Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates Archives

Geopolitics Driving Bond Yields Higher, Fed Chair Says

17Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Videos

Geopolitics Driving Bond Yields Higher, Fed Chair Says

September 16, 2026—Citing geopolitical shocks and elevated inflation, the Federal Reserve Board voted unanimously to raise federal funds interest rates by 0.25 percent to 4 percent. It was the first time the Fed raised interest rates in three years. It comes under the new leadership of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh. For more on the Fed's decision, see Fed Raises Rates. https://youtu.be/5aFzaFqOByU?si=8rtMx6YuZ6a_Rau2

Fed Raises Rates, Citing Geopolitical Shocks and High Prices

16Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

Fed Raises Rates, Citing Geopolitical Shocks and High Prices

September 16, 2026—Citing geopolitical shocks and elevated inflation, the Federal Reserve Board voted unanimously to raise federal funds interest rates by 0.25 percent to 4 percent. It was the first time the Fed raised interest rates in three years. It comes under the new leadership of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh. September 16, 2026—Citing geopolitical shocks and elevated inflation, the Federal Reserve Board voted unanimously to raise federal funds interest rates by 0.25 percent to 4 percent. It was the first time the Fed raised interest rates in three years. It comes under the new leadership of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh. It comes as the inflation rate ticked up in August to 0.4 percent and the government projected a Consumer Price Index of 3.4 percent, driven largely b...

10Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

Ahead of U.S. Midterm Elections, Trump Floats $5,000 Giveaway to Voters

President Donald Trump is testing the limits of U.S. election law and his popularity while promising cash to voters for wins. An Update on the U.S. Midterm Elections Outlook September 10, 2026—In what appears to be a desperate attempt to win political support ahead of the November midterm elections, President Donald Trump vowed to give every U.S. adult citizen $5,000 from the U.S. Treasury’s general fund if his Republican party maintains control of Congress. “Only I can make this promise to you, and here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our economic, tremendous economic success, like in history we’ve never had anything like what’s happening. But because of our tremendous strength and success,...

U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds

24Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Global Economics, Types of News: Brief

U.S. Economy: Bessent May Tap U.S. Treasury’s General Account to Buy Bonds

As U.S. Debt Tops $40 Trillion, Debt-Holders Demand Higher Yields August 24, 2026—One of the most notable effects of soaring U.S. national debt are the rising yields on Treasury’s long-term bond market. Bond investors are simply no longer willing to invest in U.S. long-term debt unless the risk premium on those bonds pay higher yields. Since July, yields on Treasury’s long-term bonds have steadily risen. The 10-year and 20-year bonds rose climbed above 5.2 and 5.25, up from 4.7 and 4.74 earlier this year. Meanwhile, the 30-year bond rose by 11.49 percent in the past six months, up to 5.23 percent today. When it peaked at 5.30 percent earlier in the month, it was a two-decade high. That might not seem significant to everyone, but interest rates on long-term debt impact everything f...

US Attorney Drops Criminal Probe Against Federal Reserve

24Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

US Attorney Drops Criminal Probe Against Federal Reserve

Trump and Powell tour Federal Reserve headquarters, where renovations are taking place, in July 2025. April 24, 2026—Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, announced today that she is closing a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve. Pirro wrote on X that someone has asked the Inspector General of the central bank to “scrutinize the building costs overruns” to settle questions. The criminal probe is part of a larger politicalization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump. It has also been characterized as a pressure campaign against the central bank to lower interest rates, at the risk of the Fed’s independence. Timeline of Criminal Probe of the Federal Reserve In January, the U.S. Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas t...

Fed Nominee Discloses $100 Million in Assets, Corporate Positions

14Apr

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

Fed Nominee Discloses $100 Million in Assets, Corporate Positions

April 14, 2026—Kevin Warsh, President Trump’s nominee to head the Federal Reserve, disclosed assets worth $100 million and professional positions and associations. Warsh is expected to face questions about the independence of the central bank. The Senate Banking Committee could hold a confirmation hearing for Warsh this week or next. Senators are reportedly awaiting his response to a committee questionnaire. At least one senator, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, has expressed reservations about confirming a new chair while the Trump administration maintains a criminal probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank’s renovations. Powell’s term as chairman expires on May 15, but he has the option of staying on the board. Disclosures Display Deep Ties with Wall Street Warsh’s discl...

Judge Blocks Case Against Fed Chair, Citing Political Motives by Trump

13Mar

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Bit

Judge Blocks Case Against Fed Chair, Citing Political Motives by Trump

March 13, 2026—A U.S. District Court ruled that a criminal investigation of the Federal Reserve by the D.C. Attorney is politically motivated rather than for a “proper purpose.” In January, the U.S. Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas to the central bank relating to a $2.5 billion renovation at the Fed headquarters. The ruling asserts that President Trump “has long coveted control over interest rates and yearned to lower them to his advantage.” A decision by District Court Judge James Boasberg effectively stops that investigation. He writes in Case 1:26-mc-00012-JEB: “There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas’ dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will. On the othe...

U.S. Budget Deficit FY2026 on Track to Top $2 Trillion

10Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Bit

U.S. Budget Deficit FY2026 on Track to Top $2 Trillion

February 10, 2026—The U.S. budget deficit is on track to top $2 trillion this year. In the first four months of fiscal year 2026, which started on October 1, 2025, the federal government ran a deficit of $696 billion. Revenues increased by 12 percent with higher receipts coming into the government from individual taxes and tariffs. The customs duties saw an increase of $90 billion, four times the amount the government received in 2025. Individual income taxes are projected to reach $925 billion in FY2026. Government spending held steady in the first four months at $2.4 trillion. The largest expenditures in the first four months were: Social Security ($538 billion), Medicare ($402 billion), net interest on the debt ($351 billion), and defense ($324 billion). The data comes from the...

Fed Nominee Kevin Warsh Wants ‘Regime Change’ at the Central Bank

3Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Finance, Banks, Cryptocurrency, Metals, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief

Fed Nominee Kevin Warsh Wants ‘Regime Change’ at the Central Bank

Gold, Silver, and Crypto Fall From Highs as USD Strengthens February 2, 2026—President Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to lead the U.S. central bank calmed recent trepidations in the markets about the value of the U.S. dollar. The term Fed Chair Jerome Powell expires in May 2026. Powell faces massive political pressure by Trump, including an ongoing criminal probe by the Justice Department related to construction expenses. Economist and Former Fed Governor Warsh is an economist and a former Federal Reserve Governor, familiar with both Wall Street and the governing side. Warsh is also the son-in-law to Trump’s close friend, Ronald Lauder, the billionaire heir to the Estée Lauder Companies, who—incidentally—also sparked Trump’s interest in owning Greenland. Warsh is known f...

India Proposes Shared Digital Currency for BRICS

1Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Geopolitics, Types of News: Analysis

India Proposes Shared Digital Currency for BRICS

Will BRICS Emerge as a Geopolitical Bigwig in 2026? India is hosting the BRICS bloc this year. February 1, 2026—BRICS, an informal international organization of emerging market nations, lost some clout last year amid internal growing pains, external threats of tariffs from the world’s largest economy, and a dead-end attempt to offer an alternative to the U.S. dollar. Will this year be any different? The bloc includes major political players, such as its founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Last year, its membership grew to ten. The economic and geopolitical bloc now includes: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran. If members unify around common objectives, BRICS could reemerge this year as a geopolitical player. How...