GET THE APP
Thursday, June 18, 2026

Category: Politics
3 hours ago
News
Politics
World

Hungarian Lawmakers Change Constitution to Stop Political Comeback by Orban.

Hungary’s National Assembly has passed a constitutional amendment retroactively barring former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from office.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Hungary’s parliament has passed a constitutional amendment preventing former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from seeking the office again.
📺 DETAIL: The amendment imposed an eight-year term limit on prime ministers seeking office again. The amendment was passed this week and applies retroactively, effectively barring Orbán from returning to power. Hungary’s Parliament, The National Assembly, voted 135 to 50 in favor of the measure. The passing of the measure has sparked accusations that Hungary’s recently-elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar is attempting to ban his political opponents. “Implementing personalised legislation with retroactive effect is a unique low point,” said Gergely Gulyás, parliamentary leader of Orbán’s Fidesz party. “Liberals preach democracy and apply legal means to exclude top challengers, instead of winning the argument and popular support. We’ve seen lawfare against conservatives in France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Poland, Czechia, etc… In Hungary, we’ve been in power with a supermajority for 16 years. We’ve never banned our opponents from running. Tisza did it merely weeks after winning,” posted András László, Hungarian Member of European Parliament for Orbán’s Fidesz party on X (formerly Twitter).
💬 KEY QUOTE: “It doesn’t concern me, it’s about me.” – Viktor Orbán, responding to a question whether the amendment concerned him.
🎯 IMPACT: Orbán served as Hungary’s prime minister for 16 years, from 1998 to 2002 and again from 2010 to 2023, earning a reputation among European leaders as a prominent opponent of European Union (EU) mandates, particularly on mass migration. The ban raises concerns about the use of lawfare against supporters of Orbán. Magyar’s decision to crack down on Fidesz may signal a shift in Hungary’s relationship with the EU, potentially unlocking relief funds withheld by the bloc due to Orbán’s conservative policies. This coincides with the creation of an investigative committee by the Magyar government to examine Orbán-era officials.
📺 FLASHBACK: In April, Orbán and his party were defeated in a major election victory for challenger Péter Magyar and his pro-EU Tisza party. The opposition coalition secured 138 of 199 seats in the National Assembly, allowing the new government to amend the national constitution.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

Hungary's National Assembly has passed a constitutional amendment retroactively barring former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from office.

show more
23 hours ago
News
Politics

Trump Moves to Delay Clayton’s DNI Confirmation in Renewed SAVE Act Push.

President Donald J. Trump has moved to delay Jay Clayton’s nomination as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) as part of a renewed effort to push the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump moved to delay the confirmation of Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Wednesday morning, while tying the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to the passage of election integrity measures in the SAVE America Act. Trump stated on Truth Social that he will keep his previous nominee, Bill Pulte, as Acting DNI while Congress deliberates.
📺 DETAIL: Clayton, currently the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman, had been scheduled for a Senate confirmation hearing this week. The nomination had been fast-tracked amid disputes over the renewal of FISA, which recently expired. Democrats had previously indicated they would not support renewing the surveillance program while Pulte remained Trump’s nominee. However, Trump accuses Democrats of breaking an agreement related to FISA, and said he would not approve its renewal unless Congress also passes voter ID requirements in the SAVE AMERICA Act. The Republican-controlled Congress has ostensibly not advanced the bill due to insufficient support, particularly among Democrats.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “[F]or the Good of the Nation, and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it.” – President Trump.
🎯 IMPACT: The attempt to delay Clayton’s confirmation hearing and link FISA to the SAVE Act underscores the tension between President Trump and the GOP establishment over the importance of election integrity. Democrats oppose voter ID measures, despite an overwhelming majority of Americans, including Democrat voters, supporting them, claiming they are concerned by potential voter suppression. Significantly, past research indicates that when noncitizens vote unlawfully, they tend to vote Democrat, sometimes swinging elections in their favor decisively.

Image

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

President Donald J. Trump has moved to delay Jay Clayton's nomination as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) as part of a renewed effort to push the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act.

show more
June 17, 2026
News
Politics

DATA: Two-Fifths of Americans Doubt Their Nation Will Last Another 250 Years.

A new poll highlights growing concerns about America’s future, with a significant portion of the population doubting the nation’s ability to endure another 250 years.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that two out of five Americans doubt the United States will remain intact for another 250 years, as the nation approaches its semiquincentennial. The survey also found that 77 percent of respondents believe political violence is likely to increase in the next five years.
📺 DETAIL: The survey of 1,537 adults found that two-thirds of respondents believe American democracy is in danger of failing, up from 57 percent last August. Democrats argue Trump poses a threat to democratic institutions, while Republicans point to lawfare campaigns against President Trump and assassination attempts against him as evidence of growing political instability. Confidence in America’s global standing has also declined, with just 30 percent of respondents describing the United States as the greatest country in the world, down from 38 percent in 2017.
🎯 IMPACT: The findings underscore the nation’s deepening political divides, with traditional celebrations of Independence Day, such as fireworks and patriotic attire, now painted by the left as reflecting partisan preferences.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

A new poll highlights growing concerns about America's future, with a significant portion of the population doubting the nation's ability to endure another 250 years.

show more
June 12, 2026
News
Politics
UK

UK PM Starmer Admits He Must ‘Turn Things Around,’ But Refuses to Step Down.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer conceded that his premiership is going badly in an interview with the BBC following multiple resignations from the Ministry of Defence.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that his premiership is going badly following the resignation of his Secretary of Defence. He has also been under fire for refusing to admit Britain has a problem with two-tier policing amid the Henry Nowak scandal.
📺 DETAIL: In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Britain’s de facto broadcaster, Starmer conceded that he needed to “turn things around” following a slew of ministerial resignations and disastrous results for the Labour Party in local elections in May. Despite this, the Prime Minister refused to stand aside and vowed to fight any leadership challenge from within his own party. Prime Minister Starmer also criticized former Secretary of Defence John Healey, accusing him of seeking “easy answers” and being unable to accept “trade-offs” after he resigned on Thursday in frustration at the government’s refusal to fund the military. Hours after Healey’s resignation, Al Carns, a junior defense minister and potential Labour leadership contender, also announced his resignation, expressing similar concerns. In his own resignation letter, Carns accused the government of “asking our Armed Forces to operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I recognize that I’ve got to turn things around. We had a very bad set of elections… I recognize that given where we are, I need to turn that around, and that’s what I intend to do.” – Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Friday.
🎯 IMPACT: The willingness of the Prime Minister to admit so openly that his own premiership is not going well shows that widespread dissatisfaction with his government has become unignorable. The Prime Minister’s comments are likely to embolden his rivals, such as Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, who is contesting the Makerfield parliamentary by-election (special election) to return to Parliament and challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership and, by extension, the office of Prime Minister.
📺 FLASHBACK: Since early May, the British government has been in crisis as an ever-growing number of Labour MPs, including several now-former ministers, including Cabinet secretaries, have called for Starmer’s resignation. The already unpopular government was plunged into crisis after Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party stormed to victory in the country’s local elections earlier that same month.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer conceded that his premiership is going badly in an interview with the BBC following multiple resignations from the Ministry of Defence.

show more
June 11, 2026
News
Politics
UK

Another Resignation Hits UK PM Starmer’s Government.

British Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Al Carns has resigned from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s government, following Secretary of Defence John Healey, citing concerns over the government’s refusal to fund the military.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Another defense minister has resigned from British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s crumbling government, following the resignation of the Secretary of Defence.
📺 DETAIL: Al Carns, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, has resigned from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government. This follows the resignation of John Healey, the Secretary of Defence, early Thursday. Similar to Healey, Carns heavily criticized the Labour government’s defense strategy, citing inadequate funding for the armed forces and a lack of seriousness in addressing current global threats. In his resignation letter, Carns, a former colonel in the Royal Marines, described the British government’s defense funding plan as “neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded” and accused the government of “asking our Armed Forces to operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “While I had no hand in the Defence Investment Plan, that distance does allow me to say plainly that it is not built for the threat we face… A serious country funds its defence to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wishes it faced.” – Al Carns, Labour Member of Parliament (MP) and now-former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces.
🎯 IMPACT: Carns’ resignation is the second high-profile resignation from the Department of Defence in a day. Several government ministers have resigned in frustration at Keir Starmer’s performance as Prime Minister, particularly following heavy losses to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party in local and regional elections in May. Carns’s resignation, just a week before the Makerfield parliamentary by-election (special election), which could see Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham return to the House of Commons as a Labour MP and challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership, suggests wariness about the Starmer regime’s growing instability. Carns had previously been touted as a potential leadership contender, having been described by the British press as a ‘dark horse’ candidate and openly floated the idea himself.

Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

British Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Al Carns has resigned from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's government, following Secretary of Defence John Healey, citing concerns over the government's refusal to fund the military.

show more
June 8, 2026
Corruption
News
Politics

House Report Slams Walz, Ellison for Letting Somali Fraud Fester.

A House Committee report accuses Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of ignoring fraud warnings, leading to billions in taxpayer money being siphoned by criminals.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Governor Tim Walz (D) and Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) have been accused of ignoring repeated warnings about welfare fraud in the state of Minnesota in a comprehensive congressional report.
📰 DETAIL: According to a 205-page report by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, titled “The Cost of Doing Nothing: How Tim Walz and Keith Ellison Fueled Minnesota’s Fraud Explosion,” Democrats Walz and Ellison, along with other senior officials in Minnesota, were aware of welfare fraud concerns as early as 2019 but declined to act. Allegedly, officials were afraid to act due to fears of litigation and accusations of racism. The report, released on Monday, also details retaliation against employees who raised alarms. “Litigation threats and fear of accusations of discrimination, not legal or regulatory barriers, were repeatedly cited by state officials as the reason for continued funding of entities suspected of fraud,” the report states. Nevertheless, despite the alleged knowledge of widespread fraud, the Walz administration continued to make welfare payments.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison are responsible for one of the most stunning oversight failures this Committee has ever examined. Today’s report is the culmination of months of investigative work and reveals hard evidence showing how the Walz Administration failed to stop widespread fraud, allowing criminals to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers.” – House Committee on Oversight and Government Chairman James Comer (R-KY).

🎯 IMPACT: The report suggests that the negligence of Minnesota’s Democrat administration allowed fraudulent schemes to flourish, diverting resources from vulnerable populations to enrich criminals and potentially fund international terrorist networks. An estimated $9 billion of taxpayer money has been siphoned from the system under Walz’s tenure. This reportm may spell bad news for Minnesota Democrats, as the Trump administration has announced its intention to pursue charges against anyone, including elected representatives, potentially guilty of negligence or complicity in Minnesota’s welfare fraud scandal. “It does not matter if you’re a politician or if you’re a fraudster from Somalia. We cannot tolerate it,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has since been nominated by President Donald J. Trump to assume the position permanently, in recent weeks.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

A House Committee report accuses Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of ignoring fraud warnings, leading to billions in taxpayer money being siphoned by criminals.

show more
June 5, 2026
News
Politics
UK

Council Controlled By Nigel Farage’s Reform Party Scraps Publicly-Funded ‘Refugee Week.’

The newly elected Reform UK council in St Helens, Merseyside, has canceled “Refugee Week,” signaling a shift in priorities under Nigel Farage’s party.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A newly elected local council led by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has canceled publicly-funded pro-immigration events scheduled for later this month.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “In light of the illegal immigration emergency facing Britain, we don’t think that this is an appropriate use of council resources.” – Councillor George Woodward, Reform UK leader of St Helens Borough Council in Merseyside, England
🎯 IMPACT: While the cancellation of the events has sparked anger from pro-migration activist groups, it has been received positively by locals and observers nationally. The Reform-led council has been praised for following through on its election commitments by defunding the Refugee Week events, freeing up funds for other priorities and alternative projects.
📰 DETAIL: Last month, Reform UK won a historic victory during the country’s local elections. Almost 1,500 Reform councillors were elected across the country. Among other victories, Reform secured a majority on St Helens Borough Council in Merseyside, England. Reform won 34 out of 48 seats on the council, while the governing Labour Party of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was reduced to just two seats. The council had previously allocated £60,000 (~$80,000) for “Refugee Week.” The event was scheduled for later this month. Reform withdrew all support and funding previously allocated by the formerly Labour-led council, citing concerns about resource allocation and the country’s ongoing illegal immigration crisis.
📺 FLASHBACK: The conduct of illegal immigrants and refugees has become a point of contention in the United Kingdom. Earlier this month, an African refugee shouted, “I don’t want to stay in England, f**k England, I don’t want to stay,” after being convicted of rape. Late last month, seven Afghan refugees were charged with grooming gang activity. In late April, three asylum seekers were found guilty of raping a woman on Brighton Beach in southern England.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

The newly elected Reform UK council in St Helens, Merseyside, has canceled "Refugee Week," signaling a shift in priorities under Nigel Farage's party.

show more
June 4, 2026
News
Politics
War

House Advances $8 Billion Ukraine Aid Package.

The House of Representatives sent mixed messages on U.S. foreign policy on Wednesday, opposing hostilities with the Islamic Republic of Iran while approving a massive military aid package for Ukraine.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The House of Representatives voted to continue funding the war in Ukraine the same day it passed a war powers resolution against President Donald. J. Trump over Iran.
📺 DETAIL: On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted 215–208 on a war powers resolution to rein in President Donald J. Trump from taking further military action against Iran. The measure was passed after four Republicans voted with the Democrats in defiance of the President. However, on the same day, also in defiance of the President, the House voted to continue military aid to Ukraine. The House voted 218-204 in a procedural motion allowing for a vote on the Ukraine Support Act, a piece of legislation authored by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY). The bill gifts $8 billion in military financing loans to Ukraine, extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which allows for the U.S. to send Ukraine weapons from U.S. stockpiles, and imposes additional sanctions on Russia, among other measures.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “This vote is not a process vote, it’s a statement on whether this Congress and all of its members stand with and support Ukraine and the people of Ukraine, and its fight for freedom, its fight for democracy, and its fight for liberty.” – Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) on the procedural motion.
🎯 IMPACT: The regularity with which Congress has defied the President recently, from ending the Anti-Weaponization Fund, a measure to compensate victims of government lawfare, to pushing a war powers resolution, suggests the executive is coming under increased pressure from the legislature, both in relation to domestic and foreign policy.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

The House of Representatives sent mixed messages on U.S. foreign policy on Wednesday, opposing hostilities with the Islamic Republic of Iran while approving a massive military aid package for Ukraine.

show more
June 4, 2026
News
Politics

Trump to Nominate Acting AG Blanche to Take Over the Role Permanently.

Todd Blanche, who has served as Acting Attorney General since early April, has officially been nominated for the position by President Donald J. Trump, marking a significant development in the Department of Justice’s leadership.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has announced his intention to nominate Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to take over the role permanently.
📺 DETAIL: Blanche’s tenure as Acting Attorney General began in early April following the departure of former Attorney General Pam Bondi. Since then, Blanche has acted as the primary spokesman for the Trump administration on policy and decisions related to justice, crime, and corruption. Blanche is overseeing several high-profile cases and policy challenges, such as ongoing investigations into voter fraud during the 2020 Presidential election, welfare fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community, the indictment of former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro, and the charging of failed Trump assassin Cole Tomas Allen, among others. Many commentators have been speculating about Bondi’s official replacement for months. However, it seems that Blanche’s interim leadership of the Department of Justice (DOJ) has sufficed to convince the President that the Acting Attorney General is qualified for the position.
🎯 IMPACT: The President’s decision to nominate Blanche signals a vote of confidence, bringing clarity of leadership to the DOJ and its various agencies. Having been nominated, like all Cabinet appointments, Blanche must now be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, Blanche will officially succeed Bondi as Attorney General. Bondi was dismissed by the President in early April this year. This decision followed reports that the President was unhappy with Bondi’s performance in the role. Currently, the Senate has a Republican (GOP) majority, although recent moves by the congressional GOP, such as a measure aimed at restricting the President’s war powers and the striking down of his Anti-Weaponization Fund to compensate victims of government lawfare, suggests that GOP lawmakers are increasingly confident that they can rebel against the Trump White House.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Tomorrow I’m instructing Dan [Scavino] and everybody else that’s involved in that very complicated process, which is gonna go, I think, very quickly, that we are going to make him [Todd Blanche] permanent Attorney General.” – President Donald J. Trump.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

Todd Blanche, who has served as Acting Attorney General since early April, has officially been nominated for the position by President Donald J. Trump, marking a significant development in the Department of Justice's leadership.

show more
June 2, 2026
News
Politics

Jill Biden Reveals White House Doctors Examined Joe After 2024 Debate Disaster.

Former First Lady Jill Biden confirmed that former President Joe Biden was examined by White House doctors following his disastrous debate performance against President Donald J. Trump in 2024.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Jill Biden revealed that her husband, former President Joe Biden, was examined by doctors following his catastrophic performance during his 2024 presidential debate against President Donald J. Trump. The debate marked a turning point, causing Nancy Pelosi and other senior Democrats to force him out of the race within a matter of weeks.
📺 DETAIL: Speaking Tuesday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe while promoting her memoir, Mrs. Biden said she was “frightened” by the debate and that White House physicians evaluated her husband afterward, but somehow determined he was fine. She previously revealed she thought he might be having a stroke while watching the debate. Mrs. Biden also provided an update on her husband’s battle with an aggressive form of cancer, saying he is tired but “doing OK” while continuing to travel and make public appearances. Additionally, she claimed that Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently reconciled despite her role in forcing his exit from the 2024 race, recalling that the two octogenarians agreed to “be friends” during a recent funeral.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I was frightened, I was, you know, scared to death to see that… but the doctors were there,” Jill Biden said.
🎯 IMPACT: The fallout from the debate performance was swift, with Democrats questioning Biden’s ability to continue his campaign. His eventual withdrawal reshaped the 2024 race, with Biden endorsing then-Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s candidate. Notably, Jill Biden did not concede her husband had performed badly at the time, insisting at a post-debate event that his performance was “great.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less

Former First Lady Jill Biden confirmed that former President Joe Biden was examined by White House doctors following his disastrous debate performance against President Donald J. Trump in 2024.

show more