A: Hey there! Did you see the news about Trump?
B: No, what's going on?

A: Well, he fired a Labor Department official because they changed some job market data that didn't look good for him.
B: Oh, really? That sounds fishy...

A: Yeah, the department released new numbers and it showed a big drop in jobs in May and June. Trump thinks they messed with the numbers to make him look bad.
B: Wow, that's not cool if it's true.

A: Expert groups are saying this could hurt the credibility of US economic stats, which are usually really reliable.
B: That doesn't sound good for anyone...

A: There's a guy named Ernie Tedeschi who thinks the commissioner is super focused on data and truth in statistics. He said messing with the numbers would be bad news for US credibility.
B: That makes sense, I don't want our economy to look sketchy because of politics!

A: Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who is the Labor Secretary, seems to agree with Trump about firing the commissioner. She said she wants the stats to be fair and never manipulated for politics.
B: Well, I hope they find a solution soon that won't mess up our economy!
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Experts have criticized US President Donald Trump's order to fire a Labor Department official over major downward revisions of job market data.



The department on Friday released the employment figures in non-farm sectors with massive downward corrections in May and June.



Trump accused the department of politically manipulating the data, claiming that they were "RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad." He said he had given an order to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.



US media outlets reported that the department acknowledged the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistic's dismissal.



A group that numbers economic experts among its members, including the predecessor who was appointed during Trump's first term, issued a statement condemning the president's decision.



The statement says the rationale for firing the commissioner "undermines the credibility of federal economic statistics that are a cornerstone of intelligent economic decision-making." It also describes US official statistics as the "gold standard globally."



Ernie Tedeschi, the director of economics at the Budget Lab at Yale, wrote on social media that he knows of no economist who is more data-focused and devoted to truth in statistics than the commissioner. He added, "Nothing would be worse for US credibility than political meddling in our economic data."



On the other hand, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer expressed support for Trump's firing of the commissioner.



In a social media post on Friday, she said she agrees "wholeheartedly" with Trump that employment statistics "must be fair, accurate, and never manipulated for political purposes."
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Quiz 1:
Who did President Donald Trump accuse of politically manipulating the job market data?
A. The Labor Department commissioner
B. US media outlets
C. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
D. The group of economic experts

Answers: Quiz 1: C

Quiz 2:
Which of the following is NOT a reaction to Trump's decision to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics?
A. Condemnation by a group of economic experts
B. Support from the Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer
C. Criticism from Ernie Tedeschi, the director of economics at the Budget Lab at Yale
D. Acknowledgment by US media outlets

Answers: Quiz 2: B

Quiz 3:
According to the article, what title does Ernie Tedeschi hold?
A. Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
B. Director of economics at the Budget Lab at Yale
C. Predecessor appointed during Trump's first term
D. US media outlet reporter

Answers: Quiz 3: B