Job Market Cools: U.S. Misses Expectations in July Hiring Slowdown

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The red-hot American labor market just hit a summer speed bump.

According to new data released Friday morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the U.S. economy added just 73,000 nonfarm jobs in July, falling short of the projected 100,000 and marking a notable deceleration after stronger-than-expected gains in June.

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.2%, from 4.1% the month before, a small shift — but one analysts say could signal deeper cooling in the economy’s most-watched indicator: jobs.

“This is a soft landing — if you’re lucky,” said one market analyst reacting to the numbers. “But it’s also a warning sign.”

Despite the jobs miss, other economic signals suggest mixed momentum. The U.S. GDP grew at 3.0% in Q2, according to Wednesday’s advance report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Meanwhile, manufacturing output ticked up in June and jobless claims fell for a fifth consecutive week — down 7,000 to 221,000 — showing some resilience in pockets of the economy.

Still, July’s hiring pullback could strengthen concerns that employers are becoming more cautious amid elevated borrowing costs and global uncertainty.

President Donald Trump’s team was quick to pivot, emphasizing the bigger picture. In a statement Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said:

“Americans trust in President Trump’s America First economic agenda that continues to prove the so-called ‘experts’ wrong.”

The administration has framed Trump’s second-term policies as critical to restoring long-term growth and curbing inflation without collapsing the labor market.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, choosing not to cut despite mounting political pressure — including from Trump himself — to ease monetary policy. With job growth softening, some economists now believe rate cuts may come sooner than expected.

“The Fed is watching,” said an economist at the American Enterprise Institute. “Today’s numbers may shift the conversation.”

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Declassified Report Links George Soros to Early Trump-Russia Narrative

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A newly unsealed intelligence appendix to the Durham Report has raised serious questions about the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, and it may implicate one of the world’s most influential political financiers.

The declassified annex, released Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee under the direction of Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), suggests that key players within the U.S. intelligence community were warned as early as 2016 that a coordinated effort was underway to tie Donald Trump to the Kremlin, before the FBI formally launched its “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation.

According to the document, those early signals came from credible foreign intelligence sources. Those sources were reportedly tied to George Soros’ Open Society Foundations.

The appendix, which was part of Special Counsel John Durham’s broader review of the FBI’s Trump-Russia probe, reveals that multiple foreign entities believed the FBI and senior Obama-era officials were preparing to promote a disinformation campaign aimed at Trump. These claims were flagged before July 31, 2016, the date the FBI officially opened its investigation.

One explosive email cited in the document allegedly comes from Leonard Bernardo, a senior figure at the Open Society Foundations. The message outlines a strategic plan to link Trump with Russian cyberattacks as a means of diverting public attention from then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s private email controversy.

“HRC approved Julie’s idea about Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections… this should distract people from her own missing email,” one message reads, as quoted in the annex.

Another message reportedly describes plans to funnel disinformation through private cybersecurity firms like CrowdStrike and ThreatConnect, both of which would later become central players in pushing the DNC hacking narrative to major U.S. news outlets.

Sources familiar with the appendix told Fox News Digital that the foreign intelligence warnings, while not fully understood at the time, now appear “alarmingly specific” in their foresight.

“Later the FBI will put more oil into the fire,” one foreign operative is quoted as saying in a now-public message, referencing the plan to amplify the Trump-Putin narrative.

These revelations call into question not only the impartiality of the original investigation but also the media and institutional alignment that enabled it.

While it remains unclear how directly involved Soros himself was, the appendix does note that two hacked communications appear to originate from Open Society accounts.

The fallout from the Durham investigation continues to ripple across Washington. The final report concluded that the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane operation was launched without sufficient evidence, findings that many conservatives have pointed to as proof of a politically motivated witch hunt.

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Republican Councilman Lit on Fire in Broad Daylight

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Danville, VA — A horrifying act of violence rocked the city of Danville on Wednesday when longtime Republican City Councilman J. Lee Vogler was set on fire during a confrontation at his place of work.

Police say the incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. when a man — now identified as 29-year-old Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes — entered the business, doused Vogler with a flammable liquid, and lit him ablaze just outside the building. The suspect reportedly fled the scene but was apprehended just blocks away.

According to authorities, Vogler and Hayes were acquainted, and the motive appears to stem from a personal dispute rather than political motives.

Vogler was immediately treated at the scene by Danville emergency responders before being airlifted to a regional burn center. As of now, the extent of his injuries remains undisclosed, though officials confirm he was conscious and communicative following the attack.

Hayes has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding.

Andrew Brooks, the business owner present during the incident, confirmed in a Facebook video that the suspect used a five-gallon bucket filled with the accelerant. He described the event as terrifying but was encouraged by Vogler’s alertness as he was taken for treatment.

While the motive remains under investigation, Danville police confirmed the incident was not politically motivated. Hayes remains in custody, and further charges may be pending as the case develops.

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‘Cold-Blooded’ Illegal Alien Murdered 15-Year-Old Who Was Trying to Stop Him from Raping His Mother, ICE Says

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An illegal alien accused of murdering a 15-year-old who got in the way of his raping the boy’s mother is going to be sent back to Mexico, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Gildardo Amandor-Martinez, 36, is accused of shooting and killing Luis Jocsan Nanez Lopez in an incident on July 20 where he tried to rape his girlfriend, the boy’s mother.

Court documents said that Amandor-Martinez had returned to the home from a bar at about 2:30 a.m. and tried to have sex with his girlfriend, who refused. When she screamed as he tried to force himself on her, Lopez intervened.

The teenager asked his mother if he should call the police, and Amandor-Martinez told him to leave the room. Amandor-Martinez then prepared to leave the residence when he fired three gunshots through a door, striking Lopez in the face.

The teenager died at the scene.

The mother fled from the apartment with her other three children, including a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old. She said she heard more shots as she escaped.

(Read more from “‘Cold-Blooded’ Illegal Alien Murdered 15-Year-Old Who Was Trying to Stop Him from Raping His Mother, ICE Says” HERE)

Burn Bags and Hidden Rooms: FBI Caught With Secret Trump-Russia Docs Years Later

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A shocking discovery inside the FBI’s Washington, D.C. headquarters is reigniting scrutiny over the Bureau’s handling of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative that defined American politics for nearly a decade.

FBI Director Kash Patel uncovered “burn bags”—containers meant to destroy classified documents—stuffed with unreleased materials tied to the Bureau’s 2016 Trump-Russia investigation, according to sources familiar with the findings. The discovery was made in what’s being described as a “secret room” hidden away deep inside FBI headquarters.

Among the recovered files: a classified 29-page annex to the 2023 Durham report, which was previously withheld from the public. That appendix reportedly includes intelligence showing foreign actors warned U.S. officials that the FBI was preparing to push a false narrative of Trump collusion before the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe even began in July 2016.

The annex will be declassified and turned over to Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for public release, sources told The Post. The timeline for release remains unclear, but the implications are already generating fallout across Washington.

The group involved in examining the documents includes Patel, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Acting NSA Director William Hartman—a who’s who of Trump-era national security figures.

President Trump reacted to the news Wednesday, saying:

I want everything to be shown… as long as it’s fair and reasonable, I think it will be shown.”

The FBI’s 2016 Crossfire Hurricane investigation, built on now-debunked FISA warrants and unverified foreign intelligence, ultimately resulted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report—finding no evidence Trump or his campaign “conspired” with Russia.

Patel, who served as lead investigator for then-House Intel Chair Devin Nunes, has long claimed the Russia probe was politically motivated. He dropped hints about the hidden room in a recent Joe Rogan interview, saying:

“I found a room… full of documents and computer hard drives that no one had ever seen or heard of. They locked the key and hid access and just said, ‘No one’s ever gonna find this place.’”

Now he has.

Newly released evidence from Director Gabbard further alleges that the Obama administration was prepared to conclude Russia had not influenced the 2016 election, until former FBI Director James Comey pushed Crossfire Hurricane forward.

Former CIA Director John Brennan and former DNI James Clapper pushed back with a coordinated op-ed in The New York Times on Wednesday, calling Gabbard’s assertions “patently false” and accusing the Trump administration of distorting the intelligence record.

But critics say the damage was already done—both to American institutions and to public trust.

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Biden White House Aide Disputes Cognitive Decline Claims

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A top White House official and campaign chief for former President Joe Biden took probing questions from House investigators on Wednesday, pushing back strongly against assertions of Biden’s cognitive decline while still in office.

Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president in the Biden White House and a longtime player in Democrat politics, sat down with members and staff of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Mike Donilon, a former senior White House adviser to Biden, is set to take questions from House investigators Thursday. Donilon was Biden’s campaign manager in 2020.

Ricchetti and Donilon were both identified in the book “Original Sin,” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, as part of the “Politburo” that helped run the White House during Biden’s cognitive decline.

Ricchetti contended that Biden is capable of being president today, and that he could have won in 2024, according to a source familiar with the interview. Ricchetti was combative and defensive during the transcribed interview and often filibustered. Ricchetti’s lawyer repeatedly interrupted and requested questions to be rephrased, according to the source.

He said famed film director Steven Spielberg helped Biden prepare for the June 2024 debate that led to the Democratic Party pressuring him to drop out of the race. (Read more from “Biden White House Aide Disputes Cognitive Decline Claims” HERE)

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Trump Hits India with 25 Percent Tariff, ‘Penalty’ for Enabling Russia

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The U.S. will levy a 25 percent tariff on India, which includes a “penalty” for buying military equipment and energy from Russia amid the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He continued:

Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST.

When reporters asked Trump on Tuesday if a deal with India had been finalized, Trump shot back, “No, it’s not,” the Hill reported. The tariff announcement less than 24 hours later confirmed that answer. (Read more from “Trump Hits India with 25 Percent Tariff, ‘Penalty’ for Enabling Russia” HERE)

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‘They Begged for That Beat Down!’ Top Cincinnati Official Allegedly ‘Grateful’ after Black Mob Pummels Whites

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Urgent calls for the firing and arrest of a top Cincinnati councilwoman emerged Wednesday after she allegedly said she was “grateful” for the vicious pummeling of white citizens and that “they begged” to be attacked.

“They begged for that beat down! I am grateful for the whole story,” is attributed to Victoria Parks, president pro tem of Cincinnati City Council, in a comment thread discussing Saturday’s violence in which a mob is shown horrifically hammering numerous white people.

“Cincinnati Councilwoman Victoria Parks needs to step down. So does the Cincinnati Police Chief. They are both defending criminal behavior,” urged one person on X.

“These people are absolute lunatics,” said journalist Eric Daugherty, as he notified the U.S. Justice Department about the remarks.

Other comments online include:

“This should be an immediate termination condoning and supporting this kind of attack.”

“So you sanction a beating because he did what … ? Breathe? Or you just know he deserved it? And I’m sure the woman is equally guilty.” (Read more from “‘They Begged for That Beat Down!’ Top Cincinnati Official Allegedly ‘Grateful’ after Black Mob Pummels Whites” HERE)

Kamala Harris Breaks Silence on Political Future

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In a move that’s already shaking up the political landscape in her home state, former Vice President Kamala Harris announced on X (formerly Twitter) that she will not run for governor of California in the upcoming election.

The statement puts to rest months of speculation surrounding Harris’s next political move — and raises fresh questions about her plans for a 2028 White House bid.

“I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home,” Harris wrote. “But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for Governor in this election.”

Harris’s message struck a tone of disillusionment with the current state of American politics, while hinting at a desire to work “outside the old playbook.”

“Our politics, our government, and our institutions have too often failed the American people, culminating in this moment of crisis,” she said.

“As we look ahead, we must be willing to pursue change through new methods and fresh thinking.”

According to Politico, Harris had been in active discussions with senior aides about keeping her options open. As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, Harris’s team has reportedly been shaping a message that both targets Trump and positions her as a leading voice of the Democratic Party.

News of Harris’s withdrawal from the race may also open a door for Republicans in deep-blue California. Back in February, Ric Grenell, Trump’s former envoy for special diplomatic missions, hinted that he would consider entering the race only if Harris ran.

“If Kamala Harris runs for governor … it’s a new day in California, and the Republican actually has a shot,” Grenell said at the time. “I wouldn’t say no.”

With Harris officially out, the field remains wide open for both parties. Political analysts now say California may witness a reconfigured race, one potentially devoid of a nationally known Democratic heavyweight—but still rich in implications for 2028.

While she’s made no formal announcements about a future campaign, Harris’s decision not to run for governor could be seen as clearing her path for a presidential run in four years.

By stepping aside from a state-level contest, she avoids being tethered to an intensely local race during a time of national political upheaval. Whether Harris intends to build a new kind of movement—as her statement suggests—or wait for the right moment to step back into the national spotlight, remains to be seen.

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Wife Of Illegal Alien In ICE Detention Says His ‘Pride’ Kept Him From Becoming Citizen (VIDEO)

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Sakiah Navas, the wife of an illegal immigrant currently being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said on Tuesday evening that her husband’s “pride” kept him from becoming a citizen after spending two decades in the U.S.

Navas’ husband, Jose, illegally entered the U.S. from El Salvador in 2003 and has been in ICE detention in West Texas since Sunday, according to KPRC. She told a reporter for the outlet that her husband likely did not seek citizenship for over two decades because of his “pride” and to prevent others from thinking he only married his wife to become a citizen.

“I pushed for [his citizenship] years ago when [her daughter] was born almost 7 years ago. And he’s like, ‘but I don’t want it to look like that’s why I’m married to you’ and maybe even a part of it is pride, too, was what stood in the way,” Navas said. “But never because he didn’t want it to look like he’s using this country for that.”

Jose Navas was turned over to ICE for not having a driver’s license and transferred to a detention center in Eden, Texas, according to KPRC. Sakiah said that the detention center is “completely packed” and accused ICE agents of just “shoving” illegal immigrants in these locations.

Since the beginning of his term, President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration has led to arrests of over 95,000 illegal immigrants as of June 27, according to The New York Times. As of June 20, over 56,000 were in detention across the U.S., which is a 40% increase from June 2024 and is currently the highest detention population in U.S. history, according to Human Rights Watch. (Read more from “Wife Of Illegal Alien In ICE Detention Says His ‘Pride’ Kept Him From Becoming Citizen (VIDEO)” HERE)