Wednesday, February 25, 2026
electric grid

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Attacks on US Power Grid Surge.

The number of physical and cyber attacks on the United States power grid is rapidly increasing, with the country expected to surpass the current record set in 2022 of 164 by the end of the year.

There were 94 attacks on crucial electric infrastructure grids within the first six months of 2023, which is 27 more than at the same point in 2022, according to the Department of Energy (DOE). The difference was greater still in the first quarter of this year, with a staggering 62 compared to 30 in the first three months of 2022. However, the number is likely far higher as multiple reports of attacks were not recorded in the DOE’s official figures.

“There is no doubt there’s been an uptick over the last three years in the amount of incidents and also the severity of the incidents,” stated Manny Cancel, senior vice president at the North America Electric Reliability Corp, before explaining that attacks spiked during the 2020 and 2022 election seasons.

Nine attacks this year led to major disruptions affecting up to tens of thousands of people. Last year witnessed the largest attack, which impacted over 45,000 people across three states – Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Law enforcement officials have suggested “right-wing extremism” is to blame for the majority of attacks.

By Popular Demand.
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Congress Begins Probe into Ouster of Antitrust Chief from Bondi’s DOJ.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The House Judiciary Committee is requesting a briefing from the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the circumstances surrounding the ouster of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, who oversaw the agency’s Antitrust Division.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The House Judiciary Committee, Gail Slater, Republican influencer Mike Davis, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, former DOJ staffers Roger Alford and Bill Rinner, along with Compass, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Live Nation.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Slater left the DOJ on February 19, 2026, and the House Judiciary requested a briefing on the matter on Wednesday, February 25.

💬KEY QUOTE: “With the departure of AAG Slater, it appears there are no longer any principled antitrust experts left to guard the antitrust division from this cascade of corruption.” — House Judiciary letter

🎯IMPACT: Slater’s abrupt resignation is steeped in allegations that Republican influencer Mike Davis—founder of the Article III Project (A3P) and the MRDLaw legal services firm—worked to undermine the DOJ antitrust chief’s standing with Attorney General Pam Bondi to the benefit of corporate clients he reportedly represents.

IN FULL

The House Judiciary Committee has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the ouster of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, who oversaw the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division until last week. Slater’s abrupt departure is steeped in allegations that Republican influencer Mike Davis—founder of the Article III Project (A3P) and the MRDLaw legal services firm—worked to undermine the DOJ antitrust chief’s standing with Attorney General Pam Bondi to the benefit of corporate clients he reportedly represents.

Slater, who came highly recommended after working in Vice President J.D. Vance’s old Senate office, is believed to have refused to roll over so that Republican influencers could make large amounts of cash lobbying for corporate America.

Numerous sources close to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and lobbying operations in Washington, D.C., who spoke with The National Pulse, claim Davis oversaw a public relations campaign targeting Slater on behalf of alleged clients, including Compass, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Live Nation. Multiple individuals pointed to a heated meeting last July after the firing of two of Slater’s lieutenants, Roger Alford and Bill Rinner, during which White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles admonished Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, over Davis’s DOJ access and his role in instigating infighting within the department.

“With the departure of AAG Slater, it appears there are no longer any principled antitrust experts left to guard the antitrust division from this cascade of corruption,” the House Judiciary letter, sent to Attorney General Bondi on Wednesday, states. It adds, “The leadership vacuum is occurring just as the antitrust division is handling historic cases.”

The inquiry is likely to focus on Davis and his efforts to influence the DOJ, especially the Antitrust Division. Following Slater’s resignation, Davis took to social media, taking credit for her ouster—writing in one post, “Good riddance.”

In private messages reviewed by The National Pulse, Davis wrote, “I’ve done more than anyone here on the big tech antitrust fight. Gail was a disaster. I recommended her hiring. And her firing.” When The National Pulse reached out to Davis for comment following Slater’s ouster, he abruptly responded, “Go fuck yourself,” despite rising to fame on the back of Stephen K. Bannon’s War Room show, which was co-founded by The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief, Raheem J. Kassam.

Sources have suggested that Davis played a key role in pushing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to drop a case against Pepsi and Walmart involving allegations of price fixing. Davis is facing scrutiny over HP’s $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks as well, with U.S. District Court Judge Casey Pitts conducting a Tunney Act review of the case’s unusual settlement.

“What if I told you this was happening because greedy, fake-MAGA world grifters and lobbyists are upset that the antitrust team was actually doing their job instead of taking cash from big corporates to turn a blind eye to monopolistic practices?” The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam warned in a post on X (formerly Twitter) last July.

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Cuban Coast Guard Kills Four, Wounds Six in Gunfight with US-Registered Vessel.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Four men aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat were killed after allegedly opening fire on a Cuban border guard vessel.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Cuban border guards, a Florida-registered speedboat crew, and passengers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Wednesday morning near Cayo Falcones, off Cuba’s northern coast in Villa Clara province.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six injured.” – Cuban Interior Ministry

🎯IMPACT: The confrontation left four dead, six injured, and prompted an investigation into the incident.

IN FULL

The Cuban government says four men aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat were killed after engaging in a gun battle with a Cuban border guard vessel in the communist country’s territorial waters on Wednesday. According to Cuba’s Interior Ministry, the occupants of a U.S.-registered speedboat opened fire on its coast guard near Cayo Falcones, with the armed exchange resulting in four of the American vessel’s occupants being killed, while six other passengers were wounded and are currently receiving medical care.

“As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six injured,” the Cuban Interior Ministry said in a message published by the Caribbean island nation’s embassy in Washington, D.C. According to the Cuban government, the Florida-registered vessel, carrying at least 10 people, was detected in its territorial waters off the country’s northern coast in Villa Clara province. When five members of the Cuban border guard approached the speedboat to verify its identity, the crew allegedly opened fire, injuring a Cuban coast guard commander.

It is unclear if the boat’s occupants are American citizens or why it was in the communist country’s waters. Cuban officials said an investigation has been launched to “clarify” the circumstances of the incident. The speedboat was registered in Florida under the number FL7726SH.

The incident comes as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Saint Kitts and Nevis, an annual meeting of Caribbean nation leaders. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has increased economic pressure on Cuba—including a near-total blockade barring oil shipments to the island—as its nearly 67-year-old communist regime teeters on collapse.

UPDATE: According to publicly available information regarding the U.S. vessel’s registration number, the Cuban claim that the attack came from a speedboat may not be accurate. The FL7726SH appears to belong to a 1981 Pro-Line 24-foot center-console fishing boat.

Image by Pierre Marshall.

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Ilhan Omar’s Guest Was Arrested at Trump’s State of the Union, Here’s Why:

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A guest of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) was arrested by Capitol Police during President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening for unlawful conduct and disruption of Congress.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Ilhan Omar, her guest Aliya Rahman, Capitol Police, and President Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: During the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “It is illegal to disrupt the Congress and demonstrate in the Congressional Buildings.” – Capitol Police statement.

🎯IMPACT: Rahman was previously arrested last month after refusing lawful orders from federal immigration agents to move her vehicle in an apparent attempt to interfere with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation.

IN FULL

Aliya Rahman, a guest of Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), was arrested by Capitol Police during President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening for alleged unlawful conduct and disruption of Congress. Rahman, a Minneapolis, Minnesota resident, had been invited by Omar following her detention last month after refusing lawful orders from federal immigration agents to move her vehicle, in an apparent attempt to interfere with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation.

At the time, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Rahman “ignored multiple commands by an officer to move her vehicle away from the scene.” She was arrested along with six other alleged anti-ICE agitators, though Rahman insists she was actually en route to a medical appointment.

During the State of the Union address, Rahman was standing silently when officers asked her to sit down, which she refused, according to police. The Capitol Police stated, “The guest was told to sit down, but refused to obey our lawful orders. It is illegal to disrupt the Congress and demonstrate in the Congressional Buildings.” Rahman was arrested and charged with unlawful conduct. She was later taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment after allegedly sustaining injuries during the arrest.

Following her arrest on Tuesday, Rahman claimed she was not demonstrating but merely standing silently. “No buttons, no facial expressions, no gestures, no signs, not one sound,” she said. She added that she stood up when President Trump made remarks she described as “some of the most racist things I have heard come out of any leader’s mouth about the people of my city.”

Rep. Omar has called for an investigation into the arrest, stating that Rahman was “forcibly removed” despite warning officers about her injured shoulders. Omar said, “The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy.” However, the Capitol Police emphasized that all State of the Union tickets explicitly prohibit demonstrations, and Rahman’s actions were considered a violation of those rules.

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Trump Admin Launches GLOBAL Free Speech Platform to Counter Foreign Censorship.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The State Department is launching a new app, Freedom.gov, to provide global access to content censored in locations like Europe, China, and Iran.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. State Department, China, Iran, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The app will roll out globally over the next several weeks, available on iOS and Android platforms.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Freedom.gov is the latest in a long line of efforts by the State Department to protect and promote fundamental freedoms, both online and offline.” – U.S. State Department

🎯IMPACT: The app underscores America’s commitment to free speech amid rising global censorship, amid trade and legal issues with the EU over its restrictive online speech laws.

IN FULL

The Trump administration is launching a new tool to combat global censorship. Administered by the U.S. Department of State, Freedom.gov is an app designed to provide users worldwide with access to content censored in locations like China and Iran, as well as the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU). According to the agency, the platform will be available on iOS and Android devices in the coming weeks.

“Freedom.gov is the latest in a long line of efforts by the State Department to protect and promote fundamental freedoms, both online and offline,” the department says, adding, “The project will be global in its scope, but distinctly American in its mission: commemorating our commitment to free expression as we approach our 250th birthday.”

Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), praised the move, comparing it to historical efforts like Radio Free Europe during the Cold War. “If Europe’s bureaucrats don’t want you to see it, that tells you everything,” Tedesco stated. “[But] even if your government fears freedom—ours doesn’t.”

Critics of European speech laws, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the EU and the Online Safety Act in Britain, argue that these regulations are increasingly draconian, targeting so-called “hate speech” or “misinformation.” The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam reported last February that Vice President J.D. Vance took a room full of European “elites” to task at the Munich Security Forum in Germany, slamming leaders who fail to abide by the wishes of their electorates and condemning the censorship and persecution of conservatives, Christians, and others.

Concerns have also been raised about the impact of EU laws on American speech rights. A House report titled “The Foreign Censorship Threat” warned that European regulations are pressuring U.S. tech companies to alter global content moderation rules, potentially silencing Americans. President Trump criticized the EU for imposing heavy fines on American tech companies for not censoring enough, noting in 2024 that such penalties exceeded the tax revenue generated by European tech firms.

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Biden Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Rapid Deportations to Third Countries.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A Joe Biden-appointed federal judge has overturned President Donald J. Trump’s policy of rapidly deporting illegal immigrants who cannot be returned directly to their homelands to third countries.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: February 25, 2026, in Boston, Massachusetts.

🎯IMPACT: The ruling is paused for 15 days to allow for an appeal, potentially affecting deportation processes.

IN FULL

A federal judge in Boston, Massachusetts, has declared that President Donald J. Trump’s policy of rapidly deporting illegal immigrants who cannot be directly returned to their homelands to third countries is unlawful. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, appointed by President Joe Biden, did consent to pause his ruling’s implementation for 15 days, allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) time to appeal.

The Supreme Court has previously intervened twice in this case, initially lifting a preliminary injunction in favor of illegal immigrants facing deportation, and later permitting the deportation of eight men to South Sudan. Murphy was “benchslapped” at one point for having “failed to give effect” to a Supreme Court order concerning the case.

The Department of Homeland Security’s policy is to allow deportations to countries not initially named in removal orders, provided there are diplomatic assurances against persecution or torture. Illegal immigrants fighting attempts to send them home could be notified as little as six hours before deportation to another country.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) contends that the policy meets legal requirements and was necessary for deporting “worst of the worst” whose home countries refused to take them back due to their criminal activities.

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Obama Advisor, Clinton Treasury Sec RESIGNS Over Epstein Links.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Lawrence “Larry” Summers will resign from his teaching position at Harvard University at the end of the academic year, over his links to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Larry Summers, Harvard University, Jeffrey Epstein, and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announced in February 2026, Summers will leave Harvard University at the end of the academic year.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I will always be grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues I have been privileged to teach and work with since coming to Harvard as a graduate student 50 years ago.” – Lawrence Summers

🎯IMPACT: Summers’ resignation follows scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, as revealed by documents from the Department of Justice.

IN FULL

Lawrence “Larry” Summers, the ex-advisor to former President Barack Obama, ex-Treasury Secretary under former President Bill Clinton, and former president of Harvard University, has announced his resignation from teaching at the institution, effective at the end of the current academic year, over revelations in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) demonstrated a close relationship between Summers and Epstein, the now-deceased child sex trafficker, years after his conviction for child sex offenses.

Summers has been on leave from Harvard since November and will not resume his teaching duties prior to leaving the university. He has also resigned from his position as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, according to Harvard spokesman Jason Newton, who also confirmed that Summers’s departure comes “in connection with the ongoing review by the University of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that were recently released by the government.”

In a statement, Summers described retiring as a “difficult decision,” while expressing deep appreciation for the students and colleagues he has worked with throughout his 50-year connection to Harvard. The Epstein files suggest that the economist, who served as Obama’s National Economic Council Director, corresponded with Epstein at length and dined with him and traveled on his private jet multiple times, including with Ghislaine Maxwell to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands—a common access point to Little St. James, a.k.a. “Epstein Island.”

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Far-Left UK Govt DENIES Pausing Strategic Islands Giveaway After Trump Intervention.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The British government has denied reports that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paused his deal to give away the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands), which includes the British-American Diego Garcia base, after President Donald J. Trump criticized the agreement.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Donald Trump, Keir Starmer, British Foreign Office (State Department) Minister Hamish Falconer, Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, and former British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

📍WHEN & WHERE: A debate over Chagos unfolded in the British Parliament on Wednesday, following Trump’s remarks on Truth Social and Nigel Farage’s recent visit to the Indian Ocean region.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We are pausing for discussions with our American counterparts,” Falconer previously said.

🎯IMPACT: The dispute raises questions over the future of British sovereignty in the Chagos Islands, the viability of Diego Garcia, and British-American relations.

IN FULL

The British government has rejected claims that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s far-left Labour Party, has put on hold an agreement to transfer control of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Islands) to China-allied Mauritius after President Donald J. Trump publicly opposed the deal. British Foreign Office (State Department) minister Hamish Falconer had previously told Members of Parliament (MPs) that the government was “pausing for discussions with our American counterparts.”

The Foreign Office now claims that Falconer “misspoke,” and there is no pause in the process. The bizarre deal would see Britain hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, in obedience to a non-binding and unenforceable advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and then pay to lease back Diego Garcia—the largest island in the chain, which hosts a strategic British-American military base—for 99 years. Trump has repeatedly called the deal a “big mistake,” as Mauritius could renege on the deal once sovereignty is established, or undermine Diego Garcia by leasing another of the Chagos Islands to an adversary state such as China.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform Party, recently traveled to the Indian Ocean area, hoping to reach one of the outlying Chagos Islands to support a new, ad hoc settlement by the Chagossians—exiled from the islands to make way for the military base decades ago—who are overwhelmingly opposed to Mauritius taking over. Notably, Mauritius is over a thousand miles from the Chagos archipelago, with no historic population or claim to the islands beyond the fact that they were administered from Mauritius for administrative convenience when they were both part of the British Empire.

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War Sec Hegseth Appeals Injunction Protecting Sen. Kelly in ‘Seditious’ Video Case.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is appealing a court decision that blocked the punishment of Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) over a video urging military members to ignore “illegal” orders.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary Hegseth, Sen. Kelly, and five other congressional Democrats, including Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Chris Deluzio (D-PA).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The appeal was filed on Tuesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There is only one reason to appeal that ruling: to keep trampling on the free speech rights of retired veterans and silence dissent.” – Mark Kelly

🎯IMPACT: The case raises questions about the scope of federal courts regarding the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), and the legal limits of military order compliance.

IN FULL

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is challenging a district court ruling that blocked his efforts to demote Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former Navy captain, over a video in which Kelly and other Democrats urged military members to disobey what they vaguely characterized as “illegal” orders. The appeal was filed on Tuesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Kelly and five other congressional Democrats—Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Reps. Jason Crow (D-CO), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Chris Deluzio (D-PA)—appeared in the controversial video. The lawmakers, all veterans or former Intelligence Community members, claimed that service members are not required to follow unlawful orders.

President Donald J. Trump and Secretary Hegseth labeled the video “sedition.” In response to Hegseth’s appeal, Kelly stated on X (formerly Twitter), “These guys don’t know when to quit. A federal judge told Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth that they violated my constitutional rights and chilled the free speech of millions of retired veterans. There is only one reason to appeal that ruling: to keep trampling on the free speech rights of retired veterans and silence dissent.”

The National Pulse reported earlier this month that U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon, a Bush appointee, granted Kelly a preliminary injunction against Hegseth. Leon claimed that the Department of War had “trampled on Senator Kelly’s First Amendment freedoms and threatened the constitutional liberties of millions of military retirees.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Bill Gates Insists He ‘Did Nothing, Saw Nothing’ Amid Epstein Files Scandal.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Bill Gates addressed his connections to deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and admitted to two affairs during a town hall meeting with staff from his foundation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bill Gates, Jeffrey Epstein, Melinda French Gates, and the staff of the Gates Foundation.

📍WHEN & WHERE: During a scheduled Gates Foundation town hall meeting, following the release of the Epstein Files in January.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.” – Bill Gates

🎯IMPACT: The remarks renewed scrutiny over Gates’s ties to Epstein and his personal conduct, as well as broader concerns regarding his foundation’s operations.

IN FULL

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and head of the Gates Foundation, addressed his connections to deceased pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and admitted to two extramarital affairs during a town hall meeting with his foundation’s staff. The meeting followed the release of files by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in January, which renewed scrutiny of Gates’s ties to Epstein. Messages written by Epstein allege that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from “Russian girls” and subsequently sought assistance in acquiring antibiotics that he intended to secretly administer to his then-wife, to treat or protect her from the STD without her noticing

The billionaire admitted it was a “huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,” but maintained, “I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit.” He also noted that he met Epstein in 2011, years after Epstein’s conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution, and continued meeting him until 2014. Gates claimed he was unaware of Epstein’s full background at the time. This defense has struck some as less than genuine, as Epstein’s 2008 conviction was a matter of public record. In addition, the likelihood that Gates’s personal staff did not vet Epstein at all seems low.

Gates also claimed that Epstein attempted to use knowledge of his affairs with two Russian women to leverage influence and favors. Gates stated that the images of him with women in the Epstein files were taken at Epstein’s request and included Epstein’s assistants. “I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made,” Gates told staff.

Notably, the Gates Foundation clarified in a statement that the town hall meeting was part of a regularly scheduled event where Gates answered questions submitted by employees. The foundation reiterated that no financial collaborations or payments were ever made to Epstein, and no foundation funds were tied to him. “Ultimately, the foundation did not pursue any collaboration with Epstein, and no fund was ever created,” the organization claims.

Melinda French Gates, Gates’s ex-wife, has previously expressed concerns about his association with Epstein. Bill and Melinda Gates divorced in 2021 after 27 years of marriage.

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Newsom Gifts Additional $35 Million to Illegal Immigrants.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) announced an additional $35 million in humanitarian funding to support illegal immigrants amid increased federal immigration deportation efforts under President Donald J. Trump.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Newsom, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.

📍WHEN & WHERE: California, February 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “While the federal government targets hardworking families, California stands with them—uniting partners and funding local communities to help support their neighbors.” – Gavin Newsom

🎯IMPACT: The funding will provide legal aid and other resources to illegal immigrants, prioritizing non-citizens over American taxpayers.

IN FULL

Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s administration has announced the allocation of $35 million in humanitarian funding to assist illegal immigrants facing deportation amid heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. This supplements the $125 million previously committed to immigration-related legal services.

In a statement, Newsom said, “While the federal government targets hardworking families, California stands with them—uniting partners and funding local communities to help support their neighbors.” The funds will support nonprofit groups in delivering legal aid, food assistance, and other essential support to migrants.

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R) noted that the spending favors illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens, remarking, “If you were audited by the IRS and found to owe money and back taxes, as a citizen, you couldn’t say, ‘Well, I want a free lawyer to fight the federal government.’”

On the federal side, the Trump administration’s immigration policies have resulted in more than 675,000 deportations since January 2025, along with an estimated 2.2 million self-deportations, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has emphasized the positive impacts of the deportations, stating, “Countless lives have been saved, communities have been strengthened, and the American people have been put first again.”

Tensions persist over California’s sanctuary policies, with ICE issuing detainers for over 33,000 individuals in state custody. Outgoing DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized the approach, stating, “Governor Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians are releasing murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers back into our neighborhoods and putting American lives at risk.”

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