Latest news with #ScottTurner
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The key detail about interest rates that Republicans should know, but don't
In recent years, a surprising number of Republicans have forgotten who was president in 2020. Assorted GOP voices have insisted that Joe Biden was in the White House in 2020, but he wasn't — a straightforward detail that the former Democratic president's critics flub all the time. But this week, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner went even further, suggesting that Biden was also president in 2018. 'In 2018, [Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome] Powell brought down interest rates during the Biden administration, and then now he won't even bring it down when the economy is thriving," the HUD secretary said. "And so, I don't understand it.' As the Cabinet secretary probably should've known, the Biden administration began in 2021, not 2018. Similarly, to suggest that Powell, who was appointed by Trump, has made rate cuts based on partisan considerations, instead of economic conditions, is wrong. But Turner's other point was of even greater interest: He suggested it was inexplicable for the Fed not to lower interest rates 'when the economy is thriving.' This has come up with surprising frequency of late. Last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared on CNBC and declared: 'My opinion is that we should reduce interest rates. The American economy is hot.' This week, Donald Trump told reporters, 'We want to see interest rates come down. Our country is booming.' A day later, Russell Vought, the head of the White House Office of Management and Budget, similarly endorsed lower interest rates during an appearance on CNBC, before adding: 'America is hot right now.' I can appreciate the broader political dynamic: Trump wants lower interest rates, and he wants the public to believe he's delivering an economic miracle, so he's pushing two contradictory points. Those who serve at his pleasure — or in the case of the House speaker, those who act like they serve at his pleasure — likely feel the need to stick to the presidential script for fear of being fired. But Monetary Policy 101 isn't that complicated: If the economy is 'hot' and 'booming,' the Fed shouldn't lower interest rates because it would cause the economy to overheat and push inflation higher. If, on the other hand, the economy is struggling and needs a boost, then the Fed should lower interest rates. Republicans, in other words, have a choice: They can either admit that the U.S. economy is falling short under Trump, creating a need for a rate cut, or they can claim that the economy is soaring, which would make a rate cut unnecessary. To argue both points simultaneously, however, is incoherent.
Fox News
22-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
'It won't be long': HUD secretary shares video of dilapidated roof tiles at HQ amid bid to move it outside DC
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner shared a video Monday afternoon on social media showing falling roof tiles at the HUD agency's D.C. headquarters amid the agency's efforts to relocate its headquarters under the Trump administration. The video of the damaged building comes after Turner announced last month that HUD would be relocating its headquarters down the road to Alexandria, Virginia. Turner previously cited the fact that the D.C. building is facing over $500 million in "deferred maintenance" costs, while only half of HUD's D.C. headquarters is currently being used. He has also argued the building is not safe, which he further illustrated in a Monday post on X. "The current HUD HQ is falling apart everywhere you turn. I witnessed this firsthand today," Turner captioned his video posted to X Monday afternoon. "It's not suitable for HUD staff or the people we serve. Moving day can't come soon enough." Turner showed "damaged roof tiles," which he described as water-logged and "leaking." The video showed a gaping hole in the roof of the HUD headquarters, with a trash heap beneath it full of what appeared to be broken roof tiles from the inside of the building that fell. "Did this fall on anyone?" Turner asked in the video, after which someone behind the camera confirms it did not. "Well," Turner replied. "It won't be long. It won't be long." The HUD building will relocate from the Robert C. Weaver Federal Building to 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, where the National Science Foundation (NSF) is housed, but no indication has been made about when that move will be finalized. The move marks the first major executive agency under Trump to relocate its headquarters. The relocation effort will be a staggered process that will ultimately relocate approximately 2,700 HUD employees currently based at the D.C. headquarters building, according to the General Services Administration (GSA). In addition to saving on deferred maintenance costs, the relocation will also save taxpayers roughly $56 million in annual rent and operations expenditures, according to HUD. "This is about the HUD employees to have a safe space, to have a nice place to work, to represent the people that we serve in America," Turner said during a press conference formally announcing the relocation last month. "This is not about the secretary. This is about the posterity and the future of HUD." NSF staff met this week to discuss how they will handle the HUD relocation, including a potential relocation themselves, local reporting out of Alexandria indicated.
NBC News
21-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Domestic violence and sexual assault organizations sue Trump administration over funding restrictions
More than 20 nonprofit organizations that receive federal grants to serve victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and those experiencing homelessness, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration over new funding requirements. The organizations — which are spread across more than a dozen states and include Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and Violence Free Minnesota — allege the changes at the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Health and Human Services (HHS) 'have thrown a wrench' in their 'life-saving work.' Some of the plaintiffs, according to the suit, stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funds. The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, states that the new restrictions do not enable the plaintiffs to better serve vulnerable members of society and instead 'seek to advance the Administration's wholly unrelated ideological goals—including to end 'diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility,' deny transgender people's identities, and cut off access to abortion resources and referrals.' In March, for example, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced in a post on social media that the department would impose new conditions on funds distributed through its Continuum of Care program, which is designed to end homelessness. The conditions cite several executive orders President Donald Trump issued during the first weeks of his presidency, including that the government will only legally recognize two, unchangeable sexes; deem diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government 'illegal'; and end 'forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion.' HHS and three of its divisions — the Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration — were also named as defendants and have enacted similar conditions for grant recipients, affecting the CDC's Rape Prevention and Education program, funding for families who have experienced domestic violence and grants intended to reduce infant and maternal mortality, among other programs. In line with those executive orders, the conditions at HUD and HHSprohibit grant recipients from using funds to promote 'gender ideology,' which the administration defines as the concept that someone's gender identity can be different than their birth sex. They also require recipients to certify that they do 'not operate any programs that violate any applicable Federal antidiscrimination laws' and prohibit recipients from using funds to 'fund or promote elective abortions.' The complaint argues that the requirements have been written in a way 'expressly designed to expose grantees to civil and criminal liability' under the False Claims Act, which prohibits false claims to the federal government. The complaint says these new conditions put plaintiffs 'between a rock and a hard place.' 'They can accept the conditions—and fundamentally change their programming, abandon outreach methods and programs designed to best serve their communities, and risk exposing themselves to ruinous liability. Or they can decline the funding and halt their funded programs—displacing domestic and sexual violence survivors from safe housing, ending programs designed to reduce and prevent domestic and sexual violence, and putting previously homeless families and children back on the streets,' the complaint states. HHS, the Administration for Children and Families, the CDC, the Health Resources and Services Administration and HUD did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the complaint. Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of Democracy Forward, one of the organizations representing the plaintiffs, said the new policy is an example of the administration continuing to 'target people in vulnerable communities.' 'Organizations serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, LGBTQ+ youth, and people experiencing homelessness should not be forced to abandon their work, erase the identities of those they serve, or compromise their values just to keep their doors open,' Perryman said in a statement. 'This unlawful and harmful policy puts extreme schemes ahead of people's dignity and safety by restricting essential federal support.' The suit, which asks the court to permanently block the funding conditions, argues that imposing the restrictions exceeds the government's authority by circumventing Congress, which generally approves any changes to federal funding. In addition, the suit argues that in some cases the conditions conflict with other federal policies. For example, recipients of Continuum of Care funds are required to comply with nondiscrimination regulations, the suit states, including HUD's equal access rule, which requires services, including sleep quarters and bathroom facilities, to be 'provided to an individual in accordance with the individual's gender identity,' and that individuals are 'not subjected to intrusive questioning' or asked to provide evidence of their gender identity.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Ex-Commanders star backs Donald Trump's demand to change team name back to Washington Redskins
A Trump administration cabinet member and former Washington NFL star has echoed the president's desire to restore the 'Redskins' nickname. Trump made his affinity for the defunct nickname known on Sunday in a series of social media posts, as he urged the Commanders to 'immediately' revert to their old moniker. The president claimed on Truth Social that 'there is a big clamoring for this,' and a former Washington cornerback-turned politician ultimately agreed with him. 'I played in the NFL and was drafted by the Washington Redskins. Not the 'Washington Football Team' or the 'Commanders,' Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner said on X. '@POTUS is right. It's time to bring the Redskins' name back.'' Turner, 53, was selected in the seventh round of the 1995 NFL Draft by Washington and spent the first three seasons of his career there. He later played for the Chargers and Broncos before wrapping up his career in 2003. Known as the Commanders since 2022, Washington's football team dropped the controversial moniker five years ago (under previous owner Daniel Snyder) following a summer of racial unrest. They were initially known as the 'Washington Football Team' before ultimately adopting the 'Commanders.' In calling for the team to change its name on Sunday, Trump referred to the Commanders as the 'Washington 'Whatever's' while claiming that Native Americans were in favor of the controversial name. 'Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen,' he claimed. 'Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!' In a follow-up post, he wrote: 'My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way. 'I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. 'The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone. Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians. The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. 'What he doesn't understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!' He previously served as the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council Executive Director during Trump's first term Daily Mail has reached out to Commanders spokespeople for comment. Trump also demanded that the MLB's Cleveland Guardians, formerly known as the 'Indians,' change their name back as well. Fans and even some Native American groups have voiced support for the team's new ownership group to revert to 'Redskins.' Several public opinion polls of self-identified Native Americans have found most were not offended by the term, while critics have pointed to academic research by the University of Michigan and UC Berkeley that found the opposite was true A 2016 Washington Post poll found that 90 percent of the 504 Native American respondents were 'not bothered' by the team's name. Now-former team owner Daniel Snyder ultimately wrote an open letter, defending his decision to keep the moniker by citing the study. However, that survey and other similar studies have been slammed by journalists and social scientists as being unreliable. In March of 2020, UC Berkeley revealed a study that found that more than half of its 1,000 Native American respondents were offended by the team name. Under the Commanders name last year, the team finished 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1992.
Fox News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Scott Turner, HUD secretary and ex-Redskins player, backs Trump's pressure on Commanders to bring back moniker
President Donald Trump received support from Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner amid the push for the Washington Commanders to ditch its current nickname in favor of the Redskins. Turner was an NFL defensive back for eight years. He played for the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos from 1995 to 2003 before he called it a career. He wrote a message in reply to Trump on Sunday. "I played in the NFL and was drafted by the Washington Redskins. Not the 'Washington Football Team' or the 'Commanders,'" he wrote on X. "@POTUS is right. It's time to bring the Redskins' name back." The Redskns selected Turner in the seventh round of the 1995 draft. He played three seasons in Washington. He had 106 tackles and five interceptions in his career. Trump put the blitz on the Commanders, and the Cleveland Guardians of MLB, on Sunday with two Truth Social posts. "The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a big clamoring for this," Trump wrote first. "Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past. "Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!" Then, he threatened to put the Commanders' deal to take over the old RFK Stadium site in jeopardy if they didn't revert to the name. "My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way," Trump wrote in a second Truth Social post. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone." Daniel Snyder changed Washington's team name from the Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team before the start of the 2020 season amid a summer of racial tensions. The team eventually became the Washington Commanders, and Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris. Fox News Digital reached out to the Commanders for comment. Harris has made clear he has no intention of changing the nickname again. Harris said on Fox News Channel's "Special Report" in April that the team would not bring back the Redskins name even with plans to build a new stadium in Washington, D.C. "The Commanders' name actually has taken on an amazing kind of element in our building," Harris responded to Bret Baier's question about the Redskins name coming back as part of this new stadium deal. "So, the people that certain types of players that are tough, that love football, are delegated Commanders and Jayden [Daniels], for example, is a Commander, and they're ranked. "And, you know, the business staff has gotten into it, and obviously, we're in a military city here. There's more military personnel than anywhere else, so we're kind of moving forward with the Commanders name, excited about that, and not looking back." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
