Trump has tapped a new Federal Reserve chair. Has he finally found his yes-man?

The US Federal Reserve requires “strong, sound and steady leadership”, according to Donald Trump. The president found a man to lead the central bank who would “provide exactly that type of leadership”, he declared.“He’s strong, he’s committed and he’s smart.”This is not how Trump described Kevin Warsh, the former Fed governor whom he unveiled as his new nominee to chair the central bank on Friday – but how he hailed Jerome Powell, the current Fed chair, when nominating him for the job about eight years ago.“If he’s confirmed by the Senate, Jay will put his considerable talents and experience to work leading our nation’s independent central bank,” Trump said as the November sun shone down on him in the White House Rose Garden in 2017

UK new car buyers drive a bargain as average discount nears £6,000

If you are considering buying a new car, now might be the time to act as new data shows manufacturers and dealers slashing prices by more than 10%, with the average discount close to £6,000.The typical discount available across all petrol, diesel and electric cars sold in the UK is 11.4% of the on-the-road price – the equivalent of £5,911 – according to Insider Car Deals, which sells discount data to people looking to buy.On-the-road prices include all of the extras required to drive a car, including road tax, registration fees, number plates, delivery and VAT.For electric vehicles (EVs) the average price reduction is 12

One in seven food delivery businesses in England are ‘dark kitchens’, study shows

One in seven food businesses on major delivery platforms, including Deliveroo and Just Eat, is now a “dark kitchen”, a university study shows.The findings, which shine a light on the scale of the hidden takeaway industry, found that 15% of all online food retailers in England were dark kitchens.Also known as “cloud”, “ghost” or “virtual” kitchens, they are delivery-only with no customer-facing storefront.Despite rapid growth, they have – until now – lacked a clear and consistent definition, creating challenges for regulators, local authorities, food safety officers, industry stakeholders and consumers.Dr Lucie Nield, co-lead investigator from the University of Sheffield, said: “People deserve greater transparency about the food they are ordering online, and these businesses must be held to the appropriate regulatory standards

Trump nominates Federal Reserve critic Kevin Warsh as its next chair

Donald Trump has announced Kevin Warsh as his nomination for the next chair of the Federal Reserve, selecting a candidate who has been an outspoken critic of the US central bank.The move ends months of speculation about who the president would pick to replace Jerome Powell, as he waged an extraordinary campaign to influence policymaking at the Fed by repeatedly calling for interest rate cuts. Powell’s second term as chair is due to end in May.Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best. On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting’, and he will never let you down

FSA confirms presence of toxin in some Nestlé SMA baby formula products

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed the presence of a toxin that can cause food poisoning in some Nestlé baby formula products.At the start of this month, the Swiss food and drink company recalled several batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula due to concerns they contained cereulide, which can trigger nausea and vomiting when consumed.The FSA said it had identified the problem ingredient as arachidonic acid oil. This plays an important role in infant development and is added to formula to ensure babies who are not breastfed receive it.The food regulator said the ongoing investigations had confirmed that the contaminated oil had come from an ingredient supplier used by both Nestlé and rival food group Danone

Artists can’t buy into these fantasy houses | Brief letters

I always regard the house prices in your fantasy house hunt feature with wry amusement. After all, it is supposed to be fantasy. However, last weekend’s selection made my blood boil (Homes for sale to inspire artists in England – in pictures, 23 January). In 2024, the Guardian reported that the median income of visual artists had dropped to £12,500, a fall of 40% since 2010. Even the most creative accounting is not going to convert this into a mortgage for one of the houses featured