Thursday, July 3, 2025

Trump Gets Israel to Agree to His Gaza Ceasefire Proposal.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Israel agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forward by President Donald J. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Steve Witkoff, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Hamas, and Gazans.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on July 2, during a press briefing in Estonia.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire.” – Gideon Saar

🎯IMPACT: Potential for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, with talks aimed at ending the conflict altogether.

IN FULL

Israel has confirmed its acceptance of a ceasefire proposal by President Donald J. Trump‘s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. This comes a day after Trump announced that Israel had agreed to the necessary conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, while on a state visit to Estonia, stated, “We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire,” confirming Israel’s acceptance of Witkoff’s proposals.

Though details of the proposal were not elaborated upon by Saar, he mentioned the goal of starting proximity talks as soon as possible. Trump, on Truth Social, highlighted a productive meeting with Israelis about Gaza, agreeing to finalize a 60-day ceasefire.

Before Israel’s announcement, Hamas indicated it was considering the ceasefire proposal via mediators Egypt and Qatar.

Trump’s renewed push for peace follows his settlement of the Israel-Iran war, personally averting further Israeli strikes after an agreed ceasefire, and his administration’s orchestration of a peace deal between the Congo and Rwanda in Central Africa.

Image by Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages.

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REVIEW: ‘Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony’ Uplifts at The Kennedy Center.

On the sultry evening of Friday, June 27, The National Pulse was granted exclusive access to a production at once opulent, nostalgic, and a little haunted by its own premise: Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony, a two-night orchestral fantasia staged at Washington D.C.’s crown jewel, the Kennedy Center.

Dolly herself—ethereal, untouchable—did not appear in the flesh. Yet she materialized in spirit, projected nearly a dozen times onto the Concert Hall’s grand screen, offering quips, anecdotes, and metaphysical warmth between lush arrangements of her best-loved songs. It was not quite a concert, nor merely a tribute. It was closer to a séance—with sequins.

🎻 OVERTURE OF ABSENCE.

The National Symphony Orchestra, under the exuberant baton of Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke, opened the night with an immaculate, full-bodied overture. The acoustics shimmered. Reineke conducted with the rapture of a man caught in a southern Baptist revival tent. The audience thundered back with applause—but there lingered a ghost of anticipation. One conspicuous figure had yet to arrive.

Then, there she was.

Dolly Parton. The woman who once said it takes a lot of money to look this cheap, and who made rhinestones into a philosophy. Appearing on screen as digital fairy godmother, she welcomed us with a warm, almost holographic sincerity. At 78 years old, she looked—let’s be honest—closer to 38, and beamed with that honeyed Tennessee optimism no Botox needle could ever counterfeit.

👗 THREE DOLLYS AND A DREAM.

Soon after, three glamorously bedazzled vocalists—Katelyn Drye, Hollie Hammel, and Blair Lamb—stepped out in unison, like Dolly’s muses summoned from a honky-tonk Olympus. They handled her vocal duties with admirable poise, trading harmonies and solos with a polish that honored the legend, though at times evoked more Vegas revue than mountain ballad.

By the third arrangement, the show found its rhythm. The symphonic interpretation of Dolly’s songs—lush, deliberate, unapologetically sentimental—began to weave the evening’s emotional fabric.

🧵 THE GOLDEN THREADS.

Between performances, Dolly told stories. About writing from the gut. About being banned from the radio for “controversial” lyrics, though she insisted her provocations were purely incidental. “I never meant to be scandalous,” she confessed with a wink. “I just wrote what I felt.”

She described herself as “over-the-top,” which is like calling Niagara Falls “a bit damp.” But it’s this very camp, stitched through with truth, that’s made Dolly not just a country icon but a sort of American saint—part showgirl, part philosopher, all heart.

At one point, she spoke of invisible threads connecting us all—a central theme of the production. It’s easy to dismiss such talk as pop-spiritual puffery. But with Dolly, it feels earned. You believe her when she says the songs come from God. Or maybe from the Smoky Mountains. Close enough.

☀️ A SAD KIND OF FREEDOM.

The night crescendoed around Light of a Clear Blue Morning, her soaring ballad of liberation and melancholy. Dolly recounted writing it in tears while driving home after her final day filming The Porter Wagoner Show, the program that launched her, constrained her, and finally set her free. The rain, she said, stopped as soon as the song found her.

The orchestra’s rendition was thunderous—sunlight breaking through stormclouds in C major. Audience members wept. Others closed their eyes and smiled, like they’d heard from an old friend they’d long feared gone forever.

🎤 LEGACY WITHOUT APOLOGY.

This wasn’t Dolly at her most raw or rambunctious. It was Dolly curated—polished and reverent. But the performance never felt artificial. Instead, it felt like a museum of living memory, with Dolly herself as exhibit and tour guide.

Her impact, after all, is quantifiable. As the Kennedy Center press release reminds us (in numbers as shiny as her costumes):

  • 11 Grammy Awards, 52 nominations;

  • 120 charted singles;

  • 49 Top 10 country albums (a record);

  • 255 million books donated to children;

  • The #1 Q Score of any performer, living or dead.

She is a monument with a pulse.

🌟 IN THE END.

As the final notes rang out, the orchestra took their bows. Not just one standing ovation—several. And they deserved every single one. So did Dolly, though she was already gone—vanished like a dream after sunrise.

If Threads was meant to tie us together, then for two nights in Washington, D.C., it succeeded—pulling on the hearts of blue-collar dads, pearl-draped matrons, theater nerds, political climbers, and Gen Z TikTokers alike. All humming the same tune.

James Rose contributed to this review.

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On the sultry evening of Friday, June 27, The National Pulse was granted exclusive access to a production at once opulent, nostalgic, and a little haunted by its own premise: Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony, a two-night orchestral fantasia staged at Washington D.C.’s crown jewel, the Kennedy Center.

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Canadian Arrested After Migrant Family Drowns Trying to Cross U.S. Border.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. was arrested for his role in a smuggling ring that resulted in the deaths of a family of four and his brother.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Timothy Oakes, 34, and three U.S.-based co-conspirators, Dakota Montour, Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, and Janet Terrance.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The smuggling occurred in May 2023 near the St. Lawrence River on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation.

💬KEY QUOTE: “He profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved.” – Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

🎯IMPACT: Oakes faces multiple charges, and the investigation into the transnational smuggling operation continues under “Operation Take Back America.”

IN FULL

A Canadian-American dual citizen, Timothy Oakes, 34, has been arrested for his involvement in a human smuggling operation that left a family of four, including two young children, dead. According to the Justice Department, Oakes was part of a group smuggling migrants across the St. Lawrence River from Canada to New York.

Oakes routinely hosted migrants in his home on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, which borders the river, before transporting them across on his boat. In May 2023, he hosted a Romanian family with two small children, aged one and two, before his brother attempted to ferry them across the river, despite warnings of dangerous weather conditions, including high winds and freezing temperatures. The boat capsized, with all five drowning.

“He profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Galeotti added, “Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers.”

Oakes was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in June while attempting to cross into New York. He has been charged with conspiracy to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. His three U.S.-based co-conspirators—Dakota Montour, 31, Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, and Janet Terrance, 45—have all pleaded guilty.

“Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year-long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said ICE agent Erin Keegan. The investigation, which is ongoing, involves collaboration between American and Canadian agencies and is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a Justice Department initiative launched under the Trump administration to combat illegal immigration and transnational crime.

Since the start of President Donald J. Trump’s second term, illegal border crossings from Canada have plummeted as much as 95 percent, according to a report in April. President Trump has also successfully pressured Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney into introducing a Strong Borders Act in the Canadian legislature to further strengthen action on fentanyl, illegal immigration, and other U.S. priorities.

Image by Lorie Shaull.

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UK Lawmakers Have Voted to Classify This Pro-Palestinian Org as a Terrorist Entity.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Members of Parliament (MPs) in Britain’s House of Commons voted to proscribe the Palestine Action group as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: MPs in the House of Commons, pro-Palestinian demonstrators, and government officials, including Security Minister Dan Jarvis and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The vote took place on Wednesday in the House of Commons, with further debate expected in the House of Lords on Thursday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Proscription is rightly ideologically neutral. It judges an organisation on its actions and the actions it is willing to deploy in pursuit of its cause.” – Security Minister Dan Jarvis

🎯IMPACT: The decision criminalizes support for Palestine Action and could result in sentences of up to 14 years for offenses related to it.

IN FULL

Britain’s House of Commons has voted to designate Palestine Action, an extremist group responsible for acts of sabotage at British military bases and defense industry facilities, as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000. The decision passed with a majority of 359 votes, as 385 MPs supported the motion and 26 opposed it. The legislation now moves to the House of Lords for further debate—although the British upper chamber’s powers to restrain the lower chamber are far weaker than the U.S. Senate’s.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis defended the move, stating that the proscription would “reaffirm the UK’s zero tolerance approach to terrorism, regardless of its form or underlying ideology.” The move follows a high-profile incident in which Palestine Action activists broke into a Royal Air Force (RAF) base and sabotaged crucial military aircraft, and a raid last year on a defense industry facility that saw police officers injured with sledgehammers.

The decision has sparked criticism from far-left MPs and activists. Independent Muslim MP Zarah Sultana described the move as a “deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalize solidarity, and suppress the truth.”

Palestine Action claims to be a non-violent direct action group targeting companies linked to Israel‘s defense industry, despite attacking police with sledgehammers last year. The group has vowed to challenge the proscription in court. They argue that their actions are necessary to oppose what they call “genocide, apartheid, and occupation” in Gaza.

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WATCH: British Finance Chief Cries After Clashes with PM and Speaker.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: British Chancellor Rachel Reeves was seen with tears rolling down her cheeks in the House of Commons after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refused to confirm she would remain in her role until the next election.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch.

📍WHEN & WHERE: During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Chancellor is going nowhere. She has the Prime Minister’s full backing.” – Downing Street spokesman.

🎯IMPACT: Market speculation over the Chancellor’s future led to the pound falling by 1.14 percent against the dollar and 0.8 percent against the euro.

IN FULL

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, roughly equivalent to U.S. Treasury Secretary in the United Kingdom, was visibly emotional in the House of Commons as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer avoided confirming her position as Chancellor would be secure until the next election. A spokesman for Ms. Reeves claimed her breakdown was related to a “personal matter.”

Reports suggested tensions had risen prior to Prime Minister’s Questions, when legislators grill the premier in the House of Commons, with claims of a disagreement between Ms. Reeves and the Prime Minister and a brief rebuke from Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle during Treasury questions. Both No. 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s official residence, and No. 11 Downing Street, the Chancellor’s official residence, denied these allegations.

Market reactions were swift, with the pound dropping by 1.14 percent against the dollar and 0.8 percent against the euro, hitting its lowest level since April. This comes amid concerns over the government’s fiscal plans, including a nearly £5 billion (~$6.8 billion) gap in Reeves’s spending proposals due to changes in welfare reforms.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the Prime Minister, stating Reeves looked “absolutely miserable” and challenged him to confirm her position. Sir Keir refused, instead responding that Badenoch “certainly won’t” hold her current role as Leader of the Opposition—likely in reference to the fact that Nigel Farage’s Reform Party looks set to displace the Conservatives, and possibly Starmer’s governing Labour Party, too.

Labour’s welfare reforms have faced significant challenges, with Sir Keir forced to scrap key elements to avoid a Commons defeat. Reeves has also stewarded other unpopular policies, such as higher death taxes on family farmers, leading to substantial protests.

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Border Crossings Hit Another Historic Low.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have dropped to historic lows, with fewer than 6,000 migrant apprehensions last month—the lowest monthly number ever recorded by Border Patrol.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Border Patrol, Border Czar Tom Homan, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and President Donald J. Trump

📍WHEN & WHERE: U.S. Southern Border, June 2025

💬KEY QUOTE: “We have never seen numbers this low. Never.” — Tom Homan

🎯IMPACT: Historically low numbers of crossings at the southern border due to the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. More aggressive deportation policies and a strong military presence are discouraging migrants from attempting illegal entry.

IN FULL

The number of illegal migrant crossings along the southern border has reached an all-time low. Preliminary Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data show that last month, Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border recorded over 6,000 apprehensions of migrants who entered the U.S. without authorization, making this the lowest monthly tally ever reported by the agency.

These figures stand in stark contrast to those under the Biden government, which faced a humanitarian, political, and operational crisis of unprecedented proportions at the southern border.

According to Tom Homan, the Trump administration’s border czar, Border Patrol did not release any migrants for a second consecutive month. In comparison, tens of thousands of migrants were released into the U.S. with instructions to plead their cases in immigration court at some later date under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

“President Trump has created the most secure border in the history of the nation and the data proves it. We have never seen numbers this low. Never,” said Homan, adding: “God bless the men and women of the US Border Patrol and God bless the men and women of ICE. The interior arrests and consequences help to drive down illegal immigration.”

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The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Could Make Tens of Millions from Asylum Seekers.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will require asylum seekers to pay a $100 fee, which could generate millions of dollars.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Republicans in Congress, asylum seekers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The “One Big Beautiful Bill” was passed on July 1 in the Senate, and is now returning to the House of Representatives.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Massive tax cuts, especially no tax on tips and overtime. And most importantly, big money for border security. This is a big win for the American people,” Vice President J.D. Vance said of the bill.

🎯IMPACT: The new charge could generate millions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. government.

IN FULL

A new stipulation in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or OBBB, could generate millions of dollars from asylum seekers if it passes the House in its current form. The proposal, supported by President Donald J. Trump, includes a $100 fee for each asylum application. In 2024, the U.S. recorded 892,904 asylum applications. At $100 each, the federal government could collect nearly $90 million from applicants.

The original House of Representatives’ version of the bill, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, proposed a $1,000 asylum application fee, but the Senate reduced it to $100. The bill has now been returned to the House, which could potentially raise the fee again.

Additional charges include a $100 annual fee on pending asylum cases, $550 for an initial work permit, $250 for special immigrant juvenile status, and a $500 fee for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applications. TPS offers refuge to those alleged to be facing danger in their home countries.

The Trump administration has already removed TPS for Venezuelan migrants and is seeking to end TPS for Haitians as well, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of deportations.

The bill includes $170 billion for immigration-related expenses, with $29.9 billion earmarked for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement and $45 billion for detention centers. Notably, the asylum application fees would be no guarantee against deportation for illegitimate applicants.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the OBBB in the Senate, said of the legislation, “Massive tax cuts, especially no tax on tips and overtime. And most importantly, big money for border security. This is a big win for the American people.”

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The FDA Is Finally Adding Heart Risk Info to COVID Vaccines.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the warning labels on Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccines to include new information regarding the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis, particularly in young males.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The FDA, Pfizer, Moderna, and study participants, including young males affected by myocarditis.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The updated safety communication was issued on June 25, 2024, in the United States.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[The] FDA has required and approved updates to the Prescribing Information for Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) manufactured by Pfizer Inc. and Spikevax (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) manufactured ModernaTX, Inc. to include new safety information about the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.” – FDA Safety Communication

🎯IMPACT: The FDA’s updated warnings acknowledge persistent cardiac injury risks but omit significant study findings on the severity and long-term implications, particularly for young males.

IN FULL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an updated warning for Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, including new safety data regarding myocarditis and pericarditis. The June 25 safety communication highlights that males aged 12–24 remain at the highest risk, with at least 27 known cases per million doses during the 2023–2024 vaccination period.

MRI scans from a government-funded study revealed that heart abnormalities often persist for months in vaccine-associated myocarditis patients. The FDA admitted that the long-term consequences of these injuries remain “not known.” The updated warning language was required to be added to the Prescribing Information and Fact Sheets for both Comirnaty (Pfizer) and Spikevax (Moderna), including their Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) versions for children.

The safety communication reads:

“Purpose: To inform the public and healthcare providers that FDA has required and approved updates to the Prescribing Information for Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) manufactured by Pfizer Inc. and Spikevax (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) manufactured ModernaTX, Inc. to include new safety information about the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis following administration of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.”

The FDA’s revised labeling reflects findings from a U.S. study co-authored by its staff, which tracked approximately 300 myocarditis cases linked to mRNA vaccines.  The study found that nearly half of these cases involved moderate to severe injury, with some showing worsening conditions over time.

The FDA has mandated both Pfizer and Moderna to conduct further studies on the long-term heart outcomes of myocarditis cases associated with their vaccines. These investigations are ongoing. Researchers theorize that the condition may result from vaccine-activated immune mechanisms targeting heart muscle cells, potentially linked to spike proteins or other vaccine components.

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Trump DOJ Charges More Antifa Members for ICE Facility Siege.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Four more individuals were charged in connection with criminal acts during an Antifa-led siege of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nadya Sofia Malinowska, David Pearl, Trenten Edward Barker, and August Dean Gordon, alongside other Antifa-affiliated individuals.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The lit flare that Barker threw was used as a heat source to ignite the materials stacked against the vehicle gate,” according to a federal affidavit.

🎯IMPACT: The siege has led to over 20 arrests, with charges ranging from arson to assault on federal officers.

IN FULL

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against four additional individuals involved in an Antifa-led siege outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland, Oregon. The occupation has resulted in 17 federal charges so far.

Among those charged is Nadya Sofia Malinowska, 33, who faces three counts of failing to obey lawful orders. Malinowska, who self-identifies as transgender after changing identity in May 2023, allegedly refused to vacate federal property on three separate occasions in June. David Pearl, 35, was charged with failing to obey a lawful order and creating a disturbance after interfering with Malinowska’s arrest on June 29.

Trenten Edward Barker, 34, has been charged with felony arson and depredation against federal property. According to a federal affidavit, Barker was seen constructing a barricade and later igniting it with a flare near the ICE building, causing over $4,000 in damages. Barker was arrested after resisting initially but ultimately complied. “The lit flare that Barker threw was used as a heat source to ignite the materials stacked against the vehicle gate,” the federal affidavit reads.

August Dean Gordon, 31, has been accused of assaulting five federal officers during his arrest on June 29. Gordon allegedly physically attacked officers, including by kicking and grabbing them violently, leaving one officer injured. Gordon also faces charges of willful depredation of government property.

Violent incidents during the Portland siege included arson, assaults on federal officers, and attempts to blind federal officers with high-powered lasers. The ICE facility remains a focal point of Antifa‘s ongoing demonstrations.

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An Anti-Trump, Pro-Trans Pride Organizer Just Got 24 Years for Raping a 12-Year-Old Boy.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Stephen Ireland, co-founder of “Pride in Surrey,” was sentenced to 24 years in prison for raping a 12-year-old boy after meeting him on a gay hook-up app.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Stephen Ireland, 41, and his co-defendant David Sutton, 27, were both convicted of multiple sexual offences against children.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The crimes occurred on April 19, 2024, at Ireland’s apartment in Addlestone, England. Sentencing took place at Guildford Crown Court on October 2024.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Stephen Ireland, who targeted me with endless abuse on here because I oppose the chemical castration of children and the removal of protected spaces for women and girls, has just been sentenced… for child rape.” — J.K. Rowling.

🎯IMPACT: Ireland and Sutton were found guilty of a string of sexual offences.

IN FULL

Stephen Ireland, co-founder of England’s “Pride in Surrey” LGBT organization, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for raping a 12-year-old boy he met on gay hook-up app Grindr. His co-defendant, David Sutton, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for separate offences, including making and distributing indecent images of children. Notably, Ireland was a prolific social media users, regularly chastising supporters of U.S. President Donald J. Trump and so-called trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) author J.K. Rowling for opposing child sex changes.

The crimes took place in Addlestone, Surrey, on April 19, 2024, after Ireland invited the boy—referred to in court as “Child A”—to his apartment. Child A, who had been reported missing, told police that Ireland and Sutton engaged in sexual activities with him, played pornography on a laptop, and provided him with a bong containing methamphetamine.

Judge Patricia Lees, presiding over the case at Guildford Crown Court, noted that Ireland “took advantage” of a vulnerable child. The court heard that Ireland supposedly believed the boy was 17 at first but later learned he was younger and chose to proceed regardless, telling the boy, “OK—we just have to keep it a secret.”

Further evidence revealed that Ireland and Sutton exchanged messages about the boy after the encounter, with Ireland describing the child as a “14-year-old baby” and sending Sutton a photo of him. The pair also discussed plans to procure another underage boy for Sutton’s birthday in 2022. Judge Lees condemned their actions, stating, “You definitely supported one another in your perversions.”

Ireland was convicted of multiple charges, including rape, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and possession of indecent images of children. Sutton was found guilty of voyeurism and perverting the course of justice. Both men attempted to destroy evidence by deleting material from their phones after being released on police bail.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, regularly berated by Ireland on social media, noted that the pedophile “targeted me with endless abuse on here because I oppose the chemical castration of children and the removal of protected spaces for women and girls” prior to his upcoming imprisonment “for child rape.”

Ireland has previously referred to Trump voters as “not inclusive and accepting of all… trans exclusionary, racist and narrow minded,” and said another Pride organizer who disagreed with him on transgenderism was “not what Pride stands for.”

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