Wednesday, October 28, 2026

The Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged Wednesday, after raising them in September. The decision is still pending in this morning edition; a pause would not mean inflation has been defeated.

• The schedule: The announcement is due at 11 a.m. Pacific, followed by chair Kevin Warsh’s news conference half an hour later.
• The starting point: The benchmark rate stands at 3.75%–4%. September’s increase was a quarter percentage point, and officials have since signaled they can wait before acting again.
• Why prices remain a concern: Higher energy costs, tariffs, strong consumer spending and demand from the artificial-intelligence industry are adding pressure. Officials are watching whether price increases are spreading more broadly.
• What comes next: September’s personal-consumption inflation figures are due Thursday. A decision to hold today would leave open the possibility of further increases; forecasts of future hikes are not commitments.

The Supreme Court declined Tuesday to restore a procedure that let immigration judges temporarily set aside some deportation cases. The underlying litigation continues; this was an emergency request, not a full explanation of the case’s merits.

• What the procedure did: Administrative closure let judges remove cases from their active schedules, including while a visa petition or another proceeding that could affect removal was pending.
• How it was stopped: Texas sued over the Biden-era rule in June. The Trump administration and Texas agreed to invalidate it, and a federal judge approved their agreement that same day.
• Who challenged that deal: Baltimore, New Haven, Columbus and a legal-services group sought to defend the rule. They argue the government bypassed normal procedures for changing federal regulations.
• The competing argument: Texas and the administration say the procedure can let people without legal status remain indefinitely. The Supreme Court’s one-sentence order gave no explanation and recorded no public dissent.

Qatari mediators have delivered another draft agreement aimed at ending the war between Iran, the United States and Israel. An official briefed on the talks said Wednesday that Tehran’s response is expected by the end of the week.

• The proposed sequence: The draft delivered Sunday sets out seven days of confidence-building steps for both sides. Several countries would act as guarantors, according to the official.
• Timing remains conditional: Implementation could begin early next week if the parties agree. The proposal is not an accepted settlement or a ceasefire already taking effect.
• Why it matters: The war has disrupted oil supplies and commercial shipping and spread into other regional conflicts. Qatar and Pakistan have been leading mediation efforts.
• The recent history: A June interim agreement quickly broke down. Renewed threats of attacks make the current diplomatic opening uncertain.
• Other issues in the talks: Reopening Hormuz, sanctions relief and Yemen are linked negotiating questions.

A federal judge said he would rule Wednesday on the Justice Department’s request to block California from counting mail ballots from people it alleges are noncitizens. No Wednesday ruling is established in this morning account.

• The hearing: Judge David Carter heard three hours of arguments Tuesday in Los Angeles before announcing that timetable.
• The disputed list: Federal officials flagged roughly 20,000 registered voters. California disputes its reliability.
• A possible review: Carter discussed appointing an independent special master to examine the claims and whether ballots could be separated.
• The practical obstacle: California says ballots are detached from identifying envelopes after return, making separation impossible for already-processed votes.
• The distinction: A proposed review is not an order rejecting those ballots.

Israel’s election has left both main political camps short of a clear governing majority. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and challenger Gadi Eisenkot are pressing competing claims to lead while counting continues.

• The threshold: A majority requires 61 of parliament’s 120 seats. Early projections left both blocs below that mark; estimates can change as remaining ballots are counted.
• The immediate consequence: Netanyahu can remain caretaker prime minister during coalition negotiations. A reduced bloc does not automatically remove him from office.
• The key partners: Arab parties outside the two main camps could influence who governs, but opposition leaders have major disagreements over working with them.
• What happens next: Final counted results were expected Thursday or Friday, followed by negotiations that could take weeks. If no workable coalition forms, another election remains possible.
• The stakes: The result follows years of regional war and deep divisions over Netanyahu’s leadership. Choosing a government and resolving those security disputes are separate tasks.

Two high-speed trains collided near Urda in central Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 64 people. Rescue crews were still searching the wreckage, so the toll remained provisional.

• What is known: Several carriages derailed and fell down an embankment. Emergency teams, ambulances and helicopters responded while passengers were evacuated from the scene.
• The initial account: A person briefed on the disaster said an Iryo train stopped because of a signal fault and a Renfe train then struck it. This account awaits the investigation’s findings.
• The operator’s explanation: Renfe says its train had permission to proceed and hit a train that remained stationary. It says investigators must establish the sequence and traffic conditions.
• The safety question: This is Spain’s second deadly railway accident this year. That history adds urgency to the investigation but does not establish that the accidents shared a cause.

The Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 10,000 infections, according to government figures reported Tuesday. Nearly 5,000 deaths have been reported in an outbreak that has also reached other African countries.

• Why detection lagged: The outbreak was declared in May, but evidence suggests circulation began earlier. The rarer Bundibugyo virus, unsuitable early tests, remoteness and conflict complicated detection.
• Care has expanded: Responders now have more than 50 treatment centers and nearly 2,000 beds. Those gains have not yet brought transmission under control.
• A continuing gap: Roughly two-thirds of deaths occur outside treatment centers. Mild early symptoms and distrust can delay people seeking care.
• What matters next: Reaching communities earlier and finding contacts are critical. Many newly identified patients were not already being monitored, suggesting substantial spread remains undetected.

A federal grand jury declined Tuesday to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson over her congressional testimony about January 6, according to people familiar with the proceedings. She has maintained that her testimony was truthful.

• Who she is: Hutchinson worked for Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows. Her 2022 testimony became a prominent part of the congressional inquiry into the Capitol attack.
• What is established: A prosecutor acknowledged in court that a grand jury had rejected an indictment, without publicly naming the person or proposed charges. Sources identified the case as Hutchinson’s.
• The disputed testimony: Some accounts involved events she heard about from others. People she named have disputed aspects of those accounts; that disagreement does not itself prove perjury.
• The broader context: This follows other unsuccessful efforts to obtain charges against perceived presidential opponents. CNN also reported internal concerns about whether prosecutors had enough evidence for a viable case.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Los Angeles in a trial over claims that social-media design harmed two young users. Meta and Snap deny the allegations.

• Who is suing: The plaintiffs are a 16-year-old from Illinois and an 18-year-old from Mississippi. Both have claims against Snap; only the Mississippi plaintiff’s claims against Meta remain in this trial.
• The allegation: They say features such as endless scrolling and autoplay encouraged compulsive use and contributed to serious mental-health problems. The jury must assess those claims.
• The companies’ response: Meta points to safeguards and other influences on mental health. Snap says Snapchat works differently from feed-based platforms and that the allegations misrepresent its design.
• Why the case matters: It is a test case within more than 3,000 consolidated lawsuits. Its outcome could shape settlements or later trials; a separate $6 million verdict in March is under appeal.
• The legal question: The judge allowed design-related claims to proceed despite the companies’ argument that federal protections for user-posted content shield them.

A group led by investor Nelson Peltz offered Wednesday to take Wendy’s private for about $1.4 billion. The offer would change ownership of the burger chain, but it is a proposal rather than a completed sale.

• The terms: The group offered $7.35 a share in cash, roughly 20% above Tuesday’s closing price. The proposal is nonbinding.
• The buyers: Peltz’s Trian Fund Management is working with restaurant operator Flynn Group, BlueFive Capital and Sixth Street Partners.
• An existing relationship: Trian and related holders already own about 16.3% of Wendy’s. The investment firm has been involved with the chain for nearly two decades.
• The argument for a sale: The group says private ownership would provide patient capital for a turnaround. That is the bidders’ rationale, not a guarantee of improved performance or a settled plan for individual restaurants.