National security

At a Florida campaign rally ahead of midterm elections, President Trump suggested U.S. warships returning from the Iran conflict could stop near Cuba, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent to "finish up the deal." It is his latest comment raising the prospect of intervention in Cuba, an idea first floated earlier this year alongside criminal charges against former leader Raúl Castro. Rubio soon after posted on social media urging a "discrete partnership with the CIA" for change in Cuba. Both officials have cited Cuba's economic collapse and ties to U.S. adversaries, while talks between the two governments have yielded only new sanctions rather than diplomatic progress.

The U.S. Coast Guard is making steady progress on a new 64-acre base in North Charleston, South Carolina, set to become its largest home port once complete. The project, which broke ground in early 2024, includes five major capital projects: rebuilding Piers November and Mike, and constructing an administrative building, a medical and dental clinic, an engineering complex, and housing. Pier November's reconstruction finished in October, while Pier Mike is expected by 2030 under a $116 million contract. Once finished, the piers could host 10 major cutters, up from the current five vessels. Local officials say the investment, following the 1996 closure of the Charleston Naval Base, could bring significant economic benefits to the region.

Jack E. Kirksey, who served 16 years as mayor of Livonia, Michigan, died Oct. 13 at an assisted living facility in Northville. He was 97. No cause of death was given.

Born in Atlanta in 1928 and raised in Detroit, Kirksey was a 25-year U.S. Air Force veteran, including active duty in the Korean War, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He spent 27 years in the Livonia Public Schools system as a teacher and principal, and worked as the 16th District Court's first probation director. He was elected a Republican state representative in 1977, serving four terms, and later served as a Schoolcraft Community College trustee. Kirksey was first elected Livonia mayor in 1995, serving from 1996-2003 and 2008-2015. His tenure included building the city's recreation center, later named for him, the Fallen Heroes Memorial, a new district court building, and economic growth along the Haggerty Road corridor, though he also faced lawsuits over personnel and contracting decisions. He is survived by three children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Vice President JD Vance held a midterm campaign rally in Tyler, Texas, on behalf of Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, the state's attorney general, who faces Democratic state Representative James Talarico in the general election. During the event, Vance announced a Trump administration partnership with Delek Refining to expand its Tyler facility, framing it as a boost to energy supply, jobs, and transportation costs.

Vance used the rally to highlight Paxton's record as attorney general, including lawsuits against the Biden administration, actions against pharmaceutical companies over drug safety claims, border enforcement efforts, and his role in ending transgender medical treatments for minors at a major Texas hospital. He also attacked Talarico over past comments on gender, race, policing, and diet, portraying him as out of step with Texas voters and aligned with progressive Democrats in Congress.

The race is one of several competitive Senate contests shaping up ahead of the midterms, with both parties working to energize their bases in a state Republicans have long controlled but Democrats see as increasingly competitive.

Florida's tax-supported debt fell from $17.5 billion in 2018 to $8.7 billion by 2026, even as the state's population grew more than 10 percent, according to a commentary contrasting the state's fiscal management with Washington's $40.3 trillion federal debt load. Officials credit early bond payoffs, with Gov. Ron DeSantis citing $1 billion to $2 billion in interest savings; a 2025 law now sets aside $250 million annually for early debt retirement. The state has also cut spending for four straight years, shed over 1,300 positions since 2019, fully funded its pension system since 2013, and maintains a rainy-day fund at its legal cap near $5 billion, earning AAA ratings from major credit agencies.

Watchdog group Truth in Accounting ranks Florida's per-taxpayer fiscal surplus far ahead of states like New Jersey, Connecticut, and Illinois, which carry tens of thousands in unfunded liabilities per taxpayer. Florida's fiscal outlook still projects a deficit by 2029-30 amid rising health costs and an aging population, raising stakes for the state's Nov. 3 gubernatorial election and candidates' commitments to continued debt reduction and pension funding.

Following the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham on July 11, Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham's sister, Darline, to fill the remainder of his term, with a special election expected to determine who holds the seat long-term. Darline Graham has kept a low public profile since being sworn in, while Democratic physician Annie Andrews has been actively campaigning across the traditionally Republican state.

South Carolina is deeply red, and GOP figures including Katon Dawson and Nancy Mace loom over the race's dynamics, with national Republicans expected to coalesce around a chosen successor. Democrats, who have struggled statewide despite past efforts from figures like Jaime Harrison, see an opening given the unusual circumstances of the vacancy and Andrews's visible campaign presence. The race is being watched as a test of whether shifting demographics and health care-focused messaging could make an otherwise safe Republican seat competitive, with implications for the Senate's partisan balance.

Iowa lawmakers met in a special session Friday and advanced legislation to raise the cap on state tax incentives needed to secure a $15 billion steel plant proposed by Mesabi Metallics, a Minnesota-based company owned by India's Essar Group. President Trump announced the project Monday alongside Iowa officials, calling it a major economic and national security win roughly five weeks before the midterm elections, even as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's claim that the "deal is done" has met local skepticism. State officials confirmed the company would not build in Iowa under existing law, which capped credits at 5% of investment over five years.

Gov. Kim Reynolds asked lawmakers to raise that to 10%, paid over 10 years and contingent on job creation — potentially worth up to $1.5 billion. The Iowa House advanced the bill, and a Senate committee approved it for a floor vote despite some Republican opposition. The project is expected to land in Lee County, though the company hasn't committed to a site, and the county lacks zoning rules governing such development. As recently as July, Mesabi's job listings pointed to Kentucky before the project shifted to Iowa. Officials cite competition with Arkansas and Kentucky; analysts note parallels to Wisconsin's scaled-back Foxconn deal.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 25 ruled that Missouri must use its 2022 congressional map, not the Republican-drawn 2025 version, for the 2026 midterm elections. The decision capped weeks of legal battles that began after Missouri Republicans redrew the state's map to shift a 6-2 GOP advantage to 7-1. A Democrat-led referendum petition challenged the change, and the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the petition valid, holding the new map never took effect. The case bounced between federal courts, with a district judge and later the 8th Circuit siding with Republicans on using the 2025 map since it had already been used in August primaries. The Supreme Court ultimately reversed course, ruling without dissent that it was too late in the election cycle to implement new lines despite their primary-season use.

The ruling reshapes expectations for Missouri's House delegation heading into 2026 and arrives alongside other major news this week, including Trump's state-visit meeting with Xi Jinping in Washington and world leaders convening for the UN General Assembly in New York.