US-ECONOMY-FED-RATE-INFLATION-POWELL

Chair of the US Federal Reserve Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference following the July 29-30 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington, DC on July 30, 2025. The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive policy meeting Wednesday, defying strong political pressure from President Donald Trump to slash borrowing costs -- although divisions emerged among policymakers. The US central bank's call to hold interest rates at a range between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent comes amid a flurry of data releases this week, including an early estimate showing the world's biggest economy returned to growth in the second quarter. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)