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Good morning from the newsroom of the Financial Times.

Today is Monday, October 14th. Good morning from the newsroom of the Financial Times.

Today is Monday, October 14th,

and this is your FT news briefing.

The Federal Reserve keeps dropping US interest rates,

which is bad news for US banks.

The FT's US finance editor Rob Armstrong explains what this means as the result season gets

underway. And I talk to the FT's Andrew Edcliffe Johnson about Levi Strauss and whether its mantra of

Profits through principles is a winning formula. But first we're diving

into a crucial week for Brexit.

The FT's Jim Pickard explains what's at stake in UK politics.

I'm Mark Filipino, and here's the news you need to start your day.

Boris Johnson is hoping as Prime Minister that he will finally secure a Brexit deal at a European Council summit on Thursday, but things are still looking tight for Mr Johnson because not only does he still face potential hostility from some of his own Eurosceptic right-wing MPs and it would be put to a test potentially in a big Commons vote on Saturday but also there are signs that

were still not quite in the landing place for a deal with

European leaders and Mr Johnson's hopes of securing a deal ahead of the summit on Thursday

or in jeopardy on Sunday evening after two days of

intensive negotiations left Brussels somewhat baffled about the UK's new customs proposals.

And Michael Barnier, the EU chief Brexit negotiator, told diplomats on Sunday evening

that British plans to keep Northern Ireland in the UK customs territory, while avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland

were finishly complex and not yet properly worked out.

...