Another piece in the Fed's inflation puzzle
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The Federal Reserve is standing pat amid its mission to stop inflation. A conspiracy theory about COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire. And if your kid bought something on Fortnite without permission, you might be due a refund.
👋 Hey there! I’m Laura Davis, and it’s time for Wednesday’s news.
But first: Bougie Pringles. 🤷♀️ Caviar and Pringles might sound a little weird, but the trendy combo is available now – and the “Real Housewives” swear by it.
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Fed leaves interest rates unchanged
The Federal Reserve held its key interest rate steady Wednesday but signaled another hike is likely this year amid still-elevated inflation and a sturdy economy. The central bank also forecast fewer rate cuts next year than previously expected as it keeps rates higher for longer. The latest decision leaves the benchmark short-term rate at a 22-year high of 5.25% to 5.5% – and it's just the second meeting at which the Fed hasn’t raised its federal funds rate since it began its hiking campaign in March 2022. 👉 How high will interest rates really go? The current situation.
Emotional Merrick Garland defends DOJ
Attorney General Merrick Garland struck a defiant tone Wednesday, defending the Justice Department's independence as Republicans attacked him repeatedly for the handling of high-profile investigations of Hunter Biden and Donald Trump. "Our job is to uphold the rule of law," Garland told the House Judiciary Committee in an uncharacteristically emotional statement that brought him close to tears as he described his family fleeing the Holocaust. “Our job is not to do what is politically convenient." Garland’s testimony came against a backdrop of multiple investigations that are politically fraught. House Republicans are investigating whether to impeach President Joe Biden, in part because of alleged influence peddling by his son Hunter. 👉 Here's everything that happened.
What everyone's talking about
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? Why everyone's asking.
Danny Masterson's wife is divorcing him. Experts aren't shocked.
Girls' night out: Joe Jonas' exes Sophie Turner, Taylor Swift link up.
Elon Musk wants to charge all X users? Who'd pay for that abuse? | Opinion
Survey: Half of Latinos who don't speak Spanish very well say they've been shamed for it.
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Fact check: COVID lockdowns and mail-in ballots
It's a false, but rising, conspiracy theory: As COVID-19 rates climb later this year, the Biden administration will reinstate pandemic restrictions and push mail-in ballots to influence the next election. And some social media platforms are now allowing it to spread openly. That's the finding of a new study from Advance Democracy, a nonpartisan research agency, which warns that social platforms are generally not removing the claims or labeling them with fact-check warnings. Social media companies have repeatedly said they aggressively police content on their platforms, but experts say the spreading COVID-election claims raise alarm bells for a rising tide of disinformation. Here's what you should know.
Does Fortnite owe you a refund?
Fortnite players − and in some cases, their parents − may be entitled to cash payments as part of a settlement reached between the game's parent company, Epic Games, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The agency said this week it has started emailing people who might be entitled to compensation after a recent $245 million settlement over allegations that Epic Games used "dark patterns and other deceptive practices" to trick players into making unwanted purchases. The complaint said that Epic Games deployed "a variety of design tricks aimed at getting consumers of all ages to make unintended in-game purchases," made it easy for children to rack up charges without parental consent and locked the accounts of consumers who disputed unauthorized charges. How to see if you can get a refund.
A break from the news
📲 Honey, I'm home! How to use new iOS 17 Check In feature.
🙃 Gas: It happens to everyone. Here's how to deal with it.
🏡 No house, spouse or baby: Should parents worry their kids are still living at home? Maybe not.
Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Federal Reserve, COVID-19 rumors, Fortnite refunds: Wednesday's news.
