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Category: News
April 8, 2025
Education
News

Trump Cancels More Elite University Student Visas.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump has withdrawn numerous student visas from leading American universities, impacting foreign students at institutions primarily in California.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump administration, students primarily from Stanford, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Harvard, the University of Southern California, and others.

📍 Where & When: Visa revocations have occurred at various universities across the United States, including California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, North Carolina, Minnesota, Arizona, and Alabama, reported on April 6, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” complained UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla.

⚠️ Impact: The decision may deter foreign nationals more interested in political agitation than studying from attending U.S. universities.

IN FULL:

Numerous student visas from elite American universities have been rescinded due to anti-Israel activism and political agitation. The revocations primarily affect institutions in California, including Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Statements from several universities reveal that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withdrew the student visas without prior notification. “The federal government has not explained the reasons behind these terminations,” UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla complained.

A broad range of academic institutions, including those in Democratic-leaning states like Massachusetts and Michigan and others scattered across the country, have reported instances of foreign students and recent alumni losing legal status. For example, Stanford University confirmed the abrupt loss of status for four students and two recent graduates.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently confirmed over 300 student visa revocations, citing participation in antisemitic demonstrations and potential criminal ties as justification.

The standard process includes revoking students’ access to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database, effectively ending their student status. Universities often remain unaware of these revocations until students attempt to travel or seek work authorization. Educational institutions face potential financial setbacks related to the loss of tuition from foreign students.

Several current and former students linked to anti-Israel activities and disruptive political protests have already been either arrested, deported, or have fled the country. These include Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian Columbia University graduate, who was arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) earlier this year.

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April 8, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
NatSec
War

Attempted Trump Assassin Tried to Source Stinger Missiles From Ukraine.

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❓What Happened: Attempted Trump assassin Ryan Routh tried to source anti-aircraft missiles to target President Donald J. Trump’s aircraft last year.

👥 Who’s Involved: Ryan Routh, President Donald J. Trump, Ukraine, the Department of Justice (DOJ), an unnamed associate of Routh, Ukraine.

📍 Where & When: The attempt to acquire the weapons took place in August of last year, online.

💬 Key Quote:  “Send me an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do… [Trump] is not good for Ukraine.” — Ryan Routh.

⚠️ Impact: The documents reveal the scope of Routh’s plans to take President Trump’s life and further connections between Routh and Ukraine.

IN FULL:

Newly released documents from the Department of Defence (DOJ) reveal that would-be assassin Ryan Routh tried to source a Stinger anti-aircraft missile from Ukraine to assassinate President Donald J. Trump last year. Routh made an attempt in August of last year, just a month after Thomas Matthew Crooks shot President Trump in Pennsylvania at a rally.

According to the DOJ, Routh was in contact with someone he believed had access to Ukrainian arms and had been talking of killing President Trump since July of last year. Routh allegedly told his associate, “Send me an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do… [Trump] is not good for Ukraine.”

Routh stated that such a weapon could be found in Ukraine, saying, “You are at war, so those items lost and destroyed daily – one missing would not be noticed.” Routh also sent a picture of President Trump’s private aircraft, likely his target.

It remains unclear where Routh would have found the money to purchase a Stinger missile, as some have noted that the costs could be in the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars.

Routh’s Ukraine connections have been well documented. He led an initiative attempting to recruit foreign mercenaries from countries like Afghanistan into the Ukrainian army. Ultimately, Routh tried to assassinate President Trump at a golf course in Palm Beach, Florida, in September of last year, but he was noticed before he could open fire.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted assassination. His trial has yet to begin.

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April 8, 2025
News

F-16 Executes ‘Headbutt’ Maneuver to Intercept Plane Near Mar-a-Lago.

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❓What Happened: An F-16 fighter jet executed a “headbutt” maneuver to intercept a plane that breached the restricted airspace near Mar-a-Lago.

👥 Who’s Involved: The event involved the U.S. Air Force and the pilot of the intercepted aircraft.

📍 Where & When: The incident occurred over Palm Beach, Florida, close to President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, last Friday.

💬 Key Quote: “The plane was safely escorted from the area,” according to the U.S. Air Force.

⚠️ Impact: No injuries or further incidents were reported after the plane was escorted out of the restricted airspace.

IN FULL:

An F-16 fighter jet intervened to redirect an aircraft that strayed into restricted airspace near President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The incident took place last Friday when the fighter jet performed a maneuver known colloquially as a “headbutt” to intercept the unidentified plane, which is described as a “general aviation aircraft”—a term used to describe civilian, non-military aircraft.

U.S. Air Force officials confirmed that “the plane was safely escorted from the area” following its interception. However, specifics about the airplane, its pilot, and the reason for its incursion into restricted airspace over Mar-a-Lago remain undisclosed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), which are enforced by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), over airspace where the President of the United States is present. On Friday, President Trump was playing a round of golf near his Mar-a-Lago residence at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

Since Trump’s inauguration on January 21, 2025, there have been several incidents in which civilian aircraft have either entered or wandered concerningly close to the closed airspace over Mar-a-Lago. Notably, pilots are responsible for checking and being aware of any FAA-issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) prior to takeoff and as they traverse American airspace.

None of the incidents above or near Mar-a-Lago have been found to be intentionally malicious in nature thus far.

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April 8, 2025
William Upton
Lawfare
SCOTUS

SCOTUS Upholds Trump’s Mass Firing of Federal Employees, Overturns Far-Left Judge’s Rehire Order.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The Supreme Court upheld the Trump administration’s decision to terminate thousands of new federal employees by setting aside a lower court’s ruling that ordered their rehiring.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Supreme Court, Trump administration, U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup, nonprofit groups, and acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris.

📍 Where & When: The ruling came from Washington, D.C., with a previous lower court decision in San Francisco, California.

💬 Key Quote: “This Court should not allow a single district court to … seize control over reviewing federal personnel decisions,” argued acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris.

⚠️ Impact: The ruling supports the Trump administration’s force reduction policy regarding federal personnel, limiting judicial interference based on complaints from nonprofit organizations.

IN FULL:

The Supreme Court has affirmed the Trump administration’s authority to dismiss thousands of probationary federal employees. This decision, passed by a 7-2 majority, nullifies the order from U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup in San Francisco, which had previously mandated the reinstatement of 16,000 staff across various departments.

Judge Alsup’s ruling rested on arguments from nine nonprofit organizations claiming harm due to government staffing reductions. However, the Supreme Court dismissed these claims as inadequate to provide standing under the existing legal framework—effectively agreeing with President Donald J. Trump’s acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris, who argued in the appeal: “This Court should not allow a single district court to … seize control over reviewing federal personnel decisions.”

“Under established law, those allegations are presently insufficient to support the organizations’ standing,” the Supreme Court’s brief unsigned order reads. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson were the two dissenting voices amongst their peers, supporting the lower court decision that favored rehiring. Justice Elena Kagan, the court’s third liberal member, joined the majority.

Notably, the high court declined to address the standing of federal unions that had also joined the lawsuit. Judge Alsup had already ruled that Congress set out a separate procedure for the labor groups to adjudicate federal employment policies.

The National Pulse reported in March that Judge Alsup ordered the Trump administration to rehire an estimated 16,000 federal workers across a number of agencies, calling the federal government’s contention that the layoffs were performance-based a “gimmick” and a “sham.” Alsup was visibly irate and animated while reading his ruling.

Perhaps realizing that his behavior and legal reasoning made the reversal of his order likely, the far-left judge conceded: “The words that I give you today should not be taken that some wild-and-crazy judge in San Francisco said that an administration cannot engage in a reduction in force. It can be done, if it’s done in accordance with the law.”

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April 8, 2025
Jack Montgomery
NatSec
War

EXC: SecDef Hegseth Announces Plans to Reopen Elite, Cold War-Era Military ‘Jungle School’ in Panama.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces plans to partially reopen the “Jungle School” in Panama, a former U.S. jungle warfare training site in the Panama Canal Zone, dormant since 1999.

👥 Who’s Involved: Pete Hegseth, U.S. troops in Panama, President Donald J. Trump.

📍 Where & When: Panama, during Hegseth’s trip for the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC), April 8, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “I should never put you in a fair fight. My job is to put you in a fight where you are overwhelming.” – Pete Hegseth

⚠️ Impact: Signals a U.S. military push to revive jungle training and reassert influence over the Panama Canal Zone, once American territory.

IN FULL:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has said he intends to partially reopen the “Jungle School,” where up to 9,000 troops a year trained in jungle warfare from the 1950s to 1999 in the former Panama Canal Zone. Secretary Hegseth made the announcement to U.S. troops in Panama amid an ongoing trip to the Central American country, where he will attend the Central American Security Conference (CENTSEC).

Thanking the troops for their service, Hegseth said, “We will have your back; President Trump has asked me to share that with all the groups of troops I talk to,” stressing the importance of the military’s “warrior ethos” to the administration and its determination to rebuild the military.

“I should never put you in a fair fight. My job is to put you in a fight where you are overwhelming… First of all, hopefully, deterring the enemy, [but] if it comes to conflict, overwhelmingly closing with and destroying the enemy,” said Hegseth, himself a decorated former infantry officer.

The Defense Secretary is joined on his Panama trip by Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, providing exclusive coverage and commentary to Pulse+ members as the trip unfolds.

The Panama Canal Zone was under U.S. sovereignty in perpetuity until its surrender to Panama in 1979 under the late Democratic President Jimmy Carter. The canal was largely American-built and funded, and incumbent President Donald J. Trump has expressed a desire to regain control over it, lamenting its handover as one of his predecessors’ worst-ever deals.

“The purpose of our deal [with Panama] and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated,” he said during his inaugural address, noting Chinese involvement in the canal now and vowing, “We’re taking it back.”

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April 8, 2025
William Upton
Crime
Immigration
World

Trial of American Accused of Fatally Stabbing Migrant Who Assaulted Her Begins.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: A 20-year-old German-American woman is standing trial in Germany after she stabbed a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker who groped her at a railway station in 2024.

👥 Who’s Involved: A 20-year-old German woman with U.S. citizenship, 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker Alem Tekeste, and German prosecutors.

📍 Where & When: A 2024 stabbing incident at a Kaiserslautern, Germany, railway station; a 2025 trial that began this week in Germany.

💬 Key Quote: At the time of the woman’s arrest, Elon Musk asked in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “What’s wrong with Germany?”

⚠️ Impact: If found guilty, the 20-year-old woman could face upwards of 10 years in prison.

IN FULL:

The trial of a 20-year-old German-American dual national accused of fatally stabbing a 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker after he groped her buttocks in a Kaiserslautern, Germany, railway station finally began this week. Prosecutors opened the trial alleging that the unnamed woman could have avoided killing the migrant during the incident last summer. The woman faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.

Attorneys representing the U.S. citizen contend that she merely wished to keep Tekeste at a distance and that the fatal stabbing was an act of self-defense. Conversely, German prosecutors claim that Tekeste had retreated after the knife was produced and that the woman proceeded to pursue him, escalating the confrontation before Tekeste reached for the woman’s knife, resulting in her stabbing him.

According to prosecutors, after Tekeste grabbed the woman on the escalator, she produced a knife, causing the 64-year-old Eritrean asylum seeker to retreat. However, they contend the woman then pursued Tekeste, which prompted him to grab hold of her arm that was brandishing the knife. Prosecutors claim that after a brief struggle, the woman was able to free herself and “stabbed once in the same motion,” striking Tekeste and killing him “within seconds.”

The woman is charged with inflicting bodily harm resulting in death, indicating that German authorities believe she merely intended to injure Tekeste and not kill him. In 2024, the woman’s arrest received social media attention when X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk—responding to a post arguing Germany was essentially holding the woman hostage—wrote: “What’s wrong with Germany?”

Image by Nika Poznyak.

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April 8, 2025
Immigration

Trump DHS Ends Legal Status for Migrants Registered Under Biden’s CBP One App.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. using the CBP One app during the Biden government are being told to leave the country immediately.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), illegal immigrants from countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico, and nonprofit organizations like Al Otro Lado.

📍 Where & When: United States, with the announcement made Monday; CBP One app in use since January 2023.

💬 Key Quote: “Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” said the DHS public affairs office.

⚠️ Impact: Over 900,000 illegal immigrants are affected, with the Trump administration noting that national security and public safety take precedence over the Biden parole program.

IN FULL:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that illegal immigrants who were temporarily permitted to reside in the U.S. via an appointment application launched during President Joe Biden’s term are being directed to leave the country immediately. It is estimated that over 900,000 illegal immigrants utilized the CBP One app under the former Biden government to enter the United States since its launch in January 2023.

“Canceling these paroles is a promise kept to the American people to secure our borders and protect national security,” the DHS public affairs office said regarding the decision. During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald J. Trump pledged to immediately reverse Biden’s open-borders policies and end the unprecedented flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

While it is not currently known how many illegal immigrants who used the CBP One app to enter the U.S. have now received the notice requiring them to leave the country, the Trump administration has repurposed the app as CBP Home, allowing foreign nationals to notify the federal government of their self-deportation. Migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, and Mexico are among those known to be impacted by the announcement.

The Biden government implemented CBP One in January 2023 as part of an initiative to expand pathways for legal entry into the United States. However, the application faced serious problems, especially as it could not adequately identify and prevent fraudulent claims and entry—posing a potential national security risk.

Moments after taking office on January 21, 2025, President Trump suspended the CBP One app—effectively terminating its use.

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April 8, 2025
Immigration
News

France Overtakes Germany as EU’s Top Asylum Destination.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Germany has dropped to third place in the European Union (EU) for asylum applications, behind France and Spain.

👥 Who’s Involved: Germany, France, the European Commission, asylum seekers.

📍 Where & When: European Union, first quarter of 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “For the first time in years, the majority of asylum applications are no longer being made in Germany,” said Nancy Faeser.

⚠️ Impact: Potential end of Germany’s long-standing position as the EU’s top asylum destination, possibly signaling a shift in migrant trends within Europe.

IN FULL:

Based on a confidential report by the European Commission, the European Union’s unelected executive, Germany is no longer the leading destination for asylum applications in Europe, falling to third place in the first quarter of 2025. Germany recorded 37,387 asylum applications, behind France at 40,871 and Spain with 39,318. The figures suggest a 41 percent decrease compared to the previous year.

The development was confirmed by Nancy Faeser, Germany’s Interior Minister, on Monday when discussing the latest asylum statistics. “For the first time in years, the majority of asylum applications are no longer being made in Germany,” Faeser stated, recognizing the apparent shift in trends across the EU.

Germany, the EU’s largest economy and most populous member state, had consistently been the primary choice for asylum seekers across Europe. If current trends continue, 2025 could mark a distinct change from 2011, the last year Germany was not the leading destination for migrants, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).

Faeser attributed the decline in Germany’s application numbers to national measures and collaboration within Europe. A significant reduction in asylum applications from Syrian nationals was noted, coinciding with recent political changes in Syria, where the Assad regime was overthrown by al-Qaeda operative Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, a.k.a Abu Mohammad al-Julani. Previously, Germany processed over 50 percent of Syrian asylum claims within the EU.

In recent years, the German government intensified efforts to manage and curtail illegal migration, responding to a rise in asylum applications peaking at 334,000 in 2023, reminiscent of levels during the 2016 migrant crisis. The government also enacted stricter measures following several mass stabbing attacks by migrants from Afghanistan and Syria last year, which corresponded with the right-populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party increasing in popularity.

Image by Mighty.Germany.

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April 8, 2025
Jack Montgomery
War

Trump Admin Saves ‘Tens of Millions’ Pulling Troops from Ukraine Aid Hub, Forces NATO Allies to Step Up.

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❓What Happened: The U.S. withdraws around 100 troops from Jasionka, Poland, a key weapons distribution center for Ukraine, handing control to European NATO forces.

👥 Who’s Involved: U.S. Pentagon, Polish Defense Ministry, NATO allies (Spain, Britain, Romania), and Ukraine’s military support network.

📍 Where & When: Jasionka, Poland, near Ukraine’s border, announced April 8, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “After three years at Jasionka, this is an opportunity to right-size our footprint and save American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars per year.” — Gen. Christopher Donahue

⚠️ Impact: Reduced U.S. presence saves cash while European allies pick up extra duties as Ukraine fights on.

IN FULL:

The U.S. has pulled approximately 100 troops from Jasionka, Poland, a critical logistics hub near Ukraine’s border that has been channeling weapons to the Ukrainian military since 2022. This move trims America’s role at a facility that has processed over 113,000 pallets of military aid—artillery shells, drones, and more—shifting primary responsibility to Polish forces and a mix of NATO troops from Spain, the United Kingdom, and Romania.

A small U.S. contingent will stay to oversee operations, but the Army’s 62nd Distribution Company, which ran the site, has withdrawn with its equipment, saving American taxpayers “tens of millions of dollars” annually, per General Christopher Donahue.

Gen. Donahue, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, stated, “After three years at Jasionka, this is an opportunity to right-size our footprint and save American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars per year.” The incumbent Trump administration, like the first Trump administration, has indicated that cutting back on foreign “forever wars” and pushing European NATO allies to pull their weight is a key strategic goal.

The hub, just 50 miles from Ukraine, will keep running under Polish command, with the Polish Defense Ministry vowing there will be no disruptions. The timing of the change—amid Ukraine’s ongoing need for supplies—underscores a pivot in which Europe shoulders more while America trims costs and commitments overseas.

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April 8, 2025
NatSec
War

Trump Wants $1 Trillion for Defense — ‘We Have to Be Strong.’

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: President Donald J. Trump wants a substantial increase to the Pentagon’s budget, raising it to $1 trillion.

👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

📍 Where & When: The announcement was made in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “We have to build our military, and we’re very cost-conscious, but the military is something that we have to build, and we have to be strong because you’ve got a lot of bad forces out there now,” said Trump.

⚠️ Impact: This budget increase would be the largest in U.S. military history, reflecting a significant shift in defense spending priorities.

IN FULL:

President Donald J. Trump stated plans to approve an unprecedented increase in the U.S. military budget, elevating it to $1 trillion. This figure represents the most substantial military budget in the nation’s history. During an announcement in the Oval Office on April 7, 2025, Trump highlighted the necessity of enhancing military capabilities, citing rising global threats.

“We rebuilt the military during my first term, and we have great things happening with our military. We also essentially approved a budget which is in the vicinity… of a trillion dollars, $1 trillion. And nobody’s seen anything like it,” he told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We have to build our military, and we’re very cost-conscious, but the military is something we have to build, and we have to be strong because you have a lot of bad forces out there now. So we’re going to be approving a budget, and I’m proud to say actually the biggest one we’ve ever done for the military,” he continued, adding: “We’re cutting other things under DOGE. When you look at a woman getting $2 billion for environmental, and it had nothing to do with the environment, and they had $100 in the bank, and they gave her $2 billion, many, many of those cases.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised the budget announcement and thanked President Trump. “President [Trump] is rebuilding our military—and FAST,” Hegseth wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), while emphasizing that the Pentagon will “spend every taxpayer dollar wisely—on lethality and readiness.”

The National Pulse understands that in recent weeks, Elon Musk lobbied for the halving this budget, in a move that caused consternation amongst top MAGA figures at the Pentagon, especially given the precarious global security situation as well as the efforts to secure locations such as the Panama Canal which requires convincing nations that America is investing and expanding its strength harder and faster than the Chinese Communist Party.

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