Iranian people ‘desperate' for a regime change
'Well, certainly no Iranian wants to see their fellow country mates, their relatives, their friends, their family, their loved ones be affected by this,' Ms Makki told Sky News Australia.
'But if I could tell you how many times I've heard … how desperately the Iranians would to see a regime change, to go back to how their homeland was, or to even leave their country if they could, they would be willing to do it in a heartbeat.'
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ABC News
6 hours ago
- ABC News
Donald Trump fact-checked by Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell in exchange over renovations
After months of criticising US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, President Donald Trump took the fight to his front door, publicly scorning the central bank chief over the ballooning costs of a long-planned building project. Mr Powell pushed back, challenging the president's latest price tag as incorrect. Wearing hard hats and grim faces, standing in the middle of the construction project, Mr Trump and Mr Powell addressed the TV cameras. Mr Trump charged that the renovation would cost $US3.1 billion ($4.7 billion), much higher than the Fed's $US2.5 billion figure. Mr Powell, standing next to him, shook his head. The Fed chair, after looking at a paper presented to him by Mr Trump, said the president was including the cost of renovating a separate Fed building, known as the Martin building, that was finished five years ago. The rare presidential visit represented a significant ratcheting up of the president's pressure on Mr Powell to lower borrowing costs, which Mr Trump says would accelerate economic growth and reduce the government's interest payments. "We have to get the interest rates down," Mr Trump told reporters away from Mr Powell. However, Mr Powell and other officials have signalled they will likely keep their key rate unchanged at about 4.3 per cent, but may start cutting rates in September. The Federal Reserve sets a short-term interest rate that influences other borrowing costs, but it does not directly control those other rates. Asked if the rising costs of the Fed's renovation, estimated in 2022 to cost $US1.9 billion ($2.89 billion), were a "fireable offence," Mr Trump said: "I don't want to put this in that category." "To do that is a big move, and I don't think that's necessary," Mr Trump added. "I just want to see one thing happen, very simple: Interest rates come down." On Truth Social, Mr Trump said: "The cost overruns are substantial but, on the positive side, our Country is doing very well and can afford just about anything — Even the cost of this building!" Live updates: Trump clashes with US Fed Chair Mr Trump may be able to remove Mr Powell by accusing him of mismanaging the bank's renovation project. The push comes after a months-long campaign by Mr Trump to try to rid himself of the politically independent central banker, who has resisted the Republican president's calls to slash interest rates out of concerns about the administration's tariffs sparking higher levels of inflation. The Supreme Court recently signalled that Mr Trump could not fire Mr Powell simply because the president disagreed with him on interest rates. But legally, he could do so "for cause", such as misconduct or dereliction of duty. Mr Trump has seized on that provision, indicating that Mr Powell's handling of an extensive renovation project on two buildings in Washington could be grounds to take the unprecedented and possibly legally dubious step of firing him. The project has been underway for years, going back to Mr Trump's first term. But it only recently caught the White House's attention. The Fed chair has been an obstacle in Mr Trump's efforts to gain total control over the executive branch. Mr Powell and his board have the dual mandate of maximising employment and keeping prices stable, a task that can require them to make politically unpopular moves such as raising interest rates to hold inflation in check. The general theory is that keeping the Fed free from the influence of the White House — other than for nominations of Fed officials — allows it to fulfil its mission based on what the economy needs, instead of what a politician wants. An attempt to remove Mr Powell from his job before his term ends would undercut the Fed's longstanding independence from day-to-day politics and could lead to higher inflation, higher interest rates and a weaker economy. The Fed says its main headquarters, known as the Marriner S Eccles Building, was in dire need of an upgrade because its electrical, plumbing and air conditioning systems, among others, are nearly obsolete and some date back to the building's construction in the 1930s. The renovation will also remove asbestos, lead and other hazardous elements and update the building with modern electrical and communications systems. The Fed says there has been periodic maintenance to the structures but adds this is the first "comprehensive renovation". Trump administration officials have criticised the Fed over the project's expense, which has reached $US2.5 billion ($3.8 billion), about $600 million more than was originally budgeted. Russ Vought, the administration's top budget adviser, wrote Mr Powell a letter that said Mr Trump was "extremely troubled" about the Fed's "ostentatious overhaul" of its facilities. The Fed says the renovations will reduce costs "over time" because it will be able to consolidate its roughly 3,000 Washington-based employees into fewer buildings and will no longer need to rent as much extra space as it does now. The Fed's changes to its building plans have opened it up to another line of attack: White House officials have suggested the Fed violated the terms of the approval it received from a local planning commission by changing its plans. In its September 2021 approval of the project, the National Capital Planning Commission said it "Commends" the Fed for "fully engaging partner federal agencies". But because the Fed changed its plans, the administration has indicated it needed to go back to the commission for a separate approval. Essentially, White House officials are saying Mr Powell is being reckless with taxpayer money because of the cost of the renovation, but they are also accusing him of acting unethically by scaling back the project to save money. James Blair, the White House deputy chief of staff whom Mr Trump named to the commission, said in a post on X that Mr Powell's June congressional testimony "leads me to conclude the project is not in alignment with plans submitted to & approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in 2021". Mr Blair said he intended to review materials from the Fed on how the approved 2021 renovation plans had changed and circulate a letter among his colleagues on the commission that would go to Fed officials. AP
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
Balancing act for pro-Trump influencers as Epstein furor spirals
Far-right MAGA influencers are treading a tightrope as outrage escalates over the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: they are caught between a fired-up base demanding more information and President Donald Trump, who is eager to turn the page. Trump's core Make America Great Again base has erupted in anger over the White House's handling of the so-called "Epstein files," viewing it as a betrayal by the Republican and his allies who have long championed the unfounded theory that powerful elites orchestrated a massive child sex trafficking cover-up. Calls for the release of those files could intensify after a US media report on Wednesday said Trump's name was among hundreds found during an official review of documents on Epstein, a claim the White House has denied. Faced with a choice between alienating a base fervently demanding answers or defying Trump -- who has implored them to move on -- MAGA-aligned influencers and podcasters find themselves in a political bind. MAGA media are "definitely walking a fine line with the Epstein debacle," Mike Rothschild, an expert on conspiracy theories, told AFP. "Trump demanding that nobody talk about Epstein should be a betrayal for them. But they're so invested in supporting Trump, and have built their financial support around it, that they really can't do anything but make excuses and tie themselves in knots." Some MAGA influencers, however, turned sharply critical in recent weeks. Among them is Rogan O'Handley, who was invited to the White House in February alongside a handful of influencers and presented with binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1," only to find they offered little new information. "This is a shameful coverup to protect the most heinous elites," O'Handley told his 2.2 million followers on X earlier this month. "We were told multiple times the files would be released and now it looks like backroom deals have been made to keep them hidden." - 'Fanatically loyal' - Charlie Kirk, a Trump loyalist and podcaster, faced an avalanche of criticism from the MAGA base after he initially said he was "done talking" about Epstein, and added he was going to trust "my friends in the administration." "Trump's base has been fanatically loyal, and influencers are hesitant about opposing Trump directly if that threatens the size of their audiences," Matt Gertz, senior fellow at the watchdog Media Matters for America, told AFP. Fueling the MAGA base's anger were conclusions from the Justice Department and FBI that Epstein -- a disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 -- did not maintain a "client list" as conspiracy theorists have contended. Attorney General Pam Bondi emerged as their key target for criticism after announcing no more information would be forthcoming. But Trump has defended Bondi, while claiming without evidence on Truth Social that the Epstein files were written by his political rivals "Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the losers and criminals of the Biden administration." That response prompted disbelief from Benny Johnson, a longtime Trump supporter and right-wing podcaster. " By admitting that the Epstein Files are real, and that you've read them, and you don't like their contents, and they were written by your enemies, it doesn't make the most compelling case as far as I'm concerned. Holy moly," Johnson said. - 'Moving target' - Seeking to redirect attention within the MAGA base -- an echo chamber fueled by constant grievance and outrage -- Trump has launched attacks on familiar enemies: former president Barack Obama and the media. The White House has promoted the unfounded claim that Obama led a "years-long coup" against Trump around his victorious 2016 election. The former president has rejected the claim. The White House has also barred The Wall Street Journal from traveling with Trump during his upcoming visit to Scotland, after the newspaper reported that he wrote a bawdy birthday message to Epstein. Trump on Friday sued the WSJ and its media magnate owner Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion over the allegation in the article, which Trump denies. Following those moves, Stephen Bannon, host of the influential "War Room" podcast, sought to rally influencers behind Trump, telling US media that the MAGA base was "completely unified because now we're on offense." "The MAGA media's take on the Epstein case is both fractured and very much a moving target," said Gertz. "Trump's recent attacks on The Wall Street Journal and new conspiracy theories about Obama seem to be refocusing their attention away from Epstein -- though it's unclear for how long, particularly given the new revelation that Trump himself is named in the files."
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
US regulators greenlight contentious $8 bn Skydance-Paramount merger
US regulators on Thursday approved an $8 billion deal for Skydance to acquire Paramount Global amid tumult in the latter's news and late night programming on CBS, a leading American broadcaster. Clearance of the acquisition comes after Paramount settled US President Donald Trump's lawsuit over election coverage on CBS News' flagship show "60 Minutes," and a week after CBS canceled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." The comedian had blasted the $16 million settlement of Trump's lawsuit as "a big fat bribe" to win approval of the merger with Skydance. Colbert's show is slated to end in 2026, and is staple of late-night US television that often mocks Trump. CBS said in a statement the cancellation was "purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night," and was "not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount." Paramount reached the settlement with Trump this month in a lawsuit the entertainment giant itself had described as meritless. The Republican president had sued Paramount for $20 billion last year, alleging that CBS News' "60 Minutes" news program deceptively edited an interview with his 2024 election rival, Kamala Harris, in her favor. To promote the show, "60 Minutes" had shown a shortened clip or "tease" of Harris speaking on earlier network programming, and the full quote was aired on the Sunday evening broadcast. Trump objected to the use of the shorter clip. The FCC chair doubled down on the Trump administration's criticisms of CBS News. 'Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately and fairly,' Carr said in the statement. 'It is time for a change. That is why I welcome Skydance's commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network.' - Suspicious timing? - The FCC's approval of the merger "reeks of the worst form of corruption," Democratic Senators Edward Markey and Ben Ray Lujan said in a joint statement. "The timing speaks for itself," Markey and Lujan said. "Paramount settled with Trump on Tuesday and the FCC approved the merger on Thursday." Markey last week sent a letter to Paramount Global Chair Shari Redstone demanding details about the decision to cancel "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," specifically whether anyone in the Trump administration asked for the show to be cancelled, according to a copy posted at his official website. Colbert said on Thursday the cancellation was not just the end of his show but the end of the decades-old "Late Show" franchise, which has been broadcast continuously on CBS since 1993 and was previously hosted by David Letterman. Trump celebrated the cancellation, writing on his Truth Social platform, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings." Trump's political opponents and other critics drew attention to the timing of the decision. "CBS canceled Colbert's show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump -- a deal that looks like bribery," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said on social media platform X. Colbert, once a regular on Comedy Central, made use of humor in his incisive political commentary and succeeded Letterman as the host of "The Late Show" in 2015. The late-night television landscape has long been dominated by satirical comedy shows that blend entertainment with news and political commentary. As a condition of approval, Skydance will put in place an "ombudsman" who will evaluate complaints of bias, according to Carr. "Skydance, which has no DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs in place today, has committed that it will not establish any such initiatives at the new company," Carr said in a release.
