NPR Topics: News

The Federal Reserve faces a critical decision on interest rates

17 hours agoCenter

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve are meeting to discuss interest rates Wednesday. They're expected to hold rates steady, but there's a chance they could raise rates to combat stubborn inflation.

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Trump's worst fear revealed as he faces GOP 'reckoning': analyst

Raw Story

23 minutes ago

Trump's worst fear revealed as he faces GOP 'reckoning': analyst

President Donald Trump, not even halfway through his second term in office, is about to see his worst fear realized as he faces a reckoning within the Republican Party, according to a new analysis. The Atlantic analyst Jonathan Lemire argued this week that Trump has "crashed into reality" as he "flails" both internationally and domestically. "Recent months have delivered a reckoning for Trump, who has crashed hard against some real limits," wrote Lamire. "His approval numbers have sunk, and Republicans are finally, in small doses, beginning to defy him." The president predicted his war with Iran would be a quick surgical strike but it has now metastasized into a five-month quagmire with mounting casualties, depleted weapons stockpiles, and surging gas prices making him "just the latest U.S. president to be humiliated by hard-liners in Tehran," wrote Lemire.National policy has stymied as well. "Trump has demanded that the Senate blow up the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act, which would make voting more difficult and require voters to provide proof of citizenship," Lemire noted. "But Republicans have refused." Once the midterms conclude, Trump will face the grim future, he wrote."Trump could face his worst fear," wrote Lemire. "Irrelevance. He will be a lame duck, down to his final two years in office, and at some point will no longer be the nation’s top topic of conversation. As focus shifts to the presidential primaries, Trump risks disappearing from the headlines. Even some of his closest allies don’t know how he’ll react," he wrote.What comes next for Trump looks worse, Lemire wrote."Trump may no longer be among each day’s top stories—arguably for the first time since he came down the Trump Tower escalator more than a decade ago. It’s not as if he will suddenly vanish; he’ll aim to play GOP kingmaker, and he’ll still be commander in chief. But he’ll be staring at life as a private citizen again," he predicted.

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Retired CIA officer pours cold water on Trump’s stunning about-face

Alternet.org

49 minutes ago

Retired CIA officer pours cold water on Trump’s stunning about-face

Retired CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos responded to a recent assertion that President Donald Trump has made a U-turn on Ukraine as Russia continues to attack. Outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) this week complained from the Senate floor that Ukraine still hasn't received the $400 million appropriation Congress approved in 2025."I asked Secretary Hegseth why the Pentagon is taking so long to send this critical aid to Ukraine. He didn't have a good answer," said Durbin. "President Trump needs to send $400 million in funds immediately. They're desperately needed in Ukraine to stop Russian advances. Doing so will help bring President [Vladimir] Putin to the negotiating table. Secretary Hegseth also needs to move $200 million that we appropriated and president signed into law for the Baltic Security Initiative to help frontline NATO allies prepare for Russian intimidation and retaliation."Polymeropoulos said he's dubious about whether Trump has truly made such a shift in his stance on supporting Ukraine. The only thing that will convince him is "substance," he said," not just vibes.""Where is the 400 million?" he questioned of those cheerleading Trump's pivot. Reports this week revealed that Russia has sold off half of its gold reserves, Radosław Sikorski, the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, said. Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics and Ukraine's Minister of Economy, translated a recent interview with Sikorski, quoting the Polish leader as saying that Moscow has sold off 44 tons of gold. "It’s a sign Moscow is running low on resources. This winter may be Putin's last chance to break Ukraine, so Europe's help decides if Ukraine wins," said Sikorski. He added that he didn't see Trump swooping in at the last minute to win the war for Ukraine. Secretary Marco "Rubio's call with [Russian Foreign Minister Sergey] Lavrov lasted 37 minutes. I don't see grounds to expect a breakthrough from that. Real progress needs Putin himself to lower his ambitions about conquering Ukraine, and I don't believe that's happening," Sikorski said. "Russia keeps testing NATO's response threshold with provocations like drones crossing into member states' territory. Naming these as deliberate tests actually lowers the odds Moscow repeats them, since a provocation everyone expects can't deliver its shock," he added. Poland, he said, is ready to add "our own newest Patriot-class interceptor technology" to the fight, since U.S. support is up in the air.

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Watch live: Fauci faces Senate heat on COVID, released diary entries

The Hill News

1 hour ago

Watch live: Fauci faces Senate heat on COVID, released diary entries

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former chief White House medical adviser, will testify Wednesday morning before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on gain of function research, bringing the debate about the origins of the COVID pandemic back into the spotlight. The hearing comes just days after Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who chairs the committee, released more…

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Fauci to face Republican questions over Covid pandemic origins – US politics live

US news | The Guardian

2 hours ago

Fauci to face Republican questions over Covid pandemic origins – US politics live

Veteran medical adviser likely to face questions over disputed ‘lab leak’ theory in investigation seen by scientists as ‘vilification and harassment’ of 85-year-oldSign up for US Breaking News emailFormer president Joe Biden’s presidential pardon does not cover Anthony Fauci’s awaited hearing at Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee chairman has said.Republican James Comer told Fox News Digital:Americans are still reaping the consequences of Dr Fauci’s actions.Biden’s pardon doesn’t cover Dr Fauci’s testimony this week and if he continues to lie, he must be held accountable. Continue reading...

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Bari Weiss 'joke' hires leave '60 Minutes' insiders laughing as ratings plummet: report

Raw Story

2 hours ago

Bari Weiss 'joke' hires leave '60 Minutes' insiders laughing as ratings plummet: report

Staff at CBS News' flagship news magazine "60 Minutes" are voicing sharp discontent over network chief Bari Weiss' latest round of hires, with insiders saying they doubt the new additions belong on one of television's most storied broadcasts.The most contentious pick is conservative New York Times opinion columnist Ross Douthat, who joins despite having no reporting background and minimal on-camera experience, reported Status. Newly installed executive producer Nick Bilton praised Douthat in an internal memo as a rigorous thinker with deep empathy, a characterization industry insiders reportedly found laughable.“The idea that Ross can be a ‘60’ correspondent is a joke," snorted a veteran TV executive.According to the New York Post, insiders mock Bilton interviews as an excuse for him to air grievances about CBS — calling them "therapy sessions."The Post reports Bilton is telling people he's “assembling ‘The Avengers of news.'" “We’re journalists,” one source said. "Not Marvel movie characters."Douthat isn't the only addition raising eyebrows. Writer Sebastian Junger, former VICE correspondent Gianna Toboni, and ex-Sky News host Sir Trevor Phillips — who has faced past accusations of Islamophobia — round out the new roster of contributors and correspondents, alongside CBS veteran Norah O'Donnell's promotion to full correspondent.Industry figures who spoke with Status measured the newcomers against legends like Mike Wallace, Diane Sawyer, Ed Bradley and Scott Pelley, concluding the new hires wouldn't have made the cut in that earlier era.“These are the most coveted on-air jobs in TV news,” said another news veteran.Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison installed Weiss, who lacked experience in broadcast news and once bragged about not owning a television, as CBS News editor-in-chief in October, and critics say CBS has lurched rightward since her arrival and grown reluctant to air anything critical of the Trump administration.Viewers have rejected the changes under her stewardship.CBS Evening News, anchored by Tony Dokoupil, is on pace to average just 3.8 million viewers in July, marking its fourth straight month below 4 million. CBS Mornings fared even worse, pulling in its lowest monthly average, 1.6 million, in the show's history. One CBS executive told Status the overhaul has driven ratings to record lows, with little sign the "60 Minutes" changes will reverse the trend.CBS News has not yet responded to a request for comment.

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Rand Paul released Fauci's pandemic-era 'diary.' Now they'll face off on Capitol Hill

NPR Topics: News

4 hours ago

Rand Paul released Fauci's pandemic-era 'diary.' Now they'll face off on Capitol Hill

At a Senate hearing Wednesday, Anthony Fauci is likely to face questions from Sen. Rand Paul related to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what you need to know

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U.S. and Iran resume attacks. And, Fauci to face Senate questions on COVID pandemic

NPR Topics: News

5 hours ago

U.S. and Iran resume attacks. And, Fauci to face Senate questions on COVID pandemic

The U.S. and Iran have resumed fighting after Iran attacked U.S. forces in the Middle East yesterday. And, a Senate committee will question Anthony Fauci about the COVID-19 pandemic.

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'Really?': CNN panel wipes smirk off MAGA pundit's face after defending Trump crackdown

Raw Story

10 hours ago

'Really?': CNN panel wipes smirk off MAGA pundit's face after defending Trump crackdown

A CNN panel cornered a MAGA commentator as he insisted "plenty of evidence" supports an aggressive Trump policy.The panel, hosted by CNN anchor Abby Phillip, was talking about President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigrants and plans to expand operations to deport Haitian migrants."This is one of the areas where President Trump is doing strongest, and Republicans are doing strongest on crime," right-wing pundit Terry Schilling said."We're not talking about criminals here," Phillip said. "We're talking about people who are not criminals, actually."Phillip added that "there's no evidence by any stretch of the imagination" to suggest that Haitian migrants targeted by Trump's crackdown are criminals. Democratic strategist Christine Quinn agreed, saying, "There's no evidence that there is a significant number, if any, of the Haitians who are here on TPS" being "the worst of the worst."Schilling, keeping a smile on his face, responded simply by saying, "There is plenty of evidence that there is crime related to all of this.""Really?" multiple commentators, including Quinn, reacted. "Where's the evidence?""Terry, where's the evidence?" Phillip said."Where's the evidence?" Quinn repeated.Schilling said that plenty of evidence shows "so much stress on our system," but Phillip said, "You just switched from crime" to talking about stress on the system."No, because it's all tied," Schilling said. "You can't say that immigration does not impact all these other sectors.""All I'm saying is, where's the proof?" Phillip said.Schilling's smile disappeared as he tried to shake off the demand. "I don't think this is really up for debate," Schilling said. Quinn could then be heard laughing."It's very much up for debate," Phillip shot back.

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The Federal Reserve faces a critical decision on interest rates

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The Federal Reserve faces a critical decision on interest rates

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