GET THE APP
Monday, February 23, 2026

Tag: Baltimore
February 6, 2026
William Upton
Lawfare

Appeals Court Upholds Trump Order Ending Federal DEI Programs.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit cleared the way for the Trump administration to move forward with plans to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal contracting and grant processes.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Chief Circuit Judge Albert Diaz, the City of Baltimore, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP),  the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), U.S. District Court Judge Adam B. Abelson, President Donald J. Trump, and federal department heads.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was issued on Friday, February 6, 2026, after a nearly year-long legal battle.

💬KEY QUOTE: “President Trump has decided that equity isn’t a priority in his administration and so has directed his subordinates to terminate funding that supports equity-related projects to the maximum extent allowed by law. Whether that’s sound policy or not isn’t our call.” — Fourth Circuit panel

🎯IMPACT: President Trump’s plans to end DEI requirements and programs for federal contractors and grant recipients have been in limbo since last February, when Joe Biden-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Adam B. Abelson issued an injunction against the administration.

IN FULL

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit cleared the way for the Trump administration to move forward with plans to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal contracting and grant processes, vacating a district court injunction blocking the changes. In the unanimous ruling issued on Friday, the Fourth Circuit panel determined that the plaintiffs failed to establish their claim that two Executive Orders signed by President Donald J. Trump in January 2025, which ended federal support for DEI programs, violated their First Amendment free speech rights.

U.S. Chief Circuit Judge Albert Diaz, an Obama appointee, authored the court’s opinion, writing, “President Trump has decided that equity isn’t a priority in his administration and so has directed his subordinates to terminate funding that supports equity-related projects to the maximum extent allowed by law. Whether that’s sound policy or not isn’t our call. We ask only whether the policy is unconstitutionally vague for funding recipients.”

Notably, the court found that because President Trump‘s Executive Orders were directives issued to his Cabinet and did not attempt to govern the private conduct of federal grant recipients, the directives had no impact on the free speech rights of the plaintiffs. The Fourth Circuit panel admonished the plaintiffs and the lower court ruling, writing, “What plaintiffs are really asking us to do is read subtext into the Provision’s text. And what they’re really challenging is how the Administration and its agency actors interpret antidiscrimination law in relation to plaintiffs’ DEI programming.”

The Trump administration’s plans to end DEI requirements and programs for federal contractors and grant recipients have been in limbo since last February, when the City of Baltimore—joined by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE)—filed a lawsuit against the directives in Maryland federal court. Subsequently, U.S. District Court Judge Adam B. Abelson, appointed by former President Joe Biden, issued an injunction against the administration, preventing Trump’s Executive Orders from going into effect. In his ruling, Judge Abelson specifically found that President Trump’s detectives likely violated the plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.

Image by Katrin Bolovtsova.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more
June 18, 2025
Crime
Politics

Top U.S. Cities Have One Thing in Common: No Democrats in Power.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Provo, Utah, was declared the most efficient city in the U.S., according to a WalletHub study analyzing 148 cities based on factors like crime, unemployment, and infrastructure.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, WalletHub researchers, and other city officials across the U.S.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The study was published in June 2025, focusing on cities nationwide, with Provo, Utah, ranking first.

🎯IMPACT: Provo’s success highlights the effectiveness of conservative leadership in fostering low crime, economic growth, and strong education outcomes.

IN FULL

Provo, Utah, has been named the most efficient city in the United States, according to a WalletHub study that analyzed 148 cities on factors such as unemployment, crime, infrastructure quality, education outcomes, and economic health. Provo, run by Republican Mayor Michelle Kaufusi since 2017, achieved the top ranking due to its low crime rates, strong economy, and high graduation rates.

The city boasts the fourth-lowest violent crime rate and seventh-lowest property crime rate in the nation. It also ranks 22nd for infrastructure quality and eighth for unemployment. Provo’s economy is growing at a rate of 5.2 percent, and its high school graduation rate stands at nearly 91 percent, signaling a bright future for the city of just over 113,000 residents.

Nampa, Idaho, ranked second in the study, also under Republican leadership. Mayor Debbie Kling has overseen a city with the lowest property crime rate in the nation and a government with remarkably low debt—just $478 per capita in long-term debt. This contrasts sharply with cities like New York, where residents would need to contribute over $34,000 each to eliminate their city’s debt.

Manchester, New Hampshire, placed third, with Republican Mayor Jay Ruais taking office in January 2024. Manchester excels in environmental health, boasting the seventh-lowest air pollution in the country, alongside a strong real estate market and low unemployment. The city’s lack of state income and general sales taxes has also attracted new residents.

At the other end of the spectrum, San Francisco, California, was ranked the worst-run city in the study, burdened by the highest debt levels and ongoing issues with crime and homelessness. Other poorly-ranked cities included Detroit, Oakland, and Baltimore, all of which struggle with high crime rates and weak public services. San Francisco’s financial health was downgraded by S&P Global in December 2024, reflecting the challenges facing Democrat-led cities.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

show less
show more
May 7, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Culture
Politics

Loony Left Wants Downed Bridge Renamed for Rep. Who Called Reagan ‘Clear and Present Danger’ to Blacks.

Democrats want to rename the Francis Scott Key Bridge, destroyed when an Indian-crewed cargo ship allided with it in March, after a radical black Democrat politician who called Ronald Reagan a “clear and present danger” to black Americans.

“We think this [the destruction of the bridge presents] an excellent opportunity to make a statement about what Marylanders believe,” said Carl Snowden, who leads the Caucus of African American Leaders. The group, representing black activists and politicians in Maryland, wants the replacement bridge named after the Old Line State’s first black congressman, Parren Mitchell.

Mitchell, a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and pioneer of affirmative action policies, tried to increase black turnout for the Democrats in the 1980 presidential election by claiming “Ronald Reagan [was] a clear and present danger to black America,” accusing the then-candidate of having been “embraced and endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan.”

Mitchell’s efforts were unsuccessful, with Reagan heavily defeating Democrat President Jimmy Carter. He attempted to impeach Reagan in 1983, but this also failed.

Francis Scott Key, born in 1779, is most famous for authoring The Star-Spangled Banner. Key has been posthumously “canceled” for having owned a small number of slaves, although he also freed slaves, arguing for freedmen to receive land and against slavery as an institution.

Democrats are also using the destruction of the Baltimore bridge, in which several migrant workers were killed, to push for a mass amnesty of illegal aliens.

Joe Biden has also sought to gain political capital from the tragedy, claiming he had crossed the bridge “many, many times” by train. However, it never had a railway line.

show less
Democrats want to rename the Francis Scott Key Bridge, destroyed when an Indian-crewed cargo ship allided with it in March, after a radical black Democrat politician who called Ronald Reagan a "clear and present danger" to black Americans. show more
April 17, 2024
William Upton
Economy

Baltimore Bridge Collapse Costing $191M *A Day* In Lost Economic Activity.

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, which forced the partial closure of the city’s port, could cost the state almost $200 million a day in lost economic activity. Commercial shipping activity at the Port of Baltimore has been severely disrupted since late March when a cargo ship allided with the bridge, causing it to collapse into the shipping channel below.

Scott Cowan, president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 333, which operates out of the port, says the partial closure will severely impact his members. “There’s about 2,400 ILA union longshoremen in the Port of Baltimore. And last year alone, we worked over four million man hours in the port,” Cowan said in a recent interview. He added: “So it’s a big impact to the longshoremen and their families and it’s a catastrophic event.”

According to Cowan, his longshoremen and connected industries generate millions of dollars a day in economic activity for the State of Maryland. “It’s not just the 2,400 ILA longshoreman, you got almost 20,000 direct jobs attached to this port and 100,000 indirect jobs,” he said before concluding: “It’s a big economic impact to the state of Maryland to the tune of $191 million a day.” The ILA local president also said he and his members have been given no indication by the state or federal government when regular activity at the port will resume.

The National Pulse previously reported that President Joe Biden’s allies on Capitol Hill and in corporate America have tried to use the bridge collapse to push for the importation of additional cheap immigrant workers. This labor is often used to undercut union worker wages or replace union jobs — like the longshoremen — entirely.

show less
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, which forced the partial closure of the city's port, could cost the state almost $200 million a day in lost economic activity. Commercial shipping activity at the Port of Baltimore has been severely disrupted since late March when a cargo ship allided with the bridge, causing it to collapse into the shipping channel below. show more
April 15, 2024
Crime
News

FBI Opens Criminal Investigation Into Baltimore Bridge Smashed by Container Ship.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has initiated a criminal investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, last month. The bridge was struck on March 26 by the DALI, a container ship flagged in Singapore and crewed by Indians, assisted by U.S. harbor pilots. The subsequent collapse of the bridge caused six fatalities.

The FBI has officially confirmed its presence on the ship, stating, “The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship DALI conducting court authorized law enforcement activity.” They declined to add further details, but official sources say investigators will seek to establish whether the crew knew their ship, which appeared to lose power before the allision, had issues before they departed.

Erek L. Barron, U.S. attorney for Maryland, reaffirmed his commitment to the law in a statement, saying, “Whether it’s gun violence, civil rights abuse, financial fraud, or any other threat to public safety, we will seek accountability for anyone who may be responsible.”

The DALI is registered to Grace Ocean Ptd Ltd. and managed by the Singaporean firm Synergy Marine Group. At the time of the tragedy, Maersk had chartered the ship, which was en route to Sri Lanka from Baltimore.

show less
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has initiated a criminal investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, last month. The bridge was struck on March 26 by the DALI, a container ship flagged in Singapore and crewed by Indians, assisted by U.S. harbor pilots. The subsequent collapse of the bridge caused six fatalities. show more
April 5, 2024
William Upton
Immigration

Biden, Zuckerberg Allies Use Baltimore Bridge Collapse to Demand MORE Cheap Illegal Labor.

As Joe Biden visits the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage in Baltimore, Maryland, the President’s allies — including progressive lawmakers and corporate special interest groups — are using the immigrant deaths to renew a push for the mass legalization of illegal immigrants working low-wage jobs. The bridge collapsed after being struck by a shipping vessel on March 26 — with six immigrant workers killed in the disaster.

Proponents of mass amnesty for illegals contend that illegal aliens who have worked and paid taxes in the U.S. for decades are entitled to the legitimacy of a work permit. Organizations such as the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC) and FWD.us — a progressive advocacy group co-founded by Facebook‘s Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan — are spearheading the effort.

Critics argue this press for immigration legislation unfairly utilizes the tragic bridge disaster as leverage and neglects American citizens. Chris Chmielenski, the president of the Immigration Accountability Project, told Breitbart that the corporate media is “choosing — whether consciously or not — to ignore the fact that these immigrant workers are being exploited at the expense of American workers who are willing to take these jobs.”

Since President Biden took office, more than 13.7 million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S., displacing native-born workers. The National Pulse previously reported that almost all of the jobs gained by the U.S. economy since the start of Biden’s term have been fueled by migrant labor. This led the Biden government and its progressive allies to quietly push executive actions to work around the immigration limits set by Congress in 1990.

show less
As Joe Biden visits the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage in Baltimore, Maryland, the President's allies — including progressive lawmakers and corporate special interest groups — are using the immigrant deaths to renew a push for the mass legalization of illegal immigrants working low-wage jobs. The bridge collapsed after being struck by a shipping vessel on March 26 — with six immigrant workers killed in the disaster. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
We’ve said it for over a decade now
for exclusive members-only insights
We’ve said it for over a decade now show more
for exclusive members-only insights
April 1, 2024
Immigration

Koch-Backed Open Borders Fiend Uses Baltimore Bridge Deaths to Push For More Immigration.

Progressive activists and open border advocates are using the death of several immigrants in the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse to push for increased immigration numbers in the United States. The deadly accident has claimed the lives of at least six immigrant workers.

Several non-profit groups that provide aid to illegal immigrants and push for increased immigrant numbers in the U.S. have seized on the deaths to push their open-borders agenda. “American workers got to sleep in their beds and not get hit by a cargo ship because immigrant workers went to work to fill potholes,” wrote David Bier in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Bier, who works for the pro-open borders Cato Institute, added: “Can’t wait for immigrants to rebuild this bridge bigger and better than ever.”

Other non-profit organizations like Global Refuge and United We Dream — which aid mass immigration through charitable programs — stressed the need for immigrant labor to help rebuild the collapsed bridge. “We know we can and we will rebuild,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, CEO of Global Refuge, said in a statement. He continued: “And we also know the contributions of our immigrant brothers and sisters will continue to be essential in that effort.”

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, called the use of the immigrant worker deaths to promote mass immigration policies “kind of creepy.” He added: “Most of the people who do this are Americans. In this case, for any number of reasons, these guys were immigrants … There’s just no [immigration] policy implications to draw from this [tragedy].”

Responding to Bier’s posts on X, Oren Cass, who runs the pro-worker American Compass think tank, said: “It’s important to understand that for many libertarians, their open borders advocacy leading to a Qatar-like caste system in America is a feature, not a bug.”

show less
Progressive activists and open border advocates are using the death of several immigrants in the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse to push for increased immigration numbers in the United States. The deadly accident has claimed the lives of at least six immigrant workers. show more
March 27, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Fact Check

Joe Biden Says He Took The Train Across The Destroyed Baltimore Bridge… Except It Never Had A Rail Line.

Joe Biden has been caught in another lie following the destruction of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, claiming to have taken the train over it many times despite the fact it lacks a railway.

The Maersk-chartered ship DALI, flagged in Singapore but with an all-Indian crew assisted by American harbor pilots, allided with one of the bridge’s support pillars early Tuesday, sending motorists and construction workers plunging into the water.

Addressing the disaster, Biden claimed he had been over the bridge “many, many times, commuting from the State of Delaware” by train and car. As the bridge never had a rail line, this is impossible.

Biden has told tall tales since at least 1988, when he first ran for the presidency, telling a series of lies about his academic accomplishments, which he later attributed to his memory having “failed” him.

More recent tall tales include his claims to have traveled around the world with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, which he has repeated over 20 times despite the fact it has been extensively debunked even by friendly media outlets.

show less
Joe Biden has been caught in another lie following the destruction of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, claiming to have taken the train over it many times despite the fact it lacks a railway. show more
March 26, 2024
Jack Montgomery
News

WATCH: Baltimore Bridge COLLAPSES After Cargo Ship Allision.

A cargo ship allided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday, causing a near-total collapse. A large number of vehicles crossing the bridge plunged into the sea, with the Baltimore City Fire Department declaring a “mass casualty event.”

The ship has been identified as the DALI, operated by Synergy Group and chartered by Maersk. While it is flagged in Singapore, it reportedly has an all-Indian crew of around 22. They are currently believed to be largely unharmed beyond a “scratch on the head of one crew member.”

City officials believe “at least” seven vehicles are in the water but describe this as a “dynamic count” that could increase significantly. As of the time of publication, first responders, including dive teams, are on scene, but they are “battling darkness,” and changing tides represent an escalating challenge.

Two people are confirmed to have been pulled from the water, one believed to be in relatively good health and one at a trauma center in poor condition.

This story is developing…

show less
A cargo ship allided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday, causing a near-total collapse. A large number of vehicles crossing the bridge plunged into the sea, with the Baltimore City Fire Department declaring a "mass casualty event." show more