In a moment that echoes the enduring tension between democratic impatience and institutional restraint, the United States Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter point on Wednesday, bringing them to a range of 3.75 to 4.00 percent — a unanimous act of monetary discipline in the face of inflation that has lingered well above target for years. The decision defied explicit demands from President Trump, who has waged a sustained campaign against the central bank's independence, and it arrives at a politically charged moment as midterm elections draw near. At its core, this is a story ab