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Monday, February 2, 2026
21 minutes ago
Immigration
Media

ProPublica Doxxes Agents Who Shot Alex Pretti – They’re Both Hispanic.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: ProPublica doxxed the names of two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Minneapolis agitator Alex Pretti, revealing both are Hispanic men.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, were identified as the agents. Pretti, a 37-year-old male nurse, was the shot agitator.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The shooting occurred on January 24 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[S]ecrecy, in our view, deprives the public of the most fundamental tool for accountability,” claimed ProPublica’s editors.

🎯IMPACT: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed that its Civil Rights Division is reviewing the Pretti case.

IN FULL

ProPublica has doxxed two Hispanic men, Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer Raymundo Gutierrez, as the two federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of anti-ICE agitator Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The agents, both originally from South Texas, were participating in Operation Metro Surge, a major immigration enforcement initiative that began in December.

Following the shooting, both were placed on administrative leave. In explaining their decision to expose the men’s names, potentially exposing them and their families to far-left or immigrant-linked violence, despite the fact they have not been charged with a crime, ProPublica’s editors wrote: “ProPublica is publishing the names of the two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Minnesota protester Alex Pretti. We believe there are few investigations that deserve more sunlight and public scrutiny than this one, in which two masked agents fired 10 shots at Pretti as he lay on the ground after being pepper-sprayed.”

The shooting took place on January 24 during an attempt by agents to clear Pretti and a woman from a roadway. Pretti resisted, prompting agents to yell “He’s got a gun!” before opening fire. Federal authorities later confirmed that Pretti was armed with a legally permitted handgun. Available video from the scene depicts a highly chaotic confrontation, with some accounts claiming an agent seized Pretti’s firearm prior to the shots being fired.

Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse employed at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, had attacked immigration agents the week prior to his shooting, swearing and spitting at them and kicking out a law enforcement vehicle’s taillight before scuffling with officers, again with his gun on his belt.

He was the second activist killed by federal agents in Minneapolis in recent weeks, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good after she hit an officer with her SUV earlier in January.

This situation in Minnesota stands in sharp contrast to the orderly, collaborative immigration enforcement operation seen in West Virginia over the same period, where federal and local partners worked together to detain hundreds of illegal aliens without reported violence or major public backlash, without the resistance from agitators and Democrat officials seen in Minneapolis.

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1 hour ago
Immigration
News

Two-Week ICE Op Nabs Hundreds of Illegals Without Incident – Because State and Local Officials Cooperated.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested more than 650 illegal aliens across West Virginia during a two-week statewide operation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: ICE, 14 federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and the arrested migrants.

📍WHEN & WHERE: January 5-19, 2026, in cities including Charleston, Martinsburg, Beckley, and more across West Virginia.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This operation demonstrates how strong partnerships between ICE and West Virginia law enforcement agencies enhance public safety and the integrity of our immigration system.” – Michael Rose, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia acting Field Office Director.

🎯IMPACT: Over 650 arrests were made, including migrants with criminal convictions, without incident, proving that the recent violent disorder in Minnesota could have been avoided if agitators and state officials had not sought to disrupt operations.

IN FULL

In a successful two-week immigration enforcement effort in West Virginia from January 5 to January 19, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers worked alongside 14 federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to arrest more than 650 migrants who were in the country illegally. The operation spanned several cities, such as Charleston, Martinsburg, Beckley, Moorefield, Morgantown, and Huntington, and prioritized migrants who posed a risk to public safety and national security.

Acting Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Philadelphia, Michael Rose, highlighted the value of state and local collaboration: “This operation demonstrates how strong partnerships between ICE and West Virginia law enforcement agencies enhance public safety and the integrity of our immigration system,” Rose said. He further explained that ICE’s training and support for local agencies have boosted their ability to locate, detain, and handle cases while upholding high standards of conduct and legal compliance

Detainees also included people with prior convictions for child sex abuse, drug possession, and other crimes. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, a participating agency, commended the ICE team’s approach: “The Sheriff’s Office was impressed with the professionalism and work ethic of the agents and how well they interacted with the citizens and local law enforcement officers,” Sheriff Tom Hansen stated, adding, “We are also gratified that through this program, we have had the opportunity to remove numerous dangerous criminals from our community.”

The effort in West Virginia showcased how effective cooperation between federal immigration authorities and willing local partners can lead to targeted arrests without disorder. In stark contrast, recent large-scale ICE operations in Minnesota have encountered significant resistance from Democrat state officials and local agitators, resulting in violence and two deadly shootings of activists attempting to disrupt immigration enforcement operations.

Vice President J.D. Vance, during a January 2026 visit to Minneapolis, attributed the chaos to “far-left agitators” and uncooperative local officials, arguing that greater cooperation from state and local law enforcement would substantially reduce the unrest.

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2 hours ago
Christopher Tomlinson
Politics

HERE WE GO AGAIN: CIA, Clinton-Linked Trump Impeachment Originator Peddles New ‘Whistleblower’ Intel Complaint.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The lawyer who represented the whistleblower in the first failed partisan impeachment case against President Donald J. Trump has now set his sights on Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: DNI Gabbard, lawyer Andrew Bakaj, an unnamed whistleblower, and intelligence officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Congress was informed of the whistleblower’s complaint last year, with reports of delays regarding the full report reaching Congress being reported on February 2.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Baseless and politically motivated.” – Intelligence officials regarding the complaint.

🎯IMPACT: The case appears to be yet another partisan whistleblower complaint, following a trend from Bakaj.

IN FULL

The lawyer who spearheaded the first failed partisan impeachment effort against President Donald J. Trump is now setting his sights on Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, complaining that his client’s complaint has yet to be sent to Congress due to classification issues.

The classified whistleblower complaint has remained stuck inside Gabbard’s agency for months, prompting an unusual internal standoff and drawing attention to the lawyer representing the whistleblower, Andrew P. Bakaj, known for his role in President Trump’s first impeachment case.

The current complaint was submitted in May 2025 to the intelligence community’s inspector general and was classified at a level that has complicated its handling. According to people familiar with the matter, the document has been stored in a secure safe accessible only under strict protocols.

Bakaj has publicly complained about the situation, saying, “From my experience, it is confounding for [Gabbard’s office] to take weeks—let alone eight months—to transmit a disclosure to Congress.”

Gabbard’s office has pushed back strongly, rejecting claims that it is obstructing the process. Officials have characterized the allegations as “baseless and politically motivated,” arguing that the complaint presents unique classification and jurisdictional challenges that must be resolved before any congressional notification can occur.

Bakaj, the chief legal counsel at the nonprofit Whistleblower Aid, has repeatedly pressed intelligence officials to transmit the complaint to Congress. He previously served as lead attorney for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer whose 2019 whistleblower disclosure helped trigger the first failed impeachment of President Trump during his first term. Later reports revealed the whistleblower had direct ties to the Biden family’s business affairs in Ukraine.

Bakaj’s continued involvement in sensitive national security complaints appears to reinforce perceptions that whistleblower mechanisms are being abused as political weapons. In the current case, intelligence officials say the inspector general determined some of the allegations against Gabbard lacked credibility, while being unable to assess other claims. Bakaj has disputed that characterization, saying he was never informed that any part of the complaint had been deemed not credible.

Lawmakers became aware of the complaint in November, after Bakaj sent a letter to the House and Senate intelligence committees.

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3 hours ago
Economy
News

Trump’s ‘Project Vault’ Plan to Stockpile Critical Minerals Boosts Mining Shares.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Shares of U.S.-listed rare earth miners surged following news of a strategic stockpile plan.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, MP Materials, USA Rare Earth, Critical Metals Corp.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 2, 2026, United States.

🎯IMPACT: Trump’s initiative could boost domestic demand and government-backed financing for rare earth sectors, while reducing U.S. dependence on China.

IN FULL

Shares of U.S.-listed rare-earth mining companies rose on February 2 after reports that President Donald J. Trump is advancing a plan to build a strategic stockpile of critical minerals through a partnership with the private sector. The initiative, known as Project Vault, is intended to strengthen domestic supply chains and reduce U.S. dependence on China for materials essential to industries such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, and defense.

According to Bloomberg, citing senior administration officials, the proposal would be financed with $1.67 billion in private capital and a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Unlike traditional government reserves, the stockpile would be structured to support private-sector participation while ensuring access to key materials during supply disruptions.

Market reaction was swift. MP Materials, which operates the Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California, gained about four percent in early trading. Shares of USA Rare Earth and Critical Metals Corp climbed roughly seven percent and eight percent, respectively, as investors anticipated increased domestic demand and stronger government backing for U.S.-based producers.

USA Rare Earth is presenting its mining and magnet manufacturing assets as key to a potential arrangement with the federal government. Those talks could result in approximately $1.6 billion in funding, subject to certain conditions, and may include an equity stake for the U.S. government.

Federal involvement in the rare earth sector has expanded in recent years. The Department of War previously entered into a major agreement with MP Materials that included both an equity investment and a long-term purchase commitment for rare earth minerals and magnets, reflecting the strategic importance of these materials.

Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metals used in high-performance magnets, electronics, advanced weapons systems, and renewable energy technologies. China currently dominates global refining and magnet production, but President Trump believes this is not an inevitable consequence of geography, as the materials are not actually all that rare, they are simply difficult to process.

Beyond domestic initiatives, the Trump administration has also pursued international agreements to diversify supply. The Trump administration has announced major rare earth and critical minerals deals with allies in Asia and with Australia, aimed at reducing the leverage China gets from being able to restrict exports. A deal on rare earths has also been struck with Ukraine.

At the same time, major U.S. technology companies have committed hundreds of millions of dollars to support domestic rare earth mining and processing, underscoring growing private-sector alignment with government efforts.

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3 hours ago
Bonkers Britain
Corruption
News

Mandelson, Ex-Amb to US, Faces Esptein Inquiry Amid Spy Concerns.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Confidential British government documents were leaked to deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein—who may have been a Russian asset—by Lord Peter Mandelson, the former U.S. ambassador to Washington, D.C.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Lord Mandelson, Jeffrey Epstein, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Kremlin, and Britain’s governing Labour Party.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The leak occurred in 2009, after Epstein had been convicted of soliciting minors; recent revelations emerged in files published by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s another huge embarrassment for the Prime Minister, it shows just how poor his judgment is.” – Reform Party leader Nigel Farage

🎯IMPACT: Mandelson faces calls to remove his peerage and a possible criminal investigation; separate documents also suggest Epstein may have been a Russian asset.

IN FULL

Lord Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States, has been implicated in leaking confidential documents from Downing Street—the Prime Minister’s official residence—to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein during his tenure as Business Secretary. The leak involved an economic briefing intended for then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, which Mandelson forwarded to Epstein in 2009, after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.

The revelations have sparked demands for a criminal investigation into whether Mandelson’s actions constitute misconduct in public office and the potential misuse of commercially sensitive government information.

Following the release of three million files by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which included the evidence of Mandelson’s ties to Epstein, the peer has resigned from Britain’s governing Labour Party. Other documents released by the DOJ raise concerns that Epstein may have been a Russian asset, with one 2011 email to the sex trafficker from an unidentified correspondent reading, “Spoke with Igor. He said last time you were in Palm Beach, you told him you had an appointment with Putin on Sept 16 and that he could go ahead and book his ticket to Russia to arrive a few days before you.” Another email suggests a second Putin meeting was arranged in 2014, and a 2015 email sent by Epstein to himself references “friends in the FSB”—the post-communist version of the Soviet KGB—and appears to allude to blackmail operation.

Many of Epstein’s victims are believed to have been Russian, and another newly-released email shows him claiming that Bill Gates was seeking antibiotics to give to his wife in secret because he had caught a sexually-transmitted disease from “Russian girls.”

Mandelson had served in multiple government positions under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, as well as on the European Commission, with further revelations about his Epstein links having put an end to his most recent role as ambassador to the U.S.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has suggested Mandelson could now be stripped of his peerage, which grants him a lifelong seat in the House of Lords, and has requested an urgent review of all available information regarding Mandelson’s interactions with Epstein.

Image by World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch/Photo by Remy Steinegger.

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January 31, 2026
Bonkers Britain
Crime

Muslim Terrorist Stands for Election in Muslim Enclave.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Shahid Butt, a convicted terrorist, is running for a seat on Birmingham City Council in England.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Shahid Butt, a 60-year-old Muslim activist and convicted terrorist, and residents of Birmingham’s Sparkhill ward, which is around 84 percent Muslim and 92 percent non-white.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Sparkhill ward in Birmingham, United Kingdom, with local elections set for May 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Do not take the Jews or Christians as your friends and protectors… Stick with the Muslims, and for good or for worse, hold your ground.” – Shahid Butt

🎯IMPACT: The candidacy has sparked outrage, highlighting concerns over extremism in UK politics and the legal loopholes enabling such figures to stand for election.

IN FULL

A convicted radical Islamic terrorist who planned attacks on a British consulate and an Anglican church is standing for election in one of England’s ethnic enclaves. Shahid Butt, a 60-year-old Muslim activist, is seeking election in Birmingham City Council’s Sparkhill ward.

Butt was arrested in 1999 and later sentenced to five years in prison by a Yemeni court after being found guilty of helping form an armed group that planned attacks on the consulate, a church, and a Swiss-owned hotel. Reporting at the time linked him to an Islamist jihadi group accused of kidnapping 16 Western tourists in 1998. During the 1990s, Butt also joined an Islamic foreign fighters brigade aligned with the Bosnian army, and he was linked to a notorious Birmingham gang in the 1980s.

Now running as a pro-Gaza independent candidate in the Sparkhill ward, where an estimated 92 percent of residents are non-white and 84 percent are Muslim, Butt has urged Muslim youth to “work out at the gym and learn to fight” in preparation for potential attacks, and said on a recent podcast appearance, “Do not take the Jews or Christians as your friends and protectors… Stick with the Muslims, and for good or for worse, hold your ground.”

Councillor Russell Quirk, of Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, said Butt’s past should “disqualify [him] from standing for election.” Representatives of victims of Islamist violence have also condemned the move, with one source, who did not wish to be named, saying, “Allowing someone with this history to run for office undermines everything we stand for in fighting extremism.”

The Butt controversy comes amid heightened communal tensions across Britain, with recent anti-Israel protests occasionally turning violent and Jewish groups warning of increased insecurity. In October, a synagogue was attacked by a Syrian terrorist, leaving multiple dead.

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January 31, 2026
Crime
Immigration

Migrant Housed in Taxpayer-Funded Hotel Sentenced for Murdering Hotel Staffer.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An asylum seeker has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a hotel worker.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Deng Chol Majek, the convicted killer, and Rhiannon Whyte, the victim.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Whyte was murdered in October 2024 at Bescot Stadium railway station in Walsall, England; Majek was sentenced this week.

💬KEY QUOTE: CCTV footage showed Majek “laughing and dancing in the hotel car park” after the attack.

🎯IMPACT: Majek has been sentenced to a minimum of 29 years in prison.

IN FULL

Deng Chol Majek, an asylum seeker, has been sentenced to “life” in prison with a minimum term of 29 years before possible parole, for the murder of 27-year-old hotel worker Rhiannon Whyte in England. The attack took place in October 2024 after Majek followed Ms Whyte from the Park Inn Hotel in Walsall, where he was being housed at taxpayers’ expense, to Bescot Stadium railway station.

Prosecutors told the court that Majek launched an unprovoked assault at the station, using a screwdriver to stab his victim 23 times. One of the blows caused catastrophic damage to her brain stem. She was taken to the hospital but died three days later from her injuries. Whyte, who was a mother, was described by family members as devoted to her child and well-liked by colleagues.

CCTV footage showed Majek trailing Whyte after she finished work and later captured his behaviour back at the hotel. Jurors were shown images of him laughing and dancing in the parking lot while emergency services were attending to his victim. The court heard there was no clear motive for the killing. However, evidence was presented that Majek had previously been reported for making female staff uncomfortable by staring at them. During the trial and sentencing, he showed no remorse. Majek must serve at least 29 years in prison before he can be considered for parole.

The sentencing has drawn attention to the wider debate around crime linked to the asylum system in Britain. The country has seen hundreds of cases involving migrants housed in taxpayer-funded hotels who were later charged with serious offences, including rape, violent assault, and robbery. One hotel resident convicted of rape was reported to have had a prior terrorism conviction overseas.

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January 30, 2026
William Upton
News

Trump Establishes First-Ever IndyCar Race in D.C.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., the first-ever IndyCar street race to be held in the nation’s capital.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Department of Transportation (USDOT).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The race will take place near the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Give America’s founding in 1776 the incredible anniversary it truly deserves.” – Donald J. Trump

🎯IMPACT: The Trump White House says the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will celebrate American history, showcase Washington, D.C.’s grandeur, and inspire future generations with a demonstration of American innovation and achievement.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order on Friday, clearing the way for the first-ever IndyCar Series street race in the Nation’s Capital. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., in honor of America’s 250th birthday, will take place near the National Mall, according to the order.

The IndyCar Series is the United States’s highest class of open-wheel racing, and has several key differences with its popular international cousin, Formula One. Formula One emphasizes cornering speed with complex track routes and cars that utilize hybrid power and advanced technology. Meanwhile, IndyCar racing focuses on overall speed, spec chassis, and restricts what technology cars can utilize—making them often far more difficult to steer and corner on a more complex track.

According to President Trump’s directive, the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Transportation (USDOT) are to “designate a suitable race route that showcases the majesty of Washington, D.C., and its iconic national monuments.” Additionally, the Executive Order instructs federal agencies to issue all necessary permits and approvals promptly for the race, and authorizes Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to use available government funds to facilitate preparations for the race and to coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to clear airspace for aerial photography.

“American IndyCar racing has thrilled Americans for over a century, producing legends like A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti and drawing global attention to the Indianapolis 500 each Memorial Day weekend,” the White House said in a statement on Friday, adding, “The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will be the first motor race ever held in our Nation’s capital near the National Mall, uniting Americans in celebration of our 250th anniversary of independence.”

The 2025 Indianapolis 500 drew record ratings with 7.05 million average viewers and 8.4 million during the race’s climactic finish.

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January 30, 2026
William Upton
NatSec
TECH

Former Google Engineer Convicted of Spying for China.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it secured a 14-count conviction against former Google software engineer Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, 38, for conducting economic espionage and stealing trade secrets on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding; the DOJ, Google, and the CCP.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Ding was convicted on 14 counts of economic espionage and stealing trade secrets on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “In multiple statements to potential investors, Ding claimed that he could build an AI supercomputer by copying and modifying Google’s technology. In December 2023, less than two weeks before he resigned from Google, Ding downloaded the stolen Google trade secrets to his own personal computer.” — DOJ

🎯IMPACT: The issue of Chinese corporate espionage has been a serious problem in the United States and in other Western nations in recent years, especially in the AI and semiconductor industries.

IN FULL

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it secured a 14-count conviction against former Google software engineer Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, 38, for conducting economic espionage and stealing trade secrets on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). A federal jury in San Francisco found Ding guilty on seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft of trade secrets on Thursday.

According to the DOJ, Ding stole thousands of pages of documents and files related to Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, uploading them from company servers to his own private Google Cloud account. In addition, between May 2022 and April 2023, while Google employed Ding, he also clandestinely worked for two China-based technology firms. It is believed he passed on trade secrets to these entities and sought to use Google’s technology to train his own large AI models.

“[B]y early 2023, Ding was in the process of founding his own technology company in the PRC focused on AI and machine learning and was acting as the company’s CEO,” the DOJ revealed on Friday, continuing, “In multiple statements to potential investors, Ding claimed that he could build an AI supercomputer by copying and modifying Google’s technology. In December 2023, less than two weeks before he resigned from Google, Ding downloaded the stolen Google trade secrets to his own personal computer.”

The issue of Chinese corporate espionage has been a serious problem in the United States and in other Western nations in recent years, especially in the AI and semiconductor industries. In late 2025, it was revealed that Chinese agents successfully recruited former employees of the Dutch company ASML, which mastered the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography process that allows for the manufacture of some of the world’s most advanced semiconductors. Consequently, the CCP was able to construct a prototype EUV machine in Shenzhen, and will likely be able to produce advanced chips between 2028 and 2030.

The National Pulse reported in July of last year that Chenguang Gong, a dual citizen of the United States and China, pleaded guilty to stealing over 3,600 files containing military trade secrets from a Southern California defense contractor. These files included blueprints for advanced sensors used to detect and monitor hypersonic, ballistic, and nuclear missiles, as well as sensors designed to warn U.S. warplanes of incoming heat-seeking missiles and jam their infrared tracking systems.

Image by Anthony Quintano.

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January 30, 2026
Health
News

Eli Lilly Invests $3.5 Billion in America for Advanced Obesity Drugs Plant.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Eli Lilly announced plans to invest over $3.5 billion to build a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley to produce next-generation obesity drugs.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Eli Lilly, CEO Dave Ricks, President Donald J. Trump, and rival pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Friday, with construction expected to begin this year in Pennsylvania. The site is projected to be operational by 2031.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Lilly CEO Dave Ricks has told me the drugmaker aims to build six plants in the U.S.” – President Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The plant will create 850 permanent jobs and 2,000 construction jobs, while advancing production capacity for obesity treatments.

IN FULL

Pharma giant Eli Lilly said it will invest $3.5 billion to build a new manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, expanding its U.S. production footprint as demand for obesity and diabetes drugs continues to surge. The plant will focus on making next-generation obesity treatments, including retatrutide, an experimental drug that has delivered strong weight-loss results in late-stage clinical trials. Construction is expected to begin this year, with the facility scheduled to start operations in 2031. Once fully operational, the site is expected to employ about 850 full-time workers, including engineers, scientists, and technicians, and support roughly 2,000 construction jobs during the building phase.

The Pennsylvania project marks the fourth major U.S. manufacturing facility announced by the pharmaceutical giant in recent years. Lilly has pledged at least $27 billion toward new domestic manufacturing investments, in addition to roughly $23 billion it has spent in the United States since 2020. CEO Dave Ricks has reportedly told President Donald J. Trump that the company plans to build six U.S. plants, although Lilly has not formally confirmed that number.

The investment comes as drugmakers race to expand manufacturing capacity for GLP-1-based therapies, which have reshaped the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obesity rates continue to climb worldwide, with projections showing that more than half of adults could be overweight or obese by mid-century, contributing to a sharp rise in diabetes and related chronic diseases.

Beyond healthcare, the widespread use of effective weight-loss drugs has drawn attention for its broader economic impact. Analysts have suggested that large-scale weight reduction could lower costs in industries such as aviation by reducing fuel consumption, while governments have focused on improving access to the medications to curb long-term healthcare spending.

Lilly recently overtook Novo Nordisk in the GLP-1 market, though Novo is seeking to regain ground with plans to launch the first GLP-1 pill for obesity. Both companies have increased U.S. investments following earlier tariff threats from President Trump, which have since eased after voluntary drug pricing agreements aimed at lowering costs for patients.

Image by Towfiqu barbhuiya.

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