Good morning. It’s great to be here today. I last spoke at this event two years ago, just a few days after a total solar eclipse. Today, I’m here less than a week after the conclusion of the Artemis II moon voyage. Perhaps it has something to do with the cosmos. Now, many of you may find this surprising, but there are some similarities between the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and the Artemis crew. Both are mission-focused. Both have scheduled blackout periods—although ours are not nearly as nerve-racking. And just as astronauts travel through competing gravitational forces to circle the dark side of the moon, ... (full story)

New York Fed President John Williams expressed concern Thursday about the Iran war’s impact on the economy, saying it already has shown signs of hiking prices and slowing growth. In a speech delivered to bankers in his home district, Williams noted that the conflict has “intensified the uncertainty” around national and local conditions. While he generally expressed confidence that growth would continue and inflation would ease through the year, he said there are threats to both sides of the Fed’s dual mandate for stable prices and low unemployment. “Assuming energy supply disruptions ease reasonably soon, energy ... (full story)