00:00:00.000Hello everybody, I'm John Fawcett with This Great America Show, midday update for Friday, April 17th.
00:00:04.740Happy Friday, folks. I hope you all had a great week and you're ready for the weekend just as much as I am.
00:00:09.360But first, let's get to some news headlines that are dominating here in America today.
00:00:14.180Peace between Iran and the United States has seemingly taken a step towards, I guess, the good,
00:00:19.720as Iran has moved to reopen traffic on the Strait of Hormuz.0.57
00:00:23.560Last week, declared tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was suspended after Israel continued hammering Hezbollah terrorists following the U.S. and Iran ceasefire agreement.
00:00:34.720President Trump, of course, responded by ordering the U.S. Navy to immediately begin blockading the Strait, one of the most crucial and critical choke points in the world.
00:00:43.700This move has significantly damaged Iran's already struggling economy.
00:00:48.040Then, with the encouragement of Trump, Israel and Lebanon negotiated a 10-day ceasefire to stop the bloodshed over there.
00:00:53.820Trump's savvy move appears to have worked because Iran has now declared that the Strait is completely open for the remainder of the ceasefire.
00:01:01.260Quote, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage of all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire on the coordinated route, as already announced by ports and maritime organizations of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
00:01:16.400according to the foreign minister of iran now as a result of this announcement oil prices have
00:01:22.280plummeted today president trump writing in truth social quote the strait of harmuz is completely
00:01:26.960open and ready for business and full passage but the naval blockade will remain in full force and
00:01:31.720full effect as it pertains to iran only until such a time as our transaction with iran is 100
00:01:37.520complete this process should go very quickly and most points already negotiated thank you for your
00:01:43.720attention to this matter. Just moments ago, President Trump tweeting out, quote, Iran has
00:01:48.920agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the
00:01:53.900world. President Donald J. Trump. President Trump negotiating for the rest of the world and in turn
00:02:00.960saving Europe, who they said in just five to six days could have run out of jet fuel for their
00:02:07.500airplanes, which I think President Trump is far too kind. I would have let them learn the hard
00:02:12.320way since they don't want to be there to help the rest of the world and they want to let Iran1.00
00:02:16.240have nuclear weapons and Iran dominate the show. President Trump says no thanks. The Justice0.81
00:02:22.220Department today removed a career federal prosecutor who was slow walking charges against
00:02:27.460John Brennan. Former CIA Director Brennan is the target of a grand jury Russiagate probe in South
00:02:33.160Florida. Last July it was reported that the former FBI Director James Comey and John Brennan were
00:02:37.780under FBI investigation over their involvement in Russiagate.
00:02:41.840CIA Director John Ratcliffe had referred Brennan and Comey for prosecution over the summer.
00:02:46.800U.S. Attorney Jason Redding-Kanoez in the Southern District of Florida is in charge of this investigation,
00:02:51.920and this afternoon it's reported that the DOJ abruptly removed a lead career Miami prosecutor
00:02:56.620who was stonewalling and slow-walking charges against Brennan.
00:03:00.780They put out the press statement saying, quote,
00:03:02.200The Justice Department has removed the career Miami federal prosecutor leading the investigation into John Brennan
00:03:07.120after she resisted pressure to quickly bring charges against a former CIA director
00:03:11.680and prominent critic of President Donald J. Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.
00:03:17.340Now, Brennan also separately referred for prosecution by the House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan.
00:03:22.760Chairman Jordan referred Brennan to the DOJ for knowingly making false statements
00:03:26.080during a May 2023 interview with the House Judiciary Committee.
00:03:29.400It seems that Republicans are the only ones who get caught up in these crimes.
00:03:34.520It seems Republicans are the only ones who go to jail for these crimes.
00:03:38.240It seems Republicans are the only ones who are ever gone for these crimes.
00:03:42.540The Democrats walk free every time, and it's because the Republicans allow them.
00:03:46.360U.S. Transportation Secretary Son Duffy announcing this afternoon that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the FMCSA,
00:03:53.520is withholding a staggering 74, almost 74 million dollars in federal highway funds from the state of New York.
00:04:01.180Because the far-left New York Democrats under Kathy Hochul have flat-out refused to revoke thousands of illegally issued non-domiciled commercial learner's permits and commercial driver's license that they handed out in violation of the federal law.