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Thursday, July 30, 2026

Tag: donations
April 16, 2026
Media
News

Lefty NPR Gets $113 Million in Mega-Donations. Meanwhile, On The Right…

National Public Radio (NPR) has received two massive donations from an Obama Foundation board member and an anonymous donor totaling over $100 million dollars, following cuts to the broadcaster’s federal funding by Congress. Meanwhile, real news sites like The National Pulse require your support.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: NPR has received two mega-donations totaling $113 million after the broadcaster lost all of its federal funding. While the federal funding cut amounted to only around two percent of NPR’s annual budget, it still proved to be a significant blow to local stations.
👤 WHO WAS INVOLVED: Obama Foundation board member Connie Ballmer, the wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, contributed $80 million, while an anonymous donor provided $33 million. Ballmer is also a former NPR Foundation board member.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I support NPR because an informed public is the bedrock of our society, and democracy requires strong, independent journalism,” said Ballmer.
📺 DETAIL:  The funding comes at a critical time after Congress eliminated about $1.1 billion in federal support for public media, putting financial strain on NPR and local stations. The money is intended to strengthen collaboration across stations, improve how NPR delivers content, and adapt to how audiences consume news across platforms. Despite the scale of the gifts, NPR executives emphasized they cannot fully replace the loss of federal funding, which has already led to layoffs and financial pressure across the system. Local public radio stations have been hit particularly hard, with many losing around 10 percent of their budgets. NPR says the donations are meant as long-term “catalytic investments” to help ensure the network’s viability and evolution over the next several decades.
🎯 IMPACT: These donations aim to fill the financial gap left by Congress’s decision to eliminate $1.1 billion in federal funding for partisan public media, which caused budget cuts and layoffs across the system.

Image by Alyson Hurt.

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National Public Radio (NPR) has received two massive donations from an Obama Foundation board member and an anonymous donor totaling over $100 million dollars, following cuts to the broadcaster's federal funding by Congress. Meanwhile, real news sites like The National Pulse require your support.

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September 18, 2025
Politics

Judge Faces Ethics Reprimand for Making Almost a Thousand Democrat Donations.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A Florida judge made hundreds of political donations totaling around $29,000 to Democrat-aligned organizations or candidates, violating judicial ethics rules.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Judge Diana Tennis and the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Donations were made since 2016; the case was filed at the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Judge Tennis admitted to her misconduct and has cooperated with the Commission in all respects during this inquiry. She has expressed deep regret that her conduct could have eroded the public’s perception of the integrity of the judiciary and judicial elections.” – Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission

🎯IMPACT: The case raises concerns about judicial impartiality, and the Florida Supreme Court will determine whether to approve a recommended public reprimand.

IN FULL

A Florida judge is facing disciplinary action for illicit political contributions barred under state ethics rules. According to a filing made earlier this week, Judge Diana Tennis made over 900 donations totaling approximately $29,000 to Democrat-aligned organizations and candidates. These donations, according to the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, violated judicial ethics rules outlined in Canons 1, 2A, and 7A (1)(e), which prohibit judges from making political contributions.

The commission noted that while other judges have made political donations, Tennis was described as “far and away the most prolific offender” in both the number of contributions and the total amount given. The organizations and campaigns receiving her donations included Democratic congressional candidates, pro-abortion PACs, and Joe Biden‘s presidential campaign.

Tennis expressed remorse for her actions, claiming that she misunderstood the rules and believed the prohibition only applied to state-level candidates. She also stated that some donations were unintentionally authorized as recurring payments or split into multiple entries by platforms or committees. Despite her explanations, the commission emphasized that her actions could undermine public trust in the judiciary.

In light of her cooperation and lack of prior disciplinary history, the commission recommended a public reprimand. “Judge Tennis admitted to her misconduct and has cooperated with the Commission in all respects during this inquiry. She has expressed deep regret that her conduct could have eroded the public’s perception of the integrity of the judiciary and judicial elections,” the commission said in its filing.

The Florida Supreme Court will now review and approve the recommendation. If accepted, Tennis will receive a public reprimand. If rejected, the case could proceed to a full hearing before the Judicial Qualifications Commission.

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October 11, 2024
Election 2024
News
Politics

Kamala’s Campaign Hits $1 Billion Raised.

Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign has surpassed $1 billion in fundraising since its inception despite seemingly losing ground to President Donald J. Trump in several key swing states.

Fundraising began with a surge of donations following President Joe Biden’s announcement on July 21 that he was exiting the race. Harris’s campaign collected $81 million within a day, climbing to over $100 million by July 22.

In August, the campaign reported raising $361 million, escalating its fundraising total to over $615 million. September’s figures are yet to be disclosed. Official records of recent fundraising efforts are expected in mid-October.

In Pennsylvania, a pivotal state for both parties, Republican factions have invested approximately $222.5 million in presidential race advertisements.

Meanwhile, Democratic factions have spent slightly more, at $275.1 million. The Harris campaign intends to allocate further resources toward advertising and operational efforts, particularly in battleground states, over the approaching weeks.

The rapid pace of fundraising has given Harris’s campaign a financial edge over the Trump campaign, particularly evident in August, when Harris’s campaign raised $230 million more. As of now, the campaign holds over a $100 million advantage. The Trump campaign reported a September fundraising total of $160 million.

Despite the large amount of cash, the Harris campaign has been unable to move poll numbers substantially and meaningfully, and in recent days, Trump has been improving in many polls.

Betting markets, such as Betfair, Polymarket, and Bwin, now all put Trump ahead of Harris, with the betting average giving Trump a 52 percent chance of winning next month to 46.4 percent for Harris.

Swing state polling suggests that Trump could win at least 280 electoral college votes, more than enough to meet the 270 required to win the presidency.

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Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign has surpassed $1 billion in fundraising since its inception despite seemingly losing ground to President Donald J. Trump in several key swing states. show more
desantis
July 26, 2023
Jake Welch
News

DeSantis in 8th Place in Small-Dollar Donor Race.

Ron DeSantis is lagging far behind many of his rivals in the race for the party base’s coveted, small-dollar donors. The metric is critical when considering the depth and breadth of support for presidential campaigns. The Florida Governor has now managed to obtain just 17 percent of his campaign funds from small dollar donors, while front-runner Donald Trump flexes a whopping 82 percent rate.

DeSantis’s current second place polling rival, Vivek Ramaswamy, also performed far better among grassroots supporters, registering 57.5 percent of his campaign finances from those giving under $200.

DeSantis also ranks behind the majority of candidates in the race to become the Republican nominee for 2024. Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, and even Will Hurd have received higher grassroots support than Florida’s Governor. Only zero-percenters Asa Hutchinson, Doug Burgum, and Francis Suarez rank lower than DeSantis.

Worse still for Florida’s Governor, larger donors are beginning to lose faith in his presidential campaign. DeSantis has already held “crisis talks” with his corporate donors and insisted that he’s playing the “long game,” however, many have already lost patience and their money. Two of DeSantis’ billionaire donors – Ken Griffin and Nelson Peltz – are reconsidering their support. The Murdochs, too, are looking to cut DeSantis loose as they “can smell a loser.”

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Ron DeSantis is lagging far behind many of his rivals in the race for the party base's coveted, small-dollar donors. The metric is critical when considering the depth and breadth of support for presidential campaigns. The Florida Governor has now managed to obtain just 17 percent of his campaign funds from small dollar donors, while front-runner Donald Trump flexes a whopping 82 percent rate. show more

Editor’s Notes

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

How Long Can Ron Cling On?

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
In the political world, and of course beyond, the critical question is now: “How long can Ron cling on?” His consultants, including the infamous Jeff Roe, will be hoping the answer is, “At least until Iowa
for exclusive members-only insights
In the political world, and of course beyond, the critical question is now: “How long can Ron cling on?” His consultants, including the infamous Jeff Roe, will be hoping the answer is, “At least until Iowa show more
for exclusive members-only insights
foreign
July 11, 2023
Jake Welch
News

Foreign Billionaire Exploits Loopholes to Give Half a BILLION to U.S. Far Left.

A Swiss billionaire has been exploiting a foreign influence loophole, allowing him to avoid federal bans on foreign influence in American elections. Hansjörg Wyss – who founded Synthes USA before selling it to Johnson & Johnson for $20 billion – has donated upwards of $475 million in an effort to “[re]interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics.”

Both the Wyss Foundation and the Berger Action Fund have been used to funnel cash through the Arabella Advisors network, a “dark money hub” comprised of a number of groups supporting: radical climate change policies; changes to American election laws; defunding police; and packing the US Supreme Court.

Wyss also donated $72.7 million to another 12 “dark money organizations” in 2021 alone, $62.5 million of which went to groups supporting and promoting President Joe Biden‘s policies.

The Swiss octogenarian – who is also the co-owner of Chelsea Football Club following the British government’s ouster of the Vladimir Putin-linked Roman Abramovich – has “used his personal fortune to finance radical left-wing causes and candidates, all while attempting to avoid any public scrutiny or oversight,” states a new report from Americans for Public Trust.

“It’s time for Congress to close the foreign influence loophole that allows foreign dark money to flood the American electoral and political system,” argues Caitlin Sutherland, the group’s executive director.

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A Swiss billionaire has been exploiting a foreign influence loophole, allowing him to avoid federal bans on foreign influence in American elections. Hansjörg Wyss – who founded Synthes USA before selling it to Johnson & Johnson for $20 billion – has donated upwards of $475 million in an effort to "[re]interpret the American Constitution in the light of progressive politics." show more