5 things you need to know Tuesday
1. Royals, it's now or never
The Kansas City Royals have to win at home Tuesday if they want a shot at the trophy. With their dream season and hopes for the franchise's first championship in 29 years on the line, they'll turn to rookie starter Yordano Ventura, their hard-throwing 23-year-old. For the San Francisco Giants, veteran Jake Peavy has a chance to be a hero tonight. The Giants are up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. A win tonight means the third World Series title in five years for the franchise. Sunday night, Madison Bumgarner became the first pitcher in World Series history to pitch a shutout with no walks and at least eight strikeouts.
2. Dreamliner now flying out of Atlanta on the regular
Richard Branson likes to go big, so when his Virgin Atlantic airline debuts regular Dreamliner flights Tuesday between London and Atlanta, it's no surprise that it's with the massive Boeing 787-9 version of the plane. Rival airline British Airways is flying the smaller 787-8 version. The "stretch version" Dreamliner boasts a bar, a separate area where passengers can help themselves to snacks, drinks and newspapers, and signage pointing out the best places on the aircraft to take a selfie.
3. A storm of historic proportions hits the West Coast
Only one other tropical cyclone has made it to the Pacific Northwest, and that was in 1975. But remnants of Hurricane Ana, a central Pacific storm that blew by Hawaii last weekend, are forecast to slam Oregon, Washington and Vancouver, B.C., late Monday and early Tuesday. Ana follows another storm that blasted the region over the weekend, killing one person.
4. Fed opens two-day meeting
The Federal Reserve opens a two-day meeting Tuesday amid volatile markets and a slowing global economy, but economists say it's likely to send a stay-the-course message that foresees an increase in near-zero interest rates by mid-2015. The compelling question is whether the Fed will telegraph an earlier, or later, increase in its short-term rate than the mid-2015 timetable previously indicated by Fed policymakers. Financial markets recently have moved their projections for the first rate hike from mid- to late 2015 in light of the overseas weakness, which has strengthened the dollar, a development that could hurt U.S. exports.
5. Lava from Hawaii volcano nears homes
Hawaii residents in the path of a lava flow are preparing to evacuate in the coming hours or days as the 2,000-degree-Fahrenheit molten rock nears their homes. Residents in the house nearest the flow's front, about 100 yards away, had already packed up and left by late morning. Residents in the lava's path were advised of a possible need to evacuate, perhaps by Tuesday, according to the Hawaii County's website. No mandatory evacuations have been ordered, but most residents have left or made preparations to leave.
Bonus: It's National Chocolate Day. And we have a whole section on chocolate destinations to celebrate.
And, the essentials:
Weather: Another storm will plaster the Northwest on Tuesday with rain, wind and snow, while cool fall temperatures spread across much of the north-central U.S.
Stocks: Stock futures gain ahead of Fed meeting
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at The Great Halloween Fright Fight, NCIS and Frontline: The Rise of Isis.
If you missed Monday's news, we've got you covered here.
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