European stocks pushed lower at the open, US futures a drag on threats to the Fed

European major indices showed declines at the market open, with Eurostoxx down 0.3%, Germany's DAX flat, France's CAC 40 dropping by 0.5%, UK's FTSE down 0.1%, Spain's IBEX decreasing by 1%, and Italy's FTSE MIB falling by 0.7%. In the US, S&P 500 futures dropped by 0.7%, Nasdaq futures by 1.0%, and Dow futures by 0.5%. This downturn comes in the wake of reports regarding a criminal investigation against Fed Chair Powell by Trump's DOJ, raising concerns about the independence of the Fed and the potential influence over interest rate policies. The political implications of these actions could jeopardize future economic decision-making by central bankers, thus unsettling the markets further. The anticipation of how these developments might pressure Fed policy is significant.