Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Sunday that the central bank had been subpoenaed by the US Justice Department, blasting the move as part of President Donald Trump’s extraordinary pressure campaign on US monetary policy decisions.Powell added in a statement that the bank received grand jury subpoenas “threatening a criminal indictment” on Friday related to his Senate testimony in June, which had been about a major renovation project of Federal Reserve office buildings.He dismissed the possible threat of indictment over his testimony or the renovation project as “pretexts.””The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President,” Powell said. “This unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure,” Powell said.The Fed has a dual mandate to keep prices stable and unemployment low, and its main tool in doing so is by setting a key interest rate that influences the cost of borrowing across the economy.Trump has consistently pressured Powell and the central bank to move faster in lowering interest rates, in a breach of the long-standing independence of the institution.Trump on Sunday denied any knowledge of the Justice Department’s investigation into the Federal Reserve.”I don’t know anything about it, but he’s certainly not very good at the Fed, and he’s not very good at building buildings,” NBC quoted Trump as saying.- ‘Corrupt takeover’ -Senators from both sides of the aisle blasted the investigation. “It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question,” Republican Thom Tillis said.”I will oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fed — including the upcoming Fed Chair vacancy — until this legal matter is fully resolved,” he added.Democrat Elizabeth Warren accused Trump of trying “to complete his corrupt takeover” of the central bank by pushing Powell out and installing a “sock puppet” instead.Powell’s term as chairman of the Federal Reserve ends in May, and Trump told Politico in an interview last month that he would judge Powell’s successor on whether they immediately cut rates.The US president has openly spoken about ousting Powell but stopped short of doing so, and focused instead on cost overruns for renovation of the Fed’s Washington headquarters.In July, the cost of the Fed’s facelift of its 88-year-old Washington headquarters and a neighboring building were up by $600 million from an initial $1.9 billion estimate.That month, Trump made an unusual visit to the construction site during which the two men, clad in hard hats, bickered over the price tag for the makeover.A significant driver of the cost is security, including blast-resistant windows and measures to prevent the building from collapsing in the event of an explosion. The Federal Reserve, the world’s most important central bank, makes independent monetary policy decisions and its board members typically serve under both Republican and Democratic presidents.

Hollywood’s top stars hit the red carpet on Sunday for the Golden Globes, the first major event on the road to the Oscars, and they delivered lots of old-school glamour.Here is a glance at some of the looks seen at the Beverly Hilton Hotel:- Ever-chic black -Selena Gomez is a newlywed and her happiness shows. The best comedy actress nominee for her work on “Only Murders in the Building” radiated joy as she arrived on the arm of her husband Benny Blanco.She oozed sophistication in a black Chanel column gown with a frothy white feathered strapless neckline, her black bob swept into soft waves.Gomez was not alone in striking an understated pose, with lots of stars opting for black or dark, wintry hues.Teyana Taylor, a winner for her searing turn as a leftist revolutionary in hotly-tipped film “One Battle After Another,” scorched the carpet in a cut-out backless black Schiaparelli gown with a halter neckline — and a cheeky crystal bow on her backside. Ariana Grande (“Wicked: For Good”), who competed with Taylor for the award for best supporting actress, turned heads in a black textured Vivienne Westwood ballgown with an asymmetrical neckline and a bubble silhouette before trailing to the floor. Her hair was swept into her signature ponytail, and she kept the jewelry simple with a diamond choker.Amy Madigan, also in their category for her villainous turn in “Weapons,” went for a tuxedo look with cropped pants and patent leather boots.Nominee Jenna Ortega embraced the goth chic of her title character in “Wednesday” in a black high-neck Dilara Findikoglu gown with glittering epaulets and cut-offs that revealed a bit of side boob… and part of her hip bone.Among the male stars in attendance, Colman Domingo was as usual a standout, wearing head-to-toe black Valentino, with silvery appliques scattered from his left shoulder down his lapel to his waist.- Naked ambition -Jennifer Lopez is no stranger to strong fashion statements. Her plunging green Versace gown at the Grammys in 2000 is still a reference for winning the red carpet by adopting the “less is more” rule. On Sunday, Lopez — whose turn in “Kiss of the Spider Woman” was overlooked by Globes voters — wore a figure-hugging sheer gown with bronze patterns snaking over her body, ending in a mermaid fishtail.Jennifer Lawrence –nominated for best drama actress in a film for “Die My Love” — got the memo as well, rocking a barely-there sheer nude Givenchy gown with only a smattering of strategically placed flowers. – Stars slam deadly ICE shooting – Hollywood never quite has a night out without a bit of politics coming into play. On Sunday, some of the stars including nominee Mark Ruffalo wore pins with the messages “BE GOOD” — a reference to Renee Good, the Minneapolis woman who was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent.Comedian Wanda Sykes wore the same pin on her lapel, while actress Natasha Lyonne, a nominee for her TV show “Poker Face,” attached one to her clutch handbag.The campaign is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one of the country’s most prominent civil rights organizations.

The Golden Globes kicked off Sunday, with “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners” expected to dominate the glitzy gala’s movie awards.Host Nikki Glaser kicked off the evening with jokes on wide-ranging topics, including the release of redacted US government files about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.”The Golden Globe for best editing goes to the Justice Department,” she said.”There are so many A-listers, and by A-listers, I do mean people who are on a list that has been heavily redacted,” Glaser added, referring to Epstein’s many celebrity friends.The lavish Globes ceremony is a key stepping point in Hollywood’s awards season, which culminates in March with the Oscars, and attracts a glamorous A-list crowd to a Beverly Hills ballroom each year.Leading the evening’s frontrunners is the politically charged “One Battle After Another,” which is expected to convert many of its nine Globe nominations into wins.Paul Thomas Anderson’s screwball thriller, which centers on an aging revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti), is the hot favorite for best comedy/musical film.A rollicking ride featuring violent leftist radicals, immigration raids and white supremacists, the film has connected with audiences and critics at a time when the United States is deeply polarized.DiCaprio will vie for best actor at the Globes with Timothee Chalamet, who stars in “Marty Supreme” as an ambitious 1950s table tennis player.Teyana Taylor, who plays an unapologetically bold leftist revolutionary, picked up the first prize of the night for best supporting actress, perhaps signaling a big evening for “One Battle.”- ‘Sinners’ versus ‘Hamnet’ -The Globes offer separate awards for dramas and comedies/musicals — widening the field of stars in attendance.”Sinners,” Ryan Coogler’s period horror film about the segregated South of the 1930s, is expected to be the toughest competition for “One Battle” at the Oscars. But at the Globes, they are in separate categories.”Sinners” surprised moviegoers with its eclectic mix of vampires, politics, race relations and blues music.It is the frontrunner for the best drama film Globe, against rival “Hamnet,” which stars Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as his grief-stricken wife, as the two cope with the death of their young son.Buckley is the favorite for best drama actress honors.”Sentimental Value,” the Norwegian family dramedy starring Stellan Skarsgard, earned a strong eight nominations and is also in the running.Skarsgard took home the award for best supporting actor. – ‘BE GOOD’ -The Golden Globes went through a crisis period, following a Los Angeles Times expose in 2021 that showed that the awards’ voting body — the Hollywood Foreign Press Association — had no Black members.Now under new ownership, and with the HFPA disbanded, a wider net of overseas critics has been brought in to pick the winners.One of the international movies they may favor is Brazilian thriller “The Secret Agent,” whose lead actor Wagner Moura is a favorite to win best drama actor honors.”The Secret Agent” and “Sentimental Value” will vie for the Globe for best non-English language film with “It Was Just An Accident” from Iranian dissident director Jafar Panahi. The Globes also honor the best in television, with HBO’s black comedy anthology “The White Lotus,” sci-fi office thriller “Severance” and searing teen murder saga “Adolescence” leading the contenders.Several celebrities including Mark Ruffalo, Natasha Lyonne and Wanda Sykes walked the red carpet sporting pins with the message “BE GOOD.”The badges are part of a tribute to Renee Good, the US woman whose fatal shooting by a federal agent has sparked renewed protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.