The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate to 3.75%-4.00% on September 16, 2026, its first increase since July 2023. Inflation remains above the 2% goal, while new Fed projections imply another quarter-point increase could follow before the end of this year. The Federal Reserve raised the target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage point on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, to 3.75%-4.00%. T

The US Supreme Court has declined to allow a new Postal Service rule affecting mail ballots to take effect ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, leaving existing state vote-by-mail procedures in place for the approaching election. The court said the federal government was unlikely to succeed in its challenge to a lower-court injunction and that the circumstances did not justify emergency relief. Mail ballot procedures remain unchanged The disputed rule wo