There's an onus on O'Neill and Little-Pengelly to turn up together and defuse flashpoints... and to stop ducking interviews
It was meant to enhance the profile of Northern Ireland, the Executive, the peace process and the future to a global audience as well as mop up some responses to current issues which had occupied considerable public attention.
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Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Court allows Trump to end union bargaining for federal workers
Aug 1 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday lifted a judge's order blocking U.S. President Donald Trump's administration from stripping hundreds of thousands of federal workers of the ability to engage in union bargaining with U.S. agencies. A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put on hold, opens new tab an injunction issued by a lower court judge that had been obtained by six unions including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco in June had issued the injunction blocking 21 agencies from implementing Trump's March executive order exempting many federal agencies from obligations to bargain with unions. Donato concluded Trump's order retaliated against unions deemed critical of the president and that had sued over his efforts to overhaul the government, including the mass firings of agency employees, violating their right to free speech under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. But the 9th Circuit panel said Trump's order on its face "does not express any retaliatory animus," and it agreed with the Trump administration that the president "would have taken the same action even in the absence of the protected conduct." The 9th Circuit panel included U.S. Circuit Judge John Owens, an Obama appointee, and U.S. Circuit Judges Bridget Bade and Daniel Bress, two Trump appointees. Another federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., had in May paused a similar order that had also blocked Trump's order. AFGE National President Everett Kelley in a statement called the Friday ruling "a setback for First Amendment rights in America." The 9th Circuit put the injunction on hold pending a further appeal, and Kelley said the union is "confident in our ability to ultimately prevail." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump's order exempted more than a dozen federal agencies from obligations to bargain with unions. They include the Departments of Justice, State, Defense, Treasury, and Health and Human Services. Eliminating collective bargaining would allow agencies to alter working conditions and fire or discipline workers more easily, and it could prevent unions from challenging Trump administration initiatives in court. Trump's executive order exempted agencies that he said "have as a primary function intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work," from collective bargaining obligations, significantly expanding an existing exception for workers with duties implicating national security.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Dissenting Fed officials tie votes to labor market concerns
Aug 1 (Reuters) - The two Federal Reserve governors who favored an interest rate cut at the U.S. central bank's policy meeting this week said on Friday they did so largely due to rising concerns about the job market, amid expectations that any price increases related to trade tariffs will not lead to lasting price pressures. "With economic growth slowing this year and signs of a less dynamic labor market, I saw it as appropriate to begin gradually moving our moderately restrictive policy stance toward a neutral setting," Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in a statement. "In my view, this action would have proactively hedged against a further weakening in the economy and the risk of damage to the labor market," she said. Governor Christopher Waller said in a separate statement that "with underlying inflation near target and the upside risks to inflation limited, we should not wait until the labor market deteriorates before we cut the policy rate." Waller said the job market is nearing stall speed and the Fed's rate target should be closer to its neutral level. Waller said of the Fed's broader approach to monetary policy right now that "I believe that the wait and see approach is overly cautious, and, in my opinion, does not properly balance the risks to the outlook and could lead to policy falling behind the curve." The policymakers weighed in after casting dissenting votes against the Federal Open Market Committee's decision on Wednesday to hold its benchmark interest rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range. The dissents marked the first time that many governors had opposed the Fed's consensus view since late 1993. Comments made by Waller and Bowman going into the meeting had led many observers to expect their dissents. Waller has been most explicit in arguing for lower rates, saying the risks are rising for the job market while tariff-related inflation increases are likely to be a one-time shift the Fed could ignore. Bowman also expressed skepticism that tariffs would cause sustained inflation problems. The dissents also garnered interest because of the broader political currents buffeting the Fed. President Donald Trump has been pushing aggressively for rate cuts, excoriating Fed Chair Jerome Powell for failing to heed the White House's demands. Waller, who noted last month that his view was not "political" is widely considered to be in the running to succeed Powell when his term expires next May. Bowman, who was recently elevated to the Fed's bank overseer role by Trump, had previously been on the more hawkish end of the monetary policy spectrum, having dissented last fall in favor of a smaller rate cut than what the Fed delivered. Nodding toward the potential ambitions of the dissenters, Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JP Morgan, described their votes on Wednesday as "two job applications attached" to the FOMC statement, even as he noted, "we don't read too much into these dissents for the future direction of policy." As for the rest of the Fed's policymakers, they voted in favor of holding rates steady because even as some risks to the outlook are emerging, they are still wary of what Trump's tariffs will do to price pressures. "The economy is in a solid position" and "for the time being, we're well positioned to learn more about the likely course of the economy and the evolving balance of risks before adjusting our policy stance," Powell said at a press conference on Wednesday after the end of the Fed's two-day policy meeting. Powell appeared to see no downsides to the dissents. He described the FOMC gathering as a "good meeting" and added, "what you want from everybody, and also from a dissenter, is a clear explanation of what your thinking is and what are the arguments you're making ... We had that today." Powell did not indicate whether the dissenters had moved the consensus. "We haven't made any decisions about September. We'll be monitoring all the incoming data and asking ourselves whether the federal funds rate is in the right place." The Fed's next policy meeting is scheduled for September 16-17.
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Ignore Trump and give Open to Turnberry urges Montgomerie
The US president bought the famous Scottish course in 2014 and The Open has stayed away since, with 2009 marking its last staging. Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said The Open would not return to Turnberry until Trump was out of politics and the focus would be solely on golf. However, his replacement, Mark Darbon, announced he has held talks with Trump's son, Eric, about the logistical challenges Turnberry has, rather than politics. There are also reports Trump has asked the UK government to step in and convince The R&A to take its prized event back to his course. Turnberry, famous for its picturesque coastline and iconic lighthouse, is renowned as one of the best courses in the world and is a fans and players' favourite. Colin Montgomerie playing at the Els Club in Vilamoura (Image: Andre Pires Santos) It was the scene of Tom Watson's famous win over Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 Open, dubbed the 'duel in the sun', and Watson's near-fairytale in 2009, when the then-59-year-old almost won but bogeyed the last hole and lost in a play-off to Stewart Cink. The Open have not yet announced the venue for the 2028 Open, which is set to be pushed back from its usual July slot due to the Olympics. And Scottish legend Montgomerie, 62, insists Turnberry would be the best choice. 'Let's hope that we can get it back there as soon as we can,' he said, speaking at the launch of Ernie Els' new golf club, Els Club Vilamoura. 'Because it definitely is the best course, and we should be seeing the best players on the best courses. 'It's a pity, isn't it, that Turnberry is not currently on the rota 'It's the best. We all accept it's the best course in Britain, [certainly the] best links course in Britain, and it's a shame, because of its standard, that it's not on the rota.' Montgomerie is not the only golf heavyweight to throw his name behind the campaign. American superstar Bryson DeChambeau, a fan of Trump's, said he is all for it. "It's one of the best golf courses in the world, and I'd love for it to be a part of the rotation,' he said. "Albeit I haven't played it, I've heard so many great things about it, and any time you get to play a special historical golf course like that, I think it's worthy of it, for sure." The R&A has pointed to the growth of The Open and Turnberry's lack of infrastructure as the reason for staying away. In 2009, 120,000 people attended Turnberry, compared to the 280,000 that visited Royal Portrush to see Scottie Scheffler win his fourth major title last week. R&A chief executive Darbon said: "We love the golf course - we've not taken it out of our pool of venues - but we have some big logistical issues there.' Montgomerie played a nine-hole exhibition to open the Els Club Vilamoura alongside four-time major winner Els and 2001 Open Champion David Duval. The Algarve course is a championship-standard 18-hole golf course that features a luxury clubhouse and signature amenities such as the 261 Bar, and was built on the redesigned Victoria course, which hosted the Portugal Masters from 2007 to 2022. It will host the new PGA Champions Tour event, the Portugal Invitational, after signing a five-year deal. The first edition of the event is set to be held between 31 July to 2 August 2026. Els said: 'Golf is in the pretty sweet spot at the moment and [creating this course] has been a really nice venture. We want the conditions to be absolutely perfect and for people to have a great experience and good food.' Montgomerie added: 'The golf course is superb, and the clubhouse is fantastic. It's not just a course for the present; it's a course for the future as well.' PGA TOUR Champions announces the Portugal Invitational to be held at The Els Club Vilamoura on course designed by Ernie Els. PGA TOUR Champions, Arrow Global Group, Turismo de Portugal, and Turismo de Algarve will deliver a five-year partnership and will debut the week of July 27, 2026, and will feature a field of 78 players. For more information visit
