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Category: News
December 13, 2024
News
Politics
TECH

OpenAI’s Sam Altman Pledges $1 Million to Trump Inauguration.

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has become the latest big tech CEO to pledge support for President-elect Donald J. Trump‘s inauguration. He states he will give a million dollars to an inaugural fund—despite his company’s precarious financial position.

In a statement, Altman expressed his support for Trump’s leadership in advancing artificial intelligence in the United States. The funding pledge, announced Friday, December 13, aligns Altman with other tech executives and companies seeking to foster better relations with Trump.

This development follows announcements earlier this week from tech giants Amazon and Meta, each committing $1 million to the same fund. Amazon has had a fractious relationship with Trump, notably due to his past criticisms of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his ownership of The Washington Post.

However, Bezos recently took to social media to express optimism about Trump’s upcoming administration. He had a hand in The Washington Post refusing to endorse Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

Similarly, Trump previously criticized Meta’s social media platforms for censorship of conservatives. Yet, this relationship may also be changing, with Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago recently.

Altman’s OpenAI currently faces legal challenges, including a lawsuit filed by The New York Times in December 2023. The lawsuit alleges copyright infringement by AI models, targeting both OpenAI and Microsoft.

The non-profit company has also been steadily losing billions more in money than it takes in from investors, with a loss of around $5 billion this year. Despite this, the company is fundraising capital that would value it at around $150 billion overall.

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OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, has become the latest big tech CEO to pledge support for President-elect Donald J. Trump's inauguration. He states he will give a million dollars to an inaugural fund—despite his company's precarious financial position. show more
December 13, 2024
NatSec
News

Drone Invasion Escalates Across Multiple States.

Unidentified drone sightings have spread beyond New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with new reports of unmanned aircraft in Maryland, Texas, Connecticut, and California and the U.S. air base at Ramstein, Germany. Meanwhile, U.S. federal officials continue to insist that while they do not know the source of the drones, they pose no threat to the public at large.

The instance in Germany is especially concerning as German security authorities have not identified the drone operators—but ruled out amateur involvement. Likewise, some of the drones spotted over New Jersey in recent weeks appear far larger than those commercially available in the United States, and a handful are believed to be possibly fixed-winged, unmanned aircraft.

Despite some speculation involving foreign entities like Russia or Iran, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have stated that these drones pose no immediate national security threat and do not exhibit foreign ties. Meanwhile, the White House’s national security communications advisor, John Kirby, claims most of the sightings are cases of mistaken identity, with the aircraft being either airplanes or helicopters.

Former Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Larry Hogan filmed a series of alleged drones flying near his property late Thursday night in Maryland. “Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,” Hogan said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government. The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response. People are rightfully clamoring for answers, but aren’t getting any.”

WATCH:

Image via Fort George G. Meade.

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Unidentified drone sightings have spread beyond New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with new reports of unmanned aircraft in Maryland, Texas, Connecticut, and California and the U.S. air base at Ramstein, Germany. Meanwhile, U.S. federal officials continue to insist that while they do not know the source of the drones, they pose no threat to the public at large. show more
December 13, 2024
Jack Montgomery
NatSec
War

Hamas Now Offering Concessions Thanks to Pressure from Trump: Reports.

Pressure applied by President-elect Donald Trump was pivotal in progressing the recent ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations between Israel and Hamas. According to a senior administration official who spoke to NBC News on Friday, Trump’s desire for a deal to be in place before he enters office was “a bit factor” in pushing Hamas to make significant concessions.

Trump warned Hamas through his Truth Social platform that there would be severe consequences if hostages were not freed before his inauguration on January 20, 2025. His direct approach has influenced Hamas to agree to allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza temporarily post-conflict and to provide a comprehensive list of hostages, including American citizens, for release.

A Biden government official admitted, “There is a confidence we have not seen since May when [Joe Biden] presented his proposal,” acknowledging Trump’s role in the possible breakthrough.

However, another official cautioned, “We are not there yet.”

Trump’s proactive engagement comes at a time when regional dynamics have shifted, with the weakening of Iran, Hezbollah, and the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad all likely contributing to Hamas’ willingness to compromise.

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Pressure applied by President-elect Donald Trump was pivotal in progressing the recent ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations between Israel and Hamas. According to a senior administration official who spoke to NBC News on Friday, Trump's desire for a deal to be in place before he enters office was "a bit factor" in pushing Hamas to make significant concessions. show more
December 13, 2024
News
World

Macron Picks New PM That Predictably No One Likes.

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his fourth Prime Minister this year, choosing a centrist ally after his previous one lasted just three months in office. François Bayrou, a long-time ally of President Emmanuel Macron, has been appointed the head of France’s new government.

The announcement comes after the previous administration, led by the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, collapsed after being unable to find support among the left or Marine Le Pen‘s populist National Rally (RN). The dissolution of the Barnier government marked a record for being the shortest-lived in modern French history.

Bayrou, 73, has served as the Mayor of Pau in the Pyrenees for a decade and held ministerial roles in the 1990s. He has also run for the presidency thrice and briefly served as Macron’s justice minister in 2017. His tenure was cut short after 35 days due to allegations related to the misuse of European Union funds, though he was subsequently cleared.

Le Pen’s RN has expressed willingness to observe Bayrou’s government, calling for the new Prime Minister to “hear and listen to the opposition in order to construct a reasonable and thoughtful budget.” In contrast, the far-left France Unbowed party has promised to oppose the new government. The party’s leader, Mathilde Pinot, has hinted that she will introduce another confidence vote, while the Socialists say they will not participate in the government.

The situation could end up exactly like that of former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, with Le Pen again in control of whether or not the government survives the next budget vote or collapses.

Image by Guillaume Paumier.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his fourth Prime Minister this year, choosing a centrist ally after his previous one lasted just three months in office. François Bayrou, a long-time ally of President Emmanuel Macron, has been appointed the head of France's new government. show more
December 13, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Crime
Immigration
UK

Migrant Charged with Deadly Stabbing of Woman Working at Hotel Hosting Him.

Deng Chol Majek, an 18-year-old asylum seeker housed at the Park Inn Hotel in Walsall, England, has denied murdering Rhiannon Skye Whyte, a 27-year-old employee at the same hotel. Majek is accused of fatally stabbing Whyte at Bescot Stadium railway station on October 20, leading to her death three days later in hospital.

During his appearance via video link from His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Manchester at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, Majek denied the charges, stating, “Not guilty, I did not kill her.” Originally from South Sudan, he spoke through an Arabic interpreter. He also denied being at the crime scene or possessing a screwdriver unlawfully at the station where Whyte was killed.

Housing often unvetted asylum seekers in hotels, including thousands of illegal immigrants who pay smugglers to bring them across the English Channel from France in small boats, is contentious. The practice costs British taxpayers millions of pounds per day and often causes significant anxiety, disruption, and strain on public services in the communities where they are transplanted.

RECURRING ISSUE. 

Since the migrant crisis began in 2015, numerous serious crimes have been committed by asylum seekers residing in shelters and hotels across Europe. One of the most notorious involved Maria Ladenburger, a German teenager volunteering at a migrant shelter in Freiburg. Asylum seeker Hussein Khavari, who claimed to be an Afghan child migrant but was later identified as a 32-year-old Iranian, raped and murdered her. Court evidence revealed that Khavari had previously been sentenced to ten years in prison in Greece for pushing a woman off a cliff before he slipped away to Germany.

Maria Ladenburger’s father, an EU official, actively solicited donations for migrants in his daughter’s obituary.

Majek remains in custody. The courts have scheduled a pre-trial hearing for February 7, with a full trial expected in 2025.

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Deng Chol Majek, an 18-year-old asylum seeker housed at the Park Inn Hotel in Walsall, England, has denied murdering Rhiannon Skye Whyte, a 27-year-old employee at the same hotel. Majek is accused of fatally stabbing Whyte at Bescot Stadium railway station on October 20, leading to her death three days later in hospital. show more
December 13, 2024
William Upton
News

BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi Hospitalized in Luxembourg.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been hospitalized in Luxembourg after a health incident. The 84-year-old California Democrat is said to have suffered an injury during an official event marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge and was admitted to an area hospital for evaluation, where she currently remains.

“Speaker Emerita Pelosi is currently receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals. She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the CODEL (Congressional Member Delegation) engagements to honor the courage of our servicemembers during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nation’s history,” Ian Krager, a spokesman for former Speaker Pelosi said in a statement. “She looks forward to returning home to the U.S. soon,” he added.

The severity of the injuries sustained by Pelosi is unclear. However, falls can result in serious health repercussions for senior citizens. Pelosi will turn 85 in March 2025.

Similarly, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)—the outgoing leader of the Senate Republicans—fell during a lunch earlier this week. The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican sustained a cut on his face and bruising on one hand, but has since returned to work. He did not require any extended medical attention.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been hospitalized in Luxembourg after a health incident. The 84-year-old California Democrat is said to have suffered an injury during an official event marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge and was admitted to an area hospital for evaluation, where she currently remains. show more
December 13, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare
News

J.D. Vance Invites NY Subway Hero Daniel Penny to Army-Navy Game with Trump.

Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is inviting recently acquitted New York City subway hero Daniel Penny to join him and President-elect Donald J. Trump for an annual Army-Navy football game. The two military service academies will face off tomorrow at 3PM at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. This will be the 125th meeting between Army and Navy.

Penny was acquitted on Monday of criminally negligent homicide for the death of Jordan Neely—a homeless man who died on May 1, 2023, after violently threatening passengers in a New York City subway car, stating he was going to kill them. Neely was subdued with a chokehold by Penny, and according to NYPD bodycam footage, the homeless man still had a pulse when law enforcement arrived. However, as the NYPD waited on medical responders, Neely subsequently expired.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg—who waged one front of the Democratic Party’s lawfare campaign against Presiden-elect Trump—filed two criminal counts against Penny, manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. The former, more serious charge was dismissed last week when prosecutors conceded the jury had become deadlocked.

Meanwhile, Bragg’s case against Trump remains in legal limbo. Despite securing a guilty verdict against the President-elect earlier this year, a subsequent Supreme Court ruling may result in this being thrown out, as Bragg used materials and testimony protected under presidential immunity.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Vice President-elect J.D. Vance is inviting recently acquitted New York City subway hero Daniel Penny to join him and President-elect Donald J. Trump for an annual Army-Navy football game. The two military service academies will face off tomorrow at 3PM at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. This will be the 125th meeting between Army and Navy. show more
December 13, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare
Politics

J6 Committee Chairman Wants Biden Pardon 👀

Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), former chair of the House Democrats’ January 6 Committee, says he will accept a pardon from President Joe Biden if it is offered. Thompson made the admission while speaking with CNN’s Jim Acosta on Thursday.

“Congressman, apparently, the White House is discussing preemptive pardons for people who may be targeted by Trump when he gets back in office. Do you want the president to offer some kind of pardon to you?” pressed Acosta, with Thompson responding: “Well, you know, the president, it’s his prerogative. If he offers it to me or other members of the Committee, I think I would accept it.”

The Mississippi Democrat went on to defend the Committee’s work and the witnesses who testified, arguing none of them perjured themselves. However, The National Pulse reported earlier this year that after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives following the 2022 mid-term election, Thompson, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), and committee staff deleted at least one terabyte of encrypted files pertaining to its proceedings.

COMMITTEE COVER UP.

At the time, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)—who chairs the Committee on House Administration’s Subcommittee on Oversight—accused Thompson and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) of attempting to prevent the release of documents the Democrats did not make public in the course of the Committee’s investigation. In addition, Loudermilk also discovered that Thompson had destroyed the video records of witness depositions.

While Thompson asserts that none of the witnesses called by the Committee engaged in perjury, that appears untrue. The National Pulse reported in March this year that the January 6 Committee hid testimony by President Donald J. Trump’s Secret Service driver that refuted the claim made by former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson that Trump had lunged for the wheel in the presidential limo to join the protestors at the Capitol.

A HISTORY OF CORRUPTION.

Prior to the J6 committee, Thompson was perhaps best known for his support for an extremist, black secessionist group, and his backing of a Nation of Islam splinter group, as first revealed by The National Pulse.

WATCH: 

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Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), former chair of the House Democrats' January 6 Committee, says he will accept a pardon from President Joe Biden if it is offered. Thompson made the admission while speaking with CNN's Jim Acosta on Thursday. show more
December 13, 2024
Immigration
Politics

Mayor Adams Met with Trump’s ‘Border Czar.’

New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with Thomas D. Homan, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s incoming “border czar,” on Thursday. The two discussed the Trump administration’s border policy and how the city can work with federal officials to remove illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the city.

Over the last year, Adams has engaged in a significant shit regarding his stance on illegal immigration and New York City’s status as a sanctuary city. The Democrat mayor, who once touted his city as a protector of illegal immigrants, now says the sanctuary law should be changed.

“We should not be allowing people who are repeatedly committing crimes to remain here, and we cannot collaborate with ICE in the process,” Adams said in February, blaming the New York City’s sanctuary status for his inability to crack down on surging migrant crime.

In his conversation on Thursday with Homan, Mayor Adams has indicated a willingness to support federal efforts to apprehend immigrants accused of crimes, emphasizing his viewpoint that due process rights should not extend to criminals who have entered the country without legal permission. He later clarified during a press conference that his remarks were directed at those immigrants identified as repeat offenders, emphasizing: “We are not going to be a safe haven to those who commit violent acts.”

However, despite Adams signaling a willingness to work with the Trump administration, his own city government is already undertaking efforts to hamper Homan’s deportation operation. The National Pulse reported earlier this week that New York City is moving to shutter a large tent complex used to shelter illegal immigrants at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. As the facility is built on federal land, city officials fear the estimated 2,000 migrants at the facility lack protection from immigration enforcement operations.

Image by MTAPhotos.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with Thomas D. Homan, President-elect Donald J. Trump's incoming "border czar," on Thursday. The two discussed the Trump administration's border policy and how the city can work with federal officials to remove illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the city. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Mayor Adams might be about to shock his Democratic Party colleagues even more later on this week
for exclusive members-only insights
Mayor Adams might be about to shock his Democratic Party colleagues even more later on this week show more
for exclusive members-only insights
December 13, 2024
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration
World

Now Nearly Half of Canadians Say They’re In Favor of Mass Deportations.

Even the notably pro-mass immigration Canada seems to be second-guessing their open borders policies. A new poll suggests nearly half of the country’s population now supports mass deportations to fight illegal immigration.

The polling firm Leger found that 48 percent of Canadians now favor mass deportations as a way to control illegal immigration, just a single percentage behind the number of Americans who also support such a policy. Canadians, once one of the most pro-immigration populations in the Western world, are also increasingly skeptical of legal immigration. The poll found that 65 percent of Canadians think Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is accepting too many immigrants legally.

While the number of illegal border crossers to Canada pales in comparison with the United States, an estimated 500,000 people live in Canada illegally after either overstaying visas or coming to the country illegally. America’s northern neighbor, which has a population of nearly 42 million people, has seen unprecedented levels of immigration under Trudeau, with legal migration driving the population to increase by over a million people in the span of just a year.

Mass deportations are favored by President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has called for the large-scale removal of illegals across the United States. The immigration enforcement operation will be overseen by former ICE official Tom Homan, who Trump has tapped as his border czar.

Some Democrats have pledged to resist efforts to deport illegals, including Denver mayor Mike Johnston, who said he would be willing to go to jail to block deportations. Homan, in response, said he would be willing to arrest Mayor Johnson if need be. Others, however, like the Democrat Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, have stated they will work with the incoming Trump administration on illegal migration issues.

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Even the notably pro-mass immigration Canada seems to be second-guessing their open borders policies. A new poll suggests nearly half of the country's population now supports mass deportations to fight illegal immigration. show more