Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday rejected the idea of returning the United States to the gold standard even as he asserted that his remarks should not be seen as criticism of a proposed presidential nominee to the Fed Board. “I want to make sure this isn’t interpreted” as criticism of Judy Shelton, Powell prefaced his response to a question about whether the U.S. should return to the gold standard from Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat. Then, he continued. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Shelton, the U.S. director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is President Donald ... (full story)