRS Agents Redirected to Assist in Immigration Enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is asking the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for assistance in bolstering immigration enforcement efforts. In a memorandum from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the department urges Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to authorize IRS agents to support immigration-related operations nationwide. Consequently, the IRS agents tapped to assist DHS would likely come from the tax agency’s criminal division, including armed agents who often execute agency raids against heavily armed and dangerous individuals.

The memo suggests that some IRS personnel could be drawn from the tax division and used to audit employers suspected of hiring unauthorized migrants and probing human trafficking activities. With an approximate workforce of 100,000 employees, the IRS includes over 2,100 law enforcement officers trained in investigating tax violations and financial crimes.

“It is DHS’s understanding that the Department of the Treasury has qualified law enforcement personnel available to assist with immigration enforcement,” Noem stated in her communication, referencing recent expansions in the IRS’s workforce and budget. She notes the DHS’s authorization to enlist other law enforcement bodies to participate in immigration enforcement.

Some on the political left believe the move is meant to divert and reduce the IRS agent expansion authorized by former President Joe Biden. However, what Democrat critics of Trump continually fail to acknowledge is that the agency has well-trained and armed criminal division agents who are more than able to assist with DHS immigration enforcement actions while the IRS continues its more routine work of tax return processing and tax audits.

Image by Alpha Photo.

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is asking the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for assistance in bolstering immigration enforcement efforts. In a memorandum from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the department urges Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to authorize IRS agents to support immigration-related operations nationwide. Consequently, the IRS agents tapped to assist DHS would likely come from the tax agency's criminal division, including armed agents who often execute agency raids against heavily armed and dangerous individuals. show more
February 10, 2025
William Upton
Lawfare

Lawfare: Federal Judge Claims Trump Is Violating Order to Unfreeze Federal Grants.

A federal judge claims President Donald J. Trump is violating a court-issued order directing the executive branch to unfreeze all federal grant programs the America First leader ordered suspended late last month. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge John McConnell, directs the Trump White House to “immediately restore frozen funding” while his initial order blocking the suspension of federal grant disbursement remains in effect.

Notably, the judge’s ruling means grant funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act is once again available—though for how long is unclear. “[It is a] basic proposition that all orders and judgments of courts must be complied with promptly,” Judge McConnell writes in his ruling, continuing: “Persons who make private determinations of the law and refuse to obey an order generally risk criminal contempt even if the order is ultimately ruled incorrect.”

“The Defendants issued a broad, categorical, all-encompassing directive freezing federal funding. The plain language of the TRO entered in this case prohibits all categorical pauses or freezes in obligations or disbursements based on the OMB Directive or based on the President’s 2025 Executive Orders,” the U.S. District Judge argues, adding: “The Defendants received notice of the TRO, the Order is clear and unambiguous, and there are no impediments to the Defendants’ compliance with the Order.”

In January, after taking the Oath of Office, President Trump moved to suspend nearly all federal grant issuance, arguing taxpayer dollars should not fund programs working against the interests of the American people. The suspension is part of a larger Trump White House effort to eliminate large-scale waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, seeking to cut $2 trillion from the over $7 trillion federal budget.

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A federal judge claims President Donald J. Trump is violating a court-issued order directing the executive branch to unfreeze all federal grant programs the America First leader ordered suspended late last month. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge John McConnell, directs the Trump White House to “immediately restore frozen funding” while his initial order blocking the suspension of federal grant disbursement remains in effect. show more
February 10, 2025
Media
News

Fox Acquires Leading Podcast Firm Used by Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and More.

Fox Corporation announced on Monday its acquisition of Red Seat Ventures, a digital media company behind podcasts for Tucker Carlson, Piers Morgan, Megyn Kelly, and others. Chris and Kevin Balfe, who founded Red Seat, will continue to manage the company independently within Fox’s Tubi Media Group, focused on digital and streaming services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition signifies Fox’s strategic move into the expanding online “creator economy.” This trend has seen media personalities who previously depended on traditional corporate distributors, such as Fox’s cable networks, developing their content through platforms like YouTube and SiriusXM.

Red Seat Ventures’ clientele also includes Dr. Phil, Nancy Grace, Bill O’Reilly, and Chris Hansen. Additionally, the company is collaborating with The New York Post to develop a new podcast and audio division.

This new relationship reunites Carlson and O’Reilly with Rupert Murdoch’s media conglomerate, albeit indirectly. Both had previously hosted shows at Fox News, with Kelly also having been a significant presence before leaving for NBC in 2017.

Murdoch, 93, stepped down as Fox Corporation’s chairman at News Corp in 2023 and was succeeded by his son Lachlan. However, the elder Murdoch remains a board member of Fox Corporation.

Image by World Economic Forum/REUTERS/Denis Balibouse.

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Fox Corporation announced on Monday its acquisition of Red Seat Ventures, a digital media company behind podcasts for Tucker Carlson, Piers Morgan, Megyn Kelly, and others. Chris and Kevin Balfe, who founded Red Seat, will continue to manage the company independently within Fox's Tubi Media Group, focused on digital and streaming services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. show more
February 10, 2025
News
Politics

DHS Sec Noem Calls for Overhaul of FEMA Operations.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has expressed agreement with President Donald J. Trump and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk regarding potential radical reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Asked by CNN if President Trump “can and should” close it down, she replied, “He can, and I believe that he will do that evaluation with his team.”

“He’s been very clear that he still believes there’s a role for the federal government to come in and help people get back up on their feet, but there’s a lot of fraud and waste and abuse out there,” Noem said of Trump’s priorities, noting that he has already presided over “incredible change” in streamlining government spending.

According to Noem, Trump intends to work with Congress to ensure federal support reaches those in need post-disasters.

On a recent visit to hurricane-affected areas in Asheville, North Carolina, Noem recounted overseeing 12 disasters involving FEMA during her tenure as Governor of South Dakota. She advocated for state and local leadership in disaster response, suggesting local authorities could make more informed decisions than federal entities.

FEMA, under the former Biden-Harris regime, spent a billion dollars on illegal immigrants, leaving the agency demanding more money during hurricane season last year. Noem agrees with Musk that FEMA has misdirected federal funds at times.

During Hurricane Helene, FEMA was also accused of refusing to help in North Carolina because employees allegedly felt threatened by locals having Trump signs on their properties. The agency is also accused of blocking and seizing aid.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has expressed agreement with President Donald J. Trump and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk regarding potential radical reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Asked by CNN if President Trump "can and should" close it down, she replied, "He can, and I believe that he will do that evaluation with his team." show more
February 10, 2025
William Upton
Corruption
Politics

Five Former Treasury Secretaries Who Allowed Billions in Fraud Claim DOGE Is the Real Threat.

Five former Democratic White House Treasury Secretaries, who allowed the department to issue billions in fraudulent payments, claim that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) threaten American democracy. In a letter to The New York Times, Robert E. Rubin, Lawrence H. Summers, Timothy F. Geithner, Jacob J. Lew, and Janet L. Yellen claim DOGE’s actions are politically motivated interference in federal payment management.

In recent days, Elon Musk and DOGE have accessed data from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), a Treasury subagency that manages outgoing federal payments, to identify rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. Musk has uncovered that the BFS has no mechanism to stop payments resulting from fraudulent claims or organizations.

“While significant data privacy, cybersecurity, and national security threats are gravely concerning, the constitutional issues are perhaps even more alarming,” the five Democratic White House Treasury Secretaries vaguely assert. However, their letter appears to be more of an attempt to cover for the fact that Musk and DOGE have identified over $50 billion in fraudulent payments—a large portion of which occurred under the five Treasury Secretaries’ tenures.

For decades, the Treasury Department has maintained that outgoing federal payments—even those suspected of or known to be fraud—should not be interrupted as this could be interpreted as politically motivated or a federal default. However, this approach has only allowed for the growth of fraudulent payments, effectively defrauding the federal government and American taxpayers.

Over the weekend, an Obama-appointed judge temporarily halted Treasury and DOGE access to the federal payments system. Musk responded on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “A corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW!”

Image via IMF.

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Five former Democratic White House Treasury Secretaries, who allowed the department to issue billions in fraudulent payments, claim that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) threaten American democracy. In a letter to The New York Times, Robert E. Rubin, Lawrence H. Summers, Timothy F. Geithner, Jacob J. Lew, and Janet L. Yellen claim DOGE's actions are politically motivated interference in federal payment management. show more
February 10, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Immigration
UK

Britain’s Left-Wing Govt is Now Posting Deportation Videos.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government is releasing videos of immigration enforcement raids against businesses employing illegal workers as Nigel Farage’s anti-mass migration Reform Party surges past them in the polls. The raids, targeting businesses including Indian restaurants, nail bars, and carwashes, appear calculated to make Labour appear firmer on illegal immigration.

While Starmer pledged he would “smash the gangs” orchestrating illegal immigration, mainly via small boats, it has increased in the months since he assumed office in July. One of his first acts as Prime Minister was to scrap a long-delayed Conservative plan, prepared at a cost of many millions of pounds, to disincentivize illegal immigration by transferring migrants to Rwanda as a “third safe country.” A similar policy proved highly successful in Australia, and President Donald J. Trump appears to be pursuing a similar policy in the U.S., striking an agreement with Guatemala on taking deportees and with El Salvador on incarcerating criminal aliens—and potentially some U.S. citizens.

Some in Labour are unhappy with Starmer’s efforts to appear at least to be taking action on illegal immigration, with Diane Abbott MP complaining about the party becoming “Reform-lite.”

“The Labour Party can never outdo Reform on anti-immigrant rhetoric, and should not even try. All that happens is that we give legitimacy to the Reform narrative,” she wrote for leftist ex-newspaper The Independent.

Farage believes Labour’s raid videos are evidence Labour is “terrified” of Reform’s poll surge.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government is releasing videos of immigration enforcement raids against businesses employing illegal workers as Nigel Farage's anti-mass migration Reform Party surges past them in the polls. The raids, targeting businesses including Indian restaurants, nail bars, and carwashes, appear calculated to make Labour appear firmer on illegal immigration. show more
February 10, 2025
William Upton
Immigration
News

Cali Sheriff Who Faked 3rd Trump Assassination Story for Attention Says He WON’T Support ICE Deportation Efforts.

The top law enforcement officer in California’s fourth largest county—and the 10th largest in the United States—says his 4,000-strong staff will not assist in any federal immigration enforcement actions. In a video posted to social media, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco states that his deputies and staff “have not, are not and will not engage” in “any type of immigration enforcement.”

In the video, Bianco claims that immigration enforcement is the sole purview of federal law enforcement and that rumors his office is assisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are incorrect. Despite Bianco’s assertion, local law enforcement can and does assist federal agents during immigration actions.

Federal statutes allow for the deputization of local law enforcement to assist federal actions. The National Pulse previously reported that President Donald J. Trump is considering such action, though it appears local law enforcement—like the Riverside County Sheriff’s office—must still assent to the deputization.

President Trump’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, is moving to strip so-called “sanctuaries,” where local and state officials refuse to or are legally barred from assisting ICE, of federal funding.

BLM & A FAKE ASSASSIN.

This is not the first time the Riverside County Sheriff has injected his partisan politics into how his office conducts law enforcement actions. Infamously, Chad Bianco and his deputies participated in the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations in downtown Riverside. Bianco and his deputies even took a knee during the protest, indicating solidarity with the radical protestors.

Notably, the early June 2020 protest that Bianco and his deputies attended came just days after a violent Chicago demonstrations that saw 130 police officers injured in the city. In total, upwards of 1,000 state and local law enforcement officers were injured during the civil unrest following George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Bianco attempted to boost his profile, claiming a man arrested at a Trump rally in Coachella, California, was a would-be third assassin. However, that individual, independent reporter Vem Miller turned out to be a Trump supporter from Nevada. He is currently suing the Riverside County Sheriff.

Jack Montgomery contributed to this report. 

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The top law enforcement officer in California's fourth largest county—and the 10th largest in the United States—says his 4,000-strong staff will not assist in any federal immigration enforcement actions. In a video posted to social media, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco states that his deputies and staff "have not, are not and will not engage" in "any type of immigration enforcement." show more
February 10, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Corruption
Politics

DOGE Says FEMA Sent $59 Million to Migrant Hotels In Violation of Trump EO.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has revealed that employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) gave at least $59 million last week to help illegal aliens remain in luxury New York City hotels. DOGE chief Elon Musk announced Monday, February 10, that it had uncovered the payments to luxury hotels, allegedly including the Roosevelt Hotel, which the Pakistani government owns through the state-run Pakistani Airlines.

“Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order. That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high-end hotels for illegals!” Musk wrote on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

The money given by FEMA is just a small percentage of the overall cash spent to house migrants in luxury New York City hotels. According to reports last July, hotel bosses in the city have amassed over a billion dollars by converting their properties into migrant shelters.

In total, New York City has spent over $4.8 billion on the illegal migrant influx, with just under $2 billion spent on housing.

FEMA seems to be Elon Musk and his team’s latest target at DOGE. Last week, DOGE highlighted waste at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which includes millions spent on bizarre programs such as transgender operas. As a result, President Donald J. Trump and his administration have ordered the vast majority of USAID workers on leave, with just a fraction of essential employees remaining at the agency.

Image by Billy Hathorn.

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The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has revealed that employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) gave at least $59 million last week to help illegal aliens remain in luxury New York City hotels. DOGE chief Elon Musk announced Monday, February 10, that it had uncovered the payments to luxury hotels, allegedly including the Roosevelt Hotel, which the Pakistani government owns through the state-run Pakistani Airlines. show more
February 10, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News

CBS Poll Shock: Trump Surges, Democrats Reeling.

A recent CBS News/YouGov survey of 2,175 U.S. adults shows positive approval ratings for President Donald J. Trump in his early days back in office. The survey found that a majority of Americans view Trump as “tough” (69 percent), “energetic” (63 percent), “focused” (60 percent), and “effective” (58 percent). Seventy percent of respondents also feel that he is fulfilling his campaign promises.

On specific policy points, the survey indicates strong approval of Trump’s immigration enforcement measures. Sixty-four percent support his moves to deploy troops to the Mexican border, and 59 percent support his deportation program.

On foreign policy, 54 percent approve of the way he is handling the Israel-Hamas conflict—although a plurality of 47 percent believe a U.S. takeover of Gaza is a bad idea, with 40 percent unsure and only 13 percent positively in favor.

The poll comes as President Trump and CBS News remain at loggerheads over a heavily edited 60 Minutes interview the network aired with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election campaign. Differences between previews of the interview and the final version and transcript suggest the network doctored the exchange to make the Democrat seem less rambling and incoherent, prompting the America First leader to file a lawsuit.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has since published the full, unedited interview, which shows Harris offering several “word salad” answers that were cut from the version that CBS aired.

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A recent CBS News/YouGov survey of 2,175 U.S. adults shows positive approval ratings for President Donald J. Trump in his early days back in office. The survey found that a majority of Americans view Trump as "tough" (69 percent), "energetic" (63 percent), "focused" (60 percent), and "effective" (58 percent). Seventy percent of respondents also feel that he is fulfilling his campaign promises. show more
February 10, 2025
Wake Up Right
Corruption

Obama Judge Blocks DOGE from Uncovering Corruption at Treasury.

A federal judge has temporarily barred President Donald Trump’s political appointees—potentially including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—from accessing Treasury Department data, a roadblock in the administration’s attempt to cut government waste and abuse.

The details: On Saturday, Judge Paul Engelmayer—an Obama appointee—responded to a lawsuit brought by 19 Democrat attorneys general, arguing that allowing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) violates federal law because he has “full access” to U.S. Treasury payments.

  • Englemayer’s ruling halts DOGE’s access until at least February 14, when a hearing is scheduled.
  • The lawsuit was spearheaded by anti-Trump New York Attorney General Letitia James, who previously sued Trump in 2022 for “financial fraud”—a case that is currently in appeals.

Zoom in: The lawsuit specifically targets a new policy handed down by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, which expanded access to the department’s payment system known as the Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS).

  • This allowed Trump political appointees like Elon Musk to examine the payments made by the Treasury, to look for wasteful spending.
  • DOGE’s mission is to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within our federal budget. To date, it has identified $50B in fraudulent entitlement payments — and estimates the total could exceed $100B per year.

Not so fast: Despite the judge’s sweeping — and potentially unconstitutional — check on the powers of the executive branch, the Treasury Department has clearly stated that DOGE only has access to “read-only” files — and cannot affect, edit, or terminate any expenditures.

Out of bounds: Some legal minds believe the judge’s ruling is so sweeping it could even bar Treasury Sec. Bessent from accessing department data. Federalist senior legal correspondent Margot Cleveland said:

  • “The judge’s order is rightly being attacked as, at worse, barring the secretary of the Treasury from accessing the Treasury Department’s databases and at best, at being hopelessly ambiguous and confusing.”

Elon Musk responded to the ruling, writing on X: “A corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW!”

The last word goes to Vice President J.D. Vance, who responded to the ruling, writing on X:

  • “If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”

Democrats spent the law four years using lawfare to try and stop Trump from being re-elected. It failed. Now they’re running the same play. Hopefully, it leads to the same result.

Photo: Bret Hartman / TED.

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A federal judge has temporarily barred President Donald Trump’s political appointees—potentially including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—from accessing Treasury Department data, a roadblock in the administration’s attempt to cut government waste and abuse. show more