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Saturday, July 12, 2025
1 hour ago
Crime
Immigration

Revealed: Dangerous, Criminal Pasts of Migrants at ‘Alligator Alcatraz.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: New details from the Florida Attorney General’s office reveal that migrants awaiting deportation at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center include those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, and organized crime.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Florida Attorney General’s office, Communications Director Jeremy Redfern, several convicted criminals awaiting deportation, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The detention facility, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” opened earlier this month in the Everglades, Florida.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It’s known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ which is very appropriate, because I looked outside, and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon.” — President Donald J. Trump

🎯IMPACT: The facility is housing dangerous migrants, including murderers and gang members, who are bound for deportation.

IN FULL

Florida officials have disclosed the criminal histories of several migrants currently held at a new state-run detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” The information, released by the office of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, outlines the serious offenses committed by several individuals awaiting deportation.

“The left-wing press continues to spend their time amplifying false reports, but the reality is that there are monsters awaiting deportation within Alligator Alcatraz far worse than the monsters lurking in the surrounding Everglades,” said a spokesman for Uthmeier.

Among those detained is Lazaro Rodriguez Santana, a Cuban national who was convicted in Texas for sexual assault and for failing to register as a sex offender. Jose Fortin, a citizen of Honduras, was found guilty of second-degree murder in Miami-Dade County. Another Honduran detainee, Oscar “Satan” Sanchez, reportedly affiliated with the notoriously violent MS-13 gang, was convicted in New York of conspiracy to commit murder, assault, and charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Other individuals include Guatemalan national Luis Donald Corado, who was convicted of burglary and voyeurism, and Wilfredo Alberto Lazama-Garcia of Venezuela, wanted in his home country for murder and robbery, and convicted in the U.S. for conspiracy to defraud the federal government.

Particularly disturbing is the case of Eddy Lopez Jemot, a Cuban national with convictions for murder, arson, and assault. According to authorities, Jemot slit an elderly woman’s throat in Key Largo, Florida, and set her home ablaze. He also reportedly later threatened to behead another woman.

“Alligator Alcatraz,” located in Florida and opened earlier this month, is backed by the state government and expected to utilize repurposed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding. President Donald J. Trump recently toured the facility and remarked, “It’s known as ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ which is very appropriate, because I looked outside, and that’s not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon.” He added, “But very soon, this facility will have some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet.”

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2 hours ago
Crime
UK

Farage: The ‘Grooming Gangs’ Scandal Is Getting Even Worse.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: An English police force has launched an investigation into allegations that records were falsified in a “grooming gang” case involving a father’s attempts to rescue his daughter from Pakistani-heritage rapists.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, South Yorkshire Police, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), and “Jack” (a pseudonym) alongside his daughter “Elizabeth” (also a pseudonym).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The events occurred in Rotherham, England, in 2005, with recent developments unfolding in 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “However bad we thought the grooming gang scandal was, it just got worse.” – Nigel Farage

🎯IMPACT: Calls for the Rotherham incident to be included in an official national inquiry into grooming gangs have intensified.

IN FULL

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has raised concerns over Britain’s child sexual “grooming gang” scandal, stating it is “getting worse” following reports of police corruption in Rotherham, England.

These reports suggest that records may have been falsified to cover up two arrests of a father, “Jack,” who was attempting to rescue his daughter, “Elizabeth,” from a rape gang in 2005. South Yorkshire Police has confirmed it has launched an investigation into the allegations.

Farage said, “However bad we thought the grooming gang scandal was, it just got worse.” He also stated on X that “South Yorkshire Police have failed yet again in their duty to protect children.”

Jack reported that his daughter was abused and trafficked by a gang over a 10-week period. Despite making “hundreds” of reports to South Yorkshire Police, Jack claims it is he who was arrested twice while trying to rescue Elizabeth. Police records covering the period show inconsistencies, including an address listed for Jack that he did not live at until years later.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) reviewed complaints made by Elizabeth, upholding several but not the claim regarding Jack’s arrests due to insufficient evidence. In 2021, the IOPC referred the matter back to South Yorkshire Police, which has now decided to investigate itself.

The investigation coincides with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper‘s announcement that nearly 1,000 previously closed grooming cases have been reopened as part of a national inquiry into grooming gangs. Farage has called for the Rotherham case to be included in this inquiry.

A government-commissioned report on Britain’s grooming gangs, comprised largely of South Asian Muslims preying on working-class white girls, was released last month. It showed that in many cases, the ethnicity of the gangs was not recorded or was ignored. Notably, grooming gang abuse went unchecked for years because the police and other authorities feared stoking racism or being accused of racism if they tackled it properly.

Despite this, the report still noted that Pakistani-background men were vastly overrepresented in grooming gang activity, contrary to establishment claims that such overrepresentation is a myth.

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3 hours ago
Lauren Gallagher
News

Trump Set to Initiate Mass Firings at State Dept.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. State Department will begin mass layoffs of many employees in the coming days.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. State Department, Secretary Marco Rubio, and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: United States, over the coming days.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It will happen quickly.” – State Dept. spokeswoman Tammy Bruce

🎯IMPACT: Thousands of civil and foreign affairs employees face termination as early as this week.

IN FULL

On Thursday, the State Department informed US-based employees that nearly 2,000 workers will be laid off after a recent Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to proceed with mass job cuts to downsize the federal government. In April, Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared a plan to streamline the department by cutting out redundant functions and offices.

In an e-mail, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael Rigas announced that employees impacted by the “reduction in force” will soon receive notifications. He noted that efforts have been made to support departing staff, including those in the Deferred Resignation Programs. “On behalf of Department leadership, we extend our gratitude for your hard work… and ongoing dedication to advancing U.S. national interests,” Rigas said.

The department did not specify how many employees would be dismissed. However, according to a plan sent to Congress in May, approximately 1,800—out of an estimated domestic workforce of 18,000—were proposed for layoffs.

Workers laid off will be from the civil and foreign services. Congress stated that more than 300 of the department’s 734 bureaus and offices would be streamlined, merged, or eliminated.

Tammy Bruce, a spokeswoman for the State Department, informed reporters that the implementation of force reductions had been delayed due to judicial interventions, but mass layoffs will now occur rapidly.

“There has been a delay—not to our interests, but because of the courts,” Bruce noted. “It’s been difficult when you know you need to get something done for the benefit of everyone.”

“When something is too large to operate, too bureaucratic, to actually function, and to deliver projects, or action, it has to change,” she added.

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3 hours ago
William Upton
Politics

Trump Names Loyalists to Planning Board in Fascinating Anti-Jerome Powell Play.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump appears to be set to utilize a little-known federal government entity to launch a renewed effort aimed at ousting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The National Capital Planning Commission, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) aide Stuart Levenbach, President Trump, and Jerome Powell.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Trump White House aides were named to the commission on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I am going to request a full review of plans of the Federal Reserve project. I’m going to ask that they send us a detailed explanation package of any and all upgrades, changes and modifications to the plan that was submitted here in 2021 and approved. I’m going to request a site visit.” — Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair

🎯IMPACT: Should the National Capital Planning Commission uncover evidence of serious malfeasance or ethical lapses on Powell’s part, it could lay the groundwork for President Trump to fire Powell as Federal Reserve chairman.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump appears to be set to utilize a little-known federal government entity to launch a renewed effort aimed at either ousting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell or, at the least, forcing the central bank chief to succumb to pressure to slash interest rates. In a political maneuver reminiscent of President Richard Nixon’s efforts to push his Fed chairman, Arthur Burns, to cut interest rates, Trump has quietly replaced a number of Biden-era appointees on the National Capital Planning Commission with key figures in his White House.

The move suggests the America First leader will use the commission’s authority over government buildings—including the Federal Reserve’s headquarters—to fuel a negative media campaign against Powell, who has overseen a lavish renovation of the central bank’s offices that has far exceeded its approved budget. However, should the National Capital Planning Commission uncover evidence of serious malfeasance or ethical lapses on Powell’s part, it could lay the groundwork for President Trump to fire the Federal Reserve chairman outright.

Leading the anti-Powell effort on the National Capital Planning Commission are its newest appointees, White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) aide Stuart Levenbach. “We should not be made fools of,” Blair told commission members on Thursday, continuing: “I am going to request a full review of plans of the Federal Reserve project. I’m going to ask that they send us a detailed explanation package of any and all upgrades, changes and modifications to the plan that was submitted here in 2021 and approved. I’m going to request a site visit.”

Dubbing the central bank’s headquarters the “Taj Mahal on the National Mall,” Blair suggested it is possible that Jerome Powell lied under oath—committing perjury—while testifying before the U.S. Senate regarding the Fed renovations. Notably, perjury is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1621, while 18 U.S.C. § 1001 makes it a crime for individuals to make material false statements to any branch of the federal government, including Congress, regardless of whether they are under oath.

“Please count me in,” Levenbach replied, adding: “I look forward to working with you on this letter and in scrutinizing this building.”

In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon successfully mustered a negative media campaign that, along with the threat of Congressional legislation exerting greater control over the central bank, forced then-Fed chairman Arthur Burns to drop his opposition to interest rate cuts. A similar result could manifest from President Trump’s use of the National Capital Planning Commission and revelations it may uncover regarding Powell’s approval of renovations at the Fed.

However, should Powell prove more entrenched in his opposition to rate cuts than Burns was during the Nixon administration, President Trump could also use any evidence that Powell lied to Congress or engaged in unethical behavior to fire him as Fed chair. The Federal Reserve Act stipulates that a President can only fire the central bank’s chairman “for cause,” which has been interpreted by federal courts as meaning serious misconduct and not merely policy disagreements.

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4 hours ago
News
War

Trump: U.S. Is Funneling Arms to Ukraine Via Sales to NATO Allies.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The United States is selling weapons to NATO allies who are then transferring them to Ukraine, amid intensified Russian drone and missile attacks.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, NATO allies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Ukrainian and Russian forces.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent weeks, with statements from Trump and Rubio on Thursday and Friday, and Russian attacks reported in Kharkov, Odessa, and Kiev.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 percent.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: NATO allies are coordinating with the U.S. to supply Ukraine with critical defense systems, while Russia increases its aerial and ground offensives.

IN FULL

The United States is advancing military support for Ukraine through an indirect strategy: selling American-made weapons to NATO allies, who then pass those arms on to Ukrainian forces. In a recent interview, President Donald J. Trump confirmed the approach, highlighting that NATO allies are covering the expenses. “We’re sending weapons to NATO, and NATO is paying for those weapons, 100 percent,” Trump said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio provided more context, explaining that transferring weapons already stationed in Europe enables faster delivery to Ukraine compared to shipping new equipment from the United States. “It’s a lot faster to move something, for example, from Germany to Ukraine than it is to order it from a [U.S.] factory and get it there,” Rubio stated.

Amid intensified Russian airstrikes, including a recent night in which more than 700 drones were launched, Ukraine has appealed for additional military aid, especially Patriot air defense systems. Cities such as Kharkov and Odessa have suffered casualties and infrastructure damage as a result of ongoing attacks.

Rubio noted that NATO members like Germany and Spain, which already operate Patriot systems, are in a position to send some of their current inventory to Ukraine. In turn, these countries are ordering new systems from the U.S. to replace what they have given. He outlined how these financial arrangements allow NATO countries to assist Ukraine without depleting their own defense readiness.

It is unclear how many Patriot missile systems are currently available to Ukraine. One report suggests the United States has only 25 percent of the Patriot missile systems needed for its own use. The stockpile has allegedly fallen so low that some are concerned it could harm American military operations.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western partners to accelerate their assistance, emphasizing Ukraine’s urgent need for both equipment and funds. “We need financing. And then, we will intercept,” Zelensky said.

President Trump is also, for the first time, using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to resupply Ukraine directly from Pentagon stocks, as he grows increasingly frustrated with Russia’s “bulls**t” in peace negotiations.

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5 hours ago
Education
Politics

Columbia Strikes Deal with Trump Admin on Anti-Semitism, Racial Discrimination Allegations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Columbia University is nearing a deal with the Trump administration to compensate victims of unlawful discrimination and increase transparency in hiring and admissions.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Columbia University and the Trump administration.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The draft agreement was first reported on Friday, July 11, 2025; Columbia University and the White House.

💬KEY QUOTE: A senior White House official told the media that the deal would “solidify reporting obligations related to foreign gifts” and ensure compensation for “victims of civil rights abuses.”

🎯IMPACT: The deal could set a precedent for other universities and increase accountability on anti-Semitism and racial discrimination issues.

IN FULL

Columbia University is in the final stages of negotiations with the Trump administration on a deal addressing unlawful discrimination and anti-Semitism. The agreement would require Columbia to compensate victims and adopt measures to increase transparency in hiring and admissions processes.

Notably, The National Pulse reported on Thursday that attorney Jay Lefkowitz, known for once securing a lenient deal for sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, was hired to act as a negotiator for Columbia in its discussions with the Trump administration. Sources told The National Pulse that Lefkowitz has outplayed federal negotiators in the Trump administration and was on the verge of finalizing an agreement with the U.S. government to rescue the far-left college from financial disaster.

The university’s board of trustees convened on Sunday to discuss the draft agreement, which would also restore access to $400 million in federal grants and contracts previously frozen by the White House’s anti-Semitism task force. A senior White House official told the media that the deal would “solidify reporting obligations related to foreign gifts” and ensure compensation for “victims of civil rights abuses.”

Notably, the agreement includes provisions for public disclosure of hiring and admissions data to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action. Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, is expected to supervise compliance. The agreement also includes measures that Columbia University agreed to earlier this year, such as tightening protest rules and placing its Middle Eastern Studies department under receivership. However, it is believed that in its current form, the deal lacks systemic reforms like the consent decree pushed by the Trump White House earlier this year and a politically diverse presidential search committee tasked with replacing the school’s interim president, Claire Shipman.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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5 hours ago
News

Court REJECTS Plea Deal for 9/11 Mastermind, Two Accomplices.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., overturned a plea deal for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants, halting efforts to conclude the long-running legal case.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, two co-defendants, former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was issued Friday by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out,” wrote Judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao in the majority opinion.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling delays the sentencing and keeps the death penalty as a possible outcome for the three terrorists.

IN FULL

A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to reject the plea agreements that would have barred 9/11 terror mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) and two co-defendants from being sentenced to capital punishment in exchange for the three pleading guilty to their crimes. The plea deals were initially negotiated between the former Biden government’s military prosecutors and defense attorneys for the three terrorists in August 2024.

However, after public backlash—including from family members of the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks—then-Secretary Austin moved to withdraw the plea agreements. The move was subsequently challenged by KSM and his co-defendants, with a military appeals court this past January determining that Austin could not overturn plea agreements for detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

The 2-1 decision by the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., effectively reinstates the former Secretary of Defense’s decision, putting the potential for the death penalty back on the table for KSM and his associates. Austin argued that only the Secretary of Defense could decide whether to remove the death penalty from consideration.

Judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao, writing for the majority, stated that Austin acted within his legal authority and explained his decision adequately. The court noted, “The families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out.” Additionally, the court found that since the plea agreement had not been fulfilled, Austin had the authority to withdraw from it.

Meanwhile, Judge Robert L. Wilkins dissented, calling the majority’s decision “stunning.” He argued that the government failed to meet the legal standard required for overturning the plea deal, stating, “It is impossible for me to conclude that the government has shown it is clearly and indisputably entitled to relief.”

Image by Robert J. Fisch.

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6 hours ago
Breaking

Tech Site Claims Epstein Jail Footage Is Not, In Fact, ‘Raw.’

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Footage from near Jeffrey Epstein’s prison cell at the time of his 2019 death was modified before being released by the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to an analysis by WIRED and video forensics experts.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The DOJ, independent video forensics experts, WIRED, and Jeffrey Epstein.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The Epstein footage was released earlier this week, pertaining to events from August 2019.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The file appears to have been assembled from at least two source clips, saved multiple times, exported, and then uploaded to the DOJ’s website, where it was presented as ‘raw’ footage.” – WIRED report.

🎯IMPACT: The lack of clarity about the editing process fuels further skepticism surrounding the circumstances of Epstein’s death and the authorities’ transparency about it.

IN FULL

Analysis conducted by the technology industry news site WIRED and independent video forensics experts suggests the footage released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) from near the prison cell holding Jeffrey Epstein at the time of his August 2019 death was edited with Adobe Premiere Pro, having been stitched together from two separate clips. The claim directly contradicts the DOJ’s assertion that the video was “full raw” footage sourced directly from the prison’s surveillance system.

The video file released by the DOJ, according to WIRED‘s forensic investigation, was edited and saved multiple times, with the tech news outlet asserting the footage was likely altered using Adobe Premiere Pro, a professional editing tool. It combines several clips that had been exported from the source video. Subsequently, after edits were made, the altered footage was uploaded to the DOJ website and presented as supposedly “raw” video.

“If a lawyer brought me this file and asked if it was suitable for court, I’d say no. Go back to the source. Do it right,” Professor Hany Farid, who researches digital forensics and misinformation at UC Berkeley, told WIRED. He added: “Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business.”

Farid, who reviewed the video file’s metadata, believes that “the video is not a continuous, unaltered export from a surveillance system.” Additionally, the UC Berkeley professor notes that the aspect ratio of the clip uploaded by the DOJ shifts several times, something that should not occur in unedited source footage. “Why am I suddenly seeing a different aspect ratio?” Farid questioned.

Notably, a minute is missing from the footage the DOJ has released, from 11:58:58 PM to 12:00:00 AM. Attorney General Pam Bondi has attritubted this to a technical issue.

The footage also does not cover Epstein’s cell door, due to all but two cameras in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) where Epstein was located not working correctly. However, the DOJ insists the footage from those two cameras does confirm that no one entered the tier where Epstein’s cell was located around the time of his death.

On Sunday, the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ruled Epstein’s death was a suicide, with no evidence of a “client list” or blackmail involving prominent individuals being released. Subsequently, as reported by The National Pulse, WarRoom host and former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon has called on President Donald J. Trump to appoint a special prosecutor to release all government files related to Epstein.

“They have to go to the court and demand and unseal the sealed evidence in Epstein. It starts there,” Bannon said, continuing: “Bundle everything together… release it all. Or, which I called for yesterday, appoint a special prosecutor—he should appoint a special prosecutor, a special counsel now, for the 2020 election and everything after that, and include Russiagate and all this. You have to do that. That should be done immediately, and that should report to the President.”

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7 hours ago
News
War

Trump Uses Presidential Authority to Send Weapons to Ukraine for the First Time.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump is set to send weapons directly to Ukraine from Pentagon reserves under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) for the first time since his reelection.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Pentagon officials, and Ukrainian forces.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The decision was announced this week, following a temporary halt in shipments, amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Russian advances.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The move could provide Ukraine with up to $300 million in military aid, including Patriot missiles.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump is poised to exercise his authority to deliver weapons directly to Ukraine from Pentagon stockpiles for the first time, according to Reuters, citing two sources. Previously, the Trump administration had only supplied arms approved during former President Joe Biden’s term.

Trump is expected to utilize the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which enables presidents to provide military assistance in urgent situations swiftly. This decision comes despite ongoing concerns about the depletion of U.S. military equipment in general and missile interceptors in particular ahead of a possible direct confrontation with a major power like Russia or China.

On Tuesday, Trump signaled that additional weapons would be sent to Ukraine as Russian advances and airstrikes escalate. The aid package, reportedly valued at up to $300 million, will likely include Patriot air defense missiles and medium-range rockets.

President Trump had appeared reluctant to arm Ukraine to the same extent as Biden before now, indicating this was encouraging the Ukrainian government to refuse a compromise peace. However, he has expressed frustration at Russia also appearing disinterested in peace in recent weeks, telling the press, “We get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

The U.S. military reportedly only has about 25 percent of the Patriot missile interceptors it needs. Some have already been sent to Ukraine over recent years, and others have been depleted defending Israel against Iranian missile strikes. U.S. defense manufacturers are reportedly capable of producing only about 500 Patriot missiles annually, raising questions about the long-term viability of sustaining current aid levels to Ukraine.

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8 hours ago
William Upton
NatSec
War

Trump, Hegseth Move to Establish Drone War Dominance.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Pentagon is implementing a new program aimed at equipping most U.S. Army squads with small attack drones by the end of next year, reversing several Biden-era directives restricting the production and use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the U.S. military, and the former Biden government.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The program was outlined in a memo issued by Hegseth on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The U.S. military has the Nation’s best and brightest in its ranks. Our adversaries have a head start in small UAS, but we will perform a technological leapfrog and establish small UAS domain dominance by the end of 2027. We will accomplish this urgent goal by combining the Nation’s best qualities, including risk-taking.” — Secretary Hegseth

🎯IMPACT: The initiative is part of a broader Pentagon effort to adjust and update military tactics in response to the evolution of drone warfare, and will prioritize equipping units under the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Notably, small drones have become key weapons in Ukraine and the Middle East in recent years.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump‘s Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is eyeing a significant overhaul of how the United States Army utilizes drone technology. A new directive issued by Secretary Hegseth could see most U.S. Army squads issued small attack drones for use in combat by the end of next year.

The initiative is part of a broader Pentagon effort to adjust and update military tactics in response to the evolution of drone warfare seen in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the utilization of small drones by the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terror group proxies in the Middle East.

“While global military drone production skyrocketed over the last three years, the previous administration deployed red tape. U.S. units are not outfitted with the lethal small drones the modern battlefield requires,” Hegseth wrote in a memo issued on Thursday. He continued: “I am rescinding restrictive policies that hindered production and limited access to these vital technologies, unleashing the combined potential of American manufacturing and warfighter ingenuity.”

“The U.S. military has the Nation’s best and brightest in its ranks. Our adversaries have a head start in small UAS, but we will perform a technological leapfrog and establish small UAS domain dominance by the end of 2027. We will accomplish this urgent goal by combining the Nation’s best qualities, including risk-taking,” the Defense Secretary added.

Notably, the program’s initial phase will prioritize equipping units under the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command with small attack drones. This appears to reflect the Pentagon’s concern over increasing Chinese aggression in the Pacific and the communist country’s own utilization of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

In June, President Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at boosting U.S. production of UAS weapons and other drone technology. Trump’s order effectively clears the way for Secretary Hegseth to scrap a series of restrictions established by the former Biden government on the production, acquisition, and use of small drone systems for military purposes.

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