Jerome Powell, a Potential Winner from the Trade Reprieve

Jerome Powell, a Potential Winner from the Trade Reprieve

Vindication? In the span of 24 hours, the “buy America” trade is back on and the odds of a U.S. recession have dipped. And pressure on the Fed to cut interest rates has abated despite the uncertainty surrounding Tuesday’s Consumer Price Index report. That has made Jay Powell one of …

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The Fed Could Be on Hold Until September, Economists Say

The Fed Could Be on Hold Until September, Economists Say

More than 20 times during a roughly 45 minute news conference on Wednesday, Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, referenced the idea of waiting to see how President Trump’s policies would ripple through the economy before taking any action on interest rates. Mr. Powell, who spoke after …

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What to Watch at the Federal Reserve’s May Meeting

What to Watch at the Federal Reserve’s May Meeting

The Federal Reserve is set to extend its pause on interest rate cuts on Wednesday amid concerns that President Trump’s tariffs will unleash fresh inflationary pressures while also hurting growth, a tricky combination that could lead to painful trade-offs for the central bank. A decision to stand pat would keep …

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Trump’s Trade War Raises Bar for Fed Rate Cuts

Trump’s Trade War Raises Bar for Fed Rate Cuts

President Trump’s global trade war has significantly raised the bar for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, as tariffs risk worsening an already knotty inflation problem while also damaging growth. Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, drove home that message in a hotly anticipated speech at the end of …

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The Fed Isn’t Rushing to Save the Markets This Time

The Fed Isn’t Rushing to Save the Markets This Time

The notion that the Federal Reserve will rush in to rescue investors in a crisis has comforted investors for decades. But in the big market downturn induced by President Trump’s tariffs, no Fed rescue is in sight. Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, made that clear on Friday. The …

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Powell’s ‘Transitory’ Inflation Call Revives Memories of Pandemic

Powell’s ‘Transitory’ Inflation Call Revives Memories of Pandemic

“Transitory” is back Jay Powell wants businesses and investors to know: The Fed chair shares their concerns about President Trump’s tariff skirmishes as the economic outlook dims. But there is a silver lining, he said Wednesday at a news conference. Tariff-driven inflation is likely to be “transitory” and just for …

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Donald Trump’s Chicken-and-Egg Inflation Problem

Donald Trump’s Chicken-and-Egg Inflation Problem

Just in: Lawyers for Elon Musk said he’d withdraw his $97.4 billion bid for control of OpenAI if the company halted its efforts to become a for-profit enterprise. More below. Separately: You might recall that several years ago I wrote a series of columns, following a raft of mass shootings, …

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Fed Chair Jerome Powell Shows Little Urgency to Lower Rates

Fed Chair Jerome Powell Shows Little Urgency to Lower Rates

Jerome H. Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, signaled little urgency to lower interest rates with the economy sturdy and inflation still too high in a hearing with lawmakers on Tuesday. Mr. Powell, who testified before the Senate Banking Committee, confronts an economic and political landscape that is far different …

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Trump’s Executive Orders Leave Imprint on the Fed

Trump’s Executive Orders Leave Imprint on the Fed

President Trump has so far restrained himself from trying to meddle with the Federal Reserve on matters related to monetary policy during his second term. But some of the more than 50 executive orders he has signed since returning to the White House are leaving an imprint on the central …

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