Special interest: the Fed's risky path forward

特殊利益:美联储的风险前行之路

Editor's Picks from The Economist

2025-09-23

5 分钟
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A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. Donald Trump's attempts to wrest control of the Federal Reserve have turned the once politically independent agency into a battleground. As the president calls for lower interest rates, the agency would be remiss to follow through. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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  • The Economist Hello, Mike Bird here, co-host of Money Talks,

  • our weekly podcast on markets, the economy and business.

  • Welcome to Editors Pics.

  • We've chosen an article from the latest edition of The Economist,

  • which we very much hope you'll enjoy.

  • The Federal Reserve is usually run by technocratic consensus.

  • Today, it has become a battleground.

  • On September 17th,

  • the Fed cut interest rates for the first time

  • since December by a quarter of a percentage point to 4 to 4.25%.

  • One of its governors, Lisa Cook,

  • could attend only because a court blocked President Donald Trump from sacking her.

  • Another, Stephen Myron, was confirmed just before the meeting for a short stint,

  • after which he says he will return to his job at the White House.

  • It is an unseemly arrangement for a central bank that should be independent of politics.

  • Mr Myron dissented in favour of a half-point rate cut.

  • And he appears to have called for three such moves by the end of the year,

  • twice what the next most dovish committee members suggested in their anonymous projections.

  • The Fed finds itself at a dangerous moment,

  • and not just because of Mr Trump's quest for lower rates.