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Friday, July 17, 2026

Category: News
8 hours ago
Election Integrity
News

FBI Scoping AI Review of Mail-In Ballot Signatures.

The FBI is exploring the use of AI technology to verify signatures on mail-in ballots from Fulton County, Georgia, as part of a broader investigation into the 2020 election results.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is considering using artificial intelligence (AI) to verify signatures on mail-in ballot envelopes seized from Fulton County, Georgia, as part of an investigation into the 2020 election results. This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to scrutinize the election outcome, particularly in Georgia, where President Donald J. Trump officially lost to Democrat candidate Joe Biden by a narrow margin.
📰 DETAIL: The FBI’s plan involves comparing signatures on ballot envelopes with those on other election documents, such as registration forms. This move comes amid ongoing allegations by Trump of voter fraud in Georgia. The FBI has redirected 260 analysts to focus on this probe, and the use of AI is seen as an innovative new approach to interrogating the authenticity of voters’ signatures.
🎯 IMPACT: The initiative reflects broader concerns about election integrity in the U.S. On Thursday night, President Trump revealed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) acquired 220 million U.S. voter files ahead of the 2020 election, including “names, addresses, phone numbers, political party preferences, and other sensitive data that would be needed to register to vote and engage in other nefarious activities.” Many observers are deeply suspicious of the number of votes cast for the Democrat presidential candidate surging from roughly 65.9 million in 2016 to roughly 81.3 million in 2020, amid a massive, ostensibly pandemic-driven expansion of mail-in voting, only to drop back to roughly 75 million in 2024, when the number of mail-in ballots cast declined by around 20 million. 
💬 KEY QUOTE: David Gerber, senior vice president of ParaScript, which sells signature-matching technology to bodies conducting elections and financial institutions, says the tech is now so advanced that it would “make your head explode.”

Image by Dave Newman.

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The FBI is exploring the use of AI technology to verify signatures on mail-in ballots from Fulton County, Georgia, as part of a broader investigation into the 2020 election results.

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9 hours ago
News
Politics
UK

Incoming UK PM Burnham’s Strategy Chief Axes X Account After Exposé by The National Pulse.

The incoming head of political strategy at Number 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister’s official residence, has deleted his X account after The National Pulse exposed his past post calling Nigel Farage supporters “racist and Islamophobes” and President Donald J. Trump a “maniac with fascist tendencies,” among other controversial remarks.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Matthew McGregor, incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s newly-appointed head of political strategy, has deleted his X account. This follows a Thursday exposé of his social media history by The National Pulse, which uncovered a series of derogatory and far-left remarks on about supporters of the Brexit Party (the predecessor to Reform UK), Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, and President Donald J. Trump, among others.
📰 DETAIL: On Thursday, it was revealed that now-leader of the Labour Party and incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham had appointed Matthew McGregor, former Director of Campaigns and Communications for Hope Not Hate (HNH), a controversial far-left campaign group, as his head of political strategy. Soon after the announcement, it was revealed by The National Pulse that McGregor had made a series of inflammatory remarks on X (formerly Twitter) about supporters of the Brexit Party, Nigel Farage, and President Trump. Specifically, McGregor referred to Brexit Party supporters as “racists and Islamophobes,” described Farage as a “racist piece of s**t,” and branded President Trump a “maniac with fascist tendencies.” Two weeks later, the President was shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Within the next 24 hours of these details coming to light, McGregor deleted his X account. HNH has faced multiple allegations spanning spreading disinformation, conducting smear campaigns, breaking charity and electoral law, and pushing a partisan and ideological agenda. The organization also faced intense backlash after it was revealed that a former HNH political organizer, Liron Woodcock-Velleman, was convicted of child sex crimes. 
🎯 IMPACT: The deletion of McGregor’s account comes amid scrutiny over his past comments and affiliations. The former HNH director also sits on the board of Reprieve, a group that opposes stripping people of their British citizenship, including terrorists and grooming gang rapists, describing such sanctions as “fundamentally racist.” His appointment raises questions about the direction of the British government under Burnham. McGregor is set to officially enter Number 10 later this week following Burnham’s coronation as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s official departure. McGregor’s account deletion coincides with Burnham’s first speech as Labour leader, in which the incoming Prime Minister promised a less “toxic” political discourse.

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The incoming head of political strategy at Number 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister's official residence, has deleted his X account after The National Pulse exposed his past post calling Nigel Farage supporters "racist and Islamophobes" and President Donald J. Trump a "maniac with fascist tendencies," among other controversial remarks.

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10 hours ago
Election Integrity
News

Classified Files Prove Massive Chinese Election Interference, Deep State Cover-Up: Trump.

President Trump disclosed classified files alleging Chinese interference in U.S. elections and significant election vulnerabilities on Thursday night.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced the release of classified documents that show Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interference in U.S. elections on Thursday night. The interference is said to have been particularly severe in 2020, with the President highlighting significant vulnerabilities in the election system.
📰 DETAIL: The documents, reviewed by “top intelligence agency chiefs,” reveal that China acquired 220 million U.S. voter files, marking what Trump described as the largest compromise of election data in history. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, he said the information “includes names, addresses, phone numbers, political party preferences, and other sensitive data that would be needed to register to vote and engage in other nefarious activities, which is exactly what was happening.” Trump also warned that “members of the Deep State… in our intelligence agency worked to actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China’s sinister election meddling, covering it up from both the President and the American people like nobody thought was possible.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare. The intelligence even shows that China assigned a data exploitation unit specifically to this new project,” Trump stated, emphasizing the severity of the situation.
🎯 IMPACT: Trump’s revelations could intensify scrutiny of election security in the U.S. and the role of foreign regimes in undermining it, potentially strengthening the administration’s push for voter ID and other election integrity measures included in the SAVE Act. However, congressional Democrats remain firmly opposed to such measures, despite overwhelming public support.

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President Trump disclosed classified files alleging Chinese interference in U.S. elections and significant election vulnerabilities on Thursday night.

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23 hours ago
Health
News
Science

Trump FDA Approves New Cholesterol-Lowering Pill.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a cholesterol-lowering daily pill called Lipfendra, expanding treatment possibilities beyond statins and injectables.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new pill that lowers cholesterol.
📺 DETAIL: On Thursday, the FDA approved Lipfendra, a new cholesterol-lowering pill. Developed by Merck, a German pharmaceutical multinational, Lipfendra belongs to the PCSK9 inhibitor class of medications. PCSK9 is a liver-produced enzyme that regulates blood cholesterol levels. The pill is the first of its kind, as previous PCSK9 inhibitors were only available as injections. The pill is designed to be taken daily. Lipfendra is intended to help patients with hypercholesterolemia, or high LDL, known widely as “bad” cholesterol. According to clinical trials, the pill can reduce “bad” cholesterol levels by up to 60 percent over the course of 24 weeks. The clinical trials also revealed that the drug worked on patients already taking statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs, as well as people suffering from heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol. “It’s a very effective reduction… Whatever amount of lowering you get from the statin, you get more lowering by adding a PCSK9 on top of the statin, and vice versa,” said Dr. Steven Nissen, Chief Academic Officer of the Heart Vascular and Thoracic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.
🎯 IMPACT: The approval of Lipfendra offers a new option for millions of Americans struggling to manage high cholesterol. According to the American Heart Foundation, approximately one in four U.S. adults. The pill will cost $10.50 per day, but Merck expects out-of-pocket costs to be lower for most patients. This represents another significant decision by the FDA within just a matter of months. Last month, the administration relaxed regulations around testosterone replacement therapy. At the start of the year, the FDA issued a review of a potentially carcinogenic food additive. In October 2025, the FDA announced a recall of blood pressure drugs due to cancer risk concerns. The latest announcement coincides with the release of new guidelines from major medical organizations stating that even those not at risk of heart disease should seek to lower their “bad” cholesterol levels.

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The Food and Drug Administration has approved a cholesterol-lowering daily pill called Lipfendra, expanding treatment possibilities beyond statins and injectables.

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Microplastics Cancer
24 hours ago
Health
News

Microplastics in Blood Identified as Factor in Severe Heart Attack Cases.

Italian researchers have found a significant presence of microplastics in the blood of patients suffering from the most dangerous type of heart attack, raising questions about the role of environmental pollutants in undermining cardiovascular health.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Italian researchers have found a strong association between microplastics and the most severe form of heart attack, according to a study of dozens of adults undergoing coronary angiography. The researchers detected microplastics and nanoplastics in the coronary blood of approximately 84 percent of patients who suffered a ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), compared with 32 percent of participants with healthy coronary arteries. Polyethylene, the plastic commonly used in packaging, was the most frequently identified material.
📺 DETAIL: STEMI occurs when a coronary artery is suddenly blocked, cutting off blood flow to the heart muscle and requiring immediate emergency treatment. Patients with detectable plastic particles also had higher levels of inflammatory markers linked to plaque instability and heart attacks. Experts not involved in the study said the findings add to growing evidence that environmental pollutants may contribute to cardiovascular disease, although they stressed the research does not prove that microplastics directly cause heart attacks. The study also identified cigarette smoking and long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution as independent factors associated with the presence of microplastics in the bloodstream, suggesting damaged lung tissue may allow the particles to enter circulation more easily. Lead author Emanuele Barbato of Sapienza University of Rome said smoking may act as both a source of toxins and a pathway for plastics to reach the blood.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This adds to the evidence that microplastics can lead to localized inflammatory reactions, which can raise the risk of heart attack due to plaque rupture,” commented Dr. Joyce Oen-Hsiao, a cardiologist at Yale Medicine.

Image via Oregon State University. 

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Italian researchers have found a significant presence of microplastics in the blood of patients suffering from the most dangerous type of heart attack, raising questions about the role of environmental pollutants in undermining cardiovascular health.

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July 16, 2026
Immigration
News

Trump Admin Probes 75 Trucking Schools for Fraud and Licensing Irregularities.

The Trump administration is cracking down on fraudulent commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools amid concerns over illegal alien drivers and highway safety.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration announced an investigation into 75 entry-level commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools suspected of fraudulent practices, including issuing licenses to illegal aliens. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) are collaborating to address CDL fraud and improve highway safety.
📺 DETAIL: Federal officials said the schools are suspected of misconduct, including falsifying training records, using improper driver certifications, and failing to provide required instruction for CDL applicants. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the investigation is intended to strengthen the integrity of the CDL system and improve highway safety, warning that preventable crashes involving non-citizen truck drivers are costing American lives. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the administration has removed more than 24,000 drivers from the road for failing English-language requirements, required states to cancel more than 28,000 improperly issued licenses to foreign drivers, and removed more than 9,500 unqualified training schools from the FMCSA registry. The announcement of a further crackdown follows several fatal crashes. In one case, Harjinder Singh, an Indian national unlawfully present in the United States, was charged after a 2025 crash in Fort Pierce, Florida, that killed three people, with investigators alleging he had failed Washington state’s CDL knowledge exam multiple times before eventually obtaining a license that was later transferred to California.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Too many American lives have been lost in completely avoidable accidents because illegal aliens have been granted commercial driver’s licenses to drive trucks and 18-wheelers on America’s roadways.” – DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin
🎯 IMPACT: The investigation forms part of the Trump administration’s efforts to safeguard U.S. highways and ensure that only qualified drivers operate commercial vehicles.
📺 FLASHBACK: Over the past year, the DOT has removed 24,000 drivers for failing to meet English proficiency requirements, canceled 28,000 illegally issued licenses, and removed more than 9,500 unqualified training schools from its registry.

Image by Timothy Holdiness.

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The Trump administration is cracking down on fraudulent commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools amid concerns over illegal alien drivers and highway safety.

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July 16, 2026
Bonkers Britain
News
Politics

Incoming UK PM Burnham Brings Far-Left Hope Not Hate Operative Into Inner Circle.

Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s latest hire, Matthew McGregor, has drawn significant criticism for his ties to far-left groups.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new head of political strategy is a former director of Hope Not Hate, a far-left group that smeared supporters of Nigel Farage as “racist” and President Donald J. Trump as “fascist.”
📰 DETAIL: On Thursday, it was revealed that Matthew McGregor, incoming Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s newly-appointed head of political strategy, served as Director of Campaigns and Communications for Hope Not Hate (HNH) from 2018 to 2021. HNH is a far-left campaign organization with connections to the Labour government. The group has faced repeated allegations of breaking electoral and charity law, partisan and ideological bias, running smear campaigns against conservatives, and spreading disinformation. The organization also faced significant scrutiny after one of its organizers, Liron Woodcock-Velleman, pleaded guilty to child sex crimes. McGregor also briefly worked for former President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012. McGregor has described supporters of the Brexit Party, a party in favor of Britain leaving the European Union and the predecessor to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, as “racists and Islamophobes.” McGregor described Farage as a “racist piece of s**t” and President Donald Trump as a “maniac with fascist tendencies” in various posts on X (formerly Twitter). A few weeks later, President Trump was targeted in an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. Despite his brief time with the Obama campaign, Burnham’s allies are reportedly keen to emphasize this experience, rather than his more extensive time with HNH. McGregor is also a board member of Reprieve, a group that lobbies to prevent people from being stripped of British citizenship, a policy which the group describes as “fundamentally racist.” Notably, this would have prevented Shabir Ahmed, the Pakistan-born ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, from having his British citizenship removed, as well as multiple Islamic State terrorists.
🎯 IMPACT: Despite Burnham’s pledge to “do politics differently,” the appointment of McGregor suggests the Labour Party is still relying on old personnel and far-left tactics. It also underscores the extent of connections between the Labour Party and far-left organizations. McGregor is set to enter Number 10 Downing Street, the British Prime Minister’s official residence, alongside Burnham, following the resignation of outgoing Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
👀 FLASHBACK: Back in June, it was revealed during the Makerfield by-election (special election) that HNH was campaigning for Labour’s Burnham and against Reform’s Rob Kenyon. HNH reportedly leafleted and ran digital ads. Subsequently, Farage wrote to the Electoral Commission, Britain’s independent body which oversees elections, urging an investigation into the group. Farage alleged that HNH exceeded the £700 (~$943) spending limit for local non-party campaigners.

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Incoming British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's latest hire, Matthew McGregor, has drawn significant criticism for his ties to far-left groups.

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July 16, 2026
Immigration
News

Trump Advances Plan to Replace Illegal Immigrant Truck Drivers with American Veterans.

President Trump announced a new initiative to prioritize American Veterans for trucking jobs, citing safety concerns and recent fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant drivers.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced a new plan to allow American veterans with heavy military vehicle experience to bypass traditional commercial driver’s license (CDL) training and enter the trucking industry immediately. The initiative comes after a series of fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant drivers, including the killing of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Phaira.
📺 DETAIL: Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, Trump said the policy honors Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Phaira, who was killed on July 1 after he was struck by a truck driven by Michael Bon, a Haitian who had obtained a CDL in Massachusetts. Trump said the initiative would help replace foreign-born truck drivers with qualified American veterans, arguing that some drivers with CDLs pose safety risks on U.S. highways. Under the proposal, eligible veterans would bypass CDL training programs that typically last three to eight weeks and can cost between $3,000 and $6,000. Trump said military truck drivers already possess extensive experience operating heavy vehicles in challenging conditions, including long hours, harsh weather, and hazardous environments. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is also pursuing stricter CDL standards, including enforcing English-language requirements for commercial drivers and threatening to withhold federal funding from states that fail to comply with federal licensing rules. Duffy said he is working to address policies he believes have allowed unqualified drivers and dubious trucking schools to operate while expressing condolences to Phaira’s family. The administration says the combined measures are intended to improve highway safety while expanding employment opportunities for American veterans.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We are going to replace them with proud American Veterans,” Trump said, adding: “They can’t read signs and many of them are on drugs or alcohol, and they shouldn’t be driving these things.”
🎯 IMPACT: The initiative is expected to enhance road safety by prioritizing experienced and highly trained American drivers over unqualified foreigners. Additionally, it provides a career pathway for veterans transitioning to civilian life, potentially boosting wages and job security for American truckers.

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President Trump announced a new initiative to prioritize American Veterans for trucking jobs, citing safety concerns and recent fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant drivers.

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July 16, 2026
Bonkers Britain
News
Politics

UK PM Starmer Makes Sadiq Khan a Lord Before Leaving Office.

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has been appointed to the House of Lords, the upper house in Britain’s Houses of Parliament, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer prepares for his departure from office.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Labour Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been elevated to Britain’s House of Lords by outgoing Labour Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
📺 DETAIL: On Thursday, it was announced that London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been granted a peerage by Prime Minister Starmer. Khan is among the 26 new appointees to the House of Lords, the unelected upper house of the Houses of Parliament, recommended by the outgoing Prime Minister. It is customary for outgoing Prime Ministers to elevate a select number of individuals to the House of Lords in their final days in office. The list includes 16 nominations from Labour Prime Minister Starmer, five from Sir Ed Davey, leader of the progressive, pro-European Union Liberal Democrat party, and three from Kemi Badenoch, leader of the nominal Conservative party. None of been granted to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, despite the fact it has been leading national polls for months and came third by share of the popular vote in the 2024 general election, ahead of the Lib Dems. Starmer made the appointments despite his calls to abolish the House of Lords and comments suggesting he would not have a resignations honors list. “It’s very hard to justify… I think it’s easier to be clean about this and simply say, no, I wouldn’t do it,” said Starmer back in 2023.
🎯 IMPACT: Mayor Khan’s peerage is likely to frustrate much of the British public, and especially Londoners dissatisfied with his handling of crime in the British capital. The Mayor has also been roundly criticized for failing to improve the city’s cost of living. The appointments collectively reignite concerns over the size of the House of Lords, which now stands at 774 members. The appointments constitute one of the Prime Minister’s final acts in office as Labour Member of Parliament Andy Burnham is positioned to become Labour leader and Prime Minister by the end of the week.
📺 FLASHBACK: Back in 2025, Mayor Khan, who is of Pakistani heritage, denied the existence of predominantly Pakistani-heritage Muslim grooming gangs operating in London. Later the same year, Khan was accused of covering up the activity of such gangs. Also, later that same year, President Donald J. Trump said that Mayor Khan owed his office to mass migration, describing Khan as “a horrible mayor… an incompetent mayor… he’s a horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor.”

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London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has been appointed to the House of Lords, the upper house in Britain's Houses of Parliament, as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer prepares for his departure from office.

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July 16, 2026
News
War

Zelensky Faces Street Protests After Ousting Popular War Minister.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to replace Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked widespread protests and criticism from the public and political figures alike.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has removed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that has sparked protests and criticism from servicemen, civil society, and members of parliament. Zelensky has proposed Major-General Yevhenii Khmara as the acting defense minister, citing his experience.
🎯 IMPACT: The decision has led to public outcry, with protesters chanting slogans such as “Hands off Fedorov!” and “Stop sabotaging victory!” taking to the streets in Kiev and other cities. Many Ukrainians view Fedorov as a key figure in modernizing the military and combating corruption. The move has also prompted resignations within the military, including Pavlo Yelizarov, a deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force. Zelensky has signaled he is sensitive to the pressure, saying of the protests, “People wanted to come out, and that’s right. I understand, I hear, and I even react to what society is saying.”
📰 DETAIL: Fedorov, who was appointed in January, has been credited with energizing the defense ministry and implementing high-tech warfare strategies, including the improved use of drones and cyber warfare operations. His dismissal is reportedly linked to tensions with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, with Fedorov suggesting that both Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov should be replaced.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This is the worst mistake Zelensky has made during his entire presidency,” said Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier, in comments to the British media, expressing the sentiment of many who oppose the decision. “I don’t know anyone who supports the decision to replace him. Not within the army, not in society,” he added.

Image by European Union 2023.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to replace Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked widespread protests and criticism from the public and political figures alike.

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