What the Fed’s interest-rate cut means for you and the economy

Summary

Podcast Summary: Apple News Today

Episode: What the Fed’s interest-rate cut means for you and the economy
Host: Shemitah Basu
Date: September 18, 2025

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Overview

This episode of Apple News Today, hosted by Shemitah Basu, delves into some of the most critical current events, with the main segment providing an in-depth explanation of the Federal Reserve’s recent interest-rate cut—its implications for both the general public and the broader US economy. The episode also covers the firing of the CDC director by RFK Jr., developments in the Israel-Gaza conflict, Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, and other notable headlines.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Fed’s Interest-Rate Cut

• [00:51] The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time in 2025, lowering it by a quarter percentage point due to a weakening jobs market.
• Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized the Fed's focus:

  “My colleagues and I remain squarely focused on achieving our dual mandate goals of maximum employment and stable prices for the benefit of the American people.”
  (Jerome Powell, 01:06)

• Room for Additional Cuts: The Fed signaled more rate cuts might be forthcoming.
• Labor Market Concerns:
  • Job growth has slowed to an average of 29,000 jobs added in the past three months, a marked decline from earlier in the year.
  • Unemployment isn't particularly high, but job seekers are facing longer periods of unemployment.
• Economic Rationale:

  “If you lower the borrowing rate, it makes it easier for companies to borrow, easier for them to expand, makes them more willing to hire, take a risk. So the idea is if you keep it restrictive, then the labor market is eventually gonna pretty much collapse.”
  (Ann Safier, Reuters, 01:49)

  • A quarter-point cut alone won't quickly resolve economic issues; the main takeaway is the Fed signaling further easing ahead.

  “A quarter point is not gonna make a difference one way or the other to the economy. What's important here is the signal that rates are gonna come down further later this year and into next.”
  (Ann Safier, 02:13)

• Personal Financial Impact:
  • Credit card interest rates may drop slightly—potentially down by half a percent by next year.
  • Fixed-rate mortgages unlikely to be directly affected by this cut, though future rate decreases might exert downward pressure.

Political Tension and the Fed's Independence

• Dissenting Vote:
  • Stephen Miron, a Trump-appointed Fed governor, voted in favor of a larger, half-point cut—his appointment and actions have no precedent at the central bank.
• Concerns About Politicization:

  “The political nature of it, I actually do feel is new, at least in the past 15 years...I think there's definitely a conversation about that that we really haven't had in quite some time.”
  (Ann Safier, 03:25)

  • Most experts do not believe the Fed has become partisan in its decision-making, but the topic is gaining attention.
  • The next opportunity for another rate cut is in October.

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CDC Leadership Crisis & Vaccine Policy Shifts

• [04:09] Former CDC Director Susan Minares testified to the Senate after being fired by Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. in a controversy over vaccination policy.
  • Minares reported RFK Jr. pressured her to pre-approve vaccine advisory recommendations regardless of scientific evidence and to fire career scientific experts without cause.

  “He directed me to commit in advance to approving every ACIP recommendation regardless of the scientific evidence...He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign.”
  (Susan Minares, 04:29)

  • RFK Jr. allegedly told Minares that CDC employees were “killing children” and claimed to speak with President Trump daily about revising the vaccine schedule.
• Consequence and Warning:

  “If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return. I was fired for holding the line on scientific integrity, but that line does not disappear with me. It now runs through every parent...and every American who demands accountability.”
  (Susan Minares, 05:17)

• CDC Panel Changes:
  • Vaccine advisory panel now consists of Kennedy appointees, some with anti-vaccine views.
  • Upcoming debates include whether to delay hepatitis B vaccines until age four—a reversal of the longstanding policy.
• Policy and Public Health Implications:
  • Senator Bill Cassidy underscored the public health success of early hepatitis B vaccination.

  “Now fewer than 20 babies per year get hepatitis B from their mother. That is an accomplishment to make America healthy again and we should stand up and salute the people that made that decision...”
  (Bill Cassidy, 07:04)

  • Several states (California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii) are releasing their own vaccine guidance amid uncertainty.

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Israel-Gaza War & Diplomatic Tensions

• [08:09] Israeli offensive in Gaza City:
  • Nearly half of Gaza’s population (about 1 million people) in affected area.
  • Recent days have seen high casualties and destruction; Gaza experiences famine; residents face impossible choices about leaving or staying.
• Diplomatic Stalemate:
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged a ceasefire seems improbable:

  “I think we have to be prepared for the fact that savage, you know, terrorists don't normally agree to things like that...It may require ultimately a concise military operation to eliminate them.”
  (Marco Rubio, 09:33)

  • Netanyahu prioritizing military action over diplomacy, despite domestic opposition.

  “So we are now in this weird moment where Netanyahu is again overseeing an unpopular war, an unpopular policy of military pressure against Hamas…but without really any restraint from the U.S.”
  (Alex Ward, 10:15)

• U.S.-Israel Dynamic:

  “Trump…has done nothing to gain leverage, and if anything, has willingly sort of given it away...He is seemingly mad at Israel for not making a deal, but also is unwilling to defy Israel or place pressure on them because he doesn't want to rupture the relationship with Israel at large and Bibi in particular.”
  (Alex Ward, 10:37)

• Military Support and Sanctions:
  • The U.S. continues its arms support amid growing European embargoes.
  • EU plans to sanction Israeli ministers and strip trade privileges; several western countries may recognize Palestine as an independent state at the U.N. General Assembly.
  • Netanyahu acknowledges Israel could face international isolation.

  “He believes that Israel could face a period of isolation...may not be able to rely on foreign arms sales forever.”
  (Shemitah Basu paraphrasing Netanyahu, 12:02)

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Additional Headlines

Jimmy Kimmel Suspension

• [12:19] ABC suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" after the host’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s death, following pressure from station owners and FCC chair Brendan Carr.
  • Kimmel’s controversial statement:

    “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
    (Jimmy Kimmel, 12:30)

  • FCC’s Carr publicly thanked affiliate owners for dropping the show.

Ben & Jerry’s Co-founder Departure

• Jerry Greenfield resigns from Ben & Jerry’s, citing disputes with Unilever over the brand’s silencing on social issues (voting rights, LGBTQ rights, etc.).

Tom Brady’s NFL-Fox Conflict

• Tom Brady’s dual role as Raiders minority owner and Fox Sports NFL analyst is stirring controversy over possible conflicts of interest due to unique team access.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ann Safier (Reuters) [01:49]: “If you lower the borrowing rate, it makes it easier for companies to borrow, easier for them to expand, makes them more willing to hire, take a risk. So the idea is if you keep it restrictive, then the labor market is eventually gonna pretty much collapse.”
• Susan Minares (Ex-CDC Director) [05:17]: “If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return. I was fired for holding the line on scientific integrity, but that line does not disappear with me.”
• Marco Rubio (U.S. Secretary of State) [09:33]: “I think we have to be prepared for the fact that savage…terrorists don't normally agree to things like that...”
• Alex Ward (Wall Street Journal) [10:37]: “[Trump] is seemingly mad at Israel for not making a deal, but also is unwilling to defy Israel or place pressure on them because he doesn't want to rupture the relationship...”
• Bill Cassidy (U.S. Senator) [07:04]: “Now fewer than 20 babies per year get hepatitis B from their mother. That is an accomplishment to make America healthy again…”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fed Interest Rate Cut: 00:51 – 03:55
• CDC Firing & Vaccine Policy: 04:09 – 08:09
• Israel-Gaza Conflict: 08:09 – 12:16
• Jimmy Kimmel Suspension: 12:19 – 13:06
• Ben & Jerry’s Founder Resigns: 13:10 – 13:41
• Tom Brady NFL-Fox Controversy: 13:48 – 14:39

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Conclusion

This episode offers a concise yet multifaceted look at significant national and international stories, prioritizing expert insight and direct reporting on public policy, political dynamics, and the real-world impacts of breaking news. The tone is factual, measured, and provides a range of perspectives directly from stakeholders and experts. The show is highly valuable for listeners seeking clarity on fast-moving, complex issues.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Hey there, it's shemitha. I've got a quick request for you. If Apple News Today is an essential.

[Shemitah Basu]

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[Narrator]

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[Shemitah Basu]

Leave us a rating and a review too.

[Narrator]

It helps other people find our show and it helps us know what you like about it.

[Shemitah Basu]

Thanks.

[Narrator]

Good morning. It's Thursday, September 18th.

[Shemitah Basu]

I'm Shemitah Basu. This is Apple News Today.

[Narrator]

On today's show, the CDC director fired.

[Shemitah Basu]

By RFK Jr reveals her side of.

[Narrator]

The story, how Trump risks being sidelined.

[Shemitah Basu]

In the Israel ceasefire effort and why ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air.

[Narrator]

But first, to the Federal Reserve. For the first time this year, the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate.

[Shemitah Basu]

By a quarter percentage point on Wednesday amid a slowing job market.

[Narrator]

Here's Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaking to.

[Shemitah Basu]

Reporters after Wednesday's decision.

[Jerome Powell]

My colleagues and I remain squarely focused on achieving our dual mandate goals of maximum employment and stable prices for the benefit of the American people.

[Narrator]

The Fed also signaled there could be.

[Shemitah Basu]

More cuts on the way.

[Narrator]

Yesterday's rate cut came as the economy.

[Shemitah Basu]

Is on shaky ground. Job growth has slowed since April, with the economy adding on average just 29,000 jobs in the past three months, a number that was much higher as recently as May.

[Narrator]

And and while the unemployment rate isn't considered high, those out of work are spending longer periods unemployed, something we talked.

[Shemitah Basu]

About earlier this week. Ann Safier covers the Fed for Reuters. She says the Fed is attempting to support the labor market by loosening monetary policy.

[Ann Safier]

If you lower the borrowing rate, it makes it easier for companies to borrow, easier for them to expand, makes them more willing to hire, take a risk. So the idea is if you keep it restrictive, then the labor market is eventually gonna pretty much collapse.

[Narrator]

Even so, that doesn't mean this week's.

[Shemitah Basu]

Rate cut is going to solve the economy's problems right away, fed Chair Powell said.

[Ann Safier]

A quarter point is not gonna make a difference one way or the other to the economy. What's important here is the signal that rates are gonna come down further later this year and into next.

[Shemitah Basu]

As for other parts of the economy, your credit card interest could see a slight dip as those interest rates track the Fed.

[Narrator]

Some could drop by as much as.

[Shemitah Basu]

Half a percent by next year, according to analysts.

[Narrator]

And fixed rate mortgages, which are likely.

[Shemitah Basu]

To not be affected by Wednesday's decision since their tie to treasury bond yields could see some downward pressure if additional rate cuts happen.

[Narrator]

Wednesday's cut was largely expected, but it was not unanimous. The lone dissenting vote came from Stephen.

[Shemitah Basu]

Miron, President Trump's newly appointed governor. On the Fed's board, My Myron voted for a half percentage point cut larger than what passed. Myron was sworn in just before this week's meetings began.

[Narrator]

He is a Trump loyalist and chief.

[Shemitah Basu]

Of the White House Council of Economic.

[Narrator]

Advisers, a job he's taking temporary leave.

[Shemitah Basu]

From while serving on the Fed board. That's unprecedented in the history of the US Central bank.

[Narrator]

Safir says most analysts don't think partisan.

[Shemitah Basu]

Politics are influencing the Fed, but the idea has certainly been planted.

[Ann Safier]

The political nature of it, I actually do feel is new, at least in the past 15 years. I don't think that there has been quite this much questioning about the potential that the Fed could become partisan in the way that it makes decisions. I don't think that's what the Fed is doing. I don't think most analysts think that the Fed is anywhere near doing that. But I think there's definitely a conversation about that that we really haven't had in quite some time.

[Shemitah Basu]

The Fed's next meeting where cut could happen is in October.

[Narrator]

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, former CDC Director.

[Shemitah Basu]

Susan Minares testified to a Senate panel.

[Narrator]

That Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

[Shemitah Basu]

The health and Human Services secretary, told.

[Narrator]

Her just days before she was fired.

[Shemitah Basu]

That the childhood vaccination schedule would change.

[Narrator]

And she said he gave orders that.

[Shemitah Basu]

Were inconsistent with her oath of office.

[Susan Minares]

He directed me to commit in advance to approving every ACIP recommendation regardless of the scientific evidence. He also directed me to dismiss career officials responsible for vaccine policy without cause. He said if I was unwilling to do both, I should resign. I responded that I could not pre approve recommendations without reviewing the evidence, and I had no basis to fire scientific experts.

[Narrator]

Manares, whose tenure lasted just 29 days, testified that Kennedy had told her that.

[Shemitah Basu]

CDC employees were, quote, killing children, that he had spoken with President Trump, quote, every day about changing the vaccine schedule.

[Narrator]

And that she needed to be on board with it.

[Shemitah Basu]

Monarz concluded with a warning to the committee.

[Susan Minares]

If vaccine protections are weakened, preventable diseases will return. I was fired for holding the line on scientific integrity, but that line does not disappear with me. It now runs through every parent deciding whether to vaccinate a child, every physician counseling a patient, and every American who demands accountability.

[Narrator]

Kennedy, in a hearing earlier this month.

[Shemitah Basu]

Disputed Monarz's characterization of the events leading up to her firing. Dr. Deborah Howery, one of several top CDC officials who resigned in protest of Manars firing, also testified.

[Dr. Deborah Howery]

I first learned that the secretary had changed our CDC COVID vaccine guidance on an ex social media post. CDC scientists have still not seen the scientific data or justification for this change. That is not gold standard science.

[Shemitah Basu]

The CDC's vaccine advisory panel is now made up of Kennedy appointees, some of whom have advocated for anti vaccine positions in the past.

[Narrator]

Today that committee is due to meet. One of the topics they're expected to.

[Shemitah Basu]

Discuss is whether to recommend delaying hepatitis B vaccines that are typically administered to newborns and instead recommend children get them at the age of four, which would.

[Narrator]

Be a shift in the CDC policy.

[Shemitah Basu]

Of the last 30 plus years.

[Narrator]

Over that span of time, the potentially.

[Shemitah Basu]

Fatal disease has been effectively eradicated among children in the U.S. those who've argued for the schedule change say that mothers who are not infected could delay immunizing their newborns. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician who leads the Senate Health Committee, talked about the importance of infants receiving hepatitis B vaccines during the hearing yesterday, noting that changing the recommendation could also impact coverage of the vaccines by insurance companies.

[Bill Cassidy]

Now fewer than 20 babies per year get hepatitis B from their mother. That is an accomplishment to make America healthy again and we should stand up and salute the people that made that decision because there's people who would otherwise be dead if those mothers were not given that option to have their child vaccinated.

[Narrator]

Cassidy was one of the key votes.

[Shemitah Basu]

To confirm Kennedy to his position, despite expressing reservations about Kennedy's record of anti vaccine stances.

[Narrator]

The vaccine panel will meet over the.

[Shemitah Basu]

Course of two days, but some states aren't waiting for national guidance and are pushing ahead with making their own policies. California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii joined together to publish separate recommendations yesterday, which mirror the major American health institutions in recommending, for example, Covid shots for pregnant women and young children between 6 months and 2 years old.

[Narrator]

Lets turn now to Gaza and Israel's.

[Shemitah Basu]

Ground assault to take over Gaza City. Nearly half of Gaza's population, around 1 million Palestinians, live in this area and.

[Narrator]

Are now trying to decide whether they.

[Shemitah Basu]

Should flee or stay. The risks of staying are high between Tuesday, when the ground operation was formally announced, and Wednesday afternoon. Gaza health Officials say nearly 100 people have been killed, nearly 400 wounded and and an unknown number of people are trapped under rubble.

[Narrator]

And according to satellite data, Israel has.

[Shemitah Basu]

Destroyed 78% of the buildings in Gaza City in recent weeks, either completely or partially. But fleeing is not simple. Poverty rates in Gaza are so high.

[Narrator]

That many Palestinians don't have the means to leave.

[Shemitah Basu]

Many people aren't healthy enough, a UN backed report found. Gaza City and the surrounding area are experiencing famine, a finding that Israel has contested. And many Palestinians fear permanent displacement.

[Narrator]

According to Israel's military, only about 40%.

[Shemitah Basu]

Of Gaza's city population has left so far, and the military says it plans to open additional evacuation routes. Efforts to end the war through diplomacy appear to have stalled for now. Speaking from Israel alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a decidedly pessimistic tone about the prospect of a ceasefire.

[Marco Rubio]

I think we have to be prepared for the fact that savage, you know, terrorists don't normally agree to things like that, but we'll continue to pursue that route. It's the ideal outcome, but it may require ultimately a concise military operation to eliminate them.

[Narrator]

And Alex Ward, a national security reporter.

[Shemitah Basu]

At the Wall Street Journal, told us Netanyahu's decision to continue this operation in Gaza City indicates he would rather use military force than diplomacy to reach his goal of eliminating Hamas.

[Narrator]

That's despite the fact that poles in.

[Shemitah Basu]

Israel have found support for ending the war through a hostage exchange, and Israeli officials are concerned that hostages could be killed in the assault. Plus, they say troops are now exhausted.

[Alex Ward]

So we are now in this weird moment where Netanyahu is again overseeing an unpopular war, an unpopular policy of military pressure against Hamas, but without really any.

[Narrator]

Restraint from the U.S. ward says President.

[Shemitah Basu]

Trump could apply more pressure on Netanyahu, but is largely letting the Israeli leader chart his own path.

[Alex Ward]

Trump, who's made a whole political Persona and career off of I'm the tough guy, I maintain leverage in deals, has done nothing to gain leverage, and if anything, has willingly sort of given it away. He is seemingly mad at Israel for not making a deal, but also is unwilling to defy Israel or place pressure on them because he doesn't want to rupture the relationship with Israel at large and Bibi in particular.

[Narrator]

One way the United States could increase.

[Shemitah Basu]

Pressure on Israel is through weapons.

[Narrator]

The US Is the largest supplier of.

[Shemitah Basu]

Weapons to Israel, and a number of.

[Narrator]

European allies have instituted partial or complete.

[Shemitah Basu]

Arms embargoes since the start of the war.

[Narrator]

But there's no indication that the US.

[Shemitah Basu]

Administration is considering this. In fact, it's warned other countries against implementing restrictions.

[Narrator]

European countries are continuing to ramp up pressure, though. Yesterday the EU unveiled a plan to.

[Shemitah Basu]

Strip Israel of its privileged access to.

[Narrator]

Its market and sanction some ministers. And at next week's U.N. general assembly.

[Shemitah Basu]

Several countries, including the U.K. canada, France, and Australia, are likely to recognize Palestine as an independent state.

[Narrator]

A symbolic move, but still a major.

[Shemitah Basu]

Departure from their conventional foreign policy. Acknowledging the growing criticism. Netanyahu said this week he believes that Israel could face a period of isolation.

[Narrator]

And admitted the country may not be.

[Shemitah Basu]

Able to rely on foreign arms sales forever.

[Narrator]

Before we let you go, a few.

[Shemitah Basu]

Other stories we're following.

[Narrator]

ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel live indefinitely.

[Shemitah Basu]

After remarks the Late Night host made this week about the death of Charlie Kirk. Here's some of what Kimmel said on Monday's show.

[Jimmy Kimmel]

We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.

[Narrator]

The suspension came after Nexar, which owns.

[Shemitah Basu]

28 ABC affiliates, said it would take the show off the air. Hours before the network's decision. FCC chair Brendan Carr had suggested he would take action against ABC affiliate stations for Kimmel's remarks. After the announcement, Carr thanked nexstar and said he hoped that other broadcasters follow their lead.

[Narrator]

In other news, Jerry Greenfield, the co founder and co namesake of ice cream.

[Shemitah Basu]

Brand Ben and Jerry's, says he's quitting the company over a dispute with parent company Unilever.

[Narrator]

Greenfield says the company left him, quote.

[Shemitah Basu]

Torn apart and muzzled, and that Ben.

[Narrator]

And Jerry's was silenced from openly supporting.

[Shemitah Basu]

Social causes like voting rights and LGBTQ rights. Ben & Jerry's was founded in Vermont.

[Narrator]

In 1978 and was acquired by Unilever in 2000. In a statement to the AP Magnum.

[Shemitah Basu]

Unilever's spin off ice cream division said.

[Narrator]

They would be forever grateful to Greenfield.

[Shemitah Basu]

But that the company did not align with his viewpoint.

[Narrator]

And finally, a debate is simmering over.

[Shemitah Basu]

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady. You might have noticed him in the Las Vegas Raiders coaching booth, which he holds a minority stake in, as they took on the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday. But Brady is also Fox Sports's lead NFL analyst, and that means that as he's sitting with the Raiders, he's wearing a headset which allows him to hear both coaches and in his Fox role, he gets unique access to other teams. Prep it's reignited concerns of a conflict of interest, and the Post reports that a number of teams have expressed reservations about Brady juggling both roles, especially after restrictions on his access have been recently relaxed.

[Narrator]

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said Brady.

[Shemitah Basu]

Approached the role with professionalism, but in a league of paranoia, as the Post calls it. That's unlikely to satisfy everyone.

[Narrator]

You can find all these stories and.

[Shemitah Basu]

More in the Apple news app, and.

[Narrator]

If you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a narrated.

[Shemitah Basu]

Article coming up next. Wikipedia is one of the world's most popular websites, but it's under attack. The Verge looks into how the world's largest encyclopedia has been navigating recent criticism in an online world dominated by political polarization. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News plus Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.