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Tuesday, July 8, 2025
18 minutes ago
Lauren Gallagher
Health
Lawfare

RFK Jr. Is Being Sued for His Vaccine Reforms.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Healthcare groups are suing HHS and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over sweeping changes to federal vaccine policy, including scrapping COVID-19 guidance.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and a Massachusetts woman.

📍WHEN & WHERE: U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, July 2025

💬KEY QUOTE: “This decision to unilaterally overturn the COVID recommendation based on a history of bias — it was an arbitrary, capricious decision.” – Richard H. Hughes IV

🎯IMPACT: The lawsuit challenges the legality of Kennedy’s unilateral vaccine reforms and may halt his COVID-19 guidance rollback, reigniting debates over federal authority and medical freedom.

IN FULL

Several prominent healthcare organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alleging “unlawful unilateral changes” to federal vaccine policy. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and seeks to block Kennedy’s reforms to COVID-19 immunization guidance.

The plaintiffs—the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), and a pregnant woman—complain that Kennedy changed COVID-19 vaccine guidance and dismissed the entire U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

“Kennedy has been on a warpath,” said Richard H. Hughes IV, a partner at Epstein Becker Green and lead counsel for the plaintiffs. “This decision to unilaterally overturn the COVID recommendation based on a history of bias—it was an arbitrary, capricious decision. They didn’t make any effort to follow any ordinary processes.” Hughes accuses the HHS of violating the Administrative Procedure Act, which mandates transparency in agency decision-making.

HHS responded, “The Secretary stands by his CDC reforms.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to limit COVID-19 vaccines largely to those aged 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions starting and has issued a safety communication warning of the heart health risks of mRNA coronavirus vaccines, particularly for young males.

“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy has said of his reforms.

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57 minutes ago
Immigration

Macron Admits Immigration Is a ‘Burden.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the need for France and the United Kingdom to address immigration collaboratively, calling it a “burden for our two countries.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and the British government.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Macron addressed the British Parliament on July 8, during the first day of his three-day state visit to the United Kingdom.

💬KEY QUOTE: “France and the UK have a shared responsibility to address irregular migration [sic] with humanity, solidarity, and firmness.” – Emmanuel Macron

🎯IMPACT: Macron’s remarks set the stage for an upcoming summit to foster cooperation and achieve tangible results on immigration challenges after years in which illegal crossings of the English Channel have steadily worsened.

IN FULL

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a united effort between France and the United Kingdom to address immigration, admitting it is a “burden for our two countries.” Speaking to the British Parliament on Tuesday, July 8, during the first day of a three-day state visit, Macron said migrants crossing the English Channel illegally in small boats are seeking “hope for a better life,” but added: “Rules must not be flouted.”

Macron said Britain and France need to tackle illegal immigration with “humanity, solidarity, and firmness,” insisting their shared objective “is to have the best ever cooperation between our two countries in order to fix today what is a burden for us both.”

Channel crossings were declared a “major incident” by the British government as long ago as 2018. Still, they have steadily increased from hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands annually regardless, despite escalating multi-million-pound payments to the French authorities to stem the flow.

Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s Reform Party, was among the first public figures to expose the crisis and highlight incidents in which the French and British authorities were seemingly colluding to help transport boat migrants to England rather than turning them back to France.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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2 hours ago
Politics

OpenAI Boss Ditches Democrats Over Embrace of Socialism.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he feels politically homeless, lamenting that the Democratic Party has abandoned its support of a “culture of innovation and entrepreneurship,” embracing a radical socialist ideology pushed by figures like Zohran Mamdani instead.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sam Altman, Zohran Mamdani, and the Democratic Party.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Altman leveled his criticism in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in July 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “So now I am politically homeless. But that’s fine; I care much, much more about being American than any political party.” — Sam Altman

🎯IMPACT: The OpenAI CEO joins a growing number of wealthy Democrat donors who are reconsidering their allegiance to the party in the face of the growing influence of radical figures like New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

IN FULL

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, says the Democratic Party no longer fosters a “culture of innovation and entrepreneurship,” leaving him feeling “politically homeless.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the artificial intelligence (AI) mogul explained that he was drawn to the party in his twenties during what he described as an embrace of “techno-capitalism” under Barack Obama.

“We should encourage people to make tons of money and then also find ways to widely distribute wealth and share the compounding magic of capitalism. One doesn’t work without the other; you cannot raise the floor and not also raise the ceiling for very long,” Altman wrote in the post, seemingly in response to New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani—a self-described socialist—who recently declared that billionaires should not exist.

The OpenAI CEO lamented that Democrats, at one time, seemed “reasonably aligned” with a “culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.” However, Altman said he now believes that the party “los[t] the plot when I was 30, and [has] completely… moved somewhere else at this point.”

“So now I am politically homeless. But that’s fine; I care much, much more about being American than any political party,” Altman. The billionaire added: “I’d rather hear from candidates about how they are going to make everyone have the stuff billionaires have instead of how they are going to eliminate billionaires.”

The mayoral candidacy of Mamdani, a foreign-born follower of Shia Islam’s extreme “Twelver” sect, has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Party, with a number of its wealthier donors considering backing incumbent Mayor Eric Adams‘s independent re-election bid.

Image by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell.

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2 hours ago
News
War

Russia-Linked Arsonists Convicted of Burning Down Ukraine Aid Warehouse.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Three men have been found guilty of an arson attack on a warehouse in London, England, in connection with the Ukraine war, causing approximately £1 million (~$1.36m) in damage.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nii Mensah, Jakeem Rose, and Ugnius Asmena were convicted. Ringleaders Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves admitted to aggravated arson and were linked to Russia’s Wagner Group.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred on March 20, 2023, at an industrial unit in Leyton, London.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This case is a clear example of an organisation linked to the Russian state using ‘proxies’ to carry out very serious criminal activity.” – Commander Dominic Murphy

🎯IMPACT: The case marks the first convictions under the National Security Act 2023 for saboteurs acting on behalf of the Wagner Group.

IN FULL

Three men have been convicted of setting fire to a warehouse in London, England, which was linked to Ukraine aid efforts. The arson attack, carried out on March 20, 2023, caused the equivalent of over a million dollars in damages. England’s High Court heard that the attack was orchestrated on behalf of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company (PMC).

Nii Mensah and Jakeem Rose set fire to the building while Ugnius Asmena waited in a car. Dylan Earl planned the attack with assistance from Jake Reeves, who targeted the warehouse due to its role in supplying Starlink equipment and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Both Earl and Reeves admitted to aggravated arson and charges.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the London Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, stated: “The warehouse arson put members of the public at great risk, and it was only by good fortune nobody was seriously injured or worse.” He added that the case demonstrates how foreign entities, such as the Wagner Group, use local proxies to carry out acts of sabotage.

Evidence presented during the trial included phone data, CCTV footage, and videos of the fire. Mensah and Rose were recorded climbing over a wall to approach the warehouse and later fled the scene. Messages between the perpetrators revealed their awareness of the damage caused, with Mensah texting Earl: “Bro lol it’s on the news … we dun damages [sic].”

The court also heard of additional plots by Earl and Reeves to target businesses and individuals critical of the Russian government, including the high-profile Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin. The defendants will be sentenced later this year.

Earlier this year, a Wagner Group mercenary was arrested crossing illegally into the United States from Mexico. He was found with a drone, two passports, and around $4,000.

Russia is suspected of being linked to other possible acts of sabotage in Western countries, including exploding packages on cargo planes.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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3 hours ago
Breaking

BREAKING: Supreme Court Clears Path for Trump’s Federal Firings.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that President Donald J. Trump can move forward with plans to significantly reduce the federal government workforce.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court, and federal agencies.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was made on Tuesday, July 8, following Trump’s executive order issued on February 11.

🎯IMPACT: The decision clears the way for significant reductions in workforce across 19 federal departments and agencies.

IN FULL

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Donald J. Trump to proceed with his plan to reduce the size of the federal government workforce. This decision lifted a lower court order that previously blocked the administration from cutting workforces across 19 federal departments and agencies.

The Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s request on Tuesday, with only one dissenting justice. The ruling allows the implementation of Trump’s February 11 Executive Order while ongoing litigation continues.

Opponents of the move have expressed concerns that the changes could result in hundreds of thousands of federal employees losing their jobs. The administration, however, has argued that the reductions are necessary to streamline government operations and reduce unnecessary expenditures.

The decision marks a significant victory for the Trump administration as it pursues its goal of reshaping the federal government. The ruling will remain in effect as legal challenges to the executive order proceed.

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3 hours ago
News
War

Trump Is Exerting ‘Heavy’ Pressure on Netanyahu to End Gaza War.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is applying significant pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring an end to the ongoing war in Gaza, according to sources close to the ceasefire negotiations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Steve Witkoff, Marco Rubio, and Hamas leaders.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Meetings in Washington, D.C., including a White House dinner on Monday night, during Netanyahu’s visit from Monday to Thursday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The U.S. pressure on Israel has begun, and tonight it will be heavy,” an unnamed source told Sky News.

🎯IMPACT: The pressure from the U.S. could influence Netanyahu’s decisions regarding the Gaza conflict and potentially reshape the region’s future diplomatic landscape.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump is reportedly exerting strong pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt Israel’s military actions in Gaza. This comes from two sources close to the ceasefire negotiations, with one U.S. source stating on Tuesday, “The U.S. pressure on Israel has begun, and tonight it will be heavy.”

Netanyahu, who arrived in Washington, D.C., early Monday morning, has held meetings with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, and Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State and National Security Adviser. Additional meetings are taking place on Tuesday, with the Israeli leader is scheduled to remain in Washington until July 10.

The Monday night dinner between Trump and Netanyahu reportedly focused on the Gaza ceasefire deal and the broader implications for the region. While Trump seeks to solidify his legacy as a peacemaker, Netanyahu’s strategic objectives, including the elimination of Hamas, remain a key factor in the negotiations.

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4 hours ago
Immigration

Trump: ‘We’ve Got to Give the Farmers the People They Need’ — But No ‘Amnesty.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump said he is not considering any form of “amnesty” for illegal immigrants, but that farmers must be given “the people they need.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and agricultural and hospitality industry lobbyists.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump made his remarks on Tuesday, following statements earlier in the day from Agriculture Secretary Rollins.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We’ve got to give the farmers the people they need, but we’re not talking amnesty.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The announcement reinforces the administration’s stance on immigration enforcement and pushes back against lobbying efforts for amnesty.

IN FULL

On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump said that his administration will not entertain any “amnesty” deals for illegal immigrants, with mounting rumors that lawmakers on Capitol Hill—along with agricultural and hospitality industry lobbyists—are pursuing one. Both industries, in recent weeks, have ramped up political pressure for a carve-out to protect illegal immigrants in their respective workforces from ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the country.

“We’ve got to give the farmers the people they need, but we’re not talking amnesty,” Trump said, echoing remarks by his Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, who stated earlier on Tuesday that, “[T]here will be no amnesty, the mass deportations continue but in a strategic way, and we move the workforce towards automation and 100 percent American participation.”

The comments come amid an ongoing debate within the Trump White House over how to address the agricultural and hospitality industries’ push for exceptions to the illegal immigrant crackdown. Notably, in mid-June, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance resulting in a brief pause on immigration enforcement actions targeting farms and hotels. However, after public and internal White House backlash, the guidance was withdrawn just days later.

On Monday, The National Pulse reported that Republican state lawmakers in California authored a letter urging President Trump to direct ICE to end its “sweeping raids” against illegal immigrants and instead open “a path to legal status” for “non-criminal undocumented immigrants [sic].”

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5 hours ago
Lawfare

Obama Judge Bizarrely Rules Congress Cannot Deprive Planned Parenthood of Funding.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Massachusetts federal judge temporarily blocked a provision in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” recently signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, that would have halted Medicaid funding to abortion giant Planned Parenthood.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Planned Parenthood, Judge Indira Talwani, and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Massachusetts, the ruling was issued Monday, with a hearing set for July 21.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The fight is just beginning, and we look forward to our day in court!” – Planned Parenthood.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling temporarily ensures Medicaid funding continues to Planned Parenthood despite the new federal provision.

IN FULL

Planned Parenthood secured a temporary legal victory late Monday after a Barack Obama-appointed federal judge in Massachusetts moved to block a federal provision barring Medicaid funding for the abortion giant. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani’s ruling comes despite the provision in question being a part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” recently passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Donald J. Trump. On the surface, it appears to be a grave encroachment by a federal judge into the powers of the legislative branch.

While the Hyde Amendment already bars most federal dollars from funding abortion services, like those offered by Planned Parenthood, the fungibility of said dollars has allowed the organization to remain a major Medicaid funding recipient. However, under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” healthcare providers who abort babies and received $800,000 or more in Medicaid funding in 2023 are barred from receiving additional funding for one year.

“Defendants, their agents, employees, appointees, successors, and anyone acting in concert or participation with Defendants shall take all steps necessary to ensure that Medicaid funding continues to be disbursed in the customary manner and timeframes to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its members; Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts; and Planned Parenthood Association of Utah,” Judge Talwani wrote in her order which prevents the federal provision, already authorized by Congress, from taking effect for 14 days. Consequently, the judge has scheduled a hearing on the matter for July 21.

Planned Parenthood contends the provision—which does not single the organization out—explicitly targets them for what it maintains are legal activities. However, the nature of the legislative provision is that of a budgetary measure aimed at reducing Medicaid expenditures, and again, it does not single out Planned Parenthood specifically.

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) slammed the ruling. “What part of the Constitution prohibits Congress from defunding Planned Parenthood?” the Utah Republican wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter), continuing: “If any part of the Constitution somehow prohibits Congress from withdrawing federal funding from an entity like Planned Parenthood, I’m not familiar with that provision.”

“Unless I’m missing something, this is an abuse of judicial power,” Lee added.

Notably, the United States Supreme Court already ruled recently that state governments can move to restrict Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.

Image by Robin Marty.

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5 hours ago
News

Trump Launches Farm Security Plan to Curb Foreign Threats.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Senior Trump administration officials unveiled a plan to protect U.S. farmland from foreign threats, including Chinese ownership and agroterrorism risks.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, and Chinese nationals linked to agroterrorism concerns.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made Tuesday during a press conference.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The farm’s produce is not just a commodity, it is a way of life that underpins America itself, and that’s exactly why it is under threat,” said Brooke Rollins.

🎯IMPACT: U.S. farmland security measures include canceling contracts with foreign entities and addressing agroterrorism vulnerabilities.

IN FULL

On Tuesday, high-ranking officials from the Trump administration unveiled a strategy to safeguard U.S. agricultural land from Chinese ownership and other risks to American farming resources.

“Every family, every home, every community depends upon what our farmers do, and they support and sustain us, not merely by keeping us materially fed, but by keeping us spiritually strong,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins during a press briefing.

“The farm’s produce is not just a commodity, it is a way of life that underpins America itself, and that’s exactly why it is under threat from criminals, from political adversaries, and from hostile regimes that understand our way of life as a profound and existential threat to themselves,” she further stated.

The initiative seeks to protect U.S. farmland from adversaries such as Communist China, strengthen the agricultural supply chain, and enhance the security of American agricultural research. Rollins disclosed that she had ended contracts or research collaborations involving 70 scientists from nations of concern, including China.

In June, two Chinese nationals in Michigan faced charges for attempting to illegally transport Fusarium graminearum, a fungus considered a potential agroterrorism weapon, into the U.S. The Justice Department indicated that researchers funded by federal grants employed these individuals.

Rollins has confirmed that her department terminated seven ongoing agreements with foreign entities deemed concerning.

This development follows a bipartisan effort last month, when Democratic Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) and Republican Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced legislation to enhance scrutiny of foreign purchases of U.S. farmland, particularly addressing concerns about Chinese ownership near critical military sites.

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6 hours ago
War

Houthi Strike on Cargo Ship Leaves 3 Dead.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked two cargo ships in the Red Sea, killing three mariners and wounding two others.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Houthi rebels, the European Union (EU)-led Operation Aspides, and the crews of the Liberian-flagged ships Eternity C and Magic Seas.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The attacks occurred on July 7, 2025, in the Red Sea, a critical global trade route.

🎯IMPACT: The attacks raise concerns of a renewed Houthi campaign threatening vital shipping lanes and global trade.

IN FULL

On Monday, July 7, 2025, Houthi rebels launched a deadly assault on the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged cargo ship Eternity C in the Red Sea, killing three crew members and injuring two, one of whom lost a leg, according to the EU’s Operation Aspides naval force. The attack involved explosive drones and small boats targeting the vessel en route to the Suez Canal.

Security personnel on board returned fire, but the ship was left adrift, with its crew unable to evacuate safely. The day prior, on Sunday, the Houthis targeted another Liberian-flagged vessel, Magic Seas, with missiles, drones, and gunfire, forcing its 22 crew members to abandon ship.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the ship sank, though this remains unverified. These attacks, the first since November 2024, signal a resurgence of Houthi aggression in the Red Sea, a critical trade route for $1 trillion in annual commerce.

The European Union (EU) naval force in the region confirmed the Eternity C attack but noted the Houthis have not officially claimed responsibility. The assaults followed Israeli airstrikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, which the rebels often cite as provocation, alongside their stated support for Palestinian militants since the Hamas-Israel conflict began in October 2023.

From November 2023 to January 2025, Houthi attacks struck over 100 merchant ships, sank two, and killed four sailors. A U.S.-led military operation earlier this year paused their activity, but these recent strikes raise concerns about renewed threats to global shipping.

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