Here are today’s top stories.
Headlines
Pike in Critical Condition After Surviving Two Failed Execution Attempts
Christa Pike was in critical condition Thursday and receiving lifesaving care at a hospital, her lawyers said, a day after Tennessee’s attempt to execute her failed despite two doses of a lethal drug. Gov. Bill Lee called what happened "deeply disturbing," ordered an independent review and postponed both her execution and another scheduled for this year. Pike, 50, was sentenced to death for the 1995 killing of fellow Job Corps student Colleen Slemmer. Source
British counter-terrorism police arrested a dual UK-Iranian national Thursday on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts in the investigation into a suspected plot at RAF Fairford, an air base U.S. bombers have used to strike Iran. Five men arrested near the base early Sunday have since been released on bail. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the incident may have had an Iranian link. Find out More
President Trump said Thursday night that Iran "is ready to fold up" and that he expects the U.S. to win the war right after the election, or possibly before it. He also renewed his threat to resume U.S. attacks after the midterms if Tehran and Washington cannot reach a satisfactory agreement. Separately, the Saudi-led coalition said Houthi rebels struck an electricity distribution station in the holy city of Medina. Source
Politics
The Senate has adjourned until November, sending members home to campaign with Republicans worried about losing their majority. Before leaving, Democrats blocked two GOP bills on party-line votes: Sen. Jon Husted’s measure on who pays for infrastructure upgrades tied to data centers and Sen. Pete Ricketts’s bill barring members of Congress from buying new publicly traded stocks. Republicans plan to bring up a permitting reform deal when the chamber returns. See Details
President Trump toured a Peterbilt truck plant in Denton, Texas, on Thursday and urged North Texas voters to send Attorney General Ken Paxton to the Senate, a day after leaked audio added to the awkwardness between the two men. Trump again voiced irritation with Paxton even while praising his loyalty. Paxton is locked in a tight general election race with Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. Find out More
Several marquee midterm contests look likely to go without a single formal debate between the major candidates. The list includes Senate races in Ohio and Texas, where James Talarico’s challenge to debate Ken Paxton has gone unanswered, and governor’s races in Arizona and Florida. In a Wisconsin House battleground, Democrat Rebecca Cooke and Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden could not agree on a debate schedule. Read More
U.S. News
Four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station on Thursday after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, that morning. The Crew-13 team is NASA’s Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. They will spend about six months aboard and relieve the Crew-12 astronauts, who are due home next week. See Details
An Amazon Air cargo plane that overshot the runway in Miami on Sept. 6, killing five people on the ground, did not touch down until it was well past the normal landing zone, federal investigators said Thursday. The first officer repeatedly warned the captain the plane was going too fast, and the captain gave no consistent verbal response. The crew did not try to abort the landing until it was too late. See Details
Forecasters are warning of a "very dangerous" heat wave expected to grip Southern California for more than a week. The October heat could set records, with triple-digit temperatures and elevated wildfire risk beginning this weekend. Find out More
Business
S&P 500 futures edged higher early Friday as investors waited for the September jobs report. Stocks opened October with a modest gain Thursday, with the S&P 500 rising 0.2% to 7,666.45 as Treasury yields pulled back from multiyear highs. The Dow and Nasdaq each added less than 0.1%. Find out More
The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 7.28% this week, its highest level in nearly three years. Mortgage applications fell 6% from the prior week, and adjustable-rate loans climbed to 10.3% of applications. Rates have risen along with 10-year Treasury yields since the start of the Iran war in February. Find out More
The sell-off in government bonds deepened Thursday as the 10-year Treasury yield touched 5.34%, its highest level since 2002. It ended the day at 5.24%. Yields are climbing overseas as well, with France’s 10-year rate reaching as high as 4.95%. Read More
World News
Student protests are spreading across the Paris region and other parts of France, bringing school blockades, clashes with police and tear gas. Hundreds of people have been arrested. French officials say outside agitators have helped escalate the unrest. Read More
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday the world is living through a dangerous moment and warned the West not to threaten the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. He said a direct attack on Russian territory would immediately raise the question of using every weapon at Moscow’s disposal, including nuclear arms. Putin also said he is ready for a three-way meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Trump once an agenda is worked out. Source
Hurricane Rachel strengthened to a Category 3 storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast with sustained winds of 120 mph. The storm sat about 245 miles off the southern tip of Baja California and is expected to weaken this weekend, though forecasters warn of life-threatening surf and rip currents. Northern Mexico and parts of the U.S. Southwest are still recovering from flooding left by Hurricane Polo earlier in the week. Source
Entertainment
"Verity," the Anne Hathaway thriller based on Colleen Hoover’s bestseller, is expected to top the weekend box office with $30 million to $35 million from 3,510 theaters. That would give Hathaway her third No. 1 opening of the year. Tom Cruise’s R-rated satire "Digger" is projected to open with just $12 million to $15 million. See Details
Roku is reviving the classic "Battle of the Network Stars" competition as "Battle of the Streaming Stars." Terry Crews will host and executive produce, with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions behind the series. Comedians, actors, reality stars and online creators will compete for a golden Roku remote. Source
Fox Business Network announced a new weekday lineup following Maria Bartiromo’s exit, filling her old time slot with "Big Money in the Morning." Dagen McDowell and Brian Brenberg move to mornings, ending their 6 p.m. show "The Bottom Line," which will be replaced by reruns of "Kudlow." Liz Claman adds a Friday evening interview program, "Claman’s Power Players." Source
Sports
Andre Szmyt kicked a 56-yard field goal late to lift the Cleveland Browns over the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 on Thursday night. The Browns, 3-1 for the first time since 2021, had led 21-7 late in the first half. Aaron Rodgers tied the game at 24 with a touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth and a two-point sneak with 1:44 left. Find out More
The Atlanta Braves eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 in a winner-take-all Game 3 of their National League wild-card series, hitting three home runs. Atlanta advances to the Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are chasing a third straight title. Source
James Jones ran for a season-high 155 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries as New Mexico State beat Western Kentucky 34-13 on Thursday night. De’Marcus Peters added an interception return for a touchdown. It was the Conference USA opener for both teams. Source
Off the Wall
Researchers searching for Noah’s Ark drilled more than 60 feet into Turkey’s Durupinar formation during their latest field season. The team collected more than 300 soil samples and sent them for analysis, looking for possible signs of human activity or decayed wood. See Details
