- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
bigjoe1
| Favorite team: | |
| Location: | |
| Biography: | |
| Interests: | |
| Occupation: | |
| Number of Posts: | 2137 |
| Registered on: | 1/15/2024 |
| Online Status: | Online |
Recent Posts
Message
Military considers using MOAB against Iran
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/15/26 at 6:06 am
quote:CNBC
The U.S. military has drawn up options for renewed strikes on Iran that include the potential use of one of the biggest non-nuclear bombs in its arsenal, CNN reported Thursday, as Tehran vowed to continue fighting for its demands.
The strike plans involve the possible use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb, nicknamed the “mother of all bombs,” CNN reported, citing multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter. CNBC has not independently confirmed the report and has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.
The 21,600-pound air-burst weapon is designed to affect surface targets over a wide area and has so far not been deployed by the U.S. in previous strikes on targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during the previous Trump administration.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that he would not order a resumption of military strikes before the midterm elections on Nov. 3.
Tensions in the Middle East are nonetheless elevated amid the sinking of a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and a string of fatal attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iran-backed Houthis.
The White House is under mounting pressure to show progress in its Middle East objectives ahead of the midterms, as the American public increasingly feels the impact at home via soaring energy prices and wider cost pressures.
Tehran is reportedly strengthening its defenses around sensitive energy and nuclear sites in preparation for a potential resumption of attacks, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, pictured on Oct. 8 in San Diego, set a U.S. Navy record spending over 260 days consecutively at sea without a port call while playing a key role in Operation Epic Fury and regional maritime security operations in the Middle East.
Iran says it’s ‘counting the moments’ until it can strike U.S. warships; Saudi Aramco facilities attacked
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a televised address late Wednesday that Iran must continue to use a combination of military and defensive capabilities, negotiations and regional strategic leverage to push the U.S. to accept its demands.
Officials in Tehran have previously listed demands including Washington lifting its naval blockade and sanctions and withdrawing U.S. military forces from the region.
Ghalibaf said Tehran’s goal is not to be locked in an endless war, but to prevent the U.S. and its other adversaries from being able to achieve their own objectives through military attacks, Iranian state-affiliated media reported.
:cool: :usa:
7
Container ship sunk in SOH
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/14/26 at 11:03 am
quote:CNBC
A container ship sank in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as Iran escalated its attacks on commercial vessels.
The GFS Pride, registered in Singapore, sank after it was struck by an unidentified projectile and caught fire. The ship’s 21 crew members were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
“Such attacks are unprovoked, unjustifiable and a breach of international law,” the Singapore maritime authority said in a statement Wednesday.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed early Wednesday that a container ship exploded and sank after hitting a naval mine, according to the state news agency Tasnim. But there is no independent evidence to confirm that a mine is what caused the Pride to sink, according to the maritime security firm Marisks.
Iran’s claims are “consistent with an ongoing psychological operations campaign aimed at generating fear, increasing uncertainty and discouraging commercial shipping” in Hormuz, Marisks said in a security alert.
Sometimes it really isn't necessary to post a picture.
I'd be passionate about staying way the hell away from her.
I'd be passionate about staying way the hell away from her.
I asked that yesterday. Something is way off
quote:
I'm beginning to wonder if Trump is beginning to panic over diesel prices or, is dementia starting to manifest itself
Why would you post something like this you know is untrue?
Ukraine absolutely should ignore this nonsense and carry on.
re: Off Duty Cop Getting Worked in MO gas Station
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/12/26 at 3:00 pm to medium_okra
Oh no!
Not Shaniya and Nayonna :lol:
How in hell do you even pronounce those names? :rotflmao:
Not Shaniya and Nayonna :lol:
How in hell do you even pronounce those names? :rotflmao:
quote:Trump's energy cease fire may only include oil refineries oilprice.com
President Trump's announcement of an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine appears to be considerably narrower than initially suggested, with a White House official telling Axios that the proposal only covers attacks on oil refineries and with no official confirmation from Moscow as of yet.
Trump announced the apparent breakthrough on social media on Sunday, describing it broadly as an energy ceasefire and claiming the agreement was to go into effect immediately.
Zelensky cast doubt on the deal, saying he was unaware of the agreement before adding that Kyiv was prepared to accept a reciprocal energy ceasefire.
In a subsequent Axios report, a White House official was reported as describing the proposal as "refinery for refinery," meaning both sides would stop attacking each other's oil refineries rather than energy infrastructure. The official added that a broader agreement covering power plants and electricity grids could follow.
The same official then indicated that Russia was still considering the proposal, directly contradicting Trump's social media post that both sides had already agreed.
For Ukraine, the distinction between a refinery ceasefire and an energy infrastructure ceasefire is a big one. While Ukraine has just one oil refinery (which has been repeatedly attacked and is not fully operational), Russia operates an extensive network of refineries that have become an increasingly important target for Ukrainian drones.
At the time of writing, Kyiv has made it clear that any agreement must also protect its electricity infrastructure, while Russia is yet to comment on the deal at all.
According to Zelensky, Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continued after Trump's announcement, with attacks on a heat and power plant in Kharkiv.
While those strikes would not violate a refinery-only ceasefire, they add to evidence that there is no comprehensive energy ceasefire in place.
For Trump, the incentive for a refinery ceasefire is clear, with global diesel prices continuing to climb ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Already, the U.S. President has come under fire for his diesel supply agreement with Putin, which was followed by the U.S. Treasury easing restrictions on transactions involving Russian diesel.
Whether this latest attempt at diplomacy will lead to an agreement remains to be seen, but as of yet there is little hard evidence that progress toward an energy ceasefire is underway.
By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com
I'm beginning to wonder if Trump is beginning to panic over diesel prices or, is dementia starting to manifest itself
Why would you post something like this you know is untrue?
Ukraine absolutely should ignore this nonsense and carry on.
.
Rosneft recruiting air defense workers
quote:
Following intensive Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, state oil giant Rosneft has posted job advertisements to recruit military personnel to defend its Kuibyshev Oil Refinery in Samara.
Recruitment Details & Compensation
According to reports by the independent news outlet Vyorstka, the listings were uploaded to the popular Russian job portal HeadHunter.
• The Roles: The refinery is seeking specialized operators for Soviet-era ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and BMP-2 "Berezhok" infantry fighting vehicles.
• Duties: Recruits will join rapid-response units tasked with destroying aerial targets (drones), maintaining heavy weaponry, and protecting strategic defense-industrial sites in the Samara region.
• Pay & Perks: The total monthly compensation is advertised at 249,000 rubles (approximately $2,938 USD). This figure combines a base refinery salary of up to 120,000 rubles with military reserve pay and regional governor bonuses. The package also includes barracks-style hostel housing at the facility, three meals a day, and mandatory health and life insurance.
Context of the Security Shift
The Kuibyshev refinery, along with surrounding oil pumping stations in Samara, has been repeatedly targeted and damaged by long-range Ukrainian drone campaigns. This explicit recruitment of anti-aircraft gunners follows new Russian regulations allowing private companies to acquire heavy military equipment and operate specialized air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure from aerial threats. Candidates must secure Russian Defense Ministry approval and enlist in the armed forces' mobilization reserve to qualify for the positions.
For further independent coverage of these wartime job listings, you can check the reporting via The Moscow Times or view details on the Kyiv Post.
quote:
But do they have it to export?
I've seen some articles that say it will come from supplies promised to existing customers thus tightening supplies world wide.
quote:Here's a Newsmax article LINKhttps://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-russia-diesel-deal-what-will-be-the-impact-at-the-pump/2026/10/09/id/1272323/ talking about the effect
President Donald Trump’s deal to bring Russian diesel to the U.S. and global markets could provide some relief from soaring fuel prices, but analysts disagree over how much the additional supply will help American consumers.
Trump announced Friday that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.”
Russia would deliver another 3 million tons within a short period, Trump said, depending on the condition of its diesel refineries.
The agreement comes as diesel prices remain near record highs, putting pressure on truckers, farmers, and other businesses that rely on the fuel.
The national average U.S. diesel price reached $6.28 per gallon Friday, according to AAA, after rising about 70% since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with Iran in February, Reuters reported.
Clayton Seigle, an energy strategist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The Associated Press that the deal probably would not have much effect on prices.
Michael Lynch of the Energy Policy Research Foundation also questioned whether the shipments would meaningfully increase the amount of diesel available worldwide.
“If we get diesel from Russia, basically it means that their existing customers are not going to get it and they'll have to go somewhere else, and that will keep the price basically where it is now,” Lynch said, according to the AP.
The concern is that Russia could redirect fuel from existing customers rather than add enough new supply to ease the global shortage.
re: Trump appears to not understand the Nobel Prize has almost nothing do with Norway
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/10/26 at 6:20 am to cadillacattack
quote:
Nobody cares
Completely agree.
Just don't understand why Trump is so fixated on winning it that he actually campaigns for the award.
Trump authorizes a committee to investigate Lisa Cook
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/9/26 at 9:36 am
quote:CNBC
resident Donald Trump formally established a “committee of inquiry” to investigate allegations that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook made false statements related to “one or more mortgage instruments,” the White House announced Friday.
The extraordinary announcement is the latest development in Trump’s long-running effort to fire Cook, a nominee of former President Joe Biden, from the central bank’s board. Trump, who frequently urges the Fed to lower interest rates, recently said the failure to do so by his handpicked chair Kevin Warsh is the fault of a “hostile” board.
The committee comprises three executive branch officials, including Kevin Hassett, Trump’s top economic aide and a chief defender of the administration’s economic record, according to a presidential memorandum posted on the White House website and shared Friday on social media.
The other two members are Keith Sonderling, acting head of the Office of Government Ethics, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea Lucas, according to the notice, which is dated Wednesday. No outside, independent arbiters are mentioned.
The Fed and Cook’s attorney did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment on Trump’s memorandum.
NT Fed says inflation on many items due to tariffs
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/8/26 at 12:24 pm
CNBC
Wish they had named the items they evaluated
Wish they had named the items they evaluated
quote:
The cost of many everyday items would have declined last year and early this year without President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
The cost of 67 categories of goods was 2.9 percentage points higher as of February thanks to tariffs, according to a paper from a team of researchers at the central bank’s New York arm.
Without the levies, the team found that prices for the products they studied would have pulled back by almost 1%.
The New York Fed’s report offers the clearest evidence yet of the impact of Trump’s tariffs — a core policy of his most recent campaign and second term in the White House — on consumers’ wallets. Economists had widely expected his levies to push up prices, though the precise effects had been hard to estimate due to the changing nature of the policy and the lack of transparency on how companies set their prices.
The researchers didn’t say which 67 types of goods they evaluated.
For each percentage point increase in the average tariff, the team said that consumer goods prices were higher by roughly a quarter of a percent a year later.
Annual price growth in the dozens of goods they tracked peaked at the start of 2026, according to the report. But consumers are still expected to pay elevated prices into 2027 as a result of the policy, it said.
Roughly two-thirds of the tariff-related price impact has directly come from the levies themselves, according to the New York Fed’s report. The remaining increase was driven by knock-on effects, such as U.S.-based companies that use imported parts and materials in their products.
“Tariffs have a larger and more drawn-out impact on consumer prices than the direct effect alone would suggest,” the study’s three authors, Mary Amiti, Sebastian Heise and David Weinstein, wrote.
Trump argued that companies could absorb the increased cost from tariffs rather than pass them down to shoppers in the form of price hikes. The New York Fed team said that around 26% of last year’s tariff increases ended up trickling into higher prices.
The Supreme Court in February struck down many of Trump’s tariffs, resulting in billions of dollars in refunds to retailers. The White House has vowed to push forward with levies through alternative measures, and products imported from many countries now often face tariffs of about 10%. In many cases, that is significantly less than what they were under the earlier round of tariffs.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the report.
At some point I think Ukraine will start attacking Russia's energy grid-maybe a winter starts to close in.
quote:One big problem with rising energy prices is, the cost of transport CNBC
A supertanker was recently chartered to sail from the U.S. Gulf Coast to China for $76 million, a source familiar told CNBC, as shipping costs soar globally due to the crisis in the Middle East.
The Alexandros was chartered by the trading firm Trafigura and is expected to load around Nov. 19, the source said. A normal rate for the route based on pre-war levels would be $7 million to $10 million.
The cost of the journey comes to $38 per barrel of oil assuming the tanker holds 2 million barrels. Shipping costs have exploded as the war in the Persian Gulf has led to a shortage of available tankers.
Nato prepares plan to counter Russian attack
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/6/26 at 10:07 pm
quote:Newsmax
NATO is preparing a new battle plan for defeating a potential Russian attack on the alliance's eastern flank, with the strategy calling for forward-positioned troops, drones, artificial intelligence and other advanced systems to blunt an incursion and destroy Moscow's ability to command its forces, according to a Stars and Stripes report published Tuesday.
Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander and head of U.S. European Command, is expected to present the concept Oct. 12 at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, Stars and Stripes reported, citing the Italian news agency Ansa.
Ansa and Bloomberg obtained unclassified versions of the battle plan, which outlines how NATO would respond to a potential crisis along the alliance's eastern flank.
The concept, dubbed NATO's "Theory of Victory," lays out a sequence for responding to a possible Russian attack, including a surprise move in the Baltic region intended to test the alliance's commitment to collective defense.
U.S. Army Col. Martin O'Donnell, a spokesman for Grynkewich, confirmed the existence of the plan Tuesday but declined to elaborate on its operational details.
"Given the unsettled and complex global security environment, we need to set conditions now to deter aggression and, if necessary, win if attacked," O'Donnell said, according to Stars and Stripes.
He added that NATO is a "purely defensive alliance" that does not seek conflict.
Under the concept, NATO forces already positioned along the eastern flank would first move to blunt an incursion before bringing in capabilities developed through the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, which focuses on drones, artificial intelligence and other systems designed to counter a larger opposing force, according to Ansa.
The strategy reflects lessons from Russia's war against Ukraine, where drones, AI, electronic warfare and networked targeting systems have transformed battlefield operations.
The NATO concept calls for such technologies to help destroy an enemy's command, control and targeting networks through a combination of conventional military strikes and digital attacks, Stars and Stripes reported.
If necessary, NATO would then turn to more traditional firepower, including combat aircraft and missiles, to destroy the enemy's broader combat system, according to Ansa.
The plan also envisions the possibility of military operations on enemy territory, suggesting NATO would not necessarily limit its response to Russian forces after they crossed onto allied soil.
The strategy comes as NATO has continued strengthening its eastern flank amid concerns that Russia could attempt a limited operation in the Baltic region or elsewhere to create a "fait accompli" before the alliance could organize a larger response.
NATO currently has nine multinational battlegroups along its eastern flank, in Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. The alliance says those forces are part of a broader effort to ensure it can rapidly reinforce members facing a threat.
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gordon "Skip" Davis Jr., a former senior NATO deputy, said allied forces already stationed along the eastern flank would not necessarily have to wait for a political decision in Brussels if attacked.
"Under NATO doctrine, they have the right to respond in self-defense," Davis wrote Monday in an analysis for the Center for European Policy Analysis, according to Stars and Stripes.
Davis said forces under attack could respond without waiting for a formal NATO decision to invoke Article 5, the treaty's collective-defense provision.
The more difficult question would be how far NATO would go in striking targets inside Russia that were enabling an attack on the alliance.
"You are not just going to try to catch all the arrows; you are going to strike the archer," Davis said.
NATO has repeatedly described its military posture on the eastern flank as defensive. The alliance says its strengthened presence is designed to deter aggression while allowing NATO to respond quickly if an Ally is attacked.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
With the exception of Poland and Finland and, the U.S. I doubt the rest of NATO could fight there way out of a wet paper bag.
Ukraine's surprise robot offensive exposes Russian vulnerability
quote:CNBC
A surprise Ukrainian robot offensive in the eastern Donbas region appears to have reversed over a year of Russian territorial gains, according to security experts, dealing a strategic blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s territorial ambitions.
Details of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, dubbed “Operation Vivaldi,” have started to come to light in recent weeks, offering rare insight into the fast-changing nature of frontline combat operations amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.
As part of the ongoing operation, which started in May, security experts said Ukraine’s Third Army Corps had been able to deploy large bomber drones and remote-controlled robots behind enemy lines around Lyman in the northern Donetsk Oblast, apparently catching Russian forces off guard.
Russian forces have been seeking to encircle Ukraine’s so-called fortress belt cities that make up the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in the region for the past 12 months.
The third phase of Operation Vivaldi, however, liberated an additional 51 square kilometers, taking the total area of territory retaken to 176 square kilometers, Ukrainian Brigadier-General Andrii Biletskyi said on Sept. 28. The latest phase of fighting inflicted over 2,000 Russian losses, with over 250 Russian soldiers taken prisoner, he added.
The experience of Operation ‘Vivaldi’ has demonstrated that the systematic replacement of human personnel with robots is changing the paradigm of modern warfare.
Serhii Kuzan
Chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center
Patrick Bolder, a defense expert and strategic advisor at the Hague Center for Strategic Studies (HCSS), described the offensive as a “big bloody nose” to Putin’s minimal war aim of seizing Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Alongside demonstrating an ability to keep details of the operation secret, running disinformation campaigns against Russia and orchestrating a months-long air operation to disrupt logistical supplies to the frontline, Bolder said Ukrainian forces had managed to secure control of the air in the Lyman area, denying Russia the use of its drones.
Ukrainian forces were then able to deploy their own drones to drop unmanned ground vehicles behind enemy lines to attack the Russian troops from behind, Bolder said, without endangering their own personnel.
“They put this together masterly,” Bolder said.
re: Iranian Oil Exports by tanker truck
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/4/26 at 12:31 pm to tigerstripes
quote:Some oil is getting out to Tajikistan -though not a lot Oilprice.com
Tajikistan announced that it is now receiving oil and petroleum products from Iran, opening a potential new energy source for a country whose fuel supplies have long been dominated by Russia.
The deliveries began in late August, Tajikistan's Energy and Water Resources Ministry told the Asia-Plus news agency, following talks between the two countries on expanding cooperation in the oil and gas sector.
The ministry has not disclosed the volume of the shipments, their commercial terms, or how the oil and petroleum products were transported to Tajikistan
The move also raises questions about potential US secondary sanctions for doing business with Iran, particularly as Washington has stepped up pressure on Tehran's oil revenues.
US Treasury spokeswoman Gigi O'Connell said the department would not comment on specific allegations of sanctions violations but warned that Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors are subject to increased sanctions risk.
"Anyone operating in that sector incurs that risk themselves should they continue to choose to do so," O'Connell said in an e-mailed response to RFE/RL.
Tajikistan has asked Iran to supply up to 2.55 million tons of crude oil and petroleum products annually, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. But that figure represents a requested or potential volume rather than the amount currently being delivered.
At some point you'd think Ukraine has to go after Russia's power grid
re: I cannot wait to see who votes against this or who blocks it.
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/3/26 at 1:41 pm to RohanGonzales
It's not 70 but quite a few
quote:
President Donald Trump has granted executive clemency (pardons or commutations) to multiple individuals convicted of orchestrating or participating in large-scale Medicare and Medicaid fraud schemes.
The primary individuals and healthcare executives who received clemency for health care fraud include:
High-Profile Medicare & Medicaid Cases
• Philip Esformes: A Florida nursing home magnate who was convicted in 2019 for a $1.3 billion Medicare and Medicaid fraud scheme—which the Department of Justice at the time called the largest healthcare fraud case ever charged. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but Trump commuted his sentence to time served in December 2020 after he served 14 months.
• Lawrence Duran: The co-owner of American Therapeutic Corp. who pleaded guilty to a $205 million Medicare fraud and money laundering scheme. He was originally sentenced to 50 years in prison in 2011. Trump commuted his sentence to time served in May 2025, wiping out his remaining prison time and court-ordered restitution.
• Salomon Melgen: A Florida ophthalmologist convicted on 67 counts of healthcare fraud for running a $42 million scheme that involved performing unnecessary medical treatments on elderly patients. Trump commuted his 17-year prison sentence in January 2021.
• Judith Negron: Convicted alongside Lawrence Duran for her role in the $205 million American Therapeutic Corp. Medicare fraud scheme. She was sentenced to 35 years in prison, but Trump commuted her sentence in February 2020.
• Daniela Gozes-Wagner: A healthcare professional convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in a $50 million Medicare fraud scheme. Trump commuted her sentence in 2021.
Medicaid Corporate Fraud
• WellCare Health Plans Executives: In January 2021, Trump granted full pardons to five former executives of WellCare who were criminally convicted of defrauding Florida's Medicaid program by misrepresenting how much they spent on behavioral health services:
• Todd Farha (Former CEO and President)
• Thaddeus Bereday (Former General Counsel)
• Paul Behrens (Former Chief Financial Officer)
• William Kale (Former Vice President)
• Peter Clay (Former Vice President)
Medical Kickbacks & Other Healthcare Fraud Schemes
• Faustino Bernadett: A physician and California hospital owner who received a full pardon after being sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in a massive $900 million workers' compensation insurance and spinal surgery kickback scheme.
• John Davis: The former CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialists who received clemency (a pardon/commutation) for an illegal bribery and kickback scheme that billed Medicare.
• John Duncan Fordham: An Augusta pharmacist convicted of health care fraud involving kickbacks and extravagant pharmacy contracts. Trump granted him a full pardon on his final day in office in January 2021.
• Joseph Schwartz: A nursing home operator convicted of tax fraud and Medicaid fraud spanning multiple states. Trump pardoned him on federal charges.
• Glenn Moss: A healthcare figure who pleaded guilty in a 1998 health care fraud and tax case, who received a late-term pardon.
re: DOJ will not reopen criminal probe of Jerome Powell
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/2/26 at 10:22 pm to theballguy
Powell has said he wouldn't resign as long as a criminal probe was hanging over his head.
I'm sure it's wishful thinking but maybe this news will get him to follow precedent and resign.
I'm sure it's wishful thinking but maybe this news will get him to follow precedent and resign.
DOJ will not reopen criminal probe of Jerome Powell
Posted by bigjoe1 on 10/2/26 at 10:11 pm
quote:CNBC
The Department of Justice will not reopen its criminal investigation into former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank’s overbudget multibillion-dollar headquarters renovation a department spokesperson told CNBC.
“We’re not reopening a criminal investigation into him,” Attorney General Todd Blanche told Bloomberg in an interview Friday.
Blanche did not rule out separate Justice Department action related to the renovation in his interview. He told the outlet the independent audit of the renovation could prompt an investigation if it uncovers evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
His comments come days after the Federal Reserve’s inspector general found no reasonable grounds to believe that a federal crime had occurred requiring a referral to the attorney general, even as the watchdog faulted the central bank for major management and oversight failures that contributed to the project’s soaring costs.
President Donald Trump slammed the decision, said in a Truth Social post Wednesday after the news, saying that Powell should be “forced to resign” from the central bank’s Board of Governors “at a minimum.”
“He can’t manage a Building, and he certainly shouldn’t be allowed to manage his High Interest Rate Policy (only on ‘TRUMP!’),” Trump said.
The Justice Department opened its investigation into the renovation in January. Prosecutors issued grand jury subpoenas seeking related records but a federal judge quashed those subpoenas in March, finding they had been issued for an improper purpose and that the government had produced essentially no evidence that Powell committed a crime. The DOJ disputed the ruling but later closed its investigation rather than appeal.
Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh, who succeeded Powell in May, said the central bank would bring in an independent auditor and strengthen oversight of the project. Powell remains on the Fed’s Board of Governors, where his separate term runs through Jan. 31, 2028.
Trump has repeatedly pushed Powell to leave the board altogether after years of clashes over interest-rate policy.
Popular
95
