Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Trump Admin Issues Update on Shutdown Flight Disruption Ahead of Thanksgiving.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Flight traffic has returned to normal following the end of the government shutdown, according to U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, air traffic controllers, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The FAA lifted its emergency order at 6 AM ET on Monday, with normal operations resuming nationwide.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Air traffic controllers who didn’t miss a single day during the shutdown deserve a bonus! We are working on it RIGHT NOW!” – Sean Duffy

🎯IMPACT: The return to normal operations comes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, a critical travel period for millions of Americans.

IN FULL

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has stated that “flight traffic is back to normal as controllers return to towers” during the first Monday morning after the government shutdown concluded. Airports had cautioned that it might require several days to fully restore operations, following the cancellation or delay of thousands of flights by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over safety issues stemming from inadequate staffing. With Thanksgiving—a peak travel period—set for November 27, getting back on track is essential for countless Americans.

Throughout the shutdown, numerous air traffic controllers remained at home without pay, although others kept working. President Donald J. Trump commented on the matter, noting that those controllers who stayed on the job would qualify for a $10,000 bonus. Secretary Duffy echoed this in an X post, declaring, “Air traffic controllers who didn’t miss a single day during the shutdown deserve a bonus! We are working on it RIGHT NOW!”

The FAA formally ended its emergency flight-reduction directive at 6 AM ET on Monday. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford remarked, “The decision to rescind the order reflects the steady decline in staffing concerns across the NAS and allows us to return to normal operations.” He also thanked FAA personnel, saying, “I am grateful for the hard work of the FAA safety and operations teams and for their focus on the safety of the traveling public.”

Image by Joe Ravi.

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Board Member at ‘Impartial’ BBC Branded Trump a ‘Howling Idiot.’

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A BBC board member, Muriel Gray, described President Donald J. Trump as a “howling idiot” in social media posts before her appointment.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Muriel Gray, President Donald J. Trump, BBC board members, and other political figures.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Posts made prior to Gray’s appointment in January 2022; the BBC has been under scrutiny in recent days over manipulative coverage of President Trump.

💬KEY QUOTE: Muriel Gray described President Trump as “just a howling idiot shouting into the abyss.”

🎯IMPACT: The remarks have drawn further attention to political bias on the BBC board following its handling of a scandal involved a doctored Trump speech.

IN FULL

Muriel Gray, a member of the BBC Board and a former television presenter, is facing scrutiny over a series of social media posts she made about President Donald J. Trump before joining the corporation’s governing body in January 2022. In one message posted after Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory, Gray described Trump as “just a howling idiot shouting into the abyss.” Other posts from the same period referred to him as “useless” and included remarks mocking then–First Lady Melania Trump. Gray has not commented publicly since the resurfacing of the messages.

The de facto state broadcaster, funded by a compulsory television license fee, is under intense scrutiny after it emerged that an edited version of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech, aired in a BBC Panorama programme, stitched together lines from different parts of the address in a way that gave the impression he urged supporters toward violence.

A whistleblower revealed that the clip had been manipulated, sparking a series of reports on BBC bias. Because televsion owners are forced to fund the broadcaster, it is required to be impartial and nonpartisan—although it is widely believed to suffer systemic left-wing bias, with successive governments doing little to rein it in.

The BBC has apologised for the doctored clip, and its India-born chairman, Samir Shah, issued a personal apology to the White House as Trump announced plans to pursue legal action, accusing the corporation of defamation. However, a second doctored Trump clip has since surfaced, intensifying criticism of the broadcaster’s editorial processes.

The fallout has been sweeping. Director General Tim Davie and CEO of News Deborah Turness have both resigned, acknowledging the serious damage caused by the incident. Left-wing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government has signalled that political appointments to the board may be reviewed as part of an upcoming charter renewal.

A BBC spokesman said all board members are bound by the organization’s governance rules and emphasised that the corporation is committed to addressing the failures that led to the misleading Panorama broadcast.

Image by Sebastiandoe5.

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Trump Admin Exposes SNAP Benefits Going to 186,000 Dead People.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins revealed that 186,000 dead people are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamps, with half a million recipients receiving double benefits.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture, and state governments providing SNAP data.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Rollins shared this information this week, following data collection from 29 states earlier this year.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “But here’s the most unbelievable news I have [learned] really just over the last few days: That 5,000 dead people, that was just one month; the number is closer to 186,000 deceased men and women and children in this country are receiving a check.” – Brooke Rollins

🎯IMPACT: A major overhaul of the SNAP program is planned, requiring all recipients to reapply to verify eligibility.

IN FULL

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has disclosed alarming figures regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud. She revealed that 186,000 dead people are still receiving SNAP benefits and that roughly 500,000 participants may be collecting duplicate payments.

Rollins said that upon taking office, she contacted all 50 states requesting detailed information on SNAP recipients, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and addresses. She said this marked the first time the federal government had requested such data to ensure food stamps are not being distributed to ineligible recipients, including illegal immigrants.

“The Democrat Party has turned its back on working Americans and built its entire strategy around protecting illegal aliens,” Rollins wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “They know if the handouts stop, those illegals will go back home, and Democrats will lose  20+ seats after the next census.”

According to Rollins, 29 states, mostly Republican-led, submitted their data earlier this year, which was analyzed over the summer. “[H]ere’s the most unbelievable news I have [learned] really just over the last few days: That 5,000 dead people, that was just one month; the number is closer to 186,000 deceased men and women and children in this country are receiving a check,” she said.

Rollins added that data from Democrat-leaning states had not yet been fully reviewed, suggesting additional discrepancies may be uncovered. She announced plans for a comprehensive overhaul of the SNAP program, which would require all recipients to reapply and verify their eligibility. “It’s gonna give us a platform and a trajectory to fundamentally rebuild this program,” she said.

The SNAP program has seen significant changes in participation in recent years. Data indicates that since President Donald J. Trump took office, the number of Americans receiving food stamp benefits has declined by more than 600,000.

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Michelle Obama Claims Black People Can’t Swim ‘Because We’re Trying to Keep Our Hair Straight’ for White People.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former First Lady Michelle Obama discussed conforming to supposed white beauty standards during her time in the White House in an interview promoting her fashion book, The Look.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Michelle Obama and actress Tracee Ellis Ross.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Interviews and discussions held at events such as the 2025 Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival and the 2025 SXSW Conference in Austin, Texas.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Let me explain something to white people! Our hair comes out of our head naturally in a curly pattern, so when we’re straightening it to follow your beauty standards, we are trapped by the straightness!” – Michelle Obama

🎯IMPACT: Obama’s comments have reignited discussions around supposed hair discrimination and laws to ban it.

IN FULL

Former First Lady Michelle Obama claims she felt forced to conform to “white beauty standards” during her time in the White House, revealing she kept her hair straight for eight years to fit in with white expectations. Speaking with actress Tracee Ellis Ross to promote her new fashion book, The Look, Mrs. Obama described the effort as “exhausting” and blamed white society for imposing standards that many black women feel pressured to follow.

Mrs. Obama reflected on her upbringing in Chicago and her experiences navigating elite spaces, saying black people are often taught that “how you present can sometimes save your life.” She wrote in her book, “In a way, being First Lady was just another professional experience where I had to conform to a white environment of appropriateness.”

Addressing white people directly, Mrs. Obama said, “Let me explain something to white people! Our hair comes out of our head naturally in a curly pattern, so when we’re straightening it to follow your beauty standards, we are trapped by the straightness!”

She then blamed the supposed white expectation that black people straighten their hair for the fact that many black people cannot swim, saying, “That’s why so many of us can’t swim! And we run away from the water—people won’t go to the gym, because we’re trying to keep our hair straight for y’all. It is exhausting, and it’s so expensive and it takes up so much time!”

Addressing an imaginary white person harassing her, she railed, “Don’t tell me how to wear my hair, don’t wonder about it, don’t touch it—just don’t!”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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DHS Deports Violent Migrant Judge Tried to Hide From ICE.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Mexican migrant with a criminal history, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was deported after being assisted by a Wisconsin judge in evading immigration authorities earlier this year.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, Judge Hannah Dugan, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The deportation occurred on Thursday, following an incident in April at a Milwaukee County courthouse.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “If you are here illegally and break the law, we will hunt you down, arrest you, and remove you from our country. That’s a promise.” – Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin

🎯IMPACT: The Flores-Ruiz case has raised concerns about judicial activism against the enforcement of immigration laws.

IN FULL

A 31-year-old Mexican national, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who had a long history of violent crime and was previously deported in 2013, has been removed from the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Thursday. After re-entering the U.S. without authorization, Flores-Ruiz faced charges including strangulation, suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse.

The removal follows an April hearing in Milwaukee County where Hannah Dugan, a county circuit judge, is accused of helping Flores-Ruiz evade arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Court records allege she hid him in her jury room and escorted him out of the courtroom through a back door. Dugan faces federal obstruction charges and has pleaded not guilty.

“Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a previously removed illegal alien, has a laundry list of violent criminal charges including strangulation and suffocation, battery, and domestic abuse,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Judge Hannah Dugan’s actions to obstruct this violent criminal’s arrest take activist judge to a whole new meaning.” She added: “Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal is OUT of our country.”

According to the complaint, victims and prosecutors were present in the courtroom when Dugan allegedly facilitated Flores-Ruiz’s exit while ICE agents waited outside. Dugan’s defense maintains she was acting in her capacity as a judge and is claiming immunity, while also challenging the federal presence in a state courtroom as a violation of Wisconsin’s sovereignty.

During his sentencing on immigration violations last week, U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper told Flores-Ruiz: “I very much hope you can find a way to make a living back home rather than coming back here.” Following the hearing, he was deported to Mexico.

The case illustrates ongoing tensions between federal immigration enforcement and leftist judges. Several Biden-era judges have freed migrants arrested in operations in cities like Chicago, Illinois, where a judge order DHS to free hundreds of illegals earlier this week.

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Trump Directs Bondi, FBI to Probe Epstein’s Connections with Clinton, Financial Institutions.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced plans to investigate deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s links to prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, and major banks.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Clinton, JPMorgan Chase, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

📍WHEN & WHERE: This week, following the release of over 20,000 pages of documents related to Epstein’s estate.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Epstein was a Democrat, and he is the [Democrats’] problem, not the [Republicans’] problem!” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The investigation could shed light on Epstein’s connections to powerful figures and institutions, sparking renewed scrutiny.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has indicated he will soon direct Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to open probes into deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein‘s ties to Democratic Party figures, including former President Bill Clinton, as well as major financial institutions. In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that much of the recent focus on Epstein by Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill is part of an effort to obfuscate their party’s own ties to the convicted sexual predator.

“Now that the Democrats are using the Epstein Hoax, involving Democrats, not Republicans, to try and deflect from their disastrous SHUTDOWN, and all of their other failures, I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him,” Trump wrote.

He added, “This is another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats. Records show that these men, and many others, spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘Island.’ Stay tuned!!!”

In another post, Trump emphasized, “Epstein was a Democrat, and he is the [Democrats’] problem, not the [Republicans’] problem!”

The renewed interest in Epstein’s connections follows the release of over 20,000 pages of documents from his estate this week by Congressional Democrats. Clinton has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Meanwhile, a spokesman for JPMorgan Chase stated that the firm regrets “any association” with Epstein and emphasized that the company “did not help him commit his heinous acts.”

Notably, Trump’s announcement comes ahead of a House of Representatives vote next week on whether the DOJ should release all its files related to Epstein’s investigation. Representative Adelita Grijalva’s (D-AZ) recent swearing-in provided the 218th signature needed to trigger the vote.

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Kassam Issues Urgent War Room Warning for Trump Team.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, issued a stark warning about the current state of the populist-nationalist movement and its leadership on Stephen K. Bannon’s WarRoom show.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Raheem Kassam and Stephen K. Bannon.

📍WHEN & WHERE: November 14, 2025, during a WarRoom broadcast.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “As goes America next year, as goes the MAGA movement, as goes the Republican party’s successes or failures in the midterms, so goes Europe.” – Raheem Kassam

🎯IMPACT: The movement’s direction and leadership could negatively influence the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, with a knock-on impact on populist movements worldwide.

IN FULL

Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, expressed serious concerns about the current state of the populist-nationalist movement and its leadership to former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon on the WarRoom show on Friday, particularly in relation to the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. “That leadership is coming from a corporate class that have managed to capture so much of what I call MAGA Inc.,” Kassam warned.

“They sell out the people who started this movement… They have almost taken over the whole thing, and it is upon us to grasp it back, to wrestle it back; otherwise, we’re going to get killed next year,” he emphasized.

Kassam noted that the populist-nationalist movement, which began over a decade ago, was built on understanding and addressing the struggles of regular people. “[W]e went around to the little town halls and the little seaside towns all across the United Kingdom and we looked at what people were going through… people whose families and whose grandparents and great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents and whose entire family lineages have been sacrificed day upon day, whether it’s in the mines, whether it’s in the wars… that have created the world that we live in today and that we take for granted every day,” he said of the movement’s beginnings a decade ago.

“And what happened was we saw that they had been shunned, disparaged, spat upon by an establishment who said, ‘Yeah, thanks. We’ll take it from here. You know, thanks for all the hard work of your bloodline, but we’ll take it from here… We don’t need you,” Kassam explained.

The National Pulse chief stated that a similar process is now unfolding in America, with establishment figures who are “just in it for the big bucks” attempting to sideline the authentic populist-nationalists who built the movement “from the ground up,” with potentially disastrous consequences.

Kassam emphasized the importance of genuine engagement with the movement’s grassroots base, warning that the movement’s current trajectory could lead to significant setbacks in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections if these issues are not addressed. “The problem with it is that whether it’s the 50-year mortgages or the $2,000 checks or the bank bosses or the big farmer bosses hanging out in the Oval Office, people just don’t feel like we’re walking into next year in a position of strength. And I happen to agree with them,” he said. “We need to smarten up. We need to sharpen up on these things. And that’s where we are now.”

Kassam also discussed the international implications of the MAGA movement’s success or failure, warning, “As goes America next year, as goes the MAGA movement, as goes the Republican party’s successes or failures in the midterms, so goes Europe.”

IN FULL

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Panicking Maduro Likens Potential U.S. Intervention to Afghanistan.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. military has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near Venezuela as part of a counter-drug operation, drawing criticism and warnings from Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and the U.S. military.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The operation, named “Southern Spear,” is currently underway in the Caribbean Sea, with its expansion announced on November 13, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “No more forever wars. No more unjust wars. No more Libya. No more Afghanistan. Long live peace.” – Nicolás Maduro

🎯IMPACT: The deployment has raised regional anxieties and sparked debate over U.S. intentions, with observers suggesting it signals a push for regime change in Venezuela rather than countering narcotics traffickers.

IN FULL

Venezuela’s dictator Nicolás Maduro is urging the United States to avoid what he described as an “Afghanistan-style forever war” following the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier—the largest warship ever built—to the region. Maduro, who has faced widespread accusations of election fraud, made his remarks during a pro-government rally in Caracas on Thursday.

“No more forever wars. No more unjust wars. No more Libya. No more Afghanistan. Long live peace,” Maduro said.

While the U.S. military has now conducted 20 lethal strikes against cartel drug boats, many originating from Venezuela, in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean since September, the waters near Venezuela have also seen a significant buildup of U.S. Navy and Air Force assets. Currently, it is estimated that around 24 percent of the U.S. Navy is present in the Caribbean, marking an unprecedented deployment not seen in decades.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced that the military build-up is an expansion of “Operation Southern Spear,” the Navy’s counter-drug trafficking mission aimed at destroying the presence of narco-terrorists in the waters around Central and South America. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the mission is focused on dismantling “organized criminal narcoterrorists.”

The arrival of the Ford within Southern Command’s area of operation (SOUTHCOM AOR) marks a significant escalation in the region. The carrier, equipped with thousands of sailors and dozens of warplanes, is part of a broader deployment involving an estimated 12,000 personnel.

While the Trump administration has consistently characterized the buildup as part of an effort to end drug trafficking in the Western Hemisphere, some observers believe the deployment may have other motivations. Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, argued that an aircraft carrier is not a practical tool for combating the drug trade. “It’s clearly a message much more geared toward pressuring Caracas,” she said.

Colombia’s Marxist leader Gustavo Petro has suspended his country’s intelligence sharing with the United States over the drug boat strikes. Additionally, Petro has entered into a war of words with President Trump, accusing him of being a “barbarian.” The Colombian president has gone so far as to publicly threaten that “getting rid of” Trump may be necessary.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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Zucker-Linked $658 Million Telegraph Purchase Deal Falls Through.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: RedBird Capital has withdrawn its £500 million (~$658 million) bid for the Telegraph Media Group, ending a two-year takeover process.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: RedBird Capital Partners, IMI, Telegraph Media Group, and its employees, including editor Chris Evans and CEO Anna Jones.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made this week, following a process that began in 2021 in the United Kingdom.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Telegraph deserves owners who care about journalism and who will invest.” – Chris Evans

🎯IMPACT: The future ownership of the Telegraph Media Group remains uncertain, with efforts now shifting to find a new buyer.

IN FULL

RedBird Capital Partners has withdrawn its ÂŁ500 million (~$658 million) bid to acquire Britain’s Telegraph Media Group, ending a takeover saga that has lasted more than two years. A spokesman for RedBird said, “We remain fully confident that the Telegraph and its world-class team have a bright future ahead of them and will work hard to secure a solution which is in the best interests of employees and readers.”

The decision follows internal resistance from senior staff as well as scrutiny triggered by the bid’s structure. Chris Evans, editor of The Telegraph newspaper, acknowledged the widespread concerns across the newsroom, saying, “It’s no secret that all senior editors and many writers had concerns about the bid. On the other hand, it’s also obvious that this process has gone on far, far too long. The Telegraph deserves owners who care about journalism and who will invest.”

Telegraph Media Group CEO Anna Jones thanked employees for enduring the prolonged period of uncertainty, saying, “I will now work with the board of independent directors on next steps and what this means for the future ownership of the business. This process has been challenging and unpredictable but your hard work and continued patience is a credit to you all.”

RedBird’s withdrawal marks the second failed attempt to bring the Telegraph under the influence of its partnership, led by former CNN president Jeff Zucker and Abu Dhabi–backed International Media Investments (IMI). Zucker was previously linked to attempts to take over both the Telegraph and The Spectator in 2023, raising questions about foreign influence over British media. Those plans stalled after the British government introduced legislation preventing foreign governments from owning British newspapers. Zucker’s involvement again drew scrutiny in 2024 and 2025, with critics pointing to IMI’s close ties to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Zucker insisted he would resign if any interference occurred.

The collapse of the latest deal leaves The Telegraph back on the market as its board searches for a buyer who can satisfy political, regulatory, and editorial expectations at a time when the broader British media industry faces an escalating crisis of confidence. The BBC, for instance, is confronting significant turmoil over a purposely falsified speech by President Donald J. Trump on January 6, 2021, to make it appear he had incited violence. The fallout triggered the resignation of senior BBC executives, including Director-General Tim Davie, and has intensified public scrutiny of journalistic standards across major British outlets.

Image by Robert Scoble.

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Police Investigating Only a Fraction of Identified Child Sex Abuse Cases in Khan’s London.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The Metropolitan Police is investigating only “tens of cases” related to child sex abuse gangs in London, despite identifying 9,000 historic cases weeks ago.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, and London Assembly members, including Susan Hall.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The update was provided during a London Assembly meeting on Thursday in London.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “It is important for us to use precise language and consider its impact on victims and public understanding,” said Sir Mark Rowley.

🎯IMPACT: The investigation faces challenges due to the scale of cases, resource limitations, and the need for clarity in public discourse.

IN FULL

The Metropolitan Police in London, England, say they are currently pursuing only “tens of cases” in their large-scale review of historic child sex abuse, even though nearly 9,000 were initially flagged for potential reinvestigation. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told officials, including London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, that after examining 2,200 of those cases in detail, just 1,200 still fell within the parameters of the inquiry. However, he added that once all preliminary checks are completed, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 cases may ultimately qualify for renewed investigation.

Rowley urged caution in describing the review as a probe into “grooming gangs,” explaining that the national audit had used an expansive definition that included familial abuse, institutional failures, peer-on-peer exploitation, and online offending. Because of this wide scope, he warned that the public perception of grooming gangs does not necessarily align with the types of cases being examined. He stressed that the offenders reflect “the diversity of London’s population,” which is around two-thirds non-white.

“We do not see the typology reported elsewhere where there have been cases of offending committed by groups of Pakistani men on white British children being the sole or majority case,” he claimed.

Mayor Sadiq Khan also faced criticism over accusations that he downplayed grooming gang concerns and mocked victims by Conservative Susan Hall. “In January, I asked if we had grooming gangs in London. You dismissed my question by pretending you didn’t know what I meant,” Hall said.

Other investigations have described police and social services repeatedly missing opportunities to intervene, particularly in cases involving vulnerable white girls targeted by older South Asian men working in coordinated groups. Police and local officials feared being accused of racism, or damaging so-called “community relations.”

Police forces outside London have recently announced new arrests linked to historic grooming gang abuse, including a case in West Yorkshire in which 19 men were detained on suspicion of offences such as rape, sexual assault, and trafficking.

Image by Jon Clempner.

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