lagoe

[lagoe]

US Government Announces New Policies to Curb Rising Inflation

Washington D.C., January 20, 2025 - The U.S. government has taken a major step toward curbing inflation, which has reached a decade high. With the inflation rate now at 6.8 percent, economists and citizens are facing rising prices for basic goods, fuel, and housing costs.

The first step taken was an interest rate adjustment by the Federal Reserve. In a statement released on Tuesday (19/1), Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced a 0.5 percent increase in the benchmark interest rate. This increase aims to reduce excessive consumption and investment, which is considered to be one of the triggers of high inflation. Powell emphasized that this monetary policy will be implemented carefully to avoid the risk of recession.

In addition, the White House also launched a new stimulus package that focuses on the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. In a press conference held on the same day, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen explained that this package includes providing energy subsidies to SMEs, tax breaks, and incentives for businesses that switch to renewable energy. “We understand the pressure that small businesses are feeling right now, and the government is committed to providing real help to maintain their competitiveness,” Yellen said.

However, this policy is not free from criticism. Some parties, including opposition groups in Congress, said the interest rate hike could have a negative impact on low-income people who are still in the process of post-pandemic economic recovery. They also questioned the effectiveness of the stimulus, which is considered to be less directly targeted at households affected by inflation.

On the other hand, analysts give mixed views. Sarah Johnson, senior economist at the Brookings Institution, said that this policy is a necessary step to control inflation, but it must be balanced with close monitoring of its social impact. “We need to make sure that these measures do not increase the burden on vulnerable groups,” she said.

Meanwhile, Americans continue to wait for the impact of this policy on prices in the market. Some citizens have voiced concerns over the rising prices of basic goods, while others hope that the government's policy can immediately restore economic stability.

The US government's move is in the spotlight, given the country's position as one of the world's largest economic powers. The extent to which this policy succeeds in lowering inflation without triggering other negative impacts, will still be a big question that continues to be monitored in the next few months.

[lagoe]

Taylor Swift Makes History with New Album and World Tour Successes

New York, January 25, 2025 - Taylor Swift continues to make her mark in the global music industry. Her eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, released on April 19, 2024, broke numerous records. The album became the first in history to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify in one week, sold 2.6 million units in its first week in the US, and made Swift the first artist to dominate the top 14 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. The title track, “Fortnight”, a collaboration with Post Malone, became Swift's 12th number one song on the Hot 100.

In addition, The Eras Tour, a retrospective tour spanning all of her studio albums, has become the highest-grossing tour in history, with total revenue exceeding $1 billion. The concert film of the tour, which was released in theaters on October 13, 2023, grossed more than $250 million globally, making it the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

Amidst her success, Swift also showed her social awareness by donating $5 million to support relief efforts after Hurricanes Milton and Helene in October 2024. In addition, she has been in a relationship with American football player Travis Kelce since 2023, and in December 2024, Swift was named Time magazine's Person of the Year, making her the first individual from the arts to receive the honor.