Charlie Garcia responds to readers' concerns about oil, rare-earth minerals and America's foreign policy. ...

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Tuesday that the Federal Reserve is not cutting interest rates quickly enough, even as the U.S. economy grew at a much faster pace than expected in the third quarter.The top White House economic advisor is considered a leading contender to succeed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell after his term ends in May. Hassett said the artificial intelligence boom is boosting economic growth while simultaneously putting downward pressure on inflation. "If you ...

Core Viewpoint - U.S. economic growth may be negatively impacted by the ongoing government shutdown, with potential hits to GDP and working Americans as indicated by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent [1][2]. Economic Impact - The U.S. economy has shown growth in the past two quarters, with GDP rising at a 3.8% annualized rate in the second quarter and projected to maintain that rate in the third quarter according to the Atlanta Federal Reserve tracker [3]. - Previous government shutdowns have had minimal impact on growth; however, a prolonged shutdown could cause damage, especially if significant layoffs of federal workers occur [4].