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In the face of economic signals that might justify lowering interest rates, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell doubled down on his commitment to not lower interest rates despite rising dissent within the Fed itself against Powell’s “leadership. After this decision, calls for his firing and resignation have only increased, though President Trump has not yet responded (though he might by print time).

Powell’s justification for actions that his detractors equate to outright overt sabotage of the U.S. economy was to blame the uncertainty of the effect of Trump’s tariffs. He claimed “Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly to prices of some goods, but their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remain to be seen. A reasonable base case is that the effects on inflation could be short-lived—reflecting a one-time shift in the price level. But it is also possible that the inflationary effects could instead be more persistent, and that is a risk to be assessed and managed.”

Jerome Powell holds interest rate steady—and is looking through tariffs by not raising rates– fortune.com
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In a move that everyone was expecting, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell disappointed Donald Trump again yesterday by refusing to cut the base interest rate.

Indeed, a hawkish Powell even used the dreaded r-word (“raise”)—having suggested he is responsive enough to calls to “look through” tariff-induced inflation by not increasing interest rates, a notion which likely would have sent the Oval Office into a fury.

While rates held steady at 4.25% to 4.5%, a split among the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is growing, with two members dissenting. This represents the highest level of friction within the FOMC for more than 30 years.

But despite the pressure—both from within the Fed and externally—Powell struck a cautious tone on cutting. For some time analysts have pencilled in a cut in September, the next meeting of the FOMC.

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CNN anchor Erin Burnett is under fire after describing the gunman involved in a deadly shooting spree in Midtown Manhattan as “possibly white” despite evidence to the contrary.

On Monday night, Burnett angered viewers during a live broadcast when she and her co-anchor discussed surveillance footage showing the shooter, later identified as 27-year-old Shane Tamura, holding a rifle.

Burnett’s initial comment, which was made in reference to Tamura’s appearance, included a description of him as a “possibly white” male with sunglasses and a mustache.

This assessment was supposedly based on the first images that emerged of the gunman.

However, those images, which were obtained from the surveillance footage, clearly showed Tamura with a darker complexion that conflicts with Burnett’s description.

Nevertheless, Burnett and her colleagues continued to repeatedly push the false narrative.

 

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In the wake of Columbia’s settlement for $220 million, Harvard has indicated a willingness to settle as well: Harvard University has signaled a willingness to meet the Trump administration’s demand to spend as much as $500 million to end its dispute with the White House as talks between the two sides intensify, four people familiar with the negotiations said. According to one of the people, Harvard is reluctant to directly pay the federal government, but negotiators are still discussing the exact financial terms. The sum sought by the government, which recently accused Harvard of civil rights violations, is more than twice as much as the $200 million fine that Columbia University said it would pay when it settled antisemitism claims with the White House last week. Neither Harvard nor the government has publicly detailed potential terms for a settlement and what allegations the money would be intended to resolve (New York Times).

It’s not enough, Not nearly. Harvard must be purged of the poison that has infected the institution, faculty in every department, every policy decision ……

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Surrogacy is problematic for a whole host of reasons. It makes procreation and pregnancy transactional, creates morally and ethically reprehensible conundrums, hurts women and babies, has strong overlap with human trafficking, and reeks of corruption.

Arguably, the most alarming consequence that comes from the increasingly popular practice of renting wombs, however, is that surrogacy can be easily exploited by pedophiles and abusers to gain proximity to children.

One such example surfaced this week after internet sleuths discovered that one of the two men seen in a viral video celebrating a baby’s monthly milestones by kissing the boy’s face is a convicted pedophile.

https://twitter.com/LouiseScot51918/status/1949441171085799511

Less than 10 years before Brandon Mitchell bought his son via surrogacy, the then-high school chemistry teacher earned himself several criminal charges for attempting to solicit images from a male teenage student. Subsequent investigation by law enforcement yielded more than 12,000 texts between the teacher and child as well as several pieces of sexually explicit media.

NEW: In Stunning Twist, Ghislaine Maxwell DENIED Immunity in Exchange for Testimony– conservativeroof.com
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Lawmakers have denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s request for congressional immunity in exchange for her testimony.

Maxwell, the longtime partner of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is currently serving a 20-year-sentence for sex trafficking and has been in talks with the Trump administration and Congress about dishing on the disgraced financier and his relationships.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced last week that Maxwell is set to testify before the panel on August 11 at the Tallahassee facility where she is serving her prison sentence.

He issued her a subpoena for her testimony one day after lawmakers voted to have her reveal more about her case and the crimes committed by Epstein.

However, after Maxwell’s lawyer David Markus sent a document with conditions for her testimony, the committee has said they won’t accept them.

“The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony,” a spokesperson for the panel said.

Trump announces 25% tariffs on India over ties to Russia– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday morning that he is authorizing 25% tariffs on India, which will take effect Aug. 1, due to the country’s import of Russian energy and military equipment.

“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” the president said in a post on Truth Social.

“Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST,” he continued.

Michigan Dems Propose Bill Seeking to Prosecute and Jail ICE Officers Who Wear Masks to Protect Their Identity › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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Michigan House Democrats have introduced legislation that would make it a crime for law enforcement officers to wear masks while on duty, a move that targets federal immigration officials who have taken to wearing the face coverings to protect their identities.

A violation of the proposed law would be “a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000,” according to Michigan Live.

The proposed law mandates that law enforcement officers, while interacting with a member of the public during their duties, must display their name or badge number as well as the full name or initials of their law enforcement agency.

Any wearing of a mask or attempt at identity concealment would violate this provision.

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Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota has activated the National Guard after a massive cyberattack targeted the city of St. Paul.

In a press release the office of Tim Walz wrote, “We are committed to working alongside the City of Saint Paul to restore cybersecurity as quickly as possible.”

“The Minnesota National Guard’s cyber forces will collaborate with city, state, and federal officials to resolve the situation and mitigate lasting impacts,” added the press release.

On the city of St. Paul’s government website, a warning reads, “The City of Saint Paul is actively responding to a digital security incident that is temporarily impacting access to some internal systems and online services. Our teams are working closely with local, state, and federal partners to resolve the situation and restore full functionality.”

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The Trump administration made an important move on court documents relating to late convicted sex trafficker and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Tuesday night, President Donald Trump asked two judges to release testimony given to grand juries that indicted both Epstein and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

Trump’s Department of Justice made a request for transcripts of testimony on July 18, but as Reuters reported, two judges wanted a more refined legal justification before moving forward.

The court filings just before midnight mentioned the case was subject to “abundant public interest,” making the request appropriate.

That is an understatement given how much attention Trump has garnered over his — and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s — handling of Epstein so far.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed reports Monday night that she has ordered the FBI to investigate the vicious beating in downtown Cincinnati late Friday night/early Saturday morning of a white man and woman by a mostly Black mob that received national attention after videos of the attack went viral.

The viral video was originally posted on Saturday by Cory Bowman, half-brother of Vice President J.D. Vance and Republican candidate for Cincinnati mayor.

WATCH:

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The case against, Alejandro Theodoro Orellana has been dropped.

Federal prosecutors have moved to dismiss the case against a Los Angeles who had been seen on video distributing face masks during the LA anti-ICE riots in June.

According to court documents, the case against, Alejandro Theodoro Orellana has been dropped, with the DOJ stating, “Plaintiff United States of America, by and through its counsel of record, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, hereby moves pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 48(a), and by leave of the Court, to dismiss the Indictment without prejudice in the above-referenced case.”

According to Bloomberg Law, the motion from the DOJ came down after Bill Essayli had faced pressure from prosecutors over the case. Orellana had been charged with civil disturbance, which usually requires consultation with the National Security Division in Washington.

Orellana had been indicted by a grand jury earlier in July for distributing the face shields at the anti-ICE riots in LA that took place in June. He had been charged with conspiracy to commit civil disorder and aiding and abetting civil disorder.

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President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the Wall Street Journal has offered to settle the president’s lawsuit against them over a report that Trump set notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein a bawdy letter for his birthday in 2003.

The explosive report claims that in 2003, Trump sent Epstein a birthday note alongside a scribbled photo of a naked woman. The alleged photo, which the outlet claims included a signature reading “Donald” on the drawing’s waist to look like pubic hair, was not published by The Journal.

It did provide a transcript of a bizarre poem, which they claim was written by Trump. The transcript of the alleged note goes as follows:

“Voice Over: There must be more to life than having everything.

Donald: Yes, there is, but I won’t tell you what it is.

Jeffrey: Nor will I…

Donald: We have certain things in common, Jeffrey.

Jeffrey: Yes, we do…

Donald: Enigmas never age…

Jeffrey: …it was clear to me the last time I saw you.

Trump: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

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The inability to get Trump, for lack of a better term, reared its head again, as the legacy media and the panicans were left shattered and bloody over the latest economic report. They were lusting for a recession. They were hoping the tariffs would increase prices—neither of those things happened. Instead, what we got was a robust report of three percent economic growth in the second quarter. The experts were wrong again. They were off about inflation, tariffs—when will they hide away in a cave in abject shame? You don’t get it. You never will, and it’s time to admit you’ll never beat Trump, ever. Also, Powell, cut the rates, a sentiment echoed in White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s statement on today’s robust economic news:

 

Today, GDP growth came in above market expectations, and yesterday, consumer confidence rose. Americans trust in President Trump’s America First economic agenda that continues to prove the so-called ‘experts’ wrong. President Trump has reduced America’s reliance on foreign products, boosted investment in the US, and created thousands of jobs — delivering on his promise to Make America Wealthy Again. The data is clear, and there are no more excuses — now is the time for ‘too late’ Powell to cut the rates!”

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In the weeks surrounding Trump’s inauguration, the left-wing media insisted the administration’s effort to remove trans troops from the military would weaken the force — some outlets fearmongered that up to 15,000 service members would be booted. But numbers recently obtained by journalist Chris Bray from the Department of Defense indicate that only four “transgender servicemembers” have been “removed from the military so far under the new Trump administration policy.”

In May, the Department of Defense released a memo laying out how “Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria may elect to separate voluntarily.” At the time, the agency estimated 1,000 troops who self-identified as having gender dysphoria would “begin the voluntary separation process.” According to Bray’s reporting, citing a DoD official, of 1,404 troops who self-identified as of May, only four have completed the process of separation. The rest are “pending.”

Nonetheless, as Bray also notes, the media will surely continue pushing the claim that Trump’s efforts to “prioritize military excellence” will boot “thousands” from the force.

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The bottom line is that the Providence Public School District (PPSD) is under investigation not only by the EEOC, but also by the U.S. Department of Justice for the “Educator of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” in which the Rhode Island Foundation (RIF) played an instrumental role in crafting and funding. But while PPSD is under formal investigation, RIF is not (to our knowledge).

Will RIF, run by former Congressman and House Floor Impeachment Manager against Trump, ever be held accountable? If not for RIF, the school district never could have or would have implemented this discriminator program.

So consider this another call from the Equal Protection Project for a civil rights investigation of the Rhode Island Foundation.

I had a chance to talk about that with popular radio host Matt Allen Show on WPRO in Providence. Matt has been a stand up guy, willing to have me on repeated to cover against a Rhode Island media cone of silence on the story. What amounts to the biggest racism scandal in Rhode Island in decades perpetrated by the largest charity through the largest public school district (which is run by the State Dept. of Education) gets a lot of national coverage, but almost no local coverage.

We have received substantial national media coverage, including a viral Fox News Digital story, but Rhode Island media is burying this story. Why is that?

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The only reason I can think of for them to do something like this, is that they are following the left’s hatred of Israel.

The Washington Free Beacon reports:

Largest Teachers’ Union in United States Erases Jews From the Holocaust

The nation’s largest teachers’ union plans to promote a version of Holocaust remembrance that does not mention Jews, according to its 2025 handbook, which references “victims of the Holocaust from different faiths” and teaches that Israel was founded through “forced, violent displacement and dispossession,” its most recent guide for members shows.

The National Education Association, which represents nearly three million public school teachers and education workers, outlined the priorities in its 2025 handbook. The NEA publishes the document each year as a guide on the group’s priorities and strategic goals for the association’s national and state leaders, staff, and members. It includes the NEA’s bylaws and is updated with any new resolutions and policy positions the union has endorsed.

The news comes amid a surge in both anti-Semitism and anti-Israel extremism at public schools and within teachers’ unions themselves. The NEA Representative Assembly—the union’s parliamentary body—passed a resolution to boycott the Anti-Defamation League’s Holocaust education materials earlier this month, a vote the union’s leadership rejected.

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Most mainstream media outlets have made it clear in recent years where their loyalties lie regarding the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

But while rational observers can disagree about how both sides have reacted in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, the use of misleading photos to manipulate the narrative should never be deemed acceptable.

That’s what the New York Times essentially admitted it did with a photo originally presented as a severely malnourished child in Gaza.

A little legwork by a watchdog group called Honest Reporting helped expose the misrepresentation, as Breitbart reported:

The New York Times admitted Tuesday that an emaciated Palestinian child it featured on the the front page suffered from “pre-existing health problems” that it had presented, inaccurately, as the result of starvation.

There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza — the result of poor food distribution, not low supply, as Hamas and armed gangs loot aid convoys. Hamas also refuses to release Israeli hostages and end the war.

As Breitbart News reported, the child, photographed by Ahmed Jihad Ibrahim Al-arini of the Turkish Anadolu agency, had a muscular disorder. Few outlets that ran the photo disclosed that fact to readers.

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Accusations a private road running through Oprah Winfrey’s estate on the Hawaiian island of Maui remained closed as local residents attempted to move to higher ground following a tsunami warning overnight were rebutted Wednesday morning.

As Deadline notes, a statement issued to the media said staff managing the estate immediately cooperated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as news of the potential tsunami broke and warnings of gridlock on local roads went public.

“As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened. Any reports otherwise are false,’ it read.

The statement, which followed in the wake of multiple social media posts suggesting the road was closed, was also backed up by the Maui Police Department, which, in an earlier advisory, announced that “Oprah’s road is open to get Upcountry.”

The statement acted to rebut criticisms spreading on social media that she had closed the access route. Oprah had not.


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To the great disappointment of Trump haters, many Europeans, and too many others of that ilk not worth contaminating this site by mentioning their names, the nonpartisan and factual Conference Board calmly announced early this morningUS Consumer Confidence Inched Up in July

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® improved by 2.0 points in July to 97.2 (1985=100), from 95.2 in June (revised up by 2.2 points). The Present Situation Index — based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions — fell 1.5 points to 131.5. The Expectations Index — based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions — rose 4.5 points to 74.4. But expectations remained below the threshold of 80 that typically signals a recession ahead for the sixth consecutive month. The cutoff date for preliminary results was July 20, 2025.

“Consumer confidence has stabilized since May, rebounding from April’s plunge, but remains below last year’s heady levels,” said Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist, Global Indicators at the Conference Board. “In July, pessimism about the future receded somewhat, leading to a slight improvement in overall confidence. All three components of the Expectation Index improved, with consumers feeling less pessimistic about future business conditions and employment, and more optimistic about future income.”

Oh.

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One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of Russia on Wednesday, injuring several people, according to local authorities.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake’s epicentre was around 119 kilometres from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, on the Kamchatka peninsula.

Tsunami waves reached as high as 10-15 metres in some sections of the Kamchatka coast, according to Russia’s Oceanography Institute.

Scientists expect aftershocks at magnitudes of up to 7.5, according to the local branch of the Russian Emergency Ministry. It said more tsunamis are possible near the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Head of the regional health department Oleg Melnikov said several people were hurt as they left buildings and a hospital patient was injured. A local kindergarten was also reportedly damaged. All injured were in stable condition, Melnikov said.

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Merriweather is already out of jail on $400 bail, and was indicted on July 10 for other serious charges.

Two of the five suspects sought and charged by police were arrested in connection to the brutal beating that took place in Cincinnati on Friday. The beating was caught on camera and left two people seriously injured. One of the two suspects arrested is already out after posting $400, which represents 10% of a $4,000 bond.

34-year-old Montianez Merriweather and 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon were arrested and identified as two of the five suspects in the case. Police said they were detained on felonious assault and aggravated riot charges, per The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Merriweather has also been indicted for other serious charges in separate cases where he was found to be possessing stolen firearms, carrying concealed weapons, and improperly handling the weapons under disability in a vehicle.

Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge also said that a third person was in the process of being arrested on Tuesday out of the five that have been charged in the incident.

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Belmont University thought it could remain an incubator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion antics without making too much noise. Too late—we posted the videos showing the university brass openly admitting they’re flouting the law. Sure, they got ahead of the curve regarding re-naming their DEI office, but it’s a distinction without a difference. They thought their secret sauce for avoiding detection was to keep it quiet. Jozef Lukey, Belmont University Assistant Director of Student Success and Flourishing, is quite candid in the videos:

 

 

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“The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony.”

Ghislaine Maxwell’s request for congressional immunity in exchange for her testimony has reportedly been denied. This comes as the House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed Maxwell, who is set to appear in a hearing on August 11.

A spokesperson for the committee told the Daily Mail, “The Oversight Committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony.”

Maxwell’s lawyer, David Markus, sent a document for the letter demanding that conditions be met in exchange for her testimony. “Public reports—including your own statements—indicate that the committee intends to question Ms. Maxwell in prison and without a grant of immunity. Those are non-starters,” the letter stated.

“Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity. Nor is a prison setting conducive to eliciting truthful and complete testimony. The potential for leaks from such a setting creates real security risks and undermines the integrity of the process,” the letter continued.

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Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice and girlfriend of child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, is threatening to withhold critical information during her testimony before the House Oversight Committee, unless her demands are met.

Maxwell is due to appear before congressional investigators following a subpoena that was issued last week.

The deposition is part of ongoing efforts by Congress to investigate the full extent of Epstein’s sex crimes and the individuals involved.

Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in procuring underage girls for Epstein’s sex trafficking operation and personal abuse, has submitted a letter to House Oversight Chairman James Comer.

Her letter outlines three major conditions before she would agree to testify before Congress.

In the letter, Maxwell’s legal team argues that they need formal immunity for her testimony.

 

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Two young girls and an adult man are dead after a huge explosion tore through a Nebraska biofuels plant, officials said Wednesday.

The three had been missing since the Horizon Biofuels facility exploded Tuesday in Fremont, about 32 miles northwest of Omaha. All three were in the plant at the time of the explosion, Dodge County Attorney Pam Hopkins told CBS News. On Wednesday, the focus at the scene “shifted from rescue efforts to recovery efforts,” Hopkins said.

The three have not been identified. Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said at a news conference that the man was an employee at the plant. The two children were waiting for him to go to a doctor’s appointment. The girls were under 12, Spellerberg said.

“My heart hurts,” Spellerberg said. “It’s a tragedy. We pray for every person involved.”

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The “missing minute” from the surveillance video at the Manhattan Metropolitan Correctional Center where Jeffrey Epstein died in 2019 may not be missing after all, CBS News has learned.