Christopher Rugaber

Stay informed with Christopher Rugaber’s coverage and analysis for Fortune.

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AUSTIN, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 12: A customer shops for eggs at an H-E-B grocery store on February 12, 2025 in Austin, Texas. The Labor Department is expected to report today on January prices as measured by the consumer-price index, with a separate report on wholesale prices delivered tomorrow. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Consumers are cutting back spending at the fastest clip in 4 years

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Users on Musk’s X want to use DOGE savings to send $5,000 checks to Americans. Trump ‘loves’ the idea, but can he do that?

By Christopher Rugaber, Paul Wiseman, and others

Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks in front of a microphone

Fed officials say Trump’s tariffs and migrant deportations could push inflation higher this year

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

(AP Illustration / Jenni Sohn)

Fed president says central bank needs ‘dust to clear’ before deciding its next interest rate moves

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Jerome Powell, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. President Donald Trump called for lower interest rates, seeking to raise pressure on the Federal Reserve as he moves to implement a second-term economic agenda high on tariffs and expanding tax breaks. Photographer: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Rate cuts put on ice as consumer inflation surges to a 9-month high

By Christopher Rugaber, Irina Ivanova, and others

President Donald Trump, left, waves as he boards Air Force One with grandson Theodore, Ivanka Trump’s son, at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Trump says he will announce 25% steel and aluminum tariffs Monday, with reciprocal import duties to follow

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

FILE – Russell Vought, President Donald Trump’s choice for Director of the Office of Management and Budget, appears before the Senate Budget Committee during a hearing to examine his nomination, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, file)

Trump budget chief effectively shuts down Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ordering watchdog to stop nearly all its work

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

El logotipo de TikTok en un teléfono en San Francisco, el viernes 17 de enero de 2025. (AP Foto/Jeff Chiu)

New bid for TikTok from Perplexity AI could give US government 50% stake

By Haleluya Hadero, Christopher Rugaber, and others

Jay Powell holds up his hands while sitting in a 1:1 discussion at the NYT Dealbook Summit

The Fed just cut its key rate by a quarter-point, predicting fewer reductions next year as inflation remains stubbornly high

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Fed chairman Jay Powell stands at a podium in front of roughly six flags

Bad news for prospective homebuyers: The Fed’s rate cuts are unlikely to bring down stubbornly high mortgage rates anytime soon

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

FILE – Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell speaks at the DealBook Summit in New York, on Dec. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Federal Reserve will likely slow its rate cuts in 2025 as inflation stays stubbornly high

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

President-elect Donald Trump arrives before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Boca Chica, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP)

Trump tips FTC commissioner Andrew Ferguson to replace Silicon Valley lightening rod Lina Khan as top antitrust enforcer

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

FILE – Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell listens to a question from a moderator during a Dallas Regional Chamber event in Music Hall at Fair Park Nov. 14, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

Federal Reserve’s likely slowdown in rate cuts could make prospective homebuyers sad

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press

Woman happily using a credit card on the couch.

Americans are spending big on cars and gadgets—and going into debt to do it

By Christopher Rugaber, Anne D'Innocenzio, and others

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell — no need to hurry on another interest rate cut

By Christopher Rugaber and The Associated Press