President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hold an impromptu press conference before departing Bedminster, New Jersey en route to the White House.

Topics included the devastating flood in Texas, Elon Musk creating a third party, the ongoing trade negotiations and pending tariffs, President Trump’s conversations with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as the upcoming visit of Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House on Monday.

As noted by Secretary Lutnick the new tariff rates go into effect August 1st.  WATCH:

.

(more…)

White House National Economic Chairman, Kevin Hassett, discusses the current status of the ongoing trade negotiations as the deadline for engagement windows is scheduled to close on July 9th.

As outlined by Kevin Hassett, we can expect those nations who are not in current negotiations will receive letters from President Trump letting them know that the baseline tariff rate (10%) and reciprocity rate (unknown) will be.  Large nations like India and China are currently in negotiations.  The EU collective has preliminary contact information, and a few others are in close proximity to Free Trade Agreement closure.

With the Big Beautiful Bill passed, in combination with baseline and reciprocal tariffs, the revenues to grow the GDP are in place to expand the overall U.S. economy.  WATCH:

[Transcript] – WEIJA JIANG: We turn now to Kevin Hassett. He is the director of the National Economic Council and one of President Trump’s top advisors. He’s also very popular on that driveway where I’m usually alongside about a dozen reporters. So, Kevin, thank you so much for your time this morning. I want to start with trade, because there’s a big deadline coming up on Wednesday. As you know, that 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs that the President announced back in April is set to end. So far, the US has announced a few deals; the UK, Vietnam, and you’re inching closer to a final agreement with China. Do you expect to get any more deals done with America’s biggest trading partners by Wednesday?

KEVIN HASSETT: Yeah. First, I do have to take- take a pause and share your thoughts and prayers with the people of Texas. It’s an incredible, heartbreaking story, and Kristi Noem and the President have instructed the federal government to throw everything they’ve got at helping the survivors and helping clean up that place. So, anyway, I’m really heartbroken today to see these stories, and I want you to know that in the White House, everybody is putting every effort they can into helping the people of Texas today.

(more…)

Some thoughts on what I would call ‘modern warfare’ for citizen preppers.  Some of this experience may pertain to urban areas, some perhaps pertinent overall.

Dimitri’s wife is grabbing her purse to go to the grocery store, when he casually says “it’s 5:45.” She just as ordinarily replies, “I’ve got cash.”  Dimitri sees the slightly puzzled look on my face and flippantly notes, “they turn off the internet at six thirty now,” shrugs, and goes back to reading his paper.

Perhaps similar to London life during the blitz. Various municipal govts coordinated the shut down of lights and people wait. Others got about doing what they needed to do, sirens notwithstanding.

There is a familiar life amid modern drone warfare, and with the similar control of electricity comes the need to add internet.

When the drones are coming they turn off the internet.

As I contemplate the contrasts in social resilience, my most familiar reference point is life after a hurricane.  In Florida when we are dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane, no power, no water, no internet, etc., you adapt to life without modern technological conveniences.

If you’ve ever lived amid the aftermath of natural disasters, you understand the need for a plan and quick adaptation. Do it a few times and adaption becomes ordinary. Horrible in ways, yes; awkward, certainly. But you take things in stride; overcome, figure out the optimal solution and keep moving.  However, not everyone is prepared to consider a disruption an ‘inconvenience’ and many people who need consistency to retain stability end up in panic.  I think long term readers well understand the reference.

As Dimitri goes back to the paper my mind shifts to stuff I’ve heard in bits and pieces but never given context before.

I think about this U.S. ‘Space Force’ thing, and now realize there are people who have gamed out modern warfare more than we discuss as a western technological society.

(more…)

It was reported last night that President Trump held a quiet meeting with Saudi Arabia Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in the White House Thursday. This meeting is reported to cover discussions around de-escalation with Iran, the conflict in Gaza and what comes next.

The meeting also comes on the heels of President Trump having a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and work throughout the middle-east region by President Trump Emissary Steve Witkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

(Via Fox News) Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman secretly met with President Donald Trump and other key officials in the White House on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts with Iran, multiple sources confirmed with Fox News.

Khalid, also known as KBS, is the younger brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

[…] The talks were also reportedly about ending the war in Gaza and negotiating the release of the remaining hostages – whether dead or alive – and about working toward peace in the Middle East. (more)

Previously it was reported by Israeli media that President Trump was working on a comprehensive solution to Gaza that would encompass peace in the middle-east by normalizing ties with Israel, isolating Iran and giving them fewer options for regional instability.  Expanding the Abraham Accords provides the diplomatic vehicle for this approach.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the White House on Monday, July 7th.

It is strongly rumored that Syria and Lebanon would soon join the Abraham Accords, with the possibility of Saudi Arabia joining thereafter.  Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) is a key figure hoping to bring a new era to the middle east absent of conflict and focused on prosperity.

(more…)

Earlier today CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced he was declassifying an “Internal Tradecraft Review of 2016 Election ICA to Promote Analytic Objectivity and Transparency.” Obviously the CIA saying they are releasing something for the sake of “transparency” is a little funny.

The CIA review triggered by Director Ratcliffe was for the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) that was conducted in the aftermath of the 2016 election. The ICA was also known as the “17 agency report” relied upon by those who pushed the Trump-Russia narrative.

Ever since the sketchy “Russian Malicious Cyber Activity – Joint Analysis Report” was originally released late December 2016 we identified both constructs, the ICA and JAR as a mostly political intelligence documents, created to justify a Russian narrative.

The Dec ’16 ICA was also the predicate intelligence report that preceded the December 29, 2016, Joint Analysis Report that claimed “Russian cyber hacking” in the election. Cumulatively the ICA and JAR formed the background for Barack Obama to expel 35 Russian diplomats.

None of this is new. CTH outlined these two corrupt Intelligence Community constructs in real time when they were released. {SEE HERE}. As time went on, and as the Clinton-Steele dossier was revealed, the 17 agency Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) grew even weaker.

In late October 2017 former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper admitted the Clinton-Steele dossier was part of the Joint Analysis Report.   Eventually, our research indicated the dossier and the intelligence report were likely the underlying evidence behind the FISA Title-1 application (and subsequent renewals) for surveillance on Carter Page and by extension the Trump campaign.  All of that was proven to be accurate.

Now CIA Director John Ratcliffe provides an independent CIA review of their organizational action at the time the Trump-Russia narrative was created.  CIA Press Statement:

(more…)

President Trump sued CBS for manipulating the video interview of Kamala Harris to fabricate a response and assist the Harris campaign in 2024.

CBS didn’t just shape or modify the interview; they literally moved answers to questions. A Twitter user named @Mazemore was the first to notice one big substantial edit that completely manufactured a different question and answer. “The edited version that CBS put on YouTube is a work of art. Mix and match questions and answers.”

(VIA MSM) – Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump during last year’s presidential campaign — a decision that is likely to spur both internal and external backlash.

The agreement, announced late Tuesday night, comes after months of negotiation to find an amount that both parties would accept. Trump sued the network in U.S. District Court in Texas in late October, alleging that his electoral chances were harmed after the network aired two separate versions of an answer given by then-Vice President Kamala Harris during an interview for “60 Minutes.” (more)

(more…)

♦ Some people just can’t take a win.  For the “I need to be outraged” group I would suggest their best time for complaining would be to join the collective association of the tech crew (Musk/Thiel), the alligator emojis (DeSantis/Cruz Crew) and the CONservative free traders (Massie, Paul, Roy).  That group of always unhappy, whining and never satisfied knuckleheads will welcome the griping, bitching and moaning.

However, that doesn’t work here. We have a big win to celebrate.

♦ The Senate version of the previously passed Big Beautiful Bill cuts more spending than originally delivered from the House.  You might ask why then did spending opposition narratives surface now and not when it passed through the House? Good question, we’ll get to that ‘political answer’ in a moment.

For now, the BBB is on track as it was originally planned (by July 4th); albeit right at the outer limits of the predicted timeframe that was announced in January.

[SOURCE]

The Senate BBB passed on a 50-50 vote split, highlighting it was the most conservative bill that could possibly squeak through the Senate.  It is the culmination of MAGA interests -vs- MAGA opposition, with the biggest win being the $70 billion for border security and ongoing deportation operations.

The original plan was always to use rescission bills to cut out the DOGE waste. Per Senate rules, the rescissions/cuts cannot be done until after the initial funding bill is passed (that’s BBB). Timeline: July – BBB, Aug – Rescission bills to cut DOGE waste {examples}, and Sept – FY 2026 Budget bill which begins October 1st.

Additionally, the narrative about the Senate bill including Medicaid spending for illegal aliens is false.

♦ The ban on Medicaid for illegal aliens is actually stronger than initially thought [See page 602. Section 77109].  As noted by Senator Schmidt, “the bill actually goes much further than the house version – beyond banning Medicaid for 1.4 million illegal aliens, it: • Requires states to verify citizenship status before providing coverage • Bans automatic Medicaid enrollment for children of illegal aliens • Excludes DACA from Medicaid.”

(more…)

Another facet not discussed in the BBB background is data released by the US Office of Personnel Management showing a reduction of approximately 23,000 federal employees since the Trump administration took office. [LINK HERE] OPM adds that hundreds of thousands will drop from payroll in October 2025. [link]

Office of Management and Budget Director Russel Vought appears on CNBC to discuss the non-pretending facts within the Big Beautiful Bill as it passed through the Senate.  The House now needs to reconcile, support the bill and send it to President Trump’s desk by July 4th.

The key notation from Vought comes at 06:07 of the video below as he explains the BBB is just one facet of a larger cost-cutting initiative (tariff revenue, recission cuts, discretionary spending reductions etc.). WATCH:

.

I’ve got two words for the Musk fanboys, Tech bros, CONservatives, Massie/Paul/Roy fools, and those who clutch pearls on the false budget apoplexy; those two words are not ‘Merry Christmas.’

(more…)

President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem meet with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at the new illegal alien detention and transfer facility known as Alligator Alcatraz.

All three government leaders held a brief presser on the tarmac at the transitional airport.  WATCH:

.

(more…)

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked about this earlier today during her press briefing.

CNN is promoting an early warning system for cell phone users that alerts them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.  In response, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said, “This sure looks like obstruction of justice. Our brave ICE law enforcement face a 500% increase in assaults against them. If you obstruct or assault our law enforcement, we will hunt you down and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

.

Apparently the Apple and Google stores have authorized the ICE Block app to be downloaded from their services.

There are a lot of vested financial interests in the human trafficking and illegal alien business.  This ICE Block app, is part of the system that perpetuates the exploitation and criminal illegal activity.  Given the nature of the national security interests involved, one has to wonder how this type of technology does not run afoul of the law.

UPDATE:  As noted, there could be positives.  Download the App., and if you encounter a long checkout line at WalMart, Home Depot, DMV or Post Office etc., activate the ICE alert and watch what happens.

(more…)