With President Joe Biden officially at the helm of the country for just over 24 hours, Democrats appear to be sighing with relief but many of them are still focused on ensuring those behind the Capitol siege are held accountable — particularly former President Donald Trump.
For Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose, California, impeachment isn’t a harsh enough punishment when considering the allegation of incitement of insurrection levied against Trump. Liccardo said serious punishment is necessary in order to deter other presidents, or others seeking office, from committing similar acts.
"I know he’s going to be facing plenty of other challenges in terms of criminal prosecution, but it’s important for posterity that this particular crime be punished," he told Cheddar.
In a recent op-ed published on Medium, Liccardo, a Democrat, called for Trump to go to prison for what he called the former president's role in the insurrection. "Doing nothing merely raises a greater, countervailing risk: emboldening ambitious demagogues," he wrote.
The former president is already under investigation in New York for a number of other allegations, several of which he was able to delay during his term in office.
In Congress, there is a countering sentiment among some Republicans that attempting to imprison the former commander in chief would further divide the country, but according to Liccardo, the country needs to get behind those GOP members of Congress who have acknowledged Trump's actions as being criminal.
"I think we can build unity over issues of common purpose around defeating this pandemic and addressing our economic recession, at the same time that we collectively stand together and say we need to protect our constitutional institutions," Liccardo said. "And when there’s criminal violations in those institutions, such as for insurrection, we need our constitutional criminal processes to be actually carried out."
As fired up as some Democrats may be in their calls for justice, the legal waters are murky, particularly in this instance, when it comes to criminally charging the president with crimes linked to the Capitol siege. For the prosecution, the burden of proving that it was an orchestrated revolt against the government would be extremely high. Still, for the San Jose mayor, it’s imperative, if unprecedented, that a real example be set to protect democracy.
"We have prosecutions under way now for dozens of those who invaded the Capitol, but if the legacy is that you only prosecute the puppets, then future puppeteers know that they have license to try again. And it’s important to hold those accountable who are leading this effort," he said.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday signaled a cautious approach to future interest rate cuts, in sharp contrast with other Fed officials who have called for a more urgent approach. In remarks in Providence, Rhode Island, Powell noted that there are risks to both of the Fed’s goals of seeking maximum employment and stable prices. His approach is in sharp contrast to some members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee who are pushing for faster cuts.
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The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
