Global central bankers issued a statement Tuesday defending U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell following the launch of a criminal investigation into the central bank chief. “We stand in full solidarity with the Federal Reserve System and its Chair Jerome H. Powell,” central bank chiefs including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, said in a joint statement. “The independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve. It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, ... (full story)