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President Trump Announces Appointment of Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence

Many are perplexed; however, don’t overthink it.

President Trump has announced Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, via a Truth Social post earlier today:

PRESIDENT TRUMP –  “I am appointing the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, William J. Pulte, to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence. William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago. During this period, he will remain Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Congratulations to Director Pulte!” ~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

In the context of what has taken place in the past 16 months, from CTH perspective an ‘acting’ position in this specific role is essentially a placeholder position.  Pulte placed as acting DNI, perhaps (my guess) in lieu of a permanent appointment that cannot yet be made due to other factors.

Deputy DNI Aaron Lucas remains in place.  Within the construct of the DNI office, Lucas remaining as Deputy actually facilitates the installation of a placeholder that would otherwise not be possible because legislative regulations and preferences on the DNI post are specifically designed to favor only nominations with background experience in military intelligence and/or long-term intelligence status.  {See 50 U.S. Code § 3026}

When congress created the ODNI they outlined: “under ordinary circumstances, it is desirable” that either the director or the principal deputy director of national intelligence be an active-duty commissioned officer in the armed forces or have training or experience in military intelligence activities and requirements.  {Go Deep} Also remember, President Trump (T1) was the first administration to elevate the DNI to a cabinet level position. Biden retained that status.

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President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu at Odds Over Lebanon Strikes Creating Problems for Negotiations with Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu representing Israel, and President Donald Trump representing the United States, apparently had a testy telephone call about ongoing Israeli strikes against Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon.

Iran, essentially IRGC control officers who now control the government, had previously said their terms for negotiation required Israel to stop strikes into Lebanon against their allies in Hezbollah.  However, under the cover of that term, Hezbollah restarted rocket attacks from Lebanon against Israel.  Yesterday, Israel began counter-attack operations against Hezbollah, which led to Iran saying the terms of the negotiation were now violated, and they would stop discussions with the USA.

[NOTE – This overall dynamic is very similar to Saudi Arabia coming under fire about a month ago, and their anger toward the USA for essentially saying Saudi had to accept the attacks so that diplomatic talks could continue.   Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmon rejected the expectation and challenged President Trump with Saudi allied base cooperation.]

Apparently, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu had a strong discussion, some have leaked a very angered and open exchange, about Netanyahu launching strikes into Lebanon again.

On social media, it looks like this. Netanyahu put’s the Israel position via X:

[source]

President Trump responds to Netanyahu’s intentions with a phone call and then a follow-up on his Truth Social Account:

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Colombia Nationalist Candidate Abelardo de la Espriella Wins First Round Presidential Election

In a remarkable come from behind victory, Colombia’s nationalist presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella has won the first round in the election. Mr De la Espriella is a MAGA-aligned nationalist. His opposition, Ivan Cepeda is a leftist aligned globalist.

Mr De la Espriella, a lawyer and political outsider, won nearly 44 percent of the vote while Iván Cepeda won around under 41 percent, according to Colombian media. This was a surprising victory for the upstart politician who gained support from the people in Colombia who want a strong leader to eliminate corruption, gangs and criminal cartel activity.

Mr De la Espriella (pictured left) has to make all campaign appearances behind a bulletproof shield due to criminal cartels who target him.

Espriella has aligned himself with President Trump, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and Argentina’s Javier Milei. A resurgence of nationalism and anti-corruption in the Americas. Interestingly, ever since Marco Rubio dissolved USAID there has been a return to national sovereignty throughout Latin America.

VIA NBC – […] Neither candidate had more than 50% of the vote in the first round of the election Sunday. With 100% of votes tallied, de la Espriella — running as a candidate for Defensores de la Patria, a party he founded — was leading with more than 43% of the vote. Cepeda, of the incumbent party, Pacto Histórico, was trailing at just over 40%.

President Gustavo Petro, who endorsed Cepeda, said he would not accept the preliminary count released by the country’s electoral authority, claiming that some of the software private companies used to count votes was flawed and that the results were not binding.

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A Conversation About Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Ironically, I find myself with a grin on my face as I read the recent media reports about how the data processing demand behind AI is beyond the scope of financial sustainability.

For several years I have asserted, accurately, the business model for social media was never feasible because the data processing demand needed for the scale of simultaneous users was beyond the capabilities of the revenue side of the equation.  I have been told by all the high-horse experts on the matter how wrong I am.  However, each story they write about the prohibitive cost of AI proves I was not wrong.

CTH watches the tokenization and subscription fees for various AI model use with the same perspective CTH viewed over a decade of false claims within the financial market that told lies about social media viability and data processing costs.

Now, we watch the seemingly exponential growth of AI capabilities and associated costs with the same pragmatic perspective.

Robotic pool cleaners were introduced two generations ago.  Did the pool cleaner business dry up? No, it expanded.  Robotic vacuums broke into the popular household appliance market five years ago, you probably have one, did it eliminate maid services?  No, still growing.

AI can now write its own code to generate outputs. Are software developers getting fired?  No, demand for software designers and engineers is up 15% in the past year.

The mainframe approach, the one AI brain to run all systems, will never work – it is cost prohibitive (see first paragraph – wash, rinse, repeat).  Deny this reality at your own investment risk. If needed, politely absorb the ridicule – for it matters not.

CTH predicts AI will become a localized and optimized sub-set for each sector of the economy, requiring each major organization and corporation to adopt specific cost/benefit data libraries and networks for use and functionality.

At scale, a thousand coders each working on Gemini, ChatGPT, Anthropic, Grok, etc. will become 100,000+ software designers working inside companies to create personalized, targeted, bespoke AI data systems and networks; each system specifically tailored to the industry or sector of business.  The intranet of internets will happen again.

Creating and selling AI system networks and integration functions that are personally tailored to highly specific company functions, creates an entirely new sector of the technology industry that has not even begun yet. [There’s an investment opportunity there]

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Sunday Talks – President Trump Discusses Current Status of Iran Negotiations

Appearing for an interview on Fox News with his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, President Trump explains the current status of the negotiations with Iran and more of the details within the deal as tentatively outlined. WATCH:

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Mexican Security Minister Announces Arrest of Cuautla Mayor, Jesús Corona Damián, on Extortion and Bribery Charges

The continual message from President Trump to President Claudia Sheinbaum has been clear, ‘clean it up or possibly we will’, as Trump has publicly and repeatedly said Sheinbaum and the Mexican government were under the control of Mexican cartels.

Following the daring capture of Venezuela dictator Nicholas Maduro, Mexican President Sheinbaum took notice.  In the past few months dozens of government officials and cartel members have been targeted, arrested, indicted, extradited and removed from positions of influence.

Today, Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced the arrest of Cuautla Mayor Jesús Corona Damián (pictured left).

(Bloomberg) — Mexican authorities detained the mayor of a historic city near the capital, the latest move designed to show the government is rooting out corrupt politicians from its ranks.

Cuautla Mayor Jesús Corona Damián was arrested Saturday, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch wrote in a post on social media platform X. An arrest warrant had been issued by the general prosecutor’s office on May 20.

Corona was on the run in recent days, after the security ministry announced in May the arrests of other top officials in Morelos State. The moves are part of a broader operation under President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in 2024 with an anti-corruption message, to nab dozens of politicians taking part in extortion scams and with alleged ties to broader crime rackets.

“With this operation, more than 85 officials and former officials have been detained, including seven mayors currently in office,” García Harfuch said on X. “The government of Mexico maintains a policy of zero impunity regarding any links between authorities and criminal groups.”

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Mike Steger Recaps Current State of “Fortress America” – President Trump’s American Manufacturing Surge

Mike Steger takes less than 20-minutes to walk through a year of President Trump’s multifaceted U.S. manufacturing policy initiatives that have positioned the U.S. economy for a massive surge in growth. Steger recaps several consequential moves by President Trump and his cabinet to fundamentally change economics in the Western Hemisphere. Each point is well delivered and well presented.

Steger then overlays the economic moves with the geopolitical moves in Venezuela (oil), Cuba (communism ended), Mexico (cartels, traffickers and corruption), Canada (globalism confronted) and finally Greenland (a new consulate is created). Put together, Steger notes how all of these move’s work together with a massive surge in energy, technology and productivity to create a hemispheric powerhouse within the United States. WATCH:

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
01:10 Volcker and the Origins of Globalization
02:30 NAFTA and the Collapse of Industrial America
04:05 Liberation Day and the Tariff Battle
05:30 China’s Rare Earth Weapon
06:45 Rebuilding American Industry

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House Intel Chairman Rick Crawford Discusses DNI Gabbard

The Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) is Congressman Rick Crawford from Arkansas CD-01. Coincidentally the same state as Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman, Tom Cotton.

In a preview of an upcoming (June 1) podcast interview with talk show host Paul Harrell, HPSCI Chairman Crawford discusses the departure of DNI Tulsi Gabbard and the role she played within the aggregate intelligence apparatus.  You might find some of Chairman’s remarks to be familiar. WATCH:

[Compare to BACKSTORY HERE]

Keep in mind that Rick Crawford is the chairman of the House intelligence committee and a gang-of-eight oversight member.

Inch by inch, folks. Inch by inch.

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Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent Delivers Economic and National Security Remarks to Reagan Economic Forum

Speaking to an audience at the Ronald Reagan National Economic Forum in California, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlines how flawed trade, financial and economic policies of the past have brought us to a critical moment where President Donald Trump needs to reset the entire system in order to protect American interests.

This is a powerful and well delivered speech certain to gain attention from those who understand the challenge.  Secretary Bessent pulled no punches as he outlined how members of the audience themselves have contributed to a system that has eroded the national security of our nation state by advancing short-term interests disconnected from the American workforce and American industrial base.

The message was simple, “economic security is national security” and a failure to recognize how corporations chasing profits only contributed to the diminishment of internal American wealth.  The patriotic priority must be to return economic strength to the U.S., and all Americans must benefit from renewed economic nationalism.  The American system must be restored.  WATCH:

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Steadfast, a Prayer

“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones.”Niccolò Machiavelli

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts directed to support our President, Donald J Trump.

We pray specifically with hope and trust.

When our leadership encounters moments of struggle and doubt, we ask You to provide Your strength to persevere. Dear God, grant Donald Trump the courage to face each day with unwavering faith, fortitude and determination knowing that You are by his side. When the path seems steep and the journey long, remind our President of Your promises. Fill his heart with Your peace, Your calm voice, and his mind with Your wisdom. Help him to pause, lean on You, and draw an emboldened perseverance from Your endless well of love and grace.

In times of great opposition, guide the steps of our President and keep him steadfast on the journey of purpose. We beg You to bring Your light toward him, surround him, embrace him with a sensibility of calm and illuminate the way for those he directs to find solutions to challenges. May his perseverance be a testament to Your enduring love and faithfulness in all of us.

In Jesus’ name, we pray steadfast. ~ Amen.

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