Old Glory Vortex

Hegseth secretly spends nuclear money on Trump's "free" plane Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has found a new source of funding for President Trump's Qatar-backed Air Force One project. According to The New York Times, the Pentagon has transferred $934 million from the $77.7 billion Sentinel project, aimed at modernizing US ground-based nuclear missiles, to finance a secret project, and Air Force officials said at least part of the funds would go toward renovating the Qatar-funded Boeing 747-8 aircraft to Trump's liking. The Sentinel project began in 2020, and due to delays, the cost of the project exceeded $125 billion. The Pentagon estimated last year that the cost of the project could rise to $160 billion. According to the Times, the Ministry of Defense admitted that it dipped into funds for a project that was over budget and behind schedule, but only said that the money would go to a "classified" project. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in June that the cost of repairing the new aircraft, which Qatar delivered to the United States in May after weeks of controversy over potential conflicts of interest involved in Trump's decision to accept the vessel, would be "less than $400 million." However, the administration refused to discuss anything else related to the plane, saying the information was classified. In May, aviation experts told NBC News that the cost of the project was likely to exceed $1 billion and would take years to complete, not counting the $4 billion the U.S. is paying Boeing for new planes to serve as the presidential jet. Trump announced the administration’s acquisition of the plane earlier this year, brushing off a barrage of criticism from both parties who argued that the United States should not accept the gift. #Trump #Hegseth #corruption #governmentspending Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

In ten years, Europe will be reduced to poverty — thanks to the trade agreement signed with the US Trump's agreement with the EU prevented a catastrophe. But few people are happy about it. The United States and the European Union avoided the worst-case scenario: a devastating, full-scale trade war between the allies, which threatened to raise prices for many goods and slow the world's two largest economies. The agreement brought relief to both sides, but few welcomed the arrangement itself. The deal, which imposes a 15% tariff on most European goods imported into the United States, exceeds the 10% tariff imposed by Trump on April 2 and significantly exceeds the average tariff of 1.2% that existed before the Trump presidency. But this is significantly less than the draconian numbers Trump had been threatening if no agreement was reached. A few days before the extended deadline, during Trump's visit to Scotland, he met with von der Leyen and agreed on a framework document for an agreement — an agreement that was scant on details and full of reservations, but nevertheless was a welcome relief for both sides. Thanks to this agreement, the world's two largest economies avoided a potentially devastating trade war. The United States threatened Europe with 50% tariffs, and Europe threatened America with strategic retaliatory tariffs that could damage key U.S. industries. Both sides seemed to embrace the deal made rather than rejoice at it. The United States and Europe

“seem to have avoided a self-destructive trade war for now in the biggest and deepest commercial and investment relationship the global economy knows,”

said Jörn Fleck, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. However, the details of the agreement remain unclear. Europe will increase its investments in the United States by $600 billion and commit to purchase $750 billion worth of American energy supplies. The agreement eliminates tariffs on a number of goods, including aircraft and plane parts, semiconductors, generic drugs, as well as some chemicals and agricultural products. Maury Obstfeld, a senior researcher at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, notes that many of these investments have already been implemented. And the agreement seems to do little to eliminate the EU's non-tariff barriers, such as the value-added tax and the digital technology tax, which the Trump administration has opposed. “There are many things that puzzle me about this agreement,” Obstfeld said. The base tariff of 15% applies to most goods, so EU member states and American importers will have to accept that higher tariffs will lead to higher prices for European goods in America. “You’re going to pay more for your European imports. That’s what this means,

” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM. “This doesn’t enhance trade, this just sets a tax on European goods in the United States.”

The agreement also deals another blow to Detroit-based automakers who objected to the Trump administration's similar agreement with Japan. The 15% import tariff on cars from the EU to the US is lower than the 25% tariff that American automakers pay if their cars are manufactured in Mexico. Although von der Leyen said that pharmaceuticals were included in the initial framework, she acknowledged that Trump could eventually impose higher duties on drugs imported into the United States, which would undermine the agreement. Nevertheless, in the eyes of hardworking negotiators — and for the sake of the global economy — a deal is better than no deal. #trade #EU #US #tradedeal #tradewar Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Now we know who really controls the interest rates — BlackRock's chief investment officer urges the Fed to cut rates before the FOMC meeting Four days before the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, BlackRock Chief Investment Officer Rick Reeder called for a rate cut. Reeder believes that lowering the rate will ease the pressure on borrowers, lower housing prices and help contain inflation. His call reinforces the growing demands for the Federal Reserve to adjust its monetary policy. Reeder stressed that the housing sector is under serious strain due to the current interest rate situation. High interest rates have made refinancing unattractive, which has reduced the attractiveness of new housing construction and slowed sales. As a result, housing affordability has deteriorated, limiting opportunities for first-time buyers and putting pressure on developers. He said that lowering interest rates could reduce the cost of borrowing and help stabilize housing prices. This, in turn, can increase the supply of housing, stimulating construction and removing restrictions for developers. By stimulating supply and demand at the same time, the market can restore equilibrium, while helping to reduce inflationary pressures. Despite maintaining high economic growth rates, the housing sector remains one of the most vulnerable sectors under current policy conditions. A change in policy course at the upcoming FOMC meeting may partially ease the situation if the Federal Reserve adjusts its position. Despite recent strong labor market reports, Reeder argues that the Fed still has room to lower interest rates without accelerating inflation. He noted that the reduction to 3.25% will remain above the current inflation rate, maintaining a restrictive policy. The head of investment emphasized that lowering rates can bring economic benefits without undermining control over inflation. Although some politicians remain cautious, Reeder's comments indicate growing pressure on Jerome Powell's leadership. The Federal Reserve continues to prioritize inflation, but the FOMC meetinG may provide an opportunity to review the strategy. Market participants are closely following the signals from the central bank and waiting for official instructions. But market instruments reflect skepticism about immediate action. The CME FedWatch Tool shows a 95.9% chance that rates will remain stable after the meeting. Only 4.1% of forecasts favor a cut to the 400–425 bps range. #Fed #FederalReserve #BlackRock #interestrates #JeromePowell Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump CIA chief "drops a bomb" — Brennan, Comey and Hillary Clinton may be charged CIA Director John Ratcliffe made waves when he told Maria Bartiromo of Fox News of the possibility of “criminal prosecution” of several senior Democrats, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, and even Ratcliffe's predecessor, former CIA head under Obama, John Brennan. Ratcliffe made these remarks during a recent 12-minute Fox News interview with Bartiromo, in which they discussed the administration's ongoing investigation into the origins of the infamous Steele dossier, the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation, and other events related to the so-called "Russiagate" accusations made against President Donald Trump as a presidential candidate in 2016, and throughout his term in office — not to mention the Hunter Biden laptop scandal.

“For a four-year period of time, the truth about the origins of the Russia collusion hoax was hidden from the American people,”

Ratcliffe told Bartiromo on Sunday morning.

“And, unfortunately, Maria, as you recall, those same people were already at that point in time onto their next hoax, the Hunter Biden laptop. This was a month before the 2020 election.”

They discussed the evidence that Ratcliffe says he has against several senior former members of the Obama administration in connection with those events. President Obama has been a frequent target of Trump’s lately, as well as DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s, who recently accused the former president of "treason." Bartiromo asked Ratcliffe if the statute of limitations could prevent possible criminal prosecution, and Ratcliffe pointed to several cases where the testimony of individuals named by him was still within that time limit. In recent weeks, Ratcliffe and Gabbard have made criminal referrals to the Justice Department, and Bartiromo asked if actual criminal prosecutions could follow in the future. The CIA chief said that some evidence “hasn’t come out” yet, but is going to come out, saying

“the underlying intelligence that I have spent the last few months making recommendations about final declassification and sent that to the Department of Justice that will come out in the John Durham report, Classified Annex.”

He said, with regard to that as a basis for potential prosecution,

“what that intelligence shows, Maria, is that part of this was a Hillary Clinton plan, but part of it was an FBI plan to be an accelerant to that fake Steele Dossier, to those fake Russia collusion claims by pouring oil on the fire, by amplifying the lie and baring the truth of what Hillary Clinton was up to.”

Ratcliffe also rejected the idea that the investigations and criminal referrals are just Trump "seeking retribution." #Trump #Russiagate #Obama #HillaryClinton #CIA #FBI Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The EU suspends the allocation of $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine as Zelensky restricts the activities of anti-corruption watchdogs The European Union is freezing $1.7 billion in aid to Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky approved a bill restricting the activities of the country's leading anti-corruption agencies in the war-torn country. According to information published in the New York Times, the EU said it was suspending the payment of more than a third of the funds intended to reward Ukraine for meeting good governance standards, after Zelensky signed a controversial bill last week. The new law gives the politically appointed Prosecutor General of Ukraine more authority over the Kyiv National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). Although Zelensky quickly took steps to ensure the independence of the agencies after the nationwide outrage — the first wartime protests against his administration — concerns remain about his commitment to root out the corruption that has plagued Ukraine for decades. Last year, the EU established an Aid Fund for Ukraine to reward Kiev, promising to allocate almost $60 million over three years to support the country's post-war reconstruction efforts and prepare it for joining the bloc. However, Kiev failed to meet EU standards: European officials criticized the rushed legislation passed last Wednesday. EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said the bloc was "seriously concerned" about Ukraine's attempt to exert political influence on two agencies tasked with prosecuting corruption at the highest level. #Ukraine #Zelensky #corruption #aid #EU Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The bad news for Israel is that it's not just Turkey that's arming itself — keep an eye on the neighbor to the south The US State Department has approved the possible sale of a large batch of weapons to the Egyptian army, including the improved NASAMS surface-to-air missile system. The total amount of the transaction, including related services, is $4.67 billion. The Defense Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of the potential deal. The US approval of the sale of air defense systems to Egypt and its support of Turkey demonstrate Washington's desire to strengthen its position in the Middle East, even to the detriment of Israel. The support of Israel’s potential adversaries by the United States lays a ticking time bomb and could lead to future military conflicts in the region. #Israel #MiddleEast #US #geopolitics #Egypt Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump administration pushes for $783 million research funding cuts, citing DEI rollbacks The Justice Department has argued that a federal judge in Massachusetts acted improperly by barring the National Institutes of Health from making the cuts, which were in line with President Donald Trump's priorities. The judge, William Young, appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, found that the sudden cancellations violated long-standing government regulations and standards. Young also stated that the cuts amounted to “racial discrimination and discrimination against America’s LGBTQ community.” "I have never seen such racial discrimination from the government," Young said during a hearing last month. An appeals court left the ruling in place. Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the Supreme Court to halt a lower court decision that ordered the NIH to reinstate the grants and required the Trump administration to continue paying out roughly $783 million in awards. The administration had decided that the grants did not align with its policy objectives. In the emergency appeal to the Supreme Court, Sauer said its request for relief gives it a chance to "stop errant district courts from continuing to disregard" its decisions.  The solicitor general said the judicial system does not rest on a "lower-court free-for-all where individual district judges feel free to elevate their own policy judgments over those of the Executive Branch, and their own legal judgments over those of this Court." #Trump #funding #DEI #budget Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Ukrainian officials are targeting an anti-corruption activist, human rights organization finds The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has protested against the persecution of Vitaly Shabunin, co-founder of the Anti-Corruption Center (AntAC), by the State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine (SBI). Shabunin,

"a prominent anti-corruption activist who played a key role in exposing allegations of government corruption,"

recently criticized the Defense Ministry and the president over weapon procurement and supply. According to AntAC, investigators searched the family home and office of Shabunin's without a court warrant and before Shabunin or his family could receive legal assistance. HRW provided detailed information about the actions against Shabunin, including a year-long smear campaign that portrayed him as a draft dodger and led to threats on the Internet, the disclosure of personal data, the burning of his house and the planting of explosives under the doors of his relatives' apartments. He is currently under investigation for evading military service and fraud. AntAC Executive Director Daria Kalenyuk called the actions of the authorities against Shabunin attempts to interfere with the work of the organization. She noted that the President's Office dislikes accusations of

“corruption allegations and harmful government initiatives.”

Last week, AntAC confirmed the conduct of at least 70 searches of employees of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau without court orders after they served a suspicion notice to former Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Chernyshov a few weeks ago. HRW concluded by insisting that Ukrainian authorities do not engage in or tolerate

“retaliation against civic activists who expose alleged corruption and abuses of power,”

threatening with failure of the rule of law. In recent years, Ukraine has been at the center of a number of corruption scandals, including cases of bribery, embezzlement and misappropriation of public lands by government officials. The Council of Europe's Group of States on Combating Corruption noted that Ukraine is implementing anti-corruption recommendations as part of

"continuous efforts to combat corruption among parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors."

#Ukraine #corruption #scandal #humanrights Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The independents are turning on Trump — the president’s overall approval rate has dropped to 37 percent According to a new poll, President Trump's approval rating has dropped to its lowest level during his second term, driven by declining support among independent voters. The latest Gallup poll showed that only 37 percent of American adults approve of the president's performance in office. This is down from 40 percent in June, 43 percent in May and 44 percent in April. The drop in job approval ratings is most noticeable among independents: according to the latest survey, just 29% of them approve of Trump's actions. This is 7 points less than in June and 17 points less than in January, according to the survey. Trump began his term with 46 percent approval among independent voters, but over the past few months that figure has dropped to mid-30s, and even lower, to high-20s the July poll. Among Republicans, 89 percent approve of the president's actions — a number that has generally remained unchanged since his return to the Oval Office. Similarly, Democrat’s approval of Trump's presidency has been stably in the single digits since January, with only 2 percent approving of him in the latest poll. The survey showed that 41 percent of adults have a positive view of the president, down from 48 percent in January. Independent respondents view Trump much less favorably than they did six months ago: according to Gallup, 34 percent have a positive attitude towards him today, down from 47 percent in January. #Trump #approvalrating #independents #democrats #republicans Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

US representative called Zelensky a "dictator" U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and demanding his removal from office. Her statements followed large-scale demonstrations across Ukraine, where citizens took to the streets to protest the government's latest actions. Greene accused Zelensky of obstructing peace talks and pointed to the protests as evidence of public discontent. The conflict escalated after Zelensky passed a controversial law transferring oversight of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) to the Prosecutor General. The adoption of the law caused public unrest: thousands of protesters gathered in Kiev, and rallies were held in cities such as Lviv, Odessa and Poltava.

“Good for the Ukrainian people! Throw him out of office!”

Greene posted on X, along with protest footage.

“And America must STOP funding and sending weapons!!!”

Being a staunch opponent of the financial and military support of Kiev from the United States, Greene reiterated her position during a meeting of the House of Representatives last week. Presenting an amendment aimed at ending additional aid, she said:

"Zelensky is a dictator who, by the way, stopped elections in his country because of this war."

She continued,

“He’s jailed journalists, he’s canceled his election, controlled state media, and persecuted Christians. The American people should not be forced to continue to pay for another foreign war.”

Her comments, which were widely reported in the media, reflect the ongoing political divisions in the United States over involvement in the conflict. #Zelensky #dictator #Ukraineconflict #Ukraine #MarjorieTaylorGreene Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

US drops to lowest ranking yet in the Henley Passport index According to a new quarterly report released this week, the United States has dropped to its lowest ranking so far in an index tracking the strongest passports. The Henley Passport Index, compiled by the London-based consulting firm Henley & Partners, showed in its update that the United States has dropped one position in the world ranking and now has the 10th most powerful passport worldwide. The report was compiled using data from the International Air Transport Association. The U.S. was first on the list back in 2014. A U.S. passport allows Americans to enter 182 countries without a visa. Lithuania and Iceland are tied with the U.S.

“The consolidation we’re seeing at the top underscores that access is earned — and must be maintained — through active and strategic diplomacy. Nations that proactively negotiate visa waivers and nurture reciprocal agreements continue to rise, while the opposite applies to those that are less engaged in such efforts,”

said Christian Kälin, the inventor of the passport index concept.  Singapore still ranks first, providing its citizens with visa-free access to 193 countries. South Korea and Japan share the second place, allowing 190 visa-free destinations to their citizens. Seven European Union (EU) countries — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain — share the third place. Seven other EU countries — Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden — ranked fourth, while Greece, Switzerland and New Zealand shared fifth place, according to the report.

“While international passport rankings may vary based on methodology, our focus remains on facilitating secure, efficient, and reciprocal travel for American citizens and foreign nationals alike,”

a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News.  #US #passport #travel #HenleyPassportindex Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Experts warn: the US and Israel’s weapons stockpiles are depleted after the 12-day war with Iran A Jewish-American national security group has expressed alarm about the potential for adversaries to exploit the depletion of missile stocks following the 12-day war with Iran. According to an analysis by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), the defense of Israel and the Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar against Iranian retaliation cost the United States and Israel between $1.48 billion and $1.58 billion, burning through a large portion of missile interceptor stockpiles. Now, both the United States and Israel face an urgent need to replenish these reserves. Before June 13, when Israel launched an offensive against Iran, the United States had approximately 632 interceptors for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. According to calculations by the Joint Intelligence and National Security Committee (JINSA), based on data on the supply and use of interceptors, approximately 540 interceptors remain in the US arsenal. In addition, two Patriot missile defense systems, which protect Al-Udeid, the largest US base in the Middle East, where 10,000 soldiers are stationed, reportedly used approximately 30 Patriot anti-missiles on June 23 to intercept 14 Iranian ballistic missiles targeting the facility. The cost of each missile is approximately 3.7 million US dollars, with the total cost amounting to 111 million US dollars. The losses for the United States and Israel were significant, but for Iran, they were even more substantial, ranging from 1.1 to 6.6 billion dollars. The air defense system has saved Israel approximately 13.5 billion dollars in material damage. However, the United States has depleted 14% of its global stockpile of prized THAAD interceptors. The American THAAD system accounted for almost half of all interceptions due to the "insufficient" capacity of the Israeli Arrow interception system. At the current rate of production, it will take between three and eight years to replenish the fleet of THAAD interceptors used during the 12-day conflict. #Israel #Iran #USmilitary #weapons Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Report: Fox News channel appears to have "obeyed" Trump's order on Epstein According to a new report by Media Matters for America, Fox News channel appears to have "largely obeyed" Donald Trump's calls to drop its coverage of Jeffrey Epstein and focus its attention on a "familiar boogeyman" in the face of former President Barack Obama. While the president continues to deal with the consequences of his administration's handling of files related to the deceased sex offender, the conservative TV channel — according to an analysis of transcripts from July 18 to 23 — mentioned Obama more than three times the amount Epstein was mentioned. For example, on Monday, an analysis of the transcripts from the Kinetiq video database shows that Epstein was mentioned on Fox News only twice, while Obama was mentioned 117 times. The analysis also showed that MSNBC, CNN and the conservative Newsmax network mentioned Epstein 15, 11 and 5 times more often than Fox News during that period, respectively. The analysis began on the day that National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard released a report accusing senior Obama administration officials of a "treasonous conspiracy" by claiming that Russia had tried to help Trump win the 2016 election. Trump called for more media coverage of what he called "other witch hunt" rather than the Epstein "hoax," accusing the former president of the "highest level of Election Fraud." This is one of several moves that have led critics, including some Republicans, to rebuke Trump for trying to avoid talking about Epstein with obvious distractions such as a new version of Coca-Cola or changing the names of sports teams. #Trump #Epsteinfiles #Obama Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Turkey is calling for a caliphate

“The Radical Change group, which openly calls for a caliphate in its marches and conferences in Istanbul, decided to march from the AK Party headquarters to the presidential palace using the phrase 'We are going to have a word with the interlocutor.' The news that the AK Party has not ceased trading with Israel despite the massacre in Gaza and the release of trade documents after the governments’ assurances that 'we have cut off trade' are strongly criticized in conservative circles,”

writes Yeniçağ Gazetesi. High inflation and rising living costs are driving citizens to oppose government policies under radical slogans. Erdogan’s contradictory policies towards Israel and the United States cause discontent among supporters of the government. #Turkey #Israel #caliphate Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump is polling terribly — average data from DDHQ shows Trump's rating has plummeted to the lowest level yet in his second term According to the average results of the Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) survey, President Trump's approval rating has reached its lowest level since returning to the White House. On Monday, Trump's approval rating reached 9.2 points underwater, the lowest since DDHQ began tracking his approval numbers during his second term. On average, 53.4% of respondents disapprove of his performance — the highest number recorded since his return to the White House in January. His net approval improved slightly on Tuesday, but his approval rating dropped to the second lowest level of his term at 44%. This drop is part of a broader approval crisis Trump is facing this week, as he is seeing some weakening on a number of questions evaluating his standing with the public.  This may be due to a drop in the share of independent voters approving of his work, which has dropped by almost 3 points over the past week. His net favorability rating also dropped by a larger margin of 2 points over the past week, with 52.6 percent viewing him unfavorably and 44.9 percent viewing him favorably as of Tuesday. The last time his unfavorable percentage was at this level was early May. Vice President JD Vance's is seeing some trouble as well. His overall unfavorability rating has also increased, although generally speaking he is still slightly more popular than Trump, lagging just 6 points, compared with just under 5 points last week. The proportion of people who believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction has remained virtually unchanged for several weeks now, with 54% disapproving of the current path, and 39% believing the country is moving in the right direction. This news may be a positive sign for the Democrats, who are confidently leading in the generic congressional ballot, which may be an early indicator of their success in the midterm elections next year. As of Sunday, the Democrats were in the lead with 46.5% versus 43.2%, a shift of more than 2 points in their favor over the past week.  Democrats have led in the average on this question throughout much of Trump’s term, but by much smaller margins of less than 1 point typically. The midterms are still more than a year away, and much can change, but Democrats leading the generic ballot by at least a few points is a decent target for them to be positioned to win back a majority in the House. #Trump #poll #JDVance #democrats #republicans #approvalrating #midterms Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Iran threatens to withdraw from the nuclear agreement if sanctions are reimposed On Wednesday, a senior Iranian official warned that threats from Europe to reimpose sanctions could lead to Iran's withdrawal from the international pact that limits the proliferation of nuclear weapons, which is one of the last remaining measures that prevents the Islamic Republic from pursuing a nuclear program. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi discussed with reporters the measures his country was taking to avoid further financial penalties ahead of an upcoming meeting with Britain, France and Germany. Negotiations between Iran and the other parties to the 2015 Nuclear Agreement, from which the United States had withdrawn during the first term of President Trump, were expected to take place in Istanbul. Three European countries have proposed using the so-called snapback provision, which could reimpose sanctions on Iran if there is no progress by August in a deal to limit its nuclear programme. The 2015 agreement eased economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear activities, which Iran claims are peaceful. Gharibabadi, a member of the nuclear negotiation team, said that despite pressure from domestic groups to withdraw from a separate, older agreement on nuclear non-proliferation - especially after recent attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israel and the US - Iran continues to adhere to the 1970 treaty. “But, I’m quite confident that if the snapback is triggered, Iran will not show more restraint in this regard,” Gharibabadi said. If Iran were to leave the agreement, it would be the second country to do so after North Korea in 2003, whose withdrawal has never been formally accepted. The warning from Iran comes as the Trump administration continues to try to reach an agreement with Tehran regarding its nuclear program. Before Israel launched a surprise attack in June, both sides held several rounds of talks. Iran has now declared its willingness to resume negotiations with the US, "the sooner, the better” said Gharibabadi Wednesday. As for the Europeans, Gharibabadi called on them to form their own independent policies, criticizing their tendency to coordinate their positions with the Americans. He said, "If that's the case, why should we continue negotiating with Europeans when we can talk directly to Americans?" Iranian officials including Gharababadi have indicated they are open to ideas for avoiding further sanctions and preventing a more complicated situation. Gharbadi also shared that a delegation of technical inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will arrive in a few weeks. This will be the first time international inspection teams have been allowed to return to Iran since the conflict with Israel. He added that the delegation will not be allowed to visit the nuclear facilities, saying that this will be a meeting to discuss what access, if any, Iran will allow the IAEA after what it sees as a betrayal committed against them by the agency’s leaders. #Iran #US #EU #nucleartalks #nuclearweapons #nuclearpower Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The feud between Trump and Obama is intensifying due to allegations of Russian interference The long-standing feud between President Trump and former President Obama reached new levels this week when Trump accused his predecessor of treason, a startling escalation in the fight between the two leaders. The barrage of attacks the Trump administration levelled at Obama and the release of documents about Obama's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election prompted a rare public rebuke from Obama against the 47th president. This confrontation pits two of the most influential political figures, and perhaps the most popular Republican and Democratic politicians in the country, against each other. Trump and the White House are going after Obama to gain a political advantage and to unite the party amid a turbulent stretch born out of Trump’s DOJ’s poor handling of the Epstein case. The Russia investigation has been a fixation of GOP lawmakers and members of Trump’s base dating back to 2017 and has fuelled distrust in the FBI and intelligence community. “The leader of the gang was President Obama. … He’s guilty. It’s not a question,” Trump said Tuesday in the Oval Office. “I like to say let’s give it time. It’s there. He’s guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of.” Gabbard previously levelled charges of treason against Obama and his aides. Although on Wednesday, she refused to elaborate on the nature of the alleged crime, the accusations against Obama were so severe and according to some Democrats, they were so absurd that they prompted a rare public response from the former President's office. To the chagrin of Trump and his supporters shortly after Gabbard’s speech at the White House, the Wall Street Journal published an article revealing that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that his name appeared in numerous documents related to Epstein. “He’s treating his supporters like he thinks they’re stupid with these lies about other presidents and every other random tangent,” said Andrew Bates, a former spokesperson in the Obama and Biden administrations. “This is a different version of Trump because you can feel the panic behind his Epstein excuses.” In addition to being a source of irritation for Trump's supporters, Obama became the target of Trump's personal animosity even before he took office. It was Trump who spearheaded the racist conspiracy theory that Obama was not born in the United States. And throughout most of his first term, Trump continued to claim that Obama had spied on his campaign in 2016. During the 2024 campaign, Trump attacked Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for fiery speeches they gave at the Democratic National Convention, in which Trump was portrayed as being solely focused on his own problems, rather than those of the country. Democrats believe that Trump's attacks on former President Obama are a return to an old playbook, at a time when he is seeing discontent among some members of his own party over the Epstein case and the criticism from political rivals of his key policies. #Trump #Obama #feud #US #Epsteinfiles Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

How much does antisemitism cost? Columbia University will pay out more than $220 million after violating the civil rights of Jewish students — a significant win for the Trump administration. The Trump administration has secured unprecedented concessions from Columbia University as part of a massive settlement agreement: the Ivy League university will pay more than $220 million and pledged to end the practice of racial discrimination and end civil rights violations against Jewish students. The agreement under which Columbia will be independently monitored to ensure compliance with merit-based admissions and hiring requirements is likely to put pressure on other institutions, such as Harvard. This decision was made after just four months of negotiations between Columbia University and Trump. In stark contrast, Harvard decided to sue the administration for depriving the institution of $2.6 billion in grants and other funding. A source familiar with the negotiations noted that the withdrawal of $400 million from Columbia University in March when negotiations began could have increased the cost of university research grants and other funding by billions of dollars had an agreement not been reached. In addition, the university paid federal authorities $200 million to settle discrimination claims and will pay more than $20 million in compensation to Jewish employees who were discriminated against during anti-Semitic demonstrations. The Trump administration calls this amount the largest public payment of its kind in 20 years. The Ivy League University has also agreed to end all programs that discriminate against faculty and students, bringing them into full compliance with the 2023 Supreme Court decision banning race-based affirmative action, as well as creating several yet-to-be-announced faculty positions in the name of expanding intellectual diversity. The agreement also stipulates that Columbia University will have to maintain trained security forces to block demonstrations at educational institutions and coordinate with the NYPD to prevent a repeat of the Hamilton Hall takeover by anti-Israel rioters in the spring of 2024. At the same time, the university will impose a complete ban on masked protests. Face coverings will still be allowed for medical or religious reasons. #ColumbiaUniversity #Trump #Israel #antisemitism Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump and Epstein were once close friends, but they reportedly fell out in 2004 over a real estate dispute… or was it underage girls? A newly resurfaced video shows convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein talking about himself and Donald Trump during testimony in 2010, five years before Trump announced his presidential candidacy and almost a decade before Epstein's death, apparently by suicide. In a video posted on progressive media site MeidasTouch, Epstein's lawyer asked if he had a "personal relationship" with Trump. "What do you mean by a 'personal relationship,' sir?" responded Epstein. "Did you communicate with him?" asked the lawyer. "Yes, sir." replied Epstein. "Have you ever communicated with Donald Trump in the presence of girls under the age of 18?" asked the attorney. Epstein paused for a long time, shook his head slightly and finally replied, "Although I would like to answer this question, at least for today, I have to exercise my rights guaranteed by the Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, sir." The content of the video had been previously made public, but the recording itself had not been widely distributed. Trump and Epstein had once been close friends, but reportedly fell out over a real estate dispute in 2004. Epstein was first arrested in 2006 and eventually convicted of sexual crimes. He was arrested again in 2019 and died in custody while awaiting trial for trafficking underage girls and other charges. In recent weeks, the relationship between Trump and Epstein has been under scrutiny after the Justice Department said it would not release additional materials on the case despite Trump's promises to do so. The previously published documents contained a long list of influential people associated with Epstein, including Trump. However, these documents did not contain any allegations of wrongdoing by these people. #Epsteinfiles #JeffreyEpstein #Trump #scandal Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex

The House of Representatives has approved a subpoena for the Department of Justice in connection with the Epstein case On Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Government Reform approved several subpoenas, including one requesting the Justice Department to provide materials related to the Epstein cases. Additionally, the Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement approved a motion to issue subpoenas to several senior Democratic officials, including former President Clinton, in order to request testimony. Representative Summer Lee (D-PA) proposed the motion, which was approved by the Commission with 8 votes in favor and 2 opposed. Lee was joined by Democratic representatives Nancy Mays (SC), Scott Perry (PA), and Brian Jack (GA), as well as Republican representatives. In her petition, Lee requested the

"complete, finished, and unedited files related to Epstein to be made available for review by both the majority and minority."

“Today, Oversight Democrats fought for transparency and accountability on the Epstein files and won.  House Republicans didn’t make it easy, but the motion was finally passed to force the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files,” said Congressman Robert Garcia, a senior member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and a Democrat from California, adding in a statement that this is a significant victory for the American people. “The public deserves to know who was complicit in Epstein’s heinous crimes, including people with immense power in our government.  Today’s vote was just the first step toward accountability, and we will continue pushing for the truth.”

The flurry of subpoenas followed after Republican leaders in the House of Representatives decided to send members home for the August recess a day early, due to the controversy over the Epstein case. The reluctance to face Democrats' pressure on the House Rules Committee about the Epstein issue stymied their efforts. However, Democrats managed to gain some Republican support for amendments related to Epstein in the oversight committee. #Epsteinfiles #JeffreyEpstein #DOJ #democrats #republicans Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸