Economic news

Monetary policymakers have held off on lower interest rates for months, citing the risk of tariff-induced inflation. Several now say this week's CPI and PPI reports confirmed their suspicions.

Lorie Logan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said in a speech Wednesday that she is content to leave interest rates where they are, adding that she would want to see inflation fall to 2% before considering cuts.

President Trump and his lieutenants have been bullying Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for months over the Fed's reluctance to lower interest rates. But even if that campaign is successful, the president may not really get what he wants.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the consumer price index rose to 0.3% in June to an annualized rate of 2.7%, making the case to cut interest rates more difficult for the Federal Reserve to justify at its next meeting later this month.

Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller said that criticisms of the Fed's balance sheet and calls to return to a scarce reserves system are misinformed, saying that much of the central bank's balance sheet is the result of activities outside the Fed's control.

The labor market was a bigger point of discussion in the Federal Reserve's most recent monetary policy-setting meeting, but officials were divided about the path of future actions.

Steep trade barriers that were set to go into effect on July 9 have once again been put on pause, giving banks a welcome reprieve, but adding still more pressure and uncertainty on the Federal Reserve and the broader economy.

The markets are waiting for the Federal Open Market Committee to make its next move.

New research from the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and San Francisco says markets put the odds of zero interest rates lower today than in the recent past, but economic uncertainty raises the potential for drastic cuts in the "medium to long term."

A pair of surveys released in June indicates that small-business owners have growing confidence, while startup activity and SBA lending are demonstrating continued strength.