31 JULY 2025: Bad News on Interest Rates, Good News on Chocolate // Trump Racks up Wins With Universities // Sneak Plan To Change the US Census — And GOP Power // Listener Q&A: Burn Bags and the Deep State

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In today's episode, we cover Fed Holds Rates Steady While Economy Softens The Federal Reserve declines to cut interest rates despite signs of economic slowing and contained inflation. Two Fed governors dissent, a rare move that highlights internal disagreement. Bryan explains why many see this as a political misstep and calls for revisiting the Fed's structure altogether. Good News on GDP and Grocery Prices The economy grew at 3 percent in Q2, partly due to consumers racing to buy before expected tariff hikes. Meanwhile, exemptions for cocoa, coffee, and orange juice under new U.S. tariff rules are welcome news for households and major exporters like Brazil and Vietnam. Trump's Crackdown Reshapes Higher Ed Brown University gives in to Trump's demands to fix DEI policies and receives restored federal funds. Harvard faces investigations and fines over employment practices. Duke, Columbia, Cornell, and others are all in the spotlight as the White House uses financial leverage to reform campus culture. 2026 and 2028 Election Maps Could Be Redrawn Texas and Florida prepare new congressional maps that could flip up to 10 House seats to Republicans. Democrats plot resistance, but a proposed early census counting only U.S. citizens could shift even more seats and electoral votes away from Democrat strongholds. Listener Questions: Burn Bags and Brennan's Claims Bryan answers a question about FBI burn bags and whether they signal cover-ups. He also dissects a new op-ed by former Obama officials John Brennan and James Clapper, breaking down why their defense of the Trump-Russia investigation falls apart under scrutiny. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32