Can Lower Fed Rates Help Fix the Government’s Debt Problem?

WSJ What’s News

The Wall Street Journal

News, Daily News

4 • 4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2025

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

P.M. Edition for Sept. 19. Since the U.S. government spends about $1 trillion annually on interest for its debt, a lower interest rate should reduce those costs… right? WSJ tax policy reporter Richard Rubin discusses why the answer is more complex than it may initially seem. Plus, President Trump announced today that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have reached a deal over TikTok’s U.S. operations. We hear from the Journal’s tech policy reporter Amrith Ramkumar about what we know about the deal, including which American investors are getting involved. And in the midst of an artificial intelligence boom, the lowly hard drive is making a comeback. Investors are starting to take notice, but as WSJ Heard on the Street writer Asa Fitch explains, hard drive companies’ future prospects could be even greater. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	In today's market, one of the most precious commodities you can add to your portfolio,
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0:22.7	You can get more details and fund an annuity online at annuities.americanational.com.
0:28.9	You got this.
0:33.7	What's in the TikTok deal that President Trump says he's reached with China?
0:38.4	Plus, can a lower rate from the Fed help reduce the U.S. government's debt problem?
0:42.8	When investors are thinking, oh, we want to lend money to the U.S. for the long term,
0:47.0	they're looking at factors that go well beyond what the federal funds rate is right now.
0:51.9	And why in the middle of an AI boom, good old hard drives are making a comeback.
0:57.2	It's Friday, September 19th.
0:59.3	I'm Alex Ocelof for the Wall Street Journal.
1:01.8	This is the PM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories that move the world today.
1:16.6	Music move the world today. President Trump announced today that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping approved an agreement
1:21.3	for a group of investors to take control of TikTok's U.S. operations, capping off months of
1:26.8	tense negotiations that put the video-sharing app
1:29.2	at the center of trade talks between the two sides. WSJ Tech Policy reporter Amrith Ramkumar is here now
1:35.3	with more. Amrith, what details do we know about this deal? There aren't a ton of new details here.
1:41.3	Some people thought that the deal was totally done. In reality, it seems more
1:46.5	like the preliminary agreement is done for the structure and what the deal will look like and
1:50.9	generally who's involved. So what they're talking about is a consortium of predominantly U.S.
	...

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