Trump becomes first president to ever fire Federal Reserve board member
President Donald Trump ousted Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on Monday, alleging she lied on mortgage forms by declaring two primary residences.
In a letter to Cook, Trump said the Federal Reserve Act provides that she can be removed at his discretion.
“As set forth in the Criminal Referral dated August 15, 2025, from Mr. William J. Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to Ms. Pamela Bondi, Attorney General of the United States…there is sufficient reason to believe you may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements,” Trump wrote. “For example, as detailed in the Criminal Referral, you signed one document attesting that a property in Michigan would be your primary residence for the next year.
“Two weeks later, you signed another document for a property in Georgia stating that it would be your primary residence for the next year,” Trump continued. “It is inconceivable that you were not aware of your first commitment when making the second. It is impossible that you intended to honor both.”
TRUMP CALLS FOR FED GOVERNOR’S RESIGNATION AS ALLY REQUESTS DOJ PROBE
Trump wrote that the Federal Reserve has a “tremendous responsibility” to set interest rates and regulate banks.
He added that Americans must have full confidence in the honesty of those setting policy and overseeing the Federal Reserve.
“In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter, they cannot, and I do not have such confidence in your integrity,” Trump wrote. “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.”
He concluded ordering her immediate removal from office.
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Cook has not been charged with any crime.
FOX Business has reached out to the Federal Reserve for comment regarding Cook’s removal.
Trump threatened to remove Cook from her role on Friday as she faces mortgage fraud allegations that are under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The investigation was sparked by a criminal referral filed by Pulte, a staunch ally of Trump’s and a critic of the Federal Reserve.
“I’ll fire her if she doesn’t resign,” Trump told reporters on Friday. “What she did was bad.”
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Pulte sent his referral to the DOJ on Wednesday and accused her of having “falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, potentially committing mortgage fraud under the criminal statute.”
Under federal law governing the Federal Reserve system, the president can only remove a sitting governor for cause, which has historically been interpreted as applying to malfeasance or misconduct, rather than policy disagreements.
The president’s action to remove Cook from her role marks the first time in history that a president has attempted to remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor, and it could lead to a legal battle.
The president and his allies have repeatedly urged the Fed to cut interest rates in an effort to boost the economy and lower the cost of servicing the more than $37 trillion U.S. national debt, though Trump has backed off past threats to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
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Cook was appointed to the Fed by President Joe Biden in 2022 and was confirmed by the Senate on a party-line vote of 51-47 in September 2023. Her term as a Fed governor runs 14 years, from 2024 to 2038.
Judge orders Utah to redraw congressional maps before midterms in gerrymander lawsuit
A judge ordered the Utah legislature on Monday to redraw its congressional maps in time for next year’s midterm elections, finding the state legislature unlawfully gerrymandered its districts in favor of Republicans.
Judge Dianna Gibson said in a 76-page order that the legislature must pass a “remedial congressional map” by the end of September. State lawmakers have already signaled they plan to appeal, meaning the case is likely headed for the Utah Supreme Court and possibly the U.S. Supreme Court.
Gibson’s order comes after a fight between two of the country’s largest states, Texas and California, thrust gerrymandering into the national spotlight. Gerrymandering is the practice of changing the boundaries of a congressional district in a state to benefit one political party, which critics say dilutes votes.
TRUMP URGES TEXAS REPUBLICANS TO SWIFTLY PASS REDISTRICTING MAPS WHILE NEWSOM, CALIFORNIA DEMS COUNTER
The lawsuit in Utah arose from redistricting changes that began in 2018. Utah voters passed Proposition 4, also known as the “Better Boundaries” initiative, that year to reform the redistricting process and create an independent commission to oversee it.
But the state legislature passed a bill two years later that overrode that measure and stripped the commission of its power by reducing it to an advisory body. Lawmakers then bypassed the commission entirely by drawing congressional maps seen as strongly favoring Republicans.
The new map split Salt Lake City four ways, which voting rights groups, including the League of Women Voters of Utah and the Mormon Women for Ethical Government, alleged illegally broke up the state’s only blue-leaning urban region in violation of the standards set forth by Proposition 4.
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Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, warned Monday ahead of Gibson’s ruling that “almost anything promoted as an ‘independent commission’ is often a strategy to give Democrats an edge they can’t win through fair elections.”
“We the people need to halt this trend. To do so, we must first grasp what these independent commissions truly represent,” Lee wrote in a lengthy X post. “In a state like Utah, they’re essentially a mechanism for the left to grab power they can’t get through democratic elections.”
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Utah’s redistricting dispute comes after Texas’ legislature passed new maps this month that give Republicans an advantage in the upcoming midterms. President Donald Trump encouraged the move and celebrated it as a “BIG WIN,” while state Democrats temporarily fled the state in protest over the new map.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, responded to what he said was a Trump-led power grab by advancing a hasty plan to suspend his own state’s map, drawn by an independent commission, and pass a new one in a special election this year to offset Republicans’ gains in Texas. In a press conference, Newsom said Democrats need to “play hardball” to stand a chance against a Republican Party led by Trump. Trump vowed on Monday to sue Newsom over the map.
Australia boots Iranian diplomats after alleging Islamic Republic behind recent antisemitic attacks
The Australian government says it is expelling two Iranian diplomats after alleging that the Islamic Republic was behind at least two antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.
Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country’s main domestic spy agency, ASIO, had “gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion.”
“The Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks,” Albanese said, referring to recent attacks on a Sydney restaurant and a Melbourne synagogue. “Iran has sought to disguise its involvement but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks.”
The Australian government informed Iran’s ambassador to Australia shortly before Albanese’s announcement that they would be expelled. It also withdrew Australian diplomats posted in Iran to a third country.
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Antisemitic incidents in both Melbourne and Sydney rose steeply following the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre in Israel that triggered Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza.
The prime minister also said Australia plans to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
The move comes after Australia announced earlier this month that it plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
The announcement triggered a scathing response from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who accused Australia of betraying Israel.
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“History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” Netanyahu said.
Cracker Barrel slammed for ‘woke-ified’ peg game to ‘minimize hurt feelings’
Cracker Barrel has altered the language on its classic table peg game amid the chain’s controversial rebrand, and, like its logo change, the move is not going over well with everyone.
The game that’s on all the restaurant’s tables previously poked good-natured fun at struggling players, where the goal is to remove all the pegs but one by jumping over them on the board: “Leave only one – you’re a genius. Leave two and you’re purty smart. Leave three and you’re just plain dumb. Leave four or mor’n you’re just plain eg-no-ra-moose.”
Now, peg games say if you leave three or more, “Don’t be embarassed [sic], try again!” The word was misspelled on a board photographed by Fox News Digital, with only one “r” in embarrassed.
“The peg game is still the same peg game our guests have known and loved for years, and some may look visually different now, but the rules and fun remain completely unchanged,” a Cracker Barrel spokesperson told Country Living.
CRACKER BARREL’S NEW TEXT-ONLY LOGO IS ‘HOW YOU DESTROY A BRAND,’ CRITICS CLAIM
“In Cracker Barrel’s process of rebranding from old-timey to modern old-timey and killing their business, they woke-ified the peg game to minimize hurt feelings of those who don’t do so well,” X user William Allen said in a Friday post.
In a slightly tongue-in-cheek post for OutKick, writer Zach Dean condemned the change as being too soft: “But re-wording the back of the peg game, so idiots don’t get offended when they inevitably suck at it? Come on. Sucking at the peg game is as American as apple pie. It’s a rite of passage. It’s tradition. That game made us all stronger as kids growing up. And it challenges us still to this day.”
The restaurant chain has faced severe backlash for its rebrand, including replacing the overall-clad “Old Timer,” or Uncle Herschel, who was depicted in the logo sitting on a porch and leaning against a barrel next to the store’s name.
CRACKER BARREL DISMISSES CRITICS AS ‘VOCAL MINORITY’ WHILE RIVAL RESTAURANT ADDS TO BACKLASH
A new logo, which was unveiled on Aug. 19, just says “Cracker Barrel” in plainer type, and has no images or illustration.
Images of revamped locations with less cluttered stores and barer walls have also drawn criticism, while defenders say the changes are welcome and claim conservatives are working themselves into outrage over nothing.
Cracker Barrel admitted on Monday that it “could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be” after customers expressed outrage over the restaurant chain’s new logo.
“If the last few days have shown us anything, it’s how deeply people care about Cracker Barrel. We’re truly grateful for your heartfelt voices,” the company said. “You’ve also shown us that we could’ve done a better job sharing who we are and who we’ll always be.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Cracker Barrel for additional comment.
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Massive blaze threatens 4,000 homes as officials warn ‘winds can shift at any moment’
Firefighters battling the Oregon Flat Fire, which has so far torched nearly 22,000 acres, could face setbacks if the latest weather conditions shift, officials cautioned Monday.
The raging blaze, which is only 5% contained, has destroyed homes and buildings. Thousands of families have been forced to evacuate.
“The winds here can shift at any moment and that could change everything,” Jason Carr, public information officer for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, told Fox News Digital.
About 4,000 homes are still under evacuation notice, including 1,000 families ordered to “go now.”
MULTIPLE FIREFIGHTERS ‘ATTACKED’ WHILE RESPONDING TO FIRE IN NORTH IDAHO
Officials have since mapped 827 structures still at risk within the fire’s wide perimeter. Carr said crews were cautiously optimistic Monday afternoon after building new containment lines in the south Oregon area.
“The weather has cooperated, in the sense that we had a small disturbance come through which provided some cloud cover and raised the humidity levels,” he said.
“That has helped tamp down fire activity, but that could change at any moment if the winds shift or the sun comes back out,” he said.
CREWS RESPOND TO MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS AT FIREWORKS FACILITY IN CALIFORNIA
Despite modest progress, officials stressed the volatility of the blaze. Spot fires remain a constant threat, sparked when embers jump existing fire lines.
“They can create spot fires and smaller fires outside the perimeter that crews then have to attack,” Carr explained.
Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on Friday, enabling additional state resources. Fire officials had confirmed no new evacuation orders as of Sunday evening, a sign the fire had not advanced into new neighborhoods. While containment remains minimal, authorities emphasized that hundreds of homes have been spared thanks to aggressive firefighting and residents’ proactive reduction efforts.
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“We are deeply saddened by the loss of homes and personal property. We are also encouraged that hundreds of homes have been protected thanks to aggressive firefighting efforts,” said Deschutes County Sheriff Ty Rupert.
Residents are under Level 1 (Be Ready), Level 2 (Be Set), and Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation levels.
A Red Cross shelter is also operating in Redmond, and the Jefferson County Fairgrounds is housing large animals.
With hot, dry weather forecast to return, officials said the next few days will be critical.
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“We’re certainly hopeful we don’t end up in the situation we were in last week,” Carr warned.
“With triple-digit heat, 10% humidity and high winds, this really pushed the fire quickly.”
Trump reveals unexpected new policy on Chinese students coming to US
Donald Trump said 600,000 Chinese students would be allowed into the U.S. to study at colleges amid ongoing trade talks with China.
Speaking at the White House Monday, the president’s announcement signals a potential thaw in U.S.-China relations after escalating tariffs and restrictions on Chinese students.
“I hear so many stories that we’re not going to allow their students,” Trump told reporters.
“We’re going to allow their students to come in. It’s very important, 600,000 students. It’s very important. But we’re going to get along with China,” he added.
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Trump’s student visa offer comes against the backdrop of trade talks with the Chinese government.
Earlier this year, the administration imposed a 145% tariff on all Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate with a 125% tariff on U.S. exports.
Negotiators in Geneva agreed in May to pause additional levies, but Trump has continued to warn of further penalties.
Last week, he floated a 200% tariff on Chinese-made magnets, citing what he described as Beijing’s “monopoly” over the global market.
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“I don’t think we’re going to have a problem with that,” Trump told reporters.
“China, intelligently, went and they sort of took a monopoly on the world’s magnets. It’ll probably take us a year to have them,” he said.
Currently, about 270,000 Chinese students are enrolled in U.S. universities.
In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese nationals, particularly those tied to the Communist Party or sensitive research fields.
Trump has since shifted tone, telling reporters in June that he has “always been in favor” of welcoming students from China.
CHINESE NATIONALS WHO INFILTRATED US UNIVERSITIES
Trump’s remarks on admitting Chinese students came ahead of a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
When he was asked about a possible summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he sounded positive. He said he would like to meet him this year.
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“As you know, we’re, we’re taking a lot of money in from China because of the tariffs and the different things. It’s a very important relationship,” Trump said. “It’s a much better relationship economically than it was before with Biden. But he allowed that. They just took him to the cleaners.”
World’s most powerful rocket fails to launch for second day in a row
SpaceX’s Starship’s second shot at a 10th test flight Monday was aborted after weather conditions forced the company to halt liftoff from its South Texas site.
Monday evening’s test was a crucial milestone for Elon Musk’s ambitious plans to use Starship to bring astronauts to the moon and, eventually, conquer Mars.
But in a post shared on X, SpaceX said, “Standing down from today’s flight test attempt due to weather. Starship team is determining the next best available opportunity to fly.”
On Sunday, SpaceX had said that first attempt was scrapped because of ground-system problems with the team resetting its sights on a new launch window at 7:30 p.m. ET Monday.
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Starship has faced a series of setbacks in its development phase, including multiple fiery explosions.
Flights 7, 8 and 9 ended in failure after liftoff earlier this year, and another rocket exploded on a test stand in June.
Initially, SpaceX appeared hopeful in the run-up to Monday’s test flight and shared a post on X.
“Counting down to Starship’s tenth flight test. Weather is currently 55% favorable for launch at the start of the window,” the post read.
Despite the failings, SpaceX has pressed on and said each setback is part of the learning curve for the world’s most powerful, 403-foot rocket.
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The focus of Monday’s mission was on the spacecraft’s upper stage, designed to carry crew and cargo into space before returning to Earth with a controlled descent into the Gulf of America.
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A successful test would mark a step forward in proving the system’s reusability, which is key to Musk’s vision of affordable space travel.
Browns make stunning move, opening Shedeur Sanders up for potential backup role
The Cleveland Browns are not carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster after all, following a stunning trade on Monday night.
The Browns dealt veteran Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round NFL Draft pick.
The Raiders were desperate for a backup quarterback to Geno Smith, whom they traded for earlier this offseason with the Seattle Seahawks to reunite him with his old head coach, Pete Carroll. Aidan O’Connell fractured his wrist during the Raiders’ preseason finale, sidelining him for 6–8 weeks.
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O’Connell was expected to back up Smith this season, but that lengthy absence forced Las Vegas to look elsewhere. Carroll mentioned wanting someone with starting experience, and the Raiders get that in the fourth-year man out of Pitt.
Pickett has 25 starts under his NFL belt, going 15–10 over that span with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, he couldn’t solidify the starting job there, ultimately leading to a trade to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2024 season. It was there that Pickett backed up Jalen Hurts on the Eagles’ way to a Super Bowl LIX victory last season.
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Pickett was then traded from Philadelphia to Cleveland, as the Browns were assembling their quarterback room with Deshaun Watson sidelined by a torn Achilles. Pickett was competing with veteran Joe Flacco—already named the Week 1 starter by head coach Kevin Stefanski—as well as rookies Dillon Gabriel (third round) and Shedeur Sanders (fifth round).
A hamstring injury suffered early in training camp cost Pickett valuable time to compete for his roster spot. He didn’t play in any of the team’s preseason games, though Stefanski mentioned after the finale against the Los Angeles Rams that he believed Pickett would return in time for Week 1.
With Flacco already locked in as the starter, the question of who Stefanski would choose as the Browns’ backup gained extra attention, especially with the national spotlight on Sanders, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. ESPN recently reported that the Browns were preparing to carry four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, but the trade changes that entire situation.
Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, brought in after Pickett and Gabriel dealt with early training camp injuries, was reportedly waived by the Browns following his preseason action.
So while Pickett figures to step in as the Raiders’ backup quarterback to start the season, who will sit behind Flacco on the Browns’ depth chart will remain a topic of speculation until Stefanski makes the call.
Sanders strengthened his case with an impressive preseason debut against the Carolina Panthers, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, along with four carries for 19 yards. Injury kept him out of the team’s second game, but he returned in the second half of the finale against the Rams, where he struggled—finishing just 3 of 6 for 14 yards while taking five sacks.
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Gabriel, after missing the opener, played in the final two preseason matchups. He completed 25 of 37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Against the Rams, he went 12 of 19 for 129 yards and threw his lone touchdown of the preseason.
The Browns’ roster, along with every other NFL team, must be finalized by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Former Playboy model flaunts figure in Bahamas with soap star boyfriend
Shanna Moakler is giving fans a peek at her slimmed-down figure as she poses on the beach with her boyfriend.
The 50-year-old former Playboy model posted photos from her recent vacation to the Bahamas on Instagram, which included a photo of her and her boyfriend, soap opera star, Greg Vaughan, on the beach.
In the photo, Moakler can be seen with her hair tied back and in a black bikini, which she paired with sunglasses and a stack of bracelets on one arm. The two were embracing each other in the photo with Moakler leaning into his body as he sat above her on a swing in the middle of the ocean.
“Warning: too much fun being had here 🙃💕 Best friends, best memories, and my best guy,” she wrote in the caption.
SHANNA MOAKLER SERVES WILD WEST WITH BIKINI PHOTOS AND PURPLE COWBOY HAT
Fans of the actress and model couldn’t help but share the love, and celebrate the relationship.
“What a Beautiful couple !! You guys look so Happy,” one fan wrote, while another added, “Finally! He found you and you found him! Yes!!!🙌 I’m so happy I could 😭.”
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“I’ve always loved you…glad to see you found someone who makes you happy,” a third fan wrote, noting they remembered Vaughan on “Days of Our Lives.”
The couple previously worked together in the 1997 film, “Poison Ivy: The New Seduction.” They crossed paths over the years, but didn’t become a couple until they reconnected at a party celebrating actor Jason Momoa’s vodka launch in November 2023. They eventually went Instagram official in March 2025.
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“We’ve both been through the highs and lows of public relationships, and after living in the Hollywood spotlight for so long, we really just wanted something for us,” Moakler, 50, told the Daily Mail in April. “No pressure, no headlines — just real moments, privately shared.”
Moakler was previously married to Blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker, for four years, from 2004 to 2008, while Vaughan was previously married to actress, Touriya Haoud, from 2006 to 2014.
While on vacation, Moakler also shared a few photos of herself posing on the beach in a yellow and orange bikini, which she paired with gold jewelry.
Moakler admitted to taking the weight-loss drug Mounjaro in 2024, stating the loss of her mother Gail in January 2023 followed by the loss of her father, John, just seven months later, led to her to make unhealthy choices and “eat the pain away.”
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“I stopped dieting. I stopped exercising. I just ate like s—,’ she told People in April 2024. “I was so devastated, and I missed my f—ing mom and dad.”
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