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President Donald Trump denied on the 20th that the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Besant discouraged him from firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell as “a classic lie.”

On the same day, President Trump wrote on his social media platform TruthSocial, “The WSJ continued its classic lie by reporting that Besant explained to me that firing Powell, the worst Fed chairman in history, when it was ‘too little too late,’ would not be good for the markets.”

The WSJ reported on the previous day that “when President Trump considered firing Chairman Powell for not responding to his demands for a rate cut, Besant tried to dissuade him, citing the negative impact it would have on the markets and the economy.”

President Trump added, “Nobody needs to explain that to me. I know better than anyone what’s good for the market,” and “Without me, the market would not have reached its current record highs and would probably have crashed.” He emphasized, “People don’t explain to me. I will explain it to them.”

President Trump’s remarks are interpreted as an attempt to highlight that he decides and implements what he thinks is right rather than the advice of those around him in all policy areas. It seems to be a repeated expression of his dissatisfaction with the WSJ, a conservative economic media outlet. On the 18th, President Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the WSJ for reporting that he drew a letter with an obscene drawing on it to Jeffrey Epstein (who died in 2019), a billionaire and sex offender of minors, about 20 years ago.

President Trump named as defendants two WSJ reporters, WSJ publisher Dow Jones, its parent company News Corporation, and its founder, “media tycoon” Rupert Murdoch. Recently, the “Epstein suspicion” has become a hot topic in American politics. This suspicion is intertwined with rumors that President Trump was included in the “sex service client list” created by Epstein, a billionaire hedge fund manager who died while incarcerated in 2019, and a conspiracy theory that Epstein’s cause of death was “murder,” and is even causing division within President Trump’s supporters. Meanwhile, President Trump demanded on this day at TruthSocial that the Washington Commanders, a professional American football team based in Washington, D.C., be restored to its original name, the Washington Redskins, and the Cleveland Guardians, a professional baseball team in the Major League Baseball, be restored to its former name, the Cleveland Indians.

These teams changed their names in 2020 and 2021, respectively, after Native American groups criticized their original names as being racist and derogatory to skin color. In response, President Trump said on this day, “Our great Indian people want this. Things are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a country with passion and common sense. Owners, do this.”

A wildfire has been spreading for several days in the northern part of the Grand Canyon, America’s representative national park, and is causing more damage. The Grand Canyon National Park Service announced on the 13th that the entire northern ‘North Rim’ area has been closed due to the fire.

According to fire officials, two wildfires that broke out in the Grand Canyon National Park area have been spreading for several days, and the chlorine gas used in the water treatment facility in the park caught fire the day before was released. The park service explained that chlorine gas is heavier than air and can remain inside the canyon and cause health problems for visitors.

The park service immediately evacuated visitors from the area and restricted access to the area. In addition, the area is experiencing a heat wave with temperatures reaching 46 degrees Celsius, making it difficult to fight the wildfire. The park service said that 50 to 80 structures, including the historic Grand Canyon Lodge in the North Rim area inside the park, burned down the night before. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries or casualties.

According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fire Information System, the Dragon Bravo wildfire spreading in the northern part of the Grand Canyon first broke out on the 4th due to a thunderstorm. The wildfire was almost completely controlled by the active efforts of fire authorities in the early stages, but the fire was rekindled on the 11th by strong winds and is gaining momentum in the extremely hot and dry weather. As of this afternoon, the damaged area reached 20㎢. Also, about 56km north of this wildfire area, another wildfire named ‘White Sage’ is in progress.

This wildfire, which started due to a thunderstorm on the 9th, burned 163㎢ as of this afternoon.

An evacuation order has been placed for Coconino County residents within the fire’s area.

ICE detention facility overcrowding is also serious Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested about 30,000 immigrants across the U.S. last month, the highest number in the past five years, but deportations were relatively low at around 18,000. According to a report by NBC on the 10th, ICE arrested 30,000 immigrants in June.

This is the highest number since monthly arrest figures were released in November 2020. However, NBC reported that based on internal data, the number of immigrants deported last month was about 18,000, which is half the number of arrests. This number of deportations is even lower than that of the previous Barack Obama administration.

Since February, the Trump administration has been executing an average of 147,000 deportations per month, which is much lower than the average monthly deportation of 36,000 in 2013 during the Obama administration. This discrepancy between arrests and deportations has continued since the Trump administration took office.

According to ICE data, the Trump administration detained about 24,000 immigrants and deported 15,000 in May. Some argue that the reason for the lower number of arrests compared to deportations is that many immigrants who are not subject to deportation, such as refugees, were detained.

Immigration lawyers said, “Many of those arrested by ICE have pending applications for asylum and have received temporary stays of deportations from immigration judges.” The disparity between the number of arrests and the relatively low number of deportations is exacerbating overcrowding in ICE detention facilities.

Immigrants in ICE detention facilities have complained of inadequate hygiene, medical care, food, and bedding. However, Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, refuted claims of overcrowding or poor conditions in ICE detention facilities, saying, “All detainees are provided with adequate food, medical care, and the opportunity to communicate with their families and advocates.”

The introduction of a mobile version of driver’s licenses that can be presented on smartphones and other devices is just around the corner in New Jersey.

On the 30th of last month, the New Jersey State Assembly passed a bill allowing the issuance of mobile driver’s licenses and sent it to Governor Phil Murphy. The mobile driver’s license bill that has passed the threshold of the state assembly has also been supported by Governor Phil Murphy, so it is certain to be finalized.

The mobile driver’s license bill essentially allows parking authorities to issue driver’s licenses that can be presented on mobile devices. Instead of the existing plastic card form, the use of a digital version of driver’s licenses will be recognized. Not only regular driver’s licenses, but also temporary licenses and motorcycle licenses will be issued in digital versions.

Currently, 13 states, including New York, Delaware, Maryland, Georgia, and Florida, allow the issuance and use of mobile driver’s licenses.

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), mobile driver’s licenses in some states can be used at certain airports and federal agencies. In New Jersey, vehicle insurance cards have been available for presentation on mobile devices since 2015, and mobile vehicle registration cards will be issued starting in 2023. Now, the introduction of mobile driver’s licenses is just around the corner. The bill states that it will take effect 44 months after the governor signs it, so it is expected that the actual issuance of mobile driver’s licenses will begin three years later. However, it is stated that the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles and the State Attorney General can act for implementation before the effective date, so the issuance process may be accelerated.

Russia has reaffirmed its willingness to help Iran resolve the dispute over its nuclear program.

According to Reuters on the 6th (local time), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and reaffirmed Russia’s willingness to help resolve the dispute.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lavrov once again condemned the Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran last month, including the bombing of nuclear energy infrastructure under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Lavrov also stressed that all issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear program should be resolved through diplomacy, adding that “Russia has expressed its readiness to help find a mutually acceptable solution, including the relevant measures previously proposed by the Russian president.”

The public criticism of the US use of force against Iran comes amid a feud between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump over the ceasefire proposal in Ukraine. When Putin met with Minister Araghchi at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 23, the day after the US bombed Iran’s nuclear facility with advanced weapons, he criticized the US, saying that “this is an absolutely unprovoked attack on Iran.”

Russia, a strategic partner of Iran, has emphasized its readiness to act as a “mediator” in the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US, and has also expressed its willingness to store Iran’s problematic uranium.

President Trump has expressed strong discontent with Putin for rejecting the ceasefire proposal in Ukraine. President Trump expressed his intention to resume Patriot anti-aircraft missile support to Ukraine two days ago, while also hinting at the possibility of sanctions against Russia.

Ministers Lavrov and Araghchi attended the BRICS summit held in Rio de Janeiro for two days starting today on behalf of their respective leaders.

President Donald Trump is on a winning streak.

He has demonstrated his powerful influence by stopping armed conflicts on the diplomatic stage and has also demonstrated his political power by pushing through key bills in domestic politics to overcome important legislative thresholds. Even the Supreme Court is supporting President Trump with favorable rulings.

On the 28th (local time), the British broadcaster BBC highlighted President Trump’s victories over the past week, saying that he was very encouraged by his recent “tremendous” victory. The first achievement to be discussed is the ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel.

On the 21st, President Trump announced a “complete and comprehensive ceasefire” between Iran and Israel just two days after the US military struck three Iranian nuclear facilities with bunker buster missiles. The early stages of the ceasefire were precarious. Iran and Israel criticized each other for breaking the agreement. Perhaps anxious that the barely held ceasefire agreement might break, President Trump even hurled a harsh “F” at Iran and Israel during a live Q&A with reporters. As a result, with the ceasefire agreement upheld, President Trump was able to claim that his military “gamble” of directly attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities paid off.

The BBC evaluated that when he calls himself a “peacemaker,” he can now cite this attack as evidence. He also won a victory in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On the 25th, NATO member countries agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) within 10 years, a decision that accepted President Trump’s long-standing request. While flying to the Netherlands to attend the NATO summit, President Trump received a text message filled with extreme flattery from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Secretary General Rutte did not stop at this text message, and during a press conference, he heightened the level of flattery by comparing President Trump to a “strict father.”

President Trump did not hide his satisfaction. Regarding Secretary General Rutte, he joked, “He must like me. If he doesn’t, I’ll go back and give him a good slap.” The White House also posted several videos using Secretary General Rutte’s expression to refer to President Trump as “father.”

In the United States, the Supreme Court gave President Trump wings.

On the 27th, the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority of 6 to 3, ruled that individual federal judges cannot issue injunctions to suspend the effect of federal government policies throughout the United States in a case related to President Trump’s “birthright citizenship” (U.S. citizenship based on the principle of nationality).Previously, a preliminary injunction decision from a lower court was applied across the United States, but with the Supreme Court ruling on this day, the decision’s influence will only apply to the plaintiffs, the parties to the lawsuit.

The judiciary’s power to check the executive branch has been significantly limited.

The BBC explained that thanks to this decision, President Trump was able to push through many policies that had been hindered by the court’s brakes. It is said that it functions like an extraterritoriality in the immigration deportation policy, allowing him to freeze funds for cities that were considered “holy cities,” suspend refugee acceptance policies, and block government funding for gender reassignment surgeries.

President Trump even held an impromptu press conference regarding this decision, rejoicing that “the Constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law have achieved a monumental victory.” President Trump’s triumphant report continued in Congress. On the 28th, the Senate passed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” procedure by a vote of 51 to 49. The Republican Party holds a majority in the Senate with 53 seats. Despite the two Republican lawmakers’ dissenting votes, the bill’s passage through Congress has greatly increased its chances of success.

President Trump expressed his excitement by posting on his social media account after midnight, saying, “Tonight, we witnessed a great victory on ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill.’” Although he has enjoyed the joy of victory recognized by everyone for the past week, it is unlikely that President Trump will have a smooth road ahead. Above all, the agreement on ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ another key policy of President Trump, is a major variable.

The expiration of the reciprocal tariff grace period (July 9) is only ten days away, but the Trump administration has currently signed only two trade agreements, one with the UK and one with China.

It needs to reach a differentiated reciprocal tariff agreement with about 50 economic entities, including Korea, but there is no sign of an agreement being reached right away. Against this backdrop, there is talk of the possibility of the grace period being extended. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt responded in a briefing to the question of whether the mutual tariff grace period would be extended, saying, “It could be extended,” and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, who is in charge of the matter, said, “We hope to complete it by September 1, Labor Day in the U.S.,” adding support to this speculation.

In a related article titled, “Tariff deal deadlocked at worst possible time,” CNN pointed out, “The U.S. economy remains strong, but cracks are forming. Tariffs are a major factor. The longer the agreement is delayed, the more uncertainty there could be.”

As President Donald Trump boasted that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas was imminent, he again urged both sides to reach a ceasefire on the 29th.

Early that morning, President Trump wrote on his social media service (SNS) Truth Social, “Make a deal in Gaza. Bring the hostages back!” Earlier on the 27th, when asked by reporters in the Oval Office about the timing of a ceasefire in Gaza, President Trump said, “I think it’s imminent,” and “I think we’ll reach a ceasefire within the next week.”

This is interpreted as President Trump expressing confidence that he can immediately bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after having brought about a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest aide, Israeli Minister of Strategy Ron Dermer, is scheduled to visit the United States this week to discuss a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reported.

An Israeli official who requested anonymity told the AP that Netanyahu is also planning to visit Washington in person within a few weeks. The AP noted that this is interpreted as a sign that there may be progress in a new agreement. However, the official refused to answer the purpose of the visit and added that the plan has not been finalized yet.

The internet media outlet Axios recently reported, citing multiple Israeli officials, that Prime Minister Netanyahu is pushing for a visit to the United States to congratulate the US on its successful airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

As the United States directly intervened in the war between Israel and Iran by attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, there is an increasing possibility that Iran will block the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s major crude oil transportation route and ‘bottleneck’.

The Strait of Hormuz is about 160km long and only about 50km wide at its narrowest point, but it is the only sea route connecting the Persian Gulf to the ocean and has enormous geopolitical importance.

According to a report recently released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the daily average oil transport through the strait is expected to be 20 million barrels by 2024, accounting for about 20% of global oil consumption. This amount of transport has not changed much since the first quarter of this year.

Compared to the global maritime oil transport volume, about a quarter of the total transport volume passes through this strait. In the case of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a fifth of the global maritime transport volume passes through this strait.

Most of the crude oil passing through this strait is destined for Asian markets, including Korea, China, Japan, and India.

In a recent report, KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) analyzed that 99% of Middle Eastern crude oil coming to Korea passes through this strait. It is generally assessed that the Strait of Hormuz is relatively easy for Iran to blockade due to its geographical characteristics.

The Strait of Hormuz is relatively shallow, so the sea route that large oil tankers can pass through is limited, and since most of these large vessels must pass through Iranian territorial waters, Iran effectively controls the strait.

Ships transiting the strait are particularly vulnerable to mine attacks due to its shallow waters, and its proximity to the Iranian coastline makes it vulnerable to missile attacks, small patrol boats, and helicopters.

According to a New York Times report, Iran has several “limpet mines” that divers attach directly to the hull of a target ship; “moored mines” that use buoyancy and gravity to stay just below the water’s surface and explode upon contact; and the latest “sunk mines” that sink to the seabed and surface when a target approaches and explode. However, during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, there was a threat to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz due to Iranian attacks on oil tankers and mine installations, but it never led to a full-scale blockade.

In the early 2010s, there were concerns about the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the Western sanctions against Iran, including the US, but they did not materialize. However, the recent war between Israel and Iran and the US airstrikes are different from the past, and there are growing concerns that the risk of the strait being blocked could become a reality.

In fact, the Iranian parliament (Majlis) voted on the 22nd to block the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The final decision-making authority on blocking the strait lies with the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), but as Iran has been pursuing retaliatory measures following the US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the situation has effectively become a tense crisis that could lead to a full-scale blockade.

Economic experts are expressing serious concerns about the possibility of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, saying that if the Strait of Hormuz is blocked, international oil prices will surge, which will have a negative impact on the global economy.

International oil prices have surged by more than 10% since Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facility. The general outlook of Wall Street experts is that if the oil tanker route is blocked, oil prices will rise even more steeply. Citigroup predicted in a recent report that “any form of blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could lead to a sharp increase in oil prices,” and predicted that if the strait is blocked, Brent crude could rise to around $90 per barrel. However, it predicted that even if the blockade were to occur, it would be short-lived and unlikely to be a long-term blockade.

Considering the political and economic blow to Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is closed, some analysts say that it is unlikely that the blockade will become a reality.

Stephen Schock, CEO of Schock Group, said in a Bloomberg interview that “I don’t think Iran will block the Strait of Hormuz because it could harm India and China, Iran’s two largest oil export customers.”

Vice President JD Vance also agreed with this view in an NBC interview that day, saying about the possibility of blocking the Strait of Hormuz, “It would be suicidal for the Iranians,” and “Iran’s entire economy relies on the Strait of Hormuz. I think that (closing the strait) makes absolutely no sense.”

Given that Iran’s economy is heavily dependent on oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, it is assessed that the Iranian economy will not be able to withstand if this export route is blocked.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration assessed that major oil exporting countries in the Middle East have been preparing alternatives to reduce their dependence on oil transportation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, has a pipeline connecting the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, securing an oil transport route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also has a pipeline that can send oil directly to an export port in the Gulf of Oman without going through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Bloomberg analyzed that other major oil-producing countries in the Middle East, such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, have no other option to export oil without going through the Strait of Hormuz.

In the case of Iran, a party to the dispute, an export port that can export oil from the Gulf of Oman without going through the Strait of Hormuz was opened in July 2021. However, the EIA assessed that the effective capacity of the pipeline is only about 300,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, the United States, a major global oil-producing country, has a low dependence on oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the EIA, the U.S. imported about 500,000 barrels of crude oil and liquefied natural gas per day through the Strait of Hormuz last year. This is about 2% of the total U.S. oil consumption.

However, as concerns about stagflation (economic slowdown with rising prices) in the U.S. grow due to the aftermath of the Donald Trump administration’s tariff policy, if oil prices rise further due to heightened tensions in the Middle East, concerns about inflation and the economy could grow even more.

The Donald Trump administration argued on the 22nd that the previous day’s airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities were necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The US also tried to block domestic concerns that the US could fall into the quagmire of past Middle Eastern wars like Iraq and Afghanistan by reiterating its position that it does not want regime change in Iran and is willing to negotiate.

In an interview with ABC News that day, Vice President JD Vance stated that he does not want war with Iran or regime change in Iran, and that “we are at war with Iran’s nuclear program.” He said he hoped Iran would take a “smart path” to dismantling its nuclear weapons program, warning that “if Iran decides to attack our troops or continue to try to build a nuclear weapon, we will respond with overwhelming force.”

Addressing concerns that the U.S. could be drawn into another protracted conflict in the Middle East, he said, “We have taken a very narrow and limited approach to destroying Iran’s nuclear program,” adding, “The president is more concerned about a protracted military conflict than anyone else.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also emphasized in a briefing that day that the operation was not a full-scale war, but a limited strike targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying, “We did not target Iranian forces or Iranian people.” “We are giving Iran every opportunity to come to the table by sending direct messages to Iran through multiple channels, both public and private,” Hegseth said. “They know exactly where the United States stands and what specific actions they need to take to allow peace, and we want them to do that.”

In an interview with Fox News that day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that regime change in Iran is not the goal and that the United States is ready to negotiate tomorrow if Iran wants to. However, he made it clear that Iran will not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances, saying, “If Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons, I really think that will jeopardize the regime.”

Secretary Rubio explained that Iran has been “trying to play President Trump” in negotiations with the United States so far and that Iran has not shown sincerity in giving up its nuclear weapons, so the United States had no choice but to strike the nuclear facilities.

Senior Trump administration officials have made it clear that the strikes are intended to send a warning message not only to Iran but also to other enemies of the United States not to go against the United States.

“We have shown the world that we have restored American deterrence,” Hegseth said. “When this president speaks, the world should listen.” Rubio said the world must have realized that they should not act like Iran, adding, “President Trump is a president who says what he is going to do and does it, and I think that is shocking to many people, including the Iranian regime.” Meanwhile, some in the political world, both Democrats and Republicans, continue to raise concerns that the United States could end up in a very expensive and long war with Iran.

“The president took a huge gamble,” Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in an ABC interview. “If you look at the history of our military interventions in the Middle East, it almost never ends up as the best-case scenario. In fact, it usually ends up as something closer to the worst-case scenario.”

In an unusual move to criticize the airstrikes within the Republican Party, Rep. Tom Massey said in a CBS News interview that President Trump promised to put America first, but was fighting Iran, which does not directly threaten the United States, and that “we are tired of all these wars.”

On the 17th, Rep. Massey introduced a “war powers resolution” with Democratic lawmakers to require President Trump to get congressional approval before attacking Iran, and criticized the airstrikes, which the president decided on alone, as unconstitutional.

On that day, President Trump posted a long message on the social networking service (SNS) TruthSocial, fiercely criticizing Rep. Massey. “He likes to say he is MAGA (Trump’s core supporters), but he is not MAGA. MAGA

does not want him, does not know him, and does not respect him,” Trump wrote. “MAGA should avoid this pathetic loser, Tom Massey, like the plague.” He continued, “Massie is weak, incompetent, and votes ‘no’ to virtually everything put in front of him, no matter how good it is. He is disrespectful to our great military and everything it stands for and does not even acknowledge the excellence and bravery our military displayed in yesterday’s attack, which was a complete and utter victory.”

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on the 12th suspended the effect of a lower court order that suspended President Donald Trump’s order to deploy the National Guard.

Earlier on the same day, the Northern District of California, the trial court, ruled that President Trump’s order to deploy the California National Guard was illegal for reasons such as “abuse of authority” and “violation of procedure,” and that it should be suspended. However, the 9th Circuit, the higher court, immediately overturned the ruling, allowing President Trump to maintain control over the California National Guard until the court makes a separate ruling.

In LA, protests the crackdown on illegal immigrants by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have spread since the 6th. In response, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on the 7th, ordering the deployment of the National Guard, stating that the riots were “threatening to be an insurrection or rebellion.

With this ruling, President Trump’s control of the National Guard will remain until the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals makes a further decision.