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US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday (July 2) that the United States and Vietnam struck a trade deal just a week before the July 9 deadline.

The agreement will see the US impose a 20 percent tariff on many Vietnamese exports, meaning Vietnam averted the threatened 46 percent levy. Additionally, transshipped goods, which are goods routed through Vietnam before being shipped to the US, will be subject to a 40 percent tariff. In his post, Trump said Vietnam agreed to allow the import of US goods at a 0 percent tariff in return.

The last-minute framework gives Washington a political win while preserving Vietnam’s vital access to its largest export market. Vietnam is America’s 10th biggest trading partner, and the US is by far its most important destination for manufactured goods.

However, details remain thin. It is still unclear exactly which products will fall under the 20 percent tariff, or how the 40 percent penalties on transshipped goods will be enforced.

While Vietnam’s state media did not confirm those tariff levels in its official statement, it said the two countries’Vietnam – US joint statement concerning a fair and balanced reciprocal trade agreement framework.’

The timing of the deal is also critical. Under Trump’s April-announced plan, tariffs on Vietnamese goods were due to rise to 46 percent, alarming businesses that have shifted manufacturing from China to Vietnam over the past five years.

Since 2018, Vietnam’s exports to the United States have nearly tripled, climbing from US$49.14 billion to US$136.5 billion last year, according to US Census Bureau data. American exports to Vietnam, meanwhile, rose about 30 percent to US$13.04 billion in the same period.

For Trump, the agreement with Vietnam is an important success as he races to conclude similar frameworks with other trading partners before the broader tariff hikes resume next week.

Talks with India are underway, while negotiations with Japan and the European Union have encountered complications.

Analysts say the Vietnam deal could set the tone for these upcoming talks, as Vietnam’s dependence on US trade meant it had a weak negotiation position. “Other countries will feel they should be able to lock in a lower tariff rate than the 20 percent that President Trump says Vietnam has agreed to,” Mark Williams, chief Asia economist at Capital Economics, told CNBC.

Murray Hiebert of the Center for Strategic and International Studies meanwhile noted that had Trump insisted on the full 46 percent tariff, Vietnam risked losing out to other Southeast Asian rivals, damaging both its economic prospects and its willingness to partner with Washington.

“Had Trump stuck with 46 percent, much higher than the current tariff on China, Vietnam feared it would be disadvantaged by its competitors especially in Southeast Asia,” Hiebert told Reuters. “This likely would have dented Vietnam’s trust in the US and it might have toned down some of its security cooperation with Washington.”

A new front in Washington’s push to isolate China

The framework with Vietnam also highlights how the US is using its trade leverage to pressure Asian countries to help block Chinese manufacturers from evading existing tariffs.

The 40 percent penalty on transshipped goods is designed to discourage companies from routing Chinese products through Vietnam to bypass American duties.

Trump’s team is applying similar demands on other nations such as Thailand and Indonesia, respectively urging them to monitor foreign investment and reduce the amount of Chinese content in their manufactured exports if they hope to avoid higher tariffs.

But enforcement of these new transshipment rules will be challenging. Many Southeast Asian customs authorities lack the resources to fully verify the complex origins of manufactured goods.

In the case of the Vietnam deal, it’s still unclear if the 40 percent levy on transshipped goods will also be applied to Vietnam-made goods utilizing Chinese components, and if so what the acceptable percentage would be.

Experts warned that strict penalties of this sort could push US companies producing goods in Vietnam to leave the country altogether, or even shift production back to China if it becomes cheaper.

“If it’s too onerous or difficult to comply, companies won’t use the opportunity to grow sourcing in Vietnam,” Matt Priest, head of the trade group Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, told the New York Times. “They may even head back to China if it’s price competitive.”

Vietnam itself faces a delicate balancing act. The country has benefited from billions of dollars of Chinese investment in its export sectors — especially textiles, electronics and automotive — while at the same time strengthening its security ties with the United States to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Neighboring countries are watching carefully. Thailand, for example, has estimated that stricter rules on transshipment could reduce its US exports by US$15 billion, nearly a third of its trade surplus with America last year. Authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia have already begun tightening their own export verification procedures ahead of any agreements with the US.

He Yongqian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce, commented on the US-Vietnam agreement Thursday in a press briefing, Bloomberg reported.

‘We’re happy to see all parties resolve trade conflicts with the US through equal negotiations, but firmly oppose any party striking a deal at the expense of China’s interests,’ she stated. ‘If such a situation arises, China will firmly strike back to protect its own legitimate rights and interests.’

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Investor Insight

International Lithium offers investors exposure to the growing critical metals sector through its advanced-stage Raleigh Lake lithium-rubidium project in Ontario, early-stage copper-cobalt exploration at Firesteel in Ontario, and strategic focus on Southern Africa, all supported by strong infrastructure and a seasoned leadership team.

With strategic divestments, a robust financial position, and a focused growth strategy, International Lithium is well-positioned to meet the rising demand for lithium and other critical metals

Overview

International Lithium (TSXV:ILC,OTC:ILHMF,FRA:IAH,OTCQB:ILHMF) is a Canada-based mineral exploration company focused on the discovery and development of lithium and other critical metals essential for the transition to a cleaner, greener planet. With a portfolio of projects located in mining-friendly jurisdictions, the company’s primary objective is to build shareholder value by advancing its key assets towards production while expanding its presence in emerging critical metals regions.

Map of mineral deposits near Thunder Bay, Ontario, highlighting Raleigh Lake and Wolf Ridge.

International Lithium’s flagship asset is the 100 percent owned Raleigh Lake lithium and rubidium project in Ontario. A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for the Raleigh Lake project, completed in December 2023, demonstrated strong project economics and significant resource growth potential, including an annual after-tax cash flow of C$634 million, NPV of C$342.9 million and IRR of 44.3 percent, with a nine-year mine life and project duration of 11 years. This assessment did not yet include rubidium, which represents significant additional potential pending further market analysis.

Complementing its lithium focus, the company is advancing the Firesteel copper-cobalt project in northwestern Ontario, targeting high-grade base metal mineralization to further diversify its critical metals exposure.

In addition to its Canadian projects, International Lithium is positioning for further international growth with a strategic focus on Southern Africa. It has applied for exclusive prospecting orders (EPOs) in Zimbabwe, one of the world’s most prospective regions for hard rock lithium exploration.

Recent strategic divestments, including the sale of the Avalonia project stake, have strengthened ILC’s financial position, enabling focused investment in its core projects.

The company is led by an experienced management team with a strong technical background in mineral exploration, project development and corporate finance. Supported by access to established infrastructure, a commitment to sustainable development practices, and a clear strategic focus, International Lithium is well-positioned to capitalize on the increasing global demand for lithium and other essential materials critical to the clean energy transition.

Company Highlights

  • International Lithium is focused on developing lithium and critical metals projects in Canada and Southern Africa, aiming to deliver shareholder value through project development, strategic partnerships and project sales.
  • Raleigh Lake is ILC’s wholly owned flagship lithium-rubidium project in Ontario, Canada, with a positive PEA completed in December 2023.
  • ILC holds a 90 percent interest in the Firesteel copper and cobalt project in Northwestern Ontario, with exploration permits filed and drilling programs planned.
  • The company has applied for exclusive prospecting orders (EPOs) in Zimbabwe and is continuing to review further exploration opportunities in Southern Africa.
  • ILC is debt-free with a robust financial position. It has monetized its non-core assets, including the sale of its stake in the Avalonia project in Ireland, resulting in a C$2.5 million payment and a 2 percent net smelter royalty.
  • The company is led by an experienced management team with a proven track record in advancing mineral exploration projects.

Key Projects

Raleigh Lake

The Raleigh Lake project is ILC’s flagship asset, located approximately 25 kilometres west of Ignace, Ontario. The project covers a contiguous land package of 32,900 hectares and is 100 percent owned by the company. Raleigh Lake benefits from excellent infrastructure access, situated near the Trans-Canada Highway, a Canadian Pacific Railway line, and existing natural gas and hydroelectric infrastructure.

Map of International Lithium

Major public infrastructure relative to the Raleigh Lake project

Raleigh Lake is notable for its dual potential to host both lithium and rubidium mineralization. The lithium is found primarily in spodumene-bearing pegmatites, while rubidium is associated with microcline-rich zones of the same lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatite system. In 2023, International Lithium published a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) that delineated significant resources for both lithium and rubidium using separate cutoff criteria.

For lithium (Li₂O), the project hosts a measured and indicated resource of 5.88 Mt grading 0.79 percent Li₂O, and an inferred resource of 2.07 Mt grading 0.77 percent Li₂O, primarily within pegmatite #1. This lithium resource forms the basis of the company’s PEA, which demonstrated robust project economics with an after-tax NPV (8 percent) of C$342.9 million and an IRR of 44.3 percent.

The rubidium component, though not included in the PEA due to current market constraints, represents an additional potential value stream. The company has reported a measured and indicated resource of 133,000 tons at 6,163 ppm rubidium (0.67 percent Rb₂O) and an inferred resource of 123,000 tons at 4,224 ppm rubidium (0.46 percent Rb₂O), using a 4,000 ppm cutoff. The rubidium zones are found in association with potassic feldspar, offering a potentially recoverable byproduct pending further market and technical evaluation.

Given the project’s strong infrastructure position, mineral endowment, and defined development path, Raleigh Lake represents a compelling advanced-stage opportunity in North America’s lithium supply chain. International Lithium is continuing infill and expansion drilling, environmental baseline studies, and metallurgical testing to support project advancement toward pre-feasibility.

Firesteel Project

The Firesteel project is an early-stage copper-cobalt exploration property located in northwestern Ontario, approximately 10 km west of Upsala along Highway 17. Spanning a 16-km corridor to the Firesteel River, the property lies within a geologically favorable region characterized by Archean metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks, which are prospective for volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) and sedimentary copper systems.

Geological rock formations and close-up views of rock samples from International Lithium

International Lithium completed the acquisition of a 90 percent interest in the Firesteel project in May 2024, aiming to diversify its critical metals portfolio beyond lithium. Historical sampling on the property has returned encouraging results, including copper assays up to 2.6 percent and cobalt values reaching 309 ppm. Notably, the ‘Roadside 1’ occurrence features semi-massive sulphide mineralization comprising pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and bornite. These findings suggest the presence of a highly metamorphosed VMS or sedimentary copper system, potentially up to 20 meters wide and extending over a kilometer in length.

The project’s proximity to major infrastructure, including highways and railways, coupled with its strategic location near the company’s Raleigh Lake project, enhances its development potential. International Lithium plans to conduct systematic exploration, including geochemical sampling and geophysical surveys, to refine targets for future drilling campaigns.

Wolf Ridge Project

Wolf Ridge is a 5,700-hectare grassroots lithium project located 20 km southwest of Upsala and near ILC’s Firesteel copper claims. The area benefits from excellent infrastructure, including proximity to Highway 17, power, and road access.

The project was highlighted by the Ontario Geological Survey (2021–2022) for its standout lake sediment anomalies – among the highest lithium values in the region – indicating strong potential for LCT pegmatite mineralization.

Read more on page 54 of the report here.

Southern Africa Exploration Initiative

Lush green hill under a vibrant blue sky featuring South Africa landscape

Southern Africa is recognized as a prospective region for hard rock lithium, and International Lithium’s strategic focus reflects a proactive move to establish a presence in this emerging jurisdiction.

As part of its strategy to expand its critical metals footprint, International Lithium has applied for Exclusive Prospecting Orders (EPOs) over several prospective areas in Zimbabwe. The targeted regions are known for hosting spodumene, lepidolite and petalite-bearing pegmatites, indicating potential for significant lithium resources.

Although the EPO applications are still pending approval, the company has already conducted initial due diligence, including geological reviews and desktop studies, to prioritize exploration targets once access is granted. Zimbabwe’s growing importance as a global lithium supplier, combined with favorable mining policies, offers a compelling backdrop for the company’s expansion efforts. International Lithium intends to leverage its technical expertise and exploration experience to quickly evaluate and develop these opportunities upon receiving the necessary permits

Management Team

John Wisbey – Chairman and CEO

John Wisbey joined International Lithium in 2017, initially serving as deputy chairman before being appointed chairman and CEO in March 2018. Under his leadership, the company has undergone a significant transformation, including achieving 100 percent ownership of the Raleigh Lake project, divesting non-core assets, and expanding into new jurisdictions such as Zimbabwe. He founded two London AIM-listed companies: IDOX, which provides software for the UK local government; and Lombard Risk Management, which specializes in software for bank risk management and regulation. He also established CONVENDIA, a private company that specializes in software for cash flow forecasting, project valuation and M&A financial analysis. With a background in banking and financial technology entrepreneurship, Wisbey brings extensive experience in corporate leadership and strategic development. He is also the company’s largest shareholder.

Maurice Brooks – Director and CFO

Maurice Brooks joined the board of ILC in 2017. He is a licensed senior statutory auditor in the UK. Since 2000, he has been a senior partner at Johnson Smith & Co. in Staines, Surrey. Before that, Brooks was a senior partner in Johnsons Chartered Accountants in the London Borough of Ealing. His commercial and investment experience includes executive directorships in manufacturing and an investment accountant role in the superannuation fund of the Western Australian state government. His early professional employment includes Ball Baker Leake LLP and LLC and Price Waterhouse Coopers-UK.

Anthony Kovacs – Director and COO

Anthony Kovacs joined the board of ILC in 2018 and has worked with the company since 2012. He has over 25 years of experience in mineral exploration and development. Before joining ILC, he held senior management roles in which he sourced and advanced iron ore and industrial minerals projects. Kovacs was involved in early-stage work at the Lac Otelnuk Iron Ore project in Quebec, Canada and the Mustavaara Vanadium Mine in Finland. Before that, Kovacs worked for Anglo American where he focused on Ni-Cu-PGE and IOCG projects. At Anglo-American, Kovacs was directly involved in several discoveries internationally. Kovacs has significant experience with industrial minerals, ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals and precious metals projects throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Ross Thompson – Non-executive Director

Ross Thompson joined the board of ILC in 2017 and is the chair of the audit and remuneration committees. He is a speaker and expert in marketing behavioral science. In 1995, he founded Giftpoint Ltd. which is now one of the largest specialist promotional merchandise businesses in the UK. with offices in London and Shanghai. Giftpoint Ltd.’s clients include L’Oreal, Oracle, Ocado and Pernod Ricard among others. Thompson was president of IGC Global Promotions, one of the world’s oldest and largest global networks of premium resellers, for seven years. He is an active investor with a special interest and understanding of natural resources businesses.

Geoffrey Baker – Non-executive Director

Geoff Baker joined the board of ILC at the end of 2022 and is a member of the audit committee. He has a career in the natural resource and finance industries. He is a director of Tim Trading, a company offering consultancy services in the oil and gas industry. During his tenure as manager of Insch Black Gold Funds, Baker received the Investors’ Choice Swiss Fund Manager of the Year Award. He is a co-founder of a digital collectible non fungible token CryptoChronic and of Cannastore, a pilot e-commerce website. Baker holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Windsor in Ontario.

Muhammad Memon – Corporate Secretary and Financial Controller

Muhammad Memon became corporate secretary of ILC in 2021. He has over 10 years of experience in managing finance and compliance functions of public companies in various sectors including mining exploration, investment management, real estate and technology. He assists companies with debt and equity financings, cash flow management and forecasting, legal and regulatory compliance, investor communications, stakeholder engagement and risk management. He is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada and a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom.

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President Donald Trump’s agenda appeared on life support as defectors in the House GOP, for a time, appeared ready to torpedo it. But in the end, only two Republicans voted against the bill, and it’s now heading to the president’s desk.

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., were the sole defectors against Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’ House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could only afford to lose three Republicans, given that no Democrat was willing to cross the aisle to support the $3.3 trillion megabill.

While he did vote to support the procedural hurdle to get the bill on the floor, Massie’s decision to vote against the bill was seemingly predetermined. He has continually argued that the colossal tax, border, defense and energy package would add trillions to the nation’s debt and do little to actually curb Washington’s spending addiction.

And he was not among the many conservatives who Trump and Republican leadership tried to pressure throughout the day on Wednesday, nor as the floor stayed open into early Thursday afternoon.

‘[Trump] reaches out every day on Twitter, reaching out with a million dollars of ads in my district with a picture of me and the Ayatollah,’ Massie said. ‘So, that’s the only sort of reaching out I’ve seen so far.’

While Trump did not directly single him out, the president did call on holdout Republicans to stop holding the bill hostage late Wednesday night, and declared on Truth Social that ‘MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT’S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!’  

Trump had previously threatened Massie with a primary challenger, as he did with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., before his retirement announcement, for defecting against the bill. 

But senior White House officials told reporters on a call just after the bill passed that the president had not threatened a primary against lawmakers to earn their vote, and that lawmakers ‘well understand the President’s political power, and ultimately, they want his political power to be used for their benefit.’

Fitzpatrick had raised concerns about changes the Senate GOP had made to Medicaid reforms in the bill but had not publicly staked a position until the procedural vote.

He was the only ‘no’ vote on the rule, and that resistance carried into the final vote that ultimately saw House Republicans largely unify and pass the legislative behemoth.

Fitzpatrick said in a statement just minutes before the bill passed that he had voted to ‘strengthen Medicaid protections, to permanently extend middle class tax cuts, for enhanced small business tax relief, and for historic investments in our border security and our military,’ but that the Senate’s tweaks soured him to the bill.

‘However, it was the Senate’s amendments to Medicaid, in addition to several other Senate provisions, that altered the analysis for our PA-1 community,’ he said. ‘The original House language was written in a way that protected our community; the Senate amendments fell short of our standard.’

‘I believe in, and will always fight for, policies that are thoughtful, compassionate, and good for our community,’ he continued. ‘It is this standard that will always guide my legislative decisions.’ 


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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently placed nearly 140 employees on administrative leave amid an investigation into employees who signed on to a letter allegedly using their official titles and EPA positions.

Written as agency employees, the letter contained information that misled the public about agency business, according to officials.

The EPA confirmed it placed 139 employees on administrative leave pending an investigation.

‘The Environmental Protection Agency has a zero-tolerance policy for career bureaucrats unlawfully undermining, sabotaging and undercutting the administration’s agenda as voted for by the great people of this country last November,’ an EPA spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The letter came after President Donald Trump’s administration in April fired or reassigned nearly 500 EPA employees.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin confirmed 280 staffers in the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, Office of Inclusive Excellence, and EPA regional offices, were fired. 

Zeldin added that 175 others were reassigned. 

The EPA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Environmental Justice arms were also eliminated, as Zeldin cut back more than 30 Biden-era regulations.

Though more than a hundred employees were allegedly put on leave, there are thousands of employees at the agency.

The EPA did not provide Fox News Digital with any additional information about the situation.


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Intelligence agency officials like former CIA Director John Brennan must be held accountable for their role in advancing allegations about President Donald Trump’s connections with Russia during the 2016 election, according to the White House.

‘President Trump was right — again,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. ‘Those who engaged in this political scandal must be held accountable for the fraud they committed against President Trump and the lies they told to the American people.’

Leavitt’s comments come after a new lessons-learned review that CIA Director John Ratcliffe declassified Wednesday determined that the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency’s Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) examining Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election deviated from intelligence standards that led to some ‘procedural anomalies.’

The review determined that the ‘decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.’ 

The ‘Steele dossier,’ composed by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele as part of opposition research on Trump during the 2016 campaign, featured salacious material and unfounded allegations about Trump’s connections to Russia. Trump has denied the allegations included in the document. 

Specifically, the CIA’s new review found that the CIA’s deputy director for analysis said in a December 2016 email to Brennan that including the dossier in any capacity jeopardized ‘the credibility of the entire paper.’

‘Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness,’ the new review stated. ‘When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders – one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background – he appeared more swayed by the Dossier’s general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns. Brennan ultimately formalized his position in writing, stating that ‘my bottomline is that I believe that the information warrants inclusion in the report.’’

Brennan served as director of the CIA from March 2013 to January 2017 under the Obama administration. 

Brennan could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital. 

Likewise, the review said Brennan had sent a note to intelligence community analysts one day before their only session coordinating on the ICA that he had met with then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and then-FBI Director James Comey.

In that message, Brennan told the CIA workforce that ‘there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our recent Presidential election.’

Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 


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Feeling a little anxious about the market, even with a strong economy? The truth is, money isn’t fleeing the market; it’s simply moving around, creating fresh opportunities. 

In this must-watch video, Tom Bowley of EarningsBeats eases those anxieties by providing charts that show this rotation. Tom shows clear signals of broad market participation, digging into the performance of key areas like transports, tech stocks, regional banks, small caps, and mid caps. He also touches on bonds, major indexes, and individual stocks with intriguing patterns. 

An interesting insight brought up in this video is that this market environment is drastically different from February. We’re seeing much more bullish action now with all areas of the market on the rise. If you’re looking to capitalize on the market’s rally, understanding these rotations is key. 

The video was recorded on July 2, 2025.



Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., shattered a speech record in the House of Representatives on Thursday, as lawmakers continue to wrestle with President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’

Jeffries has been able to command the House floor via a ‘magic minute,’ a privilege for party leaders in the chamber that allows them to speak for however long they want.

He’s used it as a stalling tactic to delay the final vote on Trump’s massive tax and immigration bill, after a marathon House-wide session considering the bill that began around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

It’s now the longest-enduring ‘magic minute’ in U.S. House of Representatives history, breaking the previously record held by ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

McCarthy spoke for eight hours and 32 minutes in November 2021 to oppose Democrats’ progressive Build Back Better bill.

Like Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, lawmakers were working to pass it via the budget reconciliation process – which fast-tracks certain pieces of fiscal legislation by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

The New York Democrat began speaking minutes before 4 a.m. on Thursday and broke McCarthy’s record about 1:30 p.m, by approximately 12 minutes. Jeffries ended his speech after eight hours and 44 minutes.

‘I feel the obligation, Mr. Speaker, to stand on this House floor and take my sweet time,’ he said at one point.

The first part of Jeffries’ speech saw him read from a binder that he said contained accounts of people who could lose their Medicaid coverage under the GOP bill, taken from residents of states with Republican lawmakers.

‘This Congress is on the verge of ripping food out of the mouths of children, veterans and seniors as a result of this one big ugly bill in order to reward billionaires with massive tax breaks and exploding the debt in the process,’ he said at one point.

Jeffries said this ‘one big, ugly bill’ that ‘our Republican colleagues are trying to jam down the throats of the American people will undermine their quality of life.’

At another point in the wide-ranging speech, he accused Republicans of cutting federal benefits to pay for tax breaks for wealthy Americans like Elon Musk – who notably opposes the bill.

‘I think it’s important for the American people to process… SNAP on average provides $6 per day. At the same time, Elon Musk, his federal contracts, as we understand it, amount to $8 million per day. Mr. Speaker, if Republicans were really serious about targeting waste, fraud and abuse in the United States of America, start there – $8 million per day, start right there,’ Jeffries said.

‘Don’t take it. Don’t rip it from the mouths of children, seniors or veterans. If Republicans were really serious about targeting waste, fraud and abuse, start right there with Elon Musk.’

House Republicans are expected to hold their vote.


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Congress has officially passed President Donald Trump’s ‘one big, beautiful bill’ on Thursday afternoon after back-to-back sleepless sessions for both the House and Senate.

The massive agenda bill now goes to Trump’s desk to be signed into law just in time for Republicans’ self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.

The bill – which advances Trump’s policies on tax, the border, defense, energy and the national debt – narrowly passed the House of Representatives in a mostly party-line vote. All but two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., voted for the bill, which passed 218 – 214.

It’s a commanding victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and for the president himself, both of whom spent hours overnight trying to persuade GOP critics of the bill.

‘The President is very engaged. He was very helpful in the process. He helped answer questions and articulate his vision and what this bill will mean for the country, and his agenda, and how urgent it is for us to get it done,’ Johnson told reporters the morning ahead of the vote.

The House initially passed its version of the legislation by just one vote in late May.

Senate Republicans took the bill up late last month and passed it after their own marathon voting session, also by just one vote – though the legislation underwent key changes in the upper chamber.

House lawmakers were slated to return to Washington on Wednesday morning to begin debating the bill, which included a procedural hurdle known as a ‘rule vote.’

But even before the rule vote could begin, it was clear the legislation had been hemorrhaging support from both moderates and conservatives in the House GOP.

Moderate Republicans were among those concerned about the Senate bill shifting even more of the Medicaid cost-burden onto states that expanded their health benefit populations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), while conservatives were irate that those cuts did not go far enough to mitigate what they saw as excessive spending in other parts of the bill.

But the vote that was initially slated to occur Wednesday morning eventually passed after 3 a.m. on Thursday, after which both Republicans and Democrats hurriedly began to debate.

Among Democrats’ delay tactics included a lengthy speech by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who attacked Republicans for their overnight schedule.

‘If Republicans were so proud of this one big, ugly bill, why did debate begin at 3:28 a.m. in the morning? Republicans are once again, which has been the case, Mr. Speaker, through every step of this journey, trying to jam this bill through the House of Representatives under cover of darkness,’ Jeffries said.

But even before debate, the legislation’s fate appeared in limbo for much of Wednesday as closed-door negotiations paralyzed the House floor.

Five Republicans had initially voted against proceeding with debate on the bill, while eight GOP lawmakers had not voted at all.

The bill’s future was uncertain on Wednesday evening, but rather than accepting defeat, House GOP leaders kept the vote open for hours as they negotiated with holdouts behind closed doors.

One House Republican told Fox News Digital that Trump was directly involved in trying to persuade holdouts.

The president, meanwhile, aired his frustrations on Truth Social, ‘FOR REPUBLICANS, THIS SHOULD BE AN EASY YES VOTE. RIDICULOUS!!!’

In the end, they returned to the House floor where nearly all Republicans – save for moderate Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. – voted to begin debating the bill.

Johnson told reporters when asked about Fitzpatrick’s defection, ‘I talked with him at length. Brian is a very good and trusted friend, and he just has convictions about certain provisions of the bill, he’s entitled to that.’

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters that critics were made to understand the bill is their only option on the table.

‘They recognized this is the vote that’s before us and it’s not going to change. There are other things we can do down the road, and we want to do. But we’ve got to get this bill done first,’ Scalise said.

The bill would permanently extend the income tax brackets lowered by Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), while temporarily adding new tax deductions to eliminate duties on tipped and overtime wages up to certain caps. It also includes a new tax deduction for people aged 65 and over.

The legislation also rolls back green energy tax credits implemented under former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which Trump and his allies have attacked as ‘the Green New Scam.’

The bill would also surge money toward the national defense, and to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the name of Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the U.S.

The bill would also raise the debt limit by $5 trillion in order to avoid a potentially economically devastating credit default sometime this summer, if the U.S. runs out of cash to pay its obligations.

New and expanded work requirements would be implemented for Medicaid and federal food assistance, respectively.

Democrats have blasted the bill as a tax giveaway to the wealthy while cutting federal benefits for working-class Americans.

But Republicans have said their tax provisions are targeted toward the working and middle classes – citing measures eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages – while arguing they were reforming federal welfare programs to work better for those who truly need them.

Conservative groups also praised the bill, with Club For Growth CEO David McIntosh telling Fox News Digital, ‘By preventing the biggest tax hike in history, passing full expensing, and beginning to make key cuts to bloated programs and giveaways we are setting up our country to prosper in a new Golden Age.’

Top Republicans also praised the bill and Johnson’s role in its passage.

‘We delivered historic tax relief for working families, unprecedented border security investments, unleashed American energy dominance, and massive cuts to wasteful federal spending,’ Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. ‘After years of failed policies, we stepped up to put Americans first and fulfilled our promises. On July 4th, 2025, we will return power to where it belongs—with the American people.’

House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said the bill ‘took an incredible amount of work to get this bill across the finish line, starting several years ago with field hearings, stakeholder meetings, and a lot of research into niche tax policy.’


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A key House ally of President Donald Trump is calling for the Republican leader to be eligible for a third White House term over passage of his ‘big, beautiful bill.’

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., also called for Trump to be added to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

‘I was at the White House with President Trump for several hours yesterday and spent countless hours whipping votes with Speaker Johnson for the One Big Beautiful Bill. This historic legislation will unleash our economy and usher in a new golden age for America,’ Ogles told Fox News Digital after the bill passed.

‘Thanks to President Trump, we’re finally reversing the damage caused by Big Government and Democrat cronies. Wins like this are exactly why he deserves serious consideration for a third term—AND why so many believe he belongs on Mt. Rushmore.’

Ogles had previously introduced a resolution to give Trump the ability to run for a third term as president.

He was also seen at the White House in the lead-up to the last step of Congress advancing Trump’s massive tax and immigration bill. Ogles was also present on the House floor during tense negotiations on the bill, speaking to both Republican holdouts and House leaders at times.

The legislation narrowly passed on Thursday afternoon after a marathon session in the House of Representatives that began with a House Rules Committee meeting to advance it at 1:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, which ended nearly 12 hours later on Wednesday morning.

House lawmakers then met to debate the bill at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, though those proceedings were delayed for hours as House GOP leaders – and Trump himself – worked to persuade critics behind closed doors.

The bill numbers more than 900 pages and advances Trump’s agenda on taxes, the border, defense, energy, and the national debt.

The bill would permanently extend the income tax brackets lowered by Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), while temporarily adding new tax deductions to eliminate duties on tipped and overtime wages up to certain caps. It also includes a new tax deduction for people aged 65 and over.

The legislation also rolls back green energy tax credits implemented under former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which Trump and his allies have attacked as ‘the Green New Scam.’

The bill would also surge money toward the national defense, and to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the name of Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigrants in the U.S.

The bill would also raise the debt limit by $5 trillion in order to avoid a potentially economically devastating credit default sometime this summer, if the U.S. runs out of cash to pay its obligations.

New and expanded work requirements would be implemented for Medicaid and federal food assistance, respectively.

Democrats have blasted the bill as a tax giveaway to the wealthy while cutting federal benefits for working-class Americans.

But Republicans have said their tax provisions are targeted toward the working and middle classes – citing measures eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages – while arguing they were reforming federal welfare programs to work better for those who truly need them.


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Justice Samuel Alito raised concerns about a ‘potentially significant loophole’ in the Supreme Court’s decision to curb universal injunctions, and now his warning is hanging over lawsuits involving President Donald Trump.

Alito said in his concurring opinion in Trump v. CASA that class action lawsuits and lawsuits brought by states leave room for judges to hand down injunctions that, in practice, would function the same way a universal injunction does.

‘Federal courts should thus be vigilant against such potential abuses of these tools,’ Alito said.

Alito’s warning comes as judges continue to hand down sweeping rulings and as plaintiffs begin filing lawsuits tailored to avoid running into the new roadblock established by the high court.

In one major ruling, Judge Randolph Moss, an Obama appointee based in Washington, D.C., found this week that Trump’s proclamation declaring an ‘invasion’ at the border was unlawful.

Trump’s proclamation restricted migrants from claiming asylum when crossing into the United States, a practice the Trump administration says has been abused by border crossers.

Moss ‘set aside’ that policy under the Administrative Procedure Act, which had an effect similar to that of a nationwide injunction. More than a dozen potential asylees brought the lawsuit, and Moss also agreed to certify the case as a class action lawsuit that applied to all potential asylees in the country.

The Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that Moss was a ‘rogue district court judge’ who was ‘already trying to circumvent the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against nationwide injunctions.’

In his concurring opinion, Alito warned against class action lawsuits that do not strictly abide by Rule 23, which lays out the criteria for certifying a class. He said the Supreme Court’s decision on universal injunctions will have ‘very little value’ if district courts do not adhere to the rule.

‘District courts should not view today’s decision as an invitation to certify nationwide classes without scrupulous adherence to the rigors of Rule 23,’ Alito wrote. ‘Otherwise, the universal injunction will return from the grave under the guise of ‘nationwide class relief,’ and today’s decision will be of little more than minor academic interest.’

Alito also noted that another area for exploitation could be states that seek statewide relief from a court.

For instance, Democrat-led states have filed several lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies. A judge could grant those states statewide injunctions, meaning everyone living in the state would be exempt from the policies. Alito warned that giving third parties widespread standing in cases in that manner required careful scrutiny.

If judges are lax about these statewide lawsuits, states will have ‘every incentive to bring third-party suits on behalf of their residents to obtain a broader scope of equitable relief than any individual resident could procure in his own suit,’ Alito wrote. ‘Left unchecked, the practice of reflexive state third-party standing will undermine today’s decision as a practical matter.’


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