The Great America Show - Mid-Day Update： April 24, 2026

The S&P and Nasdaq hit new all-time intraday highs on the heels of encouraging signs that peace talks between the United States and Iran would soon take place in Pakistan. Meanwhile, J.D. Vance and Jared Kushner are headed over to Pakistan for another round of negotiations with Iran, and the Justice Department files a criminal case against Jerome Powell.

00:00:00.000 Hello, everybody. I'm John Foster with this Great America Show midday update for Friday, April 24th.

00:00:04.780 Happy Friday, folks. Hell of a day for the S&P and the Nasdaq closed at record levels this afternoon

00:00:11.500 after investors were given hopeful signs that peace talks between the United States and Iran would soon take place in Pakistan.

00:00:18.800 The broad market indexed finishing up just under a percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added about 1.5% to settle their day.

00:00:26.360 Both indexes also scoring fresh all-time intraday highs.

00:00:31.800 Speaking of those peace talks, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Advisor Jared Kushner

00:00:36.280 heading over to Islamabad, Pakistan tomorrow for another round of negotiations with Iran.

00:00:41.420 Vice President J.D. Vance is on what they're calling standby and could potentially join them there.

00:00:46.700 Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt had this to say at the White House just moments ago.

00:00:50.700 The President was flexible in granting an extension of the ceasefire throughout this time.

00:00:56.360 The president has decided to dispatch Special Envoy Whitcoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad.

00:01:03.500 The Iranians want to talk. They want to talk in person.

00:01:06.880 And so the president is, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance.

00:01:12.260 So Steve and Jared will be heading to Pakistan tomorrow to hear the Iranians out.

00:01:16.920 We hope progress will be made and we hope that positive developments will come from this meeting and we will see.

00:01:22.840 And the president, the vice president, the secretary of state will be waiting here in the United States for updates.

00:01:29.380 And the vice president, I understand, is on standby and will be willing to dispatch to Pakistan if we feel it's a necessary use of his time.

00:01:36.040 And folks, it's not just J.D. Vance was on standby. It's us, the American people, on standby.

00:01:40.360 Wyckoff and Kushner's scheduled departure comes after plans for Vance to head to Islamabad earlier this week never materialized.

00:01:46.720 in the lead-up to the deadline of the initial two-week ceasefire

00:01:49.380 between the U.S. and Iran, which Trump extended on Tuesday night.

00:01:54.040 Lukoff and Kushner are going to travel with Vance

00:01:56.040 when that trip didn't, as I said, come to fruition.

00:01:59.820 Now, speaking of J.D. Vance,

00:02:01.680 the task force to eliminate fraud headed up by J.D. Vance

00:02:04.880 has notched a number of wins throughout April,

00:02:07.620 including uncovering what's suspected to be

00:02:09.240 more than $6 billion in fraudulent government contract.

00:02:13.460 It's been just over five weeks since President Trump

00:02:15.320 launched the anti-fraud task force and tapped vance to be the chair task force has been putting

00:02:20.440 together productive april after hitting the ground running in late march it's been reported that the

00:02:26.260 task force had found almost 400 businesses suspected of fraud had received contracts

00:02:31.200 many of which came during the biden era of course folks it's to not be surprised but rather expected

00:02:39.720 when they're fraud, it's usually coming from a Marxist dem.

00:02:46.260 The U.S. is weighing suspending Spain from NATO

00:02:49.420 after their socialist government is refusing to support Iranian operations. 0.72

00:02:54.120 That's Iranian operations in support of America and NATO.

00:02:58.480 According to an internal memo that has been released to Reuters,

00:03:01.020 the Pentagon has outlined options to penalize countries

00:03:04.200 seen as falling short in alliance obligations.

00:03:07.180 Now, I think that only makes sense, folks, right?

00:03:09.180 You want to join NATO? You want to be in NATO? You want us to be there for you when you're in trouble? Well, come help us out by helping you. It seems very simple. We're over there patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, trying to bring down oil prices for Europe, and they don't even have the decency to help us out?

00:03:28.780 Now, this includes limiting U.S. access to military bases, airspace, and overflown rights,

00:03:34.740 described in the memo as the absolute baseline for NATO.

00:03:38.240 Among the measures under review, removing such countries from key alliance roles,

00:03:41.720 with Spain specifically cited as a potential target.

00:03:45.220 Spain's socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez,

00:03:47.720 has repeatedly declined to allow its territory to be used for offensive operations against Iran.

00:03:53.760 but of course they want to benefit from lower gas prices once everything gets settled down right

00:03:59.020 the country hosts several major u.s military installations including the naval base

00:04:03.500 at rhoda and the air base in moran proposals are being weighed at senior levels of the pentagon

00:04:08.660 and reflected mounting washington over what officials view as insufficient support from

00:04:14.360 some of these nato allies during this major major conflict in which it's incumbent upon the world

00:04:21.380 to get involved. Earlier this afternoon the Justice Department announcing that they'd be dropping

00:04:26.700 their criminal case against Jerome Powell and it's got people abhorrent. Why would we let Powell get

00:04:35.760 away with crimes if he committed crimes? The White House weighing in saying the case is not

00:04:41.220 necessarily dropped but rather they're moving the case over to the Inspector General who I assume

00:04:46.540 will continue to dive into and figure out just what laws Jerome Powell broke.

00:04:53.040 Folks, please be sure to join us tonight and each and every night,

00:04:55.340 6 p.m. Eastern time for The Great America Show.

00:04:56.920 Rumble, YouTube, Twitter, wherever you guys join us.

00:04:58.820 We'll see you at 6 p.m. Eastern.

00:05:00.300 I'm John Fossett with this midday update.

00:05:02.080 Happy Friday, folks.

00:05:02.940 And if we don't see you tonight, have a great weekend,

00:05:04.880 and we'll see you on Monday.

The Great America Show - April 24, 2026

Mid-Day Update： April 24, 2026

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