Hurricane Rafael worries forecasters

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in western Cuba as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, bringing sustained winds of up to 185 mph that destroyed the island’s power grid before the system headed toward the Gulf of Mexico – and perhaps to the United States. The storm will bring tropical storm conditions to the Florida Keys and could possibly bring tornadoes to the state’s mainland southwest. But long-range forecast models disagree and show the storm could have direct impacts anywhere from eastern Mexico to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. Follow the storm.

Interest rate cut in November: a reduction, but not a sudden drop

The Federal Reserve wraps up its two-day monthly meeting on Thursday and will announce whether Americans will benefit from lower interest rates. After lowering its key interest rate by half a percentage point in September, the Federal Reserve is expected to cut rates by a more measured quarter of a point on Thursday and several times next year, as the inflation continues to slow. But if the Fed deviates from this steady pace, it will likely cut rates less sharply to ensure inflation continues to fall, economists say. This could contradict the view of some forecasters that the central bank has largely won the battle against soaring prices.

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Inside BYU football’s Big 12 rise

BYU’s moment has finally arrived. In its second season in the Big 12, No. 9 BYU (8-0) enjoys pole position to represent the Big 12 in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. The Cougars, who face rival Utah on Saturday, join Indiana as one of the biggest surprises in college football this year. They turn heads by playing complementary football, buoyed by what players describe as a deep-rooted program culture fostered by a coach who loves BYU as much as any fan. USA TODAY Sports took a closer look at BYU’s meteoric rise.