Latest news with #TrentMorse
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump's War With Powell Throws a Little-Known Planning Board Into Scrutiny
The emails from Trent Morse, the deputy director of the White House's personnel office, arrived in the inboxes of three Biden-appointed commissioners at the National Capital Planning Commission on July 9. They were terse and came without warning. 'On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as commissioner of the National Capital Planning Commission is terminated, effective immediately,' Mr. Morse wrote. 'Thank you for your service.' The little-known board, which has the relatively mundane task of reviewing the impact of development projects on the capital's urban landscape, was barely on President Trump's radar during his first term. But the panel, which does not oversee projects or consider their cost, has since become pivotal in the administration's campaign to discredit Jerome H. Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, whose departure the president is trying to accelerate. Mr. Trump has become increasingly angry with Mr. Powell for being too slow to cut interest rates, and his advisers have been weighing whether to try firing him, a legally precarious escalation. In recent weeks, White House officials have focused their attention on the cost of renovating the central bank's headquarters in Washington, suggesting that Mr. Powell's handling of the $2.5 billion makeover could be grounds for sacking him before his term ends next year. The controversy over the cost of the renovations has thrust the National Capital Planning Commission, a 12-person panel that was created by Congress in 1924, into a rare political spotlight. The White House's sudden interest in the commission has turned it into a cudgel that could potentially alter the makeup of the Fed at an important moment for the U.S. economy, which is facing a new bout of inflation from Mr. Trump's tariffs. The president has made clear he wants to install a chair who will cut rates despite concerns that import taxes could lead to higher prices, a position that could result in even more inflation if low borrowing costs overheat the economy. Mr. Morse's letters were sent to Teri Hawks Goodmann, Bryan C. Green and Elizabeth M. Hewlett. The former commissioners, who have backgrounds in urban planning and architecture and serve on the commission on a part-time basis, were appointed to six-year terms under the Biden administration. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Axios
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Corporation for Public Broadcasting sues Trump over firings
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting on Monday sued President Trump and several administration officials for attempting to fire three members of CPB's board. Why it matters: The lawsuit adds to rising tensions between CPB and Republicans, who seek to cut funding for America's two biggest public broadcasters, PBS and NPR. CPB allocates around $535 million in federal funding annually to NPR and PBS. Local member stations rely heavily on that funding, and public broadcast advocates have warned that stripping those funds could put local stations out of business. The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. Zoom in: The lawsuit asks a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that would prohibit administration officials from taking any action to remove CPB board members from their positions, citing its lack of executive authority to do so. Defendants listed in the complaint include President Trump; Trent Morse, a deputy director of presidential personnel; the Office of Management and Budget and its director, Russell Vought; the White House Presidential Personnel Office, and its director, Sergio Gor. What they're saying: "The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is not a government entity, and its board members are not government officers," CPB said in statement. "Because C.P.B. is not a federal agency subject to the president's authority, but rather a private corporation, we have filed a lawsuit to block these firings." Between the lines: CPB was created through a bipartisan act of Congress in 1967. Its board members are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Members of CPB's current board were nominated by President Biden. The big picture: President Trump and Republicans have sought to remove funding for public broadcasters as part of a broader effort to target the media industry. The Trump administration reportedly has drafted a memo to Congress outlining its plans to cut federal funding for public broadcasters. The CEOs of NPR and PBS have testified at a DOGE subcommittee hearing over what chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. has called content that's biased against Republicans. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating the two public broadcasters over whether their member stations violated FCC rules around airing commercial ads. What to watch: Other efforts to defund or restrict news entities by the Trump administration have faced challenges in court.
