Time appears to be running out for John Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is under fire after reports came out saying that he hired former Staff Secretary Rob Porter, knowing he had a history of domestic abuse. The White House denied that it knew about Porter's background, until now. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified on Capitol Hill saying that the FBI had closed its file on Porter, and given a report to the White House when Porter was trying to get security clearance.
Michael Harriot, Columnist at The Root, explains why Kelly is in such hot water. Despite the fact that FBI Director Wray's testimony directly contradicts the White House's statements, it doesn't mean Kelly is going to get the boot.
The White House budget office says mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
President Donald Trump says “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China restricted exports of rare earths needed for American industry. The Republican president suggested Friday he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves. Trump says one of the policies the U.S. is calculating is "a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States." A monthslong calm on Wall Street was shattered, with U.S. stocks falling on the news. The Chinese Embassy in Washington hasn't responded to an Associated Press request for comment.
Most members of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate setting committee supported further reductions to its key interest rate this year, minutes from last month’s meeting showed.
From Wall Street trading floors to the Federal Reserve to economists sipping coffee in their home offices, the first Friday morning of the month typically brings a quiet hush around 8:30 a.m. eastern, as everyone awaits the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report.
The Supreme Court is allowing Lisa Cook to remain as a Federal Reserve governor for now.
Rep. John Moolenaar has requested an urgent briefing from the White House after Trump supported a deal giving Americans a majority stake in TikTok.
