[Walsh Explains: Why the Federal Reserve Held Rates Steady in July but Raised Them in September] BlockBeats News, September 17: The Federal Reserve raised interest rates as expected in September, following its decision to hold rates steady during the July meeting. Federal Reserve Chair Walsh stated that three things changed between the two meetings. He noted that recent data released in the past few weeks indicates strong performance in the U.S. economy, particularly in the labor market. At the same time, inflation throughout the summer remained elevated, significantly above the Federal Reserve's 2% year-over-year inflation target. Lastly, he mentioned that geopolitical factors also influenced the Federal Reserve's revised economic outlook, though he did not directly reference the U.S.-Iran conflict in the Middle East. Walsh stated: 'These three factors collectively led to our firm and unanimous decision today.' (Jin10)