Steady as she goes...

Welcome to The Money, where we break down financial news and provide the TL;DR version of how decisions by the Federal Reserve, government and companies impact you.

Today's big money news comes from the Fed . The Federal Reserve held its key interest rate steady and forecast fewer cuts next year. The latest decision leaves the benchmark short-term rate at a 22-year high of 5.25% to 5.5%. It marks just the second meeting at which the Fed hasn’t raised its federal funds rate since it began its hiking campaign in March 2022.

Fed policymakers estimate they’ll nudge up the federal funds rate by another quarter percentage point this year to a range of 5.5% to 5.75% in 2023, similar to their median forecast in June. Financial markets and many economists don’t buy it. They expect the Fed to stand pat the rest of the year because of signs the job market and inflation are cooling.

At a news conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stressed the Fed has made no decision about whether to lift rates again and is in no rush to do so. "Given how far we've come, we are in a position to proceed carefully," he said.

iPhone 15 is nearly here

Friday is when the newest line of iPhone devices will be available in stores to actually get your hands on. You can get a rundown of what's new here . Among the many notable changes coming to the line is a basic staple -- the charging cable. Yes, iPhone is finally shifting to USB-C cables . (What are you supposed to do with those old Lightning cables? Columnist Jennifer Jolly has some thoughts .)

So should you upgrade? That depends. Columnist Marc Saltzman weighs in to walk you through the decision.

?? More stories you shouldn't miss ??

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. Take a look at what a new study from Advance Democracy shows.

And here we go again. Gas prices are creeping up (yes, again). What's to blame this time and where are they highest?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued multiple?recalls ?last week. More than 150,000 Nissan cars, including some Altima and Sentra models, were recalled for an issue with the camera harness. Kia also issued a recall for more than 18,000 Stinger vehicles from model years 2018-2021 for a problem with the fuel control valve. And Kraft is recalling its American cheese slices for potential choking hazards .

What else is under recall? Check USA TODAY's searchable recall database; cars, food, consumer products and more.

???Today's Menu???

In this week's unexpected pairings, Caviar and Pringles ? Not as strange as you think. New combo kits are priced as high as $140.

Tomorrow is Thursday, which means you can still get the BOGO deal from Starbucks. Here's how to get yours .

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