Chicago Fed President Charles Evans has been one of the central bank’s doves and so it’s notable that he’s now talking like a hawk, at least on the margins. In a speech on Friday, he said the Fed’s goal of 2% inflation remains on track, which means that “continuing our slow, gradual increases will be appropriate to get us to the point where monetary policy isn’t really providing more lift to the economy.”
Continue reading →

Trump says US has “a lot of options militarily” for possible Syria strike: Politico
Trump lawyer Cohen under scrutiny for possible bank fraud: WaPo
China’s president discusses plans to further open country’s economy: CNBC
Investors react positive to China president’s economic speech: Bloomberg
GOP tax plan expected to raise growth and boost budget deficit: CNBC
Global debt reached an all-time high of $237 trillion in 2017: IIF
Iran warns that US will “regret” ditching nuclear deal: Reuters
New US sanctions threaten Russia’s ranking as a leading emerging market: FT
GOP tax cuts at federal level triggering wave of tax hikes in US states: Politico
US deficit expected to rise above $1 trillion in 2020: Bloomberg