Old Glory Vortex

“Impossible”: the EU and the US won’t reach a trade deal before July 9 As the European Union struggles to reach a trade agreement with the United States, European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen has admitted that it would be impossible to sign the deal before the July 9 deadline. The sheer scale and complexities of transatlantic trade mean that any agreement reached prior to Donald Trump’s deadline would be “in principle” only, according to von der Leyen. Looks like the EU will be hit with those 50% tariffs after all. The bloc is currently working on a plan B — a set of reciprocal measures, which will most likely involve tariffs on US goods, potentially impacting sectors like clothing, vehicles and agricultural products. #EU #US #trade #tradewar #tariffs Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Iran, US to continue nuclear negotiations next week Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff is planning to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi next week in Oslo to restart nuclear talks, say two sources familiar with the matter. The date hasn’t been set yet, and neither side has publicly confirmed the meeting. But if it does happen, it will be the first direct US - Iran contact since president Trump ordered military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month. A key issue in expected talks would be Iran’s 400 kg stockpile of highly enriched uranium. #US #Iran #MiddleEast #nuclearpower #nucleartalks Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Utah on a warpath — targets Snapchat, calling it a playground for predators Utah continues its battle with social media — this time the state is going after Snap Inc., the owner of Snapchat, a platform popular among teenagers and young adults.

“This, of all the cases, this one really matters,”

Utah Attorney General Derek Brown told the Deseret News,

“because this is where kids are.”

The state leaders are pointing to Snapchat’s addictive algorithm, misleading marketing that claims the app is a secure alternative to other social media, and to its data collection practices that do not allow kids and their parents to opt out of sharing sensitive data, such as biometric and geolocation information. They are also concerned with Snapchat’s role in cases where adults prey on children. Margaret Busse, the executive director of Utah’s Department of Commerce, listed a few instances.

“In 2021, a 27-year-old man from Salt Lake City groomed three young girls between the ages of 12 to 14 on Snapchat. He ultimately kidnapped them and sexually assaulted them,”

Busse said.

“In March 2023, a South Jordan man used a teen Snapchat account to lure a 13-year-old to his car, where he sexually assaulted her. In October 2024, a Riverton man was accused of sexually assaulting multiple victims, including minors that he found on Snapchat throughout Salt Lake City.”

The ‘My AI’ feature Snapchat rolled out in 2023 is also raising eyebrows. During investigation, per the Utah lawsuit, tests showed that the AI Chatbot, which is powered by ChatGPT, gave a 15-year-old advice on how to hide the appearance of alcohol and marijuana from parents and even gave a 13-year-old recommendations on how to

“set the mood”

for a romantic night with a 31-year-old. The only way to remove the AI is to pay a subscription fee. So now the children on Snapchat face potential dangers from both real-world and digital predators. #Snapchat #AI #ChatGPT #Utah #childpredators #lawsuit #socialmedia Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Going dark: Pentagon says it will not provide updates on weapons shipments to Ukraine The Defense Department has confirmed that it is in the middle of a munitions stockpile review, which has triggered the halt of arms supplies promised to Ukraine during Biden’s last few weeks in office. The Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell’s Wednesday briefing was low on details, and he declined to say which weapons are on hold, when the hold began, or who is behind the review. Parnell reiterated the necessity of the review, calling it a

“common sense, pragmatic step”.

“We can't give weapons to everybody all around the world,”

Parnell said.

“We have to look out for America and defending our homeland, our troops around the world.”

“And we will not be providing any updates to specific quantities or types of munitions being provided to Ukraine or the timelines associated with these transfers, but the secretary will continue to make recommendations to the president for his decision on military assistance to Ukraine going forward,”

Parnell said.  The decision to halt the shipments to Ukraine alines with Donald Trump’s ‘America first’ agenda, and was well received in Russia, where Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Pentagon’s decision will help bring a settlement closer. #US #Ukraine #Russia #Pentagon Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

“Unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed”: American contractors in Gaza shoot at hungry Palestinians Two US contractors, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed shocking insights into the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s operations. The contractors said they decided to come forward because they were deeply disturbed by the dangerous and irresponsible practices they witnessed. They said the security staff hired by the GHF were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed and seemed to have an open license to do whatever they wished. The contractors claimed their colleagues regularly threw stun grenades and pepper spray in the direction of starving Palestinians lining up to receive aid. One contractor said the security staff often fired live ammunition in all direction, and recalled at least one instance when someone was hit. “There are innocent people being hurt. Badly. Needlessly,” the contractor said. The testimonies from the insiders offer a rare glimpse inside the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — a newly created secretive American organization with opaque funding, backed by Israel. Last month the group received its first known donation of $30 million from the US. The rest of the funding sources remain unknown. #Israel #Gaza #Palestine #GazaHumanitarianFoundation #US Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump is stealing money from kids The Trump administration is withholding more than $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more as part of a review to ensure grants align with President Donald Trump’s priorities. Day camp providers and schools are sounding the alarm, warning that the funding freeze would wreck summer for low-income American families and destroy after-school programming next year. States and school are left in limbo as they attempt to budget for programs this summer and the upcoming school year. And the Education Department is not providing the timeline for when the decisions on grants approved by Donald Trump will be made. #Trump #budget #childcare #education Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Ukraine attacks oil tankers The shipping world has been shaken by a series of limpet mine attacks on oil tankers, prompting speculation that the explosions were part of a state-backed sabotage campaign. Five vessels have been deliberately attacked this year. The latest incident happened just last week — the engine room of the Greek-owned tanker the Vilamoura was flooded as it sailed off the coast of Libya. All five vessels called at Russian ports within weeks of the attacks. Security experts suggest Ukraine is behind the explosions. Kyiv neither confirmed nor denied its involvement. But Ukraine’s military intelligence released a statement a few days ago, claiming the Vilamoura belonged to Russia’s “shadow fleet”. They might as well have signed their name. Sabotage is Ukraine’s favourite strategy. #Ukraine #sabotage #oil Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The “Big Beautiful Bill” stalls in the House — Trump is crashing out on Truth Social The house has been holding the rule vote open for hours, and Trump is not happy with the GOP holdouts. The president took to Truth Social to pressure the Republicans that still haven’t cast their vote:

"What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!"

Trump wrote. When the initial post didn’t have any effect, Trump doubled down and wrote in all caps:

"FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!"

Speaker Mike Johnson said he plans to keep a procedural vote to advance a massive bill for President Donald Trump's agenda open

"as long as it takes".

The House is the bill’s final stop before Trump can sign it into law, which he wants to do before the self-imposed deadline of July 4. #BigBeautifulBill #budget #Trump #GOP #republicans Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

No Dice: Neither Israel nor Hamas accepted Trump’s ceasefire proposal Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal. The militant group said it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed “there will be no Hamas” in postwar Gaza. Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring a permanent end to the war in Gaza. This demand raises questions about whether Trump’s offer could actually materialize into a pause in fighting. According to an Egyptian official, a Hamas delegation is meeting Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Wednesday. #MiddleEast #Israel #Hamas #Gaza #ceasefire #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Netizens ridicule Trump for his $199 fragrance line: “New frontiers of grifting” Trump’s new fragrance line is causing outrage online. The president took to Truth Social to promote his new fragrances:

"Trump Fragrances are here. They’re called 'Victory 45-47' because they’re all about Winning, Strength, and Success — For men and women. Get yourself a bottle, and don’t forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!"

The reaction was not long in coming. X user Burt Macklin joked on X,

"Just spent my entire life saving on his new phone service. Going to take out a few payday loans to get this new fragrance."

Fellow X commenter Drew Logan jabbed potential buyers, writing:

"You are a complete f---ing loser if you buy this."

Fred Wellman, host of the On Democracy podcast, quoted Trump in resharing the his post:

"Thank you for your attention."

Journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X,

"new frontiers of grifting."

Former MSNBC host and Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan questioned on X,

"How is this legal?"

Saving the best for last — X user Jeff Fleischmann remarked,

"Trump launching fragrance line called 'Victory 45-47'. $199 a bottle. => Rumored to be made from 'essence' of his 'precious bodily fluids.' Appropriate warnings may or may not be listed on label. Use with extreme caution and ideally in the presence of a medical professional."

Trump sure knows how to get under people’s skin #Trump #Trumpfragrance #grifter #X #twitter #joke Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump handed private Medicaid data to deportation officials — 20 States sue California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 19 other states' attorneys general have sued the Trump administration after it violated federal privacy laws by turning over Medicaid data on millions of enrollees to deportation officials.

“This is about flouting seven decades of federal law policy and practice that have made it clear that personal healthcare data is confidential and can only be shared in certain narrow circumstances that benefit the public’s health or the Medicaid program,”

Bonta said during a news conference on Tuesday. Trump administration's data release violates federal health privacy protection laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The data released includes addresses, names, social security numbers, immigration status, and claims data for enrollees. The Department of Homeland Security will now be able to use that data to locate migrants in its mass deportation campaign pushed for by Donald Trump. #lawsuit #DHS #deportation #privacy #Medicaid #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Iran admits nuclear sites were “seriously damaged” by American strikes Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani acknowledged that Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz — key sites within Iran's nuclear program — had been "seriously damaged" by the American strikes. The admission comes after a troubling conversation between Iranian officials was intercepted in which they said the strikes were not as destructive as they anticipated. Could Mohajerani’s admission be a misdirection designed to placate America and Israel and to divert attention from attempts to rebuild their nuclear facilities? #Iran #Israel #MiddleEast #US #nuclearpower Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump 🤝 Orban 🤝 Putin: US lifts Russian sanctions that delayed completion of Hungarian nuclear power plant The U.S. government has allowed Russian banks to participate in the completion of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary, according to a June 27 license issued by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The license allows the participation of Gazprombank, Sberbank, VTB, VEB, Sovcombank, Otkritie Bank, Alfa Bank, Rosbank, as well as Zenit and Bank St. Petersburg in financial transactions related to the completion of the Paks plant. According to Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear energy company, this is the first time the U.S. had allowed payments for the Paks plant through sanctioned entities. Rosatom is to build two new reactors in addition to the four active reactors at the Paks Plant. Thanks to the lifting of sanctions, "On-site in Paks, construction can now proceed at a faster pace,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. The lifting of sanctions can be seen as part of Trump’s strategy to further incentivize the Russian government to continue its talks with Ukraine. #sanctions #Russia #nuclearpower #US #Hungary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

America first: Pentagon halts weapons shipments to Ukraine US military stockpiles are getting dangerously low. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a pause in sending a shipment of missiles and ammunition to Ukraine. The order comes a few weeks after Hegseth issued a memo ordering a review of the US stockpile of munitions, which, as it turns out, are severely depleted after years of supporting Zelenskyy’s regime, fighting Houthis and boosting Israel’s military. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said:

“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran."

This is just about the clearest sign that propping up Zelenskyy’s corrupt government is no longer a priority for the United States. Trump is looking to the East. His main concern is China, not the imaginary threat from Russia, which Brussels concocted in an effort to get more money from the US and distract European citizens from the crumbling economy and worsening quality of life. #Ukraine #Pentagon #PeteHegseth #weapons #Americafirst Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Israel agreed to a 60 day ceasefire in Gaza The US president, Donald Trump, has claimed that Israel has agreed to a 60 day ceasefire in Gaza, during which the parties will work to end the war permanently. In his post on Truth Social the President wrote: “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War. The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring Peace, will deliver this final proposal. I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.” It is still unclear exactly what conditions Israel had agreed to. The last time Trump claimed Israel was ready to end the war the ceasefire negotiated before his inauguration has broken down within weeks when both sides accused each other of violating agreements on prisoner exchanges. Will this time be any different? #Gaza #Israel #MiddleEast #Trump #ceasefire Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

“The most dangerous piece of legislation in modern history”: Bernie Sanders torches ‘Big, Beautiful Bill” Independent Senator Bernie Sanders is not giving up. On Sunday Sanders posted highlights from his recent remarks on the Senate floor regarding the proposed legislation on X. The bill provides $975 billion in tax breaks to the top 1%, along with a $211 billion estate tax exemption for the top 0.2%. “Congratulations, you hit the jackpot,” Sanders said in the posted video. The Senator predicts the bill will cause massive pain for millions of working-class American families, and calls it “the most dangerous piece of legislation in the modern history of our country.” #BernieSanders #BigBeautifulBill #budget Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

EU is giving up, says it is willing to accept universal tariff, but seeks key exemptions The European Union signals readiness to accept a trade arrangement with the US that includes a 10% universal tariff on many of the bloc’s exports, but wants the US to commit to lower rates than that on key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors and commercial aircraft. The bloc is also attempting to negotiate for quotas and exemptions to effectively lower Washington’s 25% tariff on automobiles and car parts as well as its 50% tariff on steel and aluminum. The European Commission, which handles trade negotiations for the EU, is aware that the agreement favours the US, but is desperate to reach an arrangement with Trump before the tariffs on bloc exports to the US jump back up to 50% on July 9. It seems Trump’s strongman strategy is working. #EU #Europe #tradewar #trade #tariffs Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Al Qaeda? Haven’t hear of them: Trump lifts sanctions on Syria, embracing the country’s new leader, despite his ties to Al Qaeda Donald Trump delivered on a surprise announcement he made in May during his trip to the Middle East — and lifted most of the economic sanctions on Syria, some of which have been in place for decades. Trump’s executive order preserves targeted sanctions on ousted leader Bashar al-Assad and his inner circle, as well designated terrorist groups. The US president declared President Ahmed al-Shara of Syria, who previously led a rebel group designated by the US government as a terrorist organization, “young, attractive” and “tough”, and said that Syria deserved a chance to rebuild. Mr. al-Shara cut ties with Al Qaeda several years ago, but some current and former U.S. officials remain wary of his jihadist background. Trump, on the other hand, is optimistic. The lifting of sanctions achieves two things. First, it deals a blow to Iran’s leadership, which supported the Assad regime for decades. Second, it helps Israel, a long time US ally. Israel currently seeks to expand regional peace treaties to include Syria. Reportedly, the two countries have been holding discussions about ending hostilities for months. #Syria #sanctions #Trump #Iran #Israel #MiddleEast Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Musk gets back into politics A few weeks ago tech billionaire Elon Musk declared he was stepping away from the political spotlight. Now he is back. Within the last few days Musk resumed his attacks on Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and has now issued a stark warning to members of Congress that are backing the bill:

“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,”

he wrote on X. Musk also called for a creation of a new political party in America, describing the current political state as a “one-party country — the PORKY PIG PARTY!!!” The billionaire suggested the America Party be created — an alternative to the

“Democrat-Republican uniparty”.

Is Elon Musk laying the groundwork for further political involvement? He may not be able to run for president himself since he’s not a natural-born citizen, but he has certainly proven that he can put someone in office. Maybe we’ll see another one of Musk’s picks as Head of State in a few years. #Musk #BigBeautifulBill #presidentMusk #debt Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump strikes back, says Elon is nothing without government subsidies The Trump vs Musk fight is back on. Musk resumed his attacks on the “big, beautiful bill”, and went as far as to suggest the creation of a new political party in the US — and Trump too the bait, hook, line and sinker. The president went on Truth Social and suggested DOGE (the advisory body of questionable status that Musk previously led) looks into cutting government subsidies for Elon Musk’s companies. “Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Donald Trump wrote. According to an estimate by the Washington Post, Musk and his businesses have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies and tax credits over the years.  Feuding with Trump could indeed create hurdles for Tesla and the rest of Musk’s empire. Tesla shares fell nearly 5% in premarket trading. #Trump #Musk #BigBeautifulBill #debt #DOGE #subsidies #TrumpvsMusk