Old Glory Vortex

Democrats continue to trail Republicans in favorability ratings among Americans, according to the latest The Economist/YouGov poll. The poll, conducted in late May, shows the GOP with a net favorability rating of negative 11 percent, while Democrats follow 10 points behind, with a net favorability rating of negative 21 percent. Among Americans surveyed, 41 percent view Republicans favorably and 52 percent view them unfavorably, whereas only 36 percent of Americans view Democrats favorably and 57 percent view them unfavorably. The survey results continue the negative trend seen in recent months’ polling data. The last time this question was asked of respondents, in late April, Republicans led Democrats on favorability by 8 points, with GOP net favorability holding at negative 11 percent and Democrats’ net favorability coming in at negative 19 percent. The latest survey also asked respondents about the political parties in Congress. Republicans have a net favorability rating of negative 10 percent, while Democrats trail 14 points behind, with a net favorability score of negative 24 percent. The pollsters asked respondents about congressional parties in the poll conducted the prior week, in mid-May. In that poll, congressional Republicans led their Democratic counterparts by a slightly smaller margin — with a net favorability rating of negative 14 percent, compared with Democratic lawmakers’ net favorability rating of negative 23 percent. The latest poll comes as Democrats face renewed scrutiny over their handling of questions surrounding former President Biden’s age and mental acuity in the final months of his term in office. #GOP #Democrats #Poll Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🏥The State Department has halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students hoping to study in the U.S. while it prepares to expand the screening of their activity on social media, officials said. A U.S. official said Tuesday the suspension is intended to be temporary and does not apply to applicants who already had scheduled their visa interviews. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration document. A cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Associated Press says the State Department plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting.

“Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consulate sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor visa appointment capacity”

until the guidance is issued, the cable says. #students #Rubio Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🛞General Motors is investing $888 million in its New York propulsion assembly plant to produce the next generation V-8 engine, the company said May 27. GM said it is the automaker’s largest ever investment in an engine plant and the latest adjustment to electric vehicle production. GM previously announced a $300 million investment to retool Tonawanda Propulsion near Buffalo, New York, to produce electric vehicle drive units. Outside New York, GM produces small block V-8 engines for its full-size trucks and SUVs at two other locations ― Flint, Michigan, and Toluca, Mexico, according to its website. Retooling for the next generation engine, its sixth, will take two years, the company said, meaning the fifth generation engine will continue to be produced in New York until 2027. #GM #Auto Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

40,000 German Troops against Russia 🇩🇪💥 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization wants Germany to contribute as many as 40,000 more troops for the alliance’s defense against Russia 🇷🇺, according to people familiar with the matter. The demand, which would add the equivalent of seven brigades 💪, comes as part of a NATO review of its military capability targets, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the discussions are not public 🤫. The alliance has grown concerned about heightened Russian hostility since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 🇺🇦. NATO defense ministers are expected to discuss the plan, which was first reported by Reuters on Wednesday 📅, during a meeting in Brussels next week intended to address new targets for weapons and troop numbers ⚔️. There is no concrete time frame for deploying the additional troops ⏳, the people said, noting that a target date of 2030 would be desirable, if unrealistic 🗓. Next week’s discussions could see overall brigade targets for NATO allies rise from around 80 to between 120 and 130 🏋️‍♂️, according to the Reuters report. A defense ministry spokesman declined to comment on the figures, adding that the matter would be discussed at the meeting 🗣. A NATO official confirmed that the alliance “is setting ambitious new capability targets for Allies” 🎯. Merz has pledged to play a greater role in the continent’s defense. The new center-right leader has vowed to revitalize the German military and transform it into Europe’s strongest conventional army 🇪🇺💪. As part of this push, Germany is currently ramping up a new brigade in Lithuania 🇱🇹, with as many as 5,000 personnel expected to be on the ground by the end of 2027 📈. That effort, which will count toward the NATO quota, will be the country’s first battle tank brigade to be permanently deployed abroad since World War II 🚢. So far, Germany has pledged to provide NATO with 10 brigades of roughly 5,000 troops each by 2030 🔢. The country currently has nine brigades, including the one in Lithuania. #German #troops #war #Russia 📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

A court in the United States ruled unconstitutional duties imposed by Trump🧑‍⚖️ A federal court in New York banned Donald Trump from imposing large-scale trade duties under the emergency law. The court's decision states that such measures are "unconstitutional" and can no longer be applied. We are talking about almost all the duties introduced by the Trump administration earlier. The Court stressed that under the Constitution, the power to regulate foreign trade belongs exclusively to Congress, and not to the President. Furthermore, the Court did not recognize the existence of any national state of emergency that could justify such measures. The Trump administration has already filed an appeal. This was the first major legal setback for Trump's so-called "exemption fees," which were sued by five small American companies. In addition, on the same day, the court declared illegal the cancellation of the humanitarian stay program for hundreds of thousands of migrants. #Trump #Tariffs #Court Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

President Trump said Monday he was considering taking $3 billion of grant money from Harvard University and distributing it to trade schools around the country, amid an ongoing battle with the country’s oldest university. 📝

“I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Grant Money away from a very antisemitic Harvard, and giving it to TRADE SCHOOLS all across our land,”

Trump wrote in a Monday morning post on Truth Social.

“What a great investment that would be for the USA, and so badly needed!!!”

The Hill has reached out to Harvard for comment. The administration has escalated its back-and-forth with the Ivy League institution, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ordering Thursday that the school be taken off the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, which is necessary for enrolling international students. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said the school had to be held accountable for “fostering violence, failing to curb antisemitism and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.” The school sued the administration Friday morning, alleging its First Amendment right was violated. Hours later, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs temporarily blocked the administration’s move to rescind the school’s SEVP certification. #Trump #Harvard #budget Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

According to The New York Times, President Donald Trump had a particular reason for threatening Apple last week. Last Friday, the president wrote in a post on Truth Social that he would impose a 25% tax on every iPhone shipped to the U.S. except for units that were built in the States. The Times says that Trump's threat was made because Apple CEO Tim Cook decided not to take Trump up on the invitation he made to have the executive accompany the president on his trip to the Middle East. Cook's decision not to go with the president to the Middle East with executives and representatives of other companies seemed to aggravate Trump. While in Riyadh with Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia, Trump had some nice things to say about Huang who made the trip; at the same time, the president took a shot at Apple's CEO.

"I mean, Tim Cook isn’t here but you are,"

Trump said to Huang during an event attended by other CEOs including Open AI's Sam Altman and AMD's Lisa Su. The president continued to pick on Cook and when in Qatar, Trump did mention that he "had a little problem with Tim Cook." Before discussing the problem, Trump first praised Apple for planning to spend $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. But he also told Cook,

"I hear you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India."

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

The ultra-wealthy are increasingly moving their gold offshore as economic and geopolitical uncertainty roils markets — and Singapore is emerging as a favored destination.👑 Not far from the city-state’s airport sits a six-story facility covered in onyx and fortified by tight security. Tucked behind its steel doors are gold and silver bars amounting to about $1.5 billion. Known as “The Reserve,” the storage facility features scores of private vaults and a towering storage chamber lined with thousands of safe deposit boxes reaching three stories high. From the start of the year to April, the precious metals repository has received an 88% increase in orders to store gold and silver in the vault from the same period in 2024, said its founder, Gregor Gregersen. The Reserve, which also sells gold and silver bars, saw sales for precious metals bars skyrocket 200% year on year in that time, data provided by The Reserve showed. The rise of gold has been meteoric in recent months, with bullion prices notching consecutive record highs. That was fueled in part by its safe haven appeal in the face of the volatility brought about by U.S.-China trade tensions and a mass U.S. asset sell-off in April. Though gold prices recently cooled after investors’ risk appetites improved following a thaw in trade tensions between the two economic superpowers, some market watchers still believe they could climb to as high as $5,000 per ounce next year. Spot gold prices are currently trading at $3,346.32 per ounce, near historic levels. #markets #Singapore #Gold #ultra-rich Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Wisconsin would lose about $314 million in food assistance from the federal government under the massive budget bill passed by the U.S. House last week, according to an analysis of the proposed cuts by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.💊 The legislation, which President Donald Trump refers to as the “big, beautiful bill,” would require states to start matching federal funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. It would also impose new work requirements on families with young children and older people, and it would require regular paperwork to prove exemptions from such requirements for some groups, such as families with special needs children. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Wisconsin Medicaid Director Bill Hanna said those changes amount to new red tape that could cause 90,000 Wisconsinites to lose some or all assistance. He said that would put new pressure on nonprofits like food pantries and have ripple effects at the retailers where people spend what’s commonly known as food stamps. #Trump #Wisconsin #budget Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

At the Harvard Kennedy School, the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke Harvard’s eligibility to enroll international students — temporarily blocked in court — could eliminate nearly 60 percent of the student body. HKS is Harvard’s most international school, and the proportion of international students there has grown over recent years, reaching a record high of 59 percent in 2024. The announcement that international students might have to transfer or face deportation sent shockwaves across the Kennedy School — as students feared being displaced and faculty worried that the Kennedy School’s identity as a global center for public policy scholarship could hang in the balance. It’s “like the worst fear that international students had has suddenly become true,” said Magdalena Larreboure Donoso, a Chilean Ph.D. student studying environmental politics at HKS. When Larreboure was admitted to the Kennedy School, she said,

“I called my dad immediately, and then, like six minutes later, probably all of Chile knew that I got into Harvard.”

Now, she faces complete uncertainty over whether she’ll be able to continue her studies in the United States at all.

“There’s not much that we can do right now. There’s no planning that we can do to try to fend for ourselves,”

Larreboure said.

“This is something that will happen to the whole of Harvard or to no one.”

The mood at the Kennedy School is “pretty cataclysmic,” said Daniel I. Mellow, Laurreboure’s partner, who is studying for his master’s in public administration in international development at HKS. After Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday that the administration had revoked Harvard’s Student Exchange and Visitor Program certification, which allows it to enroll international students, Harvard swiftly sued to block the order. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order within hours. On Friday, shortly after Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 announced the University’s lawsuit in an email to affiliates, HKS Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein wrote a message to the school condemning the termination as “unlawful and wrong” and supporting international students. #Trump #Harvard Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from Apaches who are fighting to halt a massive copper mining project on federal land in Arizona that they hold sacred. The justices left in place lower court decisions allowing the transfer of the Tonto National Forest land, known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper, which plans to mine what it says is the second-largest known copper deposit in the world. The Trump administration has said it will push to complete the transfer. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in dissent that it was a “grievous mistake” not to take up the appeal.

“Recognizing Oak Flat’s significance, the government has long protected both the land and the Apaches’ access to it,”

Gorsuch wrote, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas.

“No more. Now, the government and a mining conglomerate want to turn Oak Flat into a massive hole in the ground.”

A group known as Apache Stronghold, representing the interests of certain members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, has argued that the land transfer will result in the destruction of the site in violation of its members’ religious rights. #Apache #SupremeCourt Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Vice President J.D. Vance was slapped down on MSNBC Sunday morning over comments he made earlier in the week about the Supreme Court where he suggested the Donald Trump administration is beyond the court's control. In an interview with the New York Times' Ross Douthat, Vance lashed out at Chief Justice John Roberts by stating,

"I saw an interview with Chief Justice Roberts recently where he said the role of the court is to check the excesses of the executive. I thought that was a profoundly wrong sentiment.”

He then added,

"That’s one-half of his job. The other half of his job is to check the excesses of his own branch. You cannot have a country where the American people keep on electing immigration enforcement and the courts tell the American people they’re not allowed to have what they voted for. That’s where we are right now.”

Appearing on MSNBC's "The Weekend," former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance, no relation to the VP, set Donald Trump's right-hand man and attack dog straight.

"So I'm not going to mince words here,"

she began.

"J.D. Vance is a Yale-educated lawyer; he understands how judicial review works. And since early in the history of our country, a landmark Supreme Court case, Marbury versus Madison, just after the founding the Supreme Court has had the power of judicial review."

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

President Donald Trump on Monday granted an unconditional pardon to a Virginia sheriff who had been convicted of federal bribery charges and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Scott Jenkins, who had been the sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, was set to report to jail on Tuesday.

"Sheriff Scott Jenkins, his wife Patricia, and their family have been dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden DOJ,"

Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social.

"In fact, during his trial, when Sheriff Jenkins tried to offer exculpatory evidence to support himself, the Biden Judge, Robert Ballou, refused to allow it, shut him down, and then went on a tirade."

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

❗️Some voters think the Democratic Party should trade the donkey for the sloth or a “deer in the headlights,” according to the revelations of a consultant who’s conducted more than 200 focus groups.❗️ Democratic researcher Anat Shenker-Osorio told the New York Times that voters she’s spoken with tell her that Democrats would be the meekest and slowest members of the animal kingdom. Shenker-Osorio will typically ask the swing voters in some 250 focus groups to compare the two political parties to animals in hopes of getting people to divulge their true feelings. The difference between the two sides is stark as the Democratic Party continues to lose support among key demographics and has poor approval scores. Dems are usually labeled as tortoises, slugs or sloths by voters, Shenker-Osorio told the Times. #Democrats #Poll Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

📞A phone call with the European Commission’s leader seems to have deescalated tensions with Donald Trump after the president went scorched earth with a new tariff threat on Friday. Trump confirmed Sunday that has agreed to a five-and-a-half-week extension on the timeline to implement a 50 percent tariff on the European Union after speaking with Ursula von der Leyen.

“I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1st deadline on the 50% Tariff with respect to Trade and the European Union. I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so,"

Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday.

“The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

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

📈 Stocks opened higher Tuesday after President Donald Trump said he was resetting a deadline for imposing tariffs on the European Union. The broad S&P 500 climbed 1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 300 points (or 0.8%). The tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 1.3%. 📉 Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note declined to 4.48%, after hovering at or above 4.5% for much of last week — a sign of increased investor interest in government lending. 🌍 Global investors also showed stronger demand for government bonds worldwide, including U.S. Treasuries, after Reuters reported Japanese officials may borrow less money than previously feared by budget hawks. 🤝 Trump's decision to delay the E.U. tariff deadline lifted market sentiment, even though he has a history of abrupt policy shifts. On Sunday, he announced on Truth Social that he had restored the tariff imposition date to July 9, reversing a prior threat to enact a 50% tariff starting June 1 due to stalled negotiations. 🗣 The E.U.’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, communicated with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, stating they "continue to stay in constant contact," according to a post on X. ⚠️ Trump's renewed E.U. tariff warning, coupled with a threat to impose a 25% tariff on foreign-made smartphones (targeting tech giants like Apple), briefly reversed recent market gains after a steady climb in previous weeks. #Tariffs #markets #EU Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

China and Iran have launched a new railway corridor that reduces the delivery time to 15 days compared to 40 days by sea (see the map). This allows both Chinese goods and Iranian oil to bypass the Strait of Malacca and other waters controlled by the US Navy, and speeds up delivery to European markets and China. It is noted that the new route challenges US efforts to prevent China's unfettered access to oil and markets. #China #Iran #railwaycorridor 📱 American Оbserver - Stay up to date on all important events 🇺🇸

Republican senators are breaking ranks with Donald Trump over his 'Big Beautiful Bill,' (BBB) branding it 'not good for conservatives' and vowing to vote against the proposed package amid concerns over the sky-rocketing national debt. Budget hawks within the GOP, led by MAGA hardliner Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, have pledged to hold up the bill in the upper chamber unless it is significantly downsized. Johnson warned that the legislation represented 'our one big opportunity' to address America's looming debt crisis and 'right now we're blowing it.' In a stern rebuke the senator told the All-In podcast on Saturday, if the bill passes in its current form, Republicans would be 'really no better than Democrats .' The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the BBB will add another $3.8 trillion to the national debt which currently stands at a monstrous $36 trillion - the interest payments alone now outpace defense spending as a proportion of GDP. The bond market, seen as a crucial indicator for the health of the economy, tanked last week after the bill made it through the House on fears that the government won't be able to make good on its debts. Johnson told CNN's State of the Union that he was willing to risk Trump's wrath and leave the bill in limbo 'until the president gets serious about spending reduction and reducing the deficit.' The Republican said the Memorial Day holiday should give fellow senators time to reflect on 'the sacrifice of the finest among us' as they decide how they will vote. 'I don't think they served in sacrifice to leave our children completely mortgaged,' said Johnson, an otherwise fervent Trump supporter. Johnson is not alone in stating his opposition to the bill, with others including Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul saying he 'can't support' the legislation's multi-trillion-dollar increase to the national debt ceiling. #Trump #GOP #Congress Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🇺🇸 Trump postpones his EU customs strike until July 9 📞 Negotiations between US President Donald Trump and the European Union appear to have made progress. Trump has decided to delay the introduction of new tariffs on European goods by more than a month. The announcement followed a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 💥 The proposed 50% tariffs would be five times higher than the current 10% rate on most goods. For cars and aluminum, the existing rate is already 25%. 🇪🇺 According to European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, Brussels is still hoping for a deal based on “respect” rather than “threats.” #Trump #Tariffs #EU Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

🇪🇺 The European Union has said it will defend its interests after United States President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50-percent tariff on all goods from the 27-member bloc. 📞 The EU’s top trade official, Maros Sefcovic, said in a post on X that he spoke on Friday with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the issue.

💬 “The EU is fully engaged, committed to securing a deal that works for both,”

he stated, adding that the EU Commission remains ready to work in good faith towards an agreement.

🤝 “EU-US trade is unmatched and must be guided by mutual respect, not threats. We stand ready to defend our interests.”

📢 Meanwhile, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he is “recommending” a huge 50 percent duty on the EU starting on June 1, since talks with them “are going nowhere”. #Trump #Tariffs #EU Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸