Podcast

Inflation, the Fed, Tariffs, and AI: Making Sense of the Economy Heading into the Midterms

with 
Binyamin AppelbaumTwitter, The New York Times
Larry EdelmanTwitter, The Boston Globe
Claire JonesTwitter The Financial Times

September 27, 2026

Episode Highlights

Episode Details

Since EconoFact Chats last hosted a panel of economic journalists in June, oil supply disruptions due to the war in Iran have kept gasoline prices high. Inflation reached 3.4% in August. In response, the Fed raised its policy interest rate for the first time in over three years. There have also been renewed trade tensions, especially with Canada, while fears about the economic impact of artificial intelligence persist.

Binyamin Appelbaum of The New York Times, Larry Edelman of The Boston Globe, Scott Horsley of NPR, and Claire Jones of the Financial Times join EconoFact Chats once again to discuss these and other developments, and analyze how they might play out heading into the midterms.