*By Carlo Versano*
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has resigned, the latest moderating force ー and one of the highest-ranking women ー to leave the Trump administration.
President Trump and Haley addressed the press together from the Oval Office on Tuesday morning to announce her departure, suggesting the split is amicable.
Many have speculated the former South Carolina Governor has presidential ambitions, though Haley was quick to say she is not running in 2020 and will campaign for Trump's re-election. "I look forward to supporting the president in the next election," she said.
"She's done a fantastic job, and we've done a fantastic job together," Trump said. He recalled to reporters that Haley told him six months ago she wanted to "take a break" after two years in the position. She will vacate her post at the end of the year.
Haley said that her record at the UN shows that the U.S. is "respected again" on the world stage. She also made a point to thank Trump's daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, saying, "We're a better country, because they've been in this administration."
Haley has been a fierce protector of Trump's often-hawkish foreign policy doctrine at the UN since she was confirmed to her post soon after the president took office. She pushed for the U.S. to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and the UN's own Human Rights Council, aligning the U.S. with Iran, North Korea, and Eritrea in a refusal to participate in the Council's deliberations. Meanwhile, Haley has been a notably strong critic of Russia, often going further than the White House in her condemnations.
Over nearly two years, she managed to straddle a line that few in Trump's circle have been able to achieve: she was generally well-liked by the Cabinet, the establishment GOP, Trump's base of supporters, and even the president himself.
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.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the American media landscape have led to the suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
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.
