Fed Holds Rates Steady Amid Inflation, Growth Concerns

0:00This is Derb News today, powered by AI and presented by the Daily News now. The Federal Reserve kept interest rate steady on Wednesday at a range between 3.5 percent and 3.75 percent. This came at their first meeting since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed up gasoline prices and raised inflation worries. In match with markets expected and marked a second straight hold this year after earlier cuts, economic growth has slowed sharply lately. A recent jobs report showed the U.S. lost 92,000 jobs in February, pushing unemployment up to 4.4 percent from 4.3 percent the month before. Government data also revised growth for late 2025 down to just 0.7 percent annually. Gas prices jumped 86 cents since the conflict started. Hitting an average of $3.84 per gallon, that spike, tied to higher oil costs, threatens broader inflation just as the economy cools, creating stagflation risks that complicate

1:00fed moves. Lowering rates could boost growth, but fuel more price hikes while raising them by tame inflation at the cost of even weaker jobs. Rates are still down a lot from 2023 peaks, but far from pandemic lows near zero. Meanwhile, a federal judge recently blocked Justice Department subpoenas targeting fed chair Jerome Powell, ruling there was no real evidence for a probe and hinting at pressure tactics for rate cuts, officials planned to appeal the decision. D&N is sponsored by our partner. Check out the episode description. Headphones in a pillow, simple idea, surprisingly addictive, S-O-L-I-S-O-L-P-L-O-D-A-I.