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Fed Poised for First 2025 Rate Cut as Weak Jobs Data Outweigh Inflation Concerns

  The Federal Reserve seal at its Washington, D.C. headquarters, where policymakers are set to decide on the first interest rate cut of 2025. The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to lower its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points today, marking its first rate cut of 2025 and the first since December last year. The move would bring the federal funds target range down to 4.00%–4.25%, as policymakers respond to slowing job growth and rising unemployment, even as inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target. Recent labor market data showed just 22,000 jobs added in August, with earlier months revised downward, while the unemployment rate has climbed to around 4.3%. Inflation, measured by the Fed’s preferred PCE index, has edged higher in recent months, partly due to tariffs pushing up consumer prices. Markets have largely priced in the cut, with investors watching the Fed’s updated “dot plot” for clues on whether more reductions will follow in October and December. The decision ...
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Mark Carney's Alberta Roots: A Strategic Launch for Liberal Leadership

 

 Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of Canada, is set to unveil his Liberal leadership campaign this afternoon in Edmonton, ending nearly a decade of speculation about his political ambitions. 

Carney's decision to launch his campaign from Alberta is a strategic move to highlight his roots in the province. An Edmonton Oilers fan, Carney grew up in the city's west end and worked as a newspaper boy. This launch gives him a chance to connect with voters in a province that has traditionally leaned conservative.

The leadership race is expected to be intense, with former finance minister Chrystia Freeland and government House leader Karina Gould also expected to enter the race in the coming days. The cut-off date to declare a bid for the leadership is January 23, and candidates have to pay a $350,000 entrance fee. 

Carney will seek to position himself as an outsider and put some distance between himself and the deeply unpopular government of outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives will attempt to tie Carney to the Trudeau government's sinking brand and attack him over his past support of carbon pricing and his recent work advising the Liberal party on economics.

Launching his campaign in Edmonton gives Carney a chance to put his Alberta roots on full display as Canadians get to know him. Alberta could shape up to be an intense battleground between Carney and Freeland, who also grew up in the province.



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