Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness,

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to bring the Presidential Fitness Test back to public schools with the stated goal of “fostering a new generation of healthy, active citizens.”

The Order directs the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to create school-based programs “that reward excellence in physical education and develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award.”

The fitness test was first initiated by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956 and became a part of American physical education classes from 1956 until the 2012-2013 school year.

The original fitness test required students to complete a range of physical challenges, including sit-ups, pull-ups, standing broad jump, and 50 yard dash and the top 15 percent were recognized with various awards and certificates.

President Barack Obama retired the Presidential Fitness Test and replaced it with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which removed  achievement awards and emphasized individual progress over excellence.

“This Order ensures American youth will have opportunities at the global, national, State, and local levels that emphasize the importance of an active lifestyle, good nutrition, American sports, and military readiness,” Trump’s order states.

The president’s order directs the Council to “partner with professional athletes, sports organizations, and influential figures” to help him achieve  “a national culture of strength, vitality, and excellence for the next generation by promoting the physical, mental, and civic benefits of exercise and good nutrition.”

To that end, Trump was joined by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, golfer Bryson DeChambeau, wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and former football player Cody Campbell for a signing ceremony in the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Thursday afternoon.

“Excited to do my part to help Make America Healthy Again, to help our youth be healthy, and thrive, and grow up, and be great citizens of this country and be great family members and contribute to this great country,” said Butker. “You have to be strong in mind, in body and in soul.”

Taylor indicated that he wasn’t quite sure of what he was being asked to do, but said he was happy to serve the president.

“I don’t know why, I don’t know what we supposed to be doing, but I’m here to SERVE, and I’m here to serve YOU [President Trump],” he said. “I’m gonna do the best I can for as long as I can.”

HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. stressed that it was important to “reinstill a spirit of competition and that commitment to nutrition  physical fitness,” and thanked Trump for bringing the Presidential Fitness Test back.

The president signed the executive order flanked by other several cabinet members and Vice President J.D. Vance.

“It is not signed with autopen. There’s no autopen,” Trump cracked. “We don’t want autopens in the White House.”

Some 154,000 workers accepted buyouts offered by the Trump administration, an official said on Aug. 1.

A spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) confirmed the number, which represents about 6.4 percent of the government workforce, in an email to The Epoch Times.

As Zachary Stieber reports for The Epoch Times, starting shortly after President Donald Trump took office, the government told workers they could receive eight months of paid leave for not working if they left their jobs at the end of September.

“The federal workforce is expected to undergo significant near-term changes. As a result of these changes and uncertainty, or for other reasons, some employees may wish to depart the federal government on terms that provide them with sufficient time and economic security to plan for their future,” workers were told in a Jan. 28 memo issued by OPM.

“The Deferred Resignation Program was a necessary step toward a smarter, leaner, more effective government,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

He called the program “a practical, humane, and voluntary option to accelerate workforce transitions in a system that desperately needed movement,” noting that fewer than 6,000 employees were removed from the 2.4 million workforce in 2024 for bad behavior or poor performance.

The program will ultimately save the government $20 billion or more annually, Kupor said.

The White House declined to comment.

Critics say the program was wasteful.

Senate Democrats said in a report on Thursday that they estimated it cost billions of dollars to implement the program, primarily to pay employees during the months of leave, part of $21.7 billion they said was wasted by efforts led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Businessman Elon Musk helmed DOGE initially, although he has since left the administration.

“At the very same time that the Trump administration is cutting health care, nutrition assistance, and emergency services in the name of ‘efficiency’ and ‘savings,’ they have enabled DOGE’s reckless waste of at least $21.7 billion dollars,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, who released the report, said in a statement.

Kupor said the report wrongly suggested that officials should never reduce government spending because of one-time costs and ignored how the one-time costs led to ongoing savings.

“It’s backward logic like this that got us in our current financial dire straits—$7 trillion in annual spend[ing] (up 50% since 2019) and $36 trillion in total debt (increasing to the tune of $2 trillion per year)!” he said.

The deferred resignation program mirrors private sector restructuring, he also said.

Along with the program, the government has fired tens of thousands of workers under a Trump order to eliminate waste, bloat, and insularity.

Top officials have said that further cuts are planned in the future.

Via The Cradle

China expressed “shock” and “disappointment” on Friday over the US decision to impose sanctions on the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) the day before. 

“We feel disappointed at, and can’t understand the US move,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, adding that the question of Palestine “is at the heart of the Middle East issue.”

Jiakun also described the Palestinian struggle as “a matter of international fairness and justice,” while urging Washington to move toward “taking responsibility” for implementing UN resolutions on Palestine. He stressed that the Palestinian issue is at a “crucial and historic juncture.”

“China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their national rights (and) the PA’s effective jurisdiction overall of Palestine’s territory, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,” he added, calling on Washington to “not do the reverse.” He went on to say that a two-state solution is the “comprehensive, just, and lasting solution.”

The US announced the imposition of sanctions on the PA and PLO on 31 July, accusing them of undermining peace efforts. Those targeted by the sanctions will be slapped with visa denials. It did not name who exactly was being sanctioned. 

“It is in our national security interests to impose consequences and hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments and undermining the prospects for peace,“ the US State Department stated. 

Washington called out the PA for “taking actions to internationalize” the conflict with Israel, including through the International Criminal Court (ICC). It also accused Ramallah of “supporting terrorism.“

The PA was formed after the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the PLO – led at the time by Yasser Arafat. The agreement was meant to pave the way for eventual Palestinian statehood, and saw the PLO abandon armed resistance against Israel. 

The years that followed saw Israel rapidly expand illegal settlements and solidify its illegal occupation of the West Bank. 

The PA, for years, provided stipends to the families of Palestinians (often those responsible for attacks) killed or jailed by Israel. Washington and Tel Aviv accused the PA of supporting terrorism – and in February this year, Ramallah revoked the stipend law in line with US and Israeli demands. 

The PA has been at the center of efforts to set in place a solution for post-war Gaza. While Israel continues to reject Ramallah’s return to governing the strip, Arab states have been pushing the idea of a reformed PA assuming power in Gaza and sidelining Hamas. 

Washington has also called on the PA to launch reforms, among them revoking the stipend law. 

Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary-general of the PLO Executive Committee and close confidant of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, was appointed as Vice President of the State of Palestine on April 26.

The move was meant to represent a PA leadership reform, but was strongly criticized by several Palestinian factions as illegitimate. 

China has played a role in mediating between Palestinian factions, including Hamas and the PA Fatah party, with the goal of reaching a consensus on dealing with the issue of post-war Gaza. 

The incidents are not isolated; woke is dying everywhere and mainstream advertising is one of the surest litmus tests.  Though the culture war continues and requires eternal vigilance it’s safe to say that most Americans and even Europeans (save a tiny, shrill minority) are fed up with far-left deconstructionist insanity. 

One blaring example of woke suicide is Jaguar.  The car company, once marketed to affluent and successful men between 35-65 years of age, started to move away from older male buyers over a decade ago. In 2011 they launched a direct mail campaign targeting women, saying: 

“We’ve woken up to the fact that there is a huge audience of powerful, wealthy women that want to be treated respectfully. We don’t want to forget our predominantly male audience, but design and luxury are our selling points and there are a lot of wealthy, powerful, empowered women that appeals to.”  

In recent years they have attempted to pander to younger customers, believing (like most corporations) that diversity ideology was the key to the wallets of “design minded” Millennials and Gen Z.  Young people who “challenge the status quo” and embrace “woke rebellion”.  The rebrand was heralded with an ad featuring androgynous or trans models, stating “delete ordinary” and “break moulds”.  It was an utter disaster, leading to a 97% collapse in sales.

The problem with this strategy is that woke activists are a phantom when it comes to consumer leverage.  Most of them don’t have money and they spend much of their time on the internet using coordinated mob intimidation to make their movement appear far bigger than it really is.  Jaguar was trying to advertise a vehicle that retails for six-figures to a market of broke, mentally disturbed people living off their boomer parents. 

Activist groups and companies spent so much time and energy trying to make the public believe that woke was “the majority” they ended up tricking themselves.  They made the classic mistake of propagandists – They believed their own propaganda. 

JLR is dedicated to promoting inclusion, ensuring a safe working environment and policies for LGBTQ+ colleagues. Our CEO, Adrian Mardell joined colleagues at Birmingham PRIDE this weekend, where our PRIDE wrapped Jaguar F-TYPE Convertible and Defender featured in the parade. pic.twitter.com/ALCnf5p7oM

— JLR (@JLR_News) May 27, 2024

Adrian Mardell, the 64-year-old CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, is stepping down from his post just three years after taking on the role. He joined the company over three decades ago and was at the helm when it pushed the woke rebrand advert. 

Mardell jumped headfirst into woke marketing and pulled Jaguar down into the depths with him.  This included pushing “Gay Pride” at a time when LGBT virtue signaling was on the outs with the western public.  His sudden “retirement” is yet more evidence that woke messaging in marketing is being eradicated.

The CEO’s exit comes right before Jaguar is set to launch yet another rebrand and it’s likely that this time the car company will steer well clear of DEI and LGBT symbolism in their ads.  It is not clear if the CEO was forced out of his position because of his ultra-gay advertising flop, but corporations today are careful to avoid admitting when decisions based on progressive politics are a failure.  

Regardless, progressive companies have hit a wall they did not expect:  They did not consider the fact that they can bombard the public with propaganda but they can’t force the public to buy their products.  And, with government subsides drying up, they must now rely solely on consumers to keep them financially afloat.  Wokeness is over, and the free market wins again.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced Friday afternoon that it will begin winding down operations after Congress stripped its funding from the Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill, the first time in over half a century of operations. Recall lawmakers passed sweeping cuts, and President Trump signed off on slashing funding for the public broadcaster network, which has been infected with far-left misinformation and disinformation propaganda. 

“For nearly 60 years, CPB has carried out its Congressional mission to build and sustain a trusted public media system that informs, educates, and serves communities across the country. Through partnerships with local stations and producers, CPB has supported educational content, locally relevant journalism, emergency communications, cultural programming, and essential services for Americans in every community,” CPB wrote in a statement. 

What’s laughable is that CPB claimed above that its mission is to “build and sustain a trusted public media system that informs, educates, and serves communities across the country.” That was abandoned years ago as taxpayer dollars increasingly funded biased news coverage. There’s no reason for the public to foot the bill for leftist PR operations masquerading as “news” or other media content. 

For context, CPB is a nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 under the Public Broadcasting Act. It serves as the primary federal funding vehicle for public broadcasting networks nationwide. Congress’ rescinding of $1.1 billion in CPB funding marks a significant blow to the left-leaning public broadcaster network, namely PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) and NPR (National Public Radio)

Key facts to note about CPB:

• Purpose: To promote and support public media, including non-commercial television and radio stations like PBS and NPR.

• Funding: CPB does not produce content itself; rather, it distributes federal appropriations to local public TV and radio stations, producers, and other partners.

• Role: Supports educational programs (like Sesame Street), emergency alert systems, local journalism, and cultural content.

We’ve all seen what’s happened when the woke mind virus infects Sesame Street…

Sesame Street used to tell kids, “You are perfect the way you are!”

Now, they push sexual ideologies, encourage kids to self mutilate, and allow adults to sexually groom them just so they can “be happier with yourself.”

What kind of people work at Sesame Street? #PrideMonth pic.twitter.com/FOvB4NLo1G

— Gays Against Groomers (@againstgrmrs) June 4, 2025

🔥🚨BREAKING: Sesame Street has parents furious after airing this ‘pro gay’ episode that features prominent zesty cross dresser Johnathan Van Ness who offered to show Elmo and Cookie Monster his ‘monster piece.’ Parents are accusing the children’s show of grooming the youth. pic.twitter.com/9XOkT23sXO

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) June 2, 2025

And mega globalist big pharma vaccine propaganda… 

Covid-19 vaccines are helping us return to the things we love—and they’re an important way to help protect ourselves and our families, friends, and entire communities. ❤️ #CaringforEachOther @elmo

Click here to learn more: https://t.co/UGaqiWmPJ2 pic.twitter.com/HCwNr0jupk

— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) August 25, 2021

It’s okay to have questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children! Elmo’s dad Louie talked to their pediatrician, and learned that Elmo getting vaccinated is the best way to keep him and his whole neighborhood safe and healthy! #CaringForEachOther pic.twitter.com/aWkCfysJPE

— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) June 28, 2022

Sesame Street is actually grooming kids.

This show is aimed at TODDLERS. They promote:

– covid vaccines
– BLM protests
– transgender kids
– pride month
– lgbtq propaganda

GROOMERS.

We should absolutely NOT be funding this.pic.twitter.com/Kgz5yuyyBj https://t.co/9MGy3z5Ovw

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 16, 2025

CPB also informed employees this morning that “the majority of staff positions will conclude with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025,” adding, “A small transition team will remain through January 2026 to ensure a responsible and orderly closeout of operations.” 

In short, the Trump administration broke the financial backbone of the American public broadcasting system that was hijacked by the radical left. Its defunding and planned closure mark a significant shift in dismantling the woke matrix. 

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

The Artificial Demon

“With apologies for bluntness, the mainstream press fucked around, now the mainstream press is finding out.”

– Matt Taibbi

By now, it must be kind of obvious that Mr. Putin of Russia was staged-up into a demon for the convenience of Hillary Clinton — resulting in a decade of deformed US foreign relations that has dragged us to the edge of a third world war.

Nice work, Democratic Party!

I will proffer a harsh truth to you: the best outcome in Ukraine would be for Russia to win the war as expeditiously as possible, neutralize and disarm the place, change-out its illegitimate government, and let it revert to being the frontier backwater it was for eight decades previous, when it was not a problem for the other nations of the region.

Mr. Putin has put up with our country’s psychotic nonsense with remarkable patience.

The idea that he seeks to conquer western Europe was a preposterous confection of the neocon crazies in our State Department and Intel “community.”

The long game for the neocon crazies has been to use NATO as the instrument to break up Russia and gain control of its resources. This was after Secretary of State James Baker told Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990, in discussions over German reunification, that “not an inch of NATO’s present military jurisdiction will spread in an eastern direction.” Starting in 1999 with the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland, sixteen additional nations were induced to join NATO, encroaching on Russia’s borders, with new military bases and missiles. It was a stupid game.

And it failed. Ukraine was the final gambit. The US destabilized it on purpose in 2014, installed a series of governments we could control, made it a ward of US taxpayers, sprinkled it with bio-weapons labs and money laundries, and gave Mr. Zelenskyy the go-ahead to start shelling the Donbas provinces adjacent to Russia. After years of that, Mr. Putin moved to stop it in 2022. The development of drone weapons, along with US-based satellite targeting tech, has prolonged the war. But, of course, the Russians, too, have modernized their own weapons arsenal to match that. The current state of things is a slow Russian grind to defeat a Ukraine that has run out of available fighting men and is apparently short of all weapons besides its drones.

On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump promised to end the Ukraine war in a New York minute.

That proved more difficult and complicated than he realized. He said lately in so many words that he has “lost patience” with Mr. Putin for failing to join a ceasefire as a prelude to peace talks. Accordingly, Mr. Trump set a fifty-day deadline and then shortened it to twelve-days, running out on August 8-9 (accounting for time zones). Failure to comply will cause Russia to suffer a new round of sanctions. Mr. Putin has shrugged off that threat, saying that time has proven Russia to be sanction-proofed.

Some kind of game is afoot in all this.

Neither Trump nor Putin could possibly want to turn this fiasco in Ukraine into a greater war that will destroy what’s left of Western Civilization.

You might find this startling, but for all our efforts to anathemize Russia, it is still a part of Western Civ. After its soviet experiment failed, Russia wanted above all to reintegrate economically with Europe, but the neocons here and the globalists of Europe would not allow that.

They became determined instead to wreck Russia — a vicious ethos likely to have emanated from the UK, with its lingering imperial delusions. (For Germany, it has brought only economic suicide.)

You might suspect that Mr. Trump has to pretend to be tough with Russia to counter the still-lingering suspicion — germinated by the Hillary Clinton campaign a decade ago — that he is “Putin’s puppet.” By coincidence, strange or not, that trope is now unraveling with the release of the RussiaGate intel archive that the rogue DOJ and FBI squirreled away since the Trump 1.0 term in office. Mr. Patel found a trove of documentary evidence in a burn-bag in a back room at FBI headquarters. DNI Tulsi Gabbard retrieves more previously-hidden evidence by the day from the vast NSA data base. It ought to be clear now that the initial Hillary Clinton campaign prank metastasized into the worst perversion of abusive government power in our country’s history, and is yet on-going.

The major news organs, who were accomplices in RussiaGate, won’t publish or broadcast any of the recent discoveries about exactly how the hoax evolved into a body of delusion that took over the brains of half of the country and led to a string of additional vicious hoaxes including the Covid-19 operation, the stolen election of 2020, and the J-6 prosecutions. Maybe nothing can be done about the perfidious New York Times or Washington Post because the First Amendment allows lies to be printed within the limits of the libel laws. But the TV networks have additional obligations to the public interest under the broadcast regulations and they can lose their licenses. Perhaps they should and will.

For the moment, realize that we are in the middle of a maelstrom. Arrests and prosecutions are coming, and Mr. Trump’s clock is ticking on the Ukraine war. Upping the ante on the war is the last thing our country needs. The RussiaGate disclosures afford the president an out on his strong-arm tactics with Mr. Putin and his support of the Zelenskyy regime.

Tonight at 7:00 PM ET, ZeroHedge presents a heated debate between Dave Smith and Alex Berenson, tackling one of the most polarizing topics in global affairs: Israel and Gaza.

Their back-and-forth has gone viral on X – with Smith accusing Berenson of avoiding direct confrontation, and Berenson accusing Smith of oversimplifying a deeply complex situation. So tonight, they’re taking it to the next level. 

I’ve never made anyone spiral this bad BEFORE a debate.

No, Alex the topic is not Holocaust denial. It’s your public accusation that I am a Holocaust denier. I can’t wait to watch you squirm, as you try to defend that.

7pm ET tonight! https://t.co/MdV96gOnZG

— Dave Smith (@ComicDaveSmith) August 1, 2025

Dave Smith, host of Part of the Problem, has been an outspoken critic of Israeli policy in Gaza, calling it a humanitarian disaster and accusing Israel of unjustified aggression and collective punishment. He argues that true libertarian values require consistent opposition to state violence, no matter the flag.

Alex Berenson, former New York Times journalist turned independent commentator, has pushed back hard on this narrative – defending Israel’s right to self-defense, criticizing Hamas, and accusing some of Smith’s rhetoric of echoing antisemitic tropes. He rejects claims of genocide and sees many of the criticisms as detached from historical and military context.

This is simple: you said you would answer a question. You won’t.

You are VERY good at denying the Holocaust was what it was, and I can now see you know exactly what you’re doing.

I won’t guess at your reasons for doing so. But I’m glad I made you pick a side, as you have. https://t.co/KgXvY1ojJT

— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) July 28, 2025

**Stream it live at 7PM ET on ZeroHedge home and X.** 

The Biden Justice Department official who greenlit $2 million in taxpayer-funded payouts to disgraced FBI lovebirds Peter Strzok and Lisa Page has resurfaced at the helm of a Democrat-aligned group dedicated to suing Donald Trump into oblivion, records show.

According to documents obtained by The Federalist, Brian Netter, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General under Merrick Garland, personally approved the eye-popping settlements. Strzok, who infamously plotted the “insurance policy” against Trump while investigating the Clinton campaign’s Russia collusion hoax, pocketed $1.2 million. His mistress, ex-FBI lawyer Page, scored $800,000 [reeee sexist bribe gap!].

The duo had sued the DOJ, whining that the release of their scandalous, government-resource–written texts violated their privacy. Instead of fighting, the Biden team cut them fat checks – at taxpayer expense.

Now, Netter has taken his talents to Democracy Forward, where he serves as legal director. The left-wing group, proudly launched in 2017 to fight Trump with endless litigation, brags about taking the 45th president to court more than 100 times. The New York Times even hailed them last fall: “Liberal Legal Group Positions Itself as a Top Trump Administration Foe.”

The group’s board reads like a Who’s Who of Democratic Party royalty: Clinton campaign manager John Podesta, Biden’s ex–chief of staff Ron Klain, Vice President Kamala Harris’ sister Maya Harris, and Democratic strategist Mindy Myers. We’re sure Podesta is dazzling them with his famous walnut sauce on pasta and whatnot.

At the top sits Marc Elias, the Democratic super-lawyer notorious for bankrolling the Clinton campaign’s Russia collusion scheme through his law firm and masterminding the chaotic 2020 mail-in ballot expansion. Clinton’s campaign was fined just $113,000 for disguising opposition research as “legal services.”

Netter’s ties to Democratic power brokers run even deeper. He’s married to Karen Dunn, a high-powered Democratic lawyer who prepped Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris for presidential debates. The 2009 wedding? Officiated by none other than Merrick Garland.

Dunn, a former Hillary confidante widely floated for White House Counsel if Clinton had won in 2016, co-founded a law firm with Jeannie Rhee, a Mueller probe alum who helped keep the Russia hoax alive. They later hired yet another Mueller hand, Rush Atkinson.

Both Netter and Dunn clerked for liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, while Dunn also clerked for Garland on the D.C. Circuit.

Congressional Republicans had long tried to learn who authorized the cushy settlements for Strzok and Page but were stonewalled by Biden’s DOJ, which claimed it didn’t know.

“The American people are rightly concerned about the Biden Administration’s targeting of conservatives while their political allies were given special treatment,” said James Fitzpatrick, director of the Center to Advance Security in America. “These settlements are a prime example of the outrageous abuse of power endured by the American people under Joe Biden.”

Authored by Bryan Hyde via American Greatness,

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took members of the press corps to task over their refusal to cover newly released evidence that shows Hillary Clinton approved the Russian collusion hoax against Donald Trump.

Leavitt’s comments come on the heels of a newly declassified appendix to the Durham Report that exposes a reported Clinton campaign plan to falsely accuse President Trump of collusion with Russia.

White House Press Sec. Karoline Leavitt SLAMS the press corps for refusing to cover the newly declassified Russia Collusion Hoax bombshells:

“This should be a story every outlet in this room should be covering. This is further evidence that Hillary Clinton approved the Russia… pic.twitter.com/LzUDx9Yc4l

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 31, 2025

Leavitt chided members of the press, telling them, “This is a story that every outlet in this room should be covering,” and that “This is further evidence that Hillary Clinton approved the Russia Hoax against President Trump. Her campaign financed it.”

Leavitt added that “the FBI and the CIA were both weaponized to accelerate this hoax against then-candidate and former president Trump.”

The Press Secretary told reporters that, “The president wants to see justice served and he trusts the Attorney General and the Department of Justice to implement that justice and hold these people accountable.”

The so-called “Durham annex” to John Durham’s Special Counsel report was released yesterday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and brings previously classified information to light regarding the Clinton campaign’s plans to falsely tie Trump to Russia.

In a press release, Grassley said, “History will show that the Obama and Biden administration’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies were weaponized against President Trump. This political weaponization has caused critical damage to our institutions and is one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American history. The new Trump administration has a tremendous responsibility to the American people to fix the damage done and do so with maximum speed and transparency.”

At a press conference just one week ago, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said that the Obama administration promoted a “contrived narrative” that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Gabbard stated, “There is irrefutable evidence that details how President Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false. They knew it would promote this contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true it wasn’t.”

Independent journalist Matt Taibbi has suggested that mainstream media has left itself few options because it cannot cover the most recent disclosures without making major admissions to its own part in the hoax.

There is no way for any corporate media outlet to cover this story at all. Logistically, it can’t be done without making major admissions.

It will have to be reported out entirely by independents. https://t.co/nIuk5WW0S1

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) July 31, 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly called for Western-supported regime change in Russia, arguing it is the only way to ensure long-term security against “Russian aggression.”

He further claimed that if there’s not change of government in Moscow, then all of Europe is under threat. The provocative words were issued during a virtual speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, or Helsinki Accords.

“If the world doesn’t aim to change the regime in Russia, that means even after the war ends, Moscow will still try to destabilize neighboring countries,” Zelensky said, claiming that this will be the case even if Russia is compelled to end the war through a ceasefire.

He also urged the Western allies to seize and not just freeze Russian assets and use them to help defend against Russian forces, through more arms purchases and defense funding. 

This comes after one of the single deadliest Russian strikes on Kiev early Thursday morning, which demolished an apartment building, and left at least 28 dead and over 120 wounded.

In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov once again reiterated that Russia has not threatened the EU and instead accused the bloc of drifting toward what he called a “fourth Reich”.

The Kremlin has consistently rejected Western assumptions that its war aims in Ukraine are ‘expansionist’ in nature, or that nearby NATO states will be invaded.

On the negotiations front, there’s been no momentum whatsoever, and even behind-the-scenes efforts of the White House to engage top Russian officials have proven fruitless. President Trump has been turning back toward strongly supporting Ukraine of late.

Russia has signaled willingness to negotiate and has participated in various talks; however it refuses to recognize Zelensky as a legitimate head of state, citing the expiration of his term using the excuse of martial law.

Any future or final peace agreement must be signed by what Russia deems a legitimate Ukrainian authority, at a moment Zelensky has called for direct talks with Putin.

But until Zelensky agrees to territorial concessions, or at the very least giving of claims of sovereignty over Crimea, for example, Putin will see little incentive in any direct dialogue at the negotiating table.

The same could be true of President Trump, who is threatening more sanctions if a peace deal isn’t made by August 8. Putin has in response pointed out that Russian ground forces are advancing all across the frontlines in Ukraine.