Third Carrier Deployed as 21 Million Cast Ballots

The United States is sending its third aircraft carrier to the Middle East as nearly 21 million Americans have already voted for the upcoming midterms. The move places a major naval asset in the region while the election enters its final stretch.

A source briefed on U.S. and Israeli war planning told NPR that the two countries are preparing for a possible attack on Iran after the November 3 election. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country is ready for both diplomacy and war. Tehran is demanding formal control of the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently traveled to Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. NPR correspondent Greg Myre noted that President Trump will likely weigh military action only after the election. This timing is intended to avoid a jump in oil prices before voters go to the polls.

The University of Florida’s Election Lab reports that total early ballots rose by about 2 million in a single day. Early voting in key battleground states is higher than during the last midterm cycle. Democrats are voting early at higher rates than Republicans, while unaffiliated voters are also participating.

Grocery prices remain a concern for working families. Ground beef reached $6.79 per pound last month, up 85% in a decade according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Coffee is 44% higher than two years ago despite the removal of tariffs on the product. Butter averaged $3.96 in September, down 17.3% from a year earlier because of oversupply.

In legal news, a federal magistrate judge ruled that President Trump must sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation case against the BBC. The judge said he must comply with court rules or face sanctions. The suit centers on a Panorama broadcast from late October 2024 that allegedly edited his Jan. 6 speech.

The BBC apologized for the splicing and now seeks to understand Trump’s state of mind during the speech. BBC attorneys say more than 200 Jan. 6 defendants have said the speech motivated them. The network is also seeking details on how Trump has profited since returning to the White House to gauge the extent of any damage.