Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer oversaw a “toxic, intimidating and humiliating” work environment and engaged in numerous violations of department policy, according to a new report from the department’s Office of Inspector General. Meanwhile, confronted by an intransigent Iranian government that's refused to back down in the face of a massive military campaign, President Donald Trump appears to have settled on a dual-prong approach that combines economic pressure with the potential of a devastating escalation in force. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday rejected the use of the word “war” to describe the U.S. fighting with Iran as he steered clear of predicting that the 6-month-old conflict would be over by November’s midterm elections, in which Republicans are trying to hang on to their narrow majorities in Congress.
Other allegations in the internal report on Chavez-DeRemer Among the allegations are accusations that senior staff berated employees in front of colleagues and made staffing decisions based on physical appearance rather than professional qualifications. In one incident, during a personal trip to Oregon, Chavez-DeRemer allegedly stopped at a strip club featuring partially nude dancers and directed her limousine driver to give money to a performer, the report said. The report says it was based on interviews with 53 current and former labor department staffers and one employee from another federal agency, as well as a review of more than 500 documents, images and videos.
Trump hails ‘great’ jobs numbers and calls again for lower interest rates The president posted on his social media site that the job tally broke “all estimates (except mine!).” “Lower the interest rates because the U.S.A. is a much stronger credit than it was just a short time ago! A STRONG COUNTRY MEANS A LOWER INTEREST RATE” Trump wrote. He added that, “We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World, like ‘the old days’ and threatened: “LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT.” In August, employers added a surprising 162,000 jobs, according to the latest jobs report.
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has said inflation is still too high and suggested the central bank may have to raise interest rates in the coming months. Watchdog report: Former labor secretary oversaw a hostile work environment and misused funds The report includes allegations that Chavez-DeRemer “engaged in an inappropriate relationship” with a member of her security detail and violated travel regulations by combining personal and official travel, as well as violating the department’s alcohol policies, directing staff to perform personal tasks on official timing, and failing to report gifts through appropriate channels. Chavez-DeRemer, who resigned earlier this year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email listed on her Facebook page.
Jordan’s alliance with the US makes the kingdom a target for Iranian strikes Jordan, a staunch U.S. ally that hosts American forces in the Mideast, has paid a price for its relationship with Washington, which has made the kingdom’s military bases a target of repeat Iranian strikes. Hundreds of drone and missile attacks have added to other strains on Jordan that include a slumping economy and volatility in the neighboring West Bank, where Israeli settlers have ramped up attacks on Palestinians. Despite the risk of more strikes, Jordanian leaders say they’re committed to maintaining the relationship after decades of courting deeper security ties with American officials and offering to be a reliable partner with the West in a region rocked by conflict.
Analysts say the alliance offers Jordan a way to guard against Iran’s attempts to destabilize its neighbors. Solid job figures could boost the case for a Fed rate hike The jump in hiring last month and low unemployment rate point to a mostly solid job market, a sign the Federal Reserve could lift rates at its meeting next month to combat inflation. Steady hiring suggests overall interest rates aren’t high enough to cool borrowing, spending and inflation.
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