Old Glory Vortex

When he approved a campaign to reopen shipping in the Red Sea by bombing the Houthi militant group into submission, President Trump wanted to see results within 30 days of the initial strikes two months ago. By Day 31, Mr. Trump, ever leery of drawn-out military entanglements in the Middle East, demanded a progress report, according to administration officials. But the results were not there. The United States had not even established air superiority over the Houthis. Instead, what was emerging after 30 days of a stepped-up campaign against the Yemeni group was another expensive but inconclusive American military engagement in the region. #Trump #Houthi Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Stephen Miller said today that the Administration is actively considering the possibility of suspending Habeas Corpus, and there are so many problems with this at once...  On the one hand, the Constitution does provide for the possibility of suspending this remedy (let me remind you that anyone deprived of liberty can file such a petition in court), but Miller's correctness ends there. First, Congress, not the President, has the right to suspend the mechanism, and the Constitution explicitly states this: "The 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." Second, at least 2 federal judges, including one appointed by President Trump himself, have already said that there is no intrusion. #Miller #HabeasCorpus Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

In what may be the most valuable gift ever extended to the United States from a foreign government, the Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar -- a gift that is to be available for use by President Donald Trump as the new Air Force One until shortly before he leaves office, at which time ownership of the plane will be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation, sources familiar with the proposed arrangement told ABC News. The gift had been expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Qatar on the first foreign trip of his second term, according to sources familiar with the plans. But a senior White House official said the gift will not be presented or gifted while the president is in Qatar this week. In a social media post Sunday night, Trump confirmed his administration was preparing to accept the aircraft, calling it a "very public and transparent transaction" with the Defense Department. Trump had previously toured the plane, which is so opulently configured it is known as "a flying palace," while it was parked at the West Palm Beach International Airport in February. #Trump #Qatar #Boeing Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🤝 The United States and China agreed Monday to drastically roll back tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial 90-day period, in a surprise breakthrough that has de-escalated a punishing trade war and buoyed global markets. 🗣 The announcement, which was made in a joint statement, comes after a weekend of marathon trade negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland by officials from the world’s two largest economies, during which both sides touted “substantial progress.” 📄 Both sides recognize “the importance of a sustainable, long-term, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationship,” they said in the statement. 📈 Global investors are cheering a thaw in the trade war sparked by US President Donald Trump’s massive tariffs, which have roiled financial markets, disrupted supply chains and stoked recession fears. 💹 Dow futures jumped more than 2%, while S&P 500 futures rose nearly 3%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite futures went up more than 3.5% during Asian afternoon trading. Asian markets were higher too, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index ending about 3% higher. The US dollar gained ground against other major currencies, while the price of gold, which tends to drop when investors are feeling more secure, fell. 📉 The mutual tariff revisions will be imposed by May 14. Trump’s 20% fentanyl-related levies on China, imposed in February and March, will stay. However, each side has agreed to lower “reciprocal” tariffs on the other by 115 percentage points for 90 days. 📊 That effectively means the US will temporarily lower its overall tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China will cut its levies on American imports from 125% to 10%, according to the joint statement. #Tariffs #China #TradeWar Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

💊 President Donald Trump said he plans to order a cut in US prescription drug costs to bring them in line with other countries, spurring a drop in pharmaceutical shares worldwide. 📉 Trump said drug prices will be cut by “59%, PLUS!” in a social media post on Monday. 🖋 Over the weekend, Trump vowed to sign an executive order in Washington to institute what he called a most-favored nation policy, mandating that Americans pay no more than people in countries that have the lowest price and promising a 30% to 80% cut in drug prices. ❓ While he didn’t provide details on how the plan would be implemented, investors grappled with the potential implications for the world’s largest pharmaceutical market. 📊 Shares in US drugmakers dropped before the official open on trading in New York, with Eli Lilly & Co., Pfizer Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Merck & Co. Inc. all down. European drugmakers including Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi SA and AstraZeneca Plc slid, missing out on a broader market rally, while in Asia, the pharmaceuticals subgroup in Japan’s Topix Index posted its biggest one-day loss since August. ⚠️ A renewed push to lower drug prices may have an “enormous” impact on the sector’s revenues, said Stephen Barker, an equities analyst at Jefferies Japan Ltd. #Trump #drugs Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🇷🇺 Imagine the scene at Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade one year from now. As the strains of the “Preobrazhensky March” echo across Red Square, a detachment of U.S. Marines enter the parade, their polished boots reflecting the early May sunshine. At the center of the rostrum atop Lenin’s mausoleum, Russian President Vladimir Putin turns and embraces the American guest of honor standing next to him. U.S. President Donald Trump is beaming: Finally, a proper parade and a proper welcome from a proper leader. 🧠 The dream of a U.S.-Russian rapprochement is never far from Trump’s thoughts. He has repeatedly praised the Russian leader as a “genius,” “smart,” and “savvy.” Those friendly words are echoed in Moscow, where Putin has called Trump “brave” and “hounded from all sides” by the U.S. “deep state” during his first term. 💪 Trump’s fondness for Putin may reflect admiration of the Russian leader’s strongman style. Putin has—at least in some eyes—made Russia great again, taking over a disintegrating, traumatized, marginalized country in 1999, seizing all the levers of power, and turning it into a formidable force in world politics. Trump may also see some attractions in the way in which the Russian system treats political power and wealth as fungible. The people running Russia, notably the Putin family, get extremely rich. The richest people in Russia are at a minimum exempt from legal constraint and scrutiny. Some of them actually run the country. What’s not to like? #Trump #Putin #Russia Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🇺🇸 The United States will: (i) modify the application of the additional ad valorem rate of duty on articles of China 🇨🇳 (including articles of the Hong Kong 🇭🇰 and Macau 🇲🇴 Special Administrative Regions) set forth in Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025, by suspending 24 percentage points 📉 of that rate for an initial period of 90 days 🕒, while retaining the remaining ad valorem rate of 10 percent 💰 on those articles pursuant to the terms of said Order; and (ii) remove the modified additional ad valorem rates of duty on those articles imposed by Executive Order 14259 of April 8, 2025, and Executive Order 14266 of April 9, 2025 🗂. 🇨🇳 China will: (i) modify accordingly the application of the additional ad valorem rate of duty on articles of the United States 🇺🇸 set forth in Announcement of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council No. 4 of 2025, by suspending 24 percentage points 📉 of that rate for an initial period of 90 days 🕒, while retaining the remaining 10 percent rate 💰 on those articles, and removing the modified additional ad valorem rates of duty imposed by Announcement No. 5 and Announcement No. 6 of 2025 📜; and (ii) adopt all necessary administrative measures 🏛 to suspend or remove non-tariff countermeasures 🚫 taken against the United States since April 2, 2025. #Tariffs #China #Trade Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

As Russian tanks, missiles and drones rumbled through Red Square on Friday for the annual Victory Day parade celebrating the surrender of Nazi Germany in World War II, President Vladimir Putin was joined by at least two dozen world leaders, marking a victory of his own as a leader the West has sought to isolate. #Russia #9May #Parade Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

• President Donald Trump said on social media that he would cut tariffs on China to 80%. • Trump previously imposed 145% tariffs on China. • Top U.S. officials and Chinese delegates are meeting this weekend to discuss trade.  #Trump #China #Tariffs Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🗳️ Pope Leo XIV was an active voter who participated in several Republican primaries in recent years and voted in the most recent presidential election, according to a report. 📁 Then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, pulled the lever in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014, and 2016, the Washington Free Beacon reported, citing election records. 🏛️ The Dolton, Illinois, born pontifex also voted in general elections in 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2024, the report stated. 📌 Voters in Illinois are not required to register with a political party but the recent voting records revealed that Leo XIV had only participated in Republican primaries, the Beacon reported. ⛪ Prevost was named Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru by Pope Francis in 2014 and served there until 2023, when he was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and brought to Rome. 🤔 His last participation in a Republican primary in 2016, before he skipped the general election that year, lends credence to speculation that the rising pope may have been a never-Trump Republican. 📣 The Holy Father spent years amplifying criticism of President Trump’s immigration policies on social media, including as recently as last month. 🔁 In April, Leo XIV retweeted a message from a Catholic commentator who slammed Trump and the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, as the pair met in the Oval Office amidst the controversy over alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia. 💬 Prevost also aired his disagreement with the president during his first term on social media, retweeting a post in 2017 that expressed dismay over the “refugee ban.” ✝️ Catholic convert Vice President JD Vance received his own moral rebuke from Leo XIV, who retweeted, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” #Pope #Trump #LeoXIV Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

JD Vance has said that the US will not intervene in the conflict between Pakistan and India, calling fighting between the two nuclear powers “fundamentally none of our business”. The remarks came during an interview with Fox News, where the US vice-president said that the US would seek to de-escalate the conflict but could force neither side to “lay down their arms”.

“What we can do is try to encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we’re not going to get involved in the middle of war that’s fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America’s ability to control it,”

Vance said during the interview. As the US could force neither side to lay down their arms, he continued, the country would “continue to pursue this thing through diplomatic channels”.

“Our hope and our expectation is that this is not going to spiral into a broader regional war or, God forbid, a nuclear conflict,”

Vance said.

“Right now, we don’t think that’s going to happen.”

#Vance #India #Pakistan Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Former Vice President Mike Pence expressed concern Monday over President Donald Trump’s approach to trade and tariffs, warning of possible economic consequences, including price shocks and product shortages. The comments came Monday during an exclusive interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, where the former vice president aired several grievances with his ex-boss’s sweeping tariff policy. He also questioned whether Trump is backtracking on a key campaign promise to bring down prices.

“I do have a concern that when the so-called 90-day pause comes off, that even the administration has conceded that there may be a price shock in the economy, and there may be shortages,”

Pence said. #Trump #Tariffs #Pence Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to hold a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump. This conversation is of great interest, as relations between Europe and the United States have been strained recently." There were disagreements over Trump's trade policy and his position on the conflict in Ukraine. In addition, in the United States, the attitude towards the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party differs from the position of Berlin. An additional complication is that Merz and Trump don't know each other yet. However, shortly before the first conversation, there were also encouraging signs of progress. Trump's Vice President, JD Vance, who has already congratulated Merz on his election as chancellor on behalf of his boss, unexpectedly expressed a conciliatory attitude towards Europe at the Munich Security Conference event in Washington: "The United States and Europe are partners."  #Trump #Merz #Germany #Vance Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Skechers agreed to be acquired by the private equity firm 3G Capital in a deal valued at $9.4 billion, the companies announced Monday, amid tumult in the industry—Skechers signed a letter last week by Nike and Adidas, among others, warning President Donald Trump his tariffs posed an “existential threat” to the U.S. footwear industry. #Trump #Tariffs Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Voice of America will carry programming from the right-wing TV network One America News, according to a post on X from Kari Lake on Tuesday night. Lake, a senior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the government body that oversees Voice of America, announced that the agency agreed to provide “newsfeed services” to Voice of America, as well as to the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Radio Martí, which distribute news into Cuba. #VOA #Media Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🇺🇸 The United States and Israel have discussed the possibility of Washington leading a temporary post-war administration of Gaza, according to five people familiar with the matter. 🏛 The "high-level" consultations have centered around a transitional government headed by a U.S. official that would oversee Gaza until it had been demilitarized and stabilized, and a viable Palestinian administration had emerged, the sources said. ⏳ According to the discussions, which remain preliminary, there would be no fixed timeline for how long such a U.S.-led administration would last, which would depend on the situation on the ground, the five sources said. 🤐 The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the talks publicly, compared the proposal to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq that Washington established in 2003, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. ⚠️ The authority was perceived by many Iraqis as an occupying force and it transferred power to an interim Iraqi government in 2004 after failing to contain a growing insurgency. #Israel #Gaza Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🚨 EU is threatening to impose tariffs on cars, aircraft, and condoms in the ongoing trade dispute with the United States. 💼 In the event that negotiations with Washington fail to resolve the issue, the European Commission is prepared to levy duties on a range of industrial and agricultural products. ⚖️ Furthermore, the European Commission has announced its intention to file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization against the tariff policy of the White House, as the EU believes that the United States is in violation of the fundamental rules of the WTO. 📦 The list of potential duty-bearing products includes automobiles, aircraft, spare parts, turkey, salmon, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, crude oil, coal, dental equipment, condoms, human hair for wigs, and other American products. 📌 A representative of the EU emphasized that these are only preliminary proposals, and it is crucial for Brussels to ensure that the taxation primarily affects products with alternative suppliers. Medications, for instance, are not included in the list. 🗳 These proposals will now be discussed with the 27 member states of the EU, and the implementation of duties will require the approval of a majority of the bloc's member states. #Tariffs #EU Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

📜 President Donald Trump signed an executive order today to streamline the permitting processes for pharmaceutical companies to build production sites in the United States. 💬 Trump said there will be an announcement next week related to the order, which would address the costs of medicine and drugs in the US. He told reporters in the Oval Office that America is “being ripped off, as you know, very badly … compared to the rest of the world.” 💊 Trump in recent months has floated the possibility of imposing tariffs on pharmaceuticals. But industry experts have warned that such a move could drive up the cost of drugs and increase shortages. 🚨 According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, there are roughly 270 active drug shortages in the United States. 📆 Trump said he will announce pharmaceutical tariffs “over the next two weeks,” but did not expand on specific tariff rates that could be imposed. 📚 Some background: Pharmaceuticals were exempt from Trump’s across-the-board 10% tariffs on most countries, which were paused on April 9 for 90 days. The administration instead took its first steps into pharmaceutical-specific tariffs by launching an investigation on pharmaceutical imports on April 14. The investigation, as part of the Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, gives the administration 270 days to complete its probe. #Trump #Pharmaceuticals Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

📺 New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Monday that it was “shocking” to hear President Trump say in an interview the day prior that he doesn’t know whether he needs to follow the Constitution.

⚠️ “It was shocking, and it tells you all you need to know about this presidency and this man: that he doesn’t give a damn about the U.S. Constitution. And that is frightening in itself,”

Hochul said in an interview on “CNN News Central.” 🗞 In a Sunday interview with NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Trump sidestepped questions about the Supreme Court, due process and whether noncitizens in the U.S. are granted the right to a trial. 🔇 When moderator Kristen Welker mentioned the Fifth Amendment, Trump cut in, saying,

“I don’t know. It seems, it seems it might say that, but if you’re talking about that, then we’d have to have a million or 2 million or 3 million trials,”

adding that there are “thousands” of murderers in the country and that

“I was elected to get them the hell out of here, and the courts are holding me from doing it.”

❓ “But even given those numbers that you’re talking about, don’t you need to uphold the Constitution of the United States as president?”

Welker asked.

🤷 “I don’t know,”

Trump responded.

“I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said.”

📣 Hochul on Monday blasted the president for his remarks, saying Trump “basically said that he doesn’t have to follow or even understand what the Constitution of the United States requires of every person who takes that oath of office.”

🗳 “I took the same oath of office 31 years ago to run for town board,”

she continued.

“I knew I was supposed to uphold the Constitution. I got to think a president who took the oath of office not once, but twice, understands that there are limitations, and that is the body of the Constitution.”

🛡 “He must follow it. Otherwise, the democracy that we fought for and upheld for 250 years, it’s just going to go down the drain. And we’re not going to let that happen.”

#Trump #Hochul #Constitution Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

💬 President Donald Trump said he is willing to lower tariffs on China at some point because the levies now are so high that the world’s two largest economies have essentially stopped doing business with each other. 📈 Trump has placed tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese imports. China has retaliated with tariffs of 125% on American imports. The moves rattled markets and threaten to drive up prices for manufacturing equipment as well as affordable goods that many Americans rely on, including clothing and toys. #Trump #Tariffs #China Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸