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.
00:00:00.000Hello, everybody. I'm John Foster with this Great America Show midday update for Friday, April 24th.
00:00:04.780Happy Friday, folks. Hell of a day for the S&P and the Nasdaq closed at record levels this afternoon
00:00:11.500after investors were given hopeful signs that peace talks between the United States and Iran would soon take place in Pakistan.
00:00:18.800The broad market indexed finishing up just under a percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added about 1.5% to settle their day.
00:00:26.360Both indexes also scoring fresh all-time intraday highs.
00:00:31.800Speaking of those peace talks, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Advisor Jared Kushner
00:00:36.280heading over to Islamabad, Pakistan tomorrow for another round of negotiations with Iran.
00:00:41.420Vice President J.D. Vance is on what they're calling standby and could potentially join them there.
00:00:46.700Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt had this to say at the White House just moments ago.
00:00:50.700The President was flexible in granting an extension of the ceasefire throughout this time.
00:00:56.360The president has decided to dispatch Special Envoy Whitcoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad.
00:01:03.500The Iranians want to talk. They want to talk in person.
00:01:06.880And so the president is, as I've said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance.
00:01:12.260So Steve and Jared will be heading to Pakistan tomorrow to hear the Iranians out.
00:01:16.920We hope progress will be made and we hope that positive developments will come from this meeting and we will see.
00:01:22.840And the president, the vice president, the secretary of state will be waiting here in the United States for updates.
00:01:29.380And 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.
00:01:36.040And folks, it's not just J.D. Vance was on standby. It's us, the American people, on standby.
00:01:40.360Wyckoff and Kushner's scheduled departure comes after plans for Vance to head to Islamabad earlier this week never materialized.
00:01:46.720in the lead-up to the deadline of the initial two-week ceasefire
00:01:49.380between the U.S. and Iran, which Trump extended on Tuesday night.
00:01:54.040Lukoff and Kushner are going to travel with Vance
00:01:56.040when that trip didn't, as I said, come to fruition.
00:02:01.680the task force to eliminate fraud headed up by J.D. Vance
00:02:04.880has notched a number of wins throughout April,
00:02:07.620including uncovering what's suspected to be
00:02:09.240more than $6 billion in fraudulent government contract.
00:02:13.460It's been just over five weeks since President Trump
00:02:15.320launched the anti-fraud task force and tapped vance to be the chair task force has been putting
00:02:20.440together productive april after hitting the ground running in late march it's been reported that the
00:02:26.260task force had found almost 400 businesses suspected of fraud had received contracts
00:02:31.200many of which came during the biden era of course folks it's to not be surprised but rather expected
00:02:39.720when they're fraud, it's usually coming from a Marxist dem.
00:02:46.260The U.S. is weighing suspending Spain from NATO
00:02:49.420after their socialist government is refusing to support Iranian operations.0.72
00:02:54.120That's Iranian operations in support of America and NATO.
00:02:58.480According to an internal memo that has been released to Reuters,
00:03:01.020the Pentagon has outlined options to penalize countries
00:03:04.200seen as falling short in alliance obligations.
00:03:07.180Now, I think that only makes sense, folks, right?
00:03:09.180You 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?
00:03:28.780Now, this includes limiting U.S. access to military bases, airspace, and overflown rights,
00:03:34.740described in the memo as the absolute baseline for NATO.
00:03:38.240Among the measures under review, removing such countries from key alliance roles,
00:03:41.720with Spain specifically cited as a potential target.
00:03:45.220Spain's socialist prime minister, Pedro Sanchez,
00:03:47.720has repeatedly declined to allow its territory to be used for offensive operations against Iran.
00:03:53.760but of course they want to benefit from lower gas prices once everything gets settled down right
00:03:59.020the country hosts several major u.s military installations including the naval base
00:04:03.500at rhoda and the air base in moran proposals are being weighed at senior levels of the pentagon
00:04:08.660and reflected mounting washington over what officials view as insufficient support from
00:04:14.360some of these nato allies during this major major conflict in which it's incumbent upon the world
00:04:21.380to get involved. Earlier this afternoon the Justice Department announcing that they'd be dropping
00:04:26.700their criminal case against Jerome Powell and it's got people abhorrent. Why would we let Powell get
00:04:35.760away with crimes if he committed crimes? The White House weighing in saying the case is not
00:04:41.220necessarily dropped but rather they're moving the case over to the Inspector General who I assume
00:04:46.540will continue to dive into and figure out just what laws Jerome Powell broke.
00:04:53.040Folks, please be sure to join us tonight and each and every night,
00:04:55.3406 p.m. Eastern time for The Great America Show.
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