Old Glory Vortex

Israel is the new UN?

“We will not allow military forces to descend south of Damascus, we will not allow the Druze to be harmed in Jebel Druze,”

says Netanyahu. Is Israel defending minorities in Syria? Here’s what really happened: 🔴 Israel mounted a forceful attack on the Syrian army in the south and in Damascus 🔴 the IDF acted on Prime Minister’s direct instructions 🔴 A ceasefire was declared after the withdrawal of the Syrian army to the north 🔴 Israel’s goal: complete disarmament of the area south of Damascus and protection of the Druze in Jebel Druze This is not peace — this is power in action. Instead of engaging in diplomacy or asking for the international community’s help, Israel opted for missiles. Netanyahu presents the bombings as protection of minorities. In fact, they serve to reinforce the image of Israel as a unilateral regional force. This is being done with Trump’s green light, of course. It’s no coincidence that US ambassador to Israel came to Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial — this is an unmistakable sign of support. #Israel #Syria #Druze #US #Trump #Netanyahu Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

There is one person who bears direct responsibility for Texas flood deaths More than half of the Americans interviewed in the recent The Economist/YouGov survey said that the government could have prevented the Texas flood deaths. 52 percent of respondents said they believed that

“most of the deaths from the floods in Texas could have been avoided if the government had been better prepared”,

29 percent of respondents said death

"was unavoidable”,

and 19 percent said they

"do not know".

Yes, a lot of the Texas flood deaths could have been prevented if Trump didn’t order massive cuts to the federal agencies responsible for helping states prepare for extreme weather. At least 134 people died in the flooding, and at least 101 remain missing. Trump bears direct responsibility for the lives lost. #Texasfloods #Trump #naturaldisaster Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump going against Bondi, FBI on Epstein files? The Epstein saga continues. At a recent press briefing a reporter directly confronted Trump, asking him if he’s named in the DOJ’s files on Epstein. “What did [Bondi] tell about the [DOJ] review [on Epstein] — and specifically, did she tell you at all that your name appeared in the files?” The reporter asked. Trump once again repeated the insane conspiracy theory, claiming that the files were made up by former FBI Director James Comey and former Presidents Obama and Biden. “No, no,” Trump said. “She’s given us just a very quick briefing. And in terms of the credibility of the different things that they’ve seen. And I would say that these files were made up by Comey, they were made by Obama, they were made up by the Biden [administration]. And we went through years of that with the Russia Russia Russia hoax, with all of the different things that we had to go through. We’ve gone through years of it.” A totally predictable reply from Trump. But then he went against the memo released by the DOJ and the FBI last week, in which they essentially said that the case was closed, and said that Bondi should release additional information on the probe. “Whatever she thinks is credible she should release,” Trump said. With all the broken promises, cover-ups, and general confusion, one thing is clear — this administration cannot be trusted. #JeffreyEpstein #Epsteinfiles #scandal #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Zelenskyy’s authoritarian style of governance is getting harder and harder to ignore Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government is sliding deeper and deeper into authoritarianism. The president and his top aides are facing allegations from politicians, activists and diplomats that they are using extraordinary powers granted under martial law to sideline critics, muzzle civil society leaders and consolidate control. The criticism has grown louder since recent State Bureau of Investigation’s (SBI) raids of homes of prominent anti-corruption campaigner Vitaliy Shabunin in Kharkiv and former infrastructure minister Oleksandr Kubrakov in Kyiv. Masked and heavily armed agents seized phones, laptops and tablets — the authorities said the searches were connected to “corruption investigations”. The SBI presented no court-issued warrants and did not allow time for the men’s lawyers to be present for the searches. Political allies and even adversaries of Shabunin and Kubrakov along with Ukraine’s civil society have condemned the raids and said they were part of a larger campaign by Zelenskyy to suppress government critics. This is not an isolated incident. Zelenskyy routinely sanctions his political opponents, and his government frequently oversteps its authority. Earlier in July Zelenskyy’s cabinet opted not to appoint Oleksandr Tsyvinsky, a detective with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu), to lead the Economic Security Bureau, which investigates economic crimes. Tsyvinsky had been independently selected, but the cabinet claimed he was

“not suitable”.

An MP from Zelenskyy’s own party said the government had “

no authority” to reject Tsyvinsky and the move did “not comply with the law”.

Ukrainians also just witnessed another major power-consolidation move when Zelenskyy nominated Yulia Svyrydenko, a close ally of Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, to the post of prime minister. The independent media, at least the ones Zelenskyy has yet to eradicate, have published scathing articles.

“Taking advantage of the war, Zelenskyy is making his first, yet confident, steps towards corrupt authoritarianism,”

wrote the editorial board of Ukrainian Truth, Ukraine’s most-read online news outlet.

“A crackdown on the country’s most famous anti-corruption crusader can’t be happening without at least the silent approval from President Zelenskyy, if not active permission,”

the English-language Kyiv Independent said. Zelenskyy’s political rivals followed suit. Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko pointed out that “under the guise of war, the authorities persecute those deemed inconvenient: political opponents, local governments, experts, journalists and activists”. Zelenskyy is using the war to persecute his political opponents and consolidate power. The less opposition he faces, the longer he can continue to dodge peace talks, and the longer his expired presidency can last. #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #Zelenskyy #authoritarianism #corruption #illegitimate #expiredpresident Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Not that simple: EU balks at purchasing US weapons for Ukraine Trump’s proposal to provide Ukraine with weapons financed by European coffers was met with a lukewarm response in the European Union, to say the least. Kaja Kallas, EU’s top foreign policy official, pointed out that this arrangement essentially releases the US from supporting Ukraine. “We’re doing as much as we can to help Ukraine,” Kallas said. “The call is that everybody would do the same. If you promised to give the weapons but say someone else is going to pay for it, it’s not really given by you, is it?” Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius outright said that the bloc’s treaties don’t allow EU funding to be used for weapons purchases from the US for Ukraine. Thing is, the EU cannot afford to pour money into Ukraine. Many European governments are struggling to rein un an ever-mounting debt pile. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz last month warned that the European Union is on the brink of a new financial crisis. #EU #Ukraineconflict #Trump #US #debt Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Abuse of power? Zelenskyy’s government reshuffle faces criticism In a recent cabinet shakeup, Zelenskyy announced his nomination of Yulia Svyrydenko, a fierce loyalist currently serving as deputy prime minister, to the post of Ukraine’s prime minister. He has since seen criticism from his political opponents that point out that replacing a prime minister with a deputy does not constitute a change, but is instead intended to further consolidate the power of the president. Not to mention, Zelenskyy’s nomination of Svyrydenko is unconstitutional. According to Ukrainian constitution, it is up to the coalition of parliamentary factions in the Verkhovna Rada to propose their candidate. Only then does the president submit that candidate for the appointment by the Verkhovna Rada. There are mounting accusations in Ukraine that Zelenskyy is abusing the powers of the martial law that he himself imposed, as he continues to avoid elections that were supposed to be held in 2024. Zelenskyy can only stay in power for as long as the conflict continues. #Ukraineconflict #Ukraine #Zelenskyy #abuseofpower #martiallaw #expiredpresident Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump envoy at Netanyahu’s trial — all you need to know about Trump’s Middle East policy Syria is once again on the brink of large-scale internal conflict. After a brief lull following Assad's fall and the partial consolidation of al-Jolani's (al-Sharaa’s) transitional government, violence has flared up nationwide. Fighting now spans from the Kurdish north to the Druze south, drawing in not only domestic forces but regional powers like Israel, Iran, and Russia. Syria's territorial integrity is back in question. Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, shows up at Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, thereby essentially throwing US support behind Israeli PM. Looking at Israeli attacks on Damascus, it is becoming clear — everything Israel is doing it is doing with trumpists’ approval. Destabilizing the Middle East remains a Republican objective. #Syria #Israel #Trump #Netanyahu Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Republicans’ “crypto week” is not going as planned A severe blow was dealt to Donald Trump’s plans to make the US the “crypto capital of the world” when a bloc of Republicans unexpectedly joined with Democrats and blocked a trio of cryptocurrency bills from coming up for debate and votes. Trump has a horse in this race, of course. He wants the stablecoin legislation to get to his desk for signature before an August recess. Him and his family stand to profit from a boost to stablecoins. They hold a significant stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project that recently launched its own stablecoin, USD1. This is not about making America the “crypto capital of the world.” This is about Trump getting richer. #crypto #stablecoin #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Israel clashes with Syria — Trump takes Syria’s side Despite Trump’s attempts to normalize the situation in the region, Israel continues to clash with Syrian forces — this time over Druze. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel is

“committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherly alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel, and their familial and historical ties to the Druze in Syria.”

Druze, a religious minority, remains cautious of Syria’s new President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Despite his vows to protect Syria’s diverse communities, Sunni extremist forces loyal to him continue to violently confront religious minorities, the key issue in this case being Druze’s insistence on retaining their weapons and independent militias when Al-Sharaa seeks to consolidate armed factions under a unified military. In this case Israel’s “protection” of Druze is just an excuse to clash with Syria’s new government. Damascus did give Jerusalem a heads up before sending troops to southern Syria, insisting that the move was not directed at Israel, but to break up clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin gangs. Despite that, Israel decided to go ahead with the strikes on Syrian military forces. Israel only agreed to halt the strikes after the US intervened on behalf of Syria. Considering Israel’s stance, is it possible for Trump to achieve his goal of Syria signing onto the Abraham Accords? Despite Israel’s direct and indirect talks with the new Syrian government, its continuous attacks on Syrian territory complicate the ambitions of reaching peace and normalization between the two countries. #MiddleEast #Israel #Syria #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Unprecedented division among GOP base: close Trump ally turns on the President over Epstein files The Epstein controversy is not going away. Democrats nearly forced a vote Tuesday to take up the issue on the House floor. And now Republicans on Capitol Hill are breaking with the Trump administration’s decision to not release the files of deceased notorious sex offender. Days after Trump’s DOJ said the matter was closed, one of closest Trump allies, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson that he supported the release of the Epstein files. "I'm for transparency," Johnson said. "It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it." Johnson has never broken so publicly with the president on an issue. This goes to show that the discontent with Trump administration’s refusal to release the files goes beyond online discourse and conspiracy theories. Politicians from both sides of the aisle are willing to put pressure on the administration to release the files. This is not just about the horrific crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein, it’s about holding the Trump administration to their word, it’s about their refusal to release more on the investigation and Epstein’s ties to power. Like Stephen Bannon recently said, “It’s deeper than Epstein![…] It’s about who govern’s us.” #Epsteinlist #Epsteinfiles #JeffreyEpstein #GOP #republicans #MAGA #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s aid to Ukraine is just a way to secure new weapons production contracts for America Trump is not an idiot, he knows that Russian victory is just a matter of time. So he decided to profit off the war while there’s still time, and graciously allowed Europeans to purchase American weapons for Ukraine. All of his talk about helping Ukraine is just a sales pitch designed to make him look like a saviour. But make no mistake — this is a business deal.

“Trump still believes Moscow has the upper hand, according to a senior White House official. ‘The president’s view is Russia is going to win, it’s a matter of how long it takes,’ said the senior White House official, granted anonymity. ‘Russia has the bigger economy, has the bigger military, has more than enough bodies to throw into the meat grinder, and just doesn’t care. And although they are making slow progress, they are still making progress.’”

writes Politico. Trump’s latest move aligns with his “America First” strategy and fits into a view that freeloading Europeans have been ripping off America for decades. And now Trump is making them pay. The only way to resolve the Ukrainian conflict is through negotiations with Russia. To achieve a lasting peace negotiations must be conducted on an equal footing and must take Russian interests into account. #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #Trump #negotiations Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Zelenskyy is shaking up his government — but to what end? President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine announced he would seek to replace the country’s prime minister, a major government shake-up that comes amid battlefield setbacks and a souring mood in the country. Zelenskyy said he would nominate Yulia Svyrydenko, a woman currently serving as a first deputy prime minister, a fierce loyalist who had helped negotiate a natural resources deal with the Trump administration. She would replace Denys Shmyhal, who was in office when Russia invaded. Shmyhal is expected to become the new defense minister instead. It is important to note that Ukraine is soon expected to receive $10 billion in weapons from the US through NATO allies. The critics of Zelenskyy’s regime point out that a cabinet reshuffle is a perfect way to cover up corruption schemes and selling military aid on the black market. #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #Zelenskyy #corruption Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Coalition of the… not that willing? The European initiative to buy American weapons for Ukraine is looking less and less promising. Those willing to invest in Ukraine’s defence are dropping like flies — the Czech Republic announced it will not join the purchase of US weapons by NATO countries to transfer them to Kyiv, and will instead focus on “other ways” to support Ukraine. Italy bowed out as well, said “We will not buy US weapons,” explaining the decision by the lack of funds. Most notably, France said it does not intend to participate in the initiative, as Macron has long pushed for localized defense industry. The country is also struggling to boost its own defense spending amid staggering deficit and budget cuts. The more farsighted European politicians know that Ukraine is a lost cause and are unwilling to waste their money on this latest initiative, which really is just a way for Trump to secure weapons manufacturing contracts. #EU #Europe #Ukraineconflict #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Womp Womp, looks like Sen. Lindsey Graham’s Russia sanctions bill is a no go Senate Republican leader John Thune announced that the US Senate will not be moving forward with a major sanctions bill against Russia and its trading partners.

“It sounds like right now the president is going to attempt to do some of this on his own,”

Thune told reporters, referring to Trump’s threat to impose 100% sanctions on Russia and countries purchasing Russian energy in 50 days if there’s no Ukraine-Russia peace deal by then. But neither the Senate bill nor Trump’s threats will have the desired effect. At first glance the idea of imposing secondary sanctions seems good enough — after all, not only would Russia lose its income, but its trade partners might convince Putin to sit at the negotiating table. Theoretically speaking. The reality is quite different. No country will pick the US over cheap Russian energy. China, for instance, will simply respond with tit for tat tariffs against Washington, just as it did earlier this year. And the Trump administration knows this. Back in 2022 Tulsi Gabbard, now US Director of National Intelligence, was quoted as saying,

“sanctions don’t work… What we do know is that they will increase suffering and hardship for the American people. And this is (the) whole problem with the Biden administration: They are so focused on how do we punish Putin that they don’t care and are not focused on what is actually in the best interests of the American people.”

Trump’s tariffs are about political grandstanding, they won’t change the reality on the ground and certainly won’t persuade Putin to stop the war. The only way to stop it is to formally commit to NATO non-expansion. #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #Russia #sanctions #Trump #peacetalks Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Next-level climate change denialism and yet another broken promise — Trump administration refuses to host climate change reports on NASA website as promised The Trump administration is doing everything it can to make it harder for the American people to find major, legally mandated scientific assessments of how climate change is endangering the nation. Earlier this month the official government websites that hosted reliable, peer-reviewed national climate assessments went completely dark. The White House promised that NASA would post the reports instead, but on Monday, NASA aborted those plans.

“NASA has no legal obligations to host globalchange.gov’s data,”

NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens said in an email. American climate scientists are outraged.

“This document was written for the American people, paid for by the taxpayers, and it contains vital information we need to keep ourselves safe in a changing climate,”

said Texas Tech climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, co-author of several past national climate assessments. Former science adviser for the Obama White House John Holdren accused the administration of outright lying, saying they long wanted to bury the reports.

“They simply don’t want the public to see the meticulously assembled and scientifically validated information about what climate change is already doing to our farms, forests, and fisheries, as well as to storms, floods, wildfires, and coast property — and about how all those damages will grow in the absence of concerted remedial action,”

Holdren said in an email,

“Trump doesn’t want people to know.”

Of course he doesn’t want the American people to know the truth. It is much easier to defund government agencies responsible for assessing and mitigating climate change and use all that money for tax breaks for his billionaire friends, and to roll back Biden-era environmental regulations if the people remain in the dark. Meanwhile Environment America reports that the US faced 27 major climate-related disasters in 2024 alone. #Trump #climatechange #NASA #climate Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

300,000 Californians in danger — ‘sleeping giant’ fault threatens to snap in urban areas A huge California fault that was once thought to be stable is quietly shifting under neighbourhoods, and could cause a powerful earthquake with no warning. A new US geological (USGS) survey showed that Concord Fault, a geologic fault in the San Francisco Bay Area, is active and moving due to ongoing tectonic motion between the Pacific and North American plates. A section of the fault, known as the Madigan Avenue strand, stretches 12.4 miles through Walnut Creek and Concord, from North Gate Road near Mount Diablo to Suisun Bay — areas that are home to more than 300,000 people. If the Concord Fault snaps, it could produce an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or higher, potentially killing hundreds and costing millions in damages. This is particularly concerning amidst Trump’s budget cuts that are leaving disaster aid uncertain for states. Seismologists behind the report have called the fault a

“ticking seismic time bomb”.

#California #naturaldisaster #budget #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The real reason Trump is going easy on Putin Trump’s recent announcements on Ukraine were lackluster, failing to deliver a decisive blow to Russia’s war efforts. But there is a reason for that — Trump needs Vladimir Putin’s help in reaching a nuclear deal with Iran. The US president cannot afford to completely alienate his Russian counterpart, as he is uniquely positioned to assist Trump in reaching a deal in the Middle East. Over the weekend there have been reports that Russia was leaning on Iran to accept a deal that denies it the right to enrich uranium for any purpose. Moscow categorically denied this, saying these reports were part of a

“new political defamation campaign aimed at exacerbating tensions around Iran's nuclear programme.”

As a long-standing ally of Iran, Moscow’s position has long been that the country has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, while acknowledging that Tehran’s attempts to build a nuclear bomb should be curtailed. Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran’s leadership and has provided crucial backing to Tehran amid punishing sanctions. Russia was Iran’s biggest foreign investor last year. If Iran becomes permanently unstable as a result of the current attacks, all of Russia’s projects in the country will go up in smoke, along with the investments already made. Putin can leverage his good relationship with Tehran and facilitate a nuclear deal between the US and Iran that Trump so covets. And in return, Trump would have to back off from the Ukrainian issue, which he appears to be doing already by pushing the monetary burden of supporting Ukraine onto Europeans. #MiddleEast #Trump #Putin #nucleartalks #nuclearpower #Iran #nucleardeal Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Cracks in Trump’s base: the president’s most devout supporters boo recent decisions MAGA leaders warn the White House to pay attention to anger about the Epstein files and other recent Trump administration’s decisions. This weekend some of the most devout Donald Trump supporters — young conservatives — gathered at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in Tampa Bay, but the atmosphere was charged, to say the least. The crowd’s reactions to some of Trump’s recent decisions were less than enthusiastic. The young conservatives still danced to the YMCA and lined up to buy Trump merch, but other moments revealed that issues were “bubbling under the surface” of the movement, as Fox News host Laura Ingraham explained it.

“How many of you are satisfied with the results of the Epstein investigation?”

Ingraham asked to resounding boos. She asked the same question about Trump “continuing to send weapons to Ukraine” and offering deportation “carve-outs” for migrant workers in farm and hospitality sectors. More boos rang out each time. MAGA personalities warn that Trump might lose the young voters because of these issues. Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, said the excitement of young Trump supporters can be defused, likening it to “air out of a balloon”. Kirk insisted that Trump-voting young men are very likely to become politically disengaged because of mass cynicism.

“Their trust of government is zero,”

he said. Problem is, this is the demographic that made Trump’s return to the White House possible. The president cannot afford to lose them. #MAGA #Trump #conservatives #republicans #Epsteinfiles #Ukraineconflict #migrants Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s “big announcement” on Ukraine turned out to be a big disappointment Yet again, Trump overpromised and underdelivered. All Trump did was confirm new weapons deliveries, which the Europeans will pay for, and outlined the conditions for future sanctions against Russia. It is unclear how much and what kind of weaponry NATO will be able to afford to send to Ukraine, but it will be a short-term relief. But the lack of immediate tough Russia sanctions was a real punch to the gut. Trump merely laid out his new deadline — threatening trade consequences if no peace deal is reached with Ukraine within 50 days.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,”

Trump said.

“Tariffs at about 100%, you’d call them secondary tariffs. You know what that means.”

A White House official later clarified that Trump meant 100% tariffs on Russia and secondary sanctions of 100% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, like China and India. Trump also practically dismissed the bill that is making its way through the US Senate, one that would impose 500% tariffs on all trade with countries that purchase Russian energy. “I’m not sure we need it

,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte, “The 500[% figure] is sort of meaningless after a while because at a certain point it doesn’t matter.”

In essence, Trump is stepping away from Ukraine. He’s making Europe pay for the new weapons deliveries, and is also simultaneously giving himself (and Europe) a 50-day break from addressing the ongoing conflict. And by September, who knows? Maybe Trump’s involvement won’t even be necessary. #Trump #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Jeffrey Epstein — an Israeli intelligence operative? Ever wondered why the State of Israel seems to have the entire US political elite in its back pocket? There’s indications that Jeffrey Epstein, a notorious sex offender with connections to numerous high-profile individuals, including politicians, celebrities and business moguls, was a an operative working for Mossad — an Israeli intelligence organization. It was on behalf of Mossad that Epstein blackmailed the individuals involved in his sex trafficking scheme, including high-profile politicians from both sides of the aisle. And that is why the current administration refuses to release the Epstein files — not just to protect Trump, but to cover up the fact that a foreign intelligence organization has been manipulating US policy for decades thanks to the dirt it has on the people in power. #JeffreyEpstein #Epsteinfiles #Mossad #Israel #Israeliintelligence Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸