A Fedspeak dilemma: to “skip” or “pause” rates?

Ahead of their upcoming monthly meeting, Federal Reserve officials have hinted at possibly holding interest rates steady. And they’ve been using a few terms to describe the move — a “skip,” a “pause” and a “hold.” One listener called in to ask: What’s the difference? We’ll get into it and answer more of your questions, like why monetary policy tools are so blunt and the possibility of a common currency for BRICS countries. Plus, why your favorite radio program asks for money.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Fed Officials Consider Skipping a Hike in June — But Don’t Call It a Pause” from Bloomberg
• “Why May’s Jobs Data Complicates Inflation Picture for the Fed” from The New York Times
• “How BRICS Became a Real Club and Why Others Want In” from The Washington Post
• “BRICS Ministers to Challenge US With More Members, Common Currency” from Bloomberg
• “What should the White House do to combat inflation? Experts weighed in with 12 ideas.” from The Washington Post
• “What the Inflation Reduction Act does and doesn’t do about rising prices” from NPR
• “Is the ‘blunt tool’ of monetary policy actually just a dull tool?” from Marketplace
• “Why Media & Tech Layoffs Are Skyrocketing” from Variety
• “The mysterious ad slump of 2022” from Vox

Got a question about the economy, business or technology for the hosts? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org.

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