WSJ What’s News

Trump Says He Talked to Warsh. What Does That Mean for Fed Independence?

September 17, 2026·13 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

P.M. Edition for Sept. 17. Yesterday’s interest rate increase from the Fed seemed to some like an assertion of the central bank’s independence. But afterward President Trump revealed that he and Warsh had a conversation before the decision was announced. WSJ Washington bureau chief Damian Paletta discusses what we know and what this could mean for the future of the Fed. Plus, House Speaker Mike Johnson sent lawmakers home early this week ahead of the November election, despite criticism that Congress isn’t doing its job. We hear from Journal reporter Maya Davis about what the data show about how much Congress is getting done. And Mastercard becomes the latest credit card company to roll out the option for AI bots to do your everyday shopping. But, as reporter Ben Glickman notes, many consumers aren’t yet ready to hand over their cards to a bot. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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