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Category: Politics
October 24, 2025
Politics

The New York Knicks Really Want to Make It Clear They Didn’t Endorse Mamdani.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The New York Knicks issued a cease-and-desist letter to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D) over his unauthorized use of the team’s logo in a campaign ad.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The New York Knicks, Zohran Mamdani, Mayor Eric Adams, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred during the Knicks’ season opener in New York City, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.” – Knicks spokesman

🎯IMPACT: Continued misteps by Mamdani’s campaign, as with its Knicks logo use, could leave undecided voters seeing the far-left New York Assemblyman as too inexperienced to serve as mayor.

IN FULL

The New York Knicks have sent a cease-and-desist letter to Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after his campaign used a modified version of the team’s logo in a political ad. The ad, aired during the Knicks’ season opener, replaced the word “Knicks” with “Zohran” in the iconic orange and blue logo.

The team’s legal representatives argued that the ad could “mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks.” A spokesman for the Knicks stated, “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.”

While polling shows Mamdani, a Ugandan Muslim immigrant, leading Andrew Cuomo, the former state governor, heading into the final weeks of the campaign, continued misteps, as with the Knicks logo use, could leave undecided voters seeing the 34-year-old New York Assemblyman as too inexperienced to lead the city. In another inexplicable campaign flub in June, Mamdani’s proposal for city government-owned grocery stores fell apart after it was revealed that he didn’t understand the city budget. Among the errors was Mamdani’s confusing private investment with public investment and not understanding the budgetary impacts of  “waived tax revenue” rather than “expenditure.”

The National Pulse reported earlier this week that Mamdani shared a photo on social media last Saturday in which he appears with radical Islamist Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In the post, Mamdani, who follows the extreme Twelver sect of Shia Islam, praised Wahhaj as one of America’s foremost Muslim religious scholars and a pillar of the local community.

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October 24, 2025
Health
Politics

Federal Judge Overturns Biden-Era Expansion of Title IX Protections to Include ‘Gender Identity.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal judge struck down a Joe Biden-era rule that expanded anti-discrimination measures to transgender healthcare, stating that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) exceeded its authority.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Louis Guirola Jr., a coalition of 15 Republican-led states, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling came from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi and follows a lawsuit filed by 15 states.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This decision restores not just common sense but also constitutional limits on federal overreach,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling vacates the rule universally, reinforcing states’ rights to regulate healthcare without federal overreach.

IN FULL

A federal judge has ruled against a former Biden government policy that expanded anti-discrimination protections to include gender identity in healthcare. Judge Louis Guirola Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi declared that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “exceeded its authority” in redefining sex discrimination under Title IX to include gender identity.

The legal challenge was brought by a coalition of 15 Republican-led states, including Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and others. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) praised the ruling, stating, “When Biden-era bureaucrats tried to illegally rewrite our laws to force radical gender ideology into every corner of American healthcare, Tennessee stood strong and stopped them.”

Skrmetti’s office highlighted that the rule would have mandated healthcare providers to offer gender dysphoria treatments, prohibited sex-segregated spaces, and required states to subsidize such treatments through Medicaid. The court determined that Congress’s original intent in 1972’s Title IX referred to biological sex, not gender identity. It stressed that federal agencies cannot unilaterally rewrite laws to advance political agendas.

The rule was originally introduced under the Obama administration in 2016, reversed by the Trump administration, and later reinstated by the Biden government. However, the policy had already been stayed since July 2024, preventing it from taking effect. Judge Guirola’s ruling now vacates the rule entirely.

“This decision restores not just common sense but also constitutional limits on federal overreach, and I am proud of the team of excellent attorneys who fought this through to the finish,” Skrmetti added.

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October 23, 2025
News
Politics

Researchers Find TikTok Algorithm Favors Pro-Mamdani Content.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Researchers say TikTok’s algorithm systematically boosts pro-Zohran Mamdani content and suppresses pro-Andrew Cuomo content in New York City’s mayoral race.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Spring AI, led by CTO Yehonatan Dodeles, conducted the research; TikTok’s algorithm is under scrutiny.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Findings were announced on October 21 via X and published on Medium; the issue pertains to TikTok’s influence in the New York City mayoral elections.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our new research suggests TikTok’s algorithm systematically boosts pro-Mamdani and anti-Cuomo content in NYC’s mayoral race.” – Yehonatan Dodeles

🎯IMPACT: Raises concerns about social media’s role in influencing political opinions and the potential weaponization of algorithms.

IN FULL

Researchers from Spring AI claim that TikTok’s recommendation algorithm is favoring content supporting the Democrats’ socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani while suppressing posts that back former governor Andrew Cuomo. The company’s chief technology officer, Yehonatan Dodeles, announced the findings on X, referring to the phenomenon as “algorithmic steering.”

“Our new research suggests TikTok’s algorithm systematically boosts pro-Mamdani and anti-Cuomo content in NYC’s mayoral race,” Dodeles wrote. The researchers identified “Excessive Publicity” videos, which are posts that receive more exposure than they would have organically. About 17 percent of all videos displayed this kind of non-organic boost, according to the report. However, the effect was far more pronounced in political content, where 55 percent of videos were affected. Within that group, most promoted clips were either pro-Mamdani or anti-Cuomo, while pro-Cuomo content was suppressed below the baseline.

“These are preliminary findings and further research should be done, but the implications are huge,” Dodeles said. He warned that algorithmic steering could shape not only what users see but also what they believe, raising concerns about the manipulation of public opinion through social media.

Broader concerns about Chinese interference have been highlighted in recent reports, including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) findings alleging attempts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to exploit mail-in ballots during the 2020 U.S. election. Other investigations have documented Beijing’s efforts to influence Western think tanks and policy groups as part of a wider “information-warfare” campaign.

Imagine by Eden, Janine, and Jim.

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October 23, 2025
Immigration
Politics

Nancy Pelosi Wants Local Police to Arrest ICE Agents.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) suggested that local law enforcement could arrest federal agents who break local laws while enforcing federal immigration policies.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA), San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and federal agents.

📍WHEN & WHERE: California, as outlined in a statement on Wednesday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law—and if they are convicted, the President cannot pardon them.” – Nancy Pelosi and Kevin Mullin

🎯IMPACT: Legal experts have noted that the authority for states to arrest federal officers lacks clear precedent and could face significant legal challenges.

IN FULL

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), in a joint statement with Representative Kevin Mullin (D-CA), suggested that local law enforcement authorities could arrest federal agents who violate California laws while enforcing federal immigration policies.

“Reports of a planned mass immigration raid in the Bay Area are an appalling abuse of law enforcement power. Broad sweeps that target families and terrorize law-abiding residents betray our nation’s values and waste resources that should focus on real threats to public safety,” Pelosi and Mullin wrote, continuing: “It is important to note that California law protects communities and prevents federal agents from taking certain actions here that we have witnessed in other states. While the President may enjoy absolute immunity courtesy of his rogue Supreme Court, those who operate under his orders do not.”

“Our state and local authorities may arrest federal agents if they break California law—and if they are convicted, the President cannot pardon them,” the two House Democrats concluded.

San Francisco District Attorney (DA) Brooke Jenkins devised the idea of arresting federal immigration agents on charges like excessive use of force. “I had lead time to think about what authority I have and what I can do. This is something I felt very strongly about, and I had my office research it,” she explained in a recent interview.

According to the San Francisco DA, her office could review footage of incidents involving federal agents and seek warrants for their arrests if excessive force is identified. However, Jenkins acknowledged potential hurdles, including agents operating in masks or without identification, as well as legal challenges to a new California law barring agents from wearing masks, which takes effect in January.

Legal experts, including Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, note the lack of precedent for such actions. Chemerinsky recently commented, “As long as the ICE agents are acting legally, the state can’t prosecute them and hold them liable, even if it dislikes what they’re doing.”

The arrest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has previously been threatened by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Cummings, who has barred arresting illegal immigrants inside or near the Cook County courthouse in downtown Chicago, Illinois, unless they can produce a warrant.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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October 23, 2025
Politics

Senate Dems Block Bill to Pay Military and Federal Workers During Their Govt Shutdown.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Senate Democrats rejected a Republican-backed bill to pay military servicemen and federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Senate Republicans and Democrats, military service members, and federal workers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Thursday, October 23, in Washington, D.C.

🎯IMPACT: The Senate remains deadlocked, and no solution to reopen the government is in sight.

IN FULL

A Republican-backed bill that would have ensured payment for military servicemembers and federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown was blocked by Senate Democrats. The legislation failed to garner the necessary 60 votes to overcome a filibuster on a vote of 54 to 45.

Sponsored by Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), the legislation authorized appropriations to ensure payments for federal employees required to work during the shutdown, as well as military personnel and contractors. An alternative bill, offered by Senate Democrats, that authorized money to pay all federal workers—including those on furlough—and prevent the White House from laying off more federal employees during the shutdown failed to pass on unanimous consent.

Largely considered as a test vote to gauge current Democrat support for a clean continuing resolution (CR) already adopted in the House, Sen. Johnson’s bill saw three Democrats join with the Republican majority: Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA). Ossoff is facing reelection in 2026 and is a top target for Republicans. Additionally, there was one absence on the vote.

Previously, Sens. Angus King (I-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Fetterman voted to pass the clean CR, suggesting that with the additions of Warnock and Ossoff, the Senate is inching ever closer to the 60 votes needed to end the Democrat shutdown. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who has joined Senate Democrats on other votes to keep the government shutdown going, voted in favor of the bill.

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October 22, 2025
Politics

Far-Left Prof’s Lawsuit Blocks Land Transfer for Trump Presidential Library.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A lawsuit has temporarily halted the transfer of downtown Miami, Florida, real estate intended for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library,  with a far-left retired academic claiming that the Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees violated a state transparency law.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Dr. Marvin Dunn, a retired professor, filed the lawsuit against Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The lawsuit was filed in Miami, with a court ruling on the matter in October 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The court ruling has blocked the property transfer, requiring either an appeal or a new public vote.

IN FULL

An 85-year-old, far-left, retired college professor is the mastermind of a lawsuit based on a technicality in Florida’s Sunshine Law that has—for now—succeeded in temporarily blocking the transfer of a key piece of downtown Miami real estate designated for the future site of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. Marvin Dunn, who taught psychology at Florida International University (FIU) from 1972 until 2006, is a well-known Miami-area progressive political activist, frequently comparing President Trump to German dictator Adolf Hitler.

Dunn contends that Miami Dade College’s Board of Trustees breached Florida’s “Government in the Sunshine” law. He alleges the board did not provide adequate public notice before a meeting where the board voted to transfer a $66 million state-owned property to the Trump Foundation.

The property in question is a 2.63-acre parking lot adjacent to Miami’s historic Freedom Tower. It was approved for transfer by the state to the foundation overseeing Trump’s proposed library. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and his cabinet had endorsed the plan, describing the site as ideal for a significant cultural and tourist landmark.

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October 22, 2025
News
Politics

Top Democrat Calls American Suffering ‘Leverage’ in Shutdown Showdown.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) says Democrats in Congress are deliberately leveraging the “suffering” of American families during the government shutdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Katherine Clark, the Democratic Party, President Donald J. Trump, and affected American families.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The government shutdown is ongoing as of October 2025, impacting the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have.” – Rep. Katherine Clark

🎯IMPACT: Federal employees remain unpaid, small businesses face challenges, and services like food stamps are at risk.

IN FULL

Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) has candidly admitted that the hardship faced by American families due to the ongoing shutdown offers a strategic advantage to the Democratic Party. “There will be families that are going to suffer… but it is one of the few leverage times we have,” Clark stated.

House and Senate Republicans have repeatedly attempted to pass legislation to fund the government, but they lack the 60 votes in the Senate required to stop Senate Democrats from preventing it from moving forward. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is demanding that key provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act be changed before he will allow the government to be funded. Like Clark, Schumer appears to believe the ongoing hardship caused by the shutdown is working in his party’s favor, recently telling the press, “Every day gets better for us.”

The shutdown has impacted over a million federal workers, leaving them without paychecks and causing widespread disruptions. Airports are grappling with major delays, food stamp programs are running low on funds, and small businesses are fighting to survive. Tourists are also being turned away from Washington, D.C.’s iconic landmarks.

President Donald J. Trump has taken measures to ease the burden, ensuring military personnel continue to receive pay and maintaining funding for essential nutrition programs for low-income women and children.

The Democrats’ strategy has drawn sharp criticism, with many believing they are making a deliberate effort to amplify suffering for political advantage. They appear to be calculating that the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans, who hold majorities in both the House and Senate, will be blamed by the public for the shutdown, and not them. However, some polling suggests blame is beginning to shift towards the Democrats rather than the ruling party as the situation drags on.

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October 22, 2025
Politics

State Legislature Passes Trump-Backed Election Map Adding GOP House Seat.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: North Carolina Republican lawmakers approved new U.S. House district maps aimed at securing an additional GOP seat for the 2026 elections.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: North Carolina General Assembly Republicans, Democratic Rep. Don Davis, and state Democrats.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The maps were finalized on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in North Carolina’s legislative chambers.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The new congressional map improves Republican political strength in eastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’s congressional delegation.” – GOP Rep. Brenden Jones

🎯IMPACT: Republicans could secure 11 of 14 U.S. House seats in North Carolina, bolstering GOP efforts to maintain control of Congress.

IN FULL

North Carolina Republican lawmakers adopted new U.S. House district maps on Wednesday, aiming to secure an additional GOP seat in the 2026 elections. The state House approved the maps following a party-line vote in the Senate on Tuesday. The changes are likely to significantly reduce the reelection odds for Congressman Don Davis (D-NC), who represents a district in northeastern North Carolina that is considered a swing seat as neither Republicans nor Democrats hold a clear partisan advantage.

Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly, and Governor Josh Stein ID-NC) cannot veto redistricting maps under state law. This leaves the GOP’s proposal poised for implementation unless legal challenges from Democrats or voting rights groups succeed. Candidate filing for the 2026 elections is set to begin on December 1, 2025.

Speaking on the floor, state Representative Brenden Jones (R), defended the mid-cycle district  redraw, arguing: “The new congressional map improves Republican political strength in eastern North Carolina and will bring in an additional Republican seat to North Carolina’s congressional delegation.” Democrats, however, criticized the maps as a racial gerrymander, with state Rep. Gloristine Brown (D) declaring, “You are silencing Black voices and are going against the will of your constituents.”

The new map could shift counties in Rep. Davis’s 1st District to a coastal district more favorable to Republicans. Statewide election data suggests the GOP could win 11 of 14 House seats under the new boundaries. However, the new districts will likely draw numerous legal challenges from Democrats and leftist lawfare groups who claim the map violates the Voting Rights Act.

Republican leaders in the state legislature contend that the redistricting was based on political considerations, not racial data. GOP leaders also pointed to North Carolina’s support for President Donald J. Trump in recent presidential elections as justification for increasing Republican representation in Congress. Senate leader Phil Berger said the maps align with “listening to the will of the people.”

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October 21, 2025
Politics

Fetterman Says He’ll Back a Senate GOP Move to Abolish the Filibuster.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) said on Tuesday that he would break with his fellow Democrats and back a potential Senate Republican effort to abolish the legislative filibuster to end the government shutdown.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. John Fetterman, Senate Republicans, and Senate Democrats.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Statements made on Tuesday during the third week of the government shutdown.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Carve it out for that, absolutely.” – Sen. Fetterman

🎯IMPACT: Fetterman’s stance could put momentum behind abolishing the filibuster despite some Senate Republicans being skeptical of the move.

IN FULL

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) said Tuesday that he would support Senate Republicans using a filibuster carve-out to end the government shutdown. The comments come as the shutdown enters its third week, with funding for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) running low.

“There are no winners here. It’s not getting better every day here. People are going to start to get really hungry, and I’ve been fully, fully committed to fund SNAP, open up the government,” Fetterman said on Capitol Hill. He also highlighted the plight of U.S. Capitol Police officers who are not being paid during the shutdown.

When asked about supporting a Republican proposal to bypass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate and allow a simple-majority vote to pass the House’s funding measure, Fetterman responded positively to the idea. “Carve it out for that, absolutely,” he said, referring to a temporary filibuster carve-out.

Fetterman also remarked on the broader implications of the filibuster, stating, “We ran on that. We ran on killing the filibuster, and now we love it. Carve it out so we can move on. I support it because it makes it more difficult to shut the government down in the future, and that’s where it’s entirely appropriate.”

He criticized Democrats who have shifted their stance on the filibuster, adding, “I don’t want to hear any Democrat clutching their pearls about the filibuster. We all ran on it.”

Image by Tom Wolf.

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October 17, 2025
News
Politics

Senate GOP Leader Thune Attacks ‘Bureaucrat’ RFK Jr. on MSNBC.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) criticized President Donald J. Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during an appearance on MSNBC.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: John Thune, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and MSNBC’s Ali Vitali.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The comments were made during an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I think that if I were a woman, I’d be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK, or any other government bureaucrat for that matter.” – John Thune

🎯IMPACT: Thune’s remarks highlight ongoing issues with GOP lawmakers being out of step with the Trump administration and its priorities.

IN FULL

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has taken shots at President Donald J. Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show. Speaking to Ali Vitali, Thune boasted that the Senate GOP was at odds with the White House on multiple issues, including the use of Tylenol during pregnancy, which President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have warned could increase the risk of autism.

Asked if he “feel[s] the way RFK Jr. Is talking about [Tylenol] is dangerous,” Thune bluntly stated, “I think that if I were a woman, I’d be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK, or any other government bureaucrat for that matter.”

He stressed he could provide “plenty of examples” of issues where he disagrees with the Trump administration, and implied he believes he and the Senate GOP have a mandate to go against the President, as the Senate is “a co-equal independent branch of the government.”

President Trump has previously expressed particular frustration that Thune and the Senate GOP allowed Senate Democrats to obstruct the appointment of many of his nominees for months. However, Thune finally began stopping the Democrats from preventing the President from exercising his electoral mandate in recent weeks, by considering his nominees in batches.

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