Should the Fed hike rates in 2026?

The Federal Reserve should not hike interest rates in 2026 because the current build-up of core inflationary pressures in the US economy will likely be largely unfazed by any modest tightening of the policy rate tool; instead, the Fed must use its balance sheet to rein in public and private sector driven excesses that are supporting income, wealth, consumption, and investment among households, businesses, and sectors that risk becoming permanently perched atop the K-shaped US economy because of state-sponsored AI diffusion.