President Trump “disappointed” with Fed policies
Last week, President Trump criticized the Federal Reserve, calling it “far too stringent” and “out of control.” He stated he would not fire Fed chairman Jay Powell, but that he is disappointed with his policies. Aside from those comments given at the White House, he told Fox News he believed the Fed was getting “a little too cute” with its interest rate hikes. His comments followed multiple days of decline in the U.S. stock market.
Trump and other officials argue the declines are standard corrections to a market that’s seen a long run of rising share prices. Many economists say it is due to a combination of rising interest rates and trade tensions with China. In an interview with “Fox and Friends,” Trump said his tariffs successfully hurt China’s economy.
“Their economy has gone down very substantially,” he told the program. “And I have a lot more to do if I want to do it and I don’t want to do, but they have to come to the table.”
Saudi Arabia could face “severe punishment,” Trump says
Late last week, President Trump told CBS News he’d be “very upset and angry” if allegations that Saudi Arabian agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi were confirmed.
“There’s a lot at stake,” Trump said, adding, “and maybe especially so because this man was a reporter.” Trump has said he is wary of using sanctions or cutting sales to Saudi Arabia. “I don’t want to hurt jobs,” he told CBS, but clarified, “there are other ways of punishing.”
Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, was last seen stepping into a Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2. A security source told news outlets that Turkish officials have video and audio evidence confirming the journalist’s death. If the murder is confirmed, it would be a brazen measure taken by a government known for persecuting critics. Saudi Arabian officials have denied the allegations.
Hundreds of thousands protest against far-right in Germany
More than 100,000 people attended a rally against xenophobia last Saturday in Berlin, Germany. Protesters carried signs reading “United against racism” and spoke against the far-right Alternative for Germany party. Only around 40,000 were expected to attend, said Theresa Hartmann, spokeswoman for the #indivisible movement.
The Alternative for Germany party became the largest opposition party in Germany when it entered parliament for the first time last year. Support for the party grew in 2015 when more than a million immigrants were admitted into the country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel urges tolerance, but the issue of immigration still divides much of Germany’s population.
In late August, far-right extremist groups swarmed Chemnitz and other cities, harassing journalists and anyone who appeared to be foreign in response to a stabbing death of a German by alleged immigrants. German police are investigating many of the Chemnitz protesters for their use of the Nazi salute, which is illegal in Germany.
