Federal Reserve officials acknowledged at their most recent meeting in January that there had been “significant progress” in reducing U.S. inflation. But some of the policymakers expressed concern that strong growth in spending and hiring could disrupt that progress.
Chair Jerome Powell will enter this week’s Federal Reserve meeting in a much more desirable position than he likely ever expected: Inflation is getting close to the Fed’s target rate, the economy is still growing at a healthy pace, consumers keep spending and the unemployment rate is near a half-century low.
The global economy, which has proved surprisingly resilient this year, is expected to falter next year under the strain of wars, still-elevated inflation and continued high interest rates.
Long past its painful peak, inflation in the United States may be heading steadily back toward its pre-pandemic levels, without the need for further interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.
The Hemet Police Department cited 28 drivers Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in a distracted-driving operation from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Twelve citations were for hands-free cell phone violations and 16 for dangerous driving behaviors.
Reese Whitney, 21, of Hemet died Friday on McCall Park Road in Mountain Center, the Riverside County coroner said. CHP is investigating under Log No. 9655. Next of kin have been notified.
A Hemet man, Alex Mancia-Caceres, 54, died early Friday in a single-vehicle crash at Ramona Expressway and E Seventh Street in San Jacinto. Deputies responded at 2:24 a.m.; the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause remains under investigation.