Fed Lowers Interest Rates but Powell Sows Doubt About December Cut

WSJ What’s News

The Wall Street Journal

News, Daily News

4 • 4K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

P.M. Edition for Oct. 29. The Fed cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point today, as was widely expected. But comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell cast doubt on another cut in December. WSJ chief economics commentator Greg Ip joins to discuss. Plus, a trio of big tech companies report quarterly earnings that exceed analyst expectations… mostly. And a Senate proposal to raise the limit on insured deposits is creating surprising political alliances—and, as WSJ reporter Dylan Tokar explains, would be a nightmare scenario for the nation’s biggest banks. 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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0:28.0	The Fed cuts interest rates by a quarter point, but officials are divided on how much further
0:33.4	to go. Plus, how U.S. allies in Asia are responding to President Trump's demand that they spend
0:39.0	more on defense.
0:40.3	The issue that the Japanese and the South Korean sphere is, hey, if we spend more on our defense,
0:46.3	does that mean the U.S. wants out of this region? Or at least a lesser role in this region.
0:51.8	So it's a weird situation here where it's kind of like a damn if they do,
0:55.2	if they don't.
0:56.1	And the streak of job losses continues
0:58.1	with thousands more cuts announced.
1:00.5	It's Wednesday, October 29th.
1:02.7	I'm Alex O'Sullough for the Wall Street Journal.
1:05.1	This is the PM edition of What's News
1:07.3	and top headlines and business stories
1:09.5	that move the world today.
1:13.6	As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by a quarter point at its second
1:19.0	consecutive meeting today, extending an effort to prevent a recent slowdown in hiring from
1:23.8	turning into something more serious. The latest cut will reduce the Fed's benchmark short-term
	...

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