In the long struggle between monetary discipline and the stubborn persistence of rising prices, a Federal Reserve policymaker has stepped forward to remind markets that the campaign is not yet won. Speaking exclusively to Reuters in September 2026, Musalem of the Fed's policymaking committee signaled that further interest rate increases are likely necessary, even as previous hikes have already reshaped the borrowing landscape for American consumers and businesses. The statement arrives at a delicate moment — one in which the central bank must weigh the pain of tightening too far against the de