Tag Archives: Federal Reserve

Federal Reserve cuts key rate as government shutdown clouds economic outlook

Federal Reserve cuts key rate as government shutdown clouds economic outlook

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without the economic signposts it typically relies on from the government, including monthly reports on jobs, inflation and consumer spending, which have been suspended because of the government shutdown. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves.… Continue Reading

Embattled Fed Gov. Lisa Cook says she’ll sue Trump to keep her job

Embattled Fed Gov. Lisa Cook says she’ll sue Trump to keep her job

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook’s lawyer says she’ll sue President Donald Trump’s administration to try to prevent him from firing her. Longtime Washington attorney Abbe Lowell said Tuesday that Trump “has no authority to remove” Cook. If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the Fed’s board of governors, it could erode the Fed’s political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables the Fed to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. The Republican president said Monday he was removing Cook because of allegations she committed mortgage fraud. Cook was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022 and says she won’t step down.… Continue Reading

Embattled Fed Gov. Lisa Cook says she’ll sue Trump to keep her job

Embattled Fed Gov. Lisa Cook says she’ll sue Trump to keep her job

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook’s lawyer says she’ll sue President Donald Trump’s administration to try to prevent him from firing her. Longtime Washington attorney Abbe Lowell said Tuesday that Trump “has no authority to remove” Cook. If Trump succeeds in removing Cook from the Fed’s board of governors, it could erode the Fed’s political independence, which is considered critical to its ability to fight inflation because it enables the Fed to take unpopular steps like raising interest rates. The Republican president said Monday he was removing Cook because of allegations she committed mortgage fraud. Cook was appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022 and says she won’t step down.… Continue Reading

Fed Chair Powell faces fresh challenges to Fed independence amid potential rate cuts

Fed Chair Powell faces fresh challenges to Fed independence amid potential rate cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Now that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has signaled that the central bank could soon cut its key interest rate, he faces a new challenge: how to do it without seeming to cave to the White House’s demands. For months, Powell has largely ignored President Donald Trump’s relentless hectoring that he reduce borrowing costs. Yet on Friday, in a highly-anticipated speech, Powell suggested that the Fed could take such a step as soon as its next meeting in September. It will be a fraught decision for the Fed, which must weigh it against persistent inflation that remains a problem and an economy that could also improve in the second half of this year. Both trends, if they occur, could make a cut look premature.… Continue Reading

Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged even as Trump demands cuts

Federal Reserve leaves interest rates unchanged even as Trump demands cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is leaving its key short-term interest rate unchanged for the fifth time this year, brushing off repeated calls from President Donald Trump for a cut. The Fed’s decision Wednesday leaves its key short-term rate at about 4.3%, where it has stood after the central bank reduced it three times last year. Chair Jerome Powell has said the Fed would likely have cut rates already if not for Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Powell and other Fed officials say they want to see how Trump’s duties on imports will impact inflation and the broader economy. Two Fed governors dissented in favor of a cut.… Continue Reading

US unemployment ticked down, hovering at historically low levels

US unemployment ticked down, hovering at historically low levels

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits dipped to 245,000 last week amid uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s trade policies. U.S. jobless claims ticked down from 250,000 the week before. Economists had forecast 250,000. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, rose to 245,500, the highest since August 2023. The number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits the week of June 7 slid to 1.95 million.… Continue Reading

Federal Reserve leaves key rate unchanged as it sees risk of higher prices and higher unemployment

Federal Reserve leaves key rate unchanged as it sees risk of higher prices and higher unemployment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, brushing off President Donald Trump’s demands to lower borrowing costs, and said that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen. The Fed kept its rate at 4.3% for the third straight meeting, after cutting it three times in a row at the end of last year. Many economists and Wall Street investors still expect the Fed will reduce rates two or three times this year, but the sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump have injected a tremendous amount of uncertainty into the U.S. economy and the Fed’s policies.… Continue Reading

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