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Category: Politics
December 16, 2024
Christopher Tomlinson
Politics
World

BREAKING: German Leftist Govt Collapses.

Germany‘s leftist coalition government has collapsed following a confidence vote in the Bundestag (federal legislature), with snap elections expected sometime in February next year. Chancellor (Prime Minister) Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats (SPD) and his allies, the Greens, lost a vote of confidence, which was expected as the two parties do not have a majority of seats in the Bundestag.

The vote came after Scholz dismissed former Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) from the government. This effectively ended the governing legislative majority, with the FDP being the third pillar of a three-party coalition.

Prior to the vote, populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel slammed Scholz’s migration and economic policies. She stated that the automotive industry was in free fall, and the country was still flooded with immigrants. She also called for Syrians to return to Syria now that the Assad regime has fallen.

Notionally center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz also criticized Scholz, saying, “It is embarrassing how you behave at the European level.” He also called out Green Party Economic Minister Robert Habeck, saying, “You are the face of the economic crisis of this country.”

Current polling puts Merz and the CDU, the former party of Angela Merkel, at 31 percent overall when combined with their Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) sister party.

The AfD is second in the polls at 20 percent. However, while the two right-leaning parties could have enough seats to form a majority, it is unlikely the CDU/CSU will form a government with the AfD, having vowed to cooperate with the leftist party to shut the anti-mass migration populists out of government.

The German confidence vote comes just under two weeks after the French government, led by former Brexit negotiation Michel Barnier, also collapsed after failing a confidence vote.

Image via European Union–Source: EP.

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Germany's leftist coalition government has collapsed following a confidence vote in the Bundestag (federal legislature), with snap elections expected sometime in February next year. Chancellor (Prime Minister) Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats (SPD) and his allies, the Greens, lost a vote of confidence, which was expected as the two parties do not have a majority of seats in the Bundestag. show more
December 15, 2024
News
Politics
UK

Britain’s Economic Preference: Socialism Over Capitalism?

Polling suggests that the general public in the United Kingdom is more favorable to socialism than capitalism, although environmentalism is the most popular ideology overall. Socialism in Britain has long been linked to institutions like the National Health Service (NHS), which remains one of the most popular institutions in the country, despite major scandals.

Despite the results, broadly socialist candidates like former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn have failed to win elections.

Conservatism, which came third in the polling by YouGov, is also largely associated with the Conservative Party, which just suffered a historic loss to the Labour Party in the national election in July. However, the Conservatives, or Tories, legalized same-sex marriages and presided over the rise of woke ideology in Britain, and are not socially conservative in any meaningful, ideological sense.

Populism, often associated with the rise of Brexit leader Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, is only slightly more popular than communism among Britons. Reform, however, does not refer to itself as a “populist” party, referring to its anti-mass migration stance and other policies as “common sense.”

Reform is becoming increasingly popular in Britain, with polls showing the party ahead of Labour, which has a large majority in parliament and currently governs the country under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

While the Tories are number one in the polls, their lead is not significantly ahead of Reform, and as many as 53 percent of Tory members support the party joining forces with Farage in either an alliance or outright merger.

Image by Paasikivi.

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Polling suggests that the general public in the United Kingdom is more favorable to socialism than capitalism, although environmentalism is the most popular ideology overall. Socialism in Britain has long been linked to institutions like the National Health Service (NHS), which remains one of the most popular institutions in the country, despite major scandals. show more
December 14, 2024
News
Politics
UK

Farage’s Reform Party Gains Ground, Winning Another Seat from Labour.

Nigel Farage’s Reform Party has gained another council seat from the ruling Labour Party. In a local by-election held in St Helens, Liverpool, on Thursday night, Reform candidate Victor Floyd secured victory in the Blackbrook ward, defeating Labour’s Sally Yeoman.

Since Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s election in July, Labour has experienced a series of local setbacks. Twenty-five councilors were lost across 172 local by-elections, and Labour’s vote share decreased by over eight percent. Many have expressed dissatisfaction with Labour and Prime Minister Starmer, with a petition demanding fresh elections receiving over two million signatures last month.

Reform has won six additional municipal seats since July, including a seat on the Wolverhampton council last month, which was also taken from Labour.

In other by-elections conducted on Thursday, Reform’s vote share showed significant growth, including strong performances in Barnsley and Stock, Essex, where the party placed second, with over 20 percent of the vote.

Reform policies on mass migration and other issues resonate with many voters, and some polls suggest the party could already be as popular or even more popular than the ruling Labour Party.

While Reform is progressing in the polls, some have expressed a desire to see Farage’s party either form an alliance with the Conservatives or even merge. Polling of Conservative Party members suggests that just over half of the party supports the idea.

Image by Owain.davies.

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Nigel Farage's Reform Party has gained another council seat from the ruling Labour Party. In a local by-election held in St Helens, Liverpool, on Thursday night, Reform candidate Victor Floyd secured victory in the Blackbrook ward, defeating Labour's Sally Yeoman. show more
Biden Border
December 13, 2024
Immigration
Politics

Senate Dems Urge Biden to Bolster Protections for Illegals Against Trump Deportations.

Joe Biden is under mounting pressure from Senate Democrats to extend deportation protections for certain illegal immigrants. The incoming Trump White House plans to initiate a mass deportation campaign next year.

Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) held a press conference this week urging Biden to take action on behalf of immigrants currently under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). A number of open borders activists joined the Democrat senators.

TPS grants work permits and protection from deportation to nationals from countries deemed unsafe for return, while DACA shields immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. The Trump administration plans to let TPS expire for many countries, including Haiti. The Biden government’s broad use of TPS has often been criticized as a backdoor open-border policy. In the House, a bill introduced by Senator-elect Jim Banks (R-IN) aims to restrict TPS. If passed, it will require congressional approval for 12-month terms and additional measures for extensions.

Sen. Cortez Masto emphasized the president’s authority to provide immigrant communities with certainty, warning of “chaotic” immigration policies from the next administration. Sen. Padilla highlighted the importance of using this moment to protect immigrants who allegedly strengthen the economy.

The Supreme Court blocked previous attempts by the Trump administration to end DACA, leaving the matter still under judicial consideration.

The National Pulse has reported that a majority of Americans support President-elect Donald J. Trump’s mass deportation plan.

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Joe Biden is under mounting pressure from Senate Democrats to extend deportation protections for certain illegal immigrants. The incoming Trump White House plans to initiate a mass deportation campaign next year. show more
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
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 12, 2024
NatSec
Politics

Cops Say 50 Congressmen Have Been Swatted in the Last Month.

Chief Tom Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police reported an alarming rise in “swatting” incidents targeting members of Congress. He disclosed that over 50 congressional members were subjected to these attacks within the past month, triggering around 700 investigations. Manger revealed the concerning incidents during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

“Just in the last month, we’ve had over 50 members of Congress swatted, so we’ve got to look at what we can do to enhance people’s security not only when they’re here on campus but when they’re off-campus and in their home districts,” Manger told members of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

Swatting involves the false reporting of emergencies to provoke a heavy police response to someone’s home, often involving Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams. This practice can lead to dangerous situations, including potential shootings, as law enforcement responds to perceived threats.

The United States Congress consists of 100 Senate and 435 House seats. In recent years, there has been an increase in security threats against legislators, leading some members, especially those less senior, to employ private security when in public settings.

Chief Manger highlighted that the U.S. Capitol Police’s resources are stretched thin, with only 20 agents available to address and manage these swatting incidents and other threats. This limited staffing poses significant challenges in effectively safeguarding members of Congress amidst the uptick in swatting cases.

The National Pulse reported earlier on Thursday that an innocent woman in Georgia was killed after colliding with a bomb squad vehicle that was responding to a hoax pipe bomb threat targeting Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). In addition to threats against Members of Congress, nearly a dozen individuals nominated for Cabinet positions by President-elect Donald J. Trump were the targets of bomb hoaxes and swatting incidents last month.

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Chief Tom Manger of the U.S. Capitol Police reported an alarming rise in "swatting" incidents targeting members of Congress. He disclosed that over 50 congressional members were subjected to these attacks within the past month, triggering around 700 investigations. Manger revealed the concerning incidents during a Senate hearing on Wednesday. show more
December 12, 2024
NatSec
Politics

House Issues Subpoenas Over Walz-China Links.

The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official for failing to cooperate with an investigation involving Governor Tim Walz’s (D-MN) alleged connections with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The subpoena requires Jacob Marx, a senior advisor in DHS’s Office of Legislative Affairs, to appear for a deposition. The inquiry follows whistleblower reports suggesting a “longstanding connection” between Walz and the CCP.

Earlier, the committee subpoenaed DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, requesting documents concerning Walz’s ties to the Chinese government. However, the committee claims that DHS has not provided any responsive documents or substantive information and has shown no willingness to do so. This has prompted Representative James Comer (R-KY), chair of the committee, to express anticipation that Marx will comply with the subpoena.

The scrutiny around Governor Walz intensified after he was chosen as the vice-presidential candidate alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in her unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign. Previous reports indicate that Walz had led student trips to China sponsored by the Chinese government and hosted CCP officials in his classroom during his teaching career.

Whistleblower disclosures revealed a DHS internal group chat expressing concern over Walz’s alleged ties to the CCP. The committee has criticized DHS for its continued non-compliance and obstruction of lawful oversight, stressing the potential national security risks.

A report from the Oversight Committee released in October highlights the CCP’s use of “political warfare” strategies, including elite capture, to advance its influence in the United States. The report suggests that Walz might be an instance of such elite capture due to his historical interactions with CCP-affiliated organizations.

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The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to a senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official for failing to cooperate with an investigation involving Governor Tim Walz's (D-MN) alleged connections with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The subpoena requires Jacob Marx, a senior advisor in DHS's Office of Legislative Affairs, to appear for a deposition. The inquiry follows whistleblower reports suggesting a "longstanding connection" between Walz and the CCP. show more
December 12, 2024
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration
Politics

DATA: New York Now Overwhelmingly Supports Trump’s Deportation Plan.

A majority of New Yorkers say they are in favor of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s mass deportation plan of illegals and say the state government should aid deportation efforts. A Siena College New York State poll reveals that 54 percent of New Yorkers surveyed believe the state government should help the incoming Trump administration deliver on its plan for mass deportations.

Even residents of New York City strongly support the mass deportation plan, with Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg  stating, “A majority of voters from the City, 51 percent, upstate, 54 percent, and the downstate suburbs, 58 percent, want the State to support the Feds’ efforts.”

“Supporting the Feds also has majority support from white and Black voters, and a plurality of Latino voters, 47-36 percent,” he added.

Even among Democrat voters, only a little over half said they reject the mass deportation plan, at 51 percent, with 38 percent saying they are in favor of it. Around 87 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of independents were also in favor.

Polls from earlier this year have suggested that a policy of mass deportations is popular across America among the majority of Americans.

The New York poll comes after New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that he would cooperate with the incoming Trump administration on deportations. “I’m not going to be warring with this administration. I’m going to be working with this administration,” Adams said, inviting Trump’s border czar, Thomas Homan, to a meeting.

Overall, polls since Trump’s November victory have shown that the American public broadly supports his plans for his second term in office, including immigration, criminal justice, and economic policies.

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A majority of New Yorkers say they are in favor of President-elect Donald J. Trump's mass deportation plan of illegals and say the state government should aid deportation efforts. A Siena College New York State poll reveals that 54 percent of New Yorkers surveyed believe the state government should help the incoming Trump administration deliver on its plan for mass deportations. show more