Auburn alumna cites cancer diagnosis after federal office fashion posts scrutinized
'While I was battling breast cancer as a new mom, I felt so unlike myself. Shortly after, I turned to social media as a personal outlet. I never made any income and with only about 800 followers, I'm surprised this is newsworthy. My focus remains on serving the American people at OPM,' Pinover told WRBL.
Pinover tells WRBL's Elizabeth White she is thankfully in remission. She spoke about her journey online at:McLaurine Pinover | Fran Drescher and Cancer Schmancer
The controversy comes as OPM oversees mass federal layoffs. CNN reported Pinover filmed fashion-related videos in her office, directing followers to purchase clothing she showcased. On the same day OPM urged agencies to fire underperforming employees, Pinover posted a video modeling a $475 skirt with the caption 'work look' and the hashtag #dcinfluencer. Her account, which linked to a site where she could earn commissions, was deleted after CNN's inquiry.
Watchdog groups say her posts may violate federal ethics rules against using government resources for personal gain. Donald K. Sherman, chief counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, called it 'highly problematic'given the layoffs occurring under her agency's oversight.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The Hill
11 minutes ago
- The Hill
Why in the world is Trump punishing Moldova with tariffs?
President Trump's tariff blasts continue. The White House released its latest list on July 31 and it is clear that no nation is safe — not allies, enemies, neighbors or distant lands. No menacing power escapes the vigilance of the president's team, ever alert to those 'ripping off' the United States of America. Case in point: Moldova. Dominating both sides of the Dniester River — well, one side actually — this Eastern European colossus of 2.3 million people (about the size of Houston) could inflict mortal damage on the American economy. In 2024 alone, the U.S. bought nearly $136 million (with an 'm') worth of goods from the Moldovans, whereas they bought only $51 million from us. With the U.S. economy valued at more than $30 trillion (with a 'T') we could probably only bear such abuse for … well, forever. In a July 9 letter to Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Trump made clear that America will not be bullied by Moldova any longer. He imposed a tariff of 25 percent on every bottle of wine or fruit juice the Moldovans force us to buy. Calling the deficit with Moldova a 'major threat to our Economy and, indeed, our National Security!' the president warned of even higher tariffs if Moldova retaliates or tries to send goods into the U.S. through transshipment. The letter accuses Moldova of taking advantage of us for 'many years.' Tariff rates are one of Trump's favorite weapons, employed under the dubious premise that the U.S. faces a trade deficit 'emergency.' The legality of such action aside — the Supreme Court has yet to rule — the president uses this weapon for a variety of non-economic goals. He has threatened Canada for indicating it might recognize a Palestinian state, and Brazil to try to save former President Jair Bolsonaro from prosecution. Moldova has committed no such offenses — at least none charged — but Trump wants trade with Moldova and a host of other countries to be based on 'reciprocity.' Whatever the precipitating dynamics, punishing Moldova for its involvement in international trade serves no reasonable Western security or broader policy interests. It undermines them. Sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, Moldova has a long history of not being a country. The people of this region, who were unwillingly traded between Romania and Russia for nearly a century, gained independence from a collapsing Soviet Union in 1991. With a population that is 75 percent Moldovan-Romanian, some within the Russian and Ukrainian minorities feared the country's absorption into neighboring Romania. During a brief internal war in 1992, Moscow positioned a 'peacekeeping force' on the eastern side of Dniester River to guard the self-proclaimed state of Transnistria — which is still there, not recognized even by Russia. This force is small, locally recruited and considered less than formidable. But it is part of a sustained campaign by Moscow to prevent Moldova from embracing the West. This same motive drove Vladimir Putin to unleash a brutal invasion and occupation of much larger Ukraine. If victorious there, he is unlikely to be more accommodating toward Moldova. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, and its elected leaders and population have been seeking stability. After Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova applied to join the EU. It was quickly granted candidate status, and negotiations for membership began. In 2024, the country reelected pro-EU President Sandu and in a referendum enshrined the country's 'European course' in its constitution — despite massive Russian interference and disinformation. The EU has not been cowed by Moscow and developed a generous aid and development package. Most Moldovan goods enter the world's largest trading bloc duty-free, a policy that was further extended to agricultural products last month. Under President Biden, the U.S. had been similarly supportive, providing more than $400 million in military and humanitarian aid in part to help reduce the country's dependence on Russian gas. Trump sees no need for aid to Moldova, or indeed for most foreign assistance. Other moves supporting Trump's 'America First' orientation also penalize Moldova. Eliminating the U.S. Agency for International Development meant the loss of virtually all projects in Moldova — including for democracy promotion and economic and energy development. At the same time, cutting resources for election monitoring and an independent press leaves the field open for Russian interference. Such indifference, along with Trump's shifting attitude toward Ukraine and transactional foreign policy, leaves Moldova exposed. A study by the Stimson Center concluded, 'With a White House that seems increasingly eager to align its perspectives with Moscow at the expense of traditional allies, its willingness to support Moldova's democratic transformation in the face of Russian opposition is now uncertain.' Neighboring Romania, a member of both the EU and NATO, has a huge stake in the fate of Moldova. An intimidated or occupied satellite country — a second Belarus — on the Alliance's more than 400-mile border would dramatically change the strategic equation. This should get Washington's attention — at least of those willing to honor the American commitment to NATO. Preserving an independent and economically healthy Moldova thus serves European and American interests. Increasing the cost of doing business with the U.S. and damaging democratic efforts there does not. Supporting Moldova costs the U.S. very little. Excusing a tiny trade deficit to a strategically important democracy does not make Americans suckers. Helping Moldova does not require a military commitment. The country has been cooperating with NATO but is constitutionally neutral. Rather than punishing the country, the U.S. could and should offer support. This could be based on a view of the geopolitical map — or, even better, from an appreciation of a resilient people's desire for democratic choice. Ronald H. Linden is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Pittsburgh, where he directed the Center for European Studies and the Center for Russian and East European Studies.
CNN
20 minutes ago
- CNN
American consumers are getting nervous about inflation again. For now, they're still spending
Americans are still opening their wallets, with unemployment remaining low and businesses blunting the effects of President Donald Trump's widespread tariffs. But consumers remain skittish over Trump's erratic trade war, according to recent surveys. Still, they haven't cut back and consumer prices have remained somewhat tame. Businesses have played a key role in keeping the economy afloat, despite persistent economic jitters. For instance, companies mostly have not ramped up layoffs to deal with the cost pressures arising from Trump's tariffs. Unemployment remains low at 4.2%, and if Americans have a job, then they're able to spend and save. Companies have also managed Trump's confusing onslaught of tariffs through a serious of maneuvers that have, so far, kept inflation from surging; a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond detailed all those strategies. After briefly improving from the near-record lows in the spring, consumer sentiment went into reverse again this month, the University of Michigan said Friday. But that might not mean anything for spending, since sentiment has been a lousy predictor of purchasing behavior in recent years. Put together, this has allowed consumers to continue to power the US economy with their spending, which contributes about 70% of economic output (though there are signs of caution on how long this resilience can last.) 'As long as consumer spending holds up and companies are able to retain workers because of that robust spending, the flywheel can continue to spin, pushing corporate profits and stock prices higher,' Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer at Northlight Asset Management, said in commentary issued Friday. Since the beginning of the year, Trump has rewritten US trade policy, with a new wave of tariffs that went into earlier this month. Businesses have scrambled to deal with the fallout. Economists have long said that tariffs will likely stoke consumer inflation, but so far, that hasn't happened. That might be because of how businesses have handled the situation, according to a recent analysis from the Richmond Fed that looked at survey responses from businesses. The report said that businesses have delayed ordering inventories, delayed the timing of when a tariff is charged and negotiated partnerships with suppliers and customers to share costs. Many businesses also stocked up on inventories in the beginning of the year to avoid tariff-induced sticker shock. And fortunately for the American worker, one of those strategies hasn't been to trim headcount. New applications for unemployment benefits remain low, according to Labor Department data. That's done the trick in keeping a lid on consumer inflation, but it might not last for much longer. The latest Producer Price Index, which measures the prices businesses pay their suppliers, surged 0.9% in July from the prior month, lifting the annual rate to 3.3%. The monthly and annual figures both rose much more than economists had expected. 'Sensing from businesses suggests that the impact of tariffs on their price-setting has been lagged, but it is starting to play out,' Richmond Fed economists said in their paper. 'Nonetheless, it remains highly uncertain how tariffs will impact consumer inflation.' Consumer sentiment remains well below where it was late last year, after the presidential election. But it hasn't — and probably still won't — predict how Americans spend in the months ahead. Consumer sentiment fell 5% this month to a preliminary reading of 58.6, the University of Michigan said Friday, falling for the first time in four months. Sentiment had improved, with consumers feeling a sense of relief that the worst of Trump's trade war might finally be in the rearview mirror. But the effects of Trump's tariffs are still very much up in the air. 'Consumers are no longer bracing for the worst-case scenario for the economy feared in April when reciprocal tariffs were announced and then paused,' Joanne Hsu, the survey's director, said in a release. 'However, consumers continue to expect both inflation and unemployment to deteriorate in the future.' Their expectations for inflation rates in the year ahead rose to 4.9% this month, up from 4.5% in July. Still, Americans will likely continue to spend, just as they did in 2022 when sentiment fell to a record low because inflation was running at 40-year highs. Or in 2023, when a standoff in Congress over the debt ceiling prompted sentiment to fall, yet spending remain robust all throughout that year. Spending at US retailers rose 0.5% in July, the Commerce Department said Friday. That's down from June's upwardly revised 0.9% gain, and in line with economists' expectations. Retail sales picked up across categories last month, especially at car dealerships and furniture stores, which saw sales climb 1.6% and 1.4%, respectively. Online sales jumped 0.8% in July, coinciding with Amazon's Prime Day sale. Spending also picked up at gas stations and department stores. Retail sales are adjusted for seasonal swings, but not inflation. Meanwhile, spending was down among only a handful of categories, including home improvement stores (-1%) and electronics retailers (-0.6%). Restaurants and bars also saw sales decline in July, falling 0.4% and extending an unusually weak period of sales growth. A subset of retail sales that excludes volatile categories — known as the 'control group' — rose 0.5% in July, slightly better than the 0.4% gain economists projected in a FactSet poll. That measure is seen as a better gauge of underlying consumer demand. Even after factoring in July's 0.2% monthly increase in consumer prices, according to the Consumer Price Index, retail sales were still up a healthy 0.3% last month. 'What consumers do is more important to the economy than what they say,' Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank, said in an analyst note Friday.
Newsweek
42 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Social Security's 2025 Changes Praised by Trump Administration
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has marked the program's 90th birthday by touting its achievements under the Trump administration. Why It Matters August 14 marked the 90th anniversary of Social Security, which has provided hundreds of millions of Americans with retirement, survivor and disability benefits. The program is extremely popular with the public, but its management has come under severe criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups, and its future remains in question. What To Know In a news release issued on Wednesday, the agency touted operational changes it said had improved service for beneficiaries. According to the SSA, the agency has embarked on a "digital-first" transformation aimed at making services faster and more accessible. The news release reported that Americans now had 24/7 access to personal "my Social Security" accounts and that more than half a million transactions occurred in the first three weeks after the upgrade. Previously, the SSA website experienced an average of 29 hours of downtime per week, the agency said. The SSA also reported significant reductions in wait times, with the National 800 Number going from an average 30-minute hold time in 2024 to "single digits last month." Field office wait times have fallen by 30 percent, according to the agency, and technology upgrades allowed about 30 percent of calls to be handled instantly—with 90 percent of calls resolved through self-service or callbacks. The Social Security Administration field office building in San Jose, California, in 2020. The Social Security Administration field office building in San Jose, California, in 2020. GETTY The news release also cited other operational improvements, including a 26 percent decrease in the initial disability claims backlog, a 60-day reduction in disability hearing wait times and an earlier-than-expected distribution of more than $17 billion in Social Security payments to more than 3.1 million beneficiaries under the Social Security Fairness Act. "Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us," SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said in the news release. "We are empowering our workforce and embracing innovation to ensure Social Security properly supports the American people and remains strong for the next 90 years." Criticism Democrats and Social Security advocacy groups have been critical of the Trump administration's handling of the agency. Earlier this year, the federal agency announced it would cut its staffing level from 57,000 to 50,000, and work by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency has sparked concerns over recipient privacy. "When President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law 90 years ago, he created a lifeline for the American people with a promise: work hard, and you can retire with dignity and peace of mind," Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in an email to Newsweek. He continued: "But instead of honoring his own promise to protect Social Security, Donald Trump and his administration of billionaires have done everything in their power to undermine the program. "Trump and his billionaires may never have to rely on Social Security to get by—but millions of hard-working Americans do, and that's why Democrats will always fight to protect it." Democrats have been fighting back against the Trump administration's management of the SSA. Senators Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden have introduced the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act, which would allow for hiring new staff, protecting data and modernizing services to reduce wait times. "For too long, the SSA has been underfunded, understaffed, and bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles that hurt ordinary Americans," the senators wrote in a news release. "While billionaires continue to rig the system in their favor, millions of hardworking seniors and disabled Americans are left struggling to access the benefits they've earned." The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare said in a statement marking the anniversary that there had been "unprecedented interference from the Trump administration" and that "severe cutbacks in SSA staff and needless policy changes have made it harder for Americans to access their earned benefits." Confidence in Social Security has also waned in recent years. A survey conducted by the nonpartisan organization AARP, which advocates for older Americans, found that confidence in the future of the Social Security system had declined from 43 percent in 2020 to 36 percent in 2025.
