The Latest: Fed Gov. Lisa Cook sues Trump administration to block her attempted firing

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has sued the Trump administration in an effort to overturn the president s attempt to fire her launching an unprecedented legal battle that could significantly reshape the Fed s longstanding political independence No president has sought to fire a Fed governor in the institution s -year history until Trump posted a letter on his Truth Social media platform late Monday saying that Cook was fired Trump mentioned the reason for her removal were statements that she committed mortgage fraud in before she was appointed to the board The Supreme Court has signaled that the president can t fire Fed personnel over protocol differences but he can do so for cause typically meaning misconduct or neglect of duty The Latest Kennedy won t say why CDC director was ousted The healthcare secretary speaking at a press conference in Texas only took one question from reporters on the chaos unfolding at the CDC Confirming that CDC Director Susan Monarez was let go he warned that more firings could be on the way There s a lot of trouble at the CDC and it s going to require getting rid of chosen people over the long term in order for us to change the institutional way of life Kennedy commented He declined to elaborate on what was behind Monarez s ousting after mere weeks on the job Trump spokesperson criticizes both Putin and Zelenskyy after latest big Russian assault on Kyiv Trump was not happy about this news but he was also not surprised White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced of Russia s Thursday air assault on Kyiv that left at least dead and injured dozens more Leavitt noted that Ukraine has also launched effective assaults on Russia s oil industry in latest weeks Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves Leavitt noted The president wants it to end but the leaders of these two countries must want it to end as well Vance says Trump is in good shape but adds he s ready to be president if there s a terrible tragedy The vice president in an interview with USA Currently noted Trump is in incredibly good healthcare and has incredible power and described the president as working late at night and early in the morning I feel very confident the president of the United States is in good shape is going to serve out the remainder of his term and do great things for the American people Vance mentioned in the interview But he stated he was ready to step in as president if there s a terrible tragedy saying I can t think of better on the job training than what I ve gotten over the last days White House says Trump fired the CDC director himself During her briefing with reporters White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted Centers for Malady Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez was urged by the administration s strength secretary Robert Kennedy Jr to resign and she noted she would but then explained she wouldn t So the president fired her which he has every right to do Leavitt explained Leavitt explained a announcement disclosed by Monarez s lawyers made it abundantly clear that she was not aligned with the president s mission to Make America Healthy Again She commented a replacement for Monarez would be communicated by Trump and Kennedy soon Leavitt commented she didn t have knowledge about more changes coming to the CDC but noted that top agents left when Monarez did Leavitt thanks DC mayor for cooperating with the White House Press secretary Karoline Leavitt thanked Washington D C Mayor Bowser for her cooperation and her willingness to help us make DC safe and beautiful Bowser has tried to show deference to Trump while also recognizing anxieties within the city Bowser revealed Tuesday that while the federal surge has helped reduce crime it has also led to a break in trust between police and society especially with new federal partners Trump himself has previously threatened to take over the city if Bowser didn t get her act straight Trump will deliver address to United Nations General Assembly on Sept White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed the president s planned speech to the annual gathering of global leaders at the start of her Thursday news briefing Trump administration subs Human Rights Council again The United States will not take part in an upcoming council review of its human rights record scheduled for November wrote Tressa Finerty the U S charge d affaires in Geneva in a letter to the U N human rights chief Volker T rk The Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter which was dated Thursday The council examines the rights records of all U N member countries about every four or five years and the U S is due for its next review on Nov Finerty reported the decision followed an executive order in February by President Donald Trump announcing that the United States was withdrawing from the council and that engagement in the review would imply endorsement of the Council s mandate and engagements The first Trump administration citing the council s alleged anti-Israel bias and refusal to restructuring pulled the United States out in before the Biden administration brought the U S back The United States still took part in the review process during Trump s first term Obama Trump s expansion of military force on US soil puts the liberties of all Americans at peril Former President Barack Obama lamented the federalization and militarization of state and local police functions in a social media post on X He shared a New York Times Opinion interview on the Trump administration s growing comfort in wielding federal and local law enforcement to conduct its sweeping campaign of arrests against immigrants and criminals and whether it indicates a slide into authoritarianism The former president wrote that the erosion of basic principles like due process and the expanding use of our military on domestic soil puts the liberties of all Americans at jeopardy Trump fires Democrat on Surface Transportation Board ahead of huge rail merger Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U S Surface Transportation Board to break a - tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed Board member Robert Primus stated on LinkedIn that he received an email from the White House last night terminating the position he s held since he was appointed by Trump in his first term Primus stated the firing is deeply troubling and legally invalid so he plans to continue serving until he s blocked and then will consider legal challenges The board is set to consider Union Pacific s acquisition of Norfolk Southern in the next two years It must then decide whether to approve the nation s first transcontinental railroad which would reduce the number of major freight railroads in the U S to five Georgia senator calls RFK Jr a quack On the previous day s events are yet more evidence that putting a quack like Bobby Kennedy in charge of constituents wellness was a grave error Democratic Sen Jon Ossoff mentioned in a announcement Thursday The Trump Administration has been engaged for months in a campaign to destroy the CDC America s preeminent disease-fighting agency he added The Administration s extremism and incompetence are putting lives at exposure RFK Jr sang the CDC director s praises less than a month before pushing her out Trump s vitality secretary was effusive in his praise of Susan Monarez when he helped swear her in as director of the U S Centers for Sickness Control and Prevention In an Aug post on X Robert F Kennedy Jr wrote CDCMonarez is a citizens healthcare expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials I have full confidence in her ability to restore the CDCgov s role as the majority trusted authority in society wellness and to strengthen our nation s readiness to confront infectious diseases and biosecurity threats Kennedy declined to directly comment Thursday on Fox and Friends on her ouster and the resignations of four other top agency personnel but expressed concerns that numerous more CDC staffers are not aligned with his and Trump s healthcare policies Marco Rubio say US remains available for nuclear talks with Iran The U S Secretary of State welcomed the announcement Thursday by the U K France and Germany to reimpose sanctions on Iran for failing to adhere to the nuclear deal The European countries triggered the snapback mechanism outlined in the original deal that would again freeze Iranian assets abroad halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any rise of its ballistic missile plan among other measures The sanctions are expected to further squeeze Iran s reeling market The United States appreciates the leadership of our E allies in this effort Rubio s report announced while adding that the U S remains available for direct engagement with Iran in furtherance of a peaceful enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue Snapback does not contradict our earnest readiness for diplomacy it only enhances it Rubio declared Departing CDC staff say Susan Monarez s firing was the final straw Two departing scientific leaders at the U S Centers for Affection Control and Prevention say they knew it was time to quit when the agency s director was pushed aside We knew if she leaves we don t have scientific leadership anymore one of the leaders Dr Debra Houry described The Associated Press on Thursday Another official Dr Demetre Daskalakis disclosed I came to the point personally where I think our science will be compromised and that s my line in the sand Rwanda becomes third African nation to accept Trump s deportees Rwandan establishment spokesperson Yolande Makolo mentioned Thursday that seven deportees arrived in the East African country earlier this month as the Trump administration expands its project to send transients to countries they have no ties with No announcement was made at the time and the executive has not revealed their identities nationalities where they are being held and whether they have criminal records Makolo reported the seven are being visited by United Nations representatives and Rwandan social services She revealed three want to return to their home countries while the other four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda South Sudan and Eswatini have already accepted a small number of deportees from the U S in what have also been secretive deals Rwanda did say in early August that it had agreed to take up to deportees but declined then to say when the first would arrive Read more about the U S deportations to Africa Wisconsin governor bemoans cost of beautiful bill ahead of JD Vance visit Democratic Gov Tony Evers beat Vance to the punch ahead of the vice-president s visit Thursday to promote Trump s Big Beautiful Bill Evers says the new law will cost Wisconsin taxpayers more than million between now and when it s fully implemented in The bulk of that comes from the law s new work requirements for participation in state s FoodShare and Medicaid programs and the shifting of costs from the federal leadership to the state Wisconsinites aren t getting a fair shake from Republicans in Washington that s plain as day Evers disclosed Vance plans to visit a steel fabrication facility near the Minnesota demarcation in a congressional district held by a Republican that is a priority for Democrats to flip in Trump proposes pre-midterm Republican convention The president posted Thursday that he s thinking of recommending a National Convention to the Republican Party just prior to the Midterms It has never been done before STAY TUNED he added in the Truth Social post Conventions are typically held during electoral contest years so that parties can formally nominate candidates following state primaries They also give candidates tons of free media coverage and exposure Trump s proposal comes a day after Axios stated that senior Democrats were considering holding their own national convention before the midterms to showcase candidates and emerging leaders of the party Trump von der Leyen talk after Russia launches another massive attack on Kyiv European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated in a post on X that she spoke on Thursday with both Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following Thursday s major air strike on Kyiv that killed at least Putin must come to the negotiating table von der Leyen added We must secure a just and lasting peace for Ukraine with firm and credible shield guarantees that will turn the country into a steel porcupine Frontier czar says he doesn t like masks but ICE agents need them Responding to the Washington D C mayor s suggestion that masks make agents less effective in fighting crime Tom Homan mentioned that wasn t based on material Criminals have been wearing masks for a long time Homan commented and federal agents need them as well to keep their identities and those of their families from being published online and jeopardizing their safety I don t particularly like masks but the agents need the mask Homan disclosed ICE agents are doing what they gotta do Powerful Senate Republicans calls for oversight of CDC departures U S Sen Bill Cassidy a Republican of Louisiana has called for the Senate s soundness committee to provide oversight of the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez These high profile departures will require oversight by the HELP Committee Cassidy reported in a tweet on Wednesday night Several CDC leaders have also departed the society agency over the last hours Cassidy provided a key vote to confirm Robert F Kennedy Jr as the nation s physical condition secretary Trump administration asks base outside Chicago for help The Trump administration has solicited a military base outside Chicago for aid on immigration operations the base explained Thursday signaling a push to expand its law enforcement crackdown to other cities The Department of Homeland Guard has solicited Naval Station Great Lakes for limited endorsement in the form of facilities infrastructure and other logistical necessities to help DHS operations mentioned Matt Mogle spokesperson for the base miles kilometers north of Chicago He disclosed no decisions have been made on the request and that the base has not received an official request to sponsorship a National Guard deployment Closure of Alligator Alcatraz detention center can proceed judge says A federal judge in Miami has refused to pause her order requiring the winding down of the immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as Alligator Alcatraz while the federal establishment appeals her ruling What is Trump trying to do with the Federal Reserve The Supreme Court has signaled that the president can t fire Fed administrators over protocol differences but he can do so for cause typically meaning misconduct or neglect of duty Greater part legal experts say that a for cause removal requires a few type of process that would allow Cook to respond to the charges which hasn t happened Cook has not been charged with any crime The president s decision comes as he has repeatedly attacked Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the other members of the Fed s interest-rate setting committee for not cutting the short-term interest rate they control more briskly Critics say Trump is just finding pretexts to open up seats for Trump loyalists who might allow him to control the central bank that s a cornerstone of the global financial market Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sues the Trump administration The lawsuit launches an unprecedented legal challenge that could significantly reshape the Fed s longstanding political independence No president has sought to fire a Fed governor in the institution s -year history until Trump posted a letter on his Truth Social media platform late Monday saying Cook was fired Trump cited accusations by one of his appointees that she committed mortgage fraud in before she was appointed to the board Weakening rise may possibly lead to an interest rate cut Expansion has weakened with multiple companies pulling back on expansion projects amid the uncertainty of Trump s tariff policies Advancement slowed to a annual rate in the first half of the year down from in The sluggishness in the job industry is a key reason that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled last week that the central bank may cut its key interest rate at its next meeting Sept - A cut could reduce other borrowing costs in the financial system including mortgages auto loans and business loans U S jobless numbers reflect a no hire no fire economic system Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week as employers appear to be holding onto their workers even as the market has slowed Applications for the week ending Aug dropped to the Labor Department informed Thursday and the unemployment rate remains a low Measures of the job industry are being closely watched on Wall Street and by the Federal Reserve as the the greater part current regime statistics suggests hiring has slowed sharply since this spring Job gains have averaged barely one-quarter of what they were a year ago And while layoffs are low hiring has also weakened as part of what a multitude of economists describe as a no hire no fire economic system Consumer spending a bit stronger as private assets drops The Commerce Department also disclosed that consumer spending and private stake were a bit stronger in the second quarter than it had first estimated Even so private outlay dropped at a annual pace from April through June That would be biggest drop since the second quarter of at the height of the coronavirus pandemic A reduction in private inventories cut almost percentage points off second-quarter GDP enhancement Trump has overturned decades of free transaction strategy with his double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country on Earth Trump sees tariffs as a way to protect American industry lure factories back to the United States and help pay for the massive tax cuts he signed into law July But mainstream economists viewed with disdain by Trump and his advisers say that his tariffs will damage the market system raising costs and making protected U S companies less efficient as inflation rises U S financial market rebounded amid Trump arrangement war fallout ruling body says In an upgrade from its first estimate the Commerce Department stated Thursday that U S gross domestic product the nation s output of goods and services expanded at a annual pace from April through June after shrinking in the first three months of The department had initially estimated second-quarter progress at The first-quarter GDP drop the first retreat of the U S business sector in three years was mainly caused by a surge in imports which are subtracted from GDP as businesses scrambled to bring in foreign goods ahead of Trump s tariffs That trend reversed as expected in the second quarter Imports fell at a pace boosting April-June improvement by more than percentage points RFK Jr wants new CDC leaders to address deeply embedded agency opposition HHS secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr declined to directly comment on the ouster of CDC Director Susan Monarez and the resignations of several other top agency authorities in an appearance Thursday on Fox and Friends But he signaled that he continues to have concerns about CDC functionaries being aligned with his and Trump s outlook on physical condition approach So we need to look at the priorities of the agency if there s really a deeply deeply embedded I would say malaise at the agency Kennedy announced And we need strong leadership that will go in there and that will be able to execute on President Trump s broad ambitions The White House ratified late Wednesday that Monarez was fired after it was determined she isn t aligned with Trump s agenda and refused to resign She was sworn in as head of the CDC less than a month ago Fired CDC Director won t leave because termination was legally invalid lawyer says Attorney Mark Zaid announced in a post on X late Wednesday that CDC Director Susan Monarez as a presidential appointee and Senate-confirmed officer can be fired only by President Donald Trump Zaid says that instead Monarez was informed of her firing by staff in the presidential personnel office Zaid says that notification was legally deficient and that Monarez will remain as the residents wellbeing agency s leader Mystery surrounds billion Army detention tent camp in Texas desert The Trump administration awarded a billion contract last month to build and operate what s expected to become the nation s largest immigration detention complex The money is going to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities A member of Congress who in recent times toured the camp disclosed she was concerned that such a small and inexperienced firm had been entrusted to build and run a facility expected to house up to asylum seekers Chicago doesn t want or need National Guard Pritzker tells AP during city tour Illinois Gov JB Pritzker is doubling down on his message to Trump that the nation s third-largest city doesn t need or want military intervention to fight crime We want to make sure and show off that there s no urgency happening in Chicago the Democrat explained The Associated Press during a walking tour Wednesday of a South Side neighborhood where revitalization has included an art studio aquarium store and wine bar We ve been trying to prevent crime and it s been working Pritzker eyed as a feasible presidential contender has traded insults with Trump over his threats to deploy the National Guard to Chicago and Baltimore as the administration has done in Los Angeles and Washington D C Pritzker and Chicago leaders vow to sue but Pritzker meanwhile has convened news conferences posted sarcastic social media and choreographed a campaign-style neighborhood stop to keep his city in the spotlight Read more about Pritzker s message to Trump CDC director is fired and other agency leaders resign The administration s efforts to force Monarez out coincides with the resignations this week of at least four top CDC administrators They include Dr Debra Houry the agency s deputy director Dr Daniel Jernigan head of the agency s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Dr Demetre Daskalakis head of its National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and Dr Jennifer Layden director of the Office of Populace Soundness Facts Surveillance and Apparatus In an email seen by an AP reporter Houry lamented the damaging effects on the agency from planned budget cuts reorganization plans and firings I am committed to protecting the constituents s fitness but the ongoing changes prevent me from continuing in my job as a leader of the agency she wrote noting the Trump administration s misinformation about vaccines and new limits on CDC communications In a different email Daskalakis wrote I am no longer able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponization of inhabitants robustness Read more about Monarez s departure Monarez lawyers say she s been targeted for protecting the residents Susan Monarez s lawyers Mark Zaid and Abbe David Lowell issued a report Wednesday evening saying she had neither resigned nor been narrated she was fired When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific reckless directives and fire dedicated robustness experts she chose protecting the constituents over serving a political agenda For that she has been targeted the attorneys wrote This is not about one official It is about the systematic dismantling of inhabitants wellbeing institutions the silencing of experts and the dangerous politicization of science CDC director Susan Monarez is out after less than a month on the job The U S Department of Strength and Human Services says Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Malady Control and Prevention HHS representatives did not explain why Monarez is no longer with the agency Before the department s announcement she notified The Associated Press I can t comment Monarez was the agency s st director and the first to pass through Senate confirmation following a law She was sworn in July less than a month ago making her the shortest-serving CDC director in the history of the -year-old agency Read more about Monarez s sudden departure FDA limits COVID shot access for millions of adults and children U S regulators approved Pfizer s updated COVID- shot Wednesday but with limits that could complicate access for millions of American adults and children Pfizer disclosed in a release its vaccine is now approved for all seniors to protect against the virus this fall But the Food and Drug Administration narrowed its use for younger adults and children to those with at least one high-risk wellbeing condition such as asthma or obesity That presents new impediments to access for millions of Americans who d have to prove their hazard and millions more who may want to get vaccinated and suddenly no longer qualify This year s updated vaccines target a newer version of the continuously evolving virus and are set to begin shipping promptly But it could be days or weeks before a large number of Americans know if they ll be able to get one with access dependent on various decisions by federal robustness advisers private strength insurers pharmacies and state administration The new restrictions previewed by FDA bureaucrats in May are a break from the previous U S agenda which recommended an annual COVID- shot for all Americans months and up Researchers send letter to FDA on abortion pill safety More than reproductive medical researchers submitted a letter to the U S Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday affirming the safety record of the abortion medication mifepristone In the letter the researchers urge the FDA not to impose new restrictions on the drug and to make decisions based on gold-standard science Dr Marty Makary who leads the FDA hasn t committed to specific action on the pill but several Americans wonder if there will be new restrictions under the Trump administration Curative professionals call it among the safest medications ever approved by the FDA But a Christian conservative group that sued the FDA over the drug says it has caused tens of thousands of urgency complications Mifepristone is typically used with misoprostol in medication abortions which make up close to two-thirds of abortions in the U S Source