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Focus on Fed, Afghanistan evacuation, and China’s crypto crackdown.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said yesterday that the pandemic continues to cast a shadow on economic activity but refrained from commenting on monetary policy at a town hall event. Bond traders are now focused on today’s FOMC minutes, released at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, for any clues on the timeline for tapering bond purchases. Next week’s Jackson Hole symposium, however, remains the most likely forum for a major revelation on the future direction of Fed policy.