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Kevin Czinger, an automaker based in Los Angeles, and his son Lucas are introducing 3D printing to create digital manufacturing for vehicles that will change how we make cars and save the environment. Reporter | Camera | Editor: Genia Dulot

A lowrider or low rider is a customized car with a lowered body. It has been a part of Mexican American culture in the U.S for many decades. This year the state of California repeals the laws from 1958 and 1986, that prohibited lowering the cars and cruising. Reporter | Camera | Editor: Genia Dulot

Once on the verge of extinction, sea otters now thrive in the icy harbors, in Homer, Alaska. These adorable creatures must eat as much as 25% of their body weight every day to stay healthy and warm. Producer | Camera | Editor: Gabrielle Weiss

Nairobi, Kenya — American firms are losing out on business and contracts in Kenya because top government officials demand bribes, the U.S. trade office said in a report released last week, warning that corruption will hurt foreign investment. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, American businesses are finding it hard to secure Kenyan government contracts meant to develop the East African nation because senior government officials seek a bribe before awarding such jobs. The 2024 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers said that the contracts are going mainly to foreign firms willing to pay the bribes. This level of corruption, say the authors of the report, will cause Kenya to lose future investment from businesses and countries that shun or punish corrupt activities. Cleophas Malala, secretary general of Kenya’s ruling party, acknowledged that Kenya's procurement and payment system has been a problem but said President William Ruto and the government are working to solve the problem. "We know it's a challenge to us, but the president is keen on fighting corruption. You’ve seen how hard he has been. He moved very swiftly when the KEMSA saga came up,” Malala said, referring to a corruption scandal last year involving a $28 million contract that led to the dismissal of the top officials at Kenya’s Medical Supplies Authority. “He has been steadfast in ensuring that any public officer who gets involved in corrupt activities languishes his position and faces the rule of law,” Malala said. “As a political party, we've said time and again that we are not going to defend anybody." According to a survey by Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the country’s interior, health and transport ministries are the most corrupt. The survey showed that the size of the average bribe doubled in 2023. Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi told VOA that American businesses are simply being asked to follow what has become a standard procedure in Kenya. "Kenyans pay bribes every day, not because they want to, but because they are forced to,” Mwangi said. “If you want to apply for an ID, you need to pay a bribe. You go to the police, you tell them to investigate a crime, you pay a bribe. You want to ask for a passport, you pay for a bribe. We are a bribe nation. “One of the reasons the Chinese succeed in this country very well in doing business is because they are able to pay to play,” he said, adding, “The Americans are not told to do something that is not common. They've been asked to do what's been the norm in this country. ... Corruption is a way of life in our country." Last year, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission said the lack of transparency, accountability and public participation in some government projects creates a breeding ground for corruption. That aligns with the U.S. trade office report, which said American firms complained of excessive complexity and inefficiency in the procurement process for contracts. Malala said the government is working to change some of the procurement laws to help fight corruption and allow investors to compete fairly. "We would want to ensure that all our investors get justice when it comes to the procurement system," he said. Kenya finished low on the Transparency International corruption rankings for 2023, ranking 126th out of 180 countries measured for perception and prevalence of corruption.

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WASHINGTON — Deputy Minister of Human Rights of Myanmar’s shadow government, the National Unity Government (NUG), Aung Kyaw Moe told VOA that the Myanmar people distrust the ruling military leader's recent claim that he is interested in restoring democracy in the country. In a recent interview with VOA, the minister, also the NUG’s first Rohingya minister, called for caution in assessing China’s efforts to facilitate the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh and delved into the Rohingyas’ aspiration to align themselves with the Rakhine people against the junta, which overthrew a democratically elected government in 2021.  The following interview has been translated into English and edited for length and clarity.  VOA: The Myanmar junta’s senior general, Min Aung Hlaing, gave a speech at their Armed Forces Day parade on March 27th in which he claims he is holding power only “temporarily” to strengthen democracy. What is your opinion on that?  Aung Kyaw Moe, NUG Deputy Human Rights Minister: The main leader of the military junta is Min Aung Hlaing. Almost every word that comes out of his mouth belies his intentions. From day one, when he first attempted to seize power, he has not been accountable for his words, and there is no accountability within the organization he leads. Therefore, listening to his words would be a waste of time and only serve to exhaust people seeking a genuine political solution.  His political vision and the reality he faces are completely opposed. When the military attempted to seize power, their political calculation did not anticipate such a collective resistance from the public. They never expected such widespread opposition. This latest statement, although insincere, is calculated to craft a narrative that he can present to the international community, one that is more likely to be accepted by countries allied with them. This narrative is also an attempt to deceive the people amidst a rising political tide against his military government. However, the people are aware of the misinformation spread by the junta, and they won’t believe these false messages.  VOA: Senior General Min Aung Hlaing also said in his speech that, by the end of this year, they will complete a new accounting of the voter pool in Myanmar. He didn’t say exactly when an election would be held but said that to hold this election, there must be unity between the people and the military. How do you see the prospects for unity before a new election?  Aung Kyaw Moe: That election would be rigged — a fake election. They consistently claim that they view the election as a political exit strategy from their attempted seizure of power. Firstly, they haven't been able to accomplish anything, let alone prepare for an election. Secondly, we already have a parliament composed of representatives elected by the people, who clearly emerged victorious in 2020. With this mandate from the people and the parliament, the junta have no justification for calling another election during this term. The public doesn't accept it, ethnic revolutionary organizations don't accept it, and democracy activists don't accept it. Such statements by the junta cannot be tolerated in the current intense political climate in Myanmar.  VOA: The United Nations has taken the lead in addressing the Rohingya crisis, but China has also gotten involved, for example, in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh back to Myanmar. How do you see China's role in the Rohingya crisis going forward?  Aung Kyaw Moe: It's undeniable that China holds significant sway in Myanmar's political landscape as a neighboring superpower. However, China needs to understand that the transition towards the rule of law in Myanmar is not a threat to its interests. Regarding the Rohingya, China calculates its interests carefully. The Rohingya issue doesn't directly affect China's borders, but Chinese investments in Rakhine State, including deep-sea ports and the Shwe Gas natural gas pipelines project, are substantial. Perhaps China's desire for peace and stability in Rakhine State aligns with its national interests. However, China's attempts to garner international acceptance for the military junta, potentially by facilitating Rohingya repatriation, could grant the junta the legitimacy it seeks in international relations. It's also plausible that China is indirectly creating diplomatic room to legitimize the junta.  VOA: Currently, the Rohingya community remaining in Rakhine faces pressure from both the junta and the Arakan Army (AA), particularly during the AA's recent offensive, which saw military tactical positions and entire towns being occupied. The Rohingya are essentially caught in the crossfire between the military junta and the AA, as the group seeks autonomy from Myanmar's central government in Rakhine state. Given this complex situation, how do you perceive the possibility of coexistence between these two communities, especially considering the differing perspectives on ethnic identity?  Aung Kyaw Moe: There are two crucial aspects to consider here. Firstly, as a government member and a Rohingya myself, in the complex political landscape of Myanmar, I see my individual and collective rights intricately linked to my identity and circumstances. In a political environment shaped by identity, the promise of equality means little if we're denied the right to identify ourselves as we choose. Hence, the assertion of our Rohingya identity is essential for safeguarding our rights and cultural heritage.  Secondly, peaceful coexistence hinges on addressing political aspirations accurately. While we strive to dismantle the junta and forge our own destinies, it's imperative to avoid replicating the very racism we condemn. Our unity must be grounded in moral integrity and responsibility, not reactive emotions. When addressing organized provocations by the junta, our response should prioritize the common interests of all ethnic groups in Rakhine state. By aligning with the Rakhine people's interests, we counter the junta's attempts to marginalize us, and we uphold our collective well-being. Embracing moral principles and responsibilities empowers us to resist exploitation by the junta while fostering genuine unity based on shared values and aspirations.

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berlin — Human rights lawyers said Friday they had filed an urgent appeal against Germany's government to stop exports of war weapons to Israel, citing reasons to believe they were being used in ways violating international humanitarian law in Gaza. A Dutch court has ordered the Netherlands to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used for attacks on civilian targets in the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands have been killed. Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians in the Gaza war, saying Hamas militants use residential areas for cover, which the Palestinian Islamist group denies. The Berlin case, brought by several organizations including the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Law for Palestine and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy, was filed in an administrative court on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza. In a statement, the lawyers said the arms deliveries and support Germany has provided to Israel violated the country's obligations under the War Weapons Control Act. They cited a January order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, which it has subjected to siege and invasion since Hamas' October 7 attack. Israel denies genocide allegations. "Just the assumption is sufficient — that the weapons are used to commit acts that violate international law — to revoke arms exports under the Act," lawyer Ahmed Abed told a news conference Friday in Berlin. He said he expected a ruling within two to three weeks. Political pressure German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said she could not comment about the Berlin court case and whether Germany would suspend arms exports to Israel pending a ruling. "The federal government generally examines each arms export individually and takes a number of factors into account — including human rights and humanitarian law," she said when asked about the matter by reporters. International law experts said the litigation was unlikely to be able to force a halt to such arms exports under administrative law, though it could push Berlin to review its stance if evidence were provided. "It could build up political pressure on the German government ... to be more transparent and declare which arms it is planning to transfer or which arms it actually has transferred to Israel," Max Mutschler, a senior researcher at the Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies, said. Rights groups would have a better chance of success if they took the case to the ICJ in The Hague, said lawyer Holger Rothbauer, who successfully sued arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch over arms deliveries to Mexico in 2010. "It seems to me that a [German] law to cover the case is missing," Rothbauer told Reuters, saying only a party directly affected by an administrative decision could sue to stop it. The rights lawyers said they were acting on behalf of Palestinians. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and 75,750 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since October 7, the Gaza health ministry said Friday in an update. With Gaza in ruins, and most of its 2.3 million population forced from their homes and relying on aid for survival, Israel faces rising calls from allies to halt the war and allow unfettered aid into the enclave, with critics saying governments should threaten to withhold military aid if it does not do so. Since Hamas' October terrorism attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, Germany has been one of Israel's staunchest allies alongside the United States, underlining its commitment to atonement for its perpetration of the World War II Nazi Holocaust in which 6 million Jews died. Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth a 326.5 million euros ($353.70 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase compared with 2022, according to Economic Ministry data.

Taipei, Taiwan — Several human rights organizations say China has intensified persecution against human rights lawyers and their family members in recent months, as the ailing wife of a lawyer is denied access to her pension and medical insurance, while the children of two lawyers are repeatedly forced by local authorities to drop out of schools.  VOA has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment but has yet to receive a response.  On March 31, 16 human rights lawyers and dissidents in China called for donations to Chinese human rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng, whose family struggles to pay for his wife’s mounting medical bills because she hasn’t been able to access social insurance or her pension.  Zhou’s wife has been disabled since suffering a serious stroke in 1995. Since Zhou was sentenced to seven years in jail for “inciting subversion of state power” in 2015, which was part of the Chinese government’s nationwide crackdown against more than 300 human rights lawyers, his wife hasn’t been able to regularly pay for her social insurance or properly handle her retirement application.   “Before his arrest, Zhou’s law firm would pay for his wife’s social insurance and he would take care of everything she needed,” said Ren Quanniu, a Chinese human rights lawyer familiar with Zhou’s situation.   “But after he was arrested, her social insurance payment was suspended and no one could help her complete the retirement process in 2017, which caused her to lose access to the social insurance and pension,” he told VOA by phone.   As a result, Zhou’s wife can’t be reimbursed for her mounting medical bills and her rapidly deteriorating health is increasing pressure on her family.  “Her overall health condition deteriorated since Zhou’s arrest in 2015 and it became even more serious since the start of 2024,” Ren said, adding that she has been in the intensive care unit of a local hospital in Henan Province since February.   Like many human rights lawyers in China, Zhou lost his license after he was detained, and since his release in September 2022, he hasn’t been able to find a stable job to support his family. “Since he can no longer work as a lawyer, his family has lost their only source of income,” Ren added.   With no income to pay his wife’s medical bills, Ren said the human rights lawyer’s community wants to support his family by calling for public donations. “His wife is probably hanging by a thread, so we hope to do whatever we can to help support his family through this difficult period,” he said.   Forced to drop out of school   Other human rights lawyers’ families are experiencing repeated forced evictions, while schools are repeatedly turning away their children due to pressure from local authorities.   Wang Quanzhang, a prominent human rights lawyer sentenced to four and a half years on charges of subversion during the 2015 crackdown, has been evicted by landlords or hotels more than a dozen times since last April. He said the forced evictions are part of Chinese authorities’ retaliation against him and his family. The 2015 crackdown is known in China as the 709 crackdown because it began on July 9, 2015. On that date, Chinese authorities began targeting independent legal advocates and arrested hundreds of lawyers.  “The authorities think our community has been trying to humiliate them, so they want to use all the means at their disposal to punish human rights lawyers,” Wang told VOA in a phone call.   Apart from the forced evictions, Wang said his 11-year-old son has been turned away by schools several times over the last year. “Since we were forced to move to new places so frequently over the last year, it’s been difficult for my son to remain at the same school for long enough,” he said, adding that some schools would turn away his son due to pressure from authorities.   Wang tried to send him abroad for schooling last year, hoping to protect him from the harassment.   “When we tried to leave China last October, the customs officers stopped my son and the daughter of another human rights lawyer and said they weren’t allowed to leave the country since they could be a threat to national security,” he said.   Since then, Wang and his family moved to the southern province of Guangzhou and tried to admit his son to a private academy recommended by his friends.  “After just a week, close to 20 people suddenly showed up at the academy to conduct ‘inspection’ and following their repeated harassment, the academy was forced to move to a more discreet location,” Wang said.  Since it’s unclear when his son may return to school, Wang is signing him up for some online classes to make sure he is still learning something. “The authorities know my son is my biggest weakness so they try to make it difficult for him to go to school, hoping it could stop me from criticizing them,” he told VOA.   Some human rights advocates say the Chinese government has increased the level of persecution against Chinese dissidents and their families in recent years. Yu Zhenyang, the son of detained human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan, was briefly detained and has tried to commit suicide twice since last November. “Under Xi Jinping’s rule, persecutions against the children of Chinese dissidents have increased and it’s now a new normal,” said Zhou Fengsuo, a former Tiananmen student leader and executive director of New York-based organization Human Rights in China. He spoke to VOA by phone.   During a Universal Periodic Review, held by the U.N. Human Rights Council in January, China’s top diplomat in Geneva said Beijing is dedicated to “safeguarding the rights of specific groups” and “implementing four consecutive cycles of outlines for children's development.” 

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations secretary-general warned Friday that children are dying in the Gaza Strip from hunger and dehydration and that a “quantum leap” in the delivery of lifesaving aid is urgently needed. “When the gates to aid are closed, the doors to starvation are opened,” Antonio Guterres told reporters. He said that as the six-month mark in the war between Israel and Hamas approaches Sunday, the “speed, scale and inhumane ferocity” of the war mark it as one of the deadliest conflicts for civilians, aid workers, journalists and medical personnel. “Six months on, we are at the brink of mass starvation, of regional conflagration, of a total loss of faith in global standards and norms,” he said. “It’s time to step back from that brink — to silence the guns, to ease the horrible suffering and stop a potential famine before it is too late.” He said in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy, the Israelis have pledged to allow a “substantial increase” in humanitarian aid distributed in Gaza. “I sincerely hope that these announced intentions are effectively and quickly materialized because the situation in Gaza is absolutely desperate,” he said. Israel said Friday that it will temporarily open the Erez crossing into Gaza and allow aid shipments to be processed at Ashdod Port — requests humanitarians have been making for months. The U.N. chief also expressed concern about Israel’s reported use of artificial intelligence to identify targets, resulting in high civilian casualties. “No part of life-and-death decisions which impact entire families should be delegated to the cold calculation of algorithms,” he said. The secretary-general reiterated his condemnation of Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel and his calls for the unconditional release of all the hostages still held by Hamas and other armed groups. The U.N. Security Council is meeting Friday in an emergency session called by members Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia and Switzerland to discuss the risk of famine and attacks against aid workers in Gaza. They will be briefed by officials from the U.N. office on humanitarian affairs and the CEO of Save the Children, Janti Soeripto.

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COPENHAGEN, DENMARK — Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir announced her resignation Friday and said that she will run for president, a ceremonial post that is mostly above the daily political fray. It was not immediately clear who would succeed her as prime minister, a job she has held since late 2017. "I had decided some time ago not to seek reelection in the next parliamentary elections. At the same time, I still have a burning desire to continue to offer my services to Icelandic society," Jakobsdottir said in a video message. Iceland will hold a vote on June 1 to elect its new head of state. The island nation of almost 400,000 people faces uncertainty after recent volcanic eruptions that triggered the indefinite evacuation of thousands of people, adding to pressures on an economy already facing high inflation and soaring interest rates. Still, Jakobsdottir said she believed that the government had made significant progress on the challenges and that the country was on a firmer footing than just a few months ago. Jakobsdottir has been crucial in keeping together the current coalition of her own Left-Green Movement, the pro-business Independence Party and the center-right Progressive Party. The government has been in power since 2017, providing unusual stability in a country that went to polls five times from 2007 to 2017, a period marked by political scandals and distrust of politicians following the 2008 financial crisis.

NEW YORK — An earthquake shook the densely populated New York City metropolitan area Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said, with residents reporting they felt rumbling across the Northeast. The agency reported a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, centered near Lebanon, New Jersey, or about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of New York City and 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Philadelphia. The Fire Department of New York said there were no initial reports of damage. New York Mayor Eric Adams had been briefed on the quake, his spokesperson Fabien Levy said, adding, “While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.” In midtown Manhattan, the usual cacophony of traffic grew louder as motorists blared their horns on momentarily shuddering streets. Some Brooklyn residents heard a booming sound and felt their building shaking. In an apartment house in Manhattan’s East Village, a resident from more earthquake-prone California calmed nervous neighbors. People in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Connecticut and other areas of the East Coast unaccustomed to earthquakes also reported feeling the ground shake. New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on X that the quake was felt throughout the state. “My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,” Hochul said. The shaking stirred memories of the August 23, 2011, earthquake that jolted tens of millions of people from Georgia to Canada. Registering magnitude 5.8, it was the strongest quake to hit the East Coast since World War II. The epicenter was in Virginia. That earthquake left cracks in the Washington Monument, spurred the evacuation of the White House and Capitol and rattled New Yorkers three weeks before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.

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The Iranian-backed Houthis have fired dozens of long-range missiles at Israel since the war in Gaza began, most of which have been shot down. As the war continues, there is concern the Houthi attacks could spark a regional confrontation. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem. VOA footage by Ricki Rosen.

WASHINGTON — More than 68,000 illegally trafficked firearms in the United States over a five-year period came through unlicensed dealers who aren't required to perform background checks, according to new data released Thursday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  That represents 54% of the illegally trafficked firearms in the U.S. between 2017 and 2021, Justice Department officials said. The guns were used in 368 shooting cases, which are harder to investigate because unlicensed dealers aren't required to keep records of their sales that could allow federal agents to trace the weapon back to the original buyer, said ATF Director Steve Dettelbach.  The report, ordered by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is the first in-depth analysis of firearm trafficking investigations in more than 20 years. It examined more than 9,700 closed ATF firearm trafficking investigations that began between 2017 and 2021. Firearms trafficking is when guns are purposely moved into the illegal market for a criminal purpose or possession.  The second-highest share of firearm-trafficking cases investigated by ATF was from straw purchases, when someone buys a gun for a person who can't get it legally themselves.  The report also shows that the recipients of trafficked firearms were people who had previously been convicted of a felony in almost 60% of the cases in which investigators were able to identify the background of the recipient. Furthermore, trafficked firearms were used to commit additional crimes in almost 25% of the cases, Dettelbach said. That includes more than 260 murders and more than 220 attempted murders, according to the report.  "The data shows, therefore, that those who illegally traffic firearms, whether it’s out of a trunk, at a gun show or online, are responsible for real violence in this nation," Dettelbach said. "In short, you can't illegally help to arm violent people and not be responsible for the violence that follows."  The report found the average number of guns trafficked per case was 16. People who got them through unlicensed dealers bought 20 weapons on average, compared with 11 guns for straw buyers, according to the report.  The Biden administration has separately proposed a rule that would require thousands more gun sellers to be licensed and run background checks. The Justice Department says it's aimed at sellers who are in the business of firearm sales, but the proposal quickly drew protest from gun-rights groups who contend it could ensnare regular people who sometimes sell their own guns.  The rule, which has not yet been finalized, is estimated to affect 24,500 to 328,000 sellers. During the five years documented in the report, 3,400 unlicensed dealers were investigated by the ATF. 

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WASHINGTON — America's employers delivered another outpouring of jobs in March, adding a sizzling 303,000 workers to their payrolls and bolstering hopes that the economy can vanquish inflation without succumbing to a recession in the face of high interest rates.  Last month's job growth was up from a revised 270,000 in February and was far above the 200,000 economists had forecast. By any measure, it amounted to a strong month of hiring, and it reflected the economy's ability to withstand the pressure of high borrowing costs resulting from the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes. With the nation's consumers continuing to spend, many employers have kept hiring to meet steady customer demand.  Friday's report from the Labor Department also showed that the unemployment rate dipped to 3.8% from 3.9% in February. That rate has now come in below 4% for 26 straight months, the longest such streak since the 1960s.  Normally, a blockbuster bounty of new jobs would fan worries that the additional spending from those new workers could accelerate inflation. But the March jobs report showed that wage growth was mild last month, which might allay any such fears. Average hourly wages were up 4.1% from a year earlier, the smallest year-over-year increase since mid-2021. But hourly pay rose 0.3% from February to March after increasing 0.2% the month before.  The economy is sure to weigh on Americans' minds as the November presidential vote nears and they assess President Joe Biden's reelection bid. Many people still feel squeezed by the inflation surge that erupted in the spring of 2021. Eleven rate increases by the Fed have helped send inflation tumbling from its peak over the past year and a half. But average prices are still about 18% higher than they were in February 2021 — a fact for which Biden might pay a political price.  The Fed's policymakers are tracking the state of the economy, the job market and inflation to determine when to begin cutting interest rates from their multidecade highs — a move eagerly awaited by Wall Street traders, businesses, homebuyers and people in need of cars, household appliances and other major purchases that are typically financed. Rate cuts by the Fed would likely lead, over time, to lower borrowing rates across the economy.  The central bank's policymakers started raising rates two years ago to try to tame inflation, which by mid-2022 was running at a four-decade high. Those rate hikes — 11 of them from March 2022 through July 2023 — helped drastically slow inflation. Consumer prices were up 3.2% in February from a year earlier, far below a year-over-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022.  Yet the sharply higher borrowing costs for individuals and companies that resulted from the Fed's rate hikes were widely expected to trigger a recession, with waves of layoffs and a painful rise in unemployment. Yet to the surprise of just about everyone, the economy has kept growing steadily and employers have kept hiring at a healthy pace. Layoffs remain low.  Some economists believe that a rise in productivity — the amount of output that workers produce per hour — made it easier for companies to hire, raise pay and post bigger profits without having to raise prices. In addition, an influx of immigrants into the job market is believed to have addressed labor shortages and slowed upward pressure on wage growth. This helped allow inflation to cool even as the economy kept growing.  In the meantime, the Fed has signaled that it expects to cut rates three times this year. But it is awaiting more inflation data to gain further confidence that annual price increases are heading toward its 2% target. Some economists have begun to question whether the Fed will need to cut rates anytime soon considering the consistently durable U.S. economy.