Axios

The U.S. is coordinating across federal agencies to monitor travelers arriving from Siberia as a pneumonic plague case draws international concern, CDC director Erica Schwartz said Wednesday.

Why it matters: Pneumonic plague can spread from person to person and is the deadliest version of the disease, with a near 100% fatality rate if left untreated.

Pressure continues to mount on Russia to release information about the suspected pneumonic plague case, which remains shrouded in uncertainty nearly a week after reports first surfaced.

Why it matters: Russia says there's no pneumonic plague outbreak or broader public health risk, but international officials say they have insufficient information to assess what happened.

Federal Reserve officials worried that higher costs tied to energy, AI investment and other shocks could spill over into broader, more persistent inflation, according to the minutes from the central bank's Sept. 15-16 meeting.

Why it matters: That meeting concluded with the Fed's first interest rate increase in three years. The minutes show that "several" officials thought rates were doing little to restrain the economy, raising the stakes for further increases down the line.

Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers called for an immediate end to President Trump's tariff war with Canada in a new ad Wednesday.

Why it matters: Trump endorsed Rogers, but Rogers has increasingly broken with the president as he fights to win a tight race against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed.

Jon Rahm is exiting LIV Golf after deeming the league's reinvention plan "unacceptable," an attorney for the Spanish star confirmed Wednesday.

Why it matters: Rahm's departure marks a significant blow to the effort to create "LIV 2.0" after the league filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September.

The German auto industry — long renowned for its engineering prowess and marketing genius — is reeling from stiffening competition, trade threats and shifting consumer tastes.

Why it matters: Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been a powerful force on the global auto market for decades — but the market has shifted sharply.

Russia's war on Ukraine has sparked a boom in global defense-tech investing, particularly around drones. But very few of those startups are actually based and building in Ukraine.

• Buntar Aerospace is an exception.

Driving the news: Buntar this week raised $16 million led by U.S.-based Freedom Fund VC, following a $10.4 million round earlier this year.

Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately lamented the impact of the Iran war and gas prices on his campaign in a meeting last month, telling a group of donors and lobbyists, "I don't make the decisions," according to audio obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: It's a candid admission from a close Trump ally about the challenging environment Republicans face this cycle.

Israel is marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks three weeks before an election where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal culpability for the country's worst-ever security failure will be a central issue.

Why it matters: Netanyahu has never looked more politically vulnerable than in the weeks after Oct. 7, but he has defied expectations by keeping his government afloat — presiding over simultaneous wars and an atmosphere of perpetual emergency. Though the polls are tight, they leave a clear path for the ultimate political survivor to hang on yet again.

President Trump suggested Tuesday that the financial cost of the Iran war to Americans is a price worth paying to keep the U.S. safe.

Why it matters: Trump's comments ignited backlash, but the federal government has spent years helping high-risk U.S. urban areas detect radiological and nuclear materials that could be used in an attack.