Pocket News

Daily Newsletter Bachelor's degree: Political science major, political communications minor

[pocketnewsforyou]

Saturday 5/31/2025

Trump speaks on potential pardon for Sean “Diddy” Combs

Combs is currently going under investigation and attending court proceedings with pending charges of “racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.” Fox News mentions that Combs has pleaded innocent despite the multiple witnesses who have come forward testifying “alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking.” If found guilty Combs could face a minimum of 15 years in jail with a maximum of life in prison. A Fox reporter asked Trump to comment on his previous friendship with Combs and if he would consider pardoning the rapper. While Trump said that “nobody’s asked” for Combs to be pardoned, he also noted "I know people are thinking about it. I know that they're thinking about it. I think people have been very close to asking." He said that he would “look at what's happening” and would consider pardoning Combs “if I think somebody was mistreated." When speaking on his past friendship with Combs Trump stated “seen him. I haven't spoken to him in years," he went on, adding that Diddy "I haven't seen him. I haven't spoken to him in years… [Combs] used to really like me a lot, but I think when I ran for politics … that relationship busted up." Rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson responded to Trump stating he would “contact President Trump to dissuade him from considering a pardon for Combs.” The former CEO of Death Row Records, Suge Knight, also commented on the Combs trial stating “I think he got some favors with the government. I think they’re going to show him a little leeway. It might not seem like it when it’s all said and done, but I don’t think he had nothing to worry about. I don’t think he’s worried, because he’s going to be federal. And if he gets convicted, Trump’s going to pardon him.” This statement comes at a time when many have criticized Trump’s previous pardons, including January 6 rioters who broke into the US capital building, threatened elected officials, and killed police officer Brian Sicknick. 

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5327425-50-cent-says-he-will-dissuade-trump-from-potential-diddy-pardon/ 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-answers-whether-he-would-consider-diddy-pardon 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Friday 5/30/2025

New bill in Texas would ban students from using phones during school hours

House Bill 148 will restrict the usage of “personal wireless communication devices” in K-12 schools. The bill has been passed by both the Texas Senate and House of Representatives and is headed to Greg Abbott’s desk for its final step to become a law. This bill would force schools to require students to either leave phones at home or to put them away in a secure storage area for the duration of school hours. State Rep. James Talarico claims that the bill is necessary because “[w]e have a real problem in the state and this country with cell phones and social media taking advantage of our kids.” Robert T. Hill Middle School in Dallas ISD, implemented a phone ban which resulted in “a 75% drop in bullying at the school and a 13-point rise in students meeting expectations on the STAAR test.” If the bill is passed Texas will be joining 9 other states that have already imposed cellphone bans in schools. There are concerns about the bill with many parents citing safety concerns. With the rise in school shootings over the last decade, many parents expressed concerns with children not being able to call for help. While the ban does offer exceptions for students with medical or safety issues, many parents are concerned about emergency situations. 

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/30/texas-public-school-cellphone-ban/#:~:text=House%20Bill%201481%2C%20introduced%20by,to%20approve%20it%20in%20April. 

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-school-phone-ban-abbott 

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/texas-bill-banning-phones-in-classrooms-heads-to-governors-desk/3852116/ 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Thursday 5/29/2025

Judge extends block on Trump’s removal of international students attending Harvard University 

On May 22 Harvard’s certification with the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP), which is the program that allows universities to host foreign students who have visas, was revoked. This meant that current and enrolling foreign students must either leave the country or transfer to a different university. The administration revoked international students at Harvard because the university failed to “turn over information about its international students, including discipline records as well as student’s addresses, contact information and details about their coursework.” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has accused Harvard of promoting “pro-terrorist conduct”, “encouraging and allowing antisemitic and anti-American violence” and of “coordinating with Chinese Communist Party officials on training that undermined American national security.” Harvard has responded to Trump’s actions stating “Harvard will continue to take steps to protect the rights of our international students and scholars, members of our community who are vital to the University’s academic mission and community — and whose presence here benefits our country immeasurably." The ongoing battle between the Trump administration and Harvard university has been heavily criticized. The director of immigration services at the university’s international office stated the revocations caused “profound fear, concern, and confusion” among faculty and students. Some international students have commented that the revocation has affected their academic performance and participation, citing mental health, with some students saying they are too “afraid to attend their own graduation ceremonies this week out of fear that some immigration-related action will be taken against them.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/29/trump-harvard-international-students 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jeg8zej8o 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/judge-extends-order-blocking-trump-administration-revoking-harvards-ab-rcna209689 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Wednesday 5/28/2025

Make America Healthy Again report criticized by experts

Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) recently released the White House’s “agenda for Americans’ health” which has been found to be filled with fake and incorrect citations. News outlets also point out that the report included the letters “oaicite” which indicates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) attached to multiple URL links. Science.org points out that incorrect citations do not mean that the report is entirely incorrect, however this “raises questions about HHS’s supposed commitment to scientific rigor.” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon claimed “minor citation and formatting errors have been corrected, but the substance of the MAHA report remains the same — a historic and transformative assessment by the federal government to understand the chronic disease epidemic afflicting our nation's children." However, in spite of this many cited authors have come forward stating that the report did not convey the information provided in their studies, with one author saying the research she is credited for in the report does not exist. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to criticism stating “I understand there were some formatting issues with the MAHA report that are being addressed and the report will be updated.” Another major concern in this situation is that this report was released after Trump signed his “Restoring Gold Standard Science” executive order. The executive order states that agencies develop policies that “communicate scientific data accurately” and to punish any employee who violate that policy. This report was filled with fake citations, signs of AI usage, and incorrect representation of its citations’ original research is a complete violation of Trump’s new “Gold Standard” executive order. 

https://www.axios.com/2025/05/30/white-house-health-report-errors-fix-kennedy

https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-officials-downplay-fake-citations-high-profile-report-children-s-health 

https://truthout.org/articles/rfk-jr-s-answer-to-us-health-crisis-is-citations-made-up-by-ai/ 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Tuesday 5/27/2025

Secretary of State announces potential revocation of Chinese student visas 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has officially stated the State Department will be working with Trump to “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” The statement is very vague on which fields of study will be affected by this decision which has caused confusion surrounding which students are being targeted. This proclamation has already affected Chinese students who traveled to China recently. Kiwi Zhang, an alias to remain anonymous, left the country to present his research at a conference, however when he tried to reenter the US “he was detained at the border for 48 hours by US officials, who confiscated his phone and laptop, and searched his belongings. He said they questioned him about his ties to the Chinese Communist Party and meetings with friends while in China.” When asked about his connections Zhang responded “I said I’ve never had any connection with them. The Communist Youth League charges us seven or eight yuan (about $1) a year, but there are no activities at all.” In CNN’s article covering the situation they argued “[i]n China, most students are Youth League members by the time they finish high school, or have party members among family and friends – thanks to the party’s ubiquity across government and business, as well as cultural and social sectors.” CNN highlights that during his first term as president in 2020 Trump “introduced a ban that effectively denied US visas to graduates in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields from Chinese universities believed to be linked to the military” which remained in place during Biden’s term, which resulted in “more than 1,000 Chinese nationals” having their visas revoked. CNN also highlights the effect this has had on Chinese students; many are worried and scared about their futures here in the US, leaving them concerned about visiting friends and family in China. 

https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/05/new-visa-policies-put-america-first-not-china/ 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/30/china/china-students-reax-us-visa-ban-intl-hnk-dst 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Monday 5/26/2025

National Public Radio (NPR) and three Colorado radio stations sue Trump over executive order

NPR and Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio, and KSUT filed a joint lawsuit following Trump’s executive order telling the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cut funding to NPR and other public radio stations. CPB chief Patricia Harrison responded “CPB is not a federal executive agency subject to the President's authority. Congress directly authorized and funded CPB to be a private nonprofit corporation wholly independent of the federal government." Trump and his staff have described NPR and PBS as “liberal propaganda” claiming neither “presents a fair, accurate, or unbiased portrayal of current events to taxpaying citizens." PBS has released a statement stating that it “is considering every option, including taking legal action, to allow our organization to continue to provide essential programming and services to member stations and all Americans." The lawsuit breaks down into two arguments; (1) Trump does not have the power to tell the CPB to cut funding, (2) the executive order violates the first amendment right to freedom of speech and freedom of press. In a joint statement the stations said “Our mission — and our responsibility — is grounded in the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of the press and protects our ability to hold those in power to account without interference. This includes protection against government interference in our editorial decisions as well as in purchasing, acquiring, producing and broadcasting information." The CPB has not joined the lawsuit for this case, however they are suing Trump for trying to fire three of the five members of the board of directors for the CPB. Many are concerned by Trump and his administration’s attacks on public radio, fearing the loss of journalistic integrity and the first amendment protections of freedom of speech and freedom of press. 

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/27/nx-s1-5413094/npr-public-radio-lawsuit-trump-funding-ban 

https://coloradosun.com/2025/05/28/colorado-public-radio-sues-trump-administration/ 

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/27/nx-s1-5413148/atc-npr-and-colorado-stations-sue-trump 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Saturday 5/24/2025

Prime minister of Israel lashes out at British, French, and Canadian political leaders

Israeli Prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, critized the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, for their recent joint letter condemning the Israeli occupation of the Gaza strip. The letter warns that the counrties would take “concrete actions” against Israel if it did not agree to a ceasefire and allow aid into Gaza. Netanyahu responded saying the leaders are “emboldening Hamas” and “buying into” Hamas’s propoganda, addressing them directly stating “I say to President Macron, prime minister Carney and prime minister Starmer, when mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you’re on the wrong side of justice.” The video of Netanyahu was released as a response to the killing of 2 Israeli embassy staff members in Washington D.C. which Starmer had publicaly called “antisemtic,” stating “my thoughts are with their colleagues, family and loved ones, and as always, I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.” The United Kingdom’s (UK) armed forces minister, Luke Pollard, rebuttled Netanyahu’s claims stating “I condemn fully the murders of the Israeli diplomats in the United States, as has the prime minister very publicly. But we’re also absolutely clear that the best way to bring peace to the Middle East is with an immediate ceasefire being restored in Gaza,  with Hamas releasing the hostages without any further delay, and with massive amounts of aid getting to the Palestinian people in Gaza – food, water and medical supplies being delivered – without delay. That’s the best way to secure a safe future for Israelis and Palestinians alike: with a ceasefire, with hostage release and with aid getting through. That’s the case that the prime minister has been making alongside our allies this week, and we should not move our focus away from the critical humanitarian situation that still exists in Gaza. We stand in support of Israel’s right to self-defence, as long as they conduct that within international humanitarian law, a position that we’ve had since those appalling [Hamas] attacks on 7 October.” 

https://www.ft.com/content/91dc589b-59be-49b7-b965-2928c72b7ec4 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/23/netanyahu-accuses-leaders-of-britain-france-and-canada-of-emboldening-hamas 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Friday 5/23/2025

Russia drops air strikes during prisoners-of-war exchange 

Russia and Ukraine agreed to hostage exchange that would be implemented in stages as part of the begnning stages of lasting ceasfire negotiations. May 23, the day of Phase One, Ukraine and Russia swapped 390 prisoners, followed by 614 the next day. Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelensky, posted on X that the prisoners were from “our Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service, the National Guard of Ukraine." During the night, Russia began to drop bombs and use drones to target civillian areas of Ukraine. The Armed Forces Operational Command in Poland posted on X “[i]ntensive activity of long-range aviation of the Russian Federation has been observed, associated with strikes carried out on objects located, among others, in the western territory of Ukraine.” Ukraine's air force said in a post “Russia launched a total of 367 ‘air attack vehicles’ -- among them nine Iskander ballistic missiles, 56 cruise missiles, four guided air missiles and 298 attack drones -- at targets across the country.” Ukraine's Interior Ministry stated “at least 18 people were killed -- among them three children from the same family -- and 85 people injured. More than 80 residential buildings were damaged and 27 fires recorded.” Zelensky has responded to the attacks stating “[t]hese were deliberate strikes on ordinary cities… Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped. Sanctions will certainly help. Determination matters now — the determination of the United States, of European countries, and of all those around the world who seek peace." Zelensky once again urged the US and Europe to put sanctions on Russia stating “[t]he war can be stopped, but only through the necessary force of pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think not about launching missiles, but about ending the war." Trump has recently condemned Putin’s actions against Ukraine, claiming that the killing needs to stop, yet many have critized his inaction to pressure Russia into a ceasefire. 

https://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-hits-ukraine-massive-drone-missile-barrage-amid/story?id=122173886 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-prisoner-exchange-drone-missile-attack-ceasefire/ 

https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-russia-prisoner-exchange/ 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Thursday 5/22/2025

Trump faces backlash for actions during meeting with the president of South Africa 

During a meeting with South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump played a video and showed multiple news articles that he claimed were evidence of a white genocide happening to farmers in South Africa. Ramaphosa calmly denied the white genocide theory, stating he had never seen the video or articles before and that he would “like to find out the location” and “[t]hese are concerns we are willing to talk to you about.” Ramaphosa has since stated that his goal was to talk about trade deals and cooperation and that he was pleased with how the talks ended. However, when Trump was fact-checked on the video and news artcles, much of the evidence he used to justfiy his arugment was false. The video showed a clip of white crosses lining a street, Trump claimed “[t]hese are burial sites right here. Burial sites. Over a thousand of white farmers." This has proven to be incorrect, the crosses were used as a memorial for a farming couple who had been killed, one of the organizers Bob Hoatson told reporters the crosses were a “temporary memorial.” The video also shows protestors singing the anti-aparthied song “Kill the Boer,” with Trump claiming that South African political officials were leading the chants. This was also proven false, with the video showing Julius Malema, who has never held an official position in office, and former President Jacob Zuma, who left office in 2018. The articles Trump showed the reporters present were also proven false. He flashed an article stating “[l]ook, here's burial sites all over the place. These are all white farmers that are being buried.” Once fact-checked, it was discovered that the photo was “from a report about women being killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” Many are concerned about the treatment of a the South African president saying Trump was disrespectful. However, many are even more concerned about the blatant racism shown during this meeting. The Trump administration has made it clear that they only care about genocide when it affects white people as Palestine, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and many other countries are facing genocides right now, but the Trump administration has not spoken against the mass murders that are being committed in those regions. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9vxve994ro 

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/under-attack-by-trump-south-africas-ramaphosa-responds-with-trade-deal-offer-2025-05-21/ 

  https://apnews.com/article/ramaphosa-trump-white-house-south-africa-61f31db77b3650cbb2abfa8945d365b5

[pocketnewsforyou]

Wednesday 5/21/2025

Department of Homeland Security Secretary incorrectly defines Habeas Corpus 

During a Senate hearing, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was asked to define Habeas Corpus. Noem responded “Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country." Senator Maggie Hassan cut Noem off before she could continue, correcting her, stating “Habeas corpus is the legal principle that requires that the government provide a public reason for detaining and imprisoning people. If not for that protection, the government could simply arrest people, including American citizens, and hold them indefinitely for no reason.” Noem was then asked if she suports the right of Habeas Corpus, to which she responded “Yes, I support habeas corpus. I also recognize that the President of the United States has the authority under the Constitution to decide if it should be suspended or not." However, once again when asked to clarify where the power to suspend Habeas Corpus is listed in the Constitution, she was unable to identify the article. The power is listed under Article 1 Section 9, the section that describes the powers of Congress, which states “[t]he Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.” When asked if Noem understood that the suspension of Habeas Corpus must be approved by Congress, Noem retorted stating “President Lincoln executed habeas corpus in the past with retroactive action by Congress. I believe that any president that was able to do that in the past, it should be afforded to our current day president.” However, Noem fails to recognize that Lincoln was taken to court over his actions and it was ruled that he was unable to suspend Habeas Corpus without the permission from Congress. With the lack of understanding of the definition and the history of Habeas Corpus, many are concerned about the administration’s plans to potentially suspend the right. When Noem was asked if she had spoken to Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief, about the suspension, Noem responded “[t]his president has never said he’s going to do this. He’s never communicated to me or his administration that they’re going to consider suspending habeas corpus. But I do think the Constitution allows them the right to consider it.” This has left many confused as this diretly contradicts Miller’s statement that the administration was “activly looking at” suspending Habeas Corpus. 

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5405144/habeas-corpus-noem-dhs-senate 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/homeland-security-secretary-kristi-noem-struggles-define-habeas-corpus-rcna207986 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Tuesday 5/20/2025 

US judge rules that new Trump administration deportation flights violate his previous court order

The Trump administration admitted that it sent 8 detained migrants on a deportation flight, with an unconfirmed destination, that lawyers claim is headed to South Sudan. Boston Judge Brian E. Murphy ruled, hours later, that the administration had “unquestionably violated” his order that blocked Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting a migrant to a third country without allowing the detainee to contest their removal from the country as well as their personal safety in the third country. Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons claims the migrants are the flight have been “convicted of rape, homicide, armed robbery and other crimes.” A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated “[w]e cannot tell you what the final destination for these individuals will be.” Many of these migrants’ lawyers are concerned about being able to reach their clients in the foreign countries. Major concerns that people are having with this situation surround the lack of transparency surrounding the situation. Many are asking why these immigrants are not getting court visits, and if they are, why is the administration slamming judges calling them “activists” instead of releasing the court documentation proving the immigrants are violent criminals. There are also concerns on where the migrants are being sent as South Sudan has been reportedly on the brink of a civil war causing the Homeland Security Department to give “Temporary Protected Status to a small number of South Sudanese already living in the United States, shielding them from deportation because conditions were deemed unsafe for return.” This is not the first reported instance of the US deporting illegal migrants to countries known for human rights violations/active violent situations. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/judge-says-trump-administration-violated-court-order-by-deporting-migrants-to-south-sudan 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-deport-serious-criminals-flight-south-sudan/ 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/21/us-judge-finds-south-sudan-linked-deportation-flight-violated-court-order 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Monday 5/19/2025 

Georgia hospital forces family to keep brain dead woman on life support 

In February 2025, Adriana Smith went to Northside Hospital due to “an intense headache,” where she was given medication. Her mother, April Newkirk stated in an interview that no tests or scans were done despite the fact that Smith was around 8 weeks pregnant at that point. The next day Smith was rushed back to Emory University hospital as she was “gasping for air and making gargling noises,” where she was diagnosed with blood clots in the brain. Within hours of being diagnosed, Smith was declared brain dead. According to Newkirk, the doctors told the family that they have no choice but to “keep Smith alive until the baby boy can safely survive on his own, most likely at 32 weeks.” The director of the maternal fetal medicine division at George Washington University, Steven Ralston, commented on the situation stating “The chances of there being a healthy newborn at the end of this is very, very small,” with Newkirk confirming “the baby has fluid in the brain,” and may not survive the birth. Newkirk stated in an interview “[i]t’s torture for me. I see my daughter breathing, but she’s not there… It should have been left up to the family. I’m not saying that we would have chose to terminate her pregnancy, but what I’m saying is, we should have had a choice.” The hospital defends its decision stating it “use[d] consensus from clinical experts, medical literature, and legal guidance to support our providers as they make individualized treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia’s abortion laws and all other applicable laws.” However, a democratic senator has reached out to Georgia's Republican attorney general, Chris Carr, to clarify the boundaries of Georgia’s abortion laws in this case. Carr responded saying “there's nothing in Georgia's abortion law that requires a woman be kept on life support after brain death. That would be because removing life support is not an action done for the purpose of terminating a pregnancy.” Emory University hospital has yet to comment on Carr’s announcement. Many are concerned that the hospital made such a decision without the consultation of the family, for the ethical implications of lack of bodily autonomy and consent but also the fact that the family has been forced to pay for the medical treatment the hospital is forcing their family member to undergo. Smith’s family has had to create a fundraiser to “help cover costs associated with her care and the possibilities that her son will be born with disabilities.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/20/pregnant-georgia-woman-brain-dead 

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5403809/a-brain-dead-pregnant-woman-is-being-kept-on-life-support-raising-legal-questions 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-forced-keep-brain-dead-pregnant-woman-alive-rcna207002 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Saturday 5/17/2025

Man made famine causes Gazans to starve

Hundreds of thousands of people are facing starvation after Israel closed the borders to Gaza on March 2. Aid workers have reported “[t]housands of children have been found with acute malnutrition in the past month… [as well as] 16,000 pregnant women and new mothers.” According to the World Food Program (WFP) 25 of their support bakeries have shut down due to lack of wheat flour; “[a] bundle of 21 loaves used to cost two to three shekels (less than US$1). But now a 25kg bag of wheat flour costs over US$500 – even then, it is likely to have severely deteriorated.” Gazan markets are also suffering as “[l]ocal production of vegetables has plummeted because Israeli forces have damaged 80% of Gaza’s farmlands…  and much of the rest is inaccessible inside newly declared military zones.” Israel has established the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to distribute aid in Gaza. Many humanitarian organizations are concerned about the logistics of the GHF’s aid plans. In a statement the GHF describes “four or five militarised distribution centres in southern Gaza, run by private security companies, under the oversight of Israeli military bases… Heads of household would be expected to collect boxes weighing up to 20kg with several days’ supply of food and basic hygiene items like soap for their families.” GHF has yet to comment on how it will accommodate those who are sick, wounded, too far, or cannot carry the 20kg of supplies. The United Nations (UN) and other non-government organizations (NGOs) have refused to work with GHF stating “[f]rom what we have understood, the plan would increase the ongoing suffering of children and families in the Gaza Strip.” There is also concern that working with the GHF, which is backed by one of the violent parties, will discredit the UN’s neutrality policy. According to the Guardian, a diplomat commenting on the situation said “Israel appears to be using Palestinian lives to try to coerce the UN and aid groups into cooperating with its new plans for militarised aid delivery.” 

https://www.wfp.org/stories/eyewitness-we-have-plenty-food-ready-go-gaza-we-just-need-go-ahead 

https://tucson.com/news/nation-world/article_2e85654c-e9a7-588d-a9d9-d28de3f9dff0.html 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/17/israel-backed-food-aid-group-admits-it-wont-be-able-to-reach-most-vulnerable-in-gaza 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Friday 5/16/2025

New reality TV show pitched to Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Producer Rob Worsoff, a Canadian immigrant, has proposed a new reality TV show to DHS where immigrants would compete for American citizenship, named The American. According to CNN the pitch reads “[c]ontestants will represent a wide demographic of ages, ethnicities, and talents. We’ll join in the laughter, tears, frustration and joy — hearing their backstories — as we are reminded of how amazing it is to be American, through the eyes of 12 wonderful people who want nothing more than to have what we have — and what we often take for granted: the freedom, opportunity and honor of what it means to be American.” Worsoff described the episodes as having weekly themed challenges based on locations, such as a “pizza-making challenge in New York, a rocket-launching challenge in Florida, and a gold rush challenge in California.” Each episode would end with a town hall vote, akin to a “presidential election” where “[t]he people of Tennessee, let’s say, will get to vote on which one of our future Americans they would most like to represent the state of Tennessee.” When asked about the pitch, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated DHS ““receives hundreds of television show pitches a year, ranging from documentaries surrounding ICE and CBP border operation to white collar investigations by HSI. Each proposal undergoes a thorough vetting process prior to denial or approval…. We need to revive patriotism and civic duty in this country, and we’re happy to review out-of-the-box pitches. This pitch has not received approval or rejection by staff.” McLaughlin has confirmed that Secretary Kristi Noem has “has not been involved in any of the discussions.” Worsoff has pitched this program for the first time during the Obama administration. Many are outraged by the objectification and exploitation of immigrants, many of whom are in vulnerable positions. 

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/16/politics/dhs-vetting-immigrant-reality-tv-show 

https://time.com/7286216/department-of-homeland-security-reality-show-immigrants-compete-us-citizenship-pitch/ 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Thursday 5/15/2025

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rehires hundreds of workers

328 employees have been reinstated to their positions at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which oversees workplace safety and focuses on preventing and treating workplace-related illnesses. NIOSH was slated to lose 90% of its workforce, however a lawsuit has “prompted the Department of Health and Human Services to reinstate some critical programs.” HHS’ acting chief human capital officer, Tom Nagy, said some termination letters are “hereby revoked,” reinstating 100 employees in a facility in Morgantown, West Virginia and another 100 between two facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Morgantown facility is the headquarters for NIOSH’s Respiratory Health Division which “oversees a program that offers free X-rays to identify black lung in miners.” HHS also reinstated 15 employees to the World Trade Center Health Program which “covers treatment for cancer, asthma, post-traumatic stress disorder and other 9/11-related illnesses.” Despite the reinstations, however, many programs and divisions are still being cut. Dr. Robert Harrison, the director of Occupational Health Program at the University of California San Francisco, states “the cuts continue to jeopardize the agency's mission to keep workers in many other industries safe — from construction and agriculture to warehouses and restaurants.” 

https://www.npr.org/2025/05/14/nx-s1-5398092/niosh-reinstates-occupational-health-workers 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/hhs-reinstates-hundreds-health-workers-rcna206856 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Wednesday 5/14/2025

New Hampshire republican signal chat leaked 

New signal chat leak shows New Hampshire State Representative James Spillane threatening fellow Republican lawmakers. Granite Post News shared a screenshot of the chat, named “Liberty Caucus,” which reads “There should be punishment from the Caucus for straying too often, in my opinion. Whether by revoking committee, parking spots, flogging them in the state house square, egging their house, or slashing their tires… whatever fits the crime.” According to the Laconia Daily Sun, Spillane has yet to confirm or deny the screenshots.” Laconia, New Hampshire Representative Mike Bordes commented stating “Let’s face it, if this was a Democrat that did this people, would be up in arms. I think we need to treat both parties equally. When somebody does something bad, they should be called out for what they do.” When asked if he thought Spillane was joking, Bordes responded “That’s not even a joking matter. Why, because somebody votes a little differently than you? That’s not what this country was built on. It’s my job to listen to my constituents and do the best for my constituents, not the party,” while mentioning that threatening a lawmaker in New Hampshire is a Class B felony. Meredith, New Hampshire Representative Matt Coker also stated his disappointment in his fellow republican lawmaker, saying “I don’t worry that Jim’s going to do any of those things, I’m more disappointed that that’s how he feels. I thought he was more of an independent thinker.” The New Hampshire Department of Justice has yet to comment on if they will be holding an investigation on the leaked chat. 

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/local/local-reps-say-leaked-chat-illustrates-tensions-within-nh-gop/article_babb8ce0-6f1b-4882-a311-4c99fc5a640e.html 

https://granitepostnews.com/2025/05/12/leaked-chats-appear-to-show-nh-gop-lawmaker-urging-violence-against-dissenting-republicans/ 

[pocketnewsforyou]

Tuesday 5/13/2025

Israel bombs hospital in Khan Yunis 

Israeli air strikes aimed at the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, killing at least 28 people and injuring many others. The Israeli military has defended this latest bombing claiming it targeted “Hamas terrorists in a command and control centre" under the hospital. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), eyewitnesses saw “Israeli drones maintained a tight aerial siege over the building, preventing rescue teams from reaching the site,” including “wound[ing] two civil defence officers as they attempted to approach the European Hospital.” The dead and wounded have been moved to Nasser Hospital which had also been bombed the day before, with local sources saying the “medical teams are … struggling to deal with the casualties.” The bombing follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that the Israeli military would enter Gaza “with full force.” Netanyahu has also stated that even if negotiations are settled for a hostage exchange, there is “no way” Israel will stop the war on Gaza. This attack adds to the multitude of times Israel has targeted and bombed hospitals, claiming that Hamas is using them as hideouts and headquarters, which Hamas has continuously denied. These attacks on “health facilities, medical personnel and patients” are illegal according to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Conventions are their Protocols are known as “the core of international humanitarian law,” as they protect those not involved in active combat, ranging from civilians, aid providers, and doctors to military veterans, sick/wounded troops, and prisoners of war. 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/13/palestinian-journalist-among-two-killed-in-israeli-attack-on-gaza-hospital 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2jvx3yjg3o 

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2025/5/14/israel-attacks-gazas-european-hospital 

https://www.icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/geneva-conventions-and-their-commentaries