Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is attempting to bring the U.S. economy in for a rare soft landing on a runway littered with partisan potholes. The central bank appears likely to avert a recession and pull off a remarkable feat of economic policymaking. The Fed last month of a historic spate of rate hikes that have contributed to curbing inflation to 3.1 percent annually in November 2023 from its 9.1 percent peak in June 2022. But the job isn’t done yet, and Powell faces several political obstacles — including former President Trump. The 2024 presidential election will be in full swing as the Fed decides whether and how deeply…
