*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.
In February, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y. 16th District) introduced the Fair College Admissions for Students Act. The bill looks to curb the admissions advantage given to the children of alumni and donors for colleges and universities. Sen. Merkley joined Cheddar news to discuss the push behind the legislation. "My dad was a mechanic. I was applying to schools around the country. I never thought about the fact that those students who came from the most privileged backgrounds also got a special advantage in applying to college," he said. "They take up 10-25 percent of the slots at many of our universities, and so this is kind of affirmative action for those who need it least rather than a level playing field for everyone else." If enacted, the law would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 doing away with legacy or donor status admissions for any school participating in the federal student aid program.
Nancy Daoud, a private wealth adviser for Ameriprise Financial, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she discusses what led to a sharp spike on Wall Street during Tuesday's session and what she will be watching for most closely when the Fed announces it latest policy decision on Wednesday.
Russia's economy is effectively at a standstill after it was slapped with extensive western sanctions, and now it has to make the first of four monthly interest payments on dollar bonds. It's likely the country will not be able to pay — so what happens next? Major credit ratings agencies have downgraded Russian sovereign debt, with Fitch issuing a 'C' rating and S&P Global Ratings issuing a 'CCC-' rating. Caleb Silver, Editor in Chief of Investopedia, joins Closing Bell to discuss what a Russian debt default could mean for Russia's economy, U.S. consumers who have pensions with exposure to Russian assets, and whether this could create a global financial crisis.
With the number of Ukrainians being displaced due to the Russian invasion surging, two students from Harvard took it on themselves to develop a website to help connect potential hosts with refugees seeking housing. The co-founder of the website Ukraine Takes Shelter, Marco Burstein, joined Cheddar news to discuss working together with fellow freshman Avi Schiffmann to streamline the effort to aid Ukrainian refugees. "We basically worked for three days straight developing the website, and since then the response has been pretty incredible," Burstein said.
Over three weeks ago, WNBA player Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia on drug charges. According to reports, the Star arrived at an airport near Moscow where authorities found Vape cartridges and hashish oil in her luggage. Grindr faces serious charges that could carry a possible sentence of 5-10 years in a Russian prison. Experts warn that Griner's arrest could be used as a bargaining chip. Partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, Thomas Firestone, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
On a live broadcast, an employee on a Russian state news television channel held up a sign protesting propaganda about the war in Ukraine. Ruslan Deynychenko, executive director of the Ukrainian fact-checking organization StopFake, joined Cheddar News to discuss what he called the misinformation spread to the Russian people about the invasion. "They are not about informing people they are about brainwashing people," he said. "Russian government uses their media as an instrument, as a tool, of their foreign policy."
Student loan payments for millions of borrowers are set to resume on May 1st. However, signals from the Department of Education show that the date may be pushed back. Once again, it's been pushed back a few times. Initially, the Biden Administration stated loan payments would resume as the economy continues to show signs of recovery. Student Loan Expert and Author of "How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid", Mark Kantrowitz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
