Monday, December 1, 2025
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Dog Returns to Its Own Vomit.

Brian Stelter is set to make his return to CNN, resuming his role with the Reliable Sources newsletter. Subscribers to the newsletter were informed via email that Stelter will be back at the helm starting September 9.

Stelter, who exited CNN two years ago, noted substantial changes since his departure. “But this is not going to be a ‘Back to the Future’ remake,” Stelter addressed his readers.

“The media industry has matured, CNN has evolved, and I have changed a lot since I signed off two years ago. I loved my old life as the anchor of a Sunday morning show, but to borrow some lingo from my video game blogger days, I finished that level of the game. Time for new levels, new challenges.”

Stelter originally launched Reliable Sources in 2015. However, the television segment was discontinued in 2022, leading to his departure from CNN.

Oliver Darcy, who succeeded Stelter in managing the newsletter, departed in August to start his own venture titled Status. Stelter’s exit came under the leadership of Chris Licht, who was later replaced by Mark Thompson after Licht was removed from his position.

By Popular Demand.
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Ellen is Coming Back to Trump’s America (Even Though She Promised Not To).

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, who fled to England citing Donald J. Trump’s presidency, are reportedly planning to return to California.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, and their friends in California.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The couple moved to England a year ago but now plan to return to California to escape the British weather.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Ellen was adamant that she and Portia were going to stay in the UK while Trump was in the White House, but evidently she’s changed her mind somewhat.” – source close to Ellen and de Rossi.

🎯IMPACT: The couple’s decision to return to California puts them alongside a number of Democrat-aligned celebrities who have threatened to leave the United States because of President Trump’s election, with most having failed to depart the country permanently.

IN FULL

Former talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, who fled to England roughly a year ago due to the reelection of President Donald J. Trump, are now expected to return to California to avoid the British winter. The couple settled in England’s Cotswolds following the 2024 elections, with DeGeneres explaining at the time that “life is just better” in the United Kingdom.

She had also previously remarked, “We got here the day before the election… and woke up to lots of texts from our friends with crying emojis,” adding, “We’re staying here.”

Although they allegedly adapted to rural life, sources close to the pair say the couple has begun to miss their friends and California’s warmer climate, particularly as they prepare for another cold British winter. One insider noted, “Ellen was adamant that she and Portia were going to stay in the UK while Trump was in the White House, but evidently she’s changed her mind somewhat.”

Earlier this year, the couple sold their 43-acre property in Swinbrook, Oxfordshire, choosing instead to move to a hilltop mansion equipped with facilities for Portia’s horses. DeGeneres described the need for such a home, explaining, “When we decided to live here full-time, we knew that Portia couldn’t live without her horses. We needed a home that had a horse facility and pastures for them.”

Though a source close to the couple claimed that their travel plans do not amount to a permanent return to the United States, it was confirmed that they intend to spend the holidays in California, leaving the duration of their stay open-ended.

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By Popular Demand.
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Democrats Aim for Surprise Win in Tennessee MAGA Stronghold.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A special election is being held in Tennessee’s Republican-heavy congressional district to replace Mark Green (R-TN), who resigned in July.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Republican candidate Matt Van Epps, Democrat candidate Aftyn Behn, the House Majority PAC, President Donald J. Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Tennessee voters.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The election takes place on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it.” — Aftyn Behn in 2020.

🎯IMPACT: A Democratic win could shrink the Republican House majority and disrupt President Trump’s legislative agenda.

IN FULL

On Tuesday, voters in Tennessee’s 7th congressional district will head to the polls in a critical special election to replace former Congressman Mark Green (R-TN), who resigned this past July. While the district, which overwhelmingly voted for President Donald J. Trump by a 22-point margin in the 2024 presidential election, is largely seen as a Republican stronghold, data shows the current race as being nearly neck-in-neck.

Republican candidate Matt Van Epps is facing Democrat state representative Aftyn Behn, with both national parties throwing significant resources into the election contest. A Democrat victory would significantly weaken the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, reducing it to just a single seat. It may portend a Democrat wave election in the 2026 midterms.

Concerningly for the GOP, polling suggests a tighter-than-expected race, with an Emerson College Polling survey showing Van Epps leading Behn by just two percentage points. The district, which includes rural areas, parts of Nashville, and Clarksville, has seen both parties heavily invest in campaign ads and outreach. Black voters, who comprise approximately 15 percent of the district, are considered key to a potential Democratic victory, although turnout remains uncertain.

The tight contest has prompted President Trump to intervene, posting a slew of social media statements over the weekend, urging Republican voters to the polls on Tuesday. Additionally, Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) held a tele-rally for Van Epps, with the President emphasizing the need for voters to turn out.

Behn, who is backed by the Democratic Party’s House Majority PAC, has described herself as the “AOC of Tennessee” and has campaigned openly as a radical progressive—though she has honed her campaign to focus on affordability. However, Behn—who Van Epps has branded as a “crazy leftwing radical”—has found herself recently on the defensive after it was revealed she stated during a 2020 podcast, “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country. But I hate it.”

Image by Sixflashphoto.

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DC Sets ‘Juvenile’ Curfew.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced two new juvenile curfew zones for the city over the weekend as high-traffic neighborhoods continue to struggle with youth-driven crimes and acts of violence.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The MPD, D.C. teenagers, and National Guard troops.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The curfews were enacted over the weekend.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Within a Juvenile Curfew Zone, persons under 18 are prohibited from gathering in a group of nine (9) or more in any public place or on the premises of any establishment unless engaged in certain exempted activities.” — The MPD

🎯IMPACT: Washington, D.C. has a city-wide curfew in place for those under the age of 18 that begins at 11:00 PM.

IN FULL

The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced two new juvenile curfew zones for the city over the weekend as high-traffic neighborhoods continue to struggle with youth-driven crimes and acts of violence. The first of the new curfew zones covered much of the greater Navy Yard neighborhood, which has seen the brunt of recent incidents. Meanwhile, a second curfew zone covered the U Street corridor, a popular bar and nightlife district where former Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) employee Sean Charles Dunn assaulted a federal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent recently.

“The Juvenile Curfew Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2025 gives the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department the authority to order a Juvenile Curfew Zone in an area where large groups of youths are gathering or intend to gather in a manner that poses a risk of substantial harm to public safety,” the MPD said in its statement, adding: “Within a Juvenile Curfew Zone, persons under 18 are prohibited from gathering in a group of nine (9) or more in any public place or on the premises of any establishment unless engaged in certain exempted activities.”

Washington, D.C. has a city-wide curfew in place for those under the age of 18 that begins at 11:00 PM. Despite the ongoing issues in the city with youth crime, incidents overall have fallen since President Donald J. Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard soldiers to the city to assist with crime prevention.

Efforts to crack down on violent crime in D.C. have been hampered in the past by the city’s radical, progressive-dominated city council. The council’s anti-police policies and soft-on-crime agenda led to an explosion in crime during the former Biden government, which has only abated since Trump’s National Guard order. It is widely speculated that clashes between the D.C. City Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser led to the latter’s recently announced decision to forgo a run for a fourth term in office.

Last week, National Guard specialist Sarah Beckstrom was tragically shot and killed by a radical Islamist in D.C., while Air Force staff sergeant Andrew Wolfe continues to fight for his life. Both were shot at point-blank range during an ambush attack just blocks from the White House.

Image by Elvert Barnes.

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An Unprecedented Fight Has Broken Out Over Britain’s Finances.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: British Chancellor of the Exchequer (Treasury Secretary) Rachel Reeves faced accusations of misleading the public about the state of the country’s finances ahead of her Budget announcement.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rachel Reeves, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the governing Labour Party, and Reform Party leader Nigel Farage.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The controversy unfolded following Reeves’s recent Budget announcement in the United Kingdom.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The British people are now facing the heaviest tax burden in generations on the basis of what increasingly looks like a sustained misrepresentation of the true fiscal position.” – Reform Party leader Nigel Farage

🎯IMPACT: Calls for investigations into Reeves’s conduct have been made, including letters to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the independent adviser on ministerial ethics.

IN FULL

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves—roughly equivalent to U.S. Treasury Secretary—is facing calls to resign after apparently misleading the public about the state of the country’s finances in the lead-up to her Budget announcement, to justify punishing tax rises. The controversy stems from the British government briefing the press about a supposed £30 billion (~$40bn) “black hole” in the public finances that would have to be covered by tax rises.

It has emerged that the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had informed Reeves that the public finances were in better condition than previously thought, and there was actually a £4.2bn (~$5.5bn) surplus. Reeves appears to have pushed the “black hole” narrative, regardless, as a cover for tax hikes that have been used to increase welfare spending, in particular child benefit payments—previously capped at two children—which will disproportionately benefit ethnic minority families in high-migration areas.

Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has called for an inquiry into whether Reeves broke the Ministerial Code, writing to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer‘s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, Sir Laurie Magnus, to request a formal investigation. “The British people are now facing the heaviest tax burden in generations on the basis of what increasingly looks like a sustained misrepresentation of the true fiscal position,” he wrote, adding: “As you will also be aware, the Shadow Chancellor, Mel Stride MP, has written to the Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority raising concerns about possible market abuse arising from the ‘repeated disclosure of market-sensitive details’. That regulatory inquiry and an investigation under your auspices serve different but complementary purposes; both are now plainly necessary.”

Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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By Popular Demand.
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Trump Proposes Release of October MRI, Clarifies It’s Not Brain Scan.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump stated he is open to releasing the results of an MRI he underwent in October, describing the findings as “perfect.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, White House physician Sean Barbabella, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The MRI was conducted in October as part of a scheduled evaluation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Trump addressed the matter aboard Air Force One on Sunday.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If they want to release it, it’s OK with me to release it. It’s perfect.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The potential disclosure underscores the President’s transparency regarding his health compared to his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.

IN FULL

Speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Sunday, President Donald J. Trump said he has no objection to making public the results of an MRI he had in October. “If they want to release it, it’s OK with me to release it,” Trump said. “It’s perfect.”

He made the comments as he returned to Washington, D.C., after spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend at Mar-a-Lago. When a reporter asked which part of the body the MRI had scanned, Trump replied, “I have no idea. What part of the body? It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it. I got a perfect mark.”

On October 10, the White House released a memo from White House physician Sean Barbabella confirming that President Trump had undergone advanced imaging during a scheduled follow-up visit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The memo explained that the visit was part of the President’s regular health maintenance plan and included lab work and preventive screenings.“

Comprehensive laboratory studies performed in conjunction with the visit were exceptional, including stable metabolic, hematologic, and cardiac parameters,” the memo said. It described the MRI as a component of routine health evaluations.

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Ukrainian-Born Top Neocon Donor Snags Most Expensive Hamptons Home Ever.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A Ukrainian-born billionaire purchased the most expensive home ever sold in the Hamptons for $115 million.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Len Blavatnik, a British-American billionaire, and former owner Terry Semel.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The sale occurred on July 31, 2025, in Amagansett, Long Island.

💬KEY QUOTE: “That’s why the home commanded such a high price,” said a local luxury real estate broker to the New York Post.

🎯IMPACT: The sale marks the first $100 million-plus deal in the Hamptons in two years.

IN FULL

Len Blavatnik, a Ukrainian-born billionaire and top donor to American neoconservative politicians, has purchased the most expensive home ever sold in the Hamptons for $115 million. The sale was finalized on July 31, 2025, and first reported by Behind The Hedges.

The property, situated in Amagansett on Long Island’s south shore, spans 8.5 acres and features waterfront access, a large outdoor pool, and a long, tree-lined driveway for added privacy. The mansion is situated on Further Lane, one of the most exclusive and expensive streets in the United States.

The previous owner, Terry Semel, former chairman and CEO of Yahoo and Warner Bros., purchased the estate in 2005 for $43 million from Blackstone founder Stephen A. Schwarzman. The property features a guesthouse that was originally a five-bedroom cottage, situated closer to the road than the main residence.

Blavatnik, who holds a majority stake in Warner Music Group, is ranked as the 59th richest person in the world by Forbes, with a net worth of $29.1 billion. His wealth stems largely from investments in a Russian oil company and his acquisition of Warner Music Group in 2011, which he later took public in 2020.

He is known for giving large political donations to politicians such as Lindsey Graham, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Mitch McConnell, and Joe Biden. He also donated $1M to an anti-Trump PAC in 2016.

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By Popular Demand.
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Dallas Muslim Leader Marwan Marouf to be Deported for Ties to Terrorism Financing Case.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A Dallas Muslim leader is set to be deported following a ruling that he provided “material support” to the Holy Land Foundation.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Marwan Marouf, a Jordanian national and former director at the Muslim-American Society’s DFW chapter.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The ruling was made last Thursday by an immigration judge.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Material support to terrorism” was cited by the judge as grounds for denying voluntary departure.

🎯IMPACT: Marouf will be deported to Jordan within the next two weeks under ICE supervision.

IN FULL

Marwan Marouf, a 54-year-old Jordanian national, is facing deportation after an immigration judge determined he provided “material support” to the Holy Land Foundation. Marouf has been living in the U.S. for nearly three decades and held a prominent role as the public relations and fundraising director for the Muslim-American Society’s Dallas-Forth Worth chapter.

Since September, Marouf has been in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His arrest was based on allegations, including the lack of a valid entry document and soliciting funds for a Tier III undesignated terrorist organization.

The Department of Homeland Security later added charges, asserting Marouf had solicited funds for the Holy Land Foundation, a charity previously identified by federal prosecutors as part of a U.S. support network for Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. The charity was shut down in 2001, and several of its leaders were convicted in 2008.

During a recent hearing, Immigration Judge Abdias E. Tida denied Marouf’s request for voluntary departure, citing his alleged donations to the foundation. Despite arguments from Marouf’s attorneys regarding his urgent cardiac condition, the request was not granted.

The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny in Texas of entities linked to the Holy Land Foundation case. Governor Greg Abbott has designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization under state law, affecting their ability to purchase land in Texas.

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Judges Cut Sentence of Muslim Gang Rapist of Jewish Girl, 12, to Aid His ‘Reintegration.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: A Muslim teenager involved in the gang rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in France had his sentence reduced by the Versailles Court of Appeal.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Two teenage Muslims, one of whom was 13 at the time, were convicted of the crime; a third boy was too young to face prosecution.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred in Courbevoie, France, on June 15, 2022, with the original trial held in June 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “There is no doubt that [the victim] would not have been assaulted or raped if she had not been Jewish,” the original trial judge conceded.

🎯IMPACT: The decision has sparked outrage among those who believe justice for victims is taking a backseat to the supposed needs of offenders.

IN FULL

A French appeals court has reduced the prison sentence of a Muslim teenager convicted in the 2022 gang rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl from nine years to seven, citing the need to aid his future “reintegration” into society. The defendant was 13 at the time of the attack.

The assault took place on June 15, 2022, in Courbevoie, a suburb northwest of Paris. The victim was ambushed by three boys, dragged to a shed, and forced to perform sexual acts on two of them. She was threatened with death, called a “dirty Jew,” ordered to convert to Islam, and had a lighter held to her face in an attempt to burn her.

In the initial June 2025 trial, the two older defendants received seven and nine years for religiously aggravated gang rape of a minor under 15. The youngest boy, under 12 at the time, could not be criminally prosecuted due to his age and was placed in an educational facility for five years.

The presiding judge at the original trial stated: “There is no doubt that [the victim] would not have been assaulted or raped if she had not been Jewish.” The girl’s lawyers praised her courage, saying: “The main thing is that she has managed to bring the perpetrators of her attack to justice and that two of them are imprisoned.”

Speaking to French media after the verdict, the victim explained why she reported the crime: “It’s important for me to speak out because the very fact I spoke out meant he was quickly arrested and imprisoned. By doing this, I protect myself and I protect others; so they cannot do this to others.”

The reduced sentence has reignited accusations of two-tier justice in Europe, with courts and police often treating offenders from ethnic or religious minorities more leniently than native Europeans. Recent examples include new sentencing guidelines in Britain that attempted to urge judges to consider bail more favorably for ethnic minorities, and a suspended sentence handed to a migrant who sexually assaulted a white teenager.

Image by Continentaleurope.

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Hegseth to Slash Support for ‘Genderless’ Scouts.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, faces potential severance of military ties due to concerns raised by War Secretary Pete Hegseth about the organization’s direction and values.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Scouting America, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the Pentagon.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Draft memo obtained in 2025; potential policy changes could impact military support for events such as the National Jamboree in West Virginia.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys.” – Pete Hegseth

🎯IMPACT: The proposed policy change could end over a century of military support for Scouting America, affecting recruitment and logistical aid.

IN FULL

War Secretary Pete Hegseth may sever the military ties of Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts, according to a draft memo. Hegseth allegedly criticized the now-woke group for being “genderless” and failing to uphold “masculine values.”

The memo claims that Scouting America has moved away from its traditional merit-based structure and accuses the group of fostering “gender confusion.” Hegseth wrote, “The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys.” His proposal, which has not yet been sent to Congress, could end military logistical and medical support for the National Jamboree and prohibit Scout meetings on military installations.

The Pentagon has declined to comment on the memo, saying it “cannot authenticate” the document and noting that it may still be “pre-decisional.” Current law requires the military to provide trucks, ambulances, and medical personnel for the Jamboree, but Hegseth could withhold assistance if deemed “detrimental to national security.”

Hegseth, a vocal critic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and “woke” policies in the armed forces, has previously opposed the Scouts’ decision to admit girls and change the organization’s name. In 2018, he said the group had been “cratering itself for quite some time.”

Since becoming War Secretary, Hegseth has taken steps to remove DEI programs, enforce stricter military standards, and promote a “warrior ethos,” with recruitment reportedly rising under his leadership. He has also set deadlines for transgender service members to leave the military and dismissed officers he deemed insufficiently aligned with his policies.

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Farmers, Truckers Blockade Roads, Rock Mexican Government Over Lack of Action Against Cartel Violence.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Farmers and truckers across Mexico have blocked major highways, demanding protection from cartel violence and extortion.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Farmers, truckers, Mexico’s ruling party MORENA, President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodriguez.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The blockades began this week across Mexico’s main highways.

🎯IMPACT: Commerce across Mexico has been virtually frozen, but officials say they are set to meet with protesters to address their demands.

IN FULL

Farmers and truckers throughout Mexico say they will continue highway blockades and protests throughout the country over the Claudia Sheinbaum government’s failure to protect them from drug cartel violence and extortion schemes. The blockades, which have been set up in over 20 of Mexico’s 31 states, have ground nearly all commerce to a halt.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum‘s far-left MORENA party contends the protests and blockades are not actually about cartel violence but instead politically-motivated acts. Figures in MORENA have claimed that rival political parties are actually organizing the protests, though they have offered little in the way of evidence.

Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodriguez further claimed that many of the people organizing the protests were the targets of prior federal investigations. Despite Rodriguez’s allegations, officials from her office will meet with some of the demonstrators later this week.

The protests began earlier this week when groups of farmers and truckers used blockades to shut down highways in Mexico. This followed large-scale student protests against Shienbaum in Mexico City earlier this month, which saw barricades around the presidential palace torn down and riot police used to disperse the crowd. Both groups of demonstrators have accused Sheinbaum’s government of failing to address the violence caused by Mexico’s cartels and allege that MORENA may actually be in league with the criminal organizations.

Sheinbaum has resisted calls for the Mexican government to use military force against the drug cartels, despite widespread evidence that they have engaged in extortion schemes, public corruption, and robberies and carjackings. According to MORENA officials, the use of the military would be illegal, as it would deprive cartel members of due process rights.

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