Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, aged 71, has tested positive for Covid-19. He is following CDC guidance and working from home. Powell was scheduled to deliver commencement remarks at Georgetown Law School but will now speak via prerecorded video. This is not the first time Powell has tested positive for Covid-19; he previously tested positive in January 2023. The next monetary policy decision meeting is scheduled for June 11-12.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell spoke at the Wilson Center's Washington Forum on the Canadian Economy on April 16, 2025. The event was attended by Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem. Powell and Macklem discussed various topics, including the economic outlook, monetary policymaking, and the Canada-US economic relationship. The speech came at a time when markets expected the Fed to maintain its benchmark borrowing rate until at least September. Recent higher than expected inflation readings had led investors to adjust their expectations for interest rate cuts. Powell's speech at the forum was likely his last policy speech before the next central bank meeting. Earlier in the day, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson discussed 'Monetary Policy During Periods of Uncertainty' at the International Research Forum on Monetary Policy. Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams moderated a discussion with François Villeroy de Galhau, governor of the Banque de France, at the Economic Club of New York. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin also spoke on the economic outlook at the Rotary Club of Winston-Salem. [3b4fbbf9] [d8dabc8d] [933b82aa] [ae8fbf39] [389c38bb] [359aa17d]