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Television’s best and brightest gathered in Los Angeles on Sunday for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, the industry’s premier awards gala.Here is a look at some of the more notable moments from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles:- Think of the children – Host Nate Bargatze thought he had found a way to keep a lid on the interminable “thank you” speeches that routinely make awards shows run long — and which viewers complain about.At the start of the evening, the comedian announced he would be donating $100,000 to The Boys and Girls Club of America, but would dock $1,000 for every second winners went over their allotted 45.”I know that’s tough. It’s hard,” he deadpanned.”What are you going to do? I can’t change it. This is a game I made up, and these are the rules.”He said, however, he would add $1,000 back into the pot for every second a speaker did not use.An on-screen counter kept track and mercilessly wound down as actors and directors indulged themselves with thanking long lists of colleagues, family members, agents and the like.While some winners kept broadly within their time — and John Oliver managed such a short speech that the total rose significantly — by the end of the night, the donation was well in the red.Fortunately for the non-profit, which organizes after-school programs for young people, Bargatze said he and CBS would donate a total of $350,000.- King Colbert -Late night funnyman Stephen Colbert was one of the heroes of the night, walking out to a standing ovation at the start of the show when he took the stage.CBS said in July it was cancelling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” days after the comedian blasted parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump as “a big fat bribe.”Trump celebrated the cancellation, but the entertainment industry rallied around Colbert, with fellow late night hosts vowing to support his nomination for best talk show, an award he won to wild applause.Colbert told the audience he has realized his topical show, which frequently skewers Trump and what the comedian claims is a vanishing civil space, is about loss.”Sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it,” he said.”In September of 2025, my friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America.”- Five women and one man – When “Hunger Games” actress Elizabeth Banks proudly announced the gender split among nominees for director of a limited series, the audience cheered appreciatively.”When was the last time a directing category had five women and one man?” she asked.”I did not bother to look that up, but I think we all agree it was never,” she said.Then she opened the envelope and announced the only man nominated — Philip Barantini — had won for dark word-of-mouth smash “Adolescence.” – ICE and Gaza – At a time of heightened political tensions in the United States, and just days after right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead, politics occasionally poked through the glitz and glamour of the evening.Best supporting actress Hannah Einbinder from “Hacks” used her victory speech to deliver a brief, but very much no-holds barred statement that addressed the war in Gaza, immigration raids and her support for the Philadelphia Eagles.”Go Birds, Fuck ICE and free Palestine,” she said.Javier Bardem, meanwhile, wore a keffiyeh scarf in what he said was a show of support for Palestinians.Speaking to AFP on the red carpet, he said he was boycotting industry players he believed were supporting Israel in its war in Gaza.”We target film companies and film institutions that are complicit and are related to whitewashing or justifying the genocide in Gaza and for Israel, of Israel, and its apartheid regime,” he said.Writer Daniel O’Brien, who accepted the award for best scripted variety series on behalf of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” spoke of a growing feeling in Hollywood that speaking out against the present US government is increasingly hard.He said he and the team were honored to share the prize “with all writers of late night political comedy, while that is still a type of show that’s allowed to exist.”

Here is a list of the winners in key categories for the 77th Emmy Awards, which were handed out in Los Angeles on Sunday.”Adolescence” won for best limited series, while “The Pitt” and “The Studio” won for best drama and best comedy, respectively.OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES: “The Pitt”OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES: “The Studio”OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES: “Adolescence”LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA: Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA: Britt Lower, “Severance”SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA: Tramell Tillman, “Severance”SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA: Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt”LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY: Seth Rogen, “The Studio”LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY: Jean Smart, “Hacks”SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY: Jeff Hiller, “Somebody Somewhere”SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY: Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”LEAD ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE: Stephen Graham, “Adolescence”LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE: Cristin Milioti, “The Penguin”SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE: Owen Cooper, “Adolescence”SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE: Erin Doherty, “Adolescence”

Television’s biggest stars hit the red carpet Sunday under a bright September sun for the Emmys, the first of many awards shows that will offer style trends on the road to the Oscars.Jenna Ortega, the star of Netflix’s Addams family revamp “Wednesday,” turned heads in her striking Givenchy black skirt — and only chunky jewels draped over her torso.Here are some of the other top looks seen at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles:- Regal in red – Selena Gomez, who stars in Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” arrived on the arm of her fiance, music producer Benny Blanco, wearing a floor-length red sleeveless Louis Vuitton column gown with a slit and a sweeping train. Sydney Sweeney, the “Euphoria” star who presented an award on Sunday, also got the memo, wearing a stunning strapless red satin Oscar de la Renta gown with a plunging draped bow neckline — and plenty of diamonds.And Cristin Milioti, who won the Emmy for best actress in a limited series for gritty Batman spin-off “The Penguin,” oozed glamour in a crimson Danielle Frankel gown with a dramatic structured bodice.- Perfect white suits -Most fashion pundits say people should not wear white after Labor Day — but the rule only applies to regular humans, not A-listers.Pedro Pascal — a nominee for best drama actor in “The Last of Us” — exuded cool in a double-breasted cream Celine suit, sunglasses and just the right amount of stubble.Gwendoline Christie, a nominee for sci-fi office thriller “Severance” who also stars in “Wednesday,” stunned in a fitted pale Tom Ford suit, her hair slicked back for maximum drama.And Tramell Tillman, who won the Emmy for best supporting actor in a drama for “Severance,” also looked dapper in white, with a glittering brooch to complete the look.- Fall hues – Unlike most of Hollywood’s awards shows, the Emmys are not a winter affair, but instead take place as fall is about to begin — and that showed in the color palette on display on the red carpet.Oscar winner Kathy Bates — a nominee for best actress in a drama for CBS’s reboot of legal drama “Matlock” — looked regal in a floor-length brown gown with long sleeves and a draped bodice.Seth Rogen — who won Emmys for best comedy actor, director and series for his manic industry satire “The Studio,” which he co-created — sported a brown Ermenegildo Zegna tux with a velvet jacket.- Barbiecore: still happening – Blackpink singer Lisa, who made her acting debut in “The White Lotus,” stunned in a sculptural off-the-shoulder pink Lever Couture gown that revealed lots of leg and trailed off in a long swirling skirt of tulle ribbons.Her co-star Aimee Lee Wood also looked pretty in pink wearing a strapless Alexander McQueen pink gown with a bodice that revealed a hint of red.And Jeff Hiller, a surprise winner for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Somebody Somewhere,” sparked joy in his Chanel-coded pink tweed suit with pearl embellishments.- Accessorize, but make it political -The war in Gaza was certainly on the minds of some Emmys attendees. Megan Stalter, one of the breakout stars of comedy powerhouse “Hacks,” showed up casual in a white t-shirt and jeans, but her handbag did all the talking.The black purse had white tape on it with a simple message: “Ceasefire!”And Javier Bardem, a nominee for best supporting actor in a limited series for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” wore a black and white keffiyeh around his neck.”A lot of people are giving me their support in whispers, and I go, ‘Don’t whisper, say it out loud’,” Bardem told AFP on the red carpet.”We target film companies and film institutions that are complicit and are related to whitewashing or justifying the genocide in Gaza.”

Roughly 100 days after Elon Musk’s dramatic departure from the Trump White House, federal workers are still grappling with the lasting damage from his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The consequences of this unprecedented assault on the federal bureaucracy are expected to reverberate for years.From his modest office in the executive building adjacent to the White House, Musk orchestrated an aggressive takeover of major government branches. His strategy was surgical yet devastating: deploy small teams of tech experts to systematically dismantle and disrupt the nation’s more than 2 million-strong civil service.The shock-and-awe campaign succeeded beyond expectations. According to the Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan Washington-based NGO, nearly 200,000 civil servants have left the federal workforce so far. For many of these workers — including numerous military veterans — the experience proved profoundly traumatic, with decades-long careers abruptly terminated and their life’s work dismissed as meaningless waste.Following Musk’s very public falling-out with President Trump this spring, DOGE has been largely dismantled. “Not much” remains of the original operation, explained Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service.”It’s a little bit like Godzilla having flattened the city and left,” Stier told AFP. “Godzilla is gone, but there’s still a flattened city.”- ‘Unfixable’ -Musk himself now declares the US government “basically unfixable,” having concluded that lawmakers from both parties will resist spending cuts that could alienate voters and donors.Most of DOGE’s leadership followed Musk’s exit, including Steve Davis, Musk’s trusted lieutenant who led the teams that infiltrated government offices and computer systems to implement budget cuts. However, some operatives remain embedded throughout the federal government, working as regular employees while continuing to exert influence: making their activities harder to monitor.”Don’t misunderstand the lack of the loud face that was Elon Musk to think they have disappeared,” warned one Pentagon worker, speaking anonymously to avoid retaliation. “DOGE is still alive and causing a ruckus.”Several prominent Musk allies maintain significant positions.Joe Gebbia, Airbnb co-founder and Tesla board member, now oversees the redesign of government websites.Aram Moghaddassi serves as chief information officer at the Social Security Administration, though a whistleblower has accused his team of uploading a critical database to a vulnerable cloud server, potentially exposing hundreds of millions of Americans’ personal information to hackers.Brad Smith, a health startup investor, initially left DOGE after implementing sweeping cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (now led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.), but has returned to oversee global health initiatives at the State Department.Scott Kupor, former managing partner at venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz, now heads the US Office of Personnel Management — the federal government’s massive human resources operation. His former boss, Marc Andreessen, remains highly influential within the White House.Other Musk loyalists occupy more junior positions throughout the government. In a bizarre development, Edward Coristine — who gained media attention under the nickname “Big Balls” — took a regular government job and helped trigger Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to patrol Washington’s streets after Coristine was assaulted in the capital.- Who is DOGE? -These changes have complicated DOGE’s very definition. “The question of, how do you define DOGE? Who is DOGE? has gotten a lot more complicated,” observed Faith Williams, director of the effective and accountable government program at the Project on Government Oversight.Officially, Amy Gleeson, a health tech sector veteran, now leads the department as acting chief, but her White House influence is minimal. Federal workers report that DOGE’s mission has effectively been transferred to Russell Vought, a fierce opponent of government who now controls the powerful Office of Management and Budget.For civil liberties advocate Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, these developments are “extremely worrisome” because DOGE’s work now operates “behind a curtain” and away from public scrutiny.This hidden operation includes acts of incompetence and questionable decision-making, as reported by whistleblowers and disillusioned employees who have left government to expose wrongdoing.”My bet is that for every whistleblower you see, there’s some very large multiple of bad things that have happened, which we don’t know about,” Stier warned.The federal workforce meanwhile must continue to navigate this transformed landscape, dealing with skeleton crews and knowledge gaps while what is left of DOGE operates largely out of public view.

A white light flashes above the studio door as Bonnie Ralston takes to the air waves of Allegheny Mountain Radio, one of the many stations across the United States imperiled by President Donald Trump’s funding cuts. The station, which relies on volunteers like Ralston, is one of the only to broadcast in the area, delivering news, sports and music to the small mountain towns along the border of Virginia and West Virginia.”We don’t know what is going to happen to us,” Ralston, 59, told AFP.At Trump’s request, Republicans in Congress voted to cut federal money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the key funding source for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), both of which conservatives have long accused of liberal bias.But those funds also backed many smaller radio and TV stations around the nation.Allegheny Mountain Radio, for instance, is expected to lose funding that accounted for 60-65 percent of its budget.The small station, which employs 10 people, has enough reserves to survive for at least a year, said general manager Scott Smith.”We cannot continue operating in the red and pulling from reserves forever. We know we’re going to run out of money at some time if we don’t find more income.””Ultimately, the consequences are our very existence when it comes down to it,” said Smith, 58.- ‘We need it’ -Nestled in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States, the radio station is one of the only local media outlets in the rural area.Few outside radio signals reach this remote region, about 60 miles from the nearest shopping center, where the telephone network is unreliable.In Monterey, a small town of around 120 residents, Allegheny Mountain Radio is a lifeline.”It’s very vital for local information,” said Jay Garber, the mayor of Monterey, noting that most of the town’s inhabitants are elderly and rely on traditional forms of media.Local resident Polly Turner, 74, told AFP she does not own a computer and depends on the radio station to stay informed.”We need it. We’ll be lost without it,” she said.Chris Wayne, another Monterey local, warned that the loss of Allegheny Mountain Radio could have serious consequences.”As soon as you get out of town a little bit, the cellphone signal goes away. So if you don’t have that, the radio station is the only way you’re gonna find out if there’s, like, flood water coming,” the 42-year-old explained, adding that the town is located below the Jackson River, a major waterway.- Community support -Allegheny Mountain Radio’s rural listeners, who overwhelmingly supported Trump during last year’s presidential election, have not always welcomed the radio station despite its vital role. “Some people say we’re too leftist because we utilize NPR newscast,” Smith, the station’s manager, said. “I think the majority of people here understand the value that we provide, no matter what political orientation they might ascribe to,” he continued. Since Congress finalized the funding cuts, messages of support have poured in from the community, and more than 200 people have donated to keep Allegheny Mountain Radio running. The communal rallying has left Smith feeling “optimistic.” “When you’ve got that level of support and validation coming to you, it only hardens your resolve,” he said.”We’re not going to roll over and die. We’re going to keep kicking and fighting and finding ways to make this work.”

The man arrested over conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s assassination was romantically involved with a transgender roommate and had “leftist ideology,” Utah’s governor said Sunday, confirming details likely to inflame the contentious national debate over the killing.”Yes I can confirm that,” Governor Spencer Cox told CNN’s “State of the Union” talk show when asked about suspect Tyler Robinson’s reported relationship with a trans partner.”The roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to a female,” Cox said.”This partner has been incredibly cooperative, had no idea that this was happening, and is working with investigators right now,” he added.Cox, who said 22-year-old Robinson is expected to be formally charged Tuesday, went on to stress it was not yet clear whether the partner’s transitioning was part of the alleged shooter’s mindset to kill Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump.”Again, all of these things — we’re trying to figure out,” he said.Cox, who has earned plaudits for urging Americans to lower the toxic political temperature, made the rounds of US networks Sunday and told NBC talk show “Meet the Press” that investigators believed Robinson had embraced leftist beliefs.”There clearly was a leftist ideology with this — with this assassin,” Cox said.He said such information about Robinson, who has not been cooperating, was told to investigators by “people around him, from his family members and friends.”Several US media outlets on Saturday reported Robinson’s relationship with a transgender individual, sparking fury by far-right activists for whom gender identity issues have been a key focus in recent years.Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer who has Trump’s ear, called Saturday “to designate the Trans movement as a terrorist movement,” while X-owner Elon Musk elevated multiple posts calling for gender treatment bans and denouncing leftist ideology.On Saturday he went further, telling a London march organized by far-right activists that “the left is the party of murder.”Cox meanwhile reiterated a call for civility across the political spectrum, while attacking social media giants by comparing their addictive algorithms to the deadly drug fentanyl.- ‘Trans delusion’ -Kirk was shot Wednesday during a speaking event on a Utah university campus. He was the founder of the conservative youth political group Turning Point USA and was a strong critic of the transgender rights movement.He wrote on X about what he called a “trans delusion death cult” in August, shortly after two children were killed and nine others wounded at a school church shooting in Minneapolis by an assailant authorities say was a 23-year-old man who claimed to be transgender.Kirk’s provocations have stirred debate. He often invoked his Christian faith and criticized what he and others have called gender ideology.In a video posted in 2023 by Right Wing Watch, Kirk is seen describing individuals being transgender to a church audience as “a throbbing middle finger to God.”With debate raging over what inspired Kirk’s murder, a member of former president Joe Biden’s cabinet, Pete Buttigieg, stressed there was “not a consistent pattern of left versus right among the shooters” in recent high-profile attacks, noting that Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in June.”We have to reject anyone who would try to exploit political violence,” Buttigieg told NBC.”The response to this cannot be for the government to crack down on individuals or groups because they challenge the government politically.”Turning Point USA announced that a memorial service for Kirk will take place in a football stadium near Phoenix, Arizona on September 21, which Trump confirmed he will attend Sunday.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pushed back Sunday against harsh US criticism of the conviction this week of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro on coup charges.In his first public reaction to Bolsonaro’s conviction, Lula wrote in a New York Times opinion column — addressed to US counterpart Donald Trump — that he was “proud” of the Supreme Court verdict which “safeguards our institutions and the democratic rule of law.””This was not a ‘witch hunt'” as Trump and other US officials have called the trial, Lula wrote in a guest essay titled: “Brazilian democracy and sovereignty are non-negotiable.” Trump’s ally Bolsonaro, 70, was convicted in a 4-1 decision of plotting a coup to overthrow leftist rival Lula following the far-right leader’s October 2022 election defeat.His lawyers have said they will appeal.Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison, in a conviction Trump called “very surprising” and to which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Washington will “respond accordingly.”Trump has already slapped a 50-percent tariff on many Brazilian imports, citing the trial of Bolsonaro as well as various other issues which he claimed threatened the US economy, national security, and foreign policy.The United States has also sanctioned the judge overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial, Alexandre de Moraes, who has led a charge against disinformation in Brazil, sparking feuds with US tech giants.Lula criticized Trump’s tariffs as “not only misguided but illogical,” given the United States’ trade surplus with Brazil.The lack of a logical economic rationale behind the tariffs, Lula added, “makes it clear that the motivation of the White House is political.”- Hospital visit -Lula also knocked Trump’s administration for accusing Brazil of “targeting and censoring” American tech companies like X, arguing that such firms were being regulated, not censored.And he described as “baseless” Washington’s charge of unfair practices in electronic payment services and in its digital payment system known as PIX.Lula, who at 79 is barely seven months older than Trump, said he penned his essay “to establish an open and frank dialogue” with his US counterpart, and stressed Brasilia remains “open” to negotiation on any issue.Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has repeatedly criticized Brazil’s judicial system over the Bolsonaro case, which has sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two biggest economies in the Americas.But Lula insisted the judicial actions were fair and comprehensive.”It followed months of investigations that uncovered plans to assassinate me, the vice president and a Supreme Court justice,” he said.The plot was not carried out due to lack of support from the military leadership, according to the Supreme Court ruling.The process was “very much like they tried to do with me, but they didn’t get away with it at all,” Trump said Thursday, referring to his own legal battle after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.Bolsonaro, who has been under house arresta and banned from using social media, on Sunday made his first public appearance since the conviction, for a hospital visit.His doctor, Claudio Birolini, told reporters that the former president had eight skin lesions removed and sent for biopsies.He added that Bolsonaro, who has had multiple operations in recent years due to complications from a 2018 stabbing in his stomach, was “quite weak” and had developed slight anemia, “probably due to poor nutrition over the last month.”Dozens of supporters gathered outside the hospital to cheer on their beloved ex-president, waving Brazilian flags.”I hope justice will prevail. It’s difficult, but with the intervention of other countries…I am hopeful that it will turn out well,” one supporter, 67-year-old engineer Francisco Costa, told AFP.

For some Americans on the far right, Charlie Kirk died a “martyr” and any criticism of the hugely popular conservative activist must be punished.Online vitriol and grassroots persecution have exploded in the wake of the assassination of the 31-year-old who had been an electrifying presence on the US right, with the killing further deepening fraught political divisions in the country.Laura Sosh-Lightsy, assistant dean of students at a university in the southern state of Tennessee, found herself in hot water after posting on social media about Kirk’s death.”Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy,” she said on Facebook after the killing, which happened Wednesday in front of a large crowd at a university in Utah.Republican US Senator Marsha Blackburn quickly called out the comment — and Sosh-Lightsy.”This person should be ashamed of her post. She should be removed from her position,” the Tennessee lawmaker said. Middle Tennessee State University’s president announced that same night an employee’s firing for a “callous” comment about Kirk.Kirk, who rallied his millions of followers to help President Donald Trump win a second White House term, was both revered and reviled for his pro-gun, anti-abortion and anti-immigrant rhetoric.Shooting suspect Tyler Robinson, who was arrested Thursday, is said to have engraved anti-fascist messages on his bullet casings. This has led to a large part of the American right labeling him a “far-left” killer.Some Kirk supporters have turned into online sleuths, searching out accounts that praised or celebrated Kirk’s murder.”If they have their picture on their profile, even without a name, download the picture and reverse image search it,” conservative influencer Joey Mannarino said.”Cross-reference it with their LinkedIn profile and find their place of employment. Call the place of employment, leave Google reviews.”These efforts have targeted teachers, firefighters and even military personnel, some of whom have lost their jobs.Kirk’s murder has been condemned by both sides of the political aisle. But Trump quickly blamed the country’s “radical left,” even as authorities were only just launching a manhunt for the killer.Online trackers have targeted an Oklahoma teacher, who posted on social media: “Charlie Kirk died the same way he lived: bringing out the worst in people.”That teacher has since been investigated by the state’s Department of Education, which described his comments as “abhorrent.”- Stadium memorial service -Trump, who praised Kirk as a “giant of his generation,” has led the US government in memorializing the activist, with high-ranking US officials working to weed out critics of Kirk and his legacy.Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff in honor of his ally, and Kirk’s body was flown from Utah to his home in Phoenix, Arizona aboard Air Force Two, escorted by Vice President JD Vance.Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered members of the military to identify colleagues who mocked or celebrated Kirk’s death.US Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau declared that “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.””I have been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light of the event, and have directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action,” he said in a post on X.”Please feel free to bring such comments by foreigners to my attention so the @statedept can protect the American people.”Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist who has Trump’s ear, has been one of the most high-profile attackers of Kirk’s critics.She denounced an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), who had expressed disgust on Instagram that flags would be lowered for “the literal racist homophobe misogynist.”Loomer shared the staffer’s LinkedIn profile and said: “These people hate us. They don’t belong near the levers of our National Power.”Following Loomer’s post, FEMA said the employee was placed on leave for making “revolting and unconscionable” comments.On Saturday, Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA announced a memorial service for its founder will be held on September 21 in a suburb of Phoenix.The chosen venue hints at the expected turnout: a stadium normally home to a professional football team, with a seating capacity of more than 63,000.

The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to make its first interest rate cut of the year at its policy meeting this week, spurred by a weakening jobs market — but political tension looms over the gathering.The Fed’s likely move would follow a monthslong push from President Donald Trump to slash rates, and comes amid growing concern about political pressure on the independent central bank.Since the bank’s last reduction in December, it has held interest rates at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent as policymakers monitor the effects of Trump’s sweeping tariffs on inflation.Analysts now broadly expect a 25 basis points rate cut at the end of its two-day meeting on Wednesday, as hiring slows.”What’s interesting is that it’s very clear what the Fed is going to do when they meet,” said Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council.”Yet, despite that, there’s high drama around this meeting,” he added, referring to personnel issues on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).While Trump has dropped threats of ousting Fed Chair Jerome Powell over renovation costs at the central bank’s Washington headquarters, the president moved to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook in August over mortgage fraud allegations.Cook, who was appointed under former president Joe Biden and is the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s board of governors, swiftly mounted a legal challenge against her removal.She has managed to remain in place while the lawsuit, which could have implications for similar moves against other Fed officials, plays out.Meanwhile, the early resignation in August of another Fed governor, Adriana Kugler, created a vacancy that Trump has rushed to fill with his chief economic adviser Stephen Miran.Miran chairs the White House Council of Economic Advisers but has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers over his plans to take a leave of absence — rather than resign — from the Trump administration if confirmed.A panel has nonetheless advanced his nomination and if confirmed quickly by the Republican-majority Senate, he could join the Fed in its next rate meeting.- Recession risks -Come Wednesday, markets will be focused on signals surrounding the Fed’s future pace — and size — of rate cuts, Lipsky said.KPMG chief economist Diane Swonk expects this to mark the “start of an easing cycle that the Fed won’t want to commit to.”Traders will also monitor Powell’s remarks on whether he sees inflation risks abating, particularly as worries over price pressures previously held back rate reductions.”The inflation genie has not quite been put back into the bottle,” said Wells Fargo analysts in a recent note.Data released Thursday showed that the consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, ticked up to 2.9 percent in August — its highest pace since the start of the year.”The labor market is in a precarious position, with nearly stagnant job growth, deteriorating worker sentiment and an unemployment rate that has inched above many estimates of full employment,” Wells Fargo noted.”With so little positive momentum in the labor market, recession risks have ticked higher,” the report said.- Independence worries -With Miran’s potential arrival, markets will be monitoring how much division there is within the FOMC on whether it should make a 25 basis points rate cut, a 50 basis points reduction, or keep rates unchanged.”That’s not something we’re used to seeing from the Fed,” Lipsky said. “This is a group that votes almost in unison over decades.”Analysts also warn that broader changes to the Fed’s make-up could happen more swiftly than markets expect.Presidents of the 12 regional Fed banks come up for reappointment every five years, meaning the Fed board of governors could replace them — although this has not happened before.”The markets, I think, are underpricing some of the risks to central bank independence and what it would mean for monetary policy going forward,” Lipsky said.

Authorities announced Friday they have taken into custody the person they believe shot dead Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist and close ally of President Donald Trump.Here is what we know so far.- The suspect -Authorities say 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is in custody.He was arrested in St George, Utah, about 250 miles from the town of Orem, where Kirk was shot dead while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.Law enforcement said his family had helped turn him in after he had suggested he was the shooter.- The shooting -Kirk, head of the country’s largest conservative youth movement, which he co-founded in 2012 at the age of 18, was speaking at around noon Wednesday when a shot rang out.The 31-year-old collapsed with a neck wound, according to a video clip taken from nearby. He was pronounced dead soon after in an announcement by Trump.Authorities say Robinson used a high-powered, bolt-action rifle, firing from the roof of a building up to 200 yards (185 meters) away from his target. They said the killer was lying prone, a position that can increase accuracy.- The motive – Kirk was a hero to right-wingers and helped Trump build a large youth vote in his November presidential election victory. He was also a highly divisive figure, espousing hardline views on race, gender, and gun ownership.Even his many critics often hailed Kirk’s willingness to debate, however. Kirk was on a speaking tour when he went to the Utah university.Authorities said they did not yet know the alleged shooter’s motive. He was not a student from the university.Clues may lie in the inscriptions found on bullet casings at the crime scene.One cartridge had written on it, “Hey, fascist! Catch!” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox.Another featured “Bella ciao,” apparently a reference to a World War II-era Italian anti-fascist song.Other cartridges were marked with symbols and wording that appeared to be from the online gaming culture.The United States has seen repeated politically motivated shootings and assaults over the last decade, including two assassination attempts on Trump —  in addition to a long history of political violence stretching back decades.Mass shootings by typically young, disturbed men are also common, and powerful firearms are easily available.- The political reaction -Politicians on all sides quickly condemned the killing, many of them calling on Americans to heal growing divisions.Trump’s first reaction on Wednesday was to blame “the radical left.” He toned his rhetoric down on Thursday and said that Kirk had been “an advocate of nonviolence.””That’s the way I’d like to see people respond,” he said.Kirk is being treated as a national hero by the Trump administration.Trump announced on Thursday he would posthumously decorate Kirk with America’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.The Republican president also told reporters that he would attend Kirk’s funeral.Kirk’s coffin was transported to his home city of Phoenix on Vice President JD Vance’s official plane.