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Friday, April 24, 2026
38 minutes ago
Crime

Trump DOJ Reinstates Firing Squads for Federal Executions.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the reinstatement of firing squads and the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump Administration as methods for federal executions, reversing Biden-era policies.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it will reinstate firing squads as a method of federal execution, as part of a package of policies aimed at reversing Biden-era policies obstructing the execution of the country’s worst criminals.
📰 DETAIL: The department’s decision includes readopting the lethal injection protocol from the first Trump administration, using pentobarbital. It follows a January 2025 executive order by President Donald J. Trump to pursue federal death sentences and ensure states have sufficient lethal injection drugs, with the DOJ recalling in a Friday press release how the former Biden government had “imposed an indefinite moratorium on executions,” “declined to seek the death penalty in many horrific cases,” and “effectively empt[ied] federal death row by commuting the death sentences of 37 of 40 death-row inmates based on Attorney General Garland’s personal opposition to the death penalty without consulting all the victims’ families.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.” – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
🎯 IMPACT: The reinstatement of these execution methods marks a significant shift from the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions, potentially affecting 44 defendants currently facing death sentences. The DOJ is also considering a “rule that will empower states to streamline federal habeas review of capital cases,” which would “reduce by years the period between conviction and execution in state capital cases.” Notably, Idaho, South Carolina, Utah, Mississippi, and Oklahoma already allow firing squads at the state level, with triple murderer Stephen Bryant being executed by one in South Carolina last November.

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the reinstatement of firing squads and the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump Administration as methods for federal executions, reversing Biden-era policies.

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1 hour ago
Bonkers Britain
News
World

London’s Mayor Khan Fears Crushing Defeat for His Party Next Month.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed alarm over polls suggesting the Labour Party could lose control of several borough councils in the British capital in the English local elections on May 7.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is afraid that Britain’s ruling Labour Party, of which he is a member, will lose its dominant position in the capital in municipal elections set for May 7. Khan expressed concern that his party could, according to polling released this week, lose up to 14 of the city’s borough councils, with Nigel Farage’s Reform Party and Zack Polanski’s far-left Green Party set to make considerable gains.
📺 DETAIL: At present, Labour controls 21 of London’s 32 borough councils. However, according to recent polling, widespread dissatisfaction with the party’s national leadership under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is likely to be reflected in the local elections scheduled for next month. YouGov published polling on April 22 suggesting Labour’s vote share in the capital will plummet from 42 percent during the 2022 borough elections to 26 percent next month. Khan blames Starmer’s appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson, a friend of deceased child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, as ambassador to the U.S., and the appointment’s subsequent unraveling, for the situation, telling the British press, “I’m so angry in relation to this whole omnishambles in relation to Peter Mandelson’s appointment, knowing what we knew.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “[T]he polls scare me, the polls worry me because they don’t reflect my experience of what the councils are doing. They do reflect what I hear on the doorsteps when I knock on doors. People aren’t unhappy with me, people have concerns about the government, and they want to take it out on councils.” – Sadiq Khan
🎯 IMPACT: London has long been regarded as a Labour stronghold, and if it cannot maintain its strong position there, it is likely to face even heavier losses elsewhere in the May 7 elections. Notably, Khan’s mayoralty is not at risk, as he is not up for reelection until 2028.
📺 FLASHBACK: Khan and the Labour Party have attracted international criticism as well as domestic disdain. In December last year, President Donald J. Trump criticized Khan’s mayoralty, especially the impact of mass immigration on the capital. London has gained an international reputation for lawlessness, integration problems, and being unaffordable. Earlier this month, Khan decried online criticism of the city as “disinformation” and urged national governments and tech firms to pursue greater censorship.

Image by East London Mosque.

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has expressed alarm over polls suggesting the Labour Party could lose control of several borough councils in the British capital in the English local elections on May 7.

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2 hours ago
News
World

NATO Backs Spain Amid Reports Pentagon Discussed Suspending It From Alliance.

NATO has backed Spain amid reports of a leaked, rumored Pentagon email discussing its possible suspension from the alliance.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A rumored email from the Pentagon outlined potential retaliation against NATO allies that did not support U.S. operations in the Iran war, suggesting that Spain could be suspended from the alliance. A NATO official told the BBC on Friday that the alliance’s founding treaty “does not foresee any provision for suspension of NATO membership, or expulsion.”
📰 DETAIL: A rumored Pentagon internal email, described to the media on Friday, floated the possibility of suspending Spain from NATO. The Socialist Party-led country, along with several other European NATO members, refused the U.S. access, basing, and overflight rights (ABO) amid the war with Iran, angering President Donald J. Trump. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said he is unconcerned by reports of the suspension discussions at the Pentagon, saying at a European Union (EU) summit in Cyprus on Friday, “We do not work based on emails. We work with official documents and official positions taken, in this case, by the government of the United States.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “As President Trump has said, despite everything that the United States has done for our NATO allies, they were not there for us. The War Department will ensure that the President has credible options to ensure that our allies are no longer a paper tiger and instead do their part. We have no further comment on any internal deliberations to that effect.” – Kingsley Wilson, Pentagon Press Secretary.
🎯 IMPACT: Tensions between the United States and Europe have been running high since the onset of the Iran war. Beyond suspending Spain from NATO, other punitive measures, which The National Pulse understands have not yet been seriously discussed at a high level, were outlined, such as reviewing U.S. support for European “imperial possessions” like Britain’s Falkland Islands.
👀 FLASHBACK: Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Spain drove 15 U.S. military aircraft out of their Spanish bases. Last month, Spain and other European countries reportedly began drawing up contingency plans to maintain the continent’s defense capabilities without U.S. involvement.

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NATO has backed Spain amid reports of a leaked, rumored Pentagon email discussing its possible suspension from the alliance.

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3 hours ago
NatSec
War

Israeli Air Force Technicians Arrested for Spying for Iran.

Two Israeli air force technicians face espionage charges for allegedly sharing sensitive military information with Iran, amid concerns over a growing number of Israelis caught spying for Iran or other Israeli adversaries since 2023.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Two Israeli air force technicians, Asaf Shitrit and Sagi Haik, are accused of sharing sensitive military information with Iran, including engine diagrams and photos of an F-15 flight instructor. The charges may escalate to treason as authorities investigate further.
📺 DETAIL: The suspects, who worked on F-15 fighter jets at Tel Nof Airbase, allegedly maintained contact with Iranian intelligence operatives for months and carried out tasks in exchange for payment. Prosecutors say the pair passed along sensitive materials, including engine diagrams, base documentation, and images, violating military censorship rules, while also being tasked with gathering intelligence on senior Israeli figures. Authorities allege the men were recruited online and directed by Iranian handlers.
🎯 IMPACT: The case is one of more than 50 espionage-related indictments filed against Israelis since the October 7, 2023, terror raids against Israel by Hamas and the subsequent outbreak of the Gaza war. Israeli security commentators are reportedly describing the espionage issue as an “epidemic,” coining phrases such as hitpor’rut khevratit, meaning “social disintegration,” and mashehu ba-khevra ha-yisraelit nisdak, or “something has cracked in Israeli society,” to describe it.

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Two Israeli air force technicians face espionage charges for allegedly sharing sensitive military information with Iran, amid concerns over a growing number of Israelis caught spying for Iran or other Israeli adversaries since 2023.

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3 hours ago
Economy
News

DOJ Closes Investigation Into Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Federal prosecutors have closed their investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, shifting focus to an Inspector General for the Federal Reserve review of the renovation of the central bank’s D.C. headquarters.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Federal prosecutors have officially ended their investigation into Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve. The announcement came from Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, on Friday. She also announced that the case will shift to the Federal Reserve’s Inspector General and examine the cost of renovating the central bank’s headquarters.
📺 DETAIL: Jeanine Pirro announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is closing the federal investigation into Powell, noting that while the investigation is now closed, her office is prepared to reopen the case if new evidence emerges. She emphasized that the Inspector General’s report is intended to resolve lingering questions about cost overruns in the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s D.C. headquarters. The investigation into Powell began in January, when the DOJ served subpoenas related to Powell’s testimony about renovations to Federal Reserve buildings.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I have directed my office to close our investigation as the IG undertakes this inquiry. Note well, however, that I will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.” – Jeanine Pirro
🎯 IMPACT: The end of the federal investigation into Powell removes a key hurdle for the confirmation of Kevin Warsh, President Donald J. Trump’s nomination to chair the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Warsh is on track to take over from Powell when the latter’s tenure ends in May, but the takeover has been obstructed by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), who objected to the investigation into Powell.
📺 FLASHBACK: President Trump has voiced considerable criticism of Powell, saying in November: “I’ll be honest, I’d love to fire his ass.” In particular, the President is critical of Powell’s reluctance to lower interest rates. When the investigation into Powell was first announced, Trump said: “I don’t know anything about it, but he’s certainly not very good at the Fed, and he’s not very good at building buildings.”

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Federal prosecutors have closed their investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, shifting focus to an Inspector General for the Federal Reserve review of the renovation of the central bank's D.C. headquarters.

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4 hours ago
TECH
UK

Trump Threatens ‘Big Tariff’ on Britain Over Tech Tax.

President Donald J. Trump has threatened the British government with tariffs unless it repeals its digital services tax, which targets U.S. tech firms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump has warned the British government that the United States will impose significant tariffs if it does not repeal its digital services tax, which falls heavily on U.S. tech companies due to their dominant position internationally.
📺 DETAIL: Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, President Trump said his administration will “probably” impose a tariff on the United Kingdom in response to the country’s digital services tax. The two percent levy was imposed on companies with revenues from digital activity that exceed £500 million (~$676m) and include over £25m (~$33.8m) from British users in 2020. The tax heavily impacts U.S. companies with British users, such as Google, Apple, and Meta. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended the tax as a necessary fiscal measure, generating £800 million (~$1.08 billion) in revenue during the 2024-2025 financial year.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.” – President Donald J. Trump
🎯 IMPACT: The threat of tariffs could further strain U.S.-UK relations ahead of the four-day state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the U.S. The state visit is scheduled to include a private meeting between the King and President Trump, who has said the visit could “absolutely” repair the relationship between the two countries following clashes over the Iran war and free speech.

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President Donald J. Trump has threatened the British government with tariffs unless it repeals its digital services tax, which targets U.S. tech firms.

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5 hours ago
News
War

Israeli PM Netanyahu Undergoes Treatment for Cancer.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disclosed the successful removal of a malignant tumor, claiming he remains in excellent health as he steers his country through multiple conflicts.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he successfully underwent treatment for a malignant tumor discovered during routine medical monitoring. The tumor was detected following an earlier surgery for a benign enlarged prostate.
📺 DETAIL: In a post on X on April 24, the 76-year-old leader said the tumor, described as “a tiny spot of less than a centimeter,” was successfully treated and left “no trace,” adding that a prior benign prostate issue had already been fully resolved, Netanyahu explained he delayed releasing his annual health report to avoid its publication during the height of the war with Iran, citing concerns the Islamic Republic could use it for propaganda. He emphasized that he chose immediate treatment upon learning of the risk, saying, “When I’m given information in time about a potential danger, I want to address it immediately. This is true on the national level and also on the personal level.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I had a minor medical issue with my prostate that was completely treated. Thank God, it’s behind me,” said Netanyahu.
🎯 IMPACT: Netanyahu’s disclosure comes as he prepares for a high-stakes visit to the White House, where discussions on a long-term peace strategy in the conflict with Iran are expected. His health update comes as the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, is also reportedly facing health issues, and may require a prosthetic leg and plastic surgery due to injuries suffered in an Israeli air strike.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disclosed the successful removal of a malignant tumor, claiming he remains in excellent health as he steers his country through multiple conflicts.

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6 hours ago
Christopher Tomlinson
Corruption
War

Calls to Pardon Soldier Who Bet on Maduro Removal — Here’s Why…

Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has called for a presidential pardon of a soldier who helped plan the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and used his insider information to make $400,000 on an online betting site.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) called for the pardon of active duty soldier Gannon Ken van Dyke following the announcement of his arrest this week. Van Dyke had profited around $400,000 from betting on the fall of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, using insider knowledge he gained while he was part of the planning for Operation Absolute Resolve.
📺 DETAIL: Rep. Luna argues Van Dyke should be pardoned because politicians in Congress are profiting from insider trading daily without punishment, although she acknowledges that Van Dyke’s actions were wrong and called for his winnings to be disgorged. “There is no ‘justice,’ when guys like this get the book thrown at him yet members are illegally profiting every day,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. The Department of Justice (DOJ) released a statement earier the same day saying Van Dyke used the betting platform Polymarket to make bets on the date of the fall of Maduro, starting around December 26. Maduro was captured by the U.S. forces on January 3. If not pardoned, Van Dyke could face up to 60 years in prison on all charges and have all of his winnings seized.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Maybe not a popular take but I am calling for this guy to be pardoned. Unless the DOJ plans on going after all the crooks in congress currently insider trading, this is simply skewed justice.” – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.
🎯 IMPACT: A presidential pardon would likely be opposed by the Pentagon, in case the encouragement of large-scale bets on military operations undermined their secrecy. However, Luna’s is in line with her previous calls to end the ability of lawmakers to use their positions for insider trading, and her intervention may reenergize the movement in favor of reform.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has called for a presidential pardon of a soldier who helped plan the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and used his insider information to make $400,000 on an online betting site. show more
7 hours ago
War
World

Rumored Memo Suggests U.S. Could Turn on UK Over Falkland Islands.

The Trump administration may withdraw U.S. support for European “imperial possessions” such as Britain’s Falkland Islands and seek to push Spain out of NATO, in retaliation for European NATO allies’ refusal to assist with the Iran war.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A leaked, rumored Pentagon email suggests the Trump administration could review its support for European “imperial possessions,” including Britain’s Falkland Islands, in response to European governments’ failure to support U.S. operations against Iran. Other remedial measures under consideration include blocking people from particularly “difficult” nations from senior NATO positions and suspending socialist-led Spain from the alliance altogether. The National Pulse understands the document has not yet been seriously discussed at a high level, though the President is understood to believe in ratcheting up pressure on allies.
📺 DETAIL: Several European governments, including Britain, Spain, and Italy, denied the U.S. from using their airspace and bases on their territory to support U.S. operations against Iran since the launch of Operation Epic Fury in late February. This has caused President Donald J. Trump to question the value of the NATO alliance from a U.S. perspective, with the leaked email obtained by Reuters complaining that “ABO”—access, basing, and overflight rights—should be “just the absolute baseline for NATO.” The British government has reiterated Britain’s sovereignty in the Falklands, a collection of South Atlantic islands which are also claimed by Argentina, in response to the leak, with a spokesman for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating, “The Falkland Islands have previously voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining an overseas territory. We have always stood behind the right to self-determination.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The Prime Minister has been clear repeatedly that he will not be pressured. He will always take a strong position on the UK’s national interests, and the Falklands is no different… Sovereignty rests with the UK and self-determination is paramount.” – Downing Street spokesman
🎯 IMPACT: It is unclear how the U.S. might impose some of the most robust punishments proposed in the email, such as pushing Spain out of NATO. Britain’s reaffirmation of sovereignty hints at the potential for further friction between the Trump administration and Starmer’s government ahead of King Charles III’s state visit to the U.S. Notably, Starmer’s position on the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is much different than his position on the Falklands, with the British premier actively attempting to give the territory away to China-allied Mauritius and Trump urging him to retain it.
📺 FLASHBACK: In 2013, the Falkland Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory, with 99.8 percent in favor of maintaining ties to the United Kingdom. Officially, the U.S. is neutral on the British and Argentine claims to the islands, although support was provided to the British—albeit reluctantly—when Argentina attempted to take them by force in the 1980s.

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The Trump administration may withdraw U.S. support for European "imperial possessions" such as Britain's Falkland Islands and seek to push Spain out of NATO, in retaliation for European NATO allies' refusal to assist with the Iran war.

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8 hours ago
News
Religion

Dozens of Congressmen Urge VA to Permit Catholic Crucifixes on Military Headstones.

Nearly 50 members of Congress have urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to approve the Catholic crucifix as an emblem option for veterans’ headstones in U.S. national cemeteries.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Nearly 50 members of Congress are urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to approve the Catholic crucifix as an emblem option for veterans’ headstones in national cemeteries.
📺 DETAIL: The initiative was started by CatholicVote, an organization dedicated to representing the interests and values of Catholic Americans. The organization consulted the Department of Veterans Affairs on whether a Catholic crucifix was acceptable, and the VA answered that it was, but official approval would be required—a process that could take three to four years. Consequently, a group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), sent a letter to VA leadership on April 10 demanding an expedited review process to ensure approval as soon as possible.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “While even atheists, humanists, and wiccans have an eligible emblem of belief for inscription, Catholic veterans do not currently have the option to select a crucifix. In the pursuit of religious freedom, as guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution, we urge the Department of Veterans Affairs… to offer the crucifix as an eligible emblem of belief for inscription on headstones at national cemeteries.” – Letter to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
🎯 IMPACT: If approved, the Catholic crucifix would join nearly 100 other VA-approved emblems, including symbols for Protestant Christianity, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and even atheism. Supporters argue the decision would provide Catholic veterans, who make up roughly 20 percent of the U.S. military, meaningful representation of their faith in national cemeteries.

Image by Stiller Beobachter.

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Nearly 50 members of Congress have urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to approve the Catholic crucifix as an emblem option for veterans' headstones in U.S. national cemeteries.

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