The highlight of the Kansas City Fed’s Jackson Hole symposium is the Federal Reserve chair’s speech on Friday. This year, the economy faces economic and political cross-currents as Jerome Powell addresses the gathering for the last time.

Jay Powell’s speech at the Federal Reserve’s August summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is always a high-stakes moment. This year, the central bank’s chair takes the podium under fire — facing fierce attacks from Donald Trump and a growing insurgency within his own institution.

The stock market is heading into a catalyst-filled week as Fed Chair Jerome Powell gets ready to speak at Jackson Hole and big retailers report earnings.

By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Fed Chair Jerome Powell used the central bank's annual Wyoming research conference to promise inflation-fighting rigor when it was needed in 2022, then last year he came to the defense of the job market with promises of lower interest rates when the unemployment rate seemed on a steady rise.