WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve is highlighting the importance of its political independence at a time when Donald Trump, who frequently attacked the Fed’s policymaking in the past, edges closer to formally becoming the Republican nominee for president. On Friday, the Fed released its twice-yearly report on its interest-rate policies, a typically dry document that primarily includes its analysis of job growth, inflation, interest rates and other economic trends.

This time, the Fed used the report to stress the vital need for the central bank to operate independent of political pressures.

WASHINGTON — Air travel is getting more miserable. That’s the verdict from travelers, based on the number of them who file complaints with the U.S. government last year. The Transportation Department says it received nearly 97,000 complaints in 2023, up from about 86,000 the year before. The department said Friday that there were so many complaints it took until July to sort through the filings and compile the figures. More than two-thirds were about U.S. airlines, but a quarter related to foreign airlines. Complaints about the treatment of passengers with disabilities rose by more than one-fourth compared with 2022, and complaints about discrimination also rose, although they were relatively small in number.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s housing minister says the country will drastically ease restrictions on land use in a bid to “flood the market” with land for homes and override the powers of local councils to curb development. Chris Bishop said the new measures would require local councils to make enough land available to accommodate 30 years of growth, rather than three, and would bar them from imposing urban limits or restrictions on apartment size. New Zealand has faced a decadelong housing crisis. Analysts welcomed the zoning liberalization while the Parliamentary opposition said it would not work.