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Trump’s top women officials — Noem, Bondi, Gabbard, Chavez-DeRemer, Leavitt — depart. Controversies and reasons
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The departures have ranged from political disagreements and leadership controversies to investigations and personal reasons. The latest high-profile exit is White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is set to leave at the end of August.Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Tulsi Gabbard and Karoline Leavitt — have departed the Trump Administration, with each exit occurring against a different backdrop of political controversy, investigations, policy disagreements, or personal reasons.President Donald Trump’s second administration has seen a change in leadership among senior women officials. By mid-2026, four women had left Trump’s Cabinet through firing or resignation, with men replacing them.The departures have ranged from political disagreements and leadership controversies to investigations and personal reasons. The latest high-profile exit is White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is set to leave at the end of August.Four prominent women who held Cabinet-level or senior national security positions — Kristi Noem, Pam Bondi, Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Tulsi Gabbard — have departed the administration, with each exit occurring against a different backdrop of political controversy, investigations or policy disagreements.The departures have also resulted in a notable pattern: the positions vacated by these women were subsequently filled by male successors.Kristi Noem — Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noem was fired by Trump on March 5, 2026, ending her tenure as secretary of Homeland Security.Noem had been one of the administration's most visible personalities on immigration and its aggressive mass-deportation agenda. Her tenure came under intense scrutiny over immigration enforcement operations, including high-profile incidents involving civilian casualties.Pam Bondi — Attorney GeneralAttorney General Pam Bondi was ousted by Trump in early April 2026, bringing an abrupt end to her tenure at the Justice Department.One of the major controversies surrounding Bondi involved the department's handling and release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The issue generated criticism from Democrats as well as sections of Trump's political base and became a major source of pressure on the attorney general.Lori Chavez-DeRemer — Labor SecretaryLabor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned on April 20, 2026.Her departure came amid an internal Department of Labor investigation into allegations of fraud, misconduct and abuse of power.After Chavez-DeRemer's exit, Keith E. Sonderling became acting secretary of Labor.Her tenure was marked by criticism over allegations that she was politicising the intelligence community. Disagreements were also reportedly linked to Iran policy and the declassification of sensitive intelligence material.Gabbard's departure was followed by the appointment of Jay Clayton as her successor.Karoline Leavitt — leaving White House roleThe latest departure is White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who Trump said will step down at the end of August 2026. Leavitt cited her desire to spend more time with her young children after returning from maternity leave. Trump said she would remain a top outside adviser and influential Republican voice ahead of the midterm elections.Unlike several earlier departures, Leavitt's exit has not been linked to a firing, scandal or internal dispute. It represents a personal decision to leave one of the administration's most demanding public-facing positions.Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news. HomeNewsUs NewsTrump’s top women officials — Noem, Bondi, Gabbard, Chavez-DeRemer, Leavitt — depart. Controversies and reasonsMore
Bengaluru — the city of start-ups, tech, and soul-crushing rent. Those who live in the city know exactly how taxing the rent-a-home drill is: sky-high security deposits and landlords think every tenant is a techie with either their own successful venture or earning lakhs with top tech companies.Sharing a similar incident, one frustrated Bengaluru resident said she drops a harsh reality bomb — “Not everyone works in IT, and not everyone is making lakhs.”She rightly highlighted that skyrocketing rent leaves non-techies scrambling to plan their budgets.Here's what she said:In a viral Instagram post, the content creator ‘Namma Rants’ said, “Owners in Bangalore really need to understand that not everybody who comes to Bangalore works in IT, and not everybody is earning in lakhs.”“No, this is the reality: everyone who comes here has a different job, and everyone has a different salary,” she added.She then urged landlords to keep non-techies in mind and to consider that not everyone earns lakhs of rupees “when fixing the rent”.The woman said that she understands that inflation has gone up and everything has become more expensive, “but the way the rent and the security deposits are continuously increasing here... it is not easy to survive here.”The content creator said a lot of people are facing this exact problem — “Survival here is becoming very difficult. What will we earn? What will we eat? What will we save?”She also shut down the trolls, who she said would question her why she came to Bengaluru and can just leave — “People come here for work. Everyone leaves their home to earn a living.”“Doesn't mean that just because the rent is high here, I should just go back and sit at home,” she added.“Where should we find a place?”In the caption of the post, she wrote: “In a recent conversation with the owner while I was trying to bargain, he bought it up saying you’ll earn in lakhs and come from the IT department, so why are you asking to reduce the rent?”“That shook me, and I was like, I am not from IT and only IT people are kit the ones buying the flats, so what about people like us? Where should we find a place?That’s why I want to burst this bubble for the owners here,” she added.How did netizens react?Social media users agreed with the viral post, with some pointing out that not all techies earn in lakhs.“Applause for you, sis. What you said is the true main point. They should understand,” a user said. “That's true... I live in Bangalore.. I know how expensive it has become to live in this city due to the rise in room rents...” another added.A netizen said, “Someone finally said it, since yesterday looking for homes and now sitting with a headache rent deekhke.”“Har IT wala bhi lakho me ni kamate 😬😬” a netizen pointed out.“This is absolutely true,” a user said, sharing a personal experience: “This is exactly what happened when I was searching a house in Yelahanka. The owner said that if you are working only in ITI, you can give you a place to live if you are in business. We are not interested. And I’ve been in this area for more than 12 years when Yelahanka did not have anything.”“Local Bangaloreans are also facing the same,” a user shared.A local jokingly said, “As a Kannadiga, thank you, Grandpa, for buying the house (45 years back).”About the AuthorArshdeep KaurArshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are opti
Vibrio infections can cause gastrointestinal illness, wound infections and bloodstream infections, health officials said.Infections can occur when an open wound comes into contact with saltwater or brackish water. (Representative Image)Louisiana health officials have urged residents to take precautions after the state recorded an increase in severe infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus, a potentially deadly bacteria sometimes described as a “flesh-eating” bacterium.Louisiana has reported nine cases so far this year, including five deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. In previous years, the state averaged about seven cases and one death over the same period.All reported cases linked to seawater exposureThe Louisiana Department of Health said all nine patients infected this year had wounds exposed to seawater. Officials also said every patient had an underlying health condition.Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in warm coastal waters and tend to be present in higher concentrations between May and October, when water temperatures rise.Infections can occur when an open wound comes into contact with saltwater or brackish water. People can also become infected by eating raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters.Infection can become life-threateningVibrio infections can cause gastrointestinal illness, wound infections and bloodstream infections, health officials said.Vibrio vulnificus can cause particularly severe illness. In serious cases, patients may require intensive care or undergo limb amputation.The health department warned that about one in five people infected with Vibrio vulnificus dies, with some deaths occurring within just a day or two after symptoms begin.Officials urge immediate medical attentionLouisiana health authorities are advising residents to be especially cautious when swimming or wading in coastal waters, particularly if they have an open wound.People should seek medical attention immediately if a wound exposed to saltwater or brackish water becomes:RedSwollenPainfulWarmDiscoloredHealth officials also urged patients to tell their healthcare providers about any recent exposure to seawater.The warning comes during the period when warmer coastal waters can increase the presence of Vibrio bacteria, making precautions especially important for people with wounds or underlying health conditions.Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news. HomeNewsUs NewsFlesh-eating bacteria alert in Louisiana: Vibrio vulnificus cases rise; 5 people die after exposure to seawaterMore
The unauthorised salary transactions were primarily carried out during two periods - December 2019 to February 2020 and June to September 2020, a news agency report said.Mumbai: Police personnel stand guard outside the Chinese Consulate-General following a protest by Tibetan refugees against China's 'Ethnic Unity and Progress' Law, in Mumbai, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)(PTI08_03_2026_000194B)(PTI)A payroll fraud has come to light in the Mumbai Police force, with officials uncovering that ₹6.41-crore were paid as salaries to 10 ‘ghost’ employees between 2019 and 2020, news agency PTI reported.The fraud was detected during the transfer of payroll records, in which it was found that 10 non-police personnel were repeatedly shown as employees in the North Regional Division and received monthly salaries in bank accounts opened in their names, officials said, adding that a case has been registered against five staffers of the department in this connection.The unauthorised salary transactions were primarily carried out during two periods - December 2019 to February 2020 and June to September 2020, the news agency report said.The ministerial-level clerical staff allegedly fabricated attendance registers and other official records to create ghost employees and include outsiders on the department's payroll, police said.Fictitious names in police payrollThe fictitious names listed in the First Information Report (FIR) are Ramdas Bhogle, Sudhakar Kadam, Sarju Yadav, Bhagwat Bhosale, Gunaji Khavkar, Mahadev Haldankar, Rajendra Sonar, Uttam Thorat, Suryakant Patil and Pandurang Kadam, they said.A case has been registered against five officials, who were posted at the time of the alleged fraud. Those named in the FIR are former administrative officers Ramkishan Goswami, Nagesh Talvadekar and Vijaya Chavan, Head Clerk Ajay Rathod, and Senior Clerk Amol Meshram.They have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy.The Mumbai Police have suspended Chavan and Meshram, alleging that they created fake Service IDs and Defined Contribution Pension Scheme (DCPS) IDs to facilitate payment of salaries to the 10 fictitious employees.As part of the suspension conditions, the duo has been barred from taking up private employment or business, directed to submit periodic declarations for subsistence allowance and prohibited from leaving the Brihanmumbai jurisdiction without prior permission.Police are now investigating the identities of the 10 purported employees and attempting to establish who operated the bank accounts into which the salaries were credited, further investigation is underway, official added.(With PTI inputs)Get Latest real-time updatesStay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news. HomeNewsIndiaMumbai Police payroll fraud: ₹6.41 crore disbursed to 10 'ghost' employees, 5 bookedMore
An 82-year-old man in Bengaluru was duped of ₹3.49 lakh in the name of verifying the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) form. The SIR, or the revision of the electoral roll/voter list, is currently underway in several states, including Karnataka.Fraudsters who posed as Election Commission of India (ECI) officials tricked R Parthasarathy (82) into downloading a fake verification form under SIR.Here's what happened exactly:R Parthasarathy, a resident of Rustum Bagh in east Bengaluru, reportedly received a phone call from a person who claimed to be an ECI official.The caller told him that his SIR form verification was incomplete and needed to be completed immediately to avoid any issue with his voter registration, the Deccan Herald reported.The fraudster allegedly asked him to pay a processing fee of ₹5 and directed him to download a fake mobile application to complete the verification.When the payment failed, the caller sent a QR code via WhatsApp, claiming it was necessary to complete the process.The fraudulent app and QR code enabled the scammers to gain access to the victim's mobile phone and banking details, police were quoted as saying.They then carried out unauthorised transactions on his credit card, siphoning off ₹3.49 lakh.After realising he had been cheated, Parthasarathy approached the Jeevan Beema Nagar police and alerted the National Cyber Crime Helpline.A case was registered and an investigation is underway.Experts warn against SIR scamThe Cyberabad Police and cyber crime expert Rakshit Tandon earlier warned against the scams carried out by fraudsters in the name of SIR. They explained the modus operandi and how one can counter these scamsters.The Cyberabad Police said in a post on Instagram that fraudsters may impersonate Election Officials and ask for people for their personal details, documents, OTPs, or money in the name of SIR verification.✔️ They may contact you pretending to be EC officials✔️ They may ask for personal details or documents: Don't share✔️ They may ask you to make payment for verification: Don't send any money✔️ They may send links or apps: Don't clickThey clarified that SIR verification is conducted only through official government channels. Offering advice on how to secure oneself from these scamsters, police said:❌ Never share personal information or make payments to unknown callers.❌ Do not click on suspicious links or download unknown apps.Meanwhile, expert Rakshit Tandon explained how cybercriminals are misusing the ongoing SIR of voter lists to cheat citizens.In a Facebook post, Tandon said cybercriminals call citizens pretending to be:✔️ BLO / Election Officer✔️ Voter List Verification Team✔️ Govt DepartmentThen they send a WhatsApp link saying:❌ “Update your voter details under SIR”❌ “Download new voter slip”❌ “Complete KYC for voter ID”These actions are done only through the official government website and channels, and not through social media platforms such as WhatsApp.✔️ Election Commission NEVER sends APK files✔️ Voter verification NEVER happens on WhatsApp✔️ No payment is required for SIR verificationView full ImageHow SIR scams work(Image made using Gemini)Tandon strictly advised people not to download any APK file or click on any suspicious link sent by an unknown caller. These fake apps secretly steal:🔐 Personal data📸 Photos & contacts💳 UPI & banking info📲 Full access to your phoneHow to stay safe?Tandon listed a few measures following which people can stay safe from these scams:✔️ Only use official apps/websites✔️ Report scams to 1930 / cybercrime.gov.in✔️ Do not click on links or download unknown appsAbout the AuthorAkriti AnandAkriti Anand is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint. She is a digital journalist with more than six years in the news industry. In her current role, she covers both national and international politics, and also keeps a close watch on the latest trends in science and space exploration. Akriti joined the LiveMint team in O
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