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Thursday, September 18, 2025

Category: News
July 2, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Media
News

CBS Has Agreed to Pay Trump Millions for Doctoring Kamala Harris Interview.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Paramount has agreed to settle President Donald J. Trump’s lawsuit against CBS, paying $16 million over a doctored Kamala Harris interview.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Paramount, CBS, Kamala Harris, Shari Redstone, David Ellison.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Reported July 2025, United States

💬KEY QUOTE: “CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle,” said a spokesman for Trump’s legal team.

🎯IMPACT: Paramount will pay Trump $16 million and release future interview transcripts, while its merger with Skydance remains under FCC review.

IN FULL

Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a doctored 60 Minutes interview with 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Previews of the interview showed disjointed “word salad” answers on foreign policy, but were changed by CBS for shorter, more coherent answers when the interview aired in full.

The settlement includes Trump’s legal fees and costs, and the remaining amount will go toward his presidential library, according to Paramount. The company will also begin releasing full transcripts of 60 Minutes interviews with eligible presidential candidates after they air, with redactions only for legal or national security reasons.

Paramount’s chairwoman, Shari Redstone, supported pursuing a settlement. Analysts speculate that this may have been related to the company’s pending merger with Skydance, which requires Trump administration approval via the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). However, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has said the lawsuit had no bearing on the merger review process.

This is the second multi-million-dollar settlement Trump has secured this year. Several months ago, ABC News paid $15m in a defamation case against George Stephanopoulos, who falsely claimed Trump was found “liable” for rape during a civil proceeding.

Image by Studio Sarah Lou.

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China Spying
July 1, 2025
Lauren Gallagher
NatSec
News

Trump DOJ Catches Chinese Agents Spying on U.S. Navy, Trying to Recruit U.S. Servicemen.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Two Chinese nationals, Yuance Chen and Liren Lai, were arrested for spying on the U.S. Navy and acting as unregistered agents of China’s Ministry of State Security.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Yuance Chen, Liren Lai.

📍WHEN & WHERE: June 27, 2025; Houston, Texas and Happy Valley, Oregon

💬KEY QUOTE: “The individuals charged were acting on behalf of a hostile foreign intelligence service—part of the Chinese Communist Party’s broader effort to infiltrate and undermine our institutions,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.

🎯IMPACT: The arrests highlight ongoing Chinese espionage threats and attempts to infiltrate U.S. military institutions.

IN FULL

Two Chinese nationals have been arrested for spying on the U.S. Navy. They are facing charges of allegedly acting as agents for the People’s Republic of China government to collect intelligence from U.S. Navy service members and bases and attempt to recruit military members to carry out tasks for the Ministry of State Security (MSS), China’s main intelligence force. The men are also accused of facilitating a “dead drop” cash payment on the MSS’s behalf.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Chinese nationals Yuance Chen and Liren Lai were arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday, June 27, 2025. They are facing charges of carrying out various clandestine intelligence tasks in the U.S. on behalf of the MSS.

“Today’s arrests reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting our national security and safeguarding the integrity of our military,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The individuals charged were acting on behalf of a hostile foreign intelligence service—part of the Chinese Communist Party’s broader effort to infiltrate and undermine our institutions. Thanks to outstanding coordination with our partners, including NCIS, we disrupted those efforts and sent a clear message: the United States will not tolerate espionage on American soil. Our counterintelligence operations remain focused, vigilant, and relentless.”

Chen was arrested in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Lai was arrested in Houston, Texas, by the FBI with help from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Attorney General Pam Bondi commented that the Trump administration would not “stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country.”

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July 1, 2025
Sports

Trans Athlete ‘Lia’ Thomas Loses Swim Titles as UPenn Strikes Deal with Trump.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender women from its women’s sports teams, resolving a federal civil rights investigation centered on transgender swimmer William “Lia” Thomas.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The University of Pennsylvania, “Lia” Thomas, the U.S. Department of Education, and female athletes.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The resolution was announced on Tuesday, following an investigation launched in February 2025, regarding events during the 2021–2022 season.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX’s proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law.” – Linda McMahon

🎯IMPACT: The agreement sets a precedent for enforcing biology-based definitions of sex in athletics and pressures other institutions to follow suit.

IN FULL

The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender biological males from its women’s sports teams, resolving a federal civil rights investigation centered on former swimmer William “Lia” Thomas. The U.S. Department of Education announced the voluntary agreement Tuesday, stating that Penn violated Title IX by allowing Thomas to compete in women’s events during the 2021–2022 season.

As part of the resolution, Penn will reinstate Division I swimming records and titles to athletes displaced by Thomas’s victories and issue personalized apology letters to each of them, per the Department of Education. The university must adopt “biology-based” definitions of male and female in athletics and publicly commit to barring “males from competing in female athletic programs.”

Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the outcome a “victory for women and girls,” signaling a more aggressive federal stance on enforcing Title IX based on biological sex. She stated: “The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX’s proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law.”

Riley Gaines, host of the Gaines for Girls podcast and former University of Kentucky swimmer, expressed her support for the agreement, saying: “From day one, President Trump and Secretary McMahon made it clear that protecting women and girls is a top priority—and today’s agreement with UPenn is proof of that commitment in action.” She added, “This Administration isn’t just talking about women’s equality, but instead actively defending it.”

The agreement pressures other universities and athletic organizations to align with the administration’s interpretation of Title IX. The NCAA’s response, or lack thereof, could shape future legal and policy battles over transgender inclusion in sports.

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July 1, 2025
Immigration

Trump: Biden’s NYC Migrant Hotel Funding was Diverted to Build ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced the opening of a new illegal immigrant detention facility, nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” in the Florida Everglades.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Florida officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made Tuesday during a roundtable discussion following a tour of the Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility in the Florida Everglades.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate because I looked outside, and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon,” said President Trump.

🎯IMPACT: The facility is expected to begin processing, detaining, and deporting illegal immigrants immediately, with some reportedly self-deporting already.

IN FULL

The Trump administration used Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money allocated by the Biden government to house illegal immigrants in luxury hotels in New York City to construct “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Florida Everglades, President Donald J. Trump said Tuesday during a roundtable discussion after touring the facility.

Trump toured the existing Miami-Dade Collier Training Facility, which has, in just eight days, been transformed into a detention center designed to process, detain, and deport illegal immigrants, alongside Florida Governor and former Republican primary rival Ron DeSantis.

“It’s a great honor to be deep in Florida—the Florida Everglades—to open America’s newest migrant detention center, incredibly built, and you’re seeing that yourself,” Trump said. “That’s why I said, let the press join us on our walk so they can see what’s happening. It’s known as Alligator Alcatraz, which is very appropriate because I looked outside, and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon,” the President joked.

“But very soon, this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet,” he continued. “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation. And a lot of these people are self-deporting back to their country where they came from,” Trump said.

“Quite a few were amazed at actually the number we took the FEMA money that Joe Biden allocated to pay for the free luxury hotel rooms, where he’s paying hundreds of millions of dollars in New York City, and we used it to build this project,” Trump told reporters. “And Ron [DeSantis], it was just a little fraction of that money—the money they spent on that project,” he added.

Despite a bruising primary campaign against DeSantis, the President said he now rates his relationship with the Florida Governor as “a 10, maybe a 9.9 because there might be a couple of little wounds.”

Addressing DeSantis directly, he said, “You’re my friend and you’ll always be my friend. We may even have some skirmishes in the future. I doubt it, but we’ll always come back because we have blood that seems to match pretty well.”

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July 1, 2025
News
Politics

The Democrats Are the Least Popular Lawmakers in Congress.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Polling has found the Democratic leadership is unpopular among the majority of the American public ahead of the 2026 midterm elections

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, American voters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The polling was released on July 1.

🎯IMPACT: The poll shows lackluster support for the largely leaderless Democrats who are struggling to form a unified front ahead of next year’s pivotal elections.

IN FULL

Newly released polling indicates that the majority of the American public does not approve of the Democrats in Congress and how they are carrying out their duties. The Marist/NPR/PBS News poll, released on July 1, states that 58 percent of American voters disapprove of what the Democratic leaders are doing in Congress, with just 27 percent approving.

Even a majority of Democrats do not approve of the job the Democratic leaders are doing, with only 44 percent saying they back their party’s leaders and 43 percent saying they disapprove.

In contrast, 52 percent of voters say they disapprove of congressional Republicans’ leadership, which is down from 66 percent. Thirty-six percent of voters, including 73 percent of Republicans, say they approve of congressional Republicans’ performance, up from 26 percent in 2024.

While the Republican numbers are still negative overall, they still show that dissatisfaction with the Democrats, particularly among their own voters, runs far deeper, despite the fact that they are in opposition in both congressional chambers.

For months, the Democrats have been largely leaderless following the disastrous defeat of their 2024 presidential candidate, former Vice President Kamala Harris. The party has fractured with no clear figurehead as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 74, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 85, lose relevance in their old age, and different factions are vying for influence ahead of the 2026 midterms.

An example was seen earlier this year when gun control activist David Hogg was selected as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Soon after his election, Hogg announced he would spend millions of dollars to go after candidates not deemed woke or progressive enough. This led to strong criticism of Hogg and ultimately to his ouster from the position, on the pretext that his election had violated their gender equality policies.

Image by Victoria Pickering.

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July 1, 2025
Lawfare

This Biden Judge Is Blocking Trump’s HHS Reforms.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge in Rhode Island blocked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing mass layoffs and reorganizing its sub-agencies, alleging a lack of rational basis for the plans.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Melissa DuBose, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 19 Democratic attorneys general, and officials from various federal health agencies.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued in Rhode Island on July 1, after legal action was initiated in May following Kennedy’s March announcement of the restructuring plan.

💬KEY QUOTE: “HHS has failed to produce a shred of evidence that services to States and access to critical information would continue uninterrupted,” wrote Judge Melissa DuBose in her opinion.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling halts layoffs and restructuring efforts, leaving thousands of employees in limbo and challenging the executive’s authority to unilaterally reorganize federal agencies.

IN FULL

A federal judge in Rhode Island, appointed by former President Joe Biden, has issued a preliminary injunction against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), blocking a reorganization plan that included mass layoffs and the creation of a new agency. The ruling came after 19 Democratic state attorneys general and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit in May, arguing that the restructuring would have severe and potentially irreversible consequences for public health services nationwide.

U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose, in her decision, stated that HHS had failed to provide evidence that critical services would remain uninterrupted during the reorganization. “Critical public health services have been interrupted, databases taken offline, status of grants thrown into chaos, technical assistance services gone, and training and consultation services curtailed. These are not unsubstantiated fears,” she claimed.

The restructuring plan, announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in March, included laying off approximately 10,000 employees and consolidating various offices under a new agency called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). Many employees who received layoff notices remain on administrative leave and are still being paid as litigation continues. The judge’s ruling has temporarily halted these efforts, pending further court proceedings.

The plaintiffs expressed concerns about the impact of the reorganization on agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the FDA’s Tobacco Products Center, and the Office of Head Start. “HHS is the backbone of our nation’s public health and social safety net,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said following the ruling.

Kennedy, testifying before Congress, acknowledged the ongoing court battles and stated that planning for the reorganization continues. He also noted that some layoffs have been reversed, including those of some scientists and researchers, while further cuts might still be required depending on the outcome of the legal challenges. “At that point, we will make decisions,” he said.

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July 1, 2025
Immigration

Trump Is Now Detaining Illegals From Three Continents at Gitmo.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has expanded its use of Guantanamo Bay to house illegal immigrant detainees from many countries, including China, Jamaica, Liberia, and even the United Kingdom, according to internal U.S. government records.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, U.S. immigration authorities, detainees from multiple nations, and officials from the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Defense (DoD).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with reports of expanded transfers beginning in recent months.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The worst of the worst will be held at the base,” President Trump stated.

🎯IMPACT: The Trump White House emphasizes the use of Guantanamo Bay boosts deterrence against future illegal crossings into the United States and that the facility is being used to house high-risk detainees.

IN FULL

The Trump administration has recently expanded its use of the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba to house illegal immigrant detainees from a wide array of countries, including China, Jamaica, Liberia, and even the United Kingdom, according to internal U.S. government records. These detainees are held separately from the terrorism suspects who remain at the facility.

Officials have stated that most of the detainees are classified as “high-risk,” a designation given to migrants with serious criminal records, histories of disruptive behavior, or suspected gang affiliations. However, the administration has also utilized Guantanamo Bay to detain some migrants it deems “low-risk,” who lack significant criminal histories and are primarily held for civil immigration violations.

The decision to transfer detainees from regions such as Africa, Asia, and Europe to Guantanamo comes as the U.S. immigration detention system exceeds its congressionally funded capacity. However, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ which is nearing final passage in Congress, would expand funding for federal detention facilities—along with increasing the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents—and provide greater capacity to detain illegals.

The administration’s use of Guantanamo Bay reflects its broader crackdown on illegal immigration. This includes the establishment of detention centers in other locations, such as the wetlands of the Everglades, where a facility dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” was unveiled by President Trump during a site visit on Tuesday.

The Department of Defense (DoD) reported spending $21 million on flights to transfer detainees to the Guantanamo base as of April.

Image by Paul Keller.

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July 1, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News

Another Food Corp Is Ditching Synthetic Dyes Amid ‘MAHA’ Push.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Synthetic dyes will be removed from all Hershey’s snacks by the end of 2027, amid a push by the Trump administration and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ‘Make America Healthy Again.’

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hershey Co., Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX), state lawmakers in Texas and West Virginia.

📍WHEN & WHERE: United States, changes take effect between 2027 and 2028.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Removing these colors is a natural next step in our program to ensure consumers have options to fit their lifestyle while maintaining trust and confidence in our products.” – Hershey spokesman

🎯IMPACT: The removal of synthetic dyes by major food companies reflects growing pressure from the Trump administration, state governments, and consumers.

IN FULL

Hershey Co. will remove synthetic dyes from its snack products by the end of 2027, citing growing legislative pressure at the state level. The company said it aims to preempt regulations and ensure customer trust by voluntarily shifting away from artificial colorants in its chocolate, candy, and popcorn brands.

“There is a patchwork of state regulations emerging that is creating confusion and will ultimately increase consumer costs,” a Hershey spokesman said. “Removing these colors is a natural next step in our program to ensure consumers have options to fit their lifestyle while maintaining trust and confidence in our products.”

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has prioritized the removal of “poisonous” artificial dyes from U.S. foods, with an initial focus on encouraging voluntary removal and supporting state-level action. This includes a West Virginia law that will ban the sale of dyed foods starting in 2028 and a Texas law signed by Governor Greg Abbott (R) requiring warning labels on synthetic dye products beginning in 2027.

Hershey joins other major food corporations, such as Nestlé SA, Conagra Brands Inc., Kraft Heinz Co., and General Mills Inc., which have committed to removing dyes from their American product lines.

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July 1, 2025
Crime
Immigration

Trump Orders Revocation of Naturalized Criminals’ U.S. Citizenship.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a directive urging U.S. Attorneys to prioritize the denaturalization of foreign-born criminals to address crime and national security threats.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, and U.S. Attorneys.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The memo was issued in June 2025 and applies nationwide.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Department of Justice may institute civil proceedings to revoke a person’s United States citizenship if an individual either ‘illegally procured’ naturalization or procured naturalization by ‘concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.’” – Brett Shumate

🎯IMPACT: The directive aims to deport migrants who pose a threat to national security, combat financial fraud, and target those involved in crimes such as human trafficking and gang activity, even if they have acquired U.S. citizenship.

IN FULL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a memo directing U.S. Attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings” as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to combat crime and protect national security. The memo, signed by Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, outlines categories of individuals who should be targeted for denaturalization, including those tied to terrorism, espionage, or the unlawful export of sensitive goods and technology.

Shumate emphasized the importance of these proceedings in a written statement, noting, “The benefits of civil denaturalization include the government’s ability to revoke the citizenship of individuals who engaged in the commission of war crimes, extrajudicial killings, or other serious human rights abuses; to remove naturalized criminals, gang members, or, indeed, any individuals convicted of crimes who pose an ongoing threat to the United States; and to prevent convicted terrorists from returning to U.S. soil or traveling internationally on a U.S. passport.”

The memo also directs U.S. Attorneys to pursue cases against migrants who committed financial fraud against the United States, including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud and Medicare/Medicaid fraud, as well as those involved in violent crimes, human trafficking, and sex offenses. It further calls for action against migrants with criminal gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and drug cartels.

Two days after the memo was issued, the Justice Department announced it had successfully secured the denaturalization of a convicted distributor of child sexual abuse material.

Shumate has instructed the Civil Division of the Justice Department to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases permitted by law and supported by the evidence.”

Image by Steve Fernie.

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July 1, 2025
News
Politics

Trump Brands NYC’s Mamdani ‘Terrible,’ ‘A True Communist.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump criticized far-left New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D) for refusing to condemn the term “globalize the intifada.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald Trump, Zohran Mamdani, New York City residents.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Frankly, I’ve heard he’s a total nut job. I think the people in New York are crazy because they go this route.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: Trump’s remarks highlight concerns about Mamdani’s political ideology and its implications for New York City.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump blasted New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D) after the Queens assemblyman refused to condemn the term “globalize the intifada.” The phrase is often used to support violent Palestinian action against Israelis and Jews generally, including terrorism.

“Frankly, I’ve heard he’s a total nut job,” Trump told reporters Tuesday morning. “I think the people in New York are crazy because they go this route. I think they’re crazy. We will have a communist in the for the first time, really a pure, true communist. He wants to operate the grocery stores. The department stores. What about the people that are there? I think it’s crazy.”

Mamdani, a Ugandan-born Muslim from the extreme “Twelver” sect of Shia Islam, won the Democratic Party’s primary for New York City mayor in June. During an interview on Sunday, Mamdani stated he didn’t want to condemn the term “globalize the intifada” because he didn’t want to “police language.”

“I think he’s terrible. He’s a communist,” Trump reiterated on Tuesday. The native New Yorker added that the “last thing we need is a communist. I said, there will never be socialism in the United States… I think it’s bad news.”

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