Even as economy heats up, Fed to stick with near-zero rates by Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press Posted Apr 26, 2021 10:54 am EDT Last Updated Apr 26, 2021 at 10:58 am EDT FILE - In this Dec. 1, 2020, file photo, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell listens during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. During an interview broadcast Sunday, April 11, 2021, on CBS' "60 Minutes," Powell said the U.S. economy is poised for an extended period of strong growth and hiring, though the coronavirus still poses some risk. (Al Drago/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File) WASHINGTON — Hiring is accelerating as Americans increasingly venture out to shop, eat at restaurants and travel, and inflation pressures are even picking up after lying dormant for years. Yet this week, the Federal Reserve is all but sure to reiterate its commitment to ultra-low interest rates.