Good Morning!

It's Thursday, October 30, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Fed cuts interest rates to lowest since 2022. 

• Are we into “creepy cooking” this Halloween?

• One long walk, or many short ones — do either help!

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Top headlines

SPILL THE NEWS

Economy

Fed Cuts Rates To Lowest Since 2022

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the second time this year, lowering its key rate by 0.25 percentage points to a range of 3.75%-4% as officials attempt to stimulate a weakening labor market despite lingering inflation. The decision came amid a month-long government shutdown that has halted crucial economic data, leaving policymakers “flying blind”. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at his post-meeting press conference that the job market is “less dynamic and somewhat softer”, citing slowing hiring and reduced immigration. Three things that might become cheaper now.

Powell emphasized that “there is no risk-free path for policy” as the central bank balances its dual mandate of curbing inflation — now at 3%, slightly above target — and supporting employment. He acknowledged tariff pressures but noted that “inflation away from tariffs is not so far from our 2% goal”.

Powell added there were “strongly differing views” about a December cut, calling it “far from a foregone conclusion.” “The government shutdown means we’re driving in the fog,” Powell said. “You slow down.” The Fed also announced it will halt balance-sheet reductions on December 1 to ease liquidity pressures in financial markets. Why did markets tumble?

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_{*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.}

World

Trump Holds ‘12’ on ‘10’ Meeting With Xi In South Korea

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Thursday in South Korea for their first face-to-face talks in six years, striking a series of trade agreements after months of escalating tensions. The leaders met for nearly two hours at Gimhae Air Base. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One after the meeting, “I guess, on the scale from zero to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.” All you need to know about the deal.

Trump announced that tariffs on Chinese imports would drop from 57% to 47%, while Beijing agreed to resume large-scale soybean purchases, suspend rare earth export controls for a year, and cooperate to curb fentanyl production. “All of the rare earth has been settled,” Trump said, adding there was “no roadblock at all”. Xi emphasized that both sides should “focus on the bigger picture” and described trade as a “ballast and propeller” of US-China relations. He said China’s development “goes hand in hand with your vision to make America great again”. Did Xi walk away looking stronger?

The two also agreed to defer US investigations into China’s shipbuilding industry and expand cooperation on energy, with Beijing set to buy oil and gas from Alaska. Outstanding issues, including Nvidia chip sales, Taiwan, and nuclear testing, remain unresolved. Trump said both sides would “finalize the trade deal pretty soon”, with annual reviews to follow. Why couldn’t this be considered a major reset?

Lifestyle

Are You Embarrassed Of Having A Boyfriend?

Once upon a time, women online lived in what some dubbed “Boyfriend Land” — where their identities were tied to their partners, their value measured by their relationship status. But that era is fading fast. Today, women are soft-launching, cropping, or even blurring out their partners online, signaling a cultural shift in how heterosexual relationships are viewed and displayed. Better have a boyfriend than date ChatGPT, right?

It’s not that love is out — it’s that obsession is. Many women now straddle two worlds: wanting to celebrate being partnered without seeming overly “boyfriend-brained”. Others cite superstition, privacy, or fear of the “evil eye.” For some, it’s simply not wanting to be embarrassed later. “Men will embarrass you even 12 years in,” said one woman.

This shift also reflects a growing cultural cynicism toward heterosexuality itself. Having a boyfriend is no longer an aspirational milestone; it can even feel “uncool.” Singlehood, once seen as lonely, is now being reclaimed as empowering — a lifestyle choice rather than a flaw. In redefining what partnership and independence mean, women are rewriting one of society’s oldest stories on their own terms.

In the know

DON’T MISS

💰 Nvidia first company to be worth $5 trillion and Google surpasses forecast. Look at US billionaires against rest of the world.

👻 Are you “creepy cooking” too — the TikTok trend haunting everyone. 

✈️ Did Kash Patel really use FBI jet to go on a date?

🤷‍♀️ Dictionary.com names “67” as the word of the year 2025. It has no meaning!

☢️ Trump orders Pentagon to begin nuclear weapon testing again after 30 years.

🌀 See in photos: the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa across the Caribbean.

🖼️ Paris prosecutor says two suspects partially admit involvement in Louvre heist; five more suspects arrested. 

🔫 How did a general police raid in Brazil left 119 people dead?

🏚️ These might be the ten most haunted US states.

👶 Australia sees remarkable success in overcoming preterm deaths. How did they get here?

Health & Wellness

FOR YOUR WELLBEING

🔬 Turns out your urine says a lot. Your morning pee could reveal your diet, stress, and even environmental guilt. Science says there’s gold in that gold. Um, ew!

💖 Does one long walk beat a bunch of mini ones? Scientists just settled the great step debate — and your heart might care more than you think.

🚿 TikTok’s latest self-care obsession? “Dark showering” is trending and experts say it might be the simplest way to reset your body and fix your sleep.

☕️ Turns out, your chaotic drink lineup could be the most low-effort wellness routine ever. That trio on your desk — coffee, tea, and water — might secretly be your best longevity hack yet.

Decor & More

HOUSE TO HOME

🧥 Winter’s getting a chic upgrade. Big coats are getting cooler, thanks to this fun bag trend stealing the winter spotlight.

💅 Say goodbye to plain French tips, the curved French mani is your chic, new statement style.

🎃 Still costume-less this Halloween? This runway archive might just save your oliday with chic, not-so-spooky looks to steal.

💉 Forget spa day, cosmetic procedures are now a couples activit .think Botox date-night with your significant other.

Hollywood

THE FAME FRAME

🛎️ Season 4 of The White Lotus is official. Where next? All you need to know.

👩🏻‍🦱 Ariana Grande just ditched her blonde era, returns to her brunette roots.

🎤 Justin Bieber’s “excited and working hard” to headline Coachella 2026.

⛓️ Luigi Mangione apparently got schooled in prison for being a Swiftie.

💔 Jacob Elordi and Olivia Jade split again just weeks after reconnecting.

Interactive

WEIGH IN

A Palo Alto robotics company, 1X, just launched NEO, the first consumer-ready humanoid robot you can actually buy to help with daily chores like cleaning, laundry, and watering plants. Priced at $20,000, or $499 a month, NEO can see, hear, and even learn your home routines. But here’s the catch, it’s not fully autonomous yet, meaning human “experts” may need to remotely guide it through tasks, raising privacy questions.

“If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” 

— Ellen Johnson Sirleaf