The Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee wrapped its March meetings yesterday with Chair Powell highlighting the central bank’s “fairly downbeat economic assessment” and the expectation that it will keep rates steady for the rest of the year – NYTimes and WSJ and Bloomberg
Meanwhile, Wall Street wasn’t quite sure how to take the news. While it liked the idea of the Fed standing pat on rates for the foreseeable future, the economic reasoning behind that decision ultimately seemed to win the day, at least for now – NYTimes and WSJ and Bloomberg and Barron’s
Disney officially closed its $71.3 billion deal with 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets overnight yesterday, creating an “entertainment colossus the size of which the world has never seen.” Industry watchers suspect the ripples of the deal “may not become clear for years” – NYTimes and WSJ
Levi Strauss had a strong first day back on the public markets, raising more than $623 million in its US IPO, having ultimately priced shares “above the marketed range” – Bloomberg
Perhaps troubled by reports that China was preparing to push back against central US demands when trade talks resume, the White House floated new talking points yesterday that involve the US keeping tariffs in place for “a substantial period of time” as part of ensuring compliance with any eventual trade pact – Bloomberg
As part of an earlier pledge to invest $900 million in Michigan manufacturing, Ford revealed plans yesterday to kick off a $50 million addition to its Flat Rock factory for the purpose of building autonomous vehicles. The automaker said that 900 new jobs will come along with its ongoing investment there – NYTimes
The SEC has voted to “pare and streamline certain disclosure requirements of public companies,” the latest in its ongoing efforts to pare back its regulations under Chair Jay Clayton – Law360
A quick spin through the once deeply troubled Greece, where the country’s so-called “golden visa” program (which other “crisis-hit countries . . . have used for years to lure investors in a bid to stoke an economic recovery”) appears to be paying literal dividends – NYTimes
Read that snowplow parenting piece the other day and worry that hit a bit close to home (or even just concerned about ensuring that’ll never be you)? Here are some thoughts for raising a self-sufficient child – NYTimes