US Federal Reserve lowers key interest rate

Normally, the meetings of the US Federal Reserve are routine. The governors led by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell meet in Washington, in a stucco-decorated hall with a chandelier and a fireplace. There they discuss the state of the American economy, looking at figures on the labor market, inflation and growth. After their two days of deliberations, they decide - not always, but often unanimously. The central bankers met in the US capital again this Wednesday. But this time only one thing was normal: As expected, the Fed cut the key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points. It now stands at between four and 4.25 percent. The latest data indicate "that economic growth weakened in the first half of the year," the central bank wrote.