x02 Bellwethers

Houthis Announce Plans to Shut Down Red Sea

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

Following Iran’s provocation, the Houthis of Yemen have pledged they will shut the Red Sea down. The hope is that shutting down two major shipping lanes, the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, will cripple the global economy.

Iran-Backed Houthi Terrorists Announce Blockade of the Red Sea– gellerreport.com
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EXCERPT:

The Houthis is another Islamic terror arm of Tehran. They must be confronted accordingly. Iran’s terror regime is a scourge upon humanity, and its reign must be brought to an end.

Washington Times: The Houthis, a Yemen-based rebel faction backed by Iran, announced a new blockade of the Red Sea on Monday, potentially opening a new front in the U.S.-Iran war even as Pakistani and Qatari mediators work to broker a ceasefire. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group would immediately impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, which borders the Red Sea. Houthi-affiliated media confirmed the blockade would take effect immediately, saying it was in response to what the group called Saudi Arabia’s illegal “blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years.”

Trump Admin Looking to Denaturalize Fraud

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

The Trump administration announced efforts to root out U.S. citizenship naturalization fraud. The White House intends on conducting the “largest denaturalization effort ever.” The White House posted on X, “When you commit fraud during the naturalization process, you forfeit the right to keep your U.S. citizenship…”

US Launches ‘Largest Denaturalization Effort Ever’– gellerreport.com
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EXCERPT:

The strategy is to use fraudulent information or incomplete information that was used in the immigration process to secure legal status as grounds for deportation….

From the Justice Department: The Department of Justice announced today that it filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 10 individuals accused of serious offenses—including sexual abuse of a child, health care and wire fraud, immigration fraud, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. The complaints were filed over the last 30 days. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation (Justice).

Judge Pauses Paramount-Warner Deal for Two Weeks

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the Northern District of California has put a two-week hold on the DOJ-approved Paramount-Warner merger. The deal is being held up by a California lawsuit seeking to prevent it from happening. The judge was nominated by former President Joe Biden.

Calif. Federal Judge Pauses Paramount-WBD Merger – tctechnology.com
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EXCERPT:

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order pausing the $110 billion merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery as she considers a ruling on a preliminary Injunction in an antitrust case filed by 12 attorneys general.

The July 20 ruling by U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín of the Northern District of California pauses the deal for 14 days while she considers a preliminary injunction, which would block the merger for the duration of the litigation and impose substantial costs on Paramount.

“My office and attorneys general nationwide have secured an emergency order blocking the unlawful merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading a coalition of states seeking to block the deal on antitrust grounds. “This is a critical first win in our case to ensure this megamerger never sees the light of day. …With our lawsuit, we’re fighting for a free and fair market and a thriving film and television industry that serves creatives and audiences alike.”

As previously reported, the case argues that the deal, the largest in Hollywood history, would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major owners of basic cable channels, “inflicting substantial harm on movie theaters, basic cable distributors, and ultimately, audiences nationwide.”

The deal has been approved by the Justice Department and Paramount had been hoping to close it as early as July 22.

Burnham Takes the Helm

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

Andy Burnham took the helm of the United Kingdom on Monday, July 20. Burnham was coronated by his party to replace the outgoing leader of the party, Keir Starmer. So far, Burnham has hinted he will mostly be advancing the pro-immigrant, anti-nativist censorship policies of the previous regime.

‘I hear you’: Burnham’s pledge to ‘knock money off bills immediately’ signals politics of deliverism– www.france24.com
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New Jersey Assault Rifle Ban Assaulted by Court

pgnewser July 23, 2026 0

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down New Jersey’s recent ban on “assault weapons.” This is the first time a Federal Appeals Court has directly ruled against any state’s “assault weapons” ban.

3rd Circuit strikes down New Jersey’s assault weapons ban on AR-15s – Michigan Lawyers Weekly
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EXCERPT:

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 17 ruled that New Jersey’s assault-weapons law barring possession of semiautomatic rifles like AR-15s and large capacity magazines containing more than 10 rounds of ammunition is unconstitutional.

The ruling marked the first time a federal appeals court had found that a state’s assault weapons ban violated the Second Amendment.

That issue is already in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, which agreed last month to review rulings that had upheld similar bans adopted in Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut against powerful semiautomatic rifles. The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority.

Trump admin refunds $81B in tariffs after his key trade policy was struck down by Supreme Court– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser July 15, 2026 0

Trump admin refunds $81B in tariffs after his key trade policy was struck down by Supreme Court– www.independent.co.uk
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Gay Couple Sues Surrogate for Refusing to Kill Baby With Cleft Lip in Abortion– www.lifenews.com

pgnewser July 15, 2026 0

Gay Couple Sues Surrogate for Refusing to Kill Baby With Cleft Lip in Abortion– www.lifenews.com
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EXCERPT:

A same-sex couple in Ontario has sued their surrogate mother after she refused to abort their baby diagnosed with a cleft lip, a relatively minor and easily correctable condition with surgery.

The lawsuit, filed in Ontario Superior Court in May, seeks approximately $600,000 in damages. It alleges the surrogate failed to keep the couple informed about the baby’s health, put the child at risk, failed to follow their directions on medical care, violated confidentiality and caused one parent serious emotional distress.

AI has already fallen into the wrong hands and they’re using it to make bombs– www.digitaltrends.com

pgnewser July 15, 2026 0

AI has already fallen into the wrong hands and they’re using it to make bombs– www.digitaltrends.com
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EXCERPT:

Artificial intelligence has quickly become the go-to tool for everything from writing emails and summarizing meetings to helping students study or developers debug code. But the same technology that saves people time can also be misused, and a new report suggests that terrorist organizations are finding ways to do exactly that.

According to a research paper shared with The New York Times ahead of its publication, researchers found evidence that members of Boko Haram have been using popular AI chatbots to support both day-to-day activities and combat-related tasks. Interviews with 27 former members conducted in Nigeria over the past two years suggest that tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grok, Meta AI, and DeepSeek were used to gather technical information, troubleshoot weapons, and even assist with planning attacks.

Donald Trump's unsigned housing bill just banned the U.S. digital dollar – thestreet.com

pgnewser July 15, 2026 0

Donald Trump’s unsigned housing bill just banned the U.S. digital dollar – thestreet.com
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EXCERPT:

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law at midnight, and President Donald Trump’s signature was never on it.

Buried inside the bipartisan housing-affordability bill, and having nothing to do with housing, is a provision barring the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency, a government-run digital dollar.

The ban runs until December 31, 2030, and it stops the Fed from issuing a digital dollar either directly to the public or indirectly through banks and other intermediaries. Any future attempt would require Congress to authorize it first.

California Loses National Car Part Control – mindfulintelligence.news

pgnewser July 15, 2026 0

A new rule change from the EPA effectively ends California’s stranglehold on the car parts industry. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced “Americans should not be forced to solely rely on California to certify aftermarket products. Starting today, Americans can trust that products certified by SEMA meet federal requirements and can be used to repair vehicles.

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Anthropic Free to Export – scitechwire.com

pgnewser July 7, 2026 0

President Trump has lifted his export ban on Anthropic’s AI product. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced “… The controls … are withdrawn. A license is no longer required for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer, including deemed export or deemed reexport, of the Mythos or Fable models.”

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4K Jobs Gone to AI at Microsoft – scitechwire.com

pgnewser July 7, 2026 0

The software giant Microsoft announced it was laying off 4,000 people, primarily its X-box division. The move is designed to optimize X-box and other divisions using AI. The layoffs amount to 2.1% of its workforce. 1,600 of those layoffs are already happening, and they’re all in the X-box division.

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South Korea’s Goes North with Fake News Law – mindfulintelligence.news

pgnewser July 7, 2026 0

South Korea has passed a new law that penalizes journalists for sharing “fake news.” The Journalists Association of Korea said of the law, “Even if a law’s objective is legitimate, it could erode the foundations of democracy if it’s enforced in a way that discourages the media and ordinary citizens from freely criticizing and scrutinizing those in power.”

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Canada Goes Historic on Defense – bellwetherintel.com

pgnewser July 7, 2026 0

Canada has made the largest military procurement deal in its history, purchasing 12 submarines from Germany in a bid to build their own submarine fleet. The contract is worth “multiple billions” and follows Canada’s increase on defense spending under PM Mark Carney. He hopes to move it from 2% GDP today to 5% GDP by 2035.

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Trump Accounts Open for Business – americanistpress.com

pgnewser July 7, 2026 0

 President Trump’s plan to help children build up a nest egg for their 18th birthday officially begins. The program has been dubbed “Trump accounts,” which are stock portfolio accounts for children. President Trump said, “Children, at the age of 18 and after, become very wealthy people, come into the world with essentially no money and end up, at a pretty young age, being very rich.”

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Walz Pardons Child Rapist – bellwetherintel.com

pgnewser July 6, 2026 0

In what appears to be a move to save an illegal alien from deportation, Tim Walz has pardoned an illegal alien convicted of raping a child. He was joined on a three-member pane by Democrats Keith Ellison and Natalie Hudson. Ellison is Minnesota’s Attorney General. Hudson is the state’s Chief Justice.

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British Bobbies Arrest White Man for Crime of Being Attacked by Black Men – deconstructingwoke.com

pgnewser July 6, 2026 0

A viral video shows a young man getting assaulted by black men before female British police break up the ruckus. The black men fled, leaving the white man to be arrested. The Birmingham police announced only the white man would be charged, even after considering a review of the viral video. The police are also calling on the video to not be allowed to be shared on social media.

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Christian in China Freed by Trump – thebethlehem.com

pgnewser July 6, 2026 0

In the wake of a wave of crackdowns on Christians by Chairman Xi’s China, President Trump has successfully convinced the leader to let a Christian pastor go free. The pastor is Ezra Jin Mingri, who appears to have been released as a token “gift” to President Trump.  He was released two months after President Trump’s Beijing visit.

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Venezuela faces aftershocks as questions mount over earthquake response – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser July 6, 2026 0

EXCERPT:

With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s powerful back-to-back earthquakes, and attention turned to the country’s humanitarian crisis that could persist for years.

Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes, questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless.

Alito Rips Supreme Court Majority in Ruling on Data Privacy– www.dailysignal.com

pgnewser July 1, 2026 0

SCOTUS issued a spate of major rulings at the end of its term. Some rulings favor Americans, while some preserve key aspects of progressive power. In two key rulings, the Supreme Court upheld two key progressive policies, one allows mass-mailer ballot counting after election day and the other preserves “Birthright citizenship.”

SCOTUS also ruled the President can fire executive employees without cause and police must get a warrant to conduct “geofence” searches, or wide searches of cell phone user data within a crime scene area.

Alito Rips Supreme Court Majority in Ruling on Data Privacy– www.dailysignal.com
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The Supreme Court narrowed the conditions for law enforcement to obtain a warrant to access someone’s Google Location History data, ruling that it constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment.

In a case involving Big Tech and a bank robbery, the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling Monday that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy with their cellphones. The case involved law enforcement’s access to geolocation data used to convict an alleged bank robber—who made a conditional guilty plea. The justices didn’t divide along traditional ideological lines.

Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the majority, joined by the high court’s two other Democrat appointees, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, as well as Republican appointees Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

SCOTUS Ruling Allows Mail-In Ballots to Be Counted after Election Day– www.westernjournal.com
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A closely-divided U.S. Supreme Court has handed down a critical decision on election integrity, jeopardizing the security of American elections and the sovereignty of the nation. In an opinion released Monday morning in Watson v. Republican National Committee (RNC), the court’s narrow majority ruled that mail-in ballots postmarked by election day may still be counted even if received after election day.

“Three federal statutes set the day for the election of Representatives, Senators, and the President,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the majority. At issue is a Mississippi state law allowing ballots received by mail and postmarked by election day to be counted for up to five days after election day. The RNC argued that federal statutes preempt Mississippi’s law and require ballots to be received by election day in order to be counted. Barrett and the majority concluded that the federal statutes “do not” preempt Mississippi’s law.

Roberts’ Argument For Birthplace Citizenship Is Self-Defeating– thefederalist.com
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During oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara, the birthplace citizenship case handed down from the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Solicitor General John Sauer observed that “we’re in a new world now … where 8 billion people are one plane ride away from having a child who’s a U.S. citizen.”

Four justices would go on to agree with this originalist argument, that the framers of the 14th Amendment did not understand their words to confer citizenship on the offspring of illegal aliens and birth tourists. But Chief Justice John Roberts dismissed Sauer’s point, retorting that while it may be “a new world, it’s the same Constitution.” He clearly thought it was a clever turn of phrase, an impression no doubt bolstered by the fawning media coverage of his remark. Released on Tuesday, his majority opinion takes the same approach to a foundational constitutional question as his cheap potshot at Sauer: he shows little interest in compelling originalist arguments, instead issuing shallow and misapplied but noble-sounding platitudes.

Joined by Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, Roberts declared that, if a pregnant foreigner travels to the United States — legally or illegally, for 20 years or 20 minutes — to give birth, the 14th Amendment demands that act be rewarded by granting the child the full privileges of American citizenship. At the center of his argument is an aspirational concept of “allegiance” he grounds in the practices of feudal Europe. Because British subjects “born within the dominions and under the protection of a particular sovereign” owed a “tie or duty” to that sovereign, Roberts reasons, the children of foreigners born on American soil must be bound by the same allegiance and thus demanded citizenship.

Ironically, Roberts’ decision to reward illegal immigration and birth tourism is the surest way to destroy the bonds of allegiance he claims inform his opinion. He uses the term “allegiance” 51 times, emphasizing the mutual duties that British sovereigns and subjects owed each other. But such an argument is irreconcilable with the practice he defends: allowing people with no practice or intention of “allegiance” to the United States to secure citizenship for their children.