The quiet visual cue Powell employs to reinforce the Fed’s independence
Experts and analysts are scrutinizing every recent signal from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell amid heightened tensions with President Donald Trump, right down to his choice of tie. As Powell prepares to step down after Wednesday’s news conference, his inclination toward donning a purple tie has served as a quiet symbol of the Fed’s longstanding effort to remain independent and above politics. “I like purple ties,” Powell said following remarks last April at a Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing conference in Virginia. POWELL REVEALS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO STEP DOWN FROM THE FED AS PRESSURE MOUNTS After wearing a purple tie on one occasion, he considered switching back to a more traditional red or blue at his next news conference, but paused. “I go, ‘Hmm, maybe not.’ So I wind up wearing purple ties. And then it becomes a thing,” he said. “And now I definitely wear purple ties all the time.” Powell originally framed the choice as personal preference, but later acknowledged a more deliberate reasoning: avoiding the political associations of red and blue, colors widely linked to the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively. Fed chairs have long sought to avoid overt political signaling, carefully calibrating not just their language but their public image. “It felt a little awkward to be wearing one that was identified,” Powell said. A RARE FILING IN THE LISA COOK–TRUMP CASE COULD SWAY SUPREME COURT JUSTICES “We are strictly nonpolitical—I can’t stress that enough,” he added. “It’s not that we are bipartisan, we are nonpolitical. We don’t do that. And so, purple is a good color for that. That’s all.” Then, with a shrug to the symbolism, he returned to his original point: “Plus, I like purple ties.” Notably, purple is the result of mixing red and blue together. That message has taken on added resonance amid mounting political tension. What began as a disagreement over interest rate policy has escalated into a broader confrontation between Powell and Trump, marking one of the more fraught periods of his eight-year tenure as Fed chair. Trump has intensified his pressure campaign in recent months, publicly criticizing the Fed’s benchmark interest rate decisions and even resorting to personal attacks. Powell’s tenure at the central bank dates back to 2017, when he was selected by Trump to succeed Janet Yellen. He was reappointed to a second four-year term by President Joe Biden in 2022, which expires May 15. However, his term as a Fed governor runs longer, allowing him to remain at the central bank until 2028. In March, Powell told reporters he had not decided on his next steps and declined to say whether he would remain on the Fed’s board after his term as chair ends.
Senators unveil bill to combat financial aid fraud by ‘ghost students’
FIRST ON FOX — A bipartisan batch of senators is introducing a measure that seeks to prevent fraudsters from sapping federal student aid. The proposal aims to block fraudsters, often referred to as “ghost students,” from utilizing stolen or fake identities to file Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applications and obtain federal student aid money, Sen. Ashley Moody’s, R-Fla., office said in an announcement obtained by Fox News Digital. Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., are joining Moody on the introduction of the “No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026.” TRUMP ADMIN TIGHTENS VISE ON STUDENT AID FRAUD IN ‘GHOST STUDENT’ CRACKDOWN “Taxpayer-funded student aid should go to students — not fraudsters gaming the system. This legislation takes common-sense steps to verify identity, strengthen oversight, and ensure federal dollars are not wasted,” Moody noted in a statement. The senator, who previously served as Florida’s state attorney general, joined the U.S. Senate last year to fill the vacancy caused by Marco Rubio’s departure from his seat to serve as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moody to the Senate seat in January 2025, and she is now seeking to win the seat in a November 2026 special election to serve the remainder of the term. TRUMP ADMIN SAVES TAXPAYERS $1 BILLION IN FRAUD CRACKDOWN OF STUDENT AID PROGRAMS “Our young students work night and day to earn their spot on campus. Zero federal student aid should go towards ghost students who are stealing money from Americans. As Co-Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions task force to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in education, I am proud to introduce this bill and will not stop until we eliminate all fraud,” Tuberville said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “Scammers are deploying increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal money and federal financial aid from hardworking Americans. In the face of these scams, we need to do more to protect students and taxpayer dollars,” Hassan added. “This bipartisan bill will require that the federal government establish an identity fraud detection system during the student financial aid process, catching scammers on the front-end before tax dollars leave the government’s bank account. I will continue to combat the scourge of scams and ensure that higher education is accessible for all Americans.” GOP DISRUPTOR COUNTERS BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN BAILOUTS WITH PLAN TO SHIFT COSTS AWAY FROM TAXPAYERS The U.S. Department of Education recently “launched a new, real-time fraud detection capability” pertaining to the FAFSA form. The department noted that “fraud detection is built directly into the FAFSA itself, with every applicant evaluated in real-time using risk-based identity screening.” “Applicants who display a certain level of fraud risk will now be required to present government-issued identification before accessing federal student aid funds such as Pell Grants and federal student loans,” the department said.
Hasan Piker no-shows pro-communist event over alleged safety fears while mocking Trump assassination attempt
Online influencer Hasan Piker mocked the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump during a livestream Tuesday night, even as he bailed on a panel hosted by a pro-communist nonprofit, with organizers citing safety reasons amid backlash to his rhetoric. Piker, a self-described Marxist and popular streamer on the Twitch platform, was slated to appear as the headliner at an event hosted by the People’s Forum in Manhattan, “Columbia & Palestine: A Test of Democracy — Featuring Hasan Piker & Guests,” but he was a no-show. Instead, while the panel proceeded without him, he streamed his show live from New York City, which he called “Mamdanistan” for Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He spent much of the six hours reading aloud articles and X posts about himself, at turns giddy, and then complaining about the “threats,” “disparagement campaigns” and “smears” he’d received for spewing rhetoric that critics say has stoked a culture of political violence. Last year, the far-left streamer drew public scrutiny when he called for the murder of Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., as Republicans targeted Medicaid and Medicare fraud. He said, “If you cared about Medicare fraud or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott.” A fellow panelist told attendees that Piker withdrew due to “the level of attacks and targeting that he has been going through from the right and the left and right,” following backlash after “the situation” with the attempted assassination on Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on Saturday. The episode highlights intensifying scrutiny of rhetoric by leftists like Piker, following the assassination attempt, as critics point to a pattern of inflammatory comments and question the influence of online personalities during a volatile political moment. On Tuesday, writer Peter Hamby at liberal Puck News even acknowledged, “There is a rising miasma of conspiratorial thinking, dangerous fact-denying, and dehumanizing language that has taken hold on the American left.” He singled out “clout-chasers.” While the panel unfolded at the People’s Forum without Piker, the influencer used his livestream on Twitch to mock the assassination attempt and amplify conspiracy theories that it was a fabricated operation. LEAVITT BLAMES ‘LEFT-WING CULT OF HATRED’ AFTER WHCA DINNER SHOOTING He also fawned over late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s pre-taped White House Correspondents’ Dinner roast, including a controversial dig at first lady Melania Trump having the “glow of an expectant widow.” Piker laughed at the joke and interjected: “That is the bar,” a play off a slang term, “bars,” popularized in hip-hop culture to refer to extremely good lyrics. He continued, smiling: “‘You have a glow like an expectant widow’ is bars. I’m afraid to report that that is actually bars.” Right about then, about 22 minutes into the People’s Forum event and well into Piker’s separate six-hour livestream, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in April 2025 before being released by an immigration judge, took the microphone and said, “First, I would answer, or I would speak to the thing that many of you are wondering, most likely, and the question is, where is Hasan Piker?” The crowd laughed. He continued, “Oh, yeah, Hasan was supposed to be with us tonight, and we had to do a last-minute call because of the level of attacks and targeting that he has been going through from the right and the left and, specifically, since last night, with the situation in the White House, there are people who are trying to point fingers to Hasan.” MORNING GLORY: 2026 SHOULD BE YEAR ANTISEMITISM BECOMES UNACCEPTABLE IN AMERICA AGAIN Mahdawi continued, “As we know, this is a whole war on truth. The system is trying to silence us and to censor us from speaking up for Palestine and from sharing our truth, because the truth has its own power. And we had to debate, as a team, with the People’s Forum team, as well, whether if we should actually reschedule it or cancel it, and it wasn’t as difficult of a decision as one might imagine, because we knew our North Star, and our North Star is to be with you and to empower ourself and to continue to share our truth.” He finished: “So while we are with you here tonight, Hasan is streaming right now and watching us.” The crowd broke out in cheers. DEM AND GOP LAWMAKERS TRADE BLAME OVER RHETORIC AFTER WHCD SHOOTING: ‘IT IS DISGUSTING’ While the People’s Forum panel lamented the alleged threats against Piker and the streamer blasted Trump and the first lady during his livestream, NYPD Community Affairs officers were on foot outside the venue, and multiple police cars lined West 37th Street in Manhattan. POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM Already, lawmakers on the House Ways and Means and Oversight Committees are investigating the People’s Forum, a New York City-based nonprofit, as a hub for allegedly stoking chaos and hate in the country as part of a wider malign foreign influence operation. A Fox News Digital investigation found that the nonprofit received $22.4 million from Neville Roy Singham, a Shanghai-based American tech tycoon who has promoted Chinese Communist Party propaganda. The organization has played a visible role organizing agitators at far-left protests and demonstrations in New York City and across the country, often in coordination with a network of pro-communist nonprofits funded by Singham, including CodePink, co-founded by his wife, Jodie Evans. Piker has faced repeated criticisms for past remarks. Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Piker dismissed the reports of Israelis raped by Hamas militants, saying, “It doesn’t matter if f—ing rapes happened on Oct. 7. Like that doesn’t change the dynamic for me even this much,” pinching his fingers together. He later told TV host Piers Morgan in April 2024 that he supports the chant, “Globalize the intifada,” which critics say calls for violence against Jews and the state of Israel. “I am perfectly comfortable with people chanting about the intifada,”
Supreme Court unanimously slaps down blue state targeting pro-life group
The Supreme Court unanimously sided with a group of faith-based pregnancy centers on Wednesday that challenged the New Jersey attorney general’s investigation into whether the centers misled donors and the public about steering women away from having abortions. The case was brought by First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a group of five Christian-based facilities in New Jersey that provide various pre-natal services to women facing unplanned pregnancies. The Supreme Court found the state investigation violated the centers’ First Amendment rights, handing a victory to the pro-life movement, which had argued the probe rattled the centers’ donors. The opinion was narrow, finding that First Choice is now able to sue over the state investigation in federal court. First Choice had argued that then-Attorney General Matt Platkin, an elected Democrat, had issued baseless subpoenas to the pregnancy centers for donor information. Platkin had contended that the facilities presented consumer fraud concerns that the state had broad authority to investigate. PRO-LIFE CENTER FIGHTS NEW JERSEY ATTORNEY GENERAL’S ‘FISHING EXPEDITION’ IN SUPREME COURT BATTLE Justice Neil Gorsuch, who authored the opinion, agreed with First Choice, saying the state-issued subpoenas breached the First Amendment. “An official demand for private donor information is enough to discourage reasonable individuals from associating with a group. It is enough to discourage groups from expressing dissident views,” Gorsuch wrote. The high court’s majority rebuked Platkin, saying his probe did not align with longstanding court precedent. “Over and again, we have held those demands burden the exercise of First Amendment rights,” Gorsuch wrote. “Disputing none of these precedents but seeking ways around them, the Attorney General has offered a variety of arguments. Some are old, some are new, but none succeeds.” PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT CONFRONTS HIGH ABORTION RATES THREE YEARS AFTER DOBBS Current New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport downplayed the ruling in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “Today’s procedural decision holds only that First Choice can pursue its challenge to our subpoena, not that its challenge should prevail,” Davenport said. “New Jersey law makes clear that nonprofits cannot deceive or defraud New Jerseyans. … We look forward to defending our subpoena in court. We will continue to enforce our fraud laws without fear or favor.” SUPREME COURT HANDS GOP A REDISTRICTING WIN BY STRIKING DOWN LOWER COURT BLOCK ON TEXAS MAP Alliance Defending Freedom counsel Erin Hawley, who presented First Choice’s case during oral arguments, called the decision a “resounding victory” and noted the services the centers provide. “New Jersey’s attorney general targeted First Choice—a ministry that provides parenting classes, free ultrasounds, baby clothes, and more to its community—simply because of its pro-life views,” Hawley said. “That is blatantly unconstitutional.” Hawley noted that if Davenport planned to continue the state’s fight in federal court, ADF lawyers “look forward to presenting First Choice’s case” there. Fox News Digital met with First Choice Executive Director Aimee Huber in New Brunswick at one of the counseling centers just ahead of oral arguments last fall, where she said donors had kept the centers afloat for four decades and that Platkin’s probe was designed to cripple the facilities. “I think it’s important to realize that there have been no complaints that have been cited by the attorney general against First Choice, not one,” Huber said at the time. “So, when we received the subpoena, it was clearly a fishing expedition. There were no complaints by donors or clients.” Fox News’ Bill Mears and Shannon Bream contributed to this report.
Supreme Court rules on key Voting Rights Act rule as Republicans and Democrats wage redistricting war
The Supreme Court on Wednesday limited the scope of a key Voting Rights Act provision that restricts how states draw districts affecting minority voters, constraining states’ use of race as a factor when drawing congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. Justices for the 6-3 majority ruled that Louisiana’s newly redrawn congressional map, which created a second majority-Black district, constituted an “illegal” racial gerrymander. Though the justices acknowledged that compliance with the Voting Rights Act can be a compelling interest for states, they ruled that it did not require Louisiana to create the new map with a second, majority Black district. Compliance with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, “as properly construed, can provide such a reason,” Justice Samuel Alito said, writing for the majority. “Correctly understood, Section 2 does not impose liability at odds with the Constitution, and it should not have imposed liability on Louisiana for its 2022 map.” “Compliance with Section 2 thus could not justify the State’s use of race-based redistricting here,” he added. JUDGES SAY THEY’LL REDRAW LOUISIANA CONGRESSIONAL MAP THEMSELVES IF LAWMAKERS CAN’T While the ruling does not overturn the Voting Rights Act or Section 2, it is likely to narrow how minority representation influences multiple states’ congressional maps, and trigger a new wave of legal challenges over congressional boundaries. The case, Louisiana v. Callais, was first argued last March before the Supreme Court, and centered on whether Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map, which had added a second majority-Black district, amounted to an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The dispute reached the high court after months of legal back-and-forth, including oral arguments last March, and a rare second round of arguments last October, focused on whether Louisiana’s map (and creation of the second majority-Black district under the VRA) violated the 14th or 15th Amendments of the Constitution. Conservative justices appeared skeptical during October’s arguments about keeping Section 2 of the VRA in place, as is, and pressed the lawyer for the NAACP on whether she believed there should be a time duration limit on the intentional use of race in drawing voting districts under the law. During those arguments, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and other conservatives on the high court appeared open to the idea that Congress, in passing the 1965 Voting Rights Act law, may have intended a sort of “sunset period” for Section 2, allowing it to weaken over time. That possibility was invoked by Kavanaugh several times during oral arguments, as he pressed lawyers for the state of Louisiana and the NAACP for more specifics. Hashim Mooppan, the principal deputy solicitor general, told the court the congressional map in Louisiana that was drafted in response to Section 2 of the VRA could also be construed as a “reverse partisan gerrymander,” and one that is also based on “purely racial” considerations. Meanwhile, NAACP lawyer Janai Nelson, arguing the case on behalf of Black voters, told the high court that siding with Louisiana’s request to reverse the map would be a “staggering reversal of precedent,” which she said “would throw maps across the country into chaos.” NEW MAJORITY-BLACK LOUISIANA HOUSE DISTRICT REJECTED, NOVEMBER ELECTION MAP STILL UNCERTAIN A ruling from the high court has long been expected to have major implications for future elections. Critics have warned in recent months that weakening VRA could further erode protections for minority voters under the Voting Rights Act, at a time when several Republican-led states have attempted to aggressively push through new congressional maps ahead of the midterms. They argued in filings to the Supreme Court that non-Black voters failed to show the direct harm required for equal protection claims or prove race was the main factor in redrawing the map. But lawyers arguing the case on behalf of the NAACP and Black voters in the state have warned that a ruling in favor of Louisiana could have a staggering impact on races in 2026 and beyond. A recent report from the nonprofit groups Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund estimates that an overhaul of the VRA could swing an estimated 12 Democratic-held House districts in favor of Republican candidates. This is a breaking news story. Check back shortly for updates.
Photo of Trump assassination attempt suspect Cole Allen in hotel room released as DOJ seeks to keep him jailed
The Department of Justice is urging a federal court to keep Cole Allen, the suspect accused of opening fire at the Washington Hilton Hotel during the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, behind bars pending trial. The DOJ’s filing on Wednesday includes a new photo showing Allen armed and inside a hotel room before the shooting unfolded. “The United States of America, by and through its attorney, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, respectfully submits this memorandum in support of its oral motion to detain defendant Cole Tomas Allen pending trial,” a filing notes. Jeanine Pirro is the U.S. district attorney for the District of Columbia. COLE ALLEN CHARGED IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN FIRST COURT APPEARANCE AFTER WHCA DINNER SHOOTING “At approximately 8:03 p.m., while back inside his hotel room, the defendant used his cellphone to take a photograph of himself in the mirror,” the filing states, explaining that Allen “appeared to be wearing a small leather bag consistent in appearance with the ammunition-filled bag later recovered from his person (item 1), a shoulder holster (item 2), a sheathed knife consistent in appearance with one of the knives later recovered from his person (item 3), and pliers and wire cutters consistent in appearance with those later recovered from his person (item 4).” The filing asserts that Allen was seeking to kill President Donald Trump. UNEARTHED VIDEO REVEALS COLE ALLEN AS QUIET INVENTOR YEARS BEFORE ALLEGED BID TO ASSASSINATE TRUMP “Had the defendant achieved his intended outcome, he would have brought about one of the darkest days in American history. The defendant traveled across the country with the explicit aim to kill the President of the United States,” the document declares, describing the effort as “a planned attack of unfathomable malice.” The Justice Department strongly argued that the suspect should not be released pending trial. REAGAN SHOOTER CALLS LINK TO WASHINGTON HOTEL ‘SPOOKY’ AFTER ALLEGED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AT SAME SITE “The facts and circumstances in this case compel the conclusion that there is no condition or combination of conditions that would reasonably assure the community’s safety if the defendant were released pending trial,” the filing asserts. “Detention is warranted based on the gravely serious and highly calculated nature of the defendant’s crimes, the overwhelming evidence of his guilt, and the intolerable risk that he will again resort to extreme violence to register political disagreement,” the document states.
Senator demands probe after truck driver who allegedly fraudulently obtained license, citizenship kills family
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is calling on multiple departments to investigate the gaps in oversight that allowed for a foreign national to fraudulently obtain a commercial driver’s license and possibly U.S. citizenship before allegedly causing an accident that killed an Ohio family. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Moreno urged top federal officials to launch a sweeping probe into how the driver, Modou Ngom, was able to remain in the United States for decades while allegedly evading immigration enforcement and obtaining official identification under false pretenses. “Simply put, he is a criminal and should never have been in the U.S. in the first place,” Moreno wrote in the letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, adding that the situation amounts to an “inexcusable failure” in a variety of areas. Ohio officials revealed last week that a semitruck driver charged in a fiery interstate crash that killed a young family of three fraudulently obtained an Ohio driver’s license, a commercial driver’s license and later U.S. citizenship under an alternate identity. FATHER OF GIRL INJURED BY ILLEGAL MIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER SLAMS ‘INSENSITIVE’ RHETORIC DURING NOEM HEARING Ngom, 50, was arrested after authorities said he caused the April 11 chain-reaction crash on Interstate 71 northbound near U.S. 36, when his semitrailer slammed into slowed traffic in a construction zone and ignited a deadly fire, killing Lynnea Soposki, 36, Luke Soposki, 37, and their 1-year-old son, Logan. The senator cited state and federal records indicating Ngom allegedly used multiple names and birthdates over the years, securing both state and federal identification before eventually becoming a naturalized citizen using a false identity. “This case is not an isolated administrative failure — it is a systemic breakdown with fatal consequences,” Moreno wrote. TOM HOMAN VOWS ACTION AS CALIFORNIA SET TO RELEASE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO KILLED TWO TEENS Moreno praised the local prosecutors for charging Ngom with vehicular homicide but said the case demands a broader federal response and courtesy copied both the Department of Justice and State Department on the letter. “The Department of Justice should bring all appropriate federal charges against Ngom, including, potentially, immigration fraud, false statements, and identity-document crimes,” Moreno wrote. Moreno also called on the State Department to review Ngom’s citizenship status, suggesting denaturalization proceedings if fraud is confirmed. The senator warned in the letter that the case highlights vulnerabilities in both immigration enforcement and the commercial trucking industry, arguing that bad actors are able to “game the system” while law-abiding drivers follow the rules. “It is outrageous that honest truckers follow the rules while criminal aliens game the system and operate 80,000-pound vehicles that are capable of mass harm on our highways,” Moreno wrote. “When the federal government turns a blind eye and fails to police its own borders, it is innocent American families on Ohio roads who pay the ultimate price,” the senator added. BLUE STATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER ICE BUSTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ ON LICENSE Moreno thanked Duffy and Mullin for their leadership and commitment to “protecting the American people” but requested answers to several questions within 30 days, including for a full accounting of how Ngom was able to enter and remain in the United States while allegedly using multiple identities to obtain legal status and credentials. Moreno asks federal officials to identify how Ngom entered the U.S. and through which port of entry, what aliases and identities he used to obtain state and federal identification, and whether he submitted fraudulent documents during both the immigration and naturalization processes, including how those discrepancies were not caught by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). He also presses agencies to determine whether Ngom received any federal benefits and what records exist related to those interactions. Moreno asks what documentation Ngom used to obtain a CDL and how a potentially fraudulent identity passed verification, whether Ngom or his trucking company committed additional unreported crimes, and what corrective actions federal agencies will take to close the loopholes that allowed this case to occur. “These needless tragedies are avoidable with staunch enforcement of our immigration laws,” Moreno writes. “Fortunately, President Trump has taken historic steps to remove illegal aliens from our nation. We must choose the safety of American families over those who spit in the face of our laws and customs. When that responsibility is neglected, the consequences are measured in American lives. If we cannot protect our own citizens from fraudsters, then our immigration and licensing regimes are not just broken—they are complicit.” A DOT spokesperson told Fox News Digital the department will respond directly to Moreno and pointed to a previous press release on preventing unqualified drivers from being on the road. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ, State Department and DHS for comment.
Powell could remain at the Fed despite looming end of chair term
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to deliver what is expected to be his final news conference as head of the Fed on Wednesday. The end of his chairmanship next month, however, may not mark his departure from the world’s most powerful central bank — and the circumstances are setting the scene for a standoff between Powell and President Donald Trump. If Powell steps aside, it would open a seat for Trump to fill, giving him another opportunity to shape the Fed’s leadership. If he stays, he would retain influence over U.S. monetary policy, intensifying tensions with the president. TRUMP VS THE FEDERAL RESERVE: HOW THE CLASH REACHED UNCHARTED TERRITORY What began as a disagreement over interest rates has escalated into a broader confrontation between Powell and Trump, marking one of the most fraught periods of his eight years as Fed chair. Trump has intensified his pressure campaign in recent months, publicly criticizing the Fed’s benchmark interest rate decisions and, at times, resorting to personal attacks. Powell’s tenure at the central bank dates back to 2017, when he was selected by Trump to succeed Janet Yellen. He was reappointed to a second four-year term by President Joe Biden in 2022, which expires on May 15. However, his underlying term as a Fed governor runs longer, allowing him to remain at the central bank until 2028. In March, Powell told reporters he had not decided on his next steps and declined to say whether he would remain on the Fed’s board after his term as chair ends. Powell’s decision could now carry major implications for markets and policy — and further inflame those tensions. ONE LITTLE-KNOWN MEETING HELPS DECIDE WHAT AMERICANS CAN AFFORD — AND WHAT THEY CAN’T Attention is now turning to who will lead the Fed next. And at the same time, the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on a case involving Fed Governor Lisa Cook, which could test the limits of presidential power over the central bank. Trump has selected millionaire Kevin Warsh as Powell’s potential successor. The contentious confirmation process had been delayed by a Justice Department investigation into Powell’s congressional testimony related to renovations of the Fed’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., which some lawmakers said needed to be resolved before moving forward. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., called the DOJ investigation “bogus” and vowed to block Warsh’s nomination until it was dropped — even if he didn’t object to the quality of Trump’s pick. THE ONE LINE IN WARSH’S TESTIMONY SIGNALING A BREAK FROM THE FED’S STATUS QUO With the investigation now closed, a Senate panel is expected to take up Warsh’s nomination, putting the former Morgan Stanley banker on track for a full Senate vote. Like Powell, Warsh is not an economist by training, instead bringing a background in law and finance. He previously served on the Fed’s Board of Governors, becoming the youngest member in its history at age 35. His potential return comes at a critical moment for the central bank. The question of leadership at the Fed comes as policymakers weigh persistent inflation, the economic impact of the war in Iran and a fragile global outlook ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Pentagon urges Congress to codify ‘Department of War’ name change it estimates will cost $52 million
The Pentagon has formally asked for congressional approval to codify its “Department of War” moniker, estimating it will cost taxpayers around $52 million. The estimate from the Pentagon is significantly lower than what the Congressional Budget Office projected in January, when it estimated the rebranding could cost as much as $125 million if it were adopted “broadly and rapidly” throughout the department. The Pentagon claimed the change, which includes renaming the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of War, would have no “significant impact” on President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2027 defense budget request because most implementation costs will be absorbed during the current 2026 fiscal year. The “actual costs are being collected during implementation and will be available” once the current fiscal year’s execution of the name change is completed, according to the department. HAWLEY, WARREN TEAM UP TO BACK UP TRUMP, CRACK DOWN ON DEFENSE CONTRACTOR PAYOUTS In its legislative proposal, the Pentagon said roughly $52 million is expected to be used, including $44.6 million for the Defense Agencies and the department’s field activities, $3.5 million for the military departments, $3 million for Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s office and Washington Headquarters Services, $400,000 for the Joint Staff, Combatant Commands and National Guard Bureau. “The revision to the designation of the Department serves as a fundamental reminder of the importance and reverence of our core mission, to fight and win wars,” the proposal reads. “It serves as a strategic objective in which to measure and prioritize all activities.” The request to rebrand the department would make around 7,600 changes to federal law. The Pentagon has already changed its website and social media accounts to reflect the rebranding, and Hegseth’s nameplate on his office door already reads, “Secretary of War.” NEW ARMY SECRETARY PRAISES TRUMP, HEGSETH FOR CREATING ‘A LANE FOR CHANGE’ AS HE ZEROES IN ON CUTTING WASTE This comes after Trump signed an executive order in the fall to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War, a move that sparked criticism but that some anti-war advocates argued was more fitting for an administration they say is eager to wage war. “The name change really does help highlight how rogue, unconstitutional, and unlawful the president’s actions are,” former Rep. Justin Amash, a Republican turned Libertarian, wrote on X in September. But some of Trump’s Republican allies in Congress have signaled support for the name change, with Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introducing legislation in their respective chambers seeking to codify the rebranding. Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle, Democrats have criticized the Pentagon’s request to codify the moniker, as lawmakers begin hashing out the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill. “The American people can’t afford groceries, gas, or rent — and the Pentagon has ALREADY wasted $50 million on renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War. Now they want more money,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., wrote on X. The Department of War was established in 1789 by President George Washington. It was later replaced by the National Military Establishment in 1947, which was redesignated as the Department of Defense in 1949.
DHS taunts media for reporting about ‘Green Bay man’ illegal immigrant charged in vicious machete attack
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security called out the legacy media for characterizing the perpetrator of a recent Wisconsin machete attack as a “Green Bay man” when he is actually an illegal alien from Nicaragua. Fox News Digital has learned that David Joel Herrera-Garcia, 24, who is charged with two counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault and armed burglary, is an illegal immigrant who was marked as a “non-enforcement priority” by the Biden administration, according to DHS. Herrera-Garcia’s charges stem from an alleged break-in and machete attack at the home of his ex-girlfriend. Citing local reports, DHS said the Green Bay police responding to an emergency call discovered bloodied female and male victims in the early morning of April 20. The agency said that police on the scene found blood “all over the concrete” leading up to the house. The woman, Herrera-Garcia’s 23-year-old ex-girlfriend, identified him as the attacker, and he was arrested later that morning. DHS has lodged an immigration detainer for Herrera-Garcia for the Brown County Jail to turn him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for possible deportation. The agency commented that “despite the legacy media calling Herrera-Garcia a ‘Green Bay man,’ he is in fact an illegal alien from Nicaragua.” SANCTUARY POLICIES LET ALLEGED CHILD PREDATOR ROAM FREE UNTIL DHS MADE PORTLAND, OREGON, AIRPORT ARREST’ “Yet again, legacy media has gone to bat for a vicious criminal illegal alien allowed by the Biden administration to roam our streets and prey upon innocent people,” remarked Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. The agency said that Herrera-Garcia allegedly used a key to enter his ex-girlfriend’s home before proceeding to beat her and repeatedly stab her and a man with a machete. Officers responding to the emergency call applied tourniquets to the victims, who were transported to a hospital. The female victim suffered a head injury and lacerations on her hand and neck. The male victim, whose age was not given, sustained wounds on his shoulder, forearm and shin. According to DHS, Herrera-Garcia entered the country illegally in Texas as a minor with his father in 2019. He was given a final order of removal in 2022 after he failed to appear at his immigration hearings. However, the agency said that in the final days of the Biden administration, ICE used its prosecutorial discretion to label Herrera-Garcia as a “non-enforcement priority.” The agency said that ICE under former President Joe Biden chose not to take him into custody following an arrest by local law enforcement on charges of driving without a license. ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF NY DUMPSTER RAPE CAPTURED ON TEXAS BUS AS HE FLED TOWARD SOUTHERN BORDER: DA “The Biden administration marked this criminal illegal alien as a non-enforcement priority,” said Bis. “This is not a ‘Green Bay man.’ This is a criminal illegal alien from Nicaragua who barbarically attacked two people with a machete,” she added. “Under President Trump’s leadership, ICE lodged an arrest detainer with our local authorities to ensure this monster is never released back into our communities.” This comes amid heightened scrutiny on jurisdictions across the country with sanctuary policies limiting cooperation with ICE. BLUE STATE RESIDENTS ‘FLEEING IN DROVES’ AFTER ‘INSANE’ PROGRESSIVE TAKEOVER, SAYS TOP STATE ATTORNEY Bis has previously slammed sanctuary politicians, saying that “at every step on the way to make America safe again,” they “have tried to slow ICE down and chosen to release criminals from their jails into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office and to spokespeople for Biden for comment.