Wall Street Week | Warsh’s Waiting Game, EU Merger Rules, Robotic Surgeons

Summary

The episode examines the Fed's rate hold and internal dissents with Jason Furman warning about persistent inflation and credibility risks. It explores the EU's overhaul of merger rules to spur tech champions, the competitive entry of J&J's differentiated Ottava robotic surgery platform, the impact and measurement of think tanks like the Aspen Institute, and finally Jason Furman's moral and regulatory perspectives on AI.

• The Fed held rates and saw dissents; Jason Furman argues inflation remains too high and Fed credibility is at stake.
• Rising long-end Treasury yields and communication surprises add unnecessary volatility, but reflect market faith in the Fed.
• The EU proposes new merger guidelines to foster tech innovation and exit strategies, but experts say they won't be a sea change; single-market integration remains the bigger barrier.
• Johnson & Johnson received FDA approval for its Ottava robotic surgery platform, featuring a table-integrated arm design that reduces OR friction.
• J&J execs see robotic surgery as a low-penetration (8%) fast-growing market and expect the business to become material by decade's end.
• The segment on think tanks debates how to measure return on ideas, with Aspen Institute focusing on convening power and human flourishing.
• Jason Furman stresses the need to balance AI innovation with regulation, focusing on moral questions and US-China regulatory convergence.