On February 18, Federal Reserve Governor Paul Waller said that his basic view is that the Trump administration's new tariffs will only have a modest impact on prices, which the central bank should try to ignore when setting monetary policy. Waller said that uncertainty about the impact of trade or other government policies should not prevent the Federal Reserve from taking action, just as neither the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022 nor the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023 prevented the Fe...
Mr. Waller, the Fed governor nominated by Mr. Trump, said interest rate cuts could resume this year if inflation were to develop as it did in 2024, warning that waiting for economic uncertainty to dissipate would lead to policy paralysis. Click to view...
U.S. Commerce Secretary nominee Lutnik: Reciprocal tariff-related studies should be completed by April 1; they will be ready by then.
Brian Quintenz, the new chairperson of the CFTC, posted his first post-nomination announcement today on Personal X. Brian said: "I am honored to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the next chairperson of the CFTC, having served on the committee during his previous administration. The CFTC plays a key role in maintaining the robust hedging and price discovery markets that are the envy of the world. The agency is also poised to ensure that the United States leads the world in block...
Troy Maker, Trump's nominee for Air Force chief of staff and now a senior official at the National Spy Satellite Agency, arranged a multibillion-dollar satellite invite tenders contract in favor of Musk's SpaceX. According to sources, changes in classified contract requirements led the Inspector General of the National Reconnaissance Office to begin an investigation into whether official Troy Maker improperly directed the deal to SpaceX. Musk's space program eventually won the contract in 2021. ...
Market news: President Trump's nominee Wright has received enough votes in the Senate to confirm him as U.S. Energy Secretary; voting continues.
Market news: US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Caroline Pham as acting chair of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Scott Bessent, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be Treasury secretary, told a Senate finance committee nomination hearing that he saw "no reason" for the US to have a central bank digital currency (CBDC). "I see no reason for the US to issue a central bank digital currency, which in my view is for countries that have no other investment option," he said. Bessent was appointed a cryptocurrency expert by Trump at the end of November last year, and he has a strong interest in cryptocurrenc...
Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, Bessent, has supported Federal Reserve Chairperson Jerome Powell to serve out his full term.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she had spoken with Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, to discuss the broad responsibilities of the Treasury Department.
David O. Sacks, Trump's nominee for the White House cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence director position, wrote in Truth Social, Thank you Mr. President. I am honored and grateful for your trust in me. I look forward to advancing America's competitiveness in these critical technology areas.
Trump nominated a crypto-friendly to head the SEC, and the crypto community cheered as bitcoin broke through the $100,000 for the first time since its creation.
Trump has nominated Billy Long, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, to be the director of the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, Trump nominated former Senator Kelly Loeffler to head the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Mr. Bethan, Mr. Trump's nominee for Treasury secretary, has suggested in Barron's that Mr. Trump publicly name a successor to Fed chairperson Jerome Powell as soon as he takes office, effectively creating a "shadow Fed chairperson", which Mr. Powell has objected to. "I don't think that's on the table at all," Mr. Powell said on Wednesday. "There's a set of institutional relationships between the Fed and every administration. I totally think we can keep the same relationship." Mr. Powell's term e...
According to sources, SEC chairperson nominee Paul Atkins recently expressed his desire to have Republican commissioner Hester Peirce (known as "crypto mom") lead crypto policy with her Republican colleague Mark Uyeda. It is reported that Peirce wants to lead an internal crypto working group that will reassess the agency's approach to digital assets and open a public dialogue with the industry. Peirce's term ends in June, and it is unclear whether she wants to return to her current position.