In the five months since Jerome “Jay” Powell took over as chairman of the Federal Reserve, the country is facing a growing number of tests: stagnant wage growth, tariff disputes around the world and a White House that likes to publicly offer the Fed economic advice. In his first broadcast interview since taking the job, Powell told Kai Ryssdal that he is “not concerned” about political pressure and that he’s keeping his focus on carrying out the Fed’s mandate from Congress: “We have a long tradition here of conducting policy in a particular way, and that way is independent of all political concerns,” he said. They also talked about The White House’s ongoing trade disputes, why wages aren’t rising and inflation. You can also read the whole thing here.