The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated.

Job gains have slowed this year, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remained low through August, the Fed said in a statement issued Wednesday. More recent indicators are consistent with these developments." The government hasn't issued unemployment data after August because of the shutdown. The Fed is watching private-sector figures instead.

Wednesday's decision brings the Fed's key rate down to about 3.9%, from about 4.1%. The central bank had cranked its rate to roughly 5.3% in 2023 and 2024 to combat the biggest inflation spike in four decades. Lower rates could, over time, reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, as well as for business loans.

The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Feds 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without the economic signposts it typically relies on from the government, including monthly reports on jobs, inflation and consumer spending, which have been suspended because of the government shutdown. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves.

RELATED STORY | No inflation report means Fed faces blind spot on prices, policy decisions

The Fed typically raises its short-term rate to combat inflation, while it cuts rates to encourage borrowing and spending and shore up hiring. Right now its two goals are in conflict, so it is reducing borrowing costs to support the job market, while still keeping rates high enough to avoid stimulating the economy so much that it worsens inflation.

On Wednesday, the Fed also said it would stop reducing the size of its massive securities holdings, which it accumulated during the pandemic and after the 2008-2009 Great Recession. The change could over time slightly reduce longer-term interest rates on things like mortgages but won't have much impact on consumer borrowing costs.

The Fed purchased nearly $5 trillion of Treasury securities and mortgage-backed bonds from 2020 to 2022 to stabilize financial markets during the pandemic and keep longer-term interest rates low. The bond-buying lifted its securities holdings to $9 trillion.

In the past three years, however, the Fed has reduced its holdings to about $6.6 trillion. To shrink its holdings, the Fed lets securities mature without replacing them, reducing bank reserves. In recent months, however, the reductions appeared to disrupt money markets, threatening to push up shorter-term interest rates.

RELATED STORY | US inflation rate climbs to 3% in September; highest this year

Two of the 12 officials who vote on the Feds rate decisions dissented, but in different directions. Fed governor Stephen Miran dissented for the second straight meeting in favor of a half-point cut. Miran was appointed by President Donald Trump just before the central banks last meeting in September.

Jeffrey Schmid, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, voted against the move because he preferred no change to the Feds rate. Schmid has previously expressed concern that inflation remains too high.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell for not reducing borrowing costs more quickly. In South Korea early Wednesday he repeated his criticisms of the Fed chair.

Hes out of there in another couple of months, Trump said. Powells term ends in May. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the administration is considering five people to replace Powell, and will decide by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the government shutdown has interrupted economic data. September's jobs report, scheduled to be released three weeks ago, is still postponed. This month's hiring figures, to be released Nov. 7, will likely be delayed and may be less comprehensive when they are finally released. And the White House said last week that October's inflation report may never be issued at all.

The data drought raises risks for the Fed because it is widely expected to keep cutting rates in an effort to shore up growth and hiring. Yet should job gains pick up soon, the Fed may not detect the change. And if hiring rebounds after weak job gains during the summer, further rate cuts may not be justified.

Before the government shutdown cut off the flow of data Oct. 1, monthly hiring gains had weakened to an average of just 29,000 a month for the previous three months, according to the Labor Department's data. The unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.3% in August from 4.2% in July.

More recently, several large corporations have announced sweeping layoffs, including UPS, Amazon, and Target, which threatens to boost the unemployment rate if it continues.

Meanwhile, last weeks inflation report released more than a week late because of the shutdown showed that inflation remains elevated but isnt accelerating and may not need higher interest rates to tame it.

The government's first report on the economy's growth in the July-September quarter was scheduled to be published on Thursday, but will be delayed, as will Friday's report on consumer spending that also includes the Fed's preferred inflation measure.

Fed officials say they are monitoring a range of other data, including some issued by the private sector, and don't feel handicapped by the lack of government reports.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations has been called to investigate the deaths of three personnel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, the Air Force base announced Tuesday.

Wright-Patt wrote in a press release that Ohio BCI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are investigating three deaths that occurred Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25.

The three people found dead are:

1st Lt. Jaime Gustitus, 25, who worked in the 711th Human Performance Wing, part of the Air Force Research Laboratory Jaymee Prichard, 33, who worked within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Jacob Prichard, 34, who also worked at the Air Force Research Laboratory

The Air Force base did not specify how any of the three died, but said BCI is leading the investigation. They also did not say what, if any, relation Jaymee Prichard and Jacob Prichard have.

"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones affected," said Lt. Gen. Linda Hurry, deputy commander of the Air Force Materiel Command. "We stand with them as they navigate this unimaginable pain, and we offer our sincerest condolences to all impacted by this heartbreaking loss."

Wright-Patt said the Air Force and local authorities are offering counseling services and support to those impacted by the deaths. Friends and families of those dead will be offered resources through the Air Force's Casualty Assistance Office, the Air Force Employee Assistance Program and the Chaplain's Office.

Anyone with information about the deaths is urged to contact law enforcement.

This article was written by Molly Schramm for the Scripps News Group in Cincinnati.

President Donald Trump appears to be downplaying speculation that he might seek a third term.

The U.S. Constitutions 22nd Amendment limits presidents to two elected terms, and there is no recognized constitutional path for a third. Still, Trump and some of his allies have continued to hint at the idea.

RELATED STORY | Trump 'not joking' about pursuing a potential third presidential term

One of his top advisers, Steve Bannon, recently said President Trump would get a third term.

When asked earlier this week about the possibility, President Trump refused to rule it out. But pressed again aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, he appeared to put much of the speculation to rest.

RELATED STORY | Trump sells Trump 2028 hats, fueling third-term speculation

Its pretty clear Im not allowed to run, he said. Its too bad.

The issue has lingered throughout President Trumps second term. While he has previously said its not something Im looking to do, he has sold "Trump 2028" merchandise in his online store. Some Republicans have dismissed the notion as the president trolling his critics, while Democrats warn that any attempt to seek a third term would trigger a constitutional crisis.

Focusing on taking longer, steadier walks instead of reaching a daily step goal could cut your risk of heart disease by up to two-thirds, new research suggests.

Scientists from the University of Sydney and Spains Universidad Europea found that people who walked in uninterrupted 10 to 15-minute periods were far less likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes or die prematurely compared to those whose walking was broken into brief spurts of less than five minutes.

The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, challenge the popular 10,000 steps a day mantra, showing that quality and consistency matter more than quantity, especially for those who are less active.

RELATED STORY | US obesity rate falls for the first time in years, but diabetes hits an all-time high, data says

For the study, researchers tracked 33,560 adults aged 40 through 79 who walked fewer than 8,000 steps a day and had no history of heart disease or cancer. Participants wore wristbands for a week to record step counts and patterns, then were monitored for eight years.

Among the least active group those averaging 5,000 steps or fewer longer, steady walks slashed the risk of cardiovascular disease from 15% to 7% and cut the risk of death from 5% to under 1%.

Simply adding one or two longer walks per day, each lasting at least 1015 minutes at a comfortable but steady pace, may have significant benefitsespecially for people who dont walk much, said lead author Dr. Matthew Ahmadi of the University of Sydneys Mackenzie Wearables Research Hub.

The researchers suggest that longer walking sessions may activate cardiovascular and metabolic responses that short, sporadic walking does not.

Earlier this year, a study published in The Lancet suggested that a lower daily step count, such as 7,000 steps, could be a more achievable target for many people, while still providing significant health benefits.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The window shopping period has opened for individuals looking to purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, also known as Obamacare.

While people can now compare available plans, they cannot make a purchase until Nov. 1, when open enrollment begins. Shoppers will have until Jan. 15, 2026, to select their coverage.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the price of marketplace plans has increased this year. Nearly 60% of eligible re-enrollees will have access to a plan in their chosen category that costs $50 or less per month after tax credits down from 83% last year meaning fewer people will find low-cost options and more will likely pay higher premiums.

RELATED STORY | First Obamacare price increases hit Idaho plan enrollees as tax credit negotiations stall

A separate analysis by KFF found that insurers are raising prices an average of 26% for 2026 coverage. The report said benchmark silver plan premiums which determine the value of federal tax credits are set to rise 17% in states that run their own marketplaces and 30% in states that use HealthCare.gov.

The rising cost of health care has also become a flashpoint in Washington during the government shutdown. Democrats are demanding concessions to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year, arguing that millions of Americans will face higher premiums if Congress doesnt act. Republicans say the government should reopen first and debate health care later.

For now, the prices shown on HealthCare.gov and state marketplaces assume those enhanced subsidies will continue. If Congress allows them to expire, the actual out-of-pocket costs could be much higher when coverage takes effect in 2026.

The obesity rate in the U.S. dropped to 37% this year, representing a notable decrease after reaching a record high of 39.9% in 2022, according to data from Gallup.

The decline may be in part due to the explosion in the use of GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound.

The share of adults reporting use of these medications for weight control has more than doubled in the past 18 months from 5.8% in early 2024 to 12.4% in Gallups latest survey.

RELATED STORY | Weight loss drugs aren't just changing how people look they're also changing how they shop

Women use the treatments at higher rates (15.2%) than men (9.7%), and both groups saw usage more than double over the past year.

The question is, will the downward trend in obesity rates last? The answer will come down to whether people using pharmaceutical intervention also implement the lifestyle changes needed to sustain their weight loss.

Gallups data shows that Americans diet and exercise habits have actually worsened since 2019.

RELATED STORY | Young adults most at risk as nearly half of diabetes cases missed

Data from Gallup also found that diagnoses of diabetes have climbed to an all-time high of 13.8%, underscoring that weight loss alone doesnt necessarily reduce the number of Americans living with the chronic disease.

The U.S. obesity rate remains historically high compared with other Western nations, Gallup said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The Senate approved a resolution Tuesday evening that would nullify President Donald Trump's tariffs on Brazil, including oil, coffee and orange juice, as Democrats tested GOP senators' support for Trump's trade policy.

The legislation from Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, passed on a 52-48 tally.

It would terminate the national emergencies that Trump has declared to justify 50% tariffs on Brazil, but the legislation is likely doomed because the Republican-controlled House has passed new rules that allow leadership to prevent it from ever coming up for a vote. Trump would almost certainly veto the legislation even if it were to pass Congress.

Still, the vote demonstrated some pushback in GOP ranks against Trumps tariffs. Five Republicans Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina all voted in favor of the resolution along with every Democrat.

Kaine said the votes are a way force a conversation in the Senate about the economic destruction of tariffs. He's planning to call up similar resolutions applying to Trump's tariffs on Canada and other nations later this week.

RELATED STORY | Bipartisan call for term limits in Congress grows during prolonged shutdown

But they are also really about how much will we let a president get away with? Do my colleagues have a gag reflex or not? Kaine told reporters.

Trump has linked the tariffs on Brazil to the country's policies and criminal prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The U.S. ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year, according to the Census Bureau.

Every American who wakes up in the morning to get a cup of java is paying a price for Donald Trumps reckless, ridiculous, and almost childish tariffs, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York.

Republicans have also been increasingly uneasy with Trump's aggressive trade policy, especially at a time of turmoil for the economy. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last month that Trumps tariff policy is one of several factors that are expected to increase jobless rates and inflation and lower overall growth this year.

RELATED STORY | As 13th vote to reopen government fails, Congress appears no closer to solution for shutdown

In April, four Republicans voted with Democrats to block tariffs on Canada, but the bill was never taken up in the House. Kaine said he hoped the votes this week showed how Republican opposition to Trump's trade policy is growing.

To bring up the votes, Kaine has invoked a decades-old law that allows Congress to block a presidents emergency powers and members of the minority party to force votes on the resolutions.

However, Vice President JD Vance visited a Republican luncheon on Tuesday in part to emphasize to Republicans that they should allow the president to negotiate trade deals. Vance told reporters afterwards that Trump is using tariffs "to give American workers and American farmers a better deal.

To vote against that is to strip that incredible leverage from the president of the United States. I think its a huge mistake," he added.

The Supreme Court will also soon consider a case challenging Trump's authority to implement sweeping tariffs. Lower courts have found most of his tariffs illegal.

But some Republicans said they would wait until the outcome of that case before voting to cross the president.

I dont see a need to do that right now, said Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, adding that it was bad timing to call up the resolutions before the Supreme Court case.

Others said they are ready to show opposition to the president's tariffs and the emergency declarations he has used to justify them.

Tariffs make both building and buying in America more expensive, said Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former longtime Republican leader, in a statement. The economic harms of trade wars are not the exception to history, but the rule."

His fellow Kentuckian, Republican Sen. Rand Paul, told reporters, Emergencies are like war, famine, tornado. Not liking someones tariffs is not an emergency. Its an abuse of the emergency power. And its Congress abdicating their traditional role in taxes.

In a floor speech, he added, No taxation without representation is embedded in our Constitution.

Meanwhile, Kaine is also planning to call up a resolution that would put a check on Trump's ability to carry out military strikes against Venezuela as the U.S. military steps up its presence and action in the region.

He said that it allows Democrats to get off the defensive while they are in the minority and instead force votes on points of discomfort for Republicans.

A man accused of threatening multiple synagogues in Alabama and neighboring states was taken into custody Monday.

Authorities said Jeremy Wayne Shoemaker, 33, was arrested with a suitcase containing ammunition, body armor and other items that officials described as part of plans for violence.

Further investigation revealed that the subject had intentions of not being taken alive and was possibly planning attacks on public figures as well," the Clarke County Sheriff's Office said.

RELATED STORY | Anti-Defamation League says anger at Israel is now the driving force behind antisemitism in the US

The FBI and other agencies said they acted after receiving credible threats targeting the places of worship but did not say how the threats were made.

Shoemaker is charged with resisting arrest, and officials said federal charges are likely.

Nvidia has become the first $5 trillion company, just three months after the Silicon Valley chipmaker was first to break through the $4 trillion barrier.

Hitting the new benchmark puts more emphasis on the upheaval being unleashed by an artificial intelligence craze thats widely viewed as the biggest tectonic shift in technology since Apple cofounder Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 18 years ago. Apple rode the iPhones success to become the first publicly traded company to be valued at $1 trillion, $2 trillion and eventually, $3 trillion.

But there are concerns of a possible AI bubble, with officials at the Bank of England earlier this month flagging the growing risk that tech stock prices pumped up by the AI boom could burst. The head of the International Monetary Fund has raised a similar alarm.

The ravenous appetite for Nvidias chips is the main reason that the companys stock price has increased so rapidly since early 2023. On Wednesday the shares touched $207.86 in early morning trading with 24.3 billion shares outstanding, putting its market cap at $5.05 trillion.

RELATED STORY | Nvidia to invest $5 billion in struggling rival Intel

In comparison, Nvidia's value is greater than the GDP of India, Japan and the United Kingdom, according to the International Monetary Fund.

On Tuesday Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang disclosed $500 billion in chip orders. The company also announced a partnership with Uber on robotaxis and a $1 billion investment in Nokia, with the two planning to work together on 6G technology.

In addition, Nvidia is teaming with the Department of Energy to build seven new AI supercomputers.

RELATED STORY | Chipmaker Nvidia becomes most valuable company in the world at $4 trillion

Last month Nvidia announced that it will invest $100 billion in OpenAI as part of a partnership that will add at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia AI data centers to ramp up the computing power for the owner of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.

In August Huang said that Nvidia was discussing a potential new computer chip designed for China with the Trump administration. President Donald Trump said on Air Force One that he will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Nvidia's chips on Thursday.

Israel's military said Wednesday that the ceasefire was back on in Gaza after it carried out heavy airstrikes overnight across the Palestinian territory that killed 104 people, including 46 children, according to local health officials.

The strikes the deadliest since the ceasefire was enacted on Oct. 10 marked the most serious challenge to the tenuous truce to date.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to conduct powerful strikes over Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire when the militant group handed over body parts that Israel said were the partial remains of a hostage recovered earlier in the war.

RELATED STORY | Netanyahu orders Israeli army to carry out 'powerful' strikes in Gaza

Netanyahu called the return of these body parts a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, which requires Hamas to return the remaining hostages in Gaza as soon as possible. Israeli officials also accused Hamas of staging the discovery of these remains on Monday, sharing a 14-minute edited video captured by a military drone in Gaza.

In response to the Israeli strikes, Hamas said that it would delay handing over the body of another hostage.

U.S. President Donald Trump, currently on a trip to Asia, defended the strikes, saying Israel was justified in carrying them out after what he said was an incident in which Hamas killed an Israeli soldier during an exchange of gunfire in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza.

Hamas denied any involvement in that deadly shooting and in turn accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal.

Hamas has said it is struggling to locate the bodies amid the vast destruction in Gaza, while Israel has accused the militant group of purposely delaying their return.

There are still 13 bodies of hostages in Gaza and their slow return is complicating efforts to proceed to the ceasefire's next phases, which addresses even thornier issues, such as the disarmament of Hamas, deployment of an international security force in Gaza and deciding who will govern the territory.

Mounting death toll

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported the overall death toll of 104 from the overnight strikes and said that 253 people were also wounded, most of them women and children. It said the dead include 46 children.

Mohammed Abu Selmia, director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, said 45 people including 20 children were in critical condition at the hospital. He said the hospital received more 21 bodies, including seven women and six children. That's on top of the at least 60 people who were reported killed earlier.

First, the Aqsa Hospital in Gaza's central city of Deir al-Balah reported at least 10 bodies, among them three women and six children. In southern Gaza, the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said it received 20 bodies after five Israeli strikes in the area, of which 13 were children and two were women.

Elsewhere in central Gaza, the Al-Awda Hospital said it received 30 bodies, including 14 children.

Trump defends Israel

Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One on Wednesday that Israel should hit back when its troops come under attack.

But he said he's still confident the ceasefire would withstand the escalation in violence because Hamas is a very small part of the overall Middle East peace. And they have to behave. If not, they will be terminated, Trump added.

An Israeli military official said Wednesday that the soldier was killed by enemy fire on Tuesday afternoon targeting his vehicle in Rafah. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential military operations.

The official said Israeli troops in the area came under attack numerous times Tuesday as they worked to destroy tunnels and Hamas infrastructure. Israel identified the soldier who was killed as Master Sgt. Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37. Feldbaum also held U.S. citizenship.

Hamas insisted it was not involved in the Rafah gunfire and reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire.

The violent strikes carried out by Israel across the strip is a blatant violation of the ceasefire deal, said the militant group, calling on mediators to pressure Israel to stop.

Israel had notified the United States before launching the strikes on Tuesday, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the subject.

The Israeli military said its forces struck 30 terrorists holding command positions within terrorist organizations operating inside the Palestinian territory.

It said Israeli forces would continue to uphold the ceasefire agreement but would respond firmly to any violation of the deal.

Gaza hospitals try to cope with casualties

Ambulances and small trucks carrying bodies crowded hospital entrances overnight across Gaza. In Deir Al-Balah, bodies were wheeled in on stretchers, and others carried in on mattresses. One man walked into the hospital carrying the body of a young child.

They struck right next to us, and we saw all the rubble on top of us and our young ones, said a woman standing outside of the hospital.

At dawn, displaced Palestinians at the camp cleared remains of a destroyed tent next to a crater where the strike hit. They found the body of a small child and wrapped it in a blanket.

What kind of a ceasefire is this? Amna Qrinawi, a survivor, asked.

At the Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza, scores of people gathered around dozens of bodies wrapped in white shrouds for funeral prayers. The hospital told the AP it had some 30 bodies, half of them children.

Family members wept as they bade farewell to their loved ones. Among them was Yehya Eid, who said he lost his brother and nephews. He wept over a small body in a bloodied white shroud outside the hospital.

What is the reason of this? These are children who were killed. What did they do wrong? Did they fight in the war? Eid asked, who said the strike came without warning. These children are just like the rest of the children in the world.

A federal appeals court has vacated a decision by a three-judge panel last week that could have allowed Trump to deploy troops in Portland, Oregon.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said late Tuesday it will rehear arguments in the case with a broader court of 11 judges.

The case involves efforts by the city and the state to prevent the administration from deploying hundreds of National Guard troops. Trump says the troops are needed protect federal property, including an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building that has been the site of protests.

City officials say the troops are not needed, and that federal agents themselves have inflamed tensions by arbitrarily firing tear gas and projectiles including at city police.

EARLIER IN THIS CASE | Trump can deploy National Guard in Portland, appeals court rules

A federal appeals court initially ruled October 20 that the Trump administration could deploy the National Guard in Portland. The decision cleared the way for troops to help protect federal property amid ongoing demonstrations at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.

In its decision, the Ninth Circuit said the president is likely acting within his powers under 10 U.S.C. 12406(3), which allows the federalization of the National Guard when the president is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.

Almost everything in your 401(k) should be coming up a winner now. That makes it time for a gut check.

Not only is the U.S. stock market setting records, so are foreign stocks. Bond funds, which are supposed to be the boring and safe part of any portfolio, are also doing well this year, along with gold and cryptocurrencies.

Many professionals along Wall Street are forecasting that the U.S. stock market will keep rising. But the threat of a sharp drop remains, as it always does. That leaves investors with the luxury now, while prices are high, to reassess. Dont get lulled into leaving your 401(k) on autopilot, unless youre intentionally doing so, and make sure your portfolio isnt stuffed with too much risk.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

The stock market is doing well?

Even after a few recent stumbles, the S&P 500 has soared more than 35% from its low point in April, shortly after Liberation Day.

The market continues to (hit) record highs on the back of strong earnings and easing U.S.China trade tensions, said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, who calls the current state of steady growth without irrational exuberance a Goldilocks environment.

If the markets so great, why should I worry?

You dont need to worry at the moment, but remember that the stock market will fall eventually. It always does.

The S&P 500 index, which sits at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, has forced investors to swallow a 10% drop every couple of years or so, on average. Thats what Wall Street calls a correction, and professional investors see them as ways to clear out excessive optimism that may have pushed prices too high.

IN RELATED NEWS | Trumps new 401(k) policy may increase returns, but also raise risks

More serious drops of at least 20%, which Wall Street calls bear markets, are less common but can last for years.

Back in April, the S&P 500 index plunged nearly 20% from its record at the time. But the market came back, propelled by the big tech companies that have led the way the last few years.

What could trip up the market?

The stock market has charged to records because investors are expecting several important things to happen. If any fail to pan out, it would undercut the market.

Chief among those expectations is that big U.S. companies will continue to deliver big growth in profits. Thats one of the few ways they can justify the jumps in their stock prices and quiet criticism that theyve become too expensive. One popular measure of valuing stocks, which looks at corporate profits over the preceding 10 years, showed the S&P 500 recently was near its most expensive level since the 2000 dot-com bubble.

Consider Nvidia, the chip company thats become the poster child of the artificial-intelligence trade. If it fails to meet analysts high expectations for growth, its stock will look more expensive than it already does. Its trading at 54 times its earnings per share over the last 12 months, much higher than the overall S&P 500s price-earnings ratio of nearly 30.

Whats the next event to be mindful of?

Wednesdays meeting of the Federal Reserve could be a key moment for the market.

Besides companies delivering bigger profits or stock prices falling, another way for the stock market to look less expensive is if interest rates ease.

The widespread expectation is that the Fed will cut its main interest rate. Investors will focus will be on whether the Fed gives any hints about the likelihood of more cuts in coming months.

FROM THE ARCHIVES | Is $1 million dollars enough for retirement? Experts weigh in

Several of Wall Streets most influential companies will report earnings this week, including Microsoft and Apple. And President Donald Trump will be meeting with Chinas leader, Xi Jinping on Thursday.

If theres a bubble, I should sell everything, right?

A famous saying on Wall Street is that being too early is the same as being wrong.

The best approach might be: Make sure your investments are set up the right way, so you can stomach the market whether it goes up or down.

How much of my 401(k) should be in stocks?

It depends on your age and how much risk youre willing to take.

If you did sell stocks this past April, you may have had too much of your portfolio in stocks for your risk tolerance. Or you may need to steel yourself more during the next drop.

Remember that anyone decades away from retirement has the luxury of waiting out any drops in the market. Bear markets are actually great in that case, because they put stocks on sale for anyone continuing to make regular contributions to their 401(k).

Workers closer to retirement still need stocks, though in smaller proportions, because they have historically provided the highest returns over the long term, and a retirement can last decades.

I hate all this uncertainty

Unfortunately, its the price you have to pay if you want the strong returns that the U.S. stock market has historically provided over the long term.

This is what the stock market does. It goes up and down, sometimes by shocking amounts, but it usually helps patient savers build their nest eggs over decades.

Ben Fulton, CEO of WEBs investments, recommends monitoring volatility by paying attention to the VIX, a volatility index, sometimes called the fear index, which measures market expectations of future risk. The VIX is currently around 16, which Fulton said signals calm by historical standards.

However, if the VIX holds steady above 20, it often signals a time to gradually reduce market exposure, he said.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin resumed scheduling abortions on Monday after a nearly monthlong pause due to federal Medicaid funding cuts in President Donald Trumps tax and spending bill that took effect at the beginning of October.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin said it was able to resume scheduling abortions as of noon on Monday because it no longer fits the definition of a prohibited entity under the new federal law that took effect this month and can receive Medicaid funds.

The organization said it dropped its designation as an essential community provider as defined under the Affordable Care Act. Dropping the designation will not result in changes to the cost for abortions or other services or affect the organization's funding, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin president and CEO Tanya Atkinson said.

At this point, in all of our research and analysis, we really shouldnt see much of an impact on patient access, she said. If relinquishing this does ultimately impact our bottom line, then we will have to understand what that path forward is."

A national fight over abortion funding

Abortion funding has been under attack across the U.S., particularly for affiliates of Planned Parenthood, the biggest provider. The abortion landscape has shifting frequently since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that allowed states to ban abortion. Currently, 12 states do not allow it at any stage of pregnancy, with limited exceptions, and four more ban it after about six weeks gestation.

Planned Parenthood has warned that about half its clinics that provide abortion could be closed nationwide due to the ban in the new federal law on Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood for services other than abortion.

Wisconsin, where abortion is legal but the Republican-controlled Legislature has passed numerous laws limiting access, was the only state where Planned Parenthood paused all abortions because of the new federal law, Atkinson said.

Because of the complexities and varieties of state abortion laws, Planned Parenthood affiliates are responding to the new federal law in a variety of ways, Atkinson said. In Arizona, for example, Planned Parenthood stopped accepting Medicaid but continued to provide abortions.

The move in Wisconsin is clearly aimed at sidestepping the federal law, Wisconsin Right to Life said.

Planned Parenthoods abortion-first business model underscores why taxpayer funding should never support organizations that make abortion a priority, said Heather Weininger, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life. Women in difficult circumstances deserve compassionate, life-affirming care the kind of support the pro-life movement is committed to offering.

RELATED STORY | FDA approves generic version of mifepristone abortion drug, sparking conservative backlash

Impact on Wisconsin abortion clinics

In Wisconsin, pausing abortions for the past 26 days meant that women who would normally go to clinics in the southeastern corner of the state instead had to look for other options, including traveling to Chicago, which is within a three-hour drive of the Planned Parenthood facilities.

Affiliated Medical Services and Care for All also provide abortions at clinics in Milwaukee.

Atkinson said she did it was really, really difficult to say how many women were affected by the pause in services. She did not have numbers on how many women who wanted to have an abortion since the pause went into effect had to seek services elsewhere.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin serves about 50,000 people, and about 60% of them are covered by Medicaid, the organization said.

Given those numbers, the priority was on finding a way to continue receiving Medicaid funding and dropping the Essential Community Provider status provided the gateway, Atkinson said.

Wisconsin is part of a multistate federal lawsuit challenging the provision in the law. A federal appeals court in September said the government could halt the payments while a court challenge to the provision moves ahead.

Ramifications for Medicaid

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin cited a Sept. 29 court filing on behalf of U.S. Health and Human Services that said family planning organizations could continue billing Medicaid if they gave up either their tax-exempt status or the essential community provider" designation.

By giving up that designation, it no longer fits the definition of prohibited entity under the federal law and can continue to receive federal Medicaid funds, the organization said. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is not giving up its tax exempt status.

The essential community provider designation was originally given to organizations to help make it easier for them to be considered in-network for billing with private health insurers, Planned Parenthood said.

Atkinson called it a nuanced provision of the law and she does not anticipate that giving it up will affect Planned Parenthood's ability to continue providing abortions and other services.

Planned Parenthood provides a wide range of services including cancer screenings and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment. Federal Medicaid money was already not paying for abortion, but affiliates relied on Medicaid to stay afloat. Services other than abortion are expected to expand in light of the new law.

Planned Parenthood performed 3,727 abortions in Wisconsin between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024, the group said.

Beef prices in the U.S. are surging. Federal data shows the average price of a pound of 100% ground beef is at a record high, due to a combination of climate factors, high input costs and limited supplies.

The beef industry is battling multiple challenges: a prolonged drought across key cattle states, recordhigh feed costs and the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 75 years. All have contributed to the record prices consumers are paying in grocery stores.

Tighter supplies are pushing up the cost of lean and ground beef, which are the types most commonly imported in the U.S. High tariffs on Brazilian beef imports and restrictions on Mexican beef imports tied to screwworm concerns are also driving prices higher.

RELATED STORY | 'It's been really hard': Tariffs, drought push US beef prices to record highs

In an October 22 social media message, President Trump credited those tariff politics with raising the revenue that U.S. ranchers may collect but he also warned them that they needed to lower prices charged to consumers.

President Trump announced a plan last week to boost imports of beef from Argentina to increase supply. But some Republican lawmakers have pushed back on the proposal, sending a message to the White House that the move would hurt U.S. ranchers and farm workers.

Other meats, like pre-sliced lunch meats, are also getting more expensive. Bloomberg News reported late in October that lunch meats saw their greatest single month-to-month price increase ever in September. The sales of packaged lunch meat have also declined since last year.

Sean "Diddy" Combs could be released as early as 2028 following his 50-month prison sentence for his conviction on two prostitution-related charges.

Federal jail records list his release date as May 8, 2028.

Combs, 55, has been held at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn, New York, since his arrest in September 2024. He was sentenced on Oct. 3 to just over four years behind bars, along with a $500,000 fine.

RELATED STORY | Judge rejects Sean 'Diddy' Combs bid to overturn conviction in prostitution case

In July, a jury found Combs guilty of transporting two former girlfriends to engage in prostitution with paid male escorts at hotels and drug-fueled parties described during the trial as freak offs. The same jury acquitted him of racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges, sparing him from a possible life sentence.

Combs faced up to 10 years in prison for each count of transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors sought more than 11 years, while his defense argued he should receive no more than 14 months, including time served, saying hes been punished.

The judge ultimately rejected the governments recommendation, calling it not reasonable, but said a significant sentence was necessary to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability.

Walmart is kicking off the holiday shopping season early, announcing three separate Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events across November and December.

Event 1 will run Nov. 1416. Walmart+ members will get early online access beginning Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. ET.

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The retailer has already previewed several discounts, including:

98 TCL QLED 4K Google TV Was $1,798.00, Event Price $998.00 Barbie Malibu Travel Playset Was $21.88, Event Price $12.00 Dyson V12 Detect Slim Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Was $729.00, Event Price $399.99 Keurig Iced Essentials Was $79.00, Event Price $44.97 Lange Hair Styler Was $119.00, Event Price $48.30

Event 2 will begin online Nov. 25, with in-store deals available starting Nov. 28. The event will run through Nov. 30.

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Event 3 will follow on Dec. 1 and will be online only. Walmart+ members will receive early access to those deals on Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. ET.

Walmart has not yet announced which items will be included in Events 2 and 3.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says a deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S is set to be finalized on Thursday when President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Speaking Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation," Bessent said the two sides came to an agreement during a recent meeting in Madrid.

"I believe that as of today, all the details are ironed out, and that will be for the two leaders to consummate that transaction on Thursday in Korea," he said.

Bessent was speaking from Malaysia, where he joined President Trump on his three-country Asia trade tour. President Trump is scheduled to meet with China's President Xi on Thursday at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, hosted by Malaysia.

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The TikTok announcement comes a month after President Trump signed an executive order allowing TikTok to fall under American ownership and continue operating in the U.S. essentially saying the deal satisfies a law that requires ByteDance, TikToks Chinese parent company, to divest from the popular video-sharing app.

Lawmakers passed the bipartisan measure, citing concerns that the Chinese government could compel the company to hand over U.S. user data or manipulate TikToks algorithm to influence public opinion.

The new deal is expected to create a new joint venture to run TikTok, partly owned by U.S. investors and its parent company, ByteDance, which could hold no more than a 20% stake. The White House says the new joint venture would be run by a U.S.-based board of directors with national security and cybersecurity credentials.

The 80% stake in TikTok would be controlled by American companies, with the U.S. Government taking no direct stake in the venture. Some of those American companies include private equity firm Silver Lake, venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and tech giant Oracle.

The White House confirmed that Oracle would serve as the new ventures main security provider.

It's going to provide top-to-bottom security throughout the company, including how the app fits in your phone and interacts with the phone, how it's upgraded, how American data is stored here in the United States on Oracle systems, and how the content recommendation algorithm works, according to a Senior White House Official.

RELATED STORY | 1 in 5 adults in the US get their news from TikTok, Pew Research survey finds

The official went on to say that the deal would provide a copy of TikTok's content recommendation algorithm to be fully inspected and retrained by the security provider on U.S. user data and then operated by that U.S. community and continuously monitored as it operates.

A final valuation for the proposal has also not been revealed, but the Trump administration estimates that the app could generate billions of dollars in economic activity over the next five years. According to a report conducted by ByteDance, TikTok added more than $24 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024.

TikTok has more than 170 million U.S. users, many of whom rely on the app for business and entertainment.

More than 2 million pounds of ready-to-eat jerky are being recalled because the products may be contaminated with pieces of metal, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The recall affects 14.5-ounce and 16-ounce plastic pouches of Golden Island Fire-Grilled Pork Jerky (Korean Barbecue recipe). The products were sold at Costco and Sams Club locations nationwide and bear the establishment number M279A.

The jerky has a one-year shelf life, with best by dates from Oct. 23, 2025, through Sept. 23, 2026, printed on the side of the packaging, FSIS said.

Officials said the issue was discovered after the company received multiple consumer complaints. No injuries have been reported.

The USDA believes the wiry metal pieces may have come from a conveyor belt used during production.

Consumers are urged to throw the product away, return it to the place of purchase, or contact Golden Island Jerky with questions.

The Republican governor of Indiana said Monday hes scheduling a special session to redraw congressional boundaries after weeks of pressure to back President Donald Trumps bid to add more winnable seats with midcycle redistricting.

Trump has pressed Republicans to draw new maps that give the party an easier path to maintain control of the House in the midterms. While Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina have moved quickly to enact new districts, Indiana lawmakers have been hesitant.

Republican Gov. Mike Braun called for the General Assembly to convene Nov. 3 for the special session. Its unclear whether enough of the GOP majority Senate will back new maps.

The White House held multiple meetings with Indiana lawmakers who have held out for months. The legislative leaders kept their cards close as speculation swirled over whether the state known for its more measured approach to Republican politics would answer the redistricting call.

National pressure campaign

Vice President JD Vance first met with Braun and legislative leaders in Indianapolis in August and Trump met privately with state House Speaker Todd Huston and state Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray in the Oval Office weeks later. Vance also spoke to state lawmakers visiting Washington that day.

Vance returned to Indianapolis on Oct. 10 to meet with the governor, as well as the Republican state House and Senate members.

RELATED STORY | North Carolina GOP lawmakers approve new congressional map aimed at adding Republican seat

Braun is a staunch ally of Trump in a state the president won by 19 percentage points in 2024. But Indiana lawmakers have avoided the national spotlight in recent years especially after a 2022 special session that yielded a strict abortion ban. Braun previously said he did not want to call a special session until he was sure lawmakers would back a new map.

I am calling a special legislative session to protect Hoosiers from efforts in other states that seek to diminish their voice in Washington and ensure their representation in Congress is fair, Braun said in a statement Monday.

Typically, states redraw boundaries of congressional districts every 10 years after the census has concluded. Opponents are expected to challenge any new maps in court.

State lawmakers have the sole power to draw maps in Indiana, where Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers. Democrats could not stop a special session by refusing to attend, as their peers in Texas briefly did.

Opposition to redrawing the maps midcycle

A spokesperson for Bray said last week that the Indiana Senate lacked the votes to pass a new congressional map and she said Monday that the votes are still lacking, casting doubt on whether a special session will achieve Braun's goals.

With only 10 Democrats in the 50-member Senate, that means more than a dozen of the 40 Republicans oppose the idea. Some state Republican lawmakers have warned that midcycle redistricting can be costly and could backfire politically.

Republicans who vote against redistricting could to be forced out of office if their colleagues back primary opponents as punishment for not towing the party line. Braun's move to call a special session could force lawmakers who haven't commented publicly to take a stance.

Indianas Republican legislative leaders praised existing boundaries after adopting them four years ago.

I believe these maps reflect feedback from the public and will serve Hoosiers well for the next decade, Bray said at the time.

RELATED STORY | California Democrats release plan to boost party's US House seats

Indiana Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder decried the special session and threatened legal action over any maps passed by the Legislature.

This is not democracy. This is desperation," she said in a statement.

Redistricting balloons

Democrats only need to gain three seats to flip control of the U.S. House, and redistricting fights have erupted in multiple states.

Some Democratic states have moved to counter Republican gains with new legislative maps. The latest, Virginia, is expected to take up the issue in a special session starting this week.

Republicans outnumber Democrats in Indianas congressional delegation 7-2, limiting possibilities of squeezing out another seat. But many in the party see it as a chance for the GOP to represent all nine seats.

The GOP would likely target Indianas 1st Congressional District, a longtime Democratic stronghold that encompasses Gary and other cities near Chicago in the states northwest corner. The seat held by third-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan has been seen by Republicans as a possible pickup in recent elections.

Lawmakers in Indiana redrew the borders of the district to be slightly more favorable toward Republicans in the 2022 election, but did not entirely split it up. The new maps were not challenged in court after they were approved in 2021, not even by Democrats and allies who had opposed the changes boosting GOP standing in the suburbs north of Indianapolis.

Mrvan still won reelection in 2022 and easily retained his seat in 2024.

I believe that representation should be earned through ideas and service, not political manipulation, Mrvan said in a statement Monday.

Republicans could also zero in on Indianas 7th Congressional District, composed entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis. But that option would be more controversial, potentially slicing up the states largest city and diluting Black voters influence.