5 things you need to know Wednesday

U.N. Security Council to meet on suspected Syria chemical attack

The United Nations Security Council is expected to meet in an emergency session Wednesday about the suspected deadly chemical attack that killed scores of civilians, including children, in Syria. Human rights reports said the gas appeared to be a virulent deadly strain and covered a wider area than past chemical attacks, which if confirmed, would be the largest in Syria since August 2013. The Syrian government of President Bashar Assad denied using chemical weapons, but the U.S. and international communities were unconvinced. Russia’s defense ministry said Wednesday that a Syrian airstrike on "terrorist" workshops producing chemical weapons was responsible for the deaths..

Trump, Jordan's Abdullah expected to discuss Mideast peace

President Trump's  busy week of meetings with foreign leaders rolls along when he hosts Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday at the White House. Trump met with Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier this week and will host China's XI Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida on Thursday. Trump and Abdullah are expected to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the fight against the Islamic State.  Trump has said he's eager to reach a Middle East peace agreement, though he hasn't been clear about what kind of deal he wants.

Want to take your luggage from the car and straight to the airplane?

That's exactly what Zunum Aero, a Kirkland, Wash.-based company, wants to do when they announce their plans Wednesday to develop electric aircraft to get travelers out of their cars and into planes for regional commercial flights.

Zunum Aero is working with Boeing and HorizonX JetBlue Technology Ventures to develop a 10- to 50-seat aircraft for flights up to 1,000 miles. Zunum officials hope to cut airfares and overall travel times in half with more-efficient planes — pairing airframes with batteries already developed for cars — flying them mostly out of general-aviation airports. Flights could begin in the early 2020s.

March minutes could shed light on Fed's rate-hike plans

The Federal Reserve’s expected decision to lift its benchmark interest rate at its March meeting marked just the third hike in a decade but the second in three months. Yet its statement and forecasts were so uneventful – it stuck to its estimate of two more rate increases this year and three in 2018 – that they spurred a market rally. Many economists had expected the Fed to step up its projected number of rate hikes. Minutes of the mid-March meeting, out Wednesday, could reveal why Fed policymakers are taking a measured view of the economy and rate hikes.

Ivanka Trump addresses her critics since taking a role in her father's administration

In her first TV sit-down since her father took office, Ivanka Trump will appear on CBS This Morning for an interview just days after she accepted a White House position. Critics questioned Ivanka Trump's role in the administration after she attended high-profile meetings with world leaders, and later, reportedly received her own office in the West Wing. Since January, President Trump’s eldest daughter has been front and center at the White House despite telling 60 Minutes in November that she wasn't planning on joining his administration. The full interview will air Wednesday (CBS, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET/PT.)

Bonus: Time to take a walk

The first Wednesday in April is National Walking Day, a day that the American Heart Association encourages everyone to get out on their own two feet and see the world for their health. Health benefits of brisk walking include reduced body fat, lower blood pressure and it facilitates lower mortality rates from cardiovascular disease. Just make sure you pick up the pace.