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April 15 (UPI) — President Donald Trump again threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he doesn’t step down from his position in May.

“Then I’ll have to fire him,” the president said on Fox Business. “If he’s not leaving on time — I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial. I want to be uncontroversial.”

Powell’s term as chair ends on May 15 and Trump does not have the authority to fire him without cause. But his nominated replacement, Kevin Warsh, hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate. If he doesn’t get confirmed, Powell could stay on as chair pro tempore.

“That’s what the law calls for. That’s what we’ve done on several occasions,” Powell said.

He said he plans to stay on the board.

“I have no intention of leaving the board until the investigation is well and truly over with transparency and finality,” Powell said.

The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to have hearings on Warsh’s nomination on April 21.

Powell’s term as a Fed governor goes until 2028, but he said he hasn’t decided if he’ll serve out that term.

Complicating matters, the Trump administration has been trying to prosecute Powell for his role in the $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed headquarters. The building went far over budget, and Trump has implied that something illegal is happening.

U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro tried to subpoena Powell over the renovation, but a judge denied it. Pirro admitted she had no evidence.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-S.C., who is on the Senate Banking Committee, said he will continue to block Warsh’s confirmation until the investigation into Powell ends.

But Trump said he isn’t worried about Tillis.

Tillis “is an American; he knows what to do,” he said.

Trump said the investigation must happen.

“What they’ve done to that, so it is probably corrupt, but what it really is is incompetent, and we have to show the incompetence of that,” he said.

Trump has wanted Powell out of the Fed since he was elected to office for the second term. He has said he wants interest rates dropped, but Powell has taken a more conservative approach. Powell has lowered the rates, but not fast enough for the president.

“Does that mean we stop a probe of a building that I would have done for $25 million that’s going to cost maybe $4 billion? Don’t you think we have to find out what happened there?” Trump said in the interview at the White House. “I have to find out.”

He called Powell “a disaster.”

“Here’s a man who took this little, tiny building and a couple of other little, tiny complex, and he’s spending more than $3 billion. I want to know who the contractor is, because that contractor is making billions of dollars, perhaps.”

The Fed said the building’s cost overruns are due to “unforeseen conditions” requiring more spending, including “more asbestos than anticipated, toxic contamination in soil, and a higher-than-expected water table.”

Trump has also tried to oust Fed governor Lisa Cook on the allegation that she committed mortgage fraud.

TORONTO — For a couple moments Tuesday afternoon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spit out a rapid-fire version of Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s biography, or at least his Baseball Reference page.

World Series winner? Check. World Baseball Classic winner? Check. Olympic Games gold medalist? Check. Sawamura Award winner, presented annually to Japan’s best pitcher? Check.

Cy Young award winner? No.

Or, at least, not yet.

The Dodgers have won 12 Cy Young awards, the most of any major league team, with franchise icons including Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser and Clayton Kershaw bringing home the hardware. Yamamoto has the talent to win.

Is it in their best interest if he does? Or could the numbers he might need to put up to win the award be counterproductive to the Dodgers winning another World Series?

In this century, only two players have won a Cy Young award and a World Series championship in the same season: Randy Johnson, with the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, and Justin Verlander, with the 2022 Houston Astros.

The Dodgers include October on their schedule every year. Their regular season consists of priming pitchers for October, not padding their resumes for awards.

No Dodgers pitcher has thrown 200 innings or won 20 games over the past four years, the last two of which have ended with parades. If the Dodgers choose not to mess with team success, they would not afford Yamamoto the chance to hit either of those traditional barometers of excellence.

The last time a Dodgers pitcher won a Cy Young in a year in which the team won the World Series: Hershiser, in 1988. He threw 267 innings that season, then another 42⅔ in the playoffs. The Dodgers are as likely to let Yamamoto throw that much as they are to let him bat cleanup.

“I think he could throw more, but I don’t think he needs to,” Hershiser said. “Every organization is different.

“If Yamamoto was on a .500 club that was hoping to get a wild card, they wouldn’t be planning for October every year like the Dodgers. They would be pitching him more.”

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto prepares to deliver in the first inning of a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.

(Cole Burston / Getty Images)

Roberts said he did not believe that whatever restraints the Dodgers might put on Yamamoto would spoil his chances for the Cy Young award, if his performance otherwise warrants it. The game has changed, and with it the award voting.

Of the 10 Cy Young winners over the past five years, eight did not throw 200 innings. None won 20 games.

Yamamoto has pitched six innings in each of his first three starts, including Tuesday’s 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. He averaged 5.8 innings per start last season, when he pitched 173⅔ innings.

Is a seven-inning pitcher beyond where he is, or where the game is today?

“I purposefully took him out of a lot of games where he had six innings, and I could have pushed him, and I don’t know how it would have played out,” Roberts said before the game. “But there’s a lot of intentionality to kind of banking what you have with him. But could he be? I don’t see why he couldn’t.

“I think he would certainly argue that I’ve probably taken him out too soon at times.”

If Yamamoto is the Dodgers’ best pitcher, then every inning he pitches is an inning that gives the Dodgers their best chance to win. There is no need to extend him beyond his comfort zone, but he pitched 193 innings twice in Japan, averaging 7.4 innings per start. He should be able to handle 200 innings.

“It’s certainly possible,” Roberts said, “but I’m just not going to manage to get him to reach a certain milestone. How he’s pitching in a certain game, to then go to the next game and how it looks, that’s kind of how I do it.”

Yamamoto started 30 games last season. One more inning in each start would have gotten him to 200 innings.

To his credit, Roberts did not take him out after six innings Tuesday. Yamamoto started the seventh inning and faced two batters — the first doubled after an ABS review nullified a strikeout, the second dropped a bunt single — then left after 97 pitches. Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Edwin Díaz collected the final nine outs.

That, too, is a plan. Handing the ball to an ace like Yamamoto and asking for nine innings is ancient history.

“You have bullpens that are a lot richer and deeper,” Hershiser said. “You’ve got quality arms in the bullpens, where ballclubs are spending money.

“As far as the workload in the playoffs compared to what they’re doing in the regular season, I think they all could still do what we did. I just think they’re not being trained or asked to do it. I just think it’s a different time and a different culture.

“He’s able to do it. I think (Shohei) Ohtani is able to do it. I think (Blake) Snell is able to do it. I think (Tyler) Glasnow is able to do it. But there is a different way to spend your assets now.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 26 at Dodger Stadium.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The concept that a team would give a pitcher an extra start or two to make his case for an award? Not this team, anyway.

“Now they’re saving those 10 or 20 innings for the playoffs,” Hershiser said.

“I think our guys have a chance to win a Cy Young even pitching once a week, if that’s what they ask them to do, until the games mean something more. Then they might bring them back on no days rest, as they have.”

That was a wink and a nod toward Yamamoto, who has won his last four appearances here: Game 2 of the World Series on 10 days rest; Game 6 on five days rest; Game 7 on no days rest, and Tuesday on five days rest.

The Dodgers have made clear that saving an inning for the postseason is preferable to spending it during the regular season. For a pitcher under contract to the Dodgers through 2035, it is certainly defensible in the short and the long term.

But, for a coaching staff and front office that loves the phrase “gives us our best chance to win,” a little more of Yamamoto could do just that.

Deep in Kielder Forest, on the northern side of the vast Kielder Water stands Silvas Capitalis, a giant, two-storey timber head, one of the most striking of the 20 sculptures tucked between the pines. It’s an eerie sight, almost shocking; its mouth ajar, as if astounded by all it sees. It’s my first visit to Kielder, and my face has been wearing a similar expression since I stepped out of the car at the lakeside trying to take in the scale of the landscapes unfolding around me.

Kielder doesn’t look like England – at least, not the England I know. For a start, it’s vast; 250 sq miles (648 sq km), with 158m trees, mostly sitka spruce conifers planted by hand. And even though it’s a plantation, there’s a wilderness feel that reminds me of Finland or Canada; a great swathe of nature at its most intense. It’s a working forest, involving 500 full-time jobs (not including tourism) and 2026 marks the centenary of the very first plantings, when the UK was in need of timber reserves after the demands of the first world war.

The desolate moorland around Kielder Castle had been identified as a suitable site for a new forest by Roy Robinson, who was instrumental in the creation of the Forestry Commission in 1919. “He was a visionary,” says Alex MacLennan, part of the Kielder team for more than 20 years. “It was hard farming country, but perfect for forestry. Originally, there were eight villages planned, to house the timber workers. But three decades later, when the first trees were ready to be felled, mechanisation and new tools such as chainsaws meant they only needed three.”

All of which means development in the forest is minimal; the main tourist area is at the Kielder Waterside, where 50 unobtrusive lodges are tucked between the trees, some of which were damaged when Storm Arwen roared in five years ago and tore down a million trees across the forest and the wider Northumberland national park. “It’s given a very different feel to the place,” says Gary Storey, general manager of Waterside, “and a chance to replant with different species, native to the UK – silver birch, oak, aspen, wild cherry – something other than the sitka spruce.”

The careful management of Kielder has made it a benchmark for forestry in the UK, not least for the low-impact tourism that has been carefully folded in. Aside from Kielder Waterside, there are a handful of places to stay, including Calvert Kielder, which in addition to offering self-catering lodges, specialises in respite care breaks packed with forest-based, accessible activities. There are also remote spots with facilities where camper vans can park up for £15 a night and a campsite (two-person pitch £20). “We’re not Center Parcs, and we’re never going to be,” says Liz Blair, director of the Kielder Partnership, when we chat over coffee. “But we’re working to make sure it’s accessible and welcoming for everyone, however you want to enjoy it.”

Many people who visit, including me, set off along the Lakeside Way; a 26-mile (42km) route that encircles Kielder Water, linking the sculptural works and immersing walkers and cyclists in the dense forest. When I visit, the silence that hangs between the trees feels almost thick enough to touch; only broken by the occasional rat-a-tat of a woodpecker, calling out for a mate.

But if Kielder is quiet by day, at night it becomes almost unworldly; a pitch-black void, bereft of almost all signs of life, save for the bright stars of England’s first dark sky park (the Northumberland international dark sky park). Driving up to the observatory, I’m glad to have my sister Caroline beside me in the car, keeping up a flow of chatter as the 2-mile off-road route winds further and further into the silent forest.

It’s the Northumberland dark skies festival when we visit, and we settle in for a fascinating (if slightly science-heavy) talk on exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) before braving the bitter cold to walk across to the telescope room. Sadly, it’s cloudy, but it’s still an extraordinary place, staffed with a mix of professional astronomers and passionate volunteers.

Kielder is a place of superlatives; England’s biggest forest, the UK’s largest human-made lake by capacity, the darkest skies – along with quite possibly the most terrifying mountain bike trails in the country. The Deadwater Double Black Downhill opens officially on 1 May, a rock-strewn, ledge-filled, vertiginous route that I wouldn’t want to walk, let alone cycle. It’s one of several new initiatives planned to celebrate the centenary, including a new Room on the Broom trail for kids, based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler; the Kielder celebration weekend (4-6 Sept); and the reopening of Kielder Castle in the summer after extensive renovations.

The forest may be vast, but it’s just one part of the Northumberland national park; the least populated and least visited of the UK’s 15 national parks. Coming from the built-up south-east, there’s an extraordinary beauty in the stark, untouched landscapes – a stillness, a peace, unmatched by anywhere closer to home. The history is pretty impressive too; we dip into the ruined Roman fortress at Vindolanda, take a windswept walk along Hadrian’s Wall and warm up with a fabulously hearty lunch of Cumberland sausage, mustard-mash and thick onion gravy at the centuries’ old Twice Brewed Inn.

But nothing quite matches my late afternoon judder up to the top of Deadwater Fell in Alex’s Forestry Commission van. Standing at the very peak, 571 metres (1,900ft) above sea level, it feels as if I can see for ever; a 360-degree widescreen vista, from the Cheviot Hills in the north-east to the peaks of the western Lake District, the snow-capped Pentland Hills rising up towards Edinburgh, like great white meringues. It’s genuinely awe-inspiring. I’m just glad I don’t have to mountain-bike back down.

This trip was supported by Visit Northumberland, Visit Kielder and Crabtree & Crabtree cottages. Birks Stable Cottage sleeps six, from £472 for a three-night break

Mirror writer Julia Banim visited Robin Hood’s Bay, an atmospheric gem on the Yorkshire Coast, and soon learned that the true beauty of this picturesque seaside village is best seen by starlight

Once upon a time, we Brits could look out of our window at night and see cluster upon cluster of sparkling stars. And in some parts of the country, you still can.

I’m lucky enough to spend a twinkling evening at Robin Hood’s Bay, one of the most striking villages of the Yorkshire Coast, with enough atmosphere to rival its more imposing literary sister, Whitby. I arrive on a bright day in early spring, the first daffodils nodding gently by the winding coastal path that leads down to the sea. I feel suddenly swept into a gothic romance novel, which feels very suitable, given this is the year of Wuthering Heights. And while Brontë fever may have drawn coachloads of would-be star-crossed lovers to Howarth, might I suggest this equally evocative Yorkshire beauty spot.

The sunlit waves crash beneath spectacular cliffs, and the sea stretches out endlessly before me. Time seems to stand still here, and it’s easy to imagine pirates of the old ballads making land here, treasure clinking in their chests. But today, all is peace as I make my way through the steep, cobbled streets, where smugglers of stories once made use of secretive, subterranean passages, and ghostly figures supposedly roam.

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My nostrils fill with scents of delicious food, with each street boasting pubs and eateries that appear untouched since the days of clandestine chats over ale and candlelight. But it’s not quite time for sustenance yet, and a night of stargazing awaits. Little do I know then that Robin Hood’s Bay is a gem that glows even brighter in the dark.

I’m staying at the superb Hotel Victoria, which boasts extraordinary views over the cliffs, noted through North Yorkshire and beyond. Beloved by passing sea captains since the Victorian age, the 30-bedroom Hotel Victoria is newly refurbished, but maintains much of its historic character. The rooms in the ‘Captain’s Quarters’ are comfortable and beautifully decorated, and as I enjoy a relaxing soak in the clawfoot tub, I feel very much like an elegant 19th-century lady.

Of course, the rooms are also well appointed for a aspiring-elegant 21st century lady like myself, and I’m positively thrilled to see a Dyson hairdryer on the dressing table, as well as a little bottle of Yorkshire gin. Absolute bliss. Wrapping up warm, I head to meet Mark Dawson, chairman of the Whitby and District Astronomical Society, in the tasteful hotel bar, and his passion for all things stargazing is instantly infectious. He has a deep knowledge of the yearly patterns of the stars, best seen here in the month of August, describing them touchingly as “old friends returning”.

Mark told the Mirror: “We forget that though, literally, people’s lives were ruled by what they saw in the night sky, by where objects rose, when they rose, when they set. You only have to look at Stone Henge, these ancient monuments that were sky clocks, all related to the sky. So their lives were ruled by events that went on in the sky. In Egypt, when they had what we call the helical rise of the Siririus, which is the brightest star in the night sky, that was the first rising before the sun in the dawn sky.

“They knew then that the Nile was shortly going to flood. So their lives would be ruled by when they first saw Sirius in the morning. And we forget that now, in all the modern day, and all that detritus, we’ve lost our connection with the night sky. I think it’s only people who are in really dark areas, rural locations, that maybe still have that. Which is a shame”.

With so many of us experiencing sleep issues, investing in all sorts of modern appliances to get some rest, could it be that our body clocks are rebelling against adjusting to a world where the skies are shut out? And could embracing the dark skies and their cycles, as our ancestors did since time immemorial, be the answer? As someone who struggles to drift off, I’m willing to try.

Mark first became fascinated by all things space as a youngster, watching the moon landings, and there is perhaps no better area in England for a budding stargazer to hone their interest. In December 2020, the North York Moors National Park was designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve, making it one of just 25 locations worldwide recognised for outstanding night-sky quality. In the darkest areas, some 2,000 stars can be seen at any one time – a notion that feels positively alien to a city dweller such as myself.

There have been some steps taken to reduce light pollution in Britain in recent years, with significant improvements to street lighting, including the removal of the old sodium lights with their “terrible” orange glow. But still, those travelling over to the North York Moors from the neighbouring metropolises of Sheffield and Leeds are regularly left speechless during stargazing expeditions. Mark said, “People are quite literally stunned. Over the years, they can’t believe what they’re seeing. And we tend to forget that when you’re sort of living on the doorstep, because it’s fairly easy for us just to drive ten minutes and be able to appreciate that.”

We leave the plush surroundings of Hotel Victoria behind and head out into the darkness for a mini ‘stargazing safari’. It’s a clear night, and Mark feels hopeful we’ll enjoy some splendid views. Sadly, this is an occurrence that has become less frequent in recent times, yet another depressing blow of climate change. In winters gone by, the chance of a clear sky was around 30 per cent, but for the last few years it’s sat around the 12 per cent mark. Mark told me, “I hope it’s not a trend. It’s probably to do with global warming. It seems that because the sea temperature is warmer, which it is, it tends to generate more moisture, which then means more cloud.”

Already, as I look up from the hotel steps, I can see a good quantity of glitter in the blackness, but I am nowhere near prepared for the phenomenal sight that’s about to greet me. We walk a short way off the road, away from the streetlights and into the true darkness. Remembering my glasses in my pocket, which I so often neglect out of vanity, I pop these on and audibly gasp. Side note, please always wear your glasses when out seeking the awe-inspiring.

Without exaggeration, the sky is quite literally filled with stars, many of which give off a sparkle I didn’t think possible. An upturned jewellery box spilled into endless folds of velvet. While still very much firmly on the ground, it almost feels as though we’ve somehow lifted some way up into the spangled heavens, as if I could reach out a finger and nudge a perfectly set constellation out of place. Breathtaking doesn’t quite cover it. It was one of those moments where you’re very much glad to be alive.

Mark points out various constellations using his long torch in an accessible way, and there is not a twinkle in the sky that he doesn’t know intimately. A whole history is written here, from the older stars blazing towards death, to the younger stars with their youthful blue hue, and I never even realised. I never really saw myself as a scientifically inclined person, but here I don’t feel out of my depth. Perhaps it takes such sights to bring the universe and all its enormity home.

I talk Mark’s ear off with questions, and he very politely obliges, but soon it’s time for me to let him carry on with his evening and for me to return to the warmth of Hotel Victoria. It’s only when I step into the foyer that I remember how hungry I am. Luckily, a slap-up dinner awaits, with a hearty steak and chips, followed by an absolutely enormous Eton Mess dessert, soon hushing my stomach grumbles.

The staff couldn’t have been more attentive and friendly, making sure I had a suitably big wine ready to take out with me on the veranda for the final part of my day. And I would wholeheartedly recommend this part. Blanket around my shoulders and torch in hand – both provided by the hotel – I sit, sip and look out at the sky and sea, both so dark, beautiful and mysterious.

It’s undoubtedly a romantic spot, but also equally perfect for being alone with your thoughts and a good audiobook, like this writer. I’m not alone for long, though, with a rather grumpy-looking cat plonking itself on my lap and loafing contentedly. Whether this is part and parcel of the overall experience, I can’t really say, but I certainly enjoy his company, as cross as he looks with mine.

I sleep like a baby, and not just because of the pleasant wine or deep, comfy bed. I think over Mark’s words, how we humans were supposed to live by the stars, to abide by a shared celestial clock. The following morning, after a breakfast of fresh kippers, I head back to my city home, knowing that taking time to see the stars, and see them how they should be seen, is something I want to factor into mt own personal calendar for the rest of my life.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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Watch this discussion between Ross Harrison and Hassan Ahmadian on US strategy regarding Iran. They conclude the US is still negotiating with old talking points, while Iran has moved on.

Ralf Little got emotional as he candidly opened up during the latest episode of Will & Ralf Should Know Better

Death in Paradise star Ralf Little fought back tears as he shared the heartbreaking reason he doesn’t have children.

During the latest episode of Will & Ralf Should Know Better, Ralf, 46, and Will Mellor decided to face their fears, from dangling on a trapeze and tackling fatherhood to the ultimate horror of performing stand-up in front of a Glasgow crowd.

At the start of the show, Will, 49, pointed out to Ralf: “I think I’ve actually done something that you would find more frightening than any of that. What I’ve done that I think you’d find more frightening… is have a child.

“Yes, yes, actually commit to something, commitment. I have had two kids and brought them up. So, to give you a little taste, I’m taking you to a place, it’s like a charity set-up, where dads can go and learn how to be good parents. What to expect from a baby, how to be a parent” to which Ralf admitted: “This my living nightmare!”

At the charity set-up, Ralf was asked “what’s the worry about children” to which he admitted: “It’s a lot of work, innit? I bought a bread maker once and I loved making that bread, but after a little while, I was like, I’ll just unplug it and put it under the cupboard. You can’t really do that with babies, can you?”

The leader of the charity set-up then asked: “Ralf, what is it that you’re most afraid of?” to which the former Death in Paradise star said: “I’ve lived a lot of my life having a mentality where there’s nothing I can’t walk away from.

“It’s actually terrifying to me, the idea of loving something so completely and irreversibly. I can’t walk away from it intact. That’s terrifying to me.”

Following the charity set-up and being given a baby doll to look after, it made Ralf think deeper about why he doesn’t have children. He said: “Yeah, it’s been a funny old day. Just in general for me” to which Will added: “I can see it threw some questions into your mind that you weren’t expecting. I could tell from your reaction that you were a bit like maybe there is a reason a bit deeper why I haven’t had children.”

To which Ralf emotionally admitted: “For sure. My parents were fantastic with us and did the best that they could. But their relationship broke down really in a really difficult way and that was very difficult for us.

“You know, there’s no way of putting this that’s not blunt, but, you know, they had three kids and an idyllic family life and then one of the kids was alive one week and dead the next.

“Everything, their entire lives crumbled right in front of their eyes from that moment on. It’s like, you know, you can’t protect them.”

Ralf then fought back tears as he composed himself and continued: “My mum was really… my mum was really protective of us. Really protective.

“And it happened anyway. It happened anyway because you can’t wrap your kids in cotton wool and protect them 24-7. Like, it’s a lot. And it’s only when I’m forced to sort of say these things out loud that I realise quite what a lot it is.”

Tragically, when Ralf was just nine-years-old, his sister, Ceri, then 14, fell 150ft to her death from a cliff during a family holiday to Cornwall.

Ralf has said that the tragedy was partly to blame for his parents’ divorce and deeply affected his other sister Rowena – but it made him push himself academically and in extracurricular activities.

Will and Ralf Should Know Better is available to watch on Channel 4 and 4oD, as well as U.

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