The Federal Reserve raises interest rates by a quarter percentage point

NPR | By Alina Selyukh,

Michel Martin

Published September 17, 2026 at 5:45 AM CDT

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in more than three years Wednesday.

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Alina Selyukh

Alina Selyukh is a business correspondent at NPR.

Michel Martin

Michel Martin is a host of Morning Edition.

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The Fed raises interest rates for the first time in three years, protests over rising gas prices are being held around the world, Canada's prime minister speaks to European Parliament.