Housing affordability is at its worst in decades, but a new Goldman report suggests some of the most severe pressures may begin to ease, offering modest relief in the years ahead. That’s welcome news for prospective homebuyers who’ve been priced out by soaring home values and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hiking cycle. 

“We are lowering our forecasts for U.S. home price appreciation over the next two years,” analyst Vinay Viswanathan wrote in a note to clients. He cut the firm’s national home price appreciation (HPA) forecast from 3.2% to .5% in 2025, and from 1.9% to 1.2% in 2026. 

Viswanathan outlined three specific drivers that underpinned his decision to revise the HPA forecast down:

• First and foremost, recent home price index data has deteriorated, likely reflecting a drop in demand. Case-Shiller, FHFA, and Zillow indices all gauged negative sequential HPA in March, April, and, based on Zillow’s higher frequency estimates, May (Exhibit 2). Though some of the weakness can likely be attributed to the acute tariff concerns earlier in the year (which equity prices and, to a lesser extent, consumer sentiment suggest are subsiding), the decline in May consumer spending is evidence that an uncertain growth environment is influencing household financial behavior.

• Second, the lack of supply that previously bolstered strong HPA is gradually recovering. While most metrics suggest that aggregate supply is still far from overwhelming demand, for-sale inventory of existing homes is approaching pre-COVID levels while for-sale inventory of newly constructed homes is at levels last seen in 2009.

• Third, we see only limited scope for mortgage rates to decline in a softer growth environment, and our base case is for mortgage rates to decline by only 20-25 bp through the end of 2026. We do not see the pullback in immigration as a major risk for single-family HPA given the likely low headship rate for the humanitarian/undocumented immigrants most affected, but there could be a larger impact on multifamily rents.

The analyst emphasized that this does not signal a significant downturn in prices, writing: “…but meaningful national home price declines remain unlikely.”

What caught our attention in the 33-page report was the section outlining modest affordability relief for prospective homebuyers. This is especially important for the folks who’ve been sidelined in recent years because of higher prices and elevated rates. 

“Mortgage rates will likely grind lower,” Viswanathan wrote in the report, with the 30-year conforming mortgage rate forecasted to end the year at 6.5%. 

Viswanathan continued, “Alongside a downtick in mortgage rates, the growing gap between income growth and HPA should help slightly improve housing affordability, albeit remaining historically poor…” 

How many young people are still on the sidelines? A lot….

According to Census Bureau data, about a third of all 18- to 34-year-olds are still living in their parents’ basements or attics.

And this.

Real estate agents and mortgage originators are praying for a new Fed chief who’ll slash rates and bring life back into an industry crushed by Fed Chair Powell.

More here from Goldman’s Research team available to pro subs.

Authored by Frank Fang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges on July 8 against a Chinese national taken into custody in Italy at the behest of Washington, and accused him of hacking into several U.S. universities to steal COVID-19 research at the direction of China’s main intelligence agency.

Xu Zewei, 33, was arrested in Milan, Italy, on July 3 by Italian law enforcement officials and FBI agents as he departed a plane from China. Xu and another Chinese national, Zhang Yu, 44, who remains at large, are charged in a nine-count indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in computer intrusions between February 2020 and June 2021.

According to the indictment, Xu was a general manager at a Chinese company called Shanghai Powerock Network, which allegedly conducted hacking operations at the direction of the Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB) under China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).

The DOJ said that Xu’s case exemplifies the Chinese regime’s use of a vast network of private companies and contractors in China to carry out hacking and information theft in a manner that concealed Beijing’s involvement.

“The indictment alleges that Xu was hacking and stealing crucial COVID-19 research at the behest of the Chinese government while that same government was simultaneously withholding information about the virus and its origins,” Nicholas Ganjei, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said in a statement.

“The Southern District of Texas has been waiting years to bring Xu to justice and that day is nearly at hand. As this case shows, even if it takes years, we will track hackers down and make them answer for their crimes. The United States does not forget.”

The CIA, FBI, and Energy Department have determined that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a laboratory in China, an assessment that Beijing has dismissed. Chinese authorities initially downplayed the severity of the outbreak for several weeks before it escalated into a pandemic.

The FBI’s Houston Field Office, which is investigating the case, said that Xu is allegedly “one of the first hackers linked to Chinese intelligence services to be captured by the FBI,” according to a post on social media platform X on July 8.

“Our investigation revealed that the PRC government will stop at nothing to steal from America. They have no shame in their actions, and no respect for international laws,” the Houston Field Office added in a separate X post. “Their only regret is that their criminal conduct is now unmasked and laid bare for the world to see.”

Hacking

Xu and his coconspirators are accused of hacking the networks of several U.S.-based universities, as well as the email accounts of immunologists and virologists conducting research into COVID-19 vaccines, treatment, and testing.

Prosecutors did not name the universities. According to the indictment, two universities are based in the Southern District of Texas, identified only as “UNIVERSITY 1” and “UNIVERSITY 3,” and the third, identified only as “UNIVERSITY 2,” is located in North Carolina. An unnamed law firm, with offices in the United States and elsewhere, was also targeted.

Xu allegedly compromised the network of “UNIVERSITY 1” on Feb. 19, 2020, according to prosecutors. Three days later, an SSSB officer directed Xu to target and access certain email accounts belonging to the university’s virologists and immunologists. According to the indictment, Xu informed the officer that he had “acquired the contents of the mailboxes” days later.

Xu and Zhang are also accused of being part of a China-sponsored hacking group called Hafnium, which garnered global attention in 2021 after Microsoft identified the group for exploiting the vulnerabilities in its Exchange Server email program.

“Through HAFNIUM, the CCP targeted over 60,000 U.S. entities, successfully victimizing more than 12,700 in order to steal sensitive information,” Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, said in a statement.

Xu and his coconspirators began exploiting the Exchange Server vulnerabilities in late 2020, prosecutors said. According to the indictment, Xu confirmed to Zhang that he had compromised the computer network of “UNIVERSITY 3” on Jan. 30, 2021, after the coconspirators breached the school’s computers running the Exchange Server and installed web shells on them to enable remote administration.

Using similar techniques associated with the Exchange Server, Xu and his coconspirators gained access to the law firm’s computer and used keywords such as “HongKong” and “MSS” to look for information regarding specific U.S. policymakers and government agencies.

The charges Xu faces include wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers. He faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charges alone.

On Tuesday, Xu’s lawyer said that his client is a victim of mistaken identity, given that his surname is common in China, and his cellphone had been stolen since 2020.

Xu appeared before an appeals court in Milan and opposed extradition to the United States.

Reuters contributed to this report.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on X, “Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields.” 

Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields.

Trump calls me “Newscum” — but he’s the real scum. pic.twitter.com/fj0l25mRBN

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 11, 2025

“Kids running from tear gas.” Think about that for a second… Why were there children at state-licensed, industrialized commercial marijuana farms in Southern California’s agricultural zones?

That’s a very good question — and perhaps protesting ICE seems the most plausible explanation. But one thing is sure: CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott revealed that federal agents rescued children from what appears to be forced labor conditions on industrial-sized marijuana farms.

“10 juveniles were found at this marijuana facility – all illegal aliens, 8 of them unaccompanied. It’s  now under investigation for child labor violations,” Scott revealed on X.

He asked: “California, are you ready to partner with us to stop child exploitation?” 

Here’s some breaking news: 10 juveniles were found at this marijuana facility – all illegal aliens, 8 of them unaccompanied. It’s now under investigation for child labor violations.

This is Newsom’s California. https://t.co/Z1XoRMtBSN

— CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott (@CBPCommissioner) July 11, 2025

ICE agents on Thursday targeted two locations by Glass House Farms — one in the Santa Barbara County town of Carpinteria, about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and another in the Ventura County community of Camarillo, about 50 miles from the metro area controlled by a far-left regime — resulted in the rescue of what could be illegal alien childeren exploited by labor mules.

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X that federal law enforcement rescued the children from what appears to be “potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking.” She said agents were met by “500+ rioters,” one of whom opened fire on law enforcement.

ICE and @CBP officers who so bravely rescued 9 children from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking, were met by 500+ rioters, one of whom shot at law enforcement.

Thank you to the brave men and women of @ICEGov @CBP @DHSgov. You make America proud. pic.twitter.com/Hk0UELT8KJ

— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) July 11, 2025

X users were horrified Thursday night when an anti-ICE protester opened fire on federal law enforcement — a disturbing sign that low-intensity skirmishes are escalating into armed confrontations. This comes as the Democratic Party’s leftist radicals continue to promote dangerous anti-ICE rhetoric, putting federal agents directly in harm’s way.

A protester was seen apparently firing some kind of weapon at federal agents during the immigration raid at a farm near Camarillo on Thursday. It’s unknown if anyone was injured in the chaos. https://t.co/tZBT2XnVEH pic.twitter.com/p4YZ3qkHnM

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 10, 2025

President Trump and Border Czar Tom Homan have been vocal about the “missing 300,000 migrant children” reportedly somewhere in the U.S., a consequence of the Biden-Harris regime’s deliberate border invasion that only resulted in the exploitation of some migrants — whether through forced labor or sex trafficking. Shame on Democrats..

By John Paul Hamsptead of FreightWaves

In a groundbreaking moment for the American mining industry, the Fluor Corporation has confirmed the feasibility of large rare earth element deposits at Ramaco Resources’ Brook Mine in Wyoming. This announcement marks a significant step towards redefining the United States’ position in the critical minerals market. The confirmation by Fluor not only solidifies the economic potential of the Brook Mine but also positions Ramaco Resources as a key player in reducing the country’s dependency on foreign sources of rare earth elements.

Ramaco Resources, initially known for its operations as a metallurgical coal miner, was thrust into the spotlight with this unexpected discovery. The company, headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, had been primarily focused on coal mining in Appalachia. The Brook Mine project represents a strategic pivot for Ramaco, leveraging its mining expertise to tap into the lucrative rare earth element market.

According to the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) conducted by Fluor Corporation, the rare earth deposits at Brook Mine are not only abundant but also economically viable. The PEA outlines a robust financial outlook, with a net present value (NPV) of $1.197 billion at an 8% discount rate and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 38% pre-tax. The report projects that the mine will produce 1,242 tons annually of oxides, including high-value minerals such as dysprosium, neodymium, and scandium, which are critical to various advanced technologies. Specifically, dysprosium and neodymium have unusual magnetic properties that make them perfect for high-performance magnets in electric vehicles and various electronics, while scandium’s most important applications involve its use as an alloy for aluminum.

The economic significance of these discoveries cannot be overstated. Rare earth elements are integral to modern technology, playing a crucial role in the manufacturing of everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to sophisticated military systems. Historically, the United States has relied heavily on imports, particularly from China, to meet its demand for these minerals. The Brook Mine’s potential to support 3-5% of the U.S.’s total permanent magnet demand is a crucial development in shifting the nation’s supply chain dynamics.

Aside from economic viability, the strategic implications are profound. Rare earth elements have long been a strategic lever for China, which controls roughly 85% of global production. China’s dominance in the market has allowed it to wield significant influence, at times restricting exports as a tool in trade negotiations. This dependency has underscored the urgency for the U.S. to establish a secure, domestic supply of these critical materials.

Ramaco’s leadership has recognized the strategic and national security dimensions of their project. Randall Atkins, the Chairman and CEO of Ramaco Resources, emphasized the importance of the Brook Mine discovery not only for the company but also for the nation. With plans to develop processing facilities capable of handling these rare earth elements domestically, Ramaco aims to foster a vertically integrated supply chain, addressing both extraction and processing within the United States.

The transition from a coal-centric operation to a rare earth element powerhouse reflects broader shifts in the global energy landscape. As the demand for cleaner, sustainable energy solutions grows, the need for rare earth elements will only increase. The Brook Mine discovery positions Ramaco at the forefront of this evolution, offering significant economic rewards while contributing to national security.

As Ramaco Resources continues to develop the Brook Mine, the focus will be on optimizing extraction processes and scaling up operations to meet projected demand. The backing from Fluor Corporation, an internationally renowned engineering firm, provides additional credibility and support to Ramaco’s ambitious plans.

The discovery and subsequent validation of rare earth elements at the Brook Mine is a landmark event for Ramaco Resources and American industry at large. By establishing a domestic supply chain for these essential materials, the United States not only reduces its reliance on foreign sources but also strengthens its strategic autonomy.

Despite falling headline numbers—China’s share of U.S. imports dropped to 13% in 2024 from nearly 22% in 2017—America’s reliance on Chinese goods remains deeper than it seems, according to Bloomberg. 

A new paper by researchers from the World Bank and IMF estimates the real figure is closer to 16% when accounting for transshipments through third countries and de minimis shipments under $800 that bypass duties.

One major reason: China’s unmatched manufacturing capability. Businesses, even those hit hard by tariffs, are staying put. Pashion Footwear CEO Haley Pavone, facing an $80,000 tariff in April, still sticks with her Chinese supplier. She considered alternatives but found the upfront costs too high and skilled labor lacking elsewhere.

“No one is as optimized as China,” said Pavone, whose shoes require engineering precision.

Bloomberg writes that Trump-era tariffs, aimed at reducing reliance on China, may have limited impact—or even backfire. Some Southeast Asian nations now face steeper reciprocal tariffs, making them less attractive alternatives for manufacturers.

Meanwhile, new research from the Kiel Institute warns that trade talks shouldn’t overlook services. In 2023, the U.S. ran a €148 billion ($173B) services trade surplus with the EU—nearly three-quarters the size of its goods trade deficit.

Still, U.S. and EU data diverge sharply: “The EU can go for a carrot-and-stick approach with respect to services trade,” researchers suggest, promoting digital access while tightening data rules or introducing a digital services tax.

Last month, President Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping was “extremely hard” to make a deal with just days after the president accused Beijing of violating an agreement to roll back tariffs and trade restrictions.

This came after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that U.S.-China trade talks were “a bit stalled.” 

As of July 2025, the U.S. and China are in a temporary tariff truce, with reduced rates (30% U.S., 10% China) set to expire August 12. Talks are ongoing, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting Chinese officials this week, though tensions remain high. Broader U.S. tariff threats on other countries have been delayed to August 1 to allow more negotiation time.

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is rescinding a 1998 interpretation of a law that allowed illegal immigrants to access certain government-funded programs, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on July 10.

The health secretary is rescinding the interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), a law that said illegal immigrants cannot obtain “federal public benefits.”

The 1998 interpretation by the HHS said the law’s definition of benefits “does not provide sufficient guidance for benefit providers” and that HHS was stepping in “to facilitate compliance” with a requirement in the law for providers to verify a person’s qualifications for benefits.

It said that certain programs, including Head Start, which provides child care for lower-income families, were accessible to illegal immigrants.

That interpretation improperly narrowed the scope of the law, letting illegal immigrants access programs that lawmakers intended only for Americans and qualified immigrants, such as immigrants granted asylum, HHS said on Thursday.

“For too long, the government has diverted hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to incentivize illegal immigration,” Kennedy said. “Today’s action changes that—it restores integrity to federal social programs, enforces the rule of law, and protects vital resources for the American people.”

The updated policy applies the definition of federal public benefit in the law.

The statute defines the benefits as ‘“any grant, contract, loan, professional license, or commercial license” provided to an individual, as well as “any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household, or family eligibility unit.”

Head Start is among the programs included in the updated and expanded list of classified “Federal public benefits” under the PRWORA, HHS said on Wednesday.

In addition to Head Start, HHS is including about a dozen other programs that were previously excluded. Among them are the Community Services Block Grant, the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness Grant Program, and the Title X Family Planning Program.

HHS cited its change as stemming from a February executive order from President Donald Trump, which directed officials to identify government-funded programs that “currently permit illegal aliens to obtain any cash or non-cash public benefit” and to then align those programs with the PRWORA.

“Title IV of the PRWORA states that it is national policy that ‘aliens within the Nation’s borders not depend on public resources to meet their needs,’ and that ‘it is a compelling government interest to remove the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits.’ But in the decades since the passage of the PRWORA, numerous administrations have acted to undermine the principles and limitations directed by the Congress through that law,” Trump wrote at the time.

A notice on the HHS update said people have 30 days after it is formally published to submit comments. The notice has not yet been formally published.

HHS said in the notice that it would apply the updated interpretation immediately because “any delay would be contrary to the public interest and fail to address the ongoing emergency at the Southern Border of the United States.”

The Department of Education on Thursday said it was rescinding the 1998 interpretation of the PRWORA that allowed illegal immigrants to access federal education benefits, while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of HHS, previously said it would increase oversight to make sure states did not pay for health care for illegal immigrants, citing Trump’s order and the PRWORA.

The United Nations in a fresh report issued Friday is urging international support for Haiti, amid crippling gang violence has claimed 4,864 lives between October and June.

In this nine month period, over 20% of these deaths occurred in the Centre and Artibonite areas, signaling that violence is extending well beyond Port-au-Prince into surrounding regions.

“The spread of gang control poses a serious threat of escalating violence and fueling cross-border trafficking of weapons and people,” the report warns

Gangs are believed to be expanding their influence in these areas as part of a broader effort to control critical routes linking the capital to northern Haiti and the Dominican Republic border, to extract payments.

One key element of the UN report is the call for outside nations to tighten regulations on firearm sales to Haiti and to continue strong support for the Kenya-led security mission aimed at bolstering the country’s police force – an initiative that Washington backed.

“Human rights violations are worsening outside Port-au-Prince in regions where the State has little or no presence,” Ulrika Richardson, the UN’s resident coordinator in Haiti, has said.

Al Jazeera has for example, documented one such major instance of violence which occurred outside the capital:

One instance the UN chronicles from March involved the police interception of a minibus driving from the city of Gonaives to Port-au-Prince. Officers allegedly found three firearms and 10,488 cartridges inside the bus, a fact which sparked concern and uproar among residents nearby.

“Enraged, members of the local population who witnessed the scene lynched to death, using stones, sticks, and machetes, two individuals: the driver and another man present in the vehicle,” the report said.

Haiti has long been a failed state crisis which at times enters in an out of mainstream media coverage and public awareness.

En Haïti, toujours plus enlisé dans la violence, 27.000 personnes déplacées en une semaine@IOMHaiti I @BINUH_UN I @OCHAHaiti I @UNHumanRights I @UlrikaR_UN https://t.co/nLR5kAGmBP

— ONU Info (@ONUinfo) July 11, 2025

But it’s a nightmare political issue for any US administration, and the US has long ago sought to wash its hands of direct involvement there, after several failed and controversial UN ‘boots on the ground’ missions there.

Authored by Kimberley Hayek via The Epoch Times,

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with the attorneys general from several other states, submitted an amicus brief on July 7 in an effort to prevent the federal government from continuing its immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles.

The case, Perdomo v. Noem, was filed on behalf of individuals who say they were unlawfully stopped or detained by federal agents. The lawsuit alleges that federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are deploying unconstitutional and unlawful immigration tactics, and stopping individuals based on race and ethnicity.

The lawsuit also alleges that the agencies are stripping detainees of constitutionally mandated due process and that ICE and CBP policies ignore the need for reasonable suspicion. The lawsuit also alleges the actions are in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

The lawsuit, which was announced on July 2 at the Bubble Bath Hand Car Wash in Torrance, the site of several removal operations, was filed as a result of one specific incident. According to the ACLU of Southern California, five individuals were stopped or arrested on July 2.

They subsequently filed suit alongside the Los Angeles Worker Center Network, United Farm Workers, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and legal services provider Immigrant Defenders Law Center.

The lawsuit seeks to put an end to the stops and arrests, as well as to ensure those who are detained receive due process and access to counsel while in federal detention.

The lawsuit comes just two days after the Trump administration sued the City of Los Angeles on June 30 over its ‘sanctuary city’ policies, alleging in federal court that the ordinance violates the Constitution by thwarting immigration enforcement.

“The United States Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prohibits the city from picking and choosing which federal laws will be enforced and which will not,” United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said in astatement on the lawsuit.

The amicus brief supports the plaintiffs in the case, who are requesting a temporary restraining order to prohibit ICE and CBP from carrying out stops in Los Angeles during immigration actions, unless there is reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.

The attorneys general in their amicus brief also argue that the stops, as well as federal agents wearing masks and concealing the name of the law enforcement agency for which they work, have undermined public safety.

“The lawsuit comes amid the Trump Administration conducting aggressive, militaristic immigration raids in Los Angeles that have terrified immigrant and non-immigrant residents alike, chilled community members’ participation in civic society, and impeded law enforcement and public safety,” Bonta’s office said in a statement on July 7.

Bonta argues that the ICE operations are not about safety or justice, but rather about enforcement quotas.

“The actions of ICE and CBP during the raids in Los Angeles are part of a cruel and familiar pattern of attacks on our immigrant communities by an administration that thrives on fear and division,” Bonta said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the Fourth Amendment protects everyone from unreasonable searches and seizures.

“Instead of targeting dangerous criminals, federal agents are detaining U.S. citizens, ripping families apart, and vanishing people to meet indiscriminate arrest quotas without regard to due process and constitutional rights that protect all of us from cruelty and injustice,” Newsom said.

“Their actions imperil the fabric of our democracy, society, and economy. This isn’t law and order—it’s cruelty and chaos. We stand solidly in support of progress, of the law, and the foundation upon which our founding fathers built this great nation.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi has said the city’s actions amount to obstruction of federal law.

“Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump,” Bondi said in a statement on the suit.

Bonta likened the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal immigrants to the 1954 Operation Wetback, under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in which an estimated 300,000 people were arrested and deported, including naturalized U.S. citizens.

“The dragnet has resulted in U.S. citizens being wrongfully detained and has created a culture of fear and COVID-style ghost towns,” Bonta’s office said in a statement.

The attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington signed on to the amicus brief, which is focused on events taking place in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, Pasadena, Culver City, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood, as well as the County of Los Angeles, have also filed a motion to intervene in the Vasquez Perdomo et al. v. Noem et al. lawsuit.

“The Administration is treating Los Angeles as a test case for how far it can go in driving its political agenda forward while pushing the Constitution aside,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.

“The City of Los Angeles, along with the County, cities, organizations and Angelenos across L.A., is taking the Administration to court to stop its clear violation of the United States Constitution and federal law. We will not be intimidated – we are making Los Angeles the example of how people who believe in American values will stand together and stand united.”

In one high-profile arrest, on July 2, ICE arrested Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at his home in Studio City, near Los Angeles. Chavez, who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says entered the country illegally, is accused of being an associate of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization.

“This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE. It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritize his removal and let him leave and COME BACK into our country,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on July 3.

The DHS said that its Los Angeles operations have resulted in the arrest of those with convictions for murder, pedophilia, fentanyl trafficking, spousal abuse, sexual assault, and armed robbery.

“Under the Trump Administration 70% of illegal aliens arrested have been convicted or charged with a crime beyond illegally entering our country,” McLaughlin said in a statement on June 26.

“As bad faith politicians attempt to demean and vilify our brave law enforcement, we will only double down and ramp up our enforcement actions against the worst of the worst criminals.”

Vying for the title of Most Brazen Bull in the china shop that is America’s relationship with the State of Israel, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she will introduce an amendment to strike a half-billion dollars in additional military aid for the country — and she notably emphasized its status as a nuclear power. 

“I’m entering amendments to strike $500 million more for nuclear-armed Israel. And it’s important to say nuclear-armed Israel, because they do have nuclear weapons,” Greene said on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, an influential hub of the MAGA movement with an audience of listeners comprising not only everyday Americans but also West Wing officials. 

The additional $500 million would flow to a program that lie “at the heart of Israel’s aerial defense operations,” reports Responsible Statecraft. Greene says enough is enough. “We already give them $3.4 billion every single year…they don’t need another $500 million in our defense budget. That’s for the American people’s defense,” Greene told Bannon. “That’s for the defense of the United States of America and our borders.”  

It’s highly significant that, in her references to Israel, Greene used “nuclear-armed” five times, noting that “it’s important to say ‘nuclear-armed’ because they do have nuclear weapons — this is not a helpless country.” While Greene’s nuclear references ostensibly underscored the country’s military strength, she may have had other intentions: 

• Spotlighting the hypocrisy of “nuclear-armed Israel” pushing the United States to war over Iran’s nuclear program. While the US intelligence community has concluded isn’t aiming for a nuclear weapon, Greene did give credence to Israel’s claims to the contrary, saying last month’s US strikes “on [Israel’s] behalf… destroyed Iran’s nuclear problem.” 
• Firing a shot across the bow of all Israel aid, by violating a long-standing US government policy of refusing to confirm that Israel has a nuclear arsenal. Those refusals to acknowledge Israel’s nuclear status are part of a decades-long conspiracy to keep billions of dollars in aid flowing to Israel in violation of US law.

 As Brian McGlinchey explained in a deep-dive on the topic at Stark Realities: 

While having amassed upwards of 200 nuclear warheads, Israel is not a member of the the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)…That makes U.S. aid to Israel illegal under the Symington Amendment of 1976, which bars economic and military assistance to countries that acquire nuclear reprocessing technology without submitting to international safeguards and inspections. The law was reinforced by the Glenn Amendment of 1977.

The proposed redistribution another $500 million of American wealth to Israel is contained in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that funds the Department of Defense. “There are some parts of this NDAA that I cannot support, and that’s continued foreign aid and foreign funding, and it needs to come out,” said Greene. Bannon called this year’s iteration of the NDAA “disastrous,” as it calls for a trillion dollars in total purported “defense” spending. 

When it comes to opposing Israel’s agenda, Greene is on a roll. When Trump last month ordered the United States military to join Israel’s war on Iran, Greene lashed out via social media. Noting that she “traveled the entire country” campaigning to elect Trump on the basis of his promise to stop foreign wars, Greene said the attack on Iran “feels like a complete bait-and-switch to please the neocons, warmongers, military industrial complex contracts, and neocon tv personalities that MAGA hates and who were NEVER TRUMPERS!”

Also in June, Greene refused to vote for a resolution condemning antisemitism, noting it was the 21st such resolution Congress had voted on just since she took office in 2021. “Prioritizing one group of Americans and/or one foreign country above our own people is fueling resentment and actually driving more division, including antisemitism,” Greene explained. 

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R): I’m filing amendments to stop sending our defense money overseas.

Nuclear-armed Israel doesn’t need more cash. Taiwan doesn’t either. Jordan and Africa can fund their own programs.

This is America’s budget. Let’s spend it defending America. pic.twitter.com/l6LsZvKn64

— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) July 9, 2025

Greene, whose district lies in Georgia’s far northwest corner, told Bannon she’s also moving to strike $500 million for Taiwan. “We give them $300 million every year in the State Department, and they just got $2 billion — two billion with a ‘b’ in 2024 from the foreign aid supplemental under the Biden administration.”  She’s also trying to kill an extra $500 million for Jordan, which already gets $1.6 billion a year. 

Finally, Greene said her amendment to target two things that she finds “outrageous”: $15 million for AIDS prevention in Africa and $118 in overseas humanitarian aid and disaster relief. On the latter point, she noted, “I didn’t see foreign countries flooding into America when Lahina burned, when California burned…[or] running to Texas right now.”   

Authored by Savannah Hulsey Pointer via The Epoch Times,

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to ban the Federal Bureau of Investigation from a planned move to the Ronald Reagan building in Washington, D.C.

The July 10 vote approved a Justice Department funding bill amendment that blocked the Trump administration from keeping the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., through a change in destination for the bureau.

The Republican majority committee voted 15-14 to adopt language that would halt a move from the J. Edgar Hoover Building site to any location that isn’t the previously approved site in Greenbelt, Maryland, that was chosen by the General Services Administration in 2023.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) crossed party lines to join Democrats in supporting halting the administration’s proposed move.

“My understanding is that this has been a decision that was made just very recently,” Murkowski said ahead of the vote. “So I, for one, would like to know that this analysis has actually been going on for more than just a couple [of] months, that there’s actually been that effort to ensure that we’re going to move forward.”

The amendment to block the move was introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who said the previous decision to move the FBI to Maryland was made as a result of a lengthy process that involved Congressional criteria and lengthy discourse.

According to the lawmaker, the Trump administration did not perform adequate research and analysis before choosing to repurpose the Ronald Reagan building for the FBI headquarters.

“A few weeks ago, the administration just announced that it wanted to snatch the $555 million that had been set aside for down payment on that selected site and use it instead to move the FBI into the Ronald Reagan Building,” Van Hollen said during the markup session.

“No analysis done with respect to security requirements, no analysis done with respect to FBI mission requirements, no review of the underlying statute as to the purpose of the Ronald Reagan Building, no analysis of what they would do with current tenants in that building.”

According to Van Hollen, allowing the change to happen sets a dangerous precedent that cedes power designated to the legislative branch and allows the executive branch to overstep.

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) contradicted that argument, saying that Congress is “micromanaging the FBI.”

“We have to trust the experts as we put them in place,” Mullin said before the vote on the amendment, referencing those in authority at the agency.

“To make the assumption that the FBI would possibly put their men and women in a less secure building is laughable.”

The lawmaker rebutted the idea that Congress would know better than the FBI what the agency’s security decisions for a location should be.

“They know security, I promise you, better than all of us. This is what they fight, they fight threats … for us to try to micromanage their site planning is ridiculous,” Mullin said.

“We need to allow them to make a decision. We haven’t been able to make a decision, nor do we make a decision; we allow and support their decision that they make.

“I would assume we need to lean in and trust these individuals, because we’re not talking about Republicans or Democrats, we’re talking about the FBI.”

The Epoch Times has reached out to the FBI for comment.