Republican Senators raise concerns about Trump's firing of BLS Commissioner
Several Republicans told NBC News that they would take issue with the firing of Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the BLS, if it is the result of Trump disliking the jobs report numbers, which showed the U.S. job market in the past months has been considerably weaker than previously thought.
Trump defended his decision Friday, saying without evidence that the report's numbers were 'phony' and accused McEntarfer of releasing favorable jobs numbers before the election to give former Vice President Kamala Harris an edge.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy., said if the data is untrustworthy, the public should find out, but firing the commissioner before knowing whether the numbers are inaccurate is 'kind of impetuous.'
'If the President is firing the statistician because he doesn't like the numbers but they are accurate, then that's a problem,' Lummis said. 'It's not the statistician's fault if the numbers are accurate and that they're not what the President had hoped for.'
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., blasted Trump's decision to fire McEntarfer as well.
'If she was just fired because the President or whoever decided to fire the director just did it because they didn't like the numbers, they ought to grow up,' Tillis said.
Tillis announced in June that he does not intend to run for re-election, a day after opposing Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' and subsequently drawing the president's ire, including a threat to back a primary challenge against the senator.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who found out about the commissioner's firing from NBC News' question to him about it, said he did not know much about the topic but proceeded to question whether the move would be effective in improving the numbers.
'We have to look somewhere for objective statistics. When the people providing the statistics are fired, it makes it much harder to make judgments that you know, the statistics won't be politicized,' Paul said.
'I'm going to look into it, but first impression is that you can't really make the numbers different or better by firing the people doing the counting,' he added.
Paul also opposed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill last month. The Senator said in June that due to his vocal opposition, he was uninvited from an annual White House picnic in the weeks leading up to the vote on the sweeping domestic policy package. However, Trump later said Paul and his family were invited.
Democratic Senators have spoken out against McEntarfer's firing, too, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accusing Trump of acting like 'someone who imitates authoritarian leaders' during remarks on the Senate floor Friday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called the move 'the sign of an authoritarian type' and added, 'what that means is, I think the American people are going to find it hard to believe the information that comes out of the government, because Trump will always want it to be great news, and when that happens, it's hard for us to deal with the problems, because we don't know what is going on.'
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, went a step further, calling McEntarfer's dismissal 'The stuff of fascist dictatorships.'
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27 minutes ago
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Trump tariffs live updates: Trump hits India with additional 25% tariff as world awaits sweeping duties
President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil. The new tariff, which will come into effect in 21 days, is set to "stack" on top of an existing country-specific tariff of 25%. In doing so, Trump is set to make good on a threat for higher tariffs on India, as he as accused the country of effectively financing the Russian war in Ukraine. "They're fueling the war machine," he charged in a CNBC interview. India's first 25% levy takes effect Thursday, part of scores of new duties that will see importers paying between 10% to 50% as they bring in goods from nearly 200 countries around the globe. Outside of India, Switzerland is the developed nation whose goods face a whopping increase: up to 39%. You can see the new rates Trump is set to levy in the graphic below: Trump on Tuesday said he would soon announce tariffs on semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports, as he prepares to add more sectoral duties to his mix of tariffs. He said duties on pharma could eventually balloon as high as 250%. In the past several days, Trump has unleashed a flurry of deals and trade moves leading up to his self-imposed deadline: Trump granted Mexico, the US's largest trading partner, a 90-day reprieve on higher tariffs. Trump hiked tariffs on Canadian imports to 35%, though goods contained in the US-Mexico-Canada agreement are exempt, keeping this hike's impact limited so far. The US agreed to a trade deal with South Korea. The agreement includes a 15% tariff rate on imports from the country, while the US will not be charged a tariff on its exports. Trump imposed 50% tariffs on semi-finished copper products starting Aug. 1. The president signed an order to end the de minimis exemption on low-value imports under $800, thereby applying tariffs from Aug. 29. Trump signed another order to impose a total of 50% tariffs on many goods from Brazil. However, it exempts key US imports like orange juice and aircraft parts that benefit Embraer (ERJ). The US and EU agreed to a trade deal that imposes 15% tariffs on EU goods. The nations are still working on finalizing many terms of the deal. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world. Trump hits India with additional 25% tariff over Russia oil buys President Trump has hit India with an additional 25% tariff due to India's purchase of Russian oil. The US President threatened India with higher tariffs earlier this week, to which India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was "unjustified" and also called out the US for its double standard over Russia. In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Trump said that India was helping to fuel the war machine. 'They're fueling the war machine. And if they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy,' Trump said. In the early days of trade negotiations, relations between the US and India appeared more friendly with both sides saying they will reach a deal within days. However, over recent months things seem to have turned sour as neither side can agree on some of the finer details within the deal, which concern dairy and agriculture products. As a result, a trade war seems to have developed between the two sides and now with this additional 25% tariff gift from Trump to Modi the two seem further away from reaching an agreement than ever before. Modi's rival blasts 'bully' Trump as public opinion hardens Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi's most recognizable political leader, has come out to call President Trump a "bully" for his negotiation tactics. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. 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New Delhi said it would take all necessary steps to protect its economic interests. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Nvidia partner Hon Hai's July sales growth weakened by tariffs Nvidia's (NVDA) main server assembly partner Hon Hai Precision ( reported a sales slowdown for July due to US tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. President Trump has hit India with an additional 25% tariff due to India's purchase of Russian oil. The US President threatened India with higher tariffs earlier this week, to which India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it was "unjustified" and also called out the US for its double standard over Russia. In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Trump said that India was helping to fuel the war machine. 'They're fueling the war machine. And if they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy,' Trump said. 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Trump order lowering tariffs on EU autos still days away: source European automakers will have to hold on a little while longer before President Trump lowers auto tariffs as EU-US negotiations continue. Reuters reports: Read more here. European automakers will have to hold on a little while longer before President Trump lowers auto tariffs as EU-US negotiations continue. Reuters reports: Read more here. Alcohol groups say tariffs put $2B in sales and 25,000 jobs at risk In a letter to President Trump, a group comprising of 57 alcohol industry firms have said that Trump's tariffs of 15% on EU goods could reduce the value of alcohol sales by almost $2B and put 25,000 jobs at risk. Reuters reports: Read more here. In a letter to President Trump, a group comprising of 57 alcohol industry firms have said that Trump's tariffs of 15% on EU goods could reduce the value of alcohol sales by almost $2B and put 25,000 jobs at risk. Reuters reports: Read more here. Carney says he'll look at opportunities to remove tariffs on US Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he will look to assess ways in which he can remove some counter-tariffs against the US. Carney's statement seems at odds with his earlier commitments to fight back against President Trump's trade war. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he will look to assess ways in which he can remove some counter-tariffs against the US. Carney's statement seems at odds with his earlier commitments to fight back against President Trump's trade war. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump says Japan to import Ford's huge F-150 pickup trucks President Trump said that Japan has agreed to accept imports of Ford's F-150 pick up trucks. This latest news is seen as a sign that the two sides may not be on the same page when it comes to their understanding of the trade agreement reached last month. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. 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A stronger yen and the impact of President Trump's tariffs took their toll, but the company raised its full-year forecast. Reuters reports: Read more here. China draws red lines on US chip tracking with Nvidia meeting China is pushing back against the US over chips despite their overall trade truce. Last week, Beijing summoned Nvidia (NVDA) staff over security concerns with H20 chips, signaling opposition to the US plans to track advanced semiconductors. Analysts view China's latest move as a warning that it will not allow the US to dominate the chip sector. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. China is pushing back against the US over chips despite their overall trade truce. Last week, Beijing summoned Nvidia (NVDA) staff over security concerns with H20 chips, signaling opposition to the US plans to track advanced semiconductors. Analysts view China's latest move as a warning that it will not allow the US to dominate the chip sector. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump says he's readying more tariffs on Russian energy buyers Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Canada to help lumber industry cope with US tariffs: Carney Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Canada will provide funds to help the lumber industry prepare for tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more here. Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Canada will provide funds to help the lumber industry prepare for tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more here. Starbucks under pressure again as Brazilian tariffs hike coffee costs Starbucks (SBUX) may soon hike prices on its pumpkin spice lattes and bottled Frappuccinos as it faces cost pressure from the 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee imports, which takes effect on Aug. 6. Yahoo Finance's Francisco Velasquez reports: Read more here. Starbucks (SBUX) may soon hike prices on its pumpkin spice lattes and bottled Frappuccinos as it faces cost pressure from the 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee imports, which takes effect on Aug. 6. Yahoo Finance's Francisco Velasquez reports: Read more here. EU continues to press for tariff exemption on wine, spirits as part of US deal The EU is pushing for its wine and spirit exports to be exempt from US tariffs, while both sides work towards refining the deal they agreed last month. The WSJ reports: Read more here. The EU is pushing for its wine and spirit exports to be exempt from US tariffs, while both sides work towards refining the deal they agreed last month. The WSJ reports: Read more here. Countries push for last-minute deals as Thursday tariff deadline looms Global importers are bracing for President Trump's next tariff deadline on Thursday morning, when the president's tiered approach to tariffs is expected to take effect. Yet some of the details around trade agreements remain fuzzy. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Global importers are bracing for President Trump's next tariff deadline on Thursday morning, when the president's tiered approach to tariffs is expected to take effect. Yet some of the details around trade agreements remain fuzzy. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Trump's copper tariffs apply to $15B of products so far President Trump's copper (HG=F) tariffs are due to hit imports valued at more than $15B in 2024, highlighting the potential inflationary impact on American manufacturers. Trump's unveiling of 50% import duties rattled the global copper market last week, because the US president provided a surprise exemption to key forms of wiring metal. But it still leaves significant trade volumes subject to tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. President Trump's copper (HG=F) tariffs are due to hit imports valued at more than $15B in 2024, highlighting the potential inflationary impact on American manufacturers. Trump's unveiling of 50% import duties rattled the global copper market last week, because the US president provided a surprise exemption to key forms of wiring metal. But it still leaves significant trade volumes subject to tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump threatens EU with increased tariffs if it doesn't meet investment pledge President Trump threatened to hike tariffs on the European Union back to 35% if the bloc fails to live up to a pledge to invest some $600 billion in the US. "A couple of countries came [and said], 'How come the EU is paying less than us?' And I said well, because they gave me $600 billion," Trump said during a CNBC interview. "And that's a gift, that's not like, you know, a loan," he said, claiming that the terms allow the US to direct where the EU invests. President Trump threatened to hike tariffs on the European Union back to 35% if the bloc fails to live up to a pledge to invest some $600 billion in the US. "A couple of countries came [and said], 'How come the EU is paying less than us?' And I said well, because they gave me $600 billion," Trump said during a CNBC interview. "And that's a gift, that's not like, you know, a loan," he said, claiming that the terms allow the US to direct where the EU invests. Trump says pharma duties could go to 250% President Trump said he would announce tariffs on semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports "within the next week or so." "We'll be putting a initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year — one and a half years, maximum — it's going to go to 150%. And then it's going to go to 250%, because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country," Trump said during a CNBC interview. He said semiconductor and chip tariffs would be in a "different category." President Trump said he would announce tariffs on semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports "within the next week or so." "We'll be putting a initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year — one and a half years, maximum — it's going to go to 150%. And then it's going to go to 250%, because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country," Trump said during a CNBC interview. He said semiconductor and chip tariffs would be in a "different category." US tariff on EU goods set at flat 15% The EU said on Tuesday that European Union goods entering the US face a flat 15% tariff, including cars and car parts. The rate includes the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff and won't exceed 15% even if the US raises tariffs on items like semiconductors and medicines. The EU said it still expects turbulence in its trade dealings with the US. Reuters reports: Read more here. The EU said on Tuesday that European Union goods entering the US face a flat 15% tariff, including cars and car parts. The rate includes the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff and won't exceed 15% even if the US raises tariffs on items like semiconductors and medicines. The EU said it still expects turbulence in its trade dealings with the US. Reuters reports: Read more here. India hits back at Trump's tariff threat India has called out President Trump after he threatened to "substantially raise" tariffs on Indian exports over its Russian oil purchases, slamming the move as unjustified. New Delhi said it would take all necessary steps to protect its economic interests. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. India has called out President Trump after he threatened to "substantially raise" tariffs on Indian exports over its Russian oil purchases, slamming the move as unjustified. New Delhi said it would take all necessary steps to protect its economic interests. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Nvidia partner Hon Hai's July sales growth weakened by tariffs Nvidia's (NVDA) main server assembly partner Hon Hai Precision ( reported a sales slowdown for July due to US tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Nvidia's (NVDA) main server assembly partner Hon Hai Precision ( reported a sales slowdown for July due to US tariffs. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Lula rejects 'humiliation' of calling Trump over US-Brazil tariff
By Brad Haynes and Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA (Reuters) -As U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods jumped to 50% on Wednesday, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told Reuters in an interview that he saw no room for direct talks with U.S. President Donald Trump which he believes would turn into a "humiliation" for him. Brazil is not about to announce reciprocal tariffs, he said. Nor will his government give up on cabinet-level talks. But Lula himself is in no rush to ring the White House. "The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won't hesitate to call him," Lula said in an interview from his presidential residence in Brasilia. "But today my intuition says he doesn't want to talk. And I'm not going to humiliate myself." Despite Brazil's exports facing one of the highest tariffs imposed by Trump, the new U.S. trade barriers look unlikely to derail Latin America's largest economy, giving Lula more room to stand his ground against Trump than most Western leaders. Lula described U.S.-Brazil relations at a 200-year nadir after Trump tied the new tariff to his demand for an end to the prosecution of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is standing trial for plotting to overturn the 2022 election. The president said Brazil's Supreme Court, which is hearing the case against Bolsonaro, "does not care what Trump says and it should not," adding that Bolsonaro should face another trial for provoking Trump's intervention, calling the right-wing former president a "traitor to the homeland." "We had already pardoned the U.S. intervention in the 1964 coup," said Lula, who got his political start as a union leader protesting against the military government that followed. "But this now is not a small intervention. It's the president of the United States thinking he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It's unacceptable." Lula said his ministers were struggling to open talks with U.S. peers, so his government was focused on domestic measures to cushion the economic blow of U.S. tariffs, while maintaining "fiscal responsibility." He also said he was planning to call leaders from the BRICS group of developing nations, starting with India and China, to discuss the possibility of a joint response to U.S. tariffs. Lula also described plans to create a new national policy for Brazil's strategic mineral resources, treating them as a matter of "national sovereignty" to break with a history of mining exports that added little value in Brazil. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
OysterLink Poll: 1 in 4 Hospitality Workers Say Their Company Has No Job Openings in 2025
Los Angeles, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 6, 2025) - A new poll from OysterLink finds that 26% of hospitality professionals say their company has no new jobs planned for 2025, raising questions about internal communication and hiring urgency within a sector still facing labor instability. Image 1To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: The poll, which asked "Is your company currently hiring?", gathered more than a hundred responses from professionals in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Results showed: 26% – No new jobs planned 52% – I'm not currently with a company myself 13% – Hiring 1–10 new employees 9% – Hiring 10+ new employees The findings come as the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows a major decline in job openings in the sector. In June 2025, the number of openings in Accommodation and Food Services fell by 308,000, dropping from 1.06 million in May to 754,000—a sharp monthly decline that may reflect cooling demand or cautious hiring behavior. About OysterLink OysterLink is a leading job platform dedicated to the hospitality industry. We connect restaurants, hotels, and hospitality employers with skilled candidates across the U.S. With job listings, including server jobs in New York City or private chef jobs in Los Angeles, industry insights, and career resources, OysterLink helps professionals build rewarding careers in hospitality. Media ContactPR Representativeana@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
