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Category: News
March 18, 2025
William Upton
Media

Board Member of POLITICO’s Foreign Parent Company Says He’ll Interfere in News Coverage.

A technology mogul based in Spain, who sits on the board of the German company that owns the American media outlet POLITICO, publicly admits that he is using his position to influence the corporate news outlet’s reporting to align with his personal political views.

Martín Varsavsky, an entrepreneur and philanthropist born in Argentina, wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that POLITICO‘s recent coverage of Israeli airstrikes is not pro-Israel enough and that he will use his influence on the board of the American outlet’s German parent company Axel Springer to rectify the coverage.

“I am on the board of Axel Springer that owns Político. I consider this article one sided Hamas support,” Varsavsky said of one report, adding: “It fails to mention that the airstrikes were aimed at eliminating top Hamas military and thar [sic] Israel was successful at doing so. It also quotes casualty figures given by Hamas that are not believed to be accurate.”

When asked by an X user what he would do about POLITICO‘s story and coverage, Varsavsky replied: “working on it.”

FOREIGN INFLUENCE?

While political bias continues to be a concerning problem in American media, Varsavsky’s post also raises questions regarding independence from foreign influence. Axel Springer SE is a German technology and media company headquartered in Berlin that owns POLITICO and Business Insider, both U.S.-based media outlets. The National Pulse has previously reported on the problem of POLITICO‘s coverage being influenced by corporate advertisers, including Big Pharma.

Under prior U.S. presidential administrations, POLITICO received millions of dollars from the U.S. federal government, including for news subscriptions and secondary services such as databases, newswire services, marketing tools, and media monitoring. This raises concerns regarding the outlet as a potential vector of undue foreign influence.

Further complicating matters, Varsavsky is scrutinizing coverage that is not original POLITICO reporting but a wire story published by the Associated Press.

Image by Marco Verch.

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A technology mogul based in Spain, who sits on the board of the German company that owns the American media outlet POLITICO, publicly admits that he is using his position to influence the corporate news outlet's reporting to align with his personal political views. show more
March 18, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Crime
News

Tens of Thousands Sign Petition for Derek Chauvin Pardon.

A petition advocating for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to receive a pardon from President Donald J. Trump has amassed approximately 50,000 signatures. It was started by Ben Shapiro, whose The Case of Derek Chauvin docuseries on Chauvin’s conviction for the 2020 death of George Floyd launches on Tuesday.

Shapiro argues that Chauvin’s conviction “represents the defining achievement of the Woke movement in American politics,” citing the “massive overt pressure on the jury to return a guilty verdict regardless of the evidence or any semblance of impartial deliberation.”

“George Floyd was high on fentanyl. He had a significant pre-existing heart condition. He was saying he could not breathe before he was even out of the car. Derek Chauvin, for large segments of the widely circulated video of the encounter, had his knee on George Floyd’s shoulder or back, not on his neck; this was confirmed by the autopsy, which showed no damage to George Floyd’s trachea,” the petition notes, stressing that there was “no accusation at trial that Derek Chauvin targeted George Floyd for his race.”

Evidence emerged in December suggesting Floyd was alive when he reached the hospital on the day of his death.

Floyd’s death ignited some of the worst riots in U.S. history as Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists and others looted, set fires, and killed several people across the country in 2020.

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) frontman Elon Musk has said a pardon for Chauvin is “something to think about,” and leading conservative figures such as Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA have backed the initiative.

Chauvin is serving a 21-year federal sentence, which a presidential pardon could terminate. However, his 22-and-a-half-year state sentence from 2021 would remain in place.

Chauvin’s appeals against his state conviction were denied by the Supreme Court in 2023. The same year, he was stabbed 22 times by another prisoner, resulting in serious injuries.

Image by Laurie Shaull.

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A petition advocating for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin to receive a pardon from President Donald J. Trump has amassed approximately 50,000 signatures. It was started by Ben Shapiro, whose The Case of Derek Chauvin docuseries on Chauvin's conviction for the 2020 death of George Floyd launches on Tuesday. show more
March 18, 2025
News

Migrants Receive Billions in Welfare.

In 2023, the universal credit welfare scheme provided financial assistance to over a million migrants in the United Kingdom, amounting to £7.6 billion (~$9.9 billion), according to the Centre for Migration Control (CMC). Utilizing data from the Department for Work and Pensions, the analysis revealed that approximately 1,158,000 foreign nationals received this monthly welfare payment intended for low-income, working-age households. Eligibility for universal credit extends to migrants granted either refugee status or “indefinite leave to remain”—equivalent to permanent residency in the U.S.

A Centre for Migration Control report drawing on Freedom of Information Act disclosures indicates that the £7.6 billion spent does not encompass expenses for those awaiting asylum decisions, which amounted to £5.4 billion (~$7 billion) in the same year. Addressing the financial figures, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp proposed amendments to the Borders Bill, advocating for a cap on immigration numbers and an increase in the visa salary threshold to £38,000 (~$49,000). However, while in office from 2010 to mid-2024, Philp’s Conservative Party significantly loosened visa requirements, particularly under Boris Johnson, leading to an explosion in immigration.

The CMC highlighted that the likelihood of claiming benefits varies significantly among migrants based on nationality. Data shows migrants from the Congo were most likely to receive universal credit, followed by nationals from Iraq and Afghanistan.

In absolute numbers, Polish nationals formed the largest group of universal credit recipients, followed by migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Romania, and India.

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In 2023, the universal credit welfare scheme provided financial assistance to over a million migrants in the United Kingdom, amounting to £7.6 billion (~$9.9 billion), according to the Centre for Migration Control (CMC). Utilizing data from the Department for Work and Pensions, the analysis revealed that approximately 1,158,000 foreign nationals received this monthly welfare payment intended for low-income, working-age households. Eligibility for universal credit extends to migrants granted either refugee status or "indefinite leave to remain"—equivalent to permanent residency in the U.S. show more
March 18, 2025
William Upton
News

Trump Ends Secret Service Protections for Hunter and Ashley Biden.

President Donald J. Trump has moved to end United States Secret Service (USSS) protection for former President Joe Biden’s adult children, Hunter and Ashley. The move was announced after it was revealed that Hunter Biden had received a Secret Service protection detail for some time despite the fact that protection details end for adult children when the president leaves office. In the case of the Biden family, protections had been extended at Joe Biden’s request until July.

“Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States Taxpayer. There are as many as 18 people on this Detail, which is ridiculous! ” President Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. “He is currently vacationing in, of all places, South Africa, where the Human Rights of people has been strenuously questioned. Because of this, South Africa has been taken off our list of Countries receiving Economic and Financial Assistance. Please be advised that, effective immediately, Hunter Biden will no longer receive Secret Service protection. Likewise, Ashley Biden who has 13 agents will be taken off the list.”

While previous former presidents have extended USSS security details for their children, the large protective details extended for Hunter and Ashley Biden are unusual. Only former presidents and their spouses receive lifelong Secret Service protections.

The National Pulse reported at the beginning of March that Hunter Biden was forced to drop a lawsuit against former Trump White House aide Garrett Ziegler, whom he accused of unlawfully accessing and disseminating data from his infamous “laptop from hell.” Attorneys for Hunter Biden informed the judge that mounting financial difficulties and debts would prevent their client’s litigation from continuing.

READ:

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President Donald J. Trump has moved to end United States Secret Service (USSS) protection for former President Joe Biden's adult children, Hunter and Ashley. The move was announced after it was revealed that Hunter Biden had received a Secret Service protection detail for some time despite the fact that protection details end for adult children when the president leaves office. In the case of the Biden family, protections had been extended at Joe Biden's request until July. show more
March 18, 2025
News
Politics
World

Another Populist Presidential Candidate Skeptical of EU and NATO Banned from Running.

Yet another populist presidential candidate has been banned from running in upcoming presidential elections in the European Union (EU). Romania’s Central Election Bureau has barred Diana Sosoaca, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and leader of the S.O.S. Romania Party, from the race.

The commission cited her opposition to Romania’s memberships in both the European Union and NATO as the basis for this decision, noting the country’s constitution mandates these affiliations.

Sosoaca had recently filed her candidacy while rallying supporters. This marks her second disqualification from a major election following a similar ban last November. She responded on social media, claiming the decision proves that Romania is a democracy in name only, and announced plans to appeal.

This decision comes shortly after the exclusion of another right-populist candidate, Calin Georgescu, who was barred for similar reasons. Georgescu won the first round of the presidential elections before the race was annulled and reset by the courts, supposedly because Russia had been funding TikTok videos supporting his candidacy.

Georgescu was once again leading the polls, but allegations of disseminating false information and incitement against constitutional order saw him barred from participating in the do-over.

Image via NATO. 

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Yet another populist presidential candidate has been banned from running in upcoming presidential elections in the European Union (EU). Romania's Central Election Bureau has barred Diana Sosoaca, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and leader of the S.O.S. Romania Party, from the race. show more
March 18, 2025
Crime
News

Migrant at USPS Embezzled $1.6M for Lavish Lifestyle.

A former postal worker from Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of stealing over $1.6 million in U.S. Treasury and private party checks. Hachikosela Muchimba, aged 44, who worked for the U.S. Postal Service, committed these acts between December 2020 and March 2023. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Muchimba deposited checks that had been altered into bank accounts he controlled.

The Attorney’s Office indicated that bank surveillance footage showed Muchimba conducting deposits and withdrawals involving the stolen funds. The ill-gotten money was reportedly spent on international travel, luxury hotel stays, and purchases at gentlemen’s clubs, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Last Thursday, a jury convicted Muchimba of several charges, including conspiracy to commit theft of mail, bank fraud, theft of mail, and engaging in monetary transactions with property derived from unlawful activities. Bank fraud carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years, while mail theft can result in up to five years.

In addition, Muchimba was convicted of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization. He had falsely claimed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested during his naturalization process. Conviction for this offense could lead to 10 years of imprisonment and might also result in administrative denaturalization.

Muchimba’s sentencing is scheduled for August 8, and he will remain in custody until that date.

Image by Tony Webster.

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A former postal worker from Washington, D.C., has been found guilty of stealing over $1.6 million in U.S. Treasury and private party checks. Hachikosela Muchimba, aged 44, who worked for the U.S. Postal Service, committed these acts between December 2020 and March 2023. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Muchimba deposited checks that had been altered into bank accounts he controlled. show more
March 17, 2025
War

U.S. Pulls Out of Group Seeking to Prosecute Putin as Trump Focuses on Peace.

The U.S. is exiting the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, a group the former Biden government joined in 2023 to virtue-signal about Russian President Vladimir Putin and others being guilty of war crimes. This move signals President Donald J. Trump’s intent to dial back Biden’s emphasis on personally attacking the Russian leader for alleged crimes and instead seeking to negotiate a peace settlement.

The group was established to address aggression—defined under international law as a violation of a nation’s sovereignty without self-defense justification—holding Russia and its allies, including Belarus, North Korea, and Iran, responsible.
Michael Schmid, president of Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation that oversees the center, confirmed in an internal letter that U.S. authorities will end their participation by late March.

He stressed that the group remains dedicated to prosecuting those behind major international crimes in Ukraine, but its ability to do so without U.S. support will be close to zero.

Separately, the Trump administration is scaling down the Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team, or WarCAT, launched in 2022 under then-Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The team aimed to support efforts to prosecute Russians following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. During Biden’s tenure, WarCAT played a key role in assisting Ukraine’s corrupt legal system with logistics, training, and case-building.

According to sources, the Trump administration has not detailed its reasons for leaving the investigative group beyond citing a need to redirect resources.

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The U.S. is exiting the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, a group the former Biden government joined in 2023 to virtue-signal about Russian President Vladimir Putin and others being guilty of war crimes. This move signals President Donald J. Trump's intent to dial back Biden's emphasis on personally attacking the Russian leader for alleged crimes and instead seeking to negotiate a peace settlement. show more
March 17, 2025
Immigration
News

Trump’s Troop Deployments Have Transformed Border Security: Patrol Chief.

The chief of San Diego’s Border Patrol has acknowledged that President Donald J. Trump’s move to send the military to support border control efforts has been a “force multiplier” and is already showing results. Jeffrey Stalnaker, acting Chief Patrol Agent for the San Diego Sector, noted that military personnel presence had enhanced the work of border agents.

The operation sees Army, Marines, and Navy service members supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Recent CBP data indicates that border apprehensions in February reached levels not seen since 2000, with 30,000 encounters recorded. This contrasts sharply with the over 130,000 encounters reported in the same month in 2023 and 2024.

Last month, Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks reported that illegal crossings had dropped as much as 94 percent under the current Trump administration.

Stalnaker attributes these developments to the military presence, which allows for swift agent deployment to law enforcement events. Specifically, Task Force Sapper, comprising nearly 500 Marines, has focused on fortifying existing barriers with additional protection, including strategically placing razor wire.

The Marines, supported by companies of Army engineers and military police from Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, are engaged in surveillance and detection along stretches of the border. While not directly intervening in crossings, these troops serve as a vital observational network, freeing CBP agents to prioritize response and apprehension efforts.

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The chief of San Diego's Border Patrol has acknowledged that President Donald J. Trump's move to send the military to support border control efforts has been a "force multiplier" and is already showing results. Jeffrey Stalnaker, acting Chief Patrol Agent for the San Diego Sector, noted that military personnel presence had enhanced the work of border agents. show more
March 17, 2025
Immigration
NatSec

Trump’s CBP Awards First Border Wall Contract of Second Term.

United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has allocated close to $70 million to Granite Construction Co. to expand the southern border wall, marking the first such contract during President Donald J. Trump‘s second term. The plan involves constructing an additional seven miles of the barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border in Hidalgo County, Texas. This development was announced Saturday by CBP, which emphasized the aim of addressing “critical openings” in the wall, not fully completed during Trump’s first term.

The focus of the new construction is a section of the Rio Grande Valley, identified as a frequent entry point for illegal immigrant crossings and a corridor for smuggling activities, including drugs and human trafficking. CBP has articulated the importance of this expansion for aiding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to curb illegal activities at the border.

Joe Biden had halted funding for the border wall, a move now reversed with this latest contract. Kristi Noem, Trump’s Homeland Security Secretary, confirmed that construction commenced on Sunday. In a video posted to social media while in Arizona, Noem stated, “Everybody, I’m here in Arizona, and right at this spot you can see where the border wall ends.” She further announced the commencement of “seven new miles of construction,” emphasizing a commitment to “make America safe again.”

Granite Construction Co., based in California, has engaged in numerous government projects in the past.

WATCH:

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United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has allocated close to $70 million to Granite Construction Co. to expand the southern border wall, marking the first such contract during President Donald J. Trump's second term. The plan involves constructing an additional seven miles of the barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border in Hidalgo County, Texas. This development was announced Saturday by CBP, which emphasized the aim of addressing "critical openings" in the wall, not fully completed during Trump's first term. show more
March 17, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Crime

Texas AG Paxton Arrests Abortionist.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has arrested Maria Margarita Rojas, a 48-year-old midwife who goes by “Dr. Maria,” for “providing illegal abortions and illegally operating a network of clinics” in Houston. She faces second-degree felony charges of illegal performance of an abortion and practicing medicine without a license.

In a statement noting that “Texas law holds abortion providers—not patients—criminally responsible for unlawful procedures,” AG Paxton emphasized that, in addition to criminal charges, abortionists are also subject to “civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation” under the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021.

Rojas is alleged to have presided over the Clinica Waller Latinoamericana, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic, where she personally aborted babies and directed “unlawfully employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals” to provide “treatment” to mothers-to-be.

“In Texas, life is sacred. I will always do everything in my power to protect the unborn, defend our state’s pro-life laws, and work to ensure that unlicensed individuals endangering the lives of women by performing illegal abortions are fully prosecuted,” said Paxton, warning: “Texas law protecting life is clear, and we will hold those who violate it accountable.”

Image by Andrés Nieto Porras.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has arrested Maria Margarita Rojas, a 48-year-old midwife who goes by "Dr. Maria," for "providing illegal abortions and illegally operating a network of clinics" in Houston. She faces second-degree felony charges of illegal performance of an abortion and practicing medicine without a license. show more