Friday, December 12, 2025

State Dept Plans to Slash University Research Funding Over DEI Initiatives.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The State Department is proposing to suspend 38 universities from a federal research collaboration program due to their involvement in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Universities such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and others; the State Department; President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The suspensions, if finalized, will take effect on January 1, 2026, affecting institutions across the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The State Department is reviewing all programs to ensure that they are in line with the President’s agenda.” – State Department spokesman

🎯IMPACT: If implemented, program slots will be reallocated to schools like Liberty University, Brigham Young University, and others.

IN FULL

The U.S. State Department is reportedly considering removing 38 universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, from its Diplomacy Lab program due to their continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. According to a memo dated November 17, institutions that “openly engage in DEI hiring practices” or set DEI goals for candidates could face suspension from the program starting January 1, 2026. Other universities potentially affected include Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and the University of Southern California.

Established in 2013, the Diplomacy Lab connects the U.S. Department of State with academic institutions to collaborate on research related to policy issues. The program currently partners with over 60 U.S. universities. Should suspensions move forward, available program slots are expected to shift to universities such as Liberty University, Brigham Young University, and other institutions in Missouri and Texas.

President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly criticized DEI programs within federal agencies and has cautioned universities that continued DEI engagement could risk federal funding. A State Department spokesman emphasized, “The State Department is reviewing all programs to ensure that they are in line with the President’s agenda.”

The move comes amid a broader shift in higher education, with several universities, including some in California, scrapping DEI offices and initiatives in recent months. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also proposed new funding incentives for universities that promote conservative perspectives, including stipulations to ban race or sex as factors in admissions and hiring, freeze tuition, and cap international student enrollment.

Participating institutions are expected to foster a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” and eliminate departments that “purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

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Cloned Meat Is Circulating in America’s Food Supply.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Health Canada has paused its plan to allow cloned meat into the nation’s food supply following significant backlash from consumers and industry, drawing attention to the situation in the U.S.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Health Canada, Canadian and American consumers, industry stakeholders, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on November 20, 2025, affecting Canada, with related implications in the U.S. and globally.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Until the policy is updated, foods made from cloned cattle and swine will remain subject to the novel food assessment.” – Health Canada

🎯IMPACT: Cloned meat products remain restricted in Canada for now, while Americans face ongoing concerns over unlabeled cloned meat in their food supply.

IN FULL

Health Canada has indefinitely paused its plans to allow cloned meat into the Canadian food supply following widespread public and industry concerns. The move comes after objections to proposals that would have removed pre-market safety assessments and mandatory labeling for cloned meat products.

Under current regulations, cloned meat is classified as a “novel food” in Canada, requiring a safety review before entering the market. Health Canada stated, “Until the policy is updated, foods made from cloned cattle and swine will remain subject to the novel food assessment.” The agency confirmed that no cloned meat or milk products are currently approved or available in Canada.

Consequently, consumers in the United States have voiced frustration over cloned meat circulating there without mandatory labeling. Consumer advocacy groups argue that Americans are denied the ability to make informed choices. The Center for Food Safety highlighted “massive public opposition to animal cloning, widespread scientific concerns about the risks of eating food from clones, and troubling animal cruelty and ethical concerns associated with the cloning process.”

The European Union (EU) has banned cloned meat due to similar concerns. Nevertheless, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that meat and milk from cloned animals, approved in 2008, are safe and nutritious.

Meanwhile, scientists have previously explored the use of powdered insects in processed foods to overcome the so-called “disgust factor” associated with eating bugs. Major companies, including Tyson Foods, have invested heavily in insect and bug proteins as sustainable, high-protein alternatives to conventional meat.

Notably, the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, launched under President Donald J. Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been influencing major food companies to prioritize natural ingredients. Several large corporations are phasing out artificial food dyes from products in line with the MAHA plan, which aims to improve public health through cleaner, more natural foods. Whether RFK Jr. will address cloned meat remains to be seen.

Image by Mattes.

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Muslim Brotherhood Infiltrating U.S. Colleges to Transform Society: Report.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A report warns that the Muslim Brotherhood is halfway through a 100-year plan to infiltrate U.S. institutions to undermine Western democracy.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) published the report.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The report was released on Wednesday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are now 50 years into the Brotherhood’s 100-year plan to entrench themselves into key institutions in the United States and other western societies to undermine and destroy our democracy,” said Dr. Charles Asher Small.

🎯IMPACT: The report calls for the U.S. to designate the Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization to prevent further infiltration.

IN FULL

A new 200-page report from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) warns that the Muslim Brotherhood is halfway through a century-long effort to embed itself within key Western institutions. According to the analysis, the group has spent the past 50 years cultivating influence inside U.S. universities, government agencies, media networks, and civil society.

ISGAP director Dr. Charles Asher Small stated, “We are now 50 years into the Brotherhood’s 100-year plan to entrench themselves into key institutions in the United States and other [W]estern societies to undermine and destroy our democracy,” describing the movement as “a transnational ideological project that adapts itself to Western systems while working to undermine them.”

The report outlines what it calls a “civilization jihad”—a long-term strategy that uses the freedoms of democratic societies to advance the Brotherhood’s ideological aims. It identifies the Muslim Students Association, active on hundreds of college campuses, as a major organizational pipeline and asserts that Students for Justice in Palestine often works alongside it to advance aligned political goals.

ISGAP cites internal Brotherhood documents such as The Explanatory Memorandum and The Project as evidence of a structured effort to influence Western institutions over generations. The study also argues that the group maintains ideological and financial continuity with Hamas, which the U.S. has designated as a terrorist organization.

Financial networks tied to Qatar also feature prominently in the report, with claims that Qatari funding has played a significant role in supporting institutions and academic centers linked to Brotherhood-aligned thinkers. In response to its findings, ISGAP is urging the U.S. government to formally designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), arguing that such a move would curb its ability to operate in the United States.

The debate intensified after Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced on November 18, 2025, that his state was designating both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organizations. Under his order, the groups are barred from acquiring land in Texas, and the state attorney general, Ken Paxton, may take legal action to shut down their activities. Abbott argued that the Brotherhood seeks “to forcibly impose Sharia law and establish Islam’s ‘mastership of the world.’”

Image by Don Sniegowski.

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Biden Judge Orders End to Trump’s National Guard Deployment in D.C.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb, appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled on Thursday that President Donald J. Trump “exceeded the bounds of [his] authority” in ordering the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Jia Cobb, President Trump, and National Guard troops deployed in Washington, D.C.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was handed down late in the day on Thursday, November 20, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Court finds that the District’s exercise of sovereign powers within its jurisdiction is irreparably harmed by Defendants’ actions in deploying the Guards.” — Judge Cobb

🎯IMPACT: Judge Cobb voluntarily stayed her ruling for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to file an appeal.

IN FULL

U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb, appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled on Thursday that President Donald J. Trump “exceeded the bounds of [his] authority” in ordering the deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. In her ruling, Judge Cobb contends that Trump acted “contrary to law” when he deployed the National Guard “for non-military, crime-deterrence missions in the absence of a request from the city’s civil authorities.”

The National Pulse reported in late October that the Trump administration, using statutory authorities, had extended the National Guard deployment in the nation’s capital until February 2026. Notably, Judge Cobb voluntarily stayed her ruling for 21 days in order to allow the Trump administration time to file an appeal.

“The Court finds that the District’s exercise of sovereign powers within its jurisdiction is irreparably harmed by Defendants’ actions in deploying the Guards,” Judge Cobb wrote, also finding that Trump administration officials “lack statutory authority” to deploy Guard units from outside the District of Columbia.

In September, the District of Columbia’s attorney general filed a lawsuit challenging Trump’s National Guard deployment in the city, resulting in Cobb’s ruling.

“President Trump is well within his lawful authority to deploy the National Guard in Washington, DC, to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement with specific tasks,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in response to the court’s decision. “This lawsuit is nothing more than another attempt—at the detriment of D.C. residents—to undermine the President’s highly successful operations to stop violent crime in D.C.”

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ICE Detained Over 3,500 Illegals in This Dem-Run City During Shutdown.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 3,593 criminal illegal immigrants in Houston, Texas, during the government shutdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE officials, 3,593 criminal illegal immigrants, including gang members and convicted criminals.

📍WHEN & WHERE: October 1 to November 12, 2025, in Houston, Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our entire team understands how critical ICE’s mission is to public safety and national security, and despite many of them going without pay, they continued to show up every day and give everything they had to protect this community from dangerous criminal illegal alien gang members, child predators, murderers and rapists,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operation Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford.

🎯IMPACT: Dangerous individuals, including child predators, murderers, and gang members, were removed from communities and will face justice.

IN FULL

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Houston announced it arrested 3,593 illegal immigrants during the 43-day government shutdown from October 1 to November 12. According to ICE, those arrested include 67 sex offenders, 13 murderers, 51 child predators, 366 criminal aliens convicted of DWIs, 261 convicted of aggravated assault, and 103 convicted of burglary or theft.

In addition, ICE says it arrested 23 gang members, including a Honduran national named Josue Pineda-Ayala, a 23-year-old MS-13 gang member charged with a triple homicide in Dallas. Pineda-Ayala, who was released into the United States by the former Biden government in May of last year, allegedly committed the triple murder before being detained by ICE in early October. Subsequently, the 23-year-old MS-13 member was transferred to the Dallas County Jail with a detain lodged and awaiting charges.

Another case involved Baldomero Perez-Quezada, a 56-year-old criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico who has been removed from the country four times. A convicted child predator, Perez-Quezada was arrested on October 17 after being encountered at the Edinburg Police Department in 2023 under the former Biden government. He later preyed on a child, leading to a conviction for sexual indecency with a child earlier this year.

“Our entire team understands how critical ICE’s mission is to public safety and national security, and despite many of them going without pay, they continued to show up every day and give everything they had to protect this community from dangerous criminal illegal alien gang members, child predators, murderers and rapists,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operation Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford.

He added, “As a result of those efforts, 51 dangerous child predators are no longer free to prey on our children, 10 fugitives have been apprehended and will now face justice for their alleged offenses, and thousands of other violent criminal aliens have been removed from local communities throughout Southeast Texas and will be removed from the United States.”

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FCC Investigating BBC for Doctoring Trump Speech.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is probing the BBC for doctoring a speech by President Donald J. Trump on January 6, 2021.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The BBC, FCC, and Donald Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The FCC’s recent letter is addressed to the BBC’s leadership in the United Kingdom.

💬KEY QUOTE: “That would appear to meet the very definition of publishing a materially false and damaging statement.” – Brendan Carr

🎯IMPACT: The BBC faces potential legal action from Donald Trump, with broader scrutiny of its editorial practices.

IN FULL

The British state broadcaster, the BBC, is facing intense scrutiny after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched an investigation into a January 6, 2021, speech by President Donald J. Trump. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote to outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie, stating that the edited footage portrayed Trump saying a sentence “that, in fact, he never uttered,” and warning that such actions could constitute “publishing a materially false and damaging statement.”

The BBC is facing a major lawsuit. Trump may pursue damages in the billions, with David Maddox, political editor at The Independent, saying the BBC “has shot itself in the foot” by splicing together different sections of the President’s speech to make it appear as though he made a direct call for violence. “Donald Trump’s going to sue them for a huge amount of money,” he warned.

The BBC has apologized, calling the editing an “error of judgment.” India-born Chairman Samir Shah acknowledged that the way the footage was presented gave “the impression of a direct call for violent action.” However, a BBC spokesman emphasized that the corporation “strongly disagree[s] there is a basis for a defamation claim.”

The controversy has already led to significant changes in leadership, with Director-General Tim Davie and new chief Deborah Turness resigning amid criticism of the broadcaster’s editorial practices.

The situation has also drawn attention to the impartiality of BBC executives, or lack thereof. One board member, Muriel Gray, previously described Trump as a “howling idiot.” Additional reports have emerged showing that other clips of Trump have been similarly doctored.

Image by Matt Cornock.

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New Bill Proposes Prison Time for Harassing ICE Agents.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) has proposed the Halo Act, which seeks to make it illegal to harass or get too close to federal immigration officers while they are performing their duties.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senator Moody, federal immigration officers, and agitators protesting immigration enforcement actions.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced in November 2025, the legislation addresses incidents nationwide.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I am appalled at the news reports of people harassing and targeting federal officers while they are simply trying to do their jobs, and this must end.” – Senator Moody

🎯IMPACT: If passed, violators of the Halo Act could face up to five years in prison and fines, aiming to protect immigration officers from harassment and threats.

IN FULL

U.S. Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) has proposed the Halo Act, which would prescribe criminal penalties for agitators who harass federal immigration agents while they are carrying out their official duties. The law would make it illegal for people who have been issued a stand back warning from coming within 25 feet of a federal officer or otherwise acting to interfere with their work, including by making physical threats against an officer or officers.

Under the proposed law, violators would face up to five years in prison and a fine. “As the wife of a law enforcement officer, former attorney general, and now United States senator, I have always supported and fought for the selfless individuals who protect and serve our nation,” Moody said when unveiling the legislation. She added: “I am appalled at the news reports of people harassing and targeting federal officers while they are simply trying to do their jobs, and this must end.”

Proponents of the legislation contend the measure is necessary to protect federal immigration agents. They point to the recent surge in assaults, death threats, stalking, doxxing, and bounties placed on the heads of officers involved in enforcement actions. In June, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed a 500 percent increase in violent attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as they attempt to carry out their enforcement duties.

Recent protests outside a number of ICE facilities have turned violent, with far-left agitators attempting to disrupt the Trump administration’s push to deport dangerous illegal immigrants. According to federal data, immigration agents have experienced 99 vehicle attacks, more than double the 47 attacks reported during the same period last year.

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has documented 71 vehicular attacks since January 20, up from 45 during the same period in 2024, marking a 58 percent increase, the agency said. ICE has been targeted in 28 vehicular attacks since January 20, compared to just two incidents in the same period of 2024, representing a 1,300 percent increase, DHS said.

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Illegal Immigrant Admits to Shoving ICE Officer Into Four-Lane Highway.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A Mexican migrant pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal immigration officer by shoving him into oncoming traffic during a traffic stop.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ricardo Trejo-Martinez, a 41-year-old illegal alien from Querétaro, Mexico, and a U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on May 20 in Commerce, Georgia, during a traffic stop.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Trejo-Martinez shoved the deportation officer into the four-lane highway where vehicles were passing,” stated the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

🎯IMPACT: Trejo-Martinez has pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer and is scheduled for sentencing on January 20.

IN FULL

Ricardo Trejo-Martinez, a Mexican migrant, has pleaded guilty to assaulting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. The guilty plea was announced by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia late Wednesday.

The assault occurred on May 20 in Commerce, Georgia, during a traffic stop. The ICE officer had stopped Trejo-Martinez, 41, to execute an administrative arrest warrant for an illegal alien. Trejo-Martinez refused to identify himself and shoved the officer into a four-lane highway with oncoming traffic.

Trejo-Martinez, who is an illegal immigrant from Querétaro, Mexico, was charged with assaulting a federal officer and has now pleaded guilty. The U.S. Attorney’s office emphasized the dangerous nature of the assault, stating that vehicles were passing on the highway at the time.

The sentencing for Trejo-Martinez is scheduled for January 20, at which time he will face penalties for his actions.

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Dem Rep Charged with Embezzling $5 Million in FEMA Funds.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funds and laundering the money for personal and campaign use.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, her brother Edwin Cherfilus, and several co-defendants, along with federal prosecutors and investigators.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The alleged crimes occurred in 2021, involving FEMA funds tied to a COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract. The indictment was revealed late on November 19, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

🎯IMPACT: If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison, with GOP lawmakers and federal agencies emphasizing the severity of the allegations.

IN FULL

Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) has been indicted in federal court, along with several co-defendants, for allegedly stealing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster funds and laundering the proceeds. Federal prosecutors allege that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, used their family healthcare company to exploit a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021.

According to the indictment, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds in July 2021. The defendants are accused of conspiring to steal the funds, routing them through multiple accounts to obscure their origins. Prosecutors claim that a significant portion of the money was used for campaign contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for personal benefits.

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime. No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel posted on X (formerly Twitter), “This individual and her family allegedly stole money from FEMA and then laundered it through friends toward her own personal benefits – including her campaign accounts. Today the FBI and partners at [the Justice Department] took action. No one is above the law.”

Republican lawmakers in the House have also reacted strongly to the indictment. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) wrote on X, “This is one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen.” If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison.

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UK Supreme Court Declares Christian-Focused School Religious Education and Worship Unlawful.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled religious education and collective worship in Northern Ireland schools unlawful due to their Christian focus.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: A pupil known as JR87, her father, and the Department of Education were involved.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The judgment was delivered on November 19, 2025, in the Supreme Court.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The concepts are two sides of the same coin: conveying knowledge in a manner that is not objective, critical, and pluralistic amounts to pursuing the aim of indoctrination.” – Lord Stephens

🎯IMPACT: The ruling will reshape education in Northern Ireland.

IN FULL

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has ruled that religious education (RE) and collective worship in Northern Ireland’s schools breach so-called human rights standards due to their Christian focus, and are therefore unlawful. The judgment follows an appeal brought by a pupil known as JR87 and her father, who argued that the Christian-based instruction at her Belfast primary (elementary) school did not respect their religious and philosophical beliefs.

In a unanimous decision, the court restored an earlier High Court ruling which held that the system of non-denominational Christian RE and daily worship failed to treat religion in an “objective, critical and pluralist manner.” The family first won their case in 2022, but the Court of Appeal later overturned that decision, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court argued that “all children are entitled to an education that respects their freedom of thought, conscience, and religion,” and rejected the idea that allowing parents to withdraw their children from RE could remedy any issues. The judges said the state must not place children in a position where they may feel “singled out or stigmatized” simply because they hold different beliefs from those assumed by the curriculum.

“The Court of Appeal fell into error in making a distinction between indoctrination and the state conveying information or knowledge in a manner which was not objective, critical, and pluralistic,” the court argued, citing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). “The concepts are two sides of the same coin: conveying knowledge in a manner that is not objective, critical, and pluralistic amounts to pursuing the aim of indoctrination.”

The ruling comes at a time when Christianity and religious freedom in the United Kingdom are at the centre of several national debates. In recent years, the introduction of 150-metre “safe access zones” around abortion clinics in England and Wales has raised concerns among Christian groups, who argue that these measures criminalize even silent prayer.

Questions about the role and direction of Christianity in public life have also intensified following the 2025 appointment of Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury, making her the first woman to hold the post. Critics, particularly in conservative Anglican circles, note she is supportive of liberal positions on issues such as abortion, viewing her elevation as evidence of a broader ideological shift to the left within the Church of England.

Image by Diliff.

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