Consumer Debt Flatlined Again in August Signaling Financial Stress

Money Metals News Service
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Consumer Debt Flatlined Again in August Signaling Financial Stress

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) After unexpectedly surging in July, consumer debt returned to its previous trend and flatlined again in August, signaling growing financial stress on American households.

The growth of revolving debt, primarily reflecting credit card debt, has been slowing all year. It contracted in May and June, after a one-off surge in April, before suddenly surging once again in July. But in August, revolving debt contracted by 5.5 percent.

This trend of slower credit card spending may indicate that American consumers have maxed out their credit cards. This is bad news for an economy that depends on consumer spending to keep limping along.

Overall, consumer debt grew by around $400 million, a tepid 0.1 percent increase, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve.

Americans are buried under $5.06 trillion in consumer debt.

The Federal Reserve consumer debt figures include credit card debt, student loans, and auto loans, but do not factor in mortgage debt. When you include mortgages, U.S. households are buried under a record level of debt. As of the end of Q1 2025, total household debt stood at $18.4 trillion.

Even with revolving credit contracting by over 5 percent, Americans still owe $1.31 trillion in revolving debt.

KPMG reported that the decline in credit card debt likely reflects a drop in borrowing and spending by the bottom 80 percent of U.S. households “that are increasingly stressed.”

“The top 20 percent now account for nearly two-thirds of all consumption. The top 3.3 percent have increased spending the most. Spending has stagnated, adjusting for inflation, among the bottom 80 percent.”

The double whammy of rising debt and interest rates exacerbates the debt problem. The average annual percentage rate (APR) currently stands at 20.03 percent, with some companies still charging rates as high as 28 percent. The average is only slightly down from the record high of 20.79 percent set last August, despite Fed rate cuts.

During the pandemic, Americans paid down their credit card balances and boosted their savings. But as price inflation gripped the economy in the wake of aggressive pandemic money printing and stimulus, Americans blew through their savings and turned to credit cards to make ends meet. Now, they’re paying the piper.

High debt levels have created elevated levels of consumer stress.

LegalShield’s Consumer Stress Index (CSLI) increased by 4.4 percent in the second quarter and was at the highest level since November 2020, when the economy was shut down during the pandemic.

The source of this stress: debt.

LegalShield spokesperson said, “As consumers take on more credit to keep up with inflation and everyday expenses, many are hitting a breaking point. The increase in legal inquiries tied to foreclosures and personal finance issues suggests that debt-fueled spending is no longer sustainable for a growing number of Americans.” 

LegalShield’s Foreclosure Index surged 13.3 percent in Q2 and now stands nearly 29 percent higher than a year ago.

According to the New York Fed, aggregate delinquency rates remained elevated in the second quarter, with 4.4 percent of outstanding debt in some stage of delinquency.

Credit card delinquencies are rising, even among consumers with strong credit scores. According to VantageScore, there was a 47 percent year-on-year increase in late payments by people in the prime segment.

Tepid growth in non-revolving debt also signals consumer stress. Non-revolving credit, primarily reflecting outstanding auto loans, student loans, and loans for other big-ticket durable goods, grew by just $6.3 billion, a 2 percent increase.

This is generally in line with the tepid growth of around 2 percent in non-revolving credit over the last year, as consumers cut back on big-ticket spending to cover the increasing costs of day-to-day necessities.

Before the pandemic, revolving credit growth averaged 5 percent.

Borrowers are also struggling with their non-revolving loans – particularly their student debt. Seriously delinquent student loans surged to 10.2 percent in the second quarter as the government began requiring payments after years of forbearance in the wake of the pandemic.

Consumer stress is also evident in declining FICO scores.

The bottom line is that Americans have blown through the savings they accumulated during the pandemic and have run their credit cards close to the limit. An economy run on Visa and Mastercard simply isn’t sustainable. When Americans finally hit their credit limit, it will have major implications for economic growth.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Squeeze in Progress as Silver Prices Scale Record Highs

Money Metals News Service
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Squeeze in Progress as Silver Prices Scale Record Highs

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) The price of silver has soared partly due to a massive, short squeeze and a shortage of available silver in London.

As of Monday (Oct. 13) morning, silver was trading at $51.86.

In simplest terms, a short occurs when somebody sells a silver contract today, committing to deliver silver at a set price in the future with the expectation of a falling market price. If the price drops, the investor can sell the contract and pocket the gain. But if the price rises, the investor suffers a loss. If nobody will buy the contract, he is obligated to deliver the silver.

This short squeeze has caused liquidity in the London market to virtually dry up. This has driven London benchmark prices higher at a very rapid pace, and it has caused a price gap between New York and London. The London spot price recently shot to a $3 premium over New York futures. The last time we saw a premium like this was during the Hunt Brothers’ squeeze.

Meanwhile, the cost to borrow silver overnight rose to well over 100 percent on an annualized basis.

In another sign of market stress, the bid-ask spread for London silver exploded from its typical level of around 3 cents to well over 20 cents per ounce.

“Banks don’t want to quote each other, so the quotes get extremely wide,” a former JPMorgan Chase managing director told Bloomberg. “That’s creating this tremendous illiquidity.”

According to Bloomberg, the squeeze is so dramatic, some traders have booked cargo ships to transport silver from New York to London to take advantage of the London price premium. This is a very unusual move that normally only occurs in the gold market, as silver is much bulkier and expensive to move.

Long-time observers compare the current situation and the “chaos of the last few days” to the infamous 1980 Hunt Brothers squeeze. Some say it’s even more extreme.

Greenland Investment CIO Anant Jatia said he’s never seen anything like it.

“What we are seeing in silver is entirely unprecedented. There is no liquidity available currently.”

Growing investor interest in silver as gold continued to set record after record, corresponding with a surge in Indian silver demand.

In July, silver set a record in rupee terms of ₹114,875 per kilogram (around $41/ounce). A silver production shortfall in India also sent the price to a significant premium locally.

Indian silver imports exploded by 431 percent year-over-year through the first five months of 2025, totaling 544.1 tonnes.

Initially, Indian buyers were primarily sourcing silver from Hong Kong, but reportedly shifted more toward London during the Chinese Golden Week Holiday in the first week of October.

According to Bloomberg, one India-based silver ETF halted new investments last week because of a domestic metal shortage.

Not Enough Actual Silver

The root of the problem is that there isn’t enough physical silver. And there are a lot of future contracts.

The market depends on hundreds of millions of ounces of silver stored in London vaults. Over the last several years, there has been a steady drain of metal.

This is primarily due to a persistent structural market supply deficit.

Global demand outstripped the silver supply for the fourth consecutive year in ’24. The structural market deficit came in at 148.9 million ounces. That drove the four-year market shortfall to 678 million ounces, the equivalent of 10 months of mining supply in 2024.

The Silver Institute projects a fifth straight supply deficit this year.

The situation was exacerbated earlier this year when tariff worries drove a movement of metal from London to New York to capitalize on the price premium in the U.S.

According to Bloomberg, silver inventories in London have dropped by one-third since mid-2021.

But the problem is even deeper than that.

Much of the silver in London vaults is already committed to ETFs. That leaves very little “free float” metal to provide liquidity to the London market.

According to Bloomberg, the amount of free float silver has dropped from a high of 850 million ounces to just 200 million ounces, a 75 percent decline.

In a Substack article, analyst David Jensen said the situation is even worse than Bloomberg reported. He estimates there are only 140 million ounces available.

There is really only one way to relieve the pressure – make more silver available in London. This can only happen if ETFs sell, freeing up metal for the free float stock, or by physically moving silver to London from overseas.

An executive at a logistics company said he has received calls from customers seeking to take silver out of New York Comex vaults and move it to London. He estimated traders want to shift between 15 and 30 million ounces of metal between the two hubs. That totals over 2 million pounds of silver.

A spokesperson for a precious metal refiner told Bloomberg, “There’ll be a natural momentum for material to move back into London and hopefully things will normalize.”

“It’s just a question of mobilizing those balances that are sitting elsewhere in the world and moving them back to London.”

It sounds simple, but it’s not.

In the first place, it’s going to require higher prices to clear the market.

Furthermore, according to Bloomberg, some traders are reluctant to move metal from New York to London.

“The logistics are complicated, particularly amid fears the government shutdown may slow down customs processes, and the London squeeze means that even one day’s delay could be punishingly expensive.”

And as prices rise, the situation will likely snowball.

Jensen wrote that the situation raises additional questions not only about the billions of ounces of silver spot/cash contracts standing in the silver market, but also the gold contracts as well.

“Investors and industrial users are increasingly saying ‘we’ll take the metal,’ which spells the end for leveraged pyramid schemes such as the London precious metals market.”

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Seattle Mayor Signs Executive Orders in Anticipation of National Guard Deployment

Headline USA Editor
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Seattle Mayor Signs Executive Orders in Anticipation of National Guard Deployment

(TJ Martinell, The Center Square) Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has signed two executive orders in anticipation of President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard in the Emerald City.

The first executive order accuses Trump of “unprecedented and unwarranted actions deploying the National Guard and federal military troops to American cities. The use of federal military forces in local communities without consent of local authorities is inconsistent with American principles of democracy and the right of states and cities to self-govern, risks escalation of conflict, and undermines public trust.”

The EO creates the “Seattle Resilience Task Force” that will do the following:

  • Educate communities about their rights
  • Meet with community advocacy groups to discuss the impacts of the National Guard or other federal military troop deployment in Seattle
  • Set up a process for the public to report alleged improper acts by the National Guard or other federal military troops

The EO also prohibits the Seattle Police Department from acting “at the direction of the National Guard or federal authorities so that it is able to continue to fulfill its primary mission of local law enforcement.”

The EO also declares that “In the event of organized First Amendment activities during a unilateral deployment of the National Guard or other federal military troops, the City supports the right of people to make their voices heard and shall offer to work with organizers to help keep protests peaceful and to minimize the potential for conflict.”

The second EO declares that “immigrants and refugees are foundational to the identity of our city and contribute profoundly to Seattle’s growth, resilience, and cultural vibrancy,” and that Trump has “targeted immigrants and refugees to an unprecedented level, undermining American principles of inclusion, diversity, and support for immigrant and refugee communities.”

The EO tasks the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs to “support culturally responsive community education and ‘know your rights’ initiatives.” According to the EO, Harrell’s proposed 2026 operating budget would increases the office’s budget by more than $4 million dollars to either expand or create new programs.

As part of the EO, Harrell has proposed an ordinance “prohibiting staging and operations of federal civil immigration enforcement activities on City property to the extent permissible by law.”

The EO also details how Seattle PD are to respond to 911 calls involving alleged federal law enforcement agents or officers.

In August, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent the city of Seattle and more than two dozen other local jurisdictions a letter accusing them of holding policies allegedly obstruct federal immigration efforts and protecting illegal aliens from deportation. Gov. Bob Ferguson received a similar letter from Bondi, to which he replied on X that “Washington state has no intention of changing our values in the face of threats from the Trump administration.”

Those Doxxing, Threatening ICE Agents, Arrested, Indicted

Headline USA Editor
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Those Doxxing, Threatening ICE Agents, Arrested, Indicted

(Bethany Blankley, The Center Square) Individuals rioting, doxxing and threatening U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and their families continue to be arrested and indicted.

Legal action is being taken in response to assaults against ICE officers increasing by 1,000% compared to the same time last year, ICE says. That’s up from a 413% increase in assaults against ICE agents June, The Center Square reported.

Violence is largely occurring in Democratic-controlled cities including in Los Angeles over the summer and more recently in Chicago, where rioters have thrown Molotov cocktails, rocks and other projectiles and hit or blocked in federal agents’ vehicles with their cars, The Center Square has reported. Others are attempting to identify ICE agents and their family members online by publicizing their names and addresses on social media and calling for violence to be committed against them, known as doxxing. Still others have followed ICE officers home, also doxxing them and their family members.

In one California case, three women were indicted by a federal grand jury for livestreaming their pursuit of an ICE agent to his home and posting his home address on Instagram. They are accused of using livestream accounts “ice_out_of_la,” “defendmesoamericanculture” and “corn_maiden_design” and encouraging their viewers to share the livestream. After arriving at the ICE agent’s house, they shouted to bystanders saying their “neighbor is ICE,” “la migra lives here,” and “ICE lives on your street and you should know,” according to the indictment.

Two were arrested on criminal complaints, Ashleigh Brown, 38, of Aurora, Colorado, and Sandra Carmona Samane, 25, of Panaroma City, Calif. Brown was charged in a separate case on charges of assaulting a federal officer and remains in federal custody without bond. Samane is free on $5,000 bond, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Cynthia Raygoza, 37, of Riverside, remains at large and wanted by authorities.

“Our brave federal agents put their lives on the line every day to keep our nation safe,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. “The conduct of these defendants are deeply offensive to law enforcement officers and their families. If you threaten, dox, or harm in any manner one of our agents or employees, you will face prosecution and prison time.”

In another California case, Gregory John Curcio, 68, was arrested after ICE Office of Professional Responsibility-San Diego agents investigated the doxxing of an ICE attorney. Curcio was arrested on charges of posting the attorney’s personal information on social media and directed others to “swat” her.

Swatting is the illegal act of making a false emergency call to provoke an armed law enforcement response.

Curcio also allegedly used multiple social media accounts to conduct a harassment campaign against her and her family dating back to January 2024, according to the charges. A judge ordered that he be held without bond at his first court appearance in Los Angeles; his arraignment is scheduled Oct. 14. He faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted.

“Doxxing is not just an invasion of privacy; it is a deliberate act of intimidation that undermines the safety and security of ICE employees who are dedicated to upholding the law and protecting our nation,” ICE OPR Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Valenzuela said. “Arresting individuals responsible for doxxing sends a clear message that such malicious behavior will not be tolerated and ensures accountability for actions that threaten the safety of our workforce.”

In another case in Texas, the Department of Homeland Security said an individual found out the identify of an ICE officer and his spouse and she received a threatening phone call. According to DHS, the caller told the ICE officer’s spouse, “I don’t know how you let your husband work for ICE, and you sleep at night. F*** you, f*** your family. I hope your kids get deported by accident. How do you sleep? F*** you. Did you hear what happened to the Nazis after World War II? Because it’s what’s going to happen to your family.”

In another case in Massachusetts, another ICE officer’s wife was identified and received a threat through a Facebook message. DHS posted a screenshot of the message sent to her from a Lakeville, Mass., resident. It states, “Your husband, the ICE man is a f*** and retribution will come your way eventually.”

In Chicago, Elias Cepeda, was arrested outside the ICE Broadview facility, accused of making terroristic threats and carrying a loaded firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents seized his weapon.

DHS posted screenshots of multiple social media posts from Cepeda’s X feed appearing to call for the murder of ICE officers. In one it states that rioters are “morally justified in taking your Nazi heads off with weed whackers.”

Cepeda claims to be a journalist and a college professor at the University of Illinois, according to his Linked-in page.

Federal authorities are encouraging Americans to report suspicious criminal activity, including doxxing, by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE or filling out a tip form online.

Suspected Tren de Aragua Member Who Lived w/ Judge Pleads Guilty; Judge Indicted

Ken Silva
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Suspected Tren de Aragua Member Who Lived w/ Judge Pleads Guilty; Judge Indicted

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) A New Mexico county judge and his wife were indicted last week after they were caught housing illegal immigrants, including a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member.

According to a press release from the Justice Department, former Dona Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were indicted on charges related to tampering with evidence.

“Nancy Cano faces charges of conspiracy to tamper with evidence, while Jose Cano is charged with both conspiracy to tamper with evidence and tampering with evidence,” the DOJ said last Wednesday. “Both remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.”

One of the aliens the Canos housed, suspected Tren de Aragua member Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, pled guilty last week to illegally possessing firearms and conspiring to destroy evidence.

According to court records, the Ortega-Lopez made his way to the Canos’ house months after he was arrested for entering the U.S. illegally on Dec. 15, 2023. Due to overcrowded Border Patrol facilities, Ortega-Lopez was released three days later—and he left Colorado, where he was supposed to stay pending his immigration proceedings.

It was in El Paso where Ortega-Lopez met Nancy Cano, the wife of Judge Cano. The Canos admitted they hired Ortega-Lopez to install a glass door for them—which is illegal since the Venezuelan was not authorized to work.

Ortega-Lopez was evicted from his apartment last April, after which he moved in with the Canos.

The suspected Tren de Aragua member’s relationship with the Canos became cozy, so much so that he was introduced to their daughter, April Cano, who let him use her guns—which, like him working without authorization, is illegal.

Unfortunately for the Canos, Ortega-Lopez posted pictures of himself with those firearms on social media.

The story became arguably even stranger after the HSI agents executed the Feb. 28 search warrant on the Canos’ home. On March 13, Nancy Cano wrote to U.S. Judge Damian Martinez, pleading for him to have mercy on Ortega-Lopez. In that letter, Cano seemingly admits that she illegally hired the immigrant—and also hired him out to others.

“Each job he got I was told he did an excellent job. No one was ever disappointed. I started to receive more requests for him to return or referral for more jobs,” she said, also enclosing pictures of Ortega-Lopez with the Cano family.

“On five different occasions he went through Border Patrol check points with no problems,” she added—perhaps disclosing yet more crimes. “I took him in as my own son … Please consider his future and give him a chance.”

Ortega-Lopez faces up to 20 years in prison. He’s set to be sentenced on Jan. 8.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Naked Bike Riders Demonstrate against Federal Troops in Portland

Headline USA Editor
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Naked Bike Riders Demonstrate against Federal Troops in Portland

(Headline USA) Protesters rallying against the Trump administration in Portland put the city’s disgusting underbelly on display Sunday by pedaling through the streets wearing absolutely nothing — or close to it — in an “emergency” edition of the annual World Naked Bike Ride.

Crowds that have gathered daily and nightly outside the immigration facility in Oregon’s largest city in recent days have embraced the absurd, donning inflatable frog, unicorn, axolotl and banana costumes as they face off with federal law enforcement who often deploy tear gas and pepper balls.

The bike ride is an annual tradition that usually happens in the summer, but organizers of this weekend’s hastily called event said another nude ride was necessary to speak out against President Donald Trump’s attempts to mobilize the National Guard to quell protests.

Rider Janene King called the nude ride a “quintessentially Portland way to protest.”

The 51-year-old was naked except for wool socks, a wig and a hat. She sipped hot tea and said she was unbothered by the steady rain and temperatures in the mid-50s.

“We definitely do not want troops coming into our city,” King said.

Bike riders made their way through the streets and to the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. Authorities there ordered people to stay out of the street and protest only on sidewalks or risk being arrested.

The city is awaiting the ruling of an appeals court panel on whether Trump can send out the federalized troops after a federal judge on Oct. 5 ordered a temporary hold on deployment.

“Joy is a form of protest. Being together with mutual respect and kindness is a form of protest,” the ride’s organizers said on Instagram. “It’s your choice how much or little you wear.”

Fewer people were fully naked than usual — likely because of the cool, wet weather — but some still bared it all and rode wearing only bike helmets.

Naked bike rides have thronged the streets of Oregon’s largest city every year since 2004, often holding up traffic as the crowd cycles through with speakers playing music. Some years have drawn roughly 10,000 riders, according to Portland World Naked Bike Ride.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

 

Hamas Agreed To Same Gaza Deal More Than a Year Ago But Netanyahu and Biden Rejected It: Israeli Negotiator

Headline USA Editor
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Hamas Agreed To Same Gaza Deal More Than a Year Ago But Netanyahu and Biden Rejected It: Israeli Negotiator

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Hamas agreed to the terms of the current Gaza ceasefire deal more than a year ago, but at the time, the potential agreement was rejected by both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-US President Joe Biden, according to an Israeli involved in the negotiations.

“What we should also know is that this deal could have been done a long time ago. Hamas agreed to all the same terms in September 2024, as outlined in the ‘Three Weeks Deal’ that I had received in both written and voice messages, in Arabic and English,” Gershon Baskin wrote in The Times of Israel.

“But at that point, the Israeli negotiators responded that ‘the Prime Minister did not agree to end the war.’ Even though the ‘Three Week Deal’ proposal landed on the desk of President Biden, his person in charge, Bret McGurk, refused to stray from the bad deal that he was negotiating,” he added.

Baskin said that in October 2024, he met with members of the US negotiating team who told him they were “as frustrated as I was with their inability to convince Biden and Biden’s people to look seriously at the deal on the table.”

Earlier this year, Michael Herzog, who served as the Israeli ambassador to the US during the Biden administration, said that Biden never put pressure on Israel to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. “God did the State of Israel a favor that Biden was the president during this period, because it could have been much worse,” Herzog said. “We fought for over a year, and the administration never came to us and said, ‘ceasefire now.’ It never did. And that’s not to be taken for granted.”

The Biden administration also pushed the narrative that Hamas was the only impediment to a ceasefire deal when it was clear that Israel was blocking it. Baskin said that the Arab mediating countries, Qatar and Egypt, both conveyed to him that Israel was blocking an agreement.

“That is the same message I received from the Egyptian intelligence – Hamas was ready for a deal to release all of the hostages, not to govern Gaza any longer, and to end the war. But Israel was not prepared to go ahead,” he said.

Baskin said that after conversations with Israeli officials in December 2024, it was clear to him that “the only way the war would come to an end would be when President Trump decides it has to end.”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

 

Project Veritas Foils Alleged Terror Plot

Luis Cornelio
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Project Veritas Foils Alleged Terror Plot

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The FBI and Florida police on Sunday raided the hotel rooms of two illegal aliens busted by Project Veritas in connection with an alleged terrorist and sex trafficking plot. 

The suspects—Janaina “Jania” Toledo, 32, and Leonardo Corona Ramos, 42—were taken into custody after they allegedly surveilled the Chabad of South Orlando synagogue as part of a planned terror attack. 

Both Toledo and Ramos are Brazilian nationals with ties to the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua gang. 

Headline USA confirmed Toledo is currently held in Orange County Jail in Orlando, Fla., pending an immigration hold. No information regarding Ramos’ custody status was available. 

Both suspects face pending federal terrorism and trafficking charges, according to news outlet Anash. 

The alleged plan first came to light after an undercover Project Veritas investigation exposed not only the terror plot but also an alleged sex trafficking operation. 

Text messages attributed by Project Veritas to the suspects show how the plot escalated. In one message, a suspect allegedly wrote about having a “good view” of the synagogue and added, “6 explosives will be enough.” 

Another text message read, “I can’t believe we’re so close to wiping out those damn Jews.” 

Later messages reveal the suspects’ paranoia, with one individual writing: “I need to get the weapons quickly, even today. It seems like someone knows Janaina and I are here. I need to be careful. To be safe, I stored all our items in the storage room… But I need to make sure I’m safe here. I think someone is watching…” 

The investigation also uncovered discussions of sex trafficking. Toledo and Ramos spoke with an undercover Project Veritas reporter about recruiting victims. 

“Let us know if you accept our offer. We guarantee you’ll be well paid and will only work with the men you choose,” the suspects reportedly wrote. “You can take the clients inside the hotel itself the appointments take place in our room.” 

When the undercover reporter revealed she was 16 years old, the suspects allegedly responded: “It’s not a problem, our clients like younger women.” 

How Project Veritas first became aware of the plot, and who may have conceived the idea, is not immediately clear. 

FBI Purges Smith Team Members After Disgraced Trump Probe 

Luis Cornelio
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FBI Purges Smith Team Members After Disgraced Trump Probe 

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) FBI Director Kashyap Patel has fired the agents who carried out the secret surveillance of GOP lawmakers, an operation that later fueled Jack Smith’s probe of President Donald Trump.  

Two agents were ousted, while a third was presumably suspended or reassigned, NBC News reported Sunday.

Both fired agents were called back to FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., after leaving for the day. One was reportedly a combat veteran with only months away from retirement. 

Director Patel confirmed the disciplinary action during an Oct. 7 interview on Fox News’s Hannity. 

“You’re darn right I fired those agents; you’re darn right I blew up CR-15, the public corruption squad, that led the weaponization at the Washington Field Office,” Patel said. 

The so-called CR-15 unit was dissolved earlier this year after it carried out the “Arctic Frost” probe later adopted by Smith’s team. 

The firings came just weeks after the Senate Judiciary Committee released documents detailing the scope of the FBI’s early involvement in what became Smith’s investigation. 

Those records revealed that the FBI secretly obtained the phone records of seven Republican senators and one congressman. 

Those targeted were Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa. 

Additional documents showed the bureau also subpoenaed bank and financial data from nearly 100 pro-Trump organizations and individuals as part of the early Jan. 6 investigation. 

Among those targeted were Turning Point USA, Women for America First, Conservative Partnership Institute, America First Policy Institute and the Save America PAC. 

President Trump Heads To Middle East for Gaza Talks in Israel and Egypt

Headline USA Editor
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President Trump Heads To Middle East for Gaza Talks in Israel and Egypt

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) President Trump on Sunday departed the US for the Middle East, where he will visit Israel and Egypt, as the first phase of the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal appears to be holding.

During his visit to Israel, Trump will deliver a speech to the Israeli Knesset, making him the first US president to do so since George W. Bush in 2008. The president won’t be in Israel for long as he’s scheduled to travel to Egypt on Monday to attend a summit on Gaza in the city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will co-chair the summit, which will be attended by representatives from more than 20 countries and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas and Israel will be attending, as the purpose of the meeting is for the guarantors of the Gaza ceasefire deal — the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey — to “agree to the very broad principles” of the 20-point framework that was released by the White House, according to a US official speaking to The Times of Israel.

Many details of the deal still need to be worked out, and there are signs that Israel may restart its bombing campaign once Hamas releases the Israeli captives, which is set to happen on Monday. But in comments to reporters on Sunday, Trump insisted Israel’s genocidal campaign in the Gaza Strip has come to an end.

A reporter speaking to the president on Air Force One noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has not gone so far as to say the war is over” and asked Trump if he believed the conflict was over. “The war is over,” Trump said in response. “The war is over. Ok. You understand that?”

President Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have been in Israel for several days and spoke at a hostage rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday. During Witkoff’s speech, the crowd cheered loudly for Trump and booed when he praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

 

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