October inflation tops forecasts, Jim Jordan to lead House GOP, Russia-Ukraine talks resume
Consumer prices rose more than expected in October, House Republicans chose Jim Jordan as their leader, Russia and Ukraine held U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, Hungary detained Viktor Orban's brother, and the Vikings brought back Kirk Cousins.
Consumer prices rose 0.4% from September to October, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, above the 0.3% economists expected. Core prices, which leave out food and energy, rose 0.3%. Grocery prices rose 0.4% and beef 0.9%. No yearly rate was published because the 2025 government shutdown left no October 2025 data. Separately, AAA says the national average gas price fell below $4 a gallon Tuesday for the first time in nearly four months. Economists say a Federal Reserve rate hike in December is now highly likely.
House Republicans elected Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio to lead them in the next Congress, defeating Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana 106-73 in a secret ballot on Tuesday. Republicans will be in the House minority after Democratic midterm gains, and Speaker Mike Johnson is stepping aside from leadership. Jordan, who chairs the Judiciary Committee and co-founded the House Freedom Caucus, says he expects Democrats to launch many investigations of the Trump administration. Democrats hold their leadership elections next week.
Jordan saysHe is "battle-tested on the oversight front" and that Republicans' job "cannot be merely to spotlight how radical this new Democratic Party is."
Scalise said"Overcoming adversity is nothing new to me," pointing to his years in leadership and the $67.9 million he raised for the midterms.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for their first U.S.-brokered talks since February, with U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff leading. Kushner said recent contacts had "narrowed the gaps," but there was no breakthrough and major differences remain, Reuters reports. AFP reports the talks were set to resume Wednesday.
The U.S. saysKushner said the sides had "narrowed the gaps" and the U.S. has "some good ideas" to bridge them; Washington called for a new European security framework.
Ukraine saysChief negotiator Rustem Umerov says Kyiv's priorities are a ceasefire and security guarantees; President Zelenskyy has rejected giving up territory his forces hold.
Russia saysForeign Minister Sergei Lavrov says a European security framework should be defined before terms to end the war, and he rejected a truce.
Hungarian authorities detained Aron Orban, the younger brother of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in a people-smuggling investigation, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said. Four people are suspected of charging Vietnamese visa applicants fees at Hungary's missions in Vietnam to help them reach Western Europe during several months of 2024. Police did not name the suspects. Viktor Orban calls the case political revenge. Two former Orban ministers and ex-central bank chief Gyorgy Matolcsy are already under arrest in separate graft cases.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar's government saysMagyar confirmed the detention; the probe is part of his anti-corruption drive into Orban's 16-year rule, which he calls "Operation Purgatory."
Viktor Orban saysIt is political revenge: "I am the target, my younger brother is just a tool." He denies corruption allegations against his government.
The Minnesota Vikings traded a 2027 third-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to bring back quarterback Kirk Cousins before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline, pending a physical. Cousins, who played six seasons in Minnesota, has 2,340 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in nine starts this season. Minnesota's offense has struggled, with Kyler Murray missing time with injuries and Carson Wentz starting Monday's loss to Buffalo. The Vikings play at Green Bay on Sunday.
