'Banana republic type stuff': Nobel economist Paul Krugman blows up at Trump on CNN

Robert Davis
August 26, 2025 

RAW STORY

CNN screenshot

A prominent economist bashed President Donald Trump's attempts to fire a Federal Reserve governor on Tuesday.

Paul Krugman, who won the Nobel Prize in 2008 for his work on trade theory, discussed Trump's efforts to fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve with CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead." Krugman said Trump has presented "no evidence" that Cook did anything that would warrant her being removed from her job for cause, as he's claimed, and that the move itself is "completely insane."

Cook was appointed by former President Joe Biden and confirmed in a 50-50 Senate vote in 2022. She is the only Black woman to serve as a Federal Reserve governor in the body's history.

"It's banana republic type stuff," Krugman said.

Krugman added that the Federal Reserve system was built with checks and balances to prevent presidents like Trump from raising and lowering interest rates at will. Countries that allow their leaders to manipulate interest rates, such as Turkey, have seen their inflation rates skyrocket, he said.

"This is really awful," Krugman said. "It would be bad enough if he were simply pressuring the Fed or even managing to find some cause to fire somebody, but this is actually saying, 'If you, Federal Reserve official, get in my way or don't follow my orders, I will ruin your life.'"

"This is intimidation, personal intimidation," Krugman continued. "It's right out of the authoritarian playbook. There's a reason that we want the Federal Reserve to be insulated."

Watch the entire clip below or by clicking here.

 

Fed Governor Lisa Cook to Sue Over Trump's Dubious Dismissal Attempt

One observer warned that the president's move may backfire, as the discovery process of Cook's suit could "find out if the White House ordered a Trump loyalist to move against her."


US Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook speaks at a May 8, 2024 event at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC.
Photo by Paul Morigi/Brookings Institution/flickr/cc

Brett Wilkins
Aug 26, 2025
COMMON DREAMS

Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook will file a lawsuit challenging US President Donald Trump's attempt to fire her, the economist's lawyer said Tuesday.

Attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement that Trump "has no authority" to fire Cook, a nominee of former President Joe Biden who has served on the Fed Board of Governors since 2022 and whose term is not set to expire until 2038.

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"His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter, lacks any factual or legal basis," Lowell added. "We will be filing a lawsuit challenging this illegal action."

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) last week launched a criminal investigation of alleged mortgage fraud committed by Cook, who is the third political foe accused of the same crime by Trump.

Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte, a Trump appointee, in April referred New York Attorney General Letitia James to US Attorney General Pam Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, for criminal prosecution.

"His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter, lacks any factual or legal basis."

James, who is also represented by Lowell, successfully sued the president and theTrump Organization for fraud, resulting in a total of $450 million in penalties and interest and a 3-year ban on doing business in the state. Fraudulent activity for which the Trump Organization was found civilly liable included falsifying the valuations of numerous properties. Last week, a state appellate panel upheld the court's findings that the Trump and his organization committed fraud but threw out the 2022 judgment, calling it "excessive."

Earlier this month, the DOJ also issued a subpoena to James as part of a probe into whether she violated Trump's civil rights by filing the fraud suit.

In May, Pulte also referred Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)—the lead manager of the first of Trump's two impeachments—to the DOJ.

Trump—who has repeatedly railed against "lawfare" and signed a day one executive order aimed at "ending the weaponization of the federal government—has called for the prosecution of James and Schiff.

Responding Monday to the president's allegations and effort to oust her, Cook said that "Trump purported to fire me 'for cause' when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so."

"I will not resign," she added. "I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022."

Although a president may fire a Fed board member for cause, no such official has ever been removed in the body's 111-year history.

Critics say Trump's effort to terminate Cook is yet another attempt to bully the Fed and Chair Jerome Powell as his administration pushes the nation's central bank to lower interest rates.

However, some observers, including journalist Greg Sargent, warned Tuesday that Trump's firing of Cook could backfire, as her lawsuit's discovery process may allow Lowell "to find out if the White House ordered a Trump loyalist to move against her."

"The real question this raises is: Why is Pulte scrutinizing mortgages that just happen to belong to many high-profile opponents of Trump, and how did he come to select these targets?" Sargent wrote for The New Republic. "Experts recently told me that this use of the FHFA mortgage-fraud process appears highly suspect at best."

Adam Levitin, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, recently accused Pulte of "serving as the attack dog for Trump's attempts to gain control over the independent Federal Reserve Board" and targeting a "political enemies list."

"Pulte's actions are something that should scare all of us: If Cook, Schiff, and James can be targeted, what stops Pulte from threatening to review the mortgage application of anyone who speaks out?" Levitin added. "And if politicized mortgage application reviews are somehow okay, won't politicized [Internal Revenue Service] audits be next?"

Fed Governor Cook says Trump has no authority to fire her


By AFP
August 26, 2025


The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady for a fifth straight meeting despite President Donald Trump's pressure to cut levels. — © AFP Mohd RASFAN
Beiyi SEOW

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook rejected US President Donald Trump’s unprecedented bid to oust her on Tuesday, saying he had no legal authority for such an intervention against a member of the independent US central bank.

After calling for her resignation last week, Trump posted a letter on Monday evening to his Truth Social platform purporting to have fired Cook “effective immediately.”

The decision cited allegations of false statements on her mortgage agreements, claiming “there is sufficient cause to remove you from your position.”

“I will not resign,” said Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board, in a statement shared with AFP by her attorney Abbe Lowell.

“President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so,” she added.

Lowell pledged to “take whatever actions are needed to prevent his (Trump’s) attempted illegal action.”

The potential legal dispute would be the latest test of presidential powers under Trump’s new term, with the 79-year-old Republican — backed by loyalists throughout the government — forcefully moving to exert executive authority.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority recently allowed Trump to fire members of other independent government boards, but notably created a carveout for the Federal Reserve in its ruling.

Federal law says that Fed officials can only be removed for “cause,” which could be interpreted to mean malfeasance or dereliction of duty.


After calling for her resignation last week, Trump posted a letter to his Truth Social platform purporting to have fired Cook ‘effective immediately’ – Copyright AFP/File SAUL LOEB, ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

In his announcement that Cook would be removed, Trump pointed to a criminal referral dated August 15 from the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s director — a staunch ally of Trump — to the US attorney general.

The referral, Trump said, provided “sufficient reason” to believe that Cook might have made “false statements” on one or more mortgage agreements.

One of the alleged false statements was that Cook had claimed two primary residences, one in Michigan and another in Georgia.

Cook has not been charged with a crime and the alleged false statements occurred before she was in her current position.

Earlier this month, Cook said in a statement that she had “no intention of being bullied to step down,” but would take questions about her financial history seriously.

The Fed did not immediately respond to media queries.

In his letter Monday, Trump said: “At a minimum, the conduct at issue exhibits the sort of gross negligence in financial transactions that calls into question your competence and trustworthiness as a financial regulator.”

– Court challenge? –

Senator Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, called Trump’s move “an authoritarian power grab that blatantly violates the Federal Reserve Act.”

She added in a statement that this “must be overturned in court.”

Trump has been ramping up pressure on the Fed this year, repeatedly criticizing its chief Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates sooner despite benign inflation data.

Fed policymakers have been cautious in cutting rates as they monitor the effects of Trump’s tariffs on prices.

Trump has made no secret of his disdain for Powell, whom he has called a “numbskull” and “moron.”

Since its last reduction in December, the Fed has held rates at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent this year. Powell on Friday opened the door to lowering levels at the bank’s upcoming policy meeting in September.

Trump also previously suggested that what he called an overly costly renovation of the Fed’s headquarters could be a reason to oust Powell, before backing off the threat.

The president has picked Stephen Miran, the leader of his White House economic panel, to fill a recently vacated seat on the Federal Reserve board.

Cook took office as a Fed governor in May 2022 and was reappointed to the board in September 2023. She was sworn in later that same month for a term ending in 2038.

She has previously served on the Council of Economic Advisers under former president Barack Obama.

The Trump administration has pursued allegations of mortgage fraud against high-profile Democrats who are seen as political adversaries of the president.

Who is Lisa Cook, the Fed governor Trump seeks to fire?


By AFP
August 26, 2025


US Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook plans to contest President Donald Trump's attempt to remove her from her position at the central bank - Copyright AFP Gregory WALTON

Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the powerful Federal Reserve Board of Governors, has become US President Donald Trump’s latest target as he ramped up pressure on the central bank.

Cook was one of former president Joe Biden’s choices to fill open seats on the Fed board — a seven-member body guiding US monetary policy — and she took office as a Fed governor in May 2022.

The daughter of a Baptist chaplain and a professor of nursing, Cook bears physical scars from racism after she was attacked as a young child while involved in an effort to integrate racially segregated schools in the state of Georgia.

Prior to joining the Fed, she dedicated much of her research as an adult to previously unmeasured economic scars of discrimination on the productive capacity of the world’s largest economy.

While the Fed is independent from the White House, Trump has repeatedly called on the central bank to slash interest rates this year and lower borrowing costs.

This separation from politics could come under threat as Trump intensifies pressure on the bank. On Monday evening, he published a letter on his Truth Social platform, saying that he was removing Cook from her position immediately over claims of mortgage fraud.

But Cook has rejected Trump’s attempt to oust her, saying that he had no authority to do so and that she would not resign. Her lawyer said Tuesday they would file a lawsuit to challenge Trump’s announcement.

Before becoming a Fed governor, Cook was a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University. She earned an economics degree from Oxford University and a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley.

In 2023, she was reappointed to the Fed’s board and sworn in for a term ending 2038.

Since joining the central bank, Cook has voted with Fed Chair Jerome Powell in policy decisions, like most of her colleagues.

These included instances when the bank started cutting interest rates and when it decided to put a pause on rate reductions.

She has been described as a “dove” at times, a term referring to someone who tends to support lower rates.

But in a June speech she warned of longer-term risks surrounding inflation and said that the Fed’s cautious approach to rate cuts was well positioned to respond to developments.

Cook’s opponents have in the past questioned her qualifications and said she doesn’t have the background for the job, criticisms that her supporters say are fueled by her race.

“I have been the target of anonymous and untrue attacks on my academic record,” Cook told lawmakers in 2022, citing as qualifications her doctorate degree and specialties in international and macroeconomics.

Other board members, including Powell, are not trained economists, and Cook has researched inequality in the labor market.

She speaks five languages, including Russian, and also specializes in international development economics, having worked on topics such as Rwanda’s recovery following the 1994 genocide.

Cook grew up in an area of the United States where public swimming pools were destroyed rather than allowed to be integrated, and was one of the first Black children to attend her previously segregated school.

She has studied lynchings and patents issued to Black entrepreneurs, arguing that discrimination has held back the entire society, not just the direct victims of the injustice.

This Dem attempt to look anti-woke is just plain dumb

John Stoehr
August 26, 2025

ALTERNET

The Democrats' official account wants you to know it hates the Cracker Barrel rebrand too. Photo: Shutterstock


I was not planning to write about Cracker Barrel’s new logo. Neither was I planning to write about the voluminous rightwing backlash against it. The redesign, which does away with the old man sitting on a chair leaning against a barrel, doesn’t look “woke” to me. But change is hard for some, especially right-wingers who see dangers everywhere.

I feel compelled to talk about the logo change because the official Twitter account for the Democratic Party decided to talk about it. Not only that, but the account, in a post viewed nearly 14 million times, decided to agree with the rightwing freakout.

“We think the Cracker Barrel rebrand sucks, too,” the post says, over Norman Rockwell’s painting of a man voicing an unpopular opinion.


I don’t want to make too much of this, but this is a microcosm of a macro problem within the Democrats, in particular that faction of the party that has most of the money and most of the influence over the press corps.

In short, the problem is rooted in the belief among elite Democrats that they can compromise with bad actors who in turn are motivated by compromise to be worse. Even shorter, if you accept as true the lies told by the fascists, you have two enemies: them and you.

If I must guess, I’d say the Democrats’ point is showing at least some portion of the people who are freaking out about Cracker Barrel’s redesign that the Democrats played no role in the “wokification” they see. The point might even be some sort of solidarity, as if to say the Democrats dislike “radicals” and “cancel culture” as much as you do.

To this dominant faction of the Democratic Party, I would imagine this move is reasonable, perhaps politically strategic, as it seems to create a middle ground between partisan poles. (Some wonks might call this by its old name, “triangulation.”) If that doesn’t appeal to right-wingers, per se, it might appeal to indie voters who value more than anything their reputations for being nonpartisan. I might even concede to its effectiveness if the rightwing freakout were based on something true.

There’s your problem.

It isn’t based on anything. The total substance of the allegations against Cracker Barrel is the impact of the allegations themselves. That is to say, if the allegations “work” as intended, the allegations are real.

Those allegations are themselves the consequence of a reaction to change and the search for the presumably malicious causes of it. Because these are fascists and rightwing authoritarians, those causes are always the result of some kind of conspiracy by their perceived enemies. And because perceived enemies are always seeking to destroy them, change is always some sign of imminent destruction.

From their view, Cracker Barrel’s rebrand is a declaration of war.

That’s why, from the rightwing perspective, Christopher Rufo did not sound delusional when he said “we must break the Barrel.”

He went on: “It's not about this particular restaurant chain — who cares — but about creating massive pressure against companies that are considering any move that might appear to be ‘wokification.’ The implicit promise: Go woke, watch your stock price drop 20 percent, which is exactly what is happening now. … The Barrel must be broken.”

Objectively speaking, it is delusional, and no one is entitled to a public hearing of their delusions, no matter how stentorian they may seem.

As Tommy Vietor said, in reaction to Rufo: “This idiotic bull---- might have been good politics at one point, but I’m confident the pendulum has swung back and people now see these guys as insufferable little tyrants. No one cares about Cracker Barrel, you annoying dork.”

I think Vietor was on to something, briefly. After all, there’s some truth in claiming that “this idiotic bull----” has lost its populist appeal and that, as a result, the pendulum has begun swinging back so that people can now see men like Rufo as the “insufferable little tyrants” they are.

But then an official organ of the Democratic Party decided to get in the way of that pendulum swing by agreeing, and the most immediate implication is that the Democrats themselves are not nearly as liberal or democratic as they seem to be, nor are the “insufferable little tyrants” nearly as insufferable, little or tyrannical as they seem to be.

With that post, the Democrats conceded the fascists have a point.

And the Democrats should never concede anything to fascists.

Before that moment, as Vietor’s comment suggested, there was a bright moral line between the sane and the insane. There was no need to take seriously the delusions that haunt the hobgoblins of the right, and it was clear and obvious that Rufo isn’t interested in the substance of his allegations (whether they are true; whether they are based on something real), only in whether they bring him closer to his goals. And as long as liberals saw this bright moral line, there was no point in searching for good faith in the hobgoblins who have none.

As Tommy Vietor said, “No one cares about Cracker Barrel, you annoying dork.”

But then the official Twitter account of the Democratic Party stepped in. It decided to see good faith where there is none. It decided to give the benefit of the doubt to malicious actors who would never give it in return. And worst of all, that decision took a simple and rational discussion, in which it was clear which side was the sane side, and made it insane. And now, instead of dismissing the hobgoblins, here I am, in today’s edition of the Editorial Board, taking them seriously.

The pattern is everywhere.

The president makes some insane allegation (crime is out of control in Washington, DC!) to advance his fascist agenda under false pretenses (the National Guard commandeered local cops in the name of public safety, despite crime rates being at historic lows).

In response, a centrist Democrat who values his reputation more than his liberty decides to accept as real the insanity (well, crime really is a problem and cancel-culture can’t cancel that!), making himself complicit in advancing a fascist agenda ("Chicago is next and then we'll help with New York,” Donald Trump said), and making everyone insane.


And I don’t see this pattern changing any time soon, not until the dominant faction of the Democratic Party, the one with most of the money and most of the influence on the Washington press corps, understands the party’s majority, that faction without the money and without the influence, is no longer going to tolerate the belief among elite Democrats that it’s better to bargain with evil than to fight it.

To me, this is the true fault line – between those Democrats who look at the president and the Republicans and believe what they see, and those Democrats who look at them both and see what they want to see, because it suits their interests. The rightwing mind is not the only host of hobgoblins. The defenders of “the center” host them, too.

'This was no accident': DOGE under fire after report 300M Social Security numbers exposed

Brad Reed,

 Common Dreams
August 26, 2025 

A new whistleblower complaint is alleging that employees of the Department of Government Efficiency put Americans' Social Security data at risk by uploading it to a cloud server that was vulnerable to hacking.

The whistleblower complaint, which was filed by the Government Accountability Project on behalf of Social Security Administration (SSA) chief data officer Charles Borges, alleges that Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials have been responsible for "serious data security lapses" that "risk the security of over 300 million Americans' Social Security data."

The report contends that Borges has evidence of a wide array of wrongdoing by DOGE employees, including "apparent systemic data security violations, uninhibited administrative access to highly sensitive production environments, and potential violations of internal SSA security protocols and federal privacy laws by DOGE personnel."

At the heart of Borges's complaint is an effort by DOGE employees to make "a live copy of the country's Social Security information in a cloud environment" that "apparently lacks any security oversight from SSA or tracking to determine who is accessing or has accessed the copy of this data."

Should hackers gain access to this copy of Social Security data, the report warns, it could result in identity theft on an unprecedented scale and lead to the loss of crucial food and healthcare benefits for millions of Americans. The report states that the government may also have to give every American a new Social Security number "at great cost."

As noted by The New York Times, Borges did not document any confirmed breaches of the cloud system set up by the DOGE employees, but he did say that there have been "no verified audit or oversight mechanisms" to monitor DOGE's use of the data.

Andrea Meza, director of campaigns for Government Accountability Project and attorney for Borges, said that her client felt he could not remain silent given the risk to Americans' personal information.

"Mr. Borges raised concerns to his supervisors about his discovery of a disturbing pattern of questionable and risky security access and administrative misconduct that impacts some of the public's most sensitive data," she said. "Out of a sense of urgency and duty to the American public, he is now raising the alarm to Congress and the Office of Special Counsel, urging them to engage in immediate oversight to address these serious concerns."

While DOGE was established with the stated goal of protecting Americans from waste and fraud in the US government—including at the SSA, which President Donald Trump has baselessly claimed wrongly sent benefits to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants—former Labor Secretary Robert Reich said DOGE is "potentially exposing Americans to more" fraud.

Alex Lawson, executive director of the advocacy organization Social Security Works, blasted DOGE and its former leader, Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, for what he described as blatant theft.

"Elon Musk and his DOGE minions stole the American people's private Social Security data," said Lawson. "This was no accident. They come from Silicon Valley, where tech bros are furiously competing to see whose AI can gobble up the most data. Musk's nearly $300 million in contributions to Trump's campaign, along with buying Twitter and making it a de facto Trump campaign apparatus, were an investment—and now all of us are paying the price."

The official Social Security Works account on X delivered a terse three-word response to the whistleblower report: "This is criminal."

2026 FOREWARNING

Dems flip double-digit Trump district — and break GOP supermajority in Iowa

Matthew Chapman
August 26, 2025

RAW STORY


The Iowa state flag waving along with the national flag of the United States of America. (Photo credit: rarrarorro / Shutterstock)


Iowa Democrats were projected to score a major victory on Tuesday night, flipping control of the state's 1st Senate District in a special election — and breaking the Republican supermajority in that chamber.

The race was called by the Sioux City Journal and Siouxland Proud.

Catelin Drey, a mother and communications professional, faced off against GOP media consultant Christopher Prosch in the race. Unofficial results from Siouxland Proud show Drey winning by over 10 points, in a district that backed President Donald Trump by 11 points in 2024.

The seat was vacated due to the death of Republican state Sen. Rocky De Witt, who passed away after battling pancreatic cancer just into his first term of office.

Democrats were confident in flipping the seat, despite its heavy GOP lean at the presidential level, due to having held it until recently, as well as public anger among voters at the Trump administration, driving Democratic turnout.

CELEBRATING THE 'GREAT LEADER'

'This is nuts!' CNN astounded watching Trump's Cabinet take 'sycophancy to new heights'

Daniel Hampton
August 26, 2025 
RAW STORY


(Screengrab via CNN)

CNN anchor Erin Burnett expressed astonishment Tuesday evening, watching President Donald Trump's Cabinet members reach "new heights" for sycophancy.

Trump's cabinet held a meeting that lasted over three hours on Tuesday, which was fully open to the press. Each cabinet member contributed remarks about their departments and the administration's achievements.

But for Burnett, the spectacle took "sycophancy to a whole new level."

" Trump spent much of that time basking in praise from his deputies," she told viewers of her show "OutFront."

Burnett then played a lengthy montage of Cabinet members fawning over Trump.

"It’s an honor to do this job under the president’s leadership," said Vice President JD Vance.

"You are the single finest candidate since the Nobel Peace — this Nobel award was ever talked about," said special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

"Thank you for your leadership, for your boldness, for your clarity, for common sense," gushed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

"This is just such a great opportunity, really, to recognize your leadership," said Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence.

"It’s pretty great to celebrate Labor Day with a builder who loves labor," said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

"You have saved this country by making it the best place in the world to do business again," lauded Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary.

"You are really the transformational president of the American worker, along with the American flag and President Roosevelt," Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Trump's Labor secretary, said.

Burnett deadpanned, "Apparently, he even saved college football," referring to praise from Brooke Rollins, the Agriculture secretary.

Democratic strategist David Axelrod, chief strategist and senior advisor to former President Barack Obama's campaigns, joked that the Cabinet members must spend their time between meetings pondering how to become "even more obsequious as they compete with each other for the president’s favor."

"Look, this wasn’t a cabinet meeting. This was a reality show called 'Who Can Kiss the Boss’s Butt?' And they just go around the room competing!" he said.

He later concluded the meeting wasn't normal — "This is nuts!"

Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson laughed as she shared her favorite summation of the event.

"The best headline I saw, though, is, it was it was longer than 'The Godfather.' That one just got me," she said.


Watch the supercut below or at this link.

NYT's Maggie Haberman floored as Trump Cabinet gets 'endurance test' to 'praise him'

Robert Davis
August 26, 2025

RAW STORY

CNN screenshot

The Trump administration's cabinet meeting on Tuesday amounted to a display of personal affection toward the president, according to one analyst.

Maggie Haberman, a journalist at The New York Times who has written a book about President Donald Trump, joined CNN's Kaitlan Collins on "The Source" on Tuesday to discuss the meeting. At the meeting, cabinet secretaries heaped praise on Trump in front of the cameras, which caught Haberman's attention.

"What I heard is an endurance test of who could praise President Trump more," Haberman said.

"Generally, what you heard is a competition to tell Trump that he had saved the country more, and they started trying to one-up each other," Haberman added.

Another striking moment of the meeting was its "remarkable duration," Haberman said.

"I assume that a lot of those people, including the President of the United States, had other things to do that were not doing this, when it was not purely about the agency's work," Haberman said. "The lead point was to praise him."

Trump also repeated a false story about Maryland's Democratic Governor Wes Moore praising Trump during a walking tour of Baltimore.

"He says things that are not true quite often, we all know this," Haberman said. "We've gotten to see many examples over the course of three hours during the cabinet meeting today, but he often says this about people who are in opposition to him in any way, which is that they said something, or asked something, or they praised him, so it's not really a surprise."

Watch the entire clip below or by clicking here.

'North Korea is blushing': Cabinet official stuns with show of 'abject servility'

Ailia Zehra,

Alternet
August 26, 2025 



Labor Secretary Lori Chavez‑DeRemer. (Official photo)

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez‑DeRemer is facing backlash over her "sycophantic" remarks made to President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

“Mr. President, I invite you to see your big beautiful face on a banner in front of the Department of Labor because you are really the transformational president of the American worker," she said, while referencing a new banner unveiled at her department's headquarters.

The massive banner was unveiled on the Department of Labor headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Monday morning. It features Trump’s second inaugural portrait, the “America 250” logo, and the slogan “American Workers First.” It spans three stories of the building’s windows and sits beside an American flag and a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt bearing the same motto.

This is not the first federal building to host such a display. In May, a similarly styled banner appeared on the Department of Agriculture building, pairing Trump’s image with one of Abraham Lincoln. That installation drew comparisons to authoritarian propaganda.

Officials defended the Labor Department banner as a celebration of labor progress under the administration. But political figures and analysts immediately criticized it.

Critics pointed to historical examples of authoritarian regimes that used citizens’ imagery on public buildings as propaganda, and compared the banner to autocratic displays.

Meanwhile, social media users were quick to post tongue-in-cheek reactions to the labor secretary's Tuesday remarks.

MSNBC commentator Michael Cohen [not Trump's former attorney] wrote on the social platform X: "This is so sickeningly un-American."

Writer Slava Malamud said: "I can't even... I feel like we've just joyfully whistled past the Banana Republic Station and right into the Absurdistan Terminus."

"Spiro's Ghost," an account describing itself as "politically moderated," wrote: "North Korea is blushing at this s-- --."

Journalist Euan MacDonald wrote: "Abject servility to a cult leader. America has fallen so very low, so very quickly. Pathetic."

Writer Michael Freeman said: "I don't know how you can say things like this and go home at the end of the day and feel good about yourself."


Watch the video below or at this link.

France faces record chikungunya cases as US suspends vaccine licence

Mainland France has recorded an unprecedented rise in chikungunya cases this summer as the tiger mosquito spreads across the country. At the same time, US regulators have suspended the licence of a French-made vaccine after reports of serious side effects.

Issued on: 26/08/2025 - RFI

A pest control worker targets mosquitos in Bourges, central France, on 14 August 2025, after three residents contracted dengue fever while travelling overseas. Tiger mosquitoes, which are now in most of France, transmit dengue and chikungunya, tropical diseases that have been spreading across the mainland. © Guillaume Souvant/AFP

Health authorities have focused on Vitrolles, a suburb of Aix-en-Provence, where 33 locally transmitted cases have been confirmed – the largest outbreak ever seen in mainland France.

A total of 27 outbreaks involving 154 cases have been recorded in mainland France this year, according to the national health agency SPF.

France’s Reunion Island has been facing a deadly outbreak of the tropical disease since 2024, with one third of the population estimated to have been infected, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The virus has been spreading in mainland France as temperatures in northern Europe have warmed, and winters are no longer cold enough to kill off the tiger mosquitoes.

The mosquito, which also carries dengue fever, which is also on the rise, is now present in over 80 of France’s 101 departments, and mosquito control measures are being stepped up in areas with infections.

Chikungunya virus outbreak kills six on France's Réunion Island

Vaccine suspended in US

Meanwhile, US health authorities have suspended the license for Ixchiq, a vaccine against chikungunya, made by the French company Valneva, following reports of "serious adverse events", particularly in elderly patients.

Valneva obtained US approval for the vaccine in 2023, but reports of side effects have prompted reviews, including by the European Medicines Agency this year.

"As we determine potential next steps, and as the clear threat of chikungunya continues to escalate globally, Valneva remains fully committed to maintaining access to our vaccine as a global health tool," chief executive Thomas Lingelbach said in a statement.

Ixchiq is one of just two vaccines against chikungunya approved for use in the US and in Europe.

Chikungunya is rarely fatal, though there is an increased risk of death for babies and the elderly, and symptoms, which include high fever and severe joint pain, are often debilitating.

In July, the WHO warned of the risks of a major chikungunya epidemic, calling for urgent action.

(with newswires)

Stop Homophobia group joins legal case over deaths of four men in Paris

The French anti-discrimination organisation Stop Homophobia has announced it will join legal proceedings in connection with the discovery of four bodies in the Seine earlier this month. The group is also appealing for any witnesses to come forward.


Issued on: 26/08/2025 - RFI

Firefighters pulled the bodies of four men from the Seine at Choisy-le-Roi on 13 August, 2025. AFP - BERTRAND GUAY

In a statement published on its website, the organisation urged "anyone who may have seen the suspect or has information about his movements or acquaintances" to contact investigators or reach out directly to the organisation.

The bodies of four men were found floating in the Seine in Choisy-le-Roi, a suburb around 10 kilometres south-east of Paris, on 13 August.

On Sunday, a murder investigation was opened and a homeless man in his twenties indicted in connection with all four killings and placed in pre-trial detention.

According to prosecutors, his identity remains "uncertain" and he is being identified only as "Monji H".

Homeless man charged after four bodies discovered in the River Seine

One of the victims, a 48-year-old Frenchman identified by Stop Homophobia as "Franz", was a resident of Créteil, and openly gay.

The group said that, according to the victim’s relatives, Franz was known to frequent the area where the bodies were discovered – a site known as a meeting place for sexual encounters between men.

This detail has also been confirmed by the public prosecutor’s office.

Among the other victims were two young homeless men – a 21-year-old Algerian and a 26-year-old Tunisian – as well as another 21-year-old Algerian man, who lived in Choisy-le-Roi.

Two of the bodies were partially naked when pulled out of the river. Two showed signs of having been strangled.

"Every witness statement could prove crucial to establishing a timeline and preventing further tragedies," said Terrence Khatchadourian, secretary-general of Stop Homophobia.

Toxic climate blamed for rise in LGBTQI+ attacks in France

While the motive has not been officially confirmed, multiple sources close to the investigation suggest that the accused may have harboured hostility toward homosexuality, possibly influenced by an extremist religious ideology.

"This is not just an isolated incident," added the group’s lawyer, Etienne Deshoulières. "Initial findings indicate this may be an expression of systemic violence targeting gay men."

(with AFP)

France returns skulls to Madagascar 127 years after colonial massacre

France on Tuesday returned three skulls to Madagascar, including one believed to be a king who was beheaded by French troops following a massacre in August 1897.


Issued on: 26/08/2025 - 

Three skulls, including one believed to be of the Sakalavan king Toera, were formally returned to Madagascar more than a century after they were brought to France following a massacre committed by French troops. 

AFP - STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN

"These skulls entered the national collections in circumstances that clearly violated human dignity and in a context of colonial violence," said French Culture Minister Rachida Dati at a ceremony to send the relics home.

Her Madagascan counterpart, Volamiranty Donna Mara, described the return of the skulls as an "immensely significant" gesture.

"Their absence has been for more than a century an open wound in the heart of our island," Mara added.

Scientists confirmed the skulls were from the Sakalava people in western Madagascar. They said one was most likely that of King Toera, who was killed in his royal capital Dembi along with several hundred of his subjects.

"It is not clear whether he was killed by gunfire, and then his head was cut off, or whether he died because he was beheaded," historian Klara Boyer-Rossol told RFI.

"But his head disappeared. And so the descendants were deprived literally of the royal head of their ancestors."

Boyer-Rossol, an expert on the slave trade and slavery in the western Indian Ocean, said written records describe what happened in detail.

"We have quite extensive written archives which state very clearly that King Toera had laid down his arms and surrendered and so when he was attacked by Commander Augustin Gérard's troops, he was unarmed, which is why we refer to it as a massacre," he said.

Skulls kept in museums

The skulls have been in Paris museums since 1897. They are being returned under a 2023 French law that makes it easier to hand back relics and artefacts.

"The fact that we have been able to reconstruct a context of colonial violence, identify them at least in part, link them at least to territorial group identities, and also agree that their presence in French museum reserves undermines the human dignity of their descendants," said Boyer-Rossol.

"All of this allows or justifies restitution, even if the individual identity of the head to be returned could not be formally established on a scientific level."

France has taken steps to face its colonial past by returning artefacts and human remains from its museums to countries of origin.

Since his election in 2017, President Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged French abuses in Africa.

Madagascar's master artisans sail through time to revive lost ships

During a visit to Antananarivo in April, Macron spoke of seeking forgiveness for France's colonisation of Madagascar, which declared independence in 1960 after more than 60 years of colonial rule.

"Our presence here is not innocent, and our history has been written... with deeply painful pages," Macron said at a remembrance ceremony at the former royal palace.

"Only you can make this journey of forgiveness," he said after touring the palace with Princess Fenosoa Ralandison Ratsimamanga.

"But we are creating the conditions for it, by making it possible... to mourn what is no longer."

Boyer-Rossol said some might see the return of the skulls as a form of reparation.

"In my position as a historian and researcher, I hope that this restitution will shed light on the history of these collections of human remains in French museums and also encourage support for provenance research so that we can find out more about their history."

How Trump’s 'deportation campaign' is reshaping ties with Africa

Some African nations are striking deals to take in migrants deported from the United States. Others are refusing. The split shows how Trump’s policy is reshaping Washington’s ties with the continent – and raises the question of whether these agreements are made for financial gain or under pressure.


Issued on: 26/08/2025 - RFI

A plane carrying people deported by the United States lands at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela, on 18 July, as part of Washington’s push to send deportees to countries across Latin America and Africa. AP - Ariana Cubillos

Trump announced during his electoral campaign that he intended to deport "one million people a year". But while imposing new global tariffs, the White House is also scrambling to find countries willing to take in those who Washington is forcing out.

Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon and Guinea-Bissau have all refused to cooperate. The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration even approached Ukraine, without success.

Some proposals, however, have found takers in Latin America and Africa. But are these agreements motivated by lucrative rewards, or made under duress?

On the American continent, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela and El Salvador have agreed to take in individuals deported by the US. For most, the economic balance tips in Washington’s favour, with the 2004 CAFTA free trade agreement between Central America, the United States and the Dominican Republic serving as the main lever.

Three African nations – South Sudan, Eswatini and Rwanda – have also agreed to take in US deportees. According to Thierry Vircoulon, of the French Institute of International Relations think tank, these are countries that want to "get into Washington's good books". "Most of them also want to avoid being victims of a total visa ban," he added.

However, motivation to answer Trump's call looks different for each of the three.
South Sudan

On 8 July, South Sudan received eight men – only one of whom was South Sudanese – who had been deported from the US. Juba has expressed its willingness to accept more deportees, but has reportedly set certain conditions, according to Politico.

A legal challenge in the US had halted their removal, but a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way.

The country is asking Washington to reverse the revocation of visas for its nationals, which came into effect in April 2025.

South Sudan is also seeking the lifting of sanctions on several senior officials, including Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, who has been accused of corruption by the US.

It has further requested American support in prosecuting First Vice President Riek Machar, accused of inciting rebellion to block elections due in December 2026.

None of these demands have yet been met, but South Sudan continues to present itself as an ally of the US – with accepting deportees from the US seen as one way to do this.

South Sudan turns US deportations to its diplomatic advantage

Eswatini

The small monarchy of Eswatini has followed South Sudan's lead by signing a similar agreement with the US, announced on 16 July. Only five people have so far been sent to this landlocked state in Southern Africa.

The five deportees – who are originally from Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos – are all said to be criminals "of unparalleled barbarity", said Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security.

The men are being held in solitary confinement until they can be deported to their home countries, which could take up to a year.

The government of Eswatini, like South Sudan, cited its close ties with the US as a key motivator for the agreement.

According to Jean-Claude Katende, lawyer and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the country is seeking to "polish its image in the eyes of the United States and also attract financial income".

Outcry mounts in Eswatini over ‘illegal aliens’ deported from US

Rwanda

Rwanda is preparing to receive 250 people deported by the US – but this is not Kigali's first attempt at such an agreement.

In 2022, a similar deal with the United Kingdom was announced, but was then invalidated the following year by the UK Supreme Court, which ruled it unlawful. This did not prevent Rwanda from receiving part of the promised financial compensation – some €280 million.

According to Katende, there is a similarly "purely financial reason" for Kigali to accept the US proposal, but also an interest in "benefitting from an easy workforce paid low wages".

Rwanda agrees to take migrants from US in deal that includes cash grant

According to Vircoulon, Kigali is also "trying to appease the Trump administration in the context of negotiations between Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States" to end the conflict between the DRC and Rwanda – negotiations in which Rwanda is far from being in a position of strength.

"It's about giving Trump something, while the Congolese government is offering him access to its mining sector," said Vircoulon.

South Sudan, Eswatini and Rwanda, he added, "are among the poorest countries in the world and are also the source of migratory flows".

"It goes without saying that the deportees they take in will leave these ultra-poor countries and return to the illegal immigration trails."

Uganda

The latest country to sign an agreement with Washington, a Ugandan Foreign Ministry official announced on Thursday that the country had agreed to accept third-country nationals who had not been granted asylum in the US but were unable to return to their home countries.

However, there are some caveats. Uganda stressed that this was a temporary arrangement and that it would not accept anyone with a criminal record or unaccompanied minors.

It also added in its statement Uganda would prefer to receive people with African nationalities.

Uganda, a US ally, is home to 1.8 million refugees – the largest number on the African continent – mostly hailing from neighbouring South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, although Sudan’s civil war has in the past year triggered a sharp spike in arrivals.

The US embassy in Uganda declined to comment on what it called diplomatic negotiations, but the US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken by phone with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni about migration.

The department said the call focused on "migration, reciprocal trade and commercial ties" and that Rubio had "thanked Uganda for providing a model of regional stability including its valuable contributions to peacekeeping in East Africa".

Ugandan opposition MP Muwada Nkunyingi suggested that the deal with the US would give the Ugandan government legitimacy ahead of elections, and urged Washington not to turn a blind eye toward what he described as human rights and governance issues in Uganda.

Uganda's leaders will rush into a deal to "clear their image now that we are heading into the 2026 elections," he said.

Uganda has had challenges with the US after it passed an anti-homosexuality bill in 2023 that punishes consensual same-sex conduct with penalties including life imprisonment. Washington threatened consequences and the World Bank withheld some funding.

In May 2024, the US imposed sanctions on Uganda’s parliamentary speaker, her husband and several other officials over corruption and serious abuses of human rights.

Human rights lawyer Nicholas Opio likened the deportee deal to human trafficking, and said it would leave status of the deportees unclear. "Are they refugees or prisoners?" he said.

"The proposed deal runs afoul of international law. We are sacrificing human beings for political expediency, in this case because Uganda wants to be in the good books of the United States," he said. "That I can keep your prisoners if you pay me... how is that different from human trafficking?”

(with newswires and partially adapted from this article by RFI's French service)

ANTISEMITISM

Macron warns Netanyahu 'the fight against anti-Semitism cannot be exploited'

In a letter to the Israeli prime minister published on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Benjamin Netanyahu's accusation that France is fuelling anti-Semitism through its planned recognition of the Palestinian state.


Issued on: 27/08/2025 

Benjamin Netanyahu and Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference in Jerusalem, 24 October, 2023. AP - Christophe Ena

In the letter, published by French newspaper Le Monde, Macron said Netanyahu's claims of French inaction against anti-Semitism were "unacceptable and offensive to France as a whole", and warned Israel’s leader against a "murderous headlong rush" in Gaza.

He added that: "The fight against anti-Semitism must not be exploited for political ends."

The row was sparked when Netanyahu wrote to Macron on 17 August, expressing his concern over "the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in France" and accused the French president of "feeding the fire" by signalling his intention to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Activists hold a banner reading ‘Anti-Semitism is not a campaign promise’ at a protest against left-wing parties' decision to ally with France Unbowed, which many believe is anti-Semitic. © AFP - JULIEN DE ROSA

The Israeli leader argued that anti-Semitic incidents in France had risen since Macron’s statements about Palestine and accused the French government of a "lack of decisive action".

The Élysée swiftly rejected the claims, and in his letter published yesterday Macron underlined France’s record in combating anti-Semitism – which he said had historically been fuelled by the far right but today also came from segments of the far left.

He stressed: “I remain, and will remain, the guarantor of the imperative need to fight this abomination, everywhere and always.”

France rejects Netanyahu’s antisemitism claim over recognition of Palestine

Figures from France’s interior ministry show there have been 504 anti-Semitic incidents recorded between January and May this year – a decline of 24 percent compared to 2024, although still more than double the level of 2023.

The issue is particularly sensitive in France, which is home to both the largest Jewish community in Western Europe – at around half a million people – and a sizeable Arab-Muslim population.

While Macron initially stood firmly with Israel following the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, he has since sharpened his criticism of Netanyahu’s Gaza strategy.

France summons US ambassador over antisemitism criticism

In his letter, he urged the prime minister to end "the illegal and unjustifiable recolonisation of the West Bank" and embrace international efforts for "peace, security and prosperity".

Recognising a Palestinian state, Macron insisted, was not an endorsement of Hamas but instead the "only way to eradicate" the group and to spare young Israelis a future of endless war.

"The Palestinian state must constitute the end of Hamas," he wrote.

Washington too has entered the diplomatic row, with the United States ambassador to France Charles Kushner – father of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner – sending Macron a letter echoing Netanyahu’s arguments.

He was summoned to the French foreign ministry on Monday.