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Fed holds interest rate at 4.3% amid tariff and inflation uncertainty

SUMMARY:

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday, brushing off ‘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.

It is unusual for the Fed to say that the risk of both higher prices and more unemployment have increased. But economists say that is the threat created by Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The import taxes could both lift inflation by making imported parts and finished goods more expensive, while also raising unemployment by causing companies to cut jobs as their costs rise.

As a result, the tariffs have put the Fed in a difficult spot. The Fed’s goals are to keep prices stable and maximize employment. Typically, when inflation rises, the Fed raises rates to slow borrowing and spending and cool inflation, while if layoffs rise, it would reduce rates to spur more spending and growth.

Fed Chair and other Fed officials have signaled that they want to see how the duties — including 145% on all imports from China — impact and the economy.

The central bank’s caution could lead to more conflict between the Fed and the . On Sunday, Trump again urged the Fed to cut rates in a television interview and said Powell “just doesn’t like me because I think he’s a total stiff.” With inflation not far from the Fed’s 2% target for now, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argue that the Fed could reduce its rate. The Fed pushed it higher in 2022 and 2023 to fight inflation.

If the Fed were to cut, it could lower other borrowing costs, such as for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, though that is not guaranteed.

Trump also said he wouldn’t fire Powell because the chair’s term ends next May and he will be able to appoint a new chair then. Yet if the economy stumbles in the coming months, Trump could renew his threats to remove Powell.

A big issue facing the Fed is how tariffs will impact inflation. Nearly all economists and Fed officials expect the import taxes will lift prices, but it’s not clear by how much or for how long. Tariffs typically cause a one-time increase in prices, but not necessarily ongoing inflation. Yet if Trump announces further tariffs — as he has threatened to do on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and copper — or if Americans worry that inflation will get worse, that could send prices higher in a more persistent way.

Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said this could keep the Fed on the sidelines until September.

“It’s hard for them to cut sooner because they’ve got to weigh, what’s the inflation impact?” Bostjancic said. “Is this going to be somewhat persistent and add to inflation expectations?”

Economists and the Fed are closely watching inflation expectations, which are essentially a measure of how much consumers are concerned that inflation will worsen. Higher inflation expectations can be self-fulfilling, because it Americans think prices will rise, they can take steps that push up costs, such as asking for higher wages.

For now, the U.S. economy is mostly in solid shape, and inflation has cooled considerably from its peak in 2022. Consumers are spending at a healthy pace, though some of that may reflect buying things like cars ahead of tariffs. Businesses are still adding workers at a steady pace, and unemployment is low.

Still, there are signs inflation will worsen in the coming months. Surveys of both manufacturing and services firms show that they are seeing higher prices from their suppliers. And a survey by the Federal Reserve’s Dallas branch found that nearly 55% of manufacturing firms expect to pass on the impact of tariff increases to their customers.

“The bottom line is that inflation will be rising significantly over the next six months,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at the Apollo Group, said in an email.

Yet the tariffs could also weigh heavily on the economy, particularly because of the uncertainty they have created. Huge tariffs on about 60 other nations, announced April 2, were then postponed until July 9, but could be reimposed. Business surveys show that firms are postponing investment decisions until they have greater clarity.

Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said the uncertainty surrounding trade policy gives him “night terrors.”

“The economics of uncertainty are absolutely suffocating,” Sweet said. “Businesses that don’t know the rules of the road, their knee-jerk reaction is to sit on their hands. And that’s what they’re doing.”

But if the uncertainty delays hiring, slows the economy and pushes up the unemployment rate, the Fed could quickly shift toward interest rate cuts. A sharp economic slowdown could eventually cool inflation by itself, economists say.

“If you felt like the economy was really slowing down, then I think that would probably take precedence (over inflation), because usually the way the committee thinks is that will also drag inflation somewhat with it,” said Jim Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve’s St. Louis branch, and currently dean of Purdue University’s business school.

In March, the Fed signaled that it could cut rates twice this year. But since then, the Trump administration imposed duties that Powell said last month were larger and broader than the Fed expected.

The duties, Powell acknowledged, could both slow growth and lift prices, which puts the Fed in a tough spot. It would usually cut rates to boost growth and hiring, while it would raise them to cool spending and inflation.

The Fed could reduce rates preemptively to help forestall a slowdown. But with such large tariffs in place, Powell has signaled that the Fed wants to see how they affect inflation before making any moves.

“Without price stability, we cannot achieve the long periods of strong labor market conditions that benefit all Americans,” Powell said.

FAA plans radar, staffing fixes at Newark airport

SUMMARY:

  • to upgrade radar systems and fiber optic lines to Newark
  • Staffing and trauma leave shortages contribute to flight cuts
  • Broader national overhaul to be unveiled
  • Newark leads U.S. airports in flight cancellations amid fixe

 

The Federal Administration said Wednesday that it plans to upgrade the technology used to get radar to air traffic controllers directing planes to the troubled Newark, New Jersey, airport, and improve staffing to alleviate problems that have caused hundreds of flights to be canceled there.

At the same time, the agency plans pursue a broader multibillion-dollar plan that will be announced Thursday for long-overdue upgrades to the nation’s air traffic control system.

A January midair collision between a passenger jet and Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people, followed by a string of other crashes and mishaps, raised alarms about and prompted officials to reexamine the system.

Transportation Secretary says flying remains the safest way to travel because of existing precautions, but the problems in Newark demonstrate the desperate need for upgrades.

“We are on it. We are going to fix it. We are going to build a brand new system for all of you and your families and the American people,” Duffy said.

The radar system air traffic controllers in Philadelphia use to direct planes in and out of the  went offline for at least 30 seconds on April 28. That facility relies on radar data sent over lines from New York that may have failed. Some of those lines are old copper phone lines instead of much more reliable fiber optic lines that can handle more data. The reason the FAA is relying on those lines is because the agency moved the Newark controllers out of the New York facility to Philadelphia last summer to address staffing issues.

The FAA says it plans to replace any old copper wires with fiber optics and add three new data lines between its New York facility and Philadelphia. The agency is also working to get additional controllers trained and certified.

It wasn’t immediately clear how quickly either of those steps will be completed, but Duffy has said he hopes the situation in Newark will improve by summer. Several controllers remain on extended trauma leave after the radar outage.

In the meantime, the FAA has slowed traffic in and out of Newark to ensure flights can be handled safely, leading to cancellations. On Wednesday, Newark led the nation in cancellations with 41 canceled departures and 43 canceled arrivals, according to FlightAware.com. That’s even after United Airlines cut 35 flights a day from its schedule at the airport starting last weekend.

“We’ve slowed down the traffic. Safety is our mission. We love efficiency, but safety is critical for us. And so, if we feel like there’s issues in the airspace, we’ll slow it down,” Duffy said. “We’re looking at bringing in all of the airlines that serve Newark and having all of them with all of us have a conversation about how do we manage the flights out of Newark.”

Law firms advise businesses on Trump 2.0 policies

 

Summary

  • report client surge after Trump’s return
  • on immigration and prompt reviews
  • Businesses seek both legal and strategic regulatory advice
  • Firms emphasize flexible, proactive compliance approaches

It’s been a busy start to the year for many Virginia firms as clients are trying to make sense of the many fast-moving and wide-ranging changes ushered in by ‘s return to the White House.

“Really from the start of the transfer of the administration, we got calls from clients who were just trying to navigate this evolving and ever-changing landscape, and the questions have continued to pour in,” says Kristin Johnson, an attorney in Roanoke with Woods Rogers’ government and special investigations practice.

Likewise, phones at McGuireWoods started “flying off the hook” in January after Trump took office, says John Moran, a partner and member of the firm’s and white collar litigation department in Washington, D.C. “The number of issues that clients have sought help in navigating is almost as varied as the clients themselves.”

Clients have had plenty to seek counsel about. While it’s common, lawyers say, to see an uptick in queries after a new presidential administration takes over, what’s different this time around is the fast and furious pace of activity. In his first few months in office, Trump signed nearly half the number of executive orders he did in the entirety of his prior four-year term and surpassed the annual totals of executive orders for every president since Harry S. Truman, according to from the Federal Register.

Trump’s 2025 executive orders have prompted a lot of inquiries, particularly as clients try to make sense of any legal implications for their businesses from the various policy changes. But such conversations are also an opportunity to discuss business strategies amid a changing federal regulatory environment.

Phones at McGuireWoods, Virginia’s largest law firm, have been “flying off the hook” as business clients seek guidance on policies, says partner John Moran. Photo courtesy McGuireWoods

Immigration, DEI in focus

Very quickly, a theme emerged among the earliest incoming calls from business clients: They wanted to know what, if anything, the Trump administration’s stance on immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies would mean for their workplaces.

On his first day back in office, Trump signed executive orders focused on stronger enforcement of immigration laws and ending government DEI programs. In turn, clients from a wide swath of industries have had “a lot of questions” about how these executive orders could affect their own employment policies, says Greg Habeeb, a chair of Gentry Locke Attorneys’ government and regulatory affairs practice group and president of the firm’s public affairs consulting business.

“Clients always want to be proactive in identifying shifts in the market,” Habeeb says.

At McGuireWoods, DEI has been a recurring theme of inquiries across the three major industries the firm serves — energy, health care and financial services — so its lawyers have helped clients assess their existing policies, Moran says. But it’s not entirely clear what the government’s additional scrutiny on DEI policies means, he adds.

Some clients are unsure whether they should pare back or keep in place DEI initiatives, for example, Moran says. “It can make companies feel like they’re in a bind.”

Further complicating matters is that while presidential executive orders aren’t laws, they do have the force and effect of laws. Legal questions have already been raised about the constitutionality of some of Trump’s executive orders, which can be confusing for clients trying to navigate uncertainty.
Some of the Trump administration’s policy changes won’t be viewed as settled by many people in the legal industry unless and until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in, Moran says.

As a result, there’s an “open question” about what legal effect Trump’s executive orders will ultimately have until they’re tested in the legal system, Johnson says. “The guidance and advice may change over time as things evolve.”

Habeeb, Moran and Johnson say that questions about DEI have been common, particularly from clients in industries that receive federal funding, including health care, higher education and government contracting. Immigration-related queries have also been common because clients want to be sure they’re in compliance with the law, can obtain proper documentation from employees and know what to do if personnel from the U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were to come to their businesses, she adds.

And given everything going on, questions from clients are rarely a “one-and-done call,” Johnson says. “The environment is very fluid, the guidance we’re giving is fluid, and our firm is really staying on top of all of this to make sure our clients are properly advised.”

Navigating regulatory changes

Making sure that clients are properly advised means helping clients through problems that don’t necessarily have legal solutions. In his nearly 25-year career practicing law, Habeeb has grown accustomed to clients asking questions any time there’s a leadership change in Washington, D.C., but that doesn’t necessarily mean businesses must make changes in response.

Instead, Habeeb urges clients to be nimble because it’s important not to rely too much on any particular policy or regulatory environment that’s bound to change if a new administration takes power. “Any business or any industry where change is automatically bad for business is not in a good position for long-term success.”

Similarly, Moran says, some of his firm’s clients in the energy industry are more focused on the uncertainties around regulatory changes than placing additional scrutiny on their employment policies. “These clients are trying to navigate their way through a deregulatory environment without mis-stepping, or they’re wanting to come up with a thoughtful approach.”

Offering strategic advice that goes beyond isn’t new, but these lawyers say it’s more pronounced when clients are trying to make sense of a lot of changes at once. These firms are taking a proactive approach, be it through traditional outreach, mass email blasts or updating their websites with information on key developments.

In many ways, it’s business as usual for Habeeb, though a new presidential administration means there’s more to do to keep clients up to date, adding, “I try to look around corners for clients and prepare them.” In addition, the best solutions to problems that clients are facing aren’t necessarily legal in nature, and that’s true now. “I don’t have a preconceived set of solutions.”

Similarly, Moran says the advice he and his colleagues are offering their clients falls into three buckets for offering advice, only one of which is strictly legal. They may talk clients through how to think about the current state of the law and what’s changing, they may do some combination of “reading the law and the policy tea leaves” to advise clients on the administration’s broader goals, and finally, they offer guidance on the personalities of administration members and how to best work with them.

“It’s all the more important that clients are not only getting good advice and answers to discrete legal questions, but sound and wise counsel about how to navigate broader challenges they face,” Moran says.

Such an approach is more holistic in nature and requires clients to also ensure they have a good handle on everything happening in their businesses, Johnson says. She recommends that businesses do a deep dive into their third-party relationships and assess whether compliance departments have the most effective procedures in place.

“It’s a really good time for businesses to conduct a wellness check,” Johnson says.

Booz Allen lands contracts totaling $1.2B

In the span of a week, -based management consulting contractor won multiple totaling over $1.2 billion.

On April 30, the U.S. Department of announced that Booz Allen landed a $743 million ceiling, time-and-materials and firm-fixed-price task order from the for enterprise application modernization and migration. According to the DOD, the contract was competitive, and five offers were received.

Booz Allen will perform work at its designated facilities across the contiguous United States and is expected to complete the project by Oct. 29, 2030. This contract was a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. The DOD says $1.3 million in fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance appropriations funds will be obligated at the time of award and lists the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at the Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts as the contracting activity.

On Monday, Booz Allen announced it was selected by the National – Agency to deliver commercial geospatial intelligence and analytics. Booz Allen will be a vendor for both the Luno A and Luno B commercial-data indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts, which have a combined ceiling of $490 million. Each contract has a five-year base ordering period.

Under the contracts, Booz Allen will help provide unclassified satellite imagery and data analytics to support national security missions while also enabling the NGA to apply artificial intelligence to analyzing global economic, environmental, geopolitical and illicit activities. Booz Allen will leverage its scalable data science and analytics platform Modelpoint as well as its internal expertise.

“Booz Allen’s strategic wins under both Luno A and B demonstrate our deepened commitment to innovate and drive speed to outcomes for the intelligence community as an advanced technology company,” said Paul Chi, executive vice president in Booz Allen’s national security business, in a statement. “We’re focused on delivering high-impact solutions at unmatched speed and scale, empowering our clients to make informed decisions and address their evolving data needs with greater agility and precision.”

DOJ grants University of Virginia extension on DEI response

SUMMARY:

  • administration received May 30 extension to respond to U.S. .
  • Previous deadline was May 2, less than one week after April 28 letter was sent, requiring U.Va. provide proof it is dissolving and dismantling departments and operations.
  • DOJ’s Civil Rights Division says it has received complaints U.Va. administrators may not be following Board of Visitors’ dictate to dissolve DEI offices.

The University of Virginia has until May 30 to respond to an April 28 letter from the U.S. Department of Justice demanding proof — including video and audio from the U.Va. Board of Visitors’ closed sessions — that the university is dismantling and dissolving its diversity, equity and inclusion apparatuses.

According to U.Va. spokesperson Brian Coy, the university requested an extension of the previous May 2 deadline cited in the letter, which was sent to U.Va. President Jim Ryan, Rector Robert Hardie and university counsel Clifton M. Iler. The DOJ moved the deadline to May 30, Coy said Tuesday.

The department’s letter is related to the March 7 vote by U.Va.’s board of visitors to dissolve the university’s DEI office in compliance with ‘s executive order to dismantle DEI “apparatuses and instruments of discrimination based on race, skin color, ethnicity, national origin and other impermissible, immutable characteristics.” The board resolution also called for U.Va.’s administration to produce a report within 30 days with full updates on the university’s progress in ending all DEI initiatives.

Signed by Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s civil rights division, as well as Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory W. Brown and senior counsel Jeffrey Morrison, the letter says that DOJ received complaints that Ryan’s “office and the university may have failed to implement these directives and further that you have refused to produce the report on the matter.”

The letter gave U.Va. officials until May 2 to provide the following to the DOJ:

  • The BOV’s March 7 resolution and “all written or electronic records (including audio or video recording) of the U.Va. Board of Visitors’ public and closed session meeting and deliberations”;
  • “Certify that for every university division, department, school, foundation, unit, system (such as the health system) and graduate or professional program and school (including but not limited to the school of , school of medicine and nursing school) of the university, the dictates of the Board of Visitors’ resolution have been fully and completely satisfied and accomplished.”
  • This would include “which departments, programs, preferences, preferential systems and positions/titles/chairs have been eliminated and terminated”;
  • For “employees, students, faculty members or administrators with any DEI responsibilities, ‘mandate,’ duties or title whatsoever,” the university must “identify whether that individual’s position and title have been eliminated, whether the individual is still associated with the university in any official or unofficial, paid or unpaid capacity, and if so, the name and nature of that individual’s current title or position”;
  • Finally, “produce all reports submitted by you or members of your administration to the Board of Visitors, the rector, or any other body or group on or around April 7, regarding your administration’s execution of the Board of Visitors’ March 7 direction to dissolve and dismantle DEI at the University of Virginia.”

The letter was sent to Ryan, Hardie and Iler the day before U.Va.’s board met in an April 29 special session and voted for a new DEI resolution rescinding a September 2020 resolution that called for U.Va. to double the number of faculty members from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, as well as more women in certain fields, and to aim to diversify its student body as well.

The April 29 resolution also calls for the president, interim provost and an appointee of the Faculty Senate to report to the board at its next meeting in June on “work being done to ensure an intellectual climate and campus culture where all students, faculty and staff are able to express politically diverse views, engage in constructive discussion across differences, and respond to competing perspectives in good faith.”

Other public universities in Virginia and across the nation have taken similar action to dissolve DEI offices after Trump’s executive order, particularly with his administration’s threats to withhold federal funding from universities, accusing some of tolerating antisemitism related to pro-Palestine campus protests.

According to a May 2 New York Times report, seven universities have been explicitly warned they could lose hundreds of millions and even into the billions of federal funding: Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Northwestern, the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. However, other schools are also under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the story notes.

In March, U.Va. administration, including Ryan and other top leaders, sent an email to university faculty and staff urging them to curtail discretionary spending due to the possibility of reductions in federal funding and overall . That meant fewer salary increases and bonuses, potential postponement of planned hiring, and possible delays of capital projects, the email said.

Disney to build its 7th theme park, this one in the United Arab Emirates

SUMMARY:

  • Disney to build 7th theme park in with
  • New park located on near top attractions
  • Disney to design and license IP, but won’t fund the project
  • Announcement precedes Trump’s business-focused visit to UAE

Disney will build its seventh theme park, this one in the United Arab Emirates, the entertainment company said Wednesday.

The waterfront resort will be built on Yas Island on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, already home to Formula One’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Ferrari and Warner Bros. amusement parks, SeaWorld and a waterpark.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula. Home to 9 million people, it has leveraged its long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways to bring in more tourists over the years. A real-estate boom and the city’s highest-ever tourism numbers have made Dubai a destination as well as a layover.

Disney and Miral, the Abu Dhabi developer overseeing the project, hope to capitalize on the 120 million airline passengers that travel through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year.

While long viewed as more buttoned up than the beaches and raucous nightlife in neighboring Dubai, Abu Dhabi also is home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and there are more museums currently under construction.

The theme park announcement is being made ahead of a visit by U.S. to the region next week. Trump has promised a series of business deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

The theme park will be built and operated by Miral, but Disney will handle the design and development. Disney will also license its intellectual property and provide development and management services, according to a regulatory filing.

The California company will not be providing any capital for the project. It will earn royalties based on the resort’s revenues. It will also earn service fees.

Miral has been involved in the development of almost all of the entertainment complexes built on the island.

A projected opening date has not been announced.

Shares of Disney, which also reported second-quarter financial results on Wednesday that beat ‘s expectations, jumped more than 9% in morning trading.

Fed holds rates steady amid tariff-driven inflation risk

SUMMARY:

  • Fed expected to hold rates steady due to tariff-related
  • Trump urges rate cut, increasing tension with Chair Powell
  • Economists predict inflation will rise in coming months
  • Business uncertainty over delays investment and hiring

WASHINGTON (AP) — The could keep its key rate unchanged for several more months as it evaluates the impact of ‘s widespread tariffs on hiring and inflation, some economists say, even as the White House pushes for a rate cut.

The Fed is nearly certain to keep its rate unchanged when it concludes its latest meeting Wednesday. Chair and other Fed officials have signaled that they want to see how the duties — including 145% on all imports from China — impact and the economy.

The central bank’s caution could lead to more conflict between the Fed and the . On Sunday, Trump again urged the Fed to cut rates in a television interview and said Powell “just doesn’t like me because I think he’s a total stiff.” With inflation not far from the Fed’s 2% target for now, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argue that the Fed could reduce its rate. The Fed pushed it higher in 2022 and 2023 to fight inflation.

If the Fed were to cut, it could lower other borrowing costs, such as for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, though that is not guaranteed.

Trump also said Sunday he wouldn’t fire Powell because the chair’s term ends next May and he will be able to appoint a new chair then. Yet if the economy stumbles in the coming months, Trump could renew his threats to remove Powell.

A big issue facing the Fed is how tariffs will impact inflation. Nearly all economists and Fed officials expect the import taxes will lift prices, but it’s not clear by how much or for how long. Tariffs typically cause a one-time increase in prices, but not necessarily ongoing inflation. Yet if Trump announces further tariffs — as he has threatened to do on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and copper — or if Americans worry that inflation will get worse, that could send prices higher in a more persistent way.

Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at Nationwide, said this could keep the Fed on the sidelines until September.

“It’s hard for them to cut sooner because they’ve got to weigh, what’s the inflation impact?” Bostjancic said. “Is this going to be somewhat persistent and add to inflation expectations?”

Economists and the Fed are closely watching inflation expectations, which are essentially a measure of how much consumers are concerned that inflation will worsen. Higher inflation expectations can be self-fulfilling, because it Americans think prices will rise, they can take steps that push up costs, such as asking for higher wages.

For now, the is mostly in solid shape, and inflation has cooled considerably from its peak in 2022. Consumers are spending at a healthy pace, though some of that may reflect buying things like cars ahead of tariffs. Businesses are still adding workers at a steady pace, and is low.

Still, there are signs inflation will worsen in the coming months. Surveys of both manufacturing and services firms show that they are seeing higher prices from their suppliers. And a survey by the Federal Reserve’s Dallas branch found that nearly 55% of manufacturing firms expect to pass on the impact of tariff increases to their customers.

“The bottom line is that inflation will be rising significantly over the next six months,” Torsten Slok, chief economist at the Apollo Group, said in an email.

Yet the tariffs could also weigh heavily on the economy, particularly because of the uncertainty they have created. Huge tariffs on about 60 other nations, announced April 2, were then postponed until July 9, but could be reimposed. Business surveys show that firms are postponing investment decisions until they have greater clarity.

Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, said the uncertainty surrounding trade policy gives him “night terrors.”

“The economics of uncertainty are absolutely suffocating,” Sweet said. “Businesses that don’t know the rules of the road, their knee-jerk reaction is to sit on their hands. And that’s what they’re doing.”

But if the uncertainty delays hiring, slows the economy and pushes up the unemployment rate, the Fed could quickly shift toward interest rate cuts. A sharp economic slowdown could eventually cool inflation by itself, economists say.

“If you felt like the economy was really slowing down, then I think that would probably take precedence (over inflation), because usually the way the committee thinks is that will also drag inflation somewhat with it,” said Jim Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve’s St. Louis branch, and currently dean of Purdue University’s business school.

In March, the Fed signaled that it could cut rates twice this year. But since then, the Trump administration imposed duties that Powell said last month were larger and broader than the Fed expected.

The duties, Powell acknowledged, could both slow growth and lift prices, which puts the Fed in a tough spot. It would usually cut rates to boost growth and hiring, while it would raise them to cool spending and inflation.

The Fed could reduce rates preemptively to help forestall a slowdown. But with such large tariffs in place, Powell has signaled that the Fed wants to see how they affect inflation before making any moves.

“Without price stability, we cannot achieve the long periods of strong labor market conditions that benefit all Americans,” Powell said.

Wall Street gains ground as China shores up its economy ahead of trade talks with the US

SUMMARY:

  • Wall Street sees mixed trading amid China’s economic actions
  • like Google and Apple drag market performance
  • Disney stock jumps 10.8% on strong earnings and subscriber growth
  • U.S.-China trade talks set for this weekend in Switzerland

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered on Wall Street Wednesday as China steps up measures to shore up its economy and gears up for trade talks with the U.S.

The S&P 500 index was mostly unchanged in morning trading Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 147 points, or 0.4%, as of 11:07 a.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%.

Most stocks in the S&P 500 gained ground, but a drop for technology stocks with outsized values and influence on the market’s direction kept those gains in check. Google fell 3.8% and Apple fell 1.8%.

The Walt Disney Co. soared 10.8% after easily beating analysts’ profit targets, raising its profit forecast and adding more than a million streaming subscribers.

The encouraging update from the entertainment giant comes amid broader worries that will potentially sap consumer spending and hurt a wide range of companies, especially those focusing on discretionary items such as entertainment and travel.

An unpredictable trade by has prompted many companies to cut or withdraw financial forecasts for the year.

Super Micro Computer, which makes servers, fell 5.3% after trimming its revenue forecast for the year amid . Chipmaker Marvell Technology slumped 11.2% after it postponed its investor day from June to an undetermined date because of uncertainty over the economy.

Technology companies face an especially difficult situation amid the between the U.S. and China. U.S. tariffs against China are now at 145% and China tariffs on the U.S. are at 125%.

Tensions between the world’s two biggest economies have a chance at easing, though. Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation this weekend in Switzerland. At the same time, China has plans to cut and take other measures to help it absorb the economic impact from tariffs.

Wall Street is also looking ahead to the latest update on interest rates and policy from the Federal Reserve. The central bank is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady. Chair Jerome Powell and other Fed officials have signaled that they want to see how tariffs impact and the economy.

The Fed cut rates three times in 2024 after the rate of moved closer to the central bank’s target of 2%. It turned more cautious as inflation continued to hover just above that target while a trade war raised concerns that inflation could reignite. Worries over tariffs and the economy have already raised some caution flags for the economy.

The U.S. trade deficit soared to a record $140.5 billion in March as consumers and businesses tried to get ahead of tariffs that went into effect in April and others that have been postponed until July. The shrank at a 0.3% annual pace during the first quarter as imports surged. Consumer confidence has been slipping.

Employment in the U.S., which the Fed also watches closely, remains resilient. The latest updates there don’t include the full effect of additional tariffs that have been postponed until July.

Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.28% from 4.30% late Tuesday.

Markets in Europe mostly lost ground, while markets in Asia rose.

___

AP business writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

BDO USA New Hire – Damon DeSue

Damon DeSue has joined BDO USA as a Principal in the firm’s Tax practice. DeSue focuses on corporate, partnership, and real estate taxation, as well as SEC tax reporting and disclosures. With over 30 years’ experience, he serves clients across industries, including financial services, government contracting, manufacturing, real estate, and retail.

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Electra announces new CFO

Electra.aero, a -based startup, announced Tuesday that Max Ochoa has joined the company as .

In this role, Ochoa will lead the company’s finance and departments and focus on company growth.

“Max’s track record in scaling organizations and leading them through hyper-growth periods makes him an invaluable addition to our leadership team,” Electra CEO Marc Allen said in a statement. “He brings the expertise to help us navigate this critical phase by aligning our financial, legal and operational infrastructure with the ambitious milestones ahead.”

Electra announced in April that it had secured $115 million in Series B funding to enter the pre-production and certification phase of its nine-passenger EL9 Ultra Short model. The aircraft uses blown lift and hybrid-electric propulsion to take off and land in 150 feet — roughly 10% of the footprint required for similarly sized legacy airplanes.

The company says the EL9 allows commercial air operators to connect communities that lack traditional aviation infrastructure, fly into airports with strict noise restrictions and save travelers significant time.

The company surpassed 2,200 pre-orders for the EL9 aircraft in March.

“Electra is redefining air connectivity by tackling some of the most pressing challenges in aviation,” said Ochoa in a statement. “The EL9’s real-world utility and seamless integration into today’s existing ecosystem make it a truly compelling solution. I’m honored to join this talented team to help bring this transformative aircraft to market for both commercial and customers.”

Ochoa has more than 20 years of experience in finance, legal and operations roles at hardware and software technology companies. He was most recently and general counsel at Satelles where he helped drive the acquisition by Iridium Satellite Communications. He has also previously held executive leadership roles at Alation, Turn, Adify and TiVo.

Ochoa has a juris doctor degree from Stanford School, a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Electra’s strategic investors include Lockheed Martin Ventures and Honeywell. Founded in 2020, the company has about 80 employees.