Cooling Labor Market and Elevated Inflation Stoke Fed Divisions on Rate Cuts NYT | Top Stories By: Colby Smith 12 December 2025 at 23:28 Fed officials explained their opposition to the central bank’s decision this week to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. © Caroline Gutman for The New York TimesThe divisions on the Federal Reserve have forced Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, to navigate the difficult task of trying to reach a consensus among his colleagues.