This Week in the World Affairs Brief
REPUBLICANS PASS TRUMP’S BIG (BLOATED) BUDGET BILL
Hard core supporters of President Trump are celebrating yesterday’s passage of Trump’s 10 year budget guidelines, dubbed Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” There are some good things in the bill and the budget, but its main problem is that it is way too BIG, and proves that even Republicans can’t stop spending. At least a good portion of what they are spending on is beneficial for the nation, unlike the DEI mandates, energy-choking “green” initiatives, and unlimited illegal immigration of the Democrats. But even Republicans know it’s political suicide to vote against welfare entitlements, and so they keep paying for them, while making little adjustments here and there for efficiency. Wednesday’s vote to bring the bill to a vote showed that all but two of the Freedom Caucus conservatives gave up and fell in line rather than stand against Trump. Sadly, fiscal conservatives in the GOP are such a small minority, they can’t possibly stop the tidal wave of popular demand for more federal spending. What I will explain in today’s brief is that none of the positive aspects of Trump’s spending bill will stop the overall downward trajectory of this nation. We can’t spend our way out of the inevitable default on the national debt and adding billions for trips to the moon and Mars only accelerates the problem. It seems that Trump and most Americans want it all and don’t know the meaning of restraint anymore. To receive a free one-time sample of this brief, along with options on how to subscribe, click on Request a Sample on the left.
Also:
- Trump Claims He Will Solve the NK Problem
- Iran-Israel Ceasefire is not Going to Hold
- Putin Escalates Attacks on Ukraine
The flash flood that sent a 30-foot wall of water surging down the Guadalupe River in Central Texas has claimed at least 81 lives as of early Monday morning. Law enforcement officials in Kerr County confirmed that at least ten girls from Camp Mystic remain missing. Amid speculation that the so-called "1-in-1,000-year storm" may have been triggered by cloud seeding, one of the weather modification operators in the region has denied any flight operations during the relevant timeframe.
US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose higher tariff rates of 25%-40% on key trading partners and signed an executive order holding off the new duties until Aug. 1.
Tariffs on Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia, would be 25%, South Africa and Bosnia 30%, Indonesia 32%, Bangladesh and Serbia 35%, Thailand and Cambodia 36%, while Laos and Myanmar would face a 40% levy.
Meanwhile, Trump suggested the possibility of additional trade negotiations and delays at the White House shortly after he sent out the tariff letters, as he said the notifications were “not 100% firm”. He also said the US is close in making a deal with India.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said additional letters will arrive in the coming days.
Inspector General Michael Horowitz said his staff interviewed an MCC technician, who started to repair the cameras on Aug. 8, 2019, but did not finish his work. The technician told the inspector general he had “no idea” why he did not stay at the facility to resolve the problem that day.
Again, Bongino's claim is impossible. Epstein had three other inmates on his cell block, and the camera there wasn't recording. Even if no one came to kill Epstein from the outside, we can't rule out these other inmates.
Utah plastic surgeon Dr. Kirk Moore is facing thirty five years in federal prison for destroying thousands of vials of COVID-19 vaccine, giving his patients vaccine cards without taking the shots, and injecting saline into children whose parents wanted them to believe they got vaccinated without risking the deadly side effects.
It's not just ironic, but scandalous, that Trump met with a US-designated terrorist during this Gulf tour while in Saudi Arabia. If any individual American citizen did the same, they would likely be investigated and prosecuted by the FBI. But Sharaa is the "former" al-Qaeda in Syria man who helped overthrow Bashar al-Assad, and that's apparently all that Washington cares about.
Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported moments ago that a gunman wearing tactical gear and armed with a rifle ambushed U.S. Border Patrol agents at an auxiliary facility earlier this morning. This shooting comes amid increasingly hostile rhetoric directed at federal agents — primarily fueled by Democratic Party lawmakers and their affiliated leftist Marxist NGOs — raising questions about the real-world consequences of politically charged attacks on federal law enforcement.
Russia's military announced on Sunday that its forces had taken control of two additional settlements in eastern Ukraine, specifically one in the Donetsk region and the other in Kharkiv.
The statements indicated the villages of Piddubne in Donetsk and Sobolivka in Kharkiv are now under Russian control, though the Ukrainian side has not yet acknowledged this.
A leaked document exposes the vast public relations operation we've fought for the last four years and shows why they've worked so hard to divide us
demonstrators marched in Mexico City on Friday to protest against the city's status as a hot new residential destination for American ex-pats and remote workers. Though it started peacefully, many demonstrators turned violent, with some of them accosting Americans and smashing the restaurants, banks and other businesses that cater to them.
After a single night's record drone attack of some 500 UAVs sent on Ukraine, Trump said "It just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people. It's not good. I wasn't happy with it" - in reference to Putin.
Russia launched one of the largest aerial assaults of the war on Ukraine overnight, unleashing more than 500 drones, with Kyiv as the primary target. The timing of the attack—just hours after a phone call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin—yielded no success toward ending the war in Eastern Europe.
On X, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha said, "Hundreds of Russian drones and ballistic missiles rained down on the Ukrainian capital." He described the attack as "one of the worst so far."
"Public opinion is currently so angry that no one even dares to talk about negotiations and diplomacy," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Iranian media on Saturday.
In a message posted on X on Friday, Sikorski urged Trump to resume the supply of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine amid record-setting numbers of drones sent against the country this week. He also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "mocking" US-led peace efforts.
A group of inspectors from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog has finally and formally departed Iran after the country decided to halt its cooperation with the agency, following last month's surprise bombing raids by Israel and the United States.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed in statement shared on X on Friday that its personnel are returning to the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
Homeschooling families in California are rallying against a bill they say would cut funding for critical enrichment programs and force their charter schools to close down.
"When Iranian Shahed drones – now significantly upgraded – and ballistic missiles from North Korea – also upgraded – kill our people in Ukraine, it is a clear sign that global solidarity and global pressure are not enough," Zelensky said. "We must significantly tighten sanctions."
Referring to this holiday as merely, "the Fourth of July" reduces this pivotal date to a mere date on the calendar. The phrase is not incorrect, but it lacks the depth, the resonance and the emotional impact of "Independence Day."
A calendar date does not evoke the weight of this historical event or the principles and ideals that (ostensibly) continue to shape our national identity. Calling it "The Fourth of July" conjures up images of barbecues, fireworks and parties which, while enjoyable, can overshadow the true purpose of this holiday. Without the historical context of "Independence Day." the celebration runs the risk of becoming simply a generic holiday, disconnected from its roots in the struggle for independence and the revolutionary vision that inspired it.
The move was made in response to Canada’s digital services tax, Trump said.
A jury ruled on Thursday in favor of 13 employees with the St. Louis Public Schools System who were forced to take the COVID vaccine despite religious objections.
The court awarded the 13 employees $4 million for the injustice.
Family members question Chinese probe that deemed the case a suicide. And many in China support them.
Vice President JD Vance broke a 50–50 tie to secure passage of the bill.
Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) voted in opposition.
Other holdouts, including Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), ultimately supported the legislation despite misgivings.
US State Department officials have reportedly said that Iran's suspension of cooperation with IAEA is "unacceptable", adding that Iran must cooperate fully without further delay.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric also chimed in, saying that Iran’s suspension of its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is “obviously concerning"
The health secretary said there are issues with the program, which was created as part of a law that gives vaccine manufacturers immunity.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on July 1 the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which had been rapidly dismantled earlier this year by the Trump administration.
The ruling comes after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
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Some of these individuals are also “engaged in hostile activities, including espionage, economic espionage, and preparations for terror-related activities,” the proclamation stated. “Many have abused the generosity of the American people, and their presence in the United States has cost taxpayers billions of dollars at the Federal, State, and local levels.”
Strictly speaking, the only issue before the court was whether these kits fit within the statute’s meaning of the word “weapon.” The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms was not under consideration—at least not directly.
"Having almost entirely ejected Ukrainian forces from the Russian Kursk region earlier this year, Russian forces have now poured over the border in the opposite direction toward Sumy," the report describes. "With 50,000 troops in the area, they outnumber the Ukrainians roughly 3-to-1, according to soldiers fighting there."
It now heads back to the House, where it will first go to a Conference Committee and then the full house.
Speaker Mike Johnson says he thinks it will be finished by July 4.
To the claim that the vaccine–autism link has been “debunked,” Kennedy had a message for Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, and everyone who smugly insists on it.
“None of the vaccines given to children in the first six months of life have ever been studied for autism.”
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