A Snap Decision

Britain’s Parliament finally agreed on something: The country will hold a rare snap election on Dec. 12, which basically amounts to kicking the Brexit can back to the general public. This Wednesday marks the start of a six-week campaign that pits Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has sworn to carry out Britain’s divorce from the European Union, against his opposing party , which would curtail or even reverse the proceedings. Whichever side wins a clear majority may break the Brexit deadlock and shape Britain’s future role in international trade. Or, if there’s no big winner, Parliament may wind up right back where it is now: hopelessly divided. Markets reacted calmly to the election news, because who’s surprised by anything Brexit-related these days?

More Trade Troubles Ahead

The government will release September’s international trade data this Tuesday, and the numbers are not expected to be good: the lowest in more than a year, if predictions are correct. Analysts are blaming the usual boogeyman (the trade war with China), plus growing uncertainty with other trade partners like Europe. (In October, Mr. Trump made good on his threat to impose tariffs on a bunch of European goods, including wine, olive oil and cheese, sadly.) Hopes for better days ahead are mixed. The Trump administration claimed that it could rustle up the first part of a trade deal with China by mid-November. But Beijing seems more pessimistic about long-term solutions.

What Else?

The Fed cut interest rates for the third time this year, as expected. But officials also signaled that they wouldn’t do so again unless the economy looks truly dire. Speaking of meltdowns, the bankrupt luxury retailer Barneys has found a buyer, but the deal will shutter all Barneys stores (the upside: killer liquidation sales). And finally, Adam Neumann, WeWork’s ousted leader, has been accused of pregnancy discrimination by his former chief of staff. Adding to the long list of complaints against him, he was said to have referred to her maternity leave as “vacation.”

More than 1 million people a year are arrested in the United States and asked to blow into a breathalyzer to see if they’re too drunk to drive. “The Weekly” investigates how one of the most common forensic tools in law enforcement may be unreliable. Watch The Times’s new TV show on FX and Hulu.