What did the Federal Reserve's latest meeting minutes reveal about officials' views on interest rates and inflation?

The Federal Reserve's latest meeting minutes revealed a division among officials on inflation and interest rates: 'many' of the 19 Fed officials said the key rate would be unchanged from or slightly below its current level of 3.6% by year-end, yet also expected it to likely be higher by then; half of the 18 policymakers who submitted forecasts supported raising rates by year-end, while the other half supported keeping them unchanged or reducing them; Chair Kevin Warsh did not submit a forecast, reflecting his view that doing so can lock policymakers into an inflexible approach.

What are the latest U.S. home price and existing home sales figures, and what do they indicate about housing affordability?

U.S. existing home sales fell 2.4% in June from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.09 million units—below economists’ expectation of 4.21 million—but rose 2.8% year-over-year; meanwhile, the national median home price hit an all-time high of $440,600 in June, up 1.8% from a year earlier, marking the 36th consecutive month of annual price increases—highlighting worsening affordability for prospective buyers.

America In Focus: Fed officials divided on US inflation views; US home prices hit all-time high

Jul 12, 2026

US home prices reached record highs while Fed officials remain divided on inflation. The IEA forecasts declining global oil demand due to Iran conflict energy shocks, significantly impacting gasoline markets and economic growth.

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