Hurricane Rafael stunned forecasters

Hurricane Rafael touched down in western Cuba on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, bringing down the island’s power grid with sustained winds of up to 185 mph before the system headed toward the Gulf of Mexico and possibly the United States. The storm will bring tropical storm conditions to the Florida Keys and could possibly spawn hurricanes in the state’s southwestern mainland. 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 short drop but not a sudden drop

The Federal Reserve will wrap up its two-day monthly meeting on Thursday and announce whether Americans will see interest rate cuts. The Fed, which cut its key interest rate by a significant half-point in September, is expected to cut interest rates by a more measured quarter-point on Thursday and several times next year as inflation continues to fall. But if the Fed deviates from that steady pace, it will likely cut interest rates less sharply to ensure inflation continues to fall, economists say. This would run counter to some forecasters’ view that the central bank is largely winning the fight against rising prices.

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BYU football’s Big 12 rise

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