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On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced they have cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time this year by a quarter of a percentage point, in an effort to revive the flagging labor market.

Policymakers opted for the quarter-point cut to the Fed’s benchmark rate, in line with expectations. The rate was previously set at 4.25% to 4.50%. The vote for the quarter-point cut by the Fed’s rate-setting committee was 11 to 1. The sole dissenter, in favor of a half-point cut, was newly appointed governor Stephen Miran, who was sworn in this week (he is currently on leave but still maintains his title as chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers). Trump’s other appointed governors- Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller – both voted for the quarter-point cut.

The Fed cut reduces the federal funds rate — what banks charge each other for short-term loans — to between 4% and 4.25%, down from its prior range of 4.25% to 4.5%. The last time the central bank eased borrowing costs was in December 2024, when it also trimmed rates by a quarter of a percentage point. Federal Reserve officials are also penciling in two more rate cuts in 2025, but only one in 2026, according to the central bank’s summary of economic projections.

The Fed is guided by a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment. In a statement on Wednesday, the FOMC indicated greater concern for slowing employment growth than for rising inflation. The FOMC said that “the Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that downside risks to employment have risen.”

The latest policy move comes as the Federal Reserve is grappling with a difficult balancing act: bringing down inflation, which has been climbing again in recent months, while also trying to bolster a labor market that shows clear signs of weakening. Economists remain divided over whether lowering rates is the right course of action at this point; however, supporters of the rate cut argue that lower borrowing costs could give businesses more breathing room to expand and hire, while also easing the burden on consumers as credit card interest rates decline.

Signs of a slowdown in the job market are becoming harder to ignore. The August employment report showed only 22,000 new positions created, a number that fell far short of analysts’ forecasts. It also revealed that the country actually lost jobs in June. Since January, just 598,000 jobs have been added nationwide, a steep drop compared with the 1.4 million created during the same period last year. The unemployment rate inched up to 4.3% in August—the highest level seen outside of the pandemic since September 2017.

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A suspect is in custody after being accused of ramming his car into the entrance gate of the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field office on Wednesday, in what officials say was a ‘targeted attack.’

The FBI says that the suspect, Donald Henson of Penn Hills, used his car to ram the gate to the building around 2:40 a.m. on Wednesday.  FBI Pittsburgh Assistant Special Agent in Charge Christopher Giordano said that after crashing into the gate, Henson grabbed an American flag from inside the vehicle and threw it over the gate before fleeing the scene. A spokesperson later confirmed to NBC News that the suspect was in custody and was at the FBI Pittsburgh office. No one was reported injured at the time of the crash.

Images from the scene obtained by NBC affiliate WPXI of Pittsburgh showed a white Toyota Corolla that had apparently driven into a metal fence. Footage from the scene also showed officers pulling a black bag out of the trunk using a winch.

The car the FBI says Henson used appeared to have some sort of message written on one of its side windows, which Giordano said investigators are still looking into and brought in a bomb squad to clear the vehicle. The car’s doors and trunk were all open, according to images from the scene, and the metal fence visibly slanted after the impact. Giordano said while holding up an image of the suspect: “We look at this as an act of terror against the FBI. This was a targeted attack on this building. Thankfully, no one was hurt.”

The FBI says that Henson visited the Pittsburgh office recently, with Giordano stating: “In scouring our indexes, we did find that he visited the field office a couple of weeks ago to make a complaint that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. We ran down everything that he came down with. It didn’t have a federal nexus. We contacted him to let him know there wasn’t a federal offense that we were able to charge.” The FBI also said he is believed to have a history of mental health issues and is believed to be a former member of the military.

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ABC’s late-night talk show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ has been suspended indefinitely following Kimmel’s comments on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

During his Monday, Sept. 15 episode, Kimmel said the following: “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

After Kimmel’s comments about Kirk’s assassination came under harsh criticism from the head of the Federal Communications Commission, Walt Disney-owned ABC said on Wednesday, Sept. 17, that it will indefinitely stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! A spokesperson for the network said in a statement: “‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ will be pre-empted indefinitely.”

The drastic move came after FCC chair Brendan Carr threatened to take action against ABC affiliates in the wake of Kimmel suggesting the Kirk shooting suspect was a MAGA Republican during a monologue earlier this week.

Nexstar Media Group Inc. had stated earlier on Wednesday that it would stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! on its 32 ABC affiliates. Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said: “Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located. Continuing to give Mr. Kimmel a broadcast platform in the communities we serve is simply not in the public interest at the current time, and we have made the difficult decision to preempt his show in an effort to let cooler heads prevail as we move toward the resumption of respectful, constructive dialogue.”

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, writing, “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!! President DJT”

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The man accused of assassinating conservative influencer Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 has been charged with murder.

Tyler Robinson, 22, faces a slew of offenses: felony aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, two counts of felony obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and commission of a violent offense in the presence of a child. Prosecutors announced their intent to seek the death penalty in the case; Robinson is being held without bail at Utah County Jail.

Jeff Gray, the Utah County attorney, said at an afternoon news conference: “The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy. Charlie Kirk was murdered while engaging in one of our most sacred and cherished American rights, the bedrock of our democratic republic, the free exchange of ideas and a search for truth, understanding and a more perfect union. It is also an offense against the state and to the peace and enjoyment of the people of Utah and of all those who visit here.”

Robinson also made a virtual court appearance before a judge at the Utah Fourth District Court on Tuesday afternoon, appearing for the first time since being arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting Kirk.

Robinson appeared emotionless as Judge Tony Graf Jr. read the charges against him, speaking only when asked to state his name, and nodding when Graf told him he would remain jailed without bail. Robinson has not yet been appointed an attorney; his next hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 29.

The judge also issued a protective order for Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk which bars Robinson from contacting her and warns of additional charges if he violates the order.

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A Manhattan judge dismissed two murder charges related to acts of terrorism against Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Mangione appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing in New York City, where Judge Gregory Carro dismissed the most serious charge against him — ruling that first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism was not supported by the evidence.  Mangione still faces a second-degree murder charge in New York, along with separate federal murder charges. Although New York does not impose capital punishment, Mangione could face the death penalty in his federal case.

Prosecutors had argued that Mangione’s actions were intended to intimidate or pressure UnitedHealthcare employees, but Judge Carro ruled those claims fell short of what is required under New York’s terrorism laws. The judge wrote in a decision issued on Tuesday morning that “while the defendant was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the health care industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population,’ and indeed, there was no evidence presented of such a goal .. While the People place great emphasis on [the] defendant’s ‘ideological’ motive, there is no indication in the statute that a murder committed for ideological reasons (in this case, the defendant’s apparent desire to draw attention to what he perceived as inequities or greed within the American health care system), fits within the definition of terrorism without establishing the necessary element of an intent to intimidate or coerce.”

In response to the ruling, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a statement, “We respect the court’s decision and will move forward on the remaining nine charges, including second-degree murder.”

Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old CEO of UnitedHealthcare, outside a midtown Manhattan hotel on December 4, 2024.  In addition to the New York and federal cases, Mangione faces charges in Pennsylvania, including forgery, illegal possession of a firearm, tampering with documents, providing false identification to police, and possession of instruments of crime. He has pleaded not guilty to all accusations, and is currently being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Mangione’s defense team has also filed motions to suppress items taken from his backpack – which allegedly contained a firearm, ammunition, and handwritten notes – and are further challenging the admissibility of statements Mangione made to police after his arrest on December 9 at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Mangione’s attorneys claim the backpack search was conducted without a warrant, and that he was questioned without being read his Miranda rights. Judge Carro has not yet ruled on those issues.

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