
'You can believe what you want…': Kennedy blasts Murray over ‘Qatari jet bribe' claim against Trump
Show more
Show less

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US Dept of Justice says most Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury details already public as Trump pushes for release
The US Department of Justice has said most of the material shown to the grand jury that indicted Ghislaine Maxwell is already public, as President Donald Trump continues to press for its release. In a court filing on Tuesday, the DOJ stated that information presented during the 2020 grand jury proceedings including law enforcement testimony was largely repeated during Maxwell's public trial in 2021. 'Much of the information provided during the course of the grand jury testimony with the exception of the identities of certain victims and witnesses was made publicly available at trial or has otherwise been publicly reported through the public statements of victims and witnesses,' the department said, as quoted by Reuters. Trump last month instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of materials related to Maxwell and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, aiming to respond to pressure from both Republican supporters and Democratic lawmakers. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of sex trafficking. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on related charges. He had pleaded not guilty. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche also met with Maxwell last month to see if she had information about other individuals possibly involved. The details of that meeting have not been shared. Grand jury proceedings are usually kept secret unless a judge allows disclosure. The DOJ has asked judges in Manhattan to approve the release of the transcripts, citing ongoing public interest in the cases. Lawyers representing Epstein, Maxwell, and several alleged victims are expected to give their views on the matter by Tuesday. Separately, the House Oversight Committee, led by Republicans, has issued a subpoena to the DOJ for records linked to Epstein. Epstein's ties to wealthy and powerful people and the circumstances of his death have led to widespread speculation. Trump has said he would release Epstein-related files if re-elected and has accused Democrats of hiding the truth. In July, the DOJ said a so-called Epstein client list does not exist, disappointing many Trump supporters and prompting further calls from Democrats to hold Trump to his promise.


Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Donald Trump eyes new Fed Chair as he calls for Jerome Powell's ouster
US President Donald Trump appears ready to push Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell out. The President, who has for months attacked the Federal Reserve Chair as 'stubborn,' signalled Tuesday that he is weighing a list of candidates to succeed Powell and may act soon. 'I didn't say I'm making a decision right now,' he told CNBC. But for anyone watching, the intent was clear: Trump wants Powell gone. Trump has long accused the central bank chief of refusing to lower interest rates in the face of economic slowdown and his own trade war. On Friday, after another disappointing jobs report, he went further, calling on the Fed's board of governors to override Powell. 'THE BOARD SHOULD ASSUME CONTROL,' Trump wrote on Truth Social, 'AND DO WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS HAS TO BE DONE!' The President's frustrations have coincided with a string of economic data that has not gone his way. Friday's nonfarm payrolls report showed just 73,000 jobs added in July – far below expectations – and included downward revisions of 258,000 for the previous two months. Hours later, Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, blaming her for 'the biggest miscalculations in over 50 years.' The move stunned economists. 'The risk of politicising the data collection process should not be overlooked,' warned Michael Feroli, JPMorgan Chase's chief US economist. 'Having a flawed instrument panel can be just as dangerous as having an obediently partisan pilot.' But if Trump is steering, he's also reshaping the cockpit. The resignation of Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler, announced Friday, gives Trump a new opening. Kugler's term was set to run until January, but her early departure, combined with McEntarfer's firing, leaves Trump with two powerful vacancies to fill. And he's made it clear he knows the stakes. The Kugler vacancy, wrote Krishna Guha of Evercore ISI, 'jump-starts the Trumpification of the Fed by handing President Trump a vacancy into which he can place a potential or even a clearly designated successor to Powell as Fed chair.' Trump has hinted as much himself—saying his nominee for Kugler's post could well be the next chair when Powell's term expires in May 2026. He's also floated the possibility of pushing Powell out sooner, a move that would draw legal and political fire but has not been ruled out. Trump also ruled out Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent—'He's doing a great job, and he wants to do what he's doing'—but said he is evaluating 'Kevin and Kevin,' referring to former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. 'Both Kevins are very good,' Trump said. Two sitting Fed governors, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, have already broken with Powell on interest rate policy. After Friday's meeting, both issued statements pushing for rate cuts and arguing that Trump's tariffs had only a one-time effect on inflation. Yet the Fed has held interest rates steady through 2025, and Powell has so far resisted Trump's repeated public pressure. The next chance for a rate cut comes in September.


NDTV
21 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump Says US China Close To Trade Agreement, Will Meet Xi If Deal Is Struck
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US was close to a trade deal with China and that he would meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping before the end of the year if an agreement is struck. "He asked for a meeting, and I'll end up having a meeting before the end of the year most likely, if we make a deal. If we don't make a deal, I'm not going to have a meeting," Trump told CNBC in an interview referring to China's Xi. "We're getting very close to a deal. We're getting along with China very well," Trump said. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week he believed the US had the "makings of a deal" with China after officials from the two countries met in Stockholm in a bid to resolve economic disputes aimed at extending their truce on a trade war by three months. China is facing an August 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with the US administration, after Beijing and Washington reached preliminary deals in May and June to end escalating tit-for-tat tariffs and a cut-off of rare earth minerals. Without a deal, global supply chains could face renewed turmoil from US duties snapping back to triple-digit levels that would amount to a bilateral trade embargo. Speaking to CNBC, Trump also said his administration would soon impose tariffs on US imports of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and chips, which is expected to impact China.