The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved its second straight interest rate cut, a widely expected move that came despite little recent visibility on the economy due to the government shutdown. By a 10-2 vote, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee lowered its benchmark overnight borrowing rate to a range of 3.75%-4%. Read more: cnb.cx/4oH4tGz | CNBC

Fed Chair Jerome Powell was asked on Wednesday about the ongoing federal government shutdown, which is currently the second-longest in U.S. history, and how it could make policy decisions more challenging for the central bank going forward. The shutdown presents a lack of economic data as the federal government has halted the collection of key reports on employment and inflation until it reopens. Read more: cnb.cx/4p3yb99 | CNBC