"Live from NPR News in Washington, 9/4 of a Coleman, the Federal Reserve is e...
to leave U.S. interest rates unchanged when it wraps up its latest policy meeting today
in Washington.
“NPR Scout Horsley reports this will likely be the final rate setting meeting for Fed Chair”
Jerome Powell. "Powls term as Fed Chair is said to expire in mid-May, and it now looks as if President Trump's picture a place pal will win Senate confirmation in time to take over before the next rate setting meeting in June." The Senate Bank and Committee has said to vote this morning on Kevin Worses' nomination
to be the next Fed Chair. North Carolina Republican Tom Tellers dropped his opposition to that vote after the Justice Department agreed to end its criminal investigation of the Fed, which was widely seen as part of a White House pressure campaign.
President Trump has repeatedly called on the Fed to lower interest rates, many fed policy
makers are reluctant to do so, however, so long as inflation remains elevated, and the war with Iran is putting more upward pressure on prices. "Squadorcely, and Pyrenees is Washington." Defense Secretary Pete Heggseth is scheduled to testify this morning before the House Armed Services Committee.
“It will be his first hearing on Capitol Hill since the Trump administration started the war”
against Iran. Minnesota Governor Tim Walses, he is working to combat fraud in state programs that's after federal agents executed search warrants on dozens of child care centers. Minnesota Public Radio's Dana Ferguson has more. Walses' state agencies worked with the Department of Homeland Security to flag potential
fraud and assisted with the activity Tuesday. The actions came hours before his final state of the state address. The Democrat dropped a bid for reelection in January after the federal government honed in on fraud in the state, while says he hopes to take additional action to prevent fraud. "People who have ripped us off are getting caught, and they are going to jail, just
like today. I've said the buck stops with me." Wals urged lawmakers to work with him on proposals to route out fraud and state programs and hike penalties.
“For NPR News, and Dana Ferguson in St. Paul.”
"There's been another major tornado in Texas, not far from Dallas. The town of mineral wells was hit by a strong tornado yesterday. There are no fatalities, but several injuries were reported. Ryan Dunn is the fire chief for mineral wells." "We had significant damage, major damage, and different parts of the area of the northeast
sector of mineral wells." Last Saturday, two people were killed by tornadoes in towns in the same general region of Texas. Two major wildfires in southern Georgia remain mostly out of control. Together, they have burned more than 85 square miles, and they have destroyed scores of homes.
Georgia officials say that fire crews are making progress. Officials in Florida say dozens of wildfires are also burning there. You're listening to NPR News. The Federal Communications Commission is ordering entertainment company Disney to start an early renewal process of its eight ABC local TV stations.
The FCC wants the stations reviewed for public interest concerns, but this follows President and Mrs. Trump's demand that ABC late night host Jimmy Kim will be fired for a joke they did not like. Critics say the FCC is moving to interfere in free speech. More Americans see buying a home as increasingly out of their reach.
That's according to a new poll conducted by Gallup. In Piers' Jennifer Ludden reports, it comes as a majority, also say their own finances are getting worse. The share of non-Homowners who intend to buy a house in the next five years has fallen to 25%, that's down from nearly 50% a decade ago, and the lowest since Gallup started
tracking this in 2013. Now nearly half of non-owners say they do not intend to buy a home anytime soon. The poll was taken earlier this month, and it comes as median home prices top four hundred thousand dollars and are historically high compared to average incomes. For decades, most Americans were optimistic about the housing market, but more than two-thirds
say now is a bad time to buy. Separately Gallup also finds Americans continue to worry about the high cost of living generally that includes a notable bump up in concern over oil and gas prices. Jennifer Ludden and Pierre News, Washington. And I'm Core of a Coleman, NPR News from Washington.
Every day NPR reports stories that keep you informed without fear or favor. That's the promise of a free press in a democracy.
It's in the first amendment.
I'm Tom Bowman and I cover the Pentagon for NPR. Stand up for independent news coverage today by donating early for public media giving days, coming up on May 1st and 2nd.
