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Thursday, April 23, 2026
13 minutes ago
News
War

Iran Lays More Mines In Strait Of Hormuz, Trump Orders Navy to ‘Shoot And Kill’ Boats.

Iran is laying more mines in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening global oil supply and prompting President Donald J. Trump to issue a “shoot and kill” order against minelaying boats.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy has laid additional mines in the Strait of Hormuz this week, further obstructing the critical global energy chokepoint. The move follows the U.S. extending a ceasefire with Iran, but an escalating military standoff, with the U.S. tightening a naval blockade against Iranian ships.
📰 DETAIL: The U.S. military previously estimated that over 90 percent of Iran’s mine-laying ships and warehouses had been destroyed, but realized it was likely that stockpiles remained hidden along the country’s shores. These stockpiled mines are being deployed by dozens of small, lightly armed speedboats still in operation after the conventional navy was extensively destroyed by U.S. strikes. President Donald J. Trump announced on Thursday that he has ordered the destruction of any boats caught laying mines, despite the wider ceasefire.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be (Their naval ships are ALL, 159 of them, at the bottom of the sea!), that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. There is to be no hesitation. Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now.” – President Trump on Truth Social
🎯 IMPACT: The newly-laid mines will likely exacerbate what the International Energy Agency has termed the largest oil supply disruption in history, surpassing the 1970s oil shocks. With 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil and much of its fertilizer passing through the strait, the disruption has already significantly reduced traffic.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

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Iran is laying more mines in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening global oil supply and prompting President Donald J. Trump to issue a "shoot and kill" order against minelaying boats.

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59 minutes ago
Data
News

Almost 115,000 Residents Fled New York City in 2025.

A new study reveals New York City lost more residents than it gained in 2025, driven by major affordability issues.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: A new study by the Citizens’ Budget Commission has revealed that New York City lost 114,000 more residents than it gained in 2025. This continues a trend of population decline caused by people abandoning NYC for other cities.
📺 DETAIL: Fresh data from the Citizens’ Budget Commission, a non-profit public finances watchdog, published on Monday, has revealed that more people are leaving New York City than moving there. The report showed that this exodus occurred across all income levels. It also noted a large number of low and middle-income residents leaving between 2023 and 2024. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has pledged to address affordability issues through initiatives such as rent freezes. However, rising property taxes, along with rising electricity and water bills remain major obstacles to living in the city.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Across all income levels, more people moved out of New York City than moved in last year.” – Citizens’ Budget Commission report.
🎯 IMPACT: NYC’s population decline underscores the city’s high cost of living. The exodus also indicates a growing intolerance towards social problems such as crime, homelessness, and drug use. Similar trends have been observed in other major cities, such as San Francisco, where rising costs of living and declining quality of life drive even longtime residents elsewhere.
📺 FLASHBACK: The state of Democrat-run cities has become a source of concern for the Trump administration. This data follows a report from last year suggesting that Republican-controlled cities have a generally better quality of life.

Image by Marc A. Hermann / MTA.

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A new study reveals New York City lost more residents than it gained in 2025, driven by major affordability issues.

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2 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Trump DOJ Moves to Revoke Citizenship of Hundreds of Naturalized Immigrants.

The Trump administration is ramping up efforts to revoke the U.S. citizenship of hundreds of naturalized citizens, assigning cases to regular prosecutors to expedite the process.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration has identified 384 foreign-born Americans for potential denaturalization, assigning the cases to regular prosecutors to increase the pace of revocations. The move marks a significant shift from the traditional, much slower process of handling such cases through the immigration litigation office at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
📰 DETAIL:  Under federal law, citizenship can only be stripped if it was obtained fraudulently or through serious misconduct, and the government must prove its case in court, making such actions difficult and time-consuming. Officials say the push is aimed at rooting out individuals who lied or concealed disqualifying information during the naturalization process. The initiative reflects a broader policy shift to prioritize denaturalization, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) increasing referrals and the DOJ at the highest volume in history. Traditionally, denaturalization cases were handled by specialized immigration litigators, but expanding responsibility to regular prosecutors could significantly increase the number of cases processed. The move follows earlier directives encouraging agencies to refer hundreds of potential denaturalization cases each month.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Citizenship fraud is a serious crime; anyone who has broken the law and obtained citizenship through fraud and deceit will be held accountable.” – Abigail Jackson, White House spokesman.
🎯 IMPACT: This initiative could lead to a significant increase in denaturalizations, potentially stripping citizenship of many who were able to acquire citizenship by fraudulent means. The move is part of President Donald J. Trump’s promises to crack down on both illegal immigration and immigration fraud. Notably, Vice President J.D. Vance said in March that the administration thinks Somalia-born Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) “definitely committed immigration fraud” and that an investigation into possible remedies is underway.

Image by Steve Fernie.

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The Trump administration is ramping up efforts to revoke the U.S. citizenship of hundreds of naturalized citizens, assigning cases to regular prosecutors to expedite the process.

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3 hours ago
Crime
World

DOJ Recovers $700M from Chinese Crypto Scammers.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the recovery of $700 million from Chinese cryptocurrency scammers and efforts to return it to its American victims.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced in Washington, D.C., on Thursday that $700 million seized from Chinese cryptocurrency scammers will be returned to American victims. The funds, which had been restrained to prevent further movement within blockchain systems, are now being processed for redistribution.
📺 DETAIL: U.S. Attorney Pirro outlined a series of coordinated actions by the Scam Center Strike Force against scam centers in Southeast Asia, including criminal charges against two Chinese nationals managing a cryptocurrency fraud compound in Burma. $700 million in stolen assets have been secured, but while the funds are safe, distributing them will take time. Pirro said the department remains committed to reuniting victims with their stolen money following verification. “It is a long and rigorous process to get that money into the hands of those victims that they belong to. We’re on it,” Pirro said.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We have charged the Chinese bosses who ran a scam compound in Burma, where trafficked workers were beaten and forced to steal from Americans. We have seized a Telegram channel that was luring workers into a forced labor compound in Cambodia where they were ordered to pose as U.S. banks and NYPD to steal Americans’ life savings.” – Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
🎯 IMPACT: The return of these funds could provide financial relief to victims of sophisticated crypto scams, though the process is expected to take significant time due to the complexities of identifying rightful recipients. Notably, the case reflects only a small part of the crypto scam industry that is stealing Americans’ wealth. In 2023 alone, the FBI estimated that Americans lost as much as $5.6 billion to crypto scammers.

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U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the recovery of $700 million from Chinese cryptocurrency scammers and efforts to return it to its American victims.

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4 hours ago
News

Trump: King’s Visit Could Mend US-UK Relations.

President Donald J. Trump has expressed optimism that the upcoming state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom to the United States could mend relations between the two countries.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: King Charles III and Queen Camilla are set to embark on a four-day state visit to the United States starting Monday, meeting with President Donald J. Trump and giving an address to Congress. Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, President Trump said the monarch’s trip, intended to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, could “absolutely” mend relations between the two countries, which have frayed over the Iran war.
📺 DETAIL: President Trump expressed optimism about the upcoming state visit of Charles and Camilla to the United States, describing the state visit as highly likely to strengthen British-American relations. Asked by the BBC if the visit could mend relations between Britain and the U.S., which have frayed due to differences over the Iran war, Trump said, “Absolutely. He’s fantastic. He’s a fantastic man. Absolutely the answer is yes.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I know him well, I’ve known him for years. He’s a brave man, and he’s a great man. They would absolutely be a positive,” Trump said of the King.
🎯 IMPACT: The visit comes as geopolitical challenges strain the oft-described “Special Relationship” between Britain and America. President Trump previously called for greater British involvement in the Iran war and criticized British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s energy and immigration policies. The Trump administration has also taken a critical of the British censorship regime, even sanctioning a pro-censorship activist linked to Starmer.
📺 FLASHBACK: In September last year, President Trump was invited to the United Kingdom by King Charles and Queen Camilla for an unprecedented second state visit. No U.S. President has received more than one state visit to the United Kingdom.

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President Donald J. Trump has expressed optimism that the upcoming state visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom to the United States could mend relations between the two countries.

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4 hours ago
Immigration
Politics

Amnesty Bill Author Admits It Is for ‘Big Business to Have Cheap Labor.’

Representative Maria Salazar (R-FL) has admitted that her proposed “Dignidad” (Dignity) mass amnesty bill is in large part about “help[ing] big business to have cheap labor.”

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Florida Republican Rep. Maria Salazar is promoting her Dignidad (Dignity) mass amnesty bill as a solution to labor shortages, confirming at a Wednesday press conference in Washingston, D.C.: “When people tell me that I am trying to help big business to have cheap labor, I’m going to answer them: It’s not [just] big business; it’s not only agricultural or construction or hospitality or health care or manufacturing—it’s more.” The bill would grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants and block deportations.
📺 DETAIL: Salazar suggested the Dignidad amnesty would lower costs by driving down wages, arguing, “Americans want affordability, and they want affordable vegetables and fruits.” Notably, regularizing millions of illegals and giving them the right to work would likely have a particular impact on the job opportunities and pay for younger and lower-skilled Americans, at a time when goals such as getting on the property ladder are already increasingly out of reach.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The President is a very smart guy. He comes from hospitality and from construction. Do I have to tell him that those [migrants] are needed [in] those five sectors, construction, hospitality, agriculture, health care, and manufacturing?” – Rep. Salazar
🎯 IMPACT: Salazar’s amnesty would dramatically undermine the “mass deportations” pledge President Donald J. Trump ran on in 2024, putting the interests of illegals and big business ahead of American workers. Notably, the Wednesday press conference was organized by a subsidiary of the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), whose executive director, Rebecca Shi, is a Chinese immigrant. Shi, whose mother was subject to a deportation order for 19 years, stated openly at the conference, “Work permits for long-term immigrants lower costs.”

Image by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell.

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Representative Maria Salazar (R-FL) has admitted that her proposed "Dignidad" (Dignity) mass amnesty bill is in large part about "help[ing] big business to have cheap labor."

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5 hours ago
Health
TECH
UK

500,000 Biobank Health Patients’ Data Are Being Sold in China.

Sensitive health data from the UK Biobank, involving 500,000 participants, was found listed for sale on Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce platform, raising concerns about international data security.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Sensitive medical data from 500,000 participants in the UK Biobank health data project was listed for sale on Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce platform, the British government confirmed on Thursday. The leak has prompted an investigation by UK Biobank and the British government. While the data did not include any names or contact details, it did include other types of personal information, such as gender, age, socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits, and biological sample measures.
📺 DETAIL: Data from the UK Biobank, a major taxpayer-funded health research project which stores de-identified biological samples for half a million people, was found listed for sale on Alibaba, one of the largest retail companies in the world. The UK Biobank uses biological samples from volunteers to conduct research into diseases such as cancer, dementia, and Parkinson’s. The data was from participants aged between 40 and 69, who were recruited between 2006 and 2010. The breach was reported to the British government on Monday. The data was acquired legitimately by three accredited academic institutions, however, soon after it was downloaded, it appeared on Alibaba.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We want to reassure you that all the data are de-identified; they do not contain any personally identifying information,” claimed Professor Sir Rory Collins, UK Biobank’s chief executive.
🎯 IMPACT: The listings have since been removed from Alibaba, and the individuals involved in the leak have had their UK Biobank access suspended. In response to the breach, the charity has implemented stricter security measures, such as daily monitoring of file exports, and announced a full forensic investigation. The data breach constitutes a blatant violation of contractual agreements by the three academic institutions that requested the data. The breach also raises broader concerns about the security of sensitive health data and may affect people’s willingness to volunteer for medical projects, potentially slowing the pace of medical progress.
📺 FLASHBACK: In late 2021, the Chinese Communist Party penalized Alibaba for alerting the world to a highly threatening software vulnerability. In response, the Chinese Communist Party’s National Network Security Information Sharing Platform suspended Alibaba for informing the Chinese government first.

Image by David Lally.

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Sensitive health data from the UK Biobank, involving 500,000 participants, was found listed for sale on Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce platform, raising concerns about international data security.

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6 hours ago
Crime
Immigration

Three Asylum Seekers Convicted of Beach Gang Rape.

Three asylum seekers, present in Britain despite their applications being rejected, have been found guilty of a brutal gang rape on Brighton Beach.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Three asylum seekers have been convicted of raping a woman on England’s Brighton Beach after she became separated from her friends during a night out. Abdulla Ahmadi, 25, Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, and Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, were found guilty at Hove Crown Court after a five-week trial. The attack was described as “cynical, predatory, and callous.”

📺 DETAIL: On Thursday, following 12 hours of deliberation and a five-week trial, Ahmadi, Al-Danasurt, and Alshafe were found guilty of gang raping a woman on Brighton Beach on the southern coast of England. In the early hours of early October last year, the three men led an incapacitated woman to a secluded area behind some beach huts, where she was assaulted. Ahmadi and Alshafe committed the rape while Al-Danasurt encouraged the attack and filmed it. The migrants falsely claimed that the interaction was consensual. Ahmadi and Alshafe were found guilty of two counts of rape each, while Al-Danasurt was convicted as a secondary party of four counts of rape.

💬 KEY QUOTE: “It wasn’t consensual, it was not consensual, they are evil and they have ruined my life… It’s the filmer’s face I see every time I close my eyes, laughing at me.” – Victim
🎯 IMPACT: The three men came to Britain as asylum seekers and were living in Home Office-provided asylum accommodation at the time of the attack. All three rapists had their asylum applications rejected, but remained at large in the country pending appeals. Ahmadi and Alshafe met while illegally entering Britain on small boats in June 2025. Al-Danasurt had arrived in Britain in late September 2024. Ahmadi is Iranian, while Al-Danasurt and Alshafe are both Egyptian. 
📺 FLASHBACK: Housing asylum seekers has reached a cost of up to around £15 million (~$20.3 million) a day in recent years. Those denied asylum have a chance to appeal, extending their time in the country, and they usually remain at large while their claims and appeals are processed. Even when a final rejection is made, failed asylum seekers regularly remain in the country for several years afterward, often never being deported at all.

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Three asylum seekers, present in Britain despite their applications being rejected, have been found guilty of a brutal gang rape on Brighton Beach.

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6 hours ago
Christopher Tomlinson
Immigration

92% of DACA Migrants Arrested Under Trump Have Criminal Convictions or Pending Charges.

Around 92 percent of arrested Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) migrants, protected from deportation under the former Biden regime, are either convicted criminals or face criminal charges.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Documents reveal that out of 270 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) migrants arrested under President Donald J. Trump after being protected from deportation under the former Biden regime, 250 are either convicted criminals or face pending criminal charges.
📺 DETAIL: A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) document reveals that between January 1 and September 28 of last year, the Trump administration and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 270 DACA recipients and found that 130 were convicted criminals, 120 had charges pending, and a further 14 were in violation of immigration laws. During that timeframe, 174 DACA migrants were removed from the United States, 71 of whom were convicted criminals, and 66 of whom had pending criminal charges. DACA was introduced by former President Barack Obama in 2012 but was declared unlawful by a federal judge in September of 2023. The ruling was upheld in January 2025.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “DACA does NOT confer any form of legal status in this country. Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation for a number of reasons, including if they’ve committed a crime.” – Department of Homeland Security statement.
🎯 IMPACT: The DHS data reveals that many criminal migrants were able to avoid deportation due to their DACA status and that, despite some media reports, the vast majority of those being arrested and deported are involved in criminal activity. President Donald J. Trump and his administration are likely to continue to deport DACA recipients in violation of U.S. laws going forward.

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Around 92 percent of arrested Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) migrants, protected from deportation under the former Biden regime, are either convicted criminals or face criminal charges.

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7 hours ago
News

Senate Advances DHS, ICE Funding in Narrow 50-48 Vote.

The Senate narrowly passed a $70 billion budget plan to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, advancing efforts to end the Department of Homeland Security’s partial shutdown.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Senate passed a $70 billion budget plan for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol in a 50-48 vote, aiming to end a partial government shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill, advanced through reconciliation to bypass the filibuster, now heads to the House for further consideration.
📺 DETAIL: The budget plan includes funding for ICE and Border Patrol through the end of President Donald J. Trump’s term. The vote took place at 3:30 AM on Thursday, amidst ongoing negotiations to address the DHS shutdown that began on February 14. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rand Paul (R-KY) joined 46 Democrats in voting against the funding, while Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Mark Warner (R-VA) did not vote. Democrats have been pushing for restrictions on ICE operations, citing fatal shootings of anti-ICE agitators by federal law enforcement in Minnesota.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “We have a multistep process ahead of us, but at the end Republicans will have helped ensure that America’s borders are secure and prevented Democrats from defunding these important agencies,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD).
🎯 IMPACT: The bill’s passage by the Senate marks significant progress toward resolving the DHS shutdown. It will now go before the House of Representatives, where the Republicans have tight majority but are not constrained by the filibuster like their Senate counterparts.
📺 FLASHBACK: Last month, the Senate approved a bill to reopen DHS without ICE and Border Patrol funding, but it was blocked by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who insisted on including funding for both agencies.

Image by Ron Cogswell.

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The Senate narrowly passed a $70 billion budget plan to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, advancing efforts to end the Department of Homeland Security's partial shutdown.

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