more hardnosed

A former US ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst, has a more hardnosed view of that long term commitment.

Fox News quoted Cheney as denying his family had influenced his views, saying: "It's his view, perhaps, of what happened, but my family was not conspiring to somehow turn me into a tougher, more hardnosed individual. I got there all by myself."

Mr McPeake acknowledged the executive had been too lax, adding that as a result of what was uncovered, it was now "more hardnosed" with its contractors.

As a result, many big-city banks are becoming more hardnosed.