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Aug. 19 (UPI) — National Security Director Tulsi Gabbard has revoked the security clearances for 37 current and former intelligence officials, as directed by President Donald Trump.

Gabbard acknowledged that the president directed her to revoke the security clearances in a social media post that she made on Tuesday afternoon.

“Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right,” Gabbard said.

“Those in the intelligence community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold,” she added.

Gabbard’s post includes a copy of the department memorandum that was circulated on Monday and lists the 37 officials whose security clearances are revoked.

Among those whose security clearances are revoked is Maher Bitar, who worked for Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., when he was the House Intelligence Committee chairman during the first impeachment effort against President Donald Trump in 2019, The Hill reported.

The Biden administration’s National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Brett Holmgren also are among those who lost their security clearances.

Others with revoked clearances include officials who held senior positions within the State Department, the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Defense Department and the National Security Council, according to Politico.

Several formerly advised Biden when he was the vice president under former President Barack Obama, and some also were involved in the investigation into claims that Trump colluded with Russia ahead of the 2016 election.

The revocations are effective immediately, and those whose security clearances are revoked also have any related contracts or employment terminated and must surrender their credentials to security officers, Fox News reported.

The revocations prompted criticism alleging that the Trump administration did so for political purposes.

“Further proof of weaponization and politicization,” Mark Zaid, a national security attorney, said in a post on X.

He said most of those who lost their security clearances “are dedicated public servants who have worked across multiple presidential administrations.”

The Trump administration also revoked Zaid’s prior security clearance.

Many who lost their clearance also had spoken to media regarding decisions made by the Trump administration, according to The Hill.

Some had been critical of Trump, while others were involved in investigating Russian meddling in the 2020 US elections.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearances of 37 people it accused of politicising or weaponising intelligence for partisan aims.

In a statement posted to X on Tuesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the group had “abused the public trust”, accusing them of “politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards”.

The statement did not explain in what ways the 37 had violated the terms of the national security clearance or provide evidence of them having done so.

Security clearances are rarely revoked, and the names of those revoked are not typically publicised.

The list includes former senior officials as well as little-known staffers. Among the more high-profile is Shelby Pierson, an election security official who, in February 2020, briefed lawmakers on Russian interference in US elections, and drew Trump’s ire for claiming that Moscow favoured him in the 2020 elections. At least one of the people included was listed on the database of Canary Mission, a shadowy pro-Israel website that the government has admitted to using to target pro-Palestinian supporters.

Mark Zaid, a lawyer who represents intelligence officers, told Al Jazeera that the revocations could be considered “unlawful and unconstitutional decisions that deviate from well-settled, decades-old laws and policies that sought to protect against just this type of action”.

“It is completely unprofessional, yet so common, that the administration took actions targeting individuals in a retaliatory way that impacts their careers and lives, yet did not notify them first before leaking the memo to friendly media.”

Since taking office, Trump has lived up to campaign promises to go after those he perceives as his enemies – particularly members of previous administrations that he has deemed to be corrupt.

Earlier this year, he fired thousands of federal employees, including career prosecutors who participated in the two federal probes into Trump’s behaviour: one for alleged mishandling of classified documents, and the other for attempting to subvert the 2020 election.

AFTER nearly three decades of trading, a popular House of Fraser store is set to close.

The department store in Victoria Centre, Nottingham, which first opened in 1997, will roll down the shutters in October this year.

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It’s bittersweet news for shoppers, who have been treated to a 20 percent off sale inside the store.

The once-thriving shopping hub was nearly shut in 2022 after Fraser Group chief exec Michael Murray described the brand as a “broken business”.

At the time, he said: “House of Fraser was a broken business when we bought it.

“We’ve completely changed the operating model. It was mostly concession, the stores were way too big, they were under‑invested.

“Our future vision is that House of Fraser will diminish and Frasers will grow.”

Once boasting more than 60 stores across the UK, the department store has steadily shuttered locations since its 2018 acquisition by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group.

Between 2022 and 2025 alone, over a dozen sites—including flagship locations like Oxford Street and regional mainstays in Cardiff, Cheltenham, and Nottingham—have closed their doors.

The closures reflect a deeper failure to adapt to a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

Many of its stores were oversized and heavily reliant on concessions—third-party brands renting space—which offered little control over stock or customer experience.

Frasers Group is now repositioning itself around a new retail vision, investing in smaller-format “Frasers” stores and upmarket lifestyle hubs, with sport and luxury offerings as its focus.

The Sun has approached House of Fraser representatives for comment.

House of Fraser is just one brand struggling against recent economic pressures and changes in consumer habits.

A combination of rising inflation, energy costs, and interest rates has squeezed both household spending and business margins, creating a perfect storm for retail operators.

For many consumers, essentials have taken priority over discretionary purchases, leading to a noticeable decline in footfall and in-store spending.

Even major players with established reputations have found themselves forced to close stores, reduce staff, or pivot entirely toward e-commerce.

This comes as Poundland bosses implemented a series of closures this year after the business was hit by spiraling operating costs and weakening footfall.

In Cornwall, one Poundland was evicted from one of its locations – leaving staff locked out of work overnight.

The budget chain was kicked out of its store on Fore Street in St Austell, CornwallLive reported.

A bizarre notice was also posted in the window of the popular store.

It read: “We as authorised agents acting on behalf of the above-named landlord have today re-entered these premises and any lease or licence is hereby determined.

“Any attempt to enter these premises without the written authority of the above-named landlord will result in criminal/civil proceedings being taken.”

A Poundland spokesperson confirmed that the locks were changed overnight without notice.

TESCO is launching a clearance sale of a neat decoration which is perfect for sprucing up any garden.

The popular product will set you back less than a tenner.

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Tesco have launched a clearance sale of its Solar Bubble Wind Chime for just £9.

This low price will only last until next month, as the sale period extends only from 28/04/2025 until 14/07/2025.

From July 7, the product will return to its full price of £10.

The chime offers multicoloured lights which will brighten up any outdoor space this summertime.

It’s also solar-powered, meaning the device is self-sufficient for its energy.

Punters haven’t hesitated to heap praise on the product.

One customer, who purchased the item before the sale last year, said:

“It was a present and bigger than i expected it to be (for the price).

“The chime has lovely colours when lit up – I’m very pleased with it.”

Another added: “Lovely and nice.

“I would like to buy more if possible.”

This comes after Tesco slashed the price of it’s mini BBQ by almost three quarters earlier this month.

It reduced the price from £80 to just £24.

Sadly, this sale only ran until June 8 – but the item can still be purchased.

The oven, which comes with an in-built thermometer, can be placed on top of gas or charcoal BBQs to heat up any food.

Tesco says it can also be used to cook meat, fish and more.

Shoppers buying the Haven pizza oven will have to pay a standard delivery charge of £3. Express delivery costs £4.99.

Anyone unhappy with the product can request a return or refund online up to 30 days after delivery date.

Earlier this year, Tesco again launched a major sale on a range og winter warmers.

Silentnight’s Grey Teddy Fleece Reversible Double Duvet Set led the range of discounts with its 70% saving.

Two eagle-eyed shoppers had spotted the deals at their local Tesco stores in Wellingborough and Shrewsbury and shared the news on Facebook group “Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group”.

The duvet set typically retails for £33 and is described as “supremely snuggly” and “luxuriously soft”.

It comes with both the duvet cover itself and two pillowcases, all sharing the same grey colour.

This set joined a range of other products also on clearance sale, including a selection of towels.

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Fabulous’ Fashion Director, Tracey Lea Sayer shares her thoughts.

I WAS 10 when I first discovered the utter joy of high-street shopping for clothes with my mum and nan.

Going into town on Saturday became a family tradition – a girls’ day out we would look forward to all week.

My mum’s favourite shop was M&S, where she would gaze at jackets with big shoulder pads and floral sundresses, while my nan would make a beeline for John Lewis and their classic coats and elegant court shoes.

I was all over Tammy Girl – Etam’s little sister – and Chelsea Girl, which was later rebranded to high-street fave River Island.

I would spend hours in the changing rooms, watched keenly by my two cheerleaders, who gave the thumbs up – or thumbs down – on what I was trying on.

Frilly ra-ra skirts, duster coats, polka dot leggings, puff balls, boob tubes… I tried them all, often making my nan howl with laughter.

Fashion wasn’t so fast back in the 1980s and every item was cherished and worn until it fell apart – literally – at the seams.

At 18, I went to art college and my tastes became more refined.

Extra cash from a part-time job in a bar meant I could move on to slightly more expensive stores, like Warehouse, Miss Selfridge and the mecca that was Topshop.

I knew at this point I wanted to work in fashion because the high street had totally seduced me.

One day, I wrote an article for a competition in a glossy mag about my love of retail therapy and my favourite LBD – and I won!

That led me to where I am today – Fashion Director of Fabulous.

It’s not just me that loves the high street – big-name designers are fans, too. When Cool Britannia hit in the ’90s, they all turned up in one big store.

Designers at Debenhams was a stroke of genius by Debenhams CEO Belinda Earl, designer Ben de Lisi and fashion director Spencer Hawken, who introduced diffusion ranges from John Rocha, Matthew Williamson and Betty Jackson, to name a few.

This meant we could all afford a bit of luxury and wear a well-known designer’s signature style.

Years later, I hosted a night with Debenhams and Fabulous for 250 readers, who were in awe meeting all the designers. It was a real career highlight for me.

In 2004, H&M started rolling out their international designer collabs.

Karl Lagerfeld was first, followed by Roberto Cavalli, Marni, Stella McCartney, Maison Martin Margiela, Sonia Rykiel, Comme des Garçons, Balmain, Versace and many, many more. I could barely contain myself!

Then in 2007, Kate Moss launched her first collection with Topshop, with thousands queuing along London’s Oxford Street.

I remember sitting behind Ms Moss and Topshop boss Philip Green at a London Fashion Week Topshop Unique catwalk show.

I had my three-year-old daughter, Frankie, in tow and we both made the news the next day after we were papped behind Kate, my supermodel girl crush.

At the time, the high street was on fire. Who needed designer buys when Mango stocked tin foil trousers just like the designer Isabel Marant ones and you could buy a bit of Barbara Hulanicki’s legendary brand Biba from Topshop?

High street stores even started to storm London Fashion week.

Although Topshop Unique had shown collections since 2001, in 2013 River Island showed its first collection in collaboration with global superstar Rihanna, who was flown in by a friend of mine on a private jet. KER-CHING!

A whole new generation of high profile high street collabs followed.

Beyoncé created Ivy Park with Topshop’s Philip Green and I even flew to LA for Fabulous to shoot the Kardashian sisters in their bodycon “Kollection” for Dorothy Perkins.

I am pleased to say they were the absolute dream cover stars.

Fast forward to 2024 and while the high street doesn’t look exactly like it did pre-Covid, it has made a gallant comeback.

Stores like M&S, Reserved and Zara, and designer collabs like Victoria Beckham X Mango and Rochelle Humes for Next are giving me all the feels.

The supermarkets have really come into their own, too, smashing it with gorgeous collections that look expensive, but at prices that still allow us to afford the weekly shop.

The last 30 years of high street fashion have been one big adventure for me. Bring on the next 30!