US Ships Third Carrier to Gulf as Early Ballots Near 21 Million

A third U.S. aircraft carrier was moving toward the Middle East on Thursday, Oct. 23, as American and Israeli officials prepared for a possible strike on Iran after the Nov. 3 midterms. A person briefed on the planning told NPR that both countries are working through attack options. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Israel this month to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The deployment arrives alongside a rise in early balloting. Nearly 21 million Americans had voted by mail or in person as of Thursday, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab. That count climbed by about 2 million in one day, NPR's Saige Miller said, with participation running above 2022 levels in several battleground states. Miller warned the early numbers do not predict final results: Democrats are voting early at higher rates than Republicans, while unaffiliated voters are also turning out. Republicans tend to vote on Election Day.

Greg Myre, NPR's national security correspondent, said President Trump is likely to decide on military action after Nov. 3 to avoid an oil price jump before voters go to the polls. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is prepared for diplomacy or war. Iran has not offered concessions; it seeks formal control of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of U.S. forces from the region.

Two court matters moved forward this week. A federal magistrate judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation suit against the BBC, warning he must comply with court rules or face sanctions. The suit concerns a Panorama broadcast from late October 2024 that edited portions of his Jan. 6 speech; the BBC has apologized for the splicing. Trump earlier canceled a deposition, citing "matters of national importance," and proposed January instead. David Folkenflik, NPR's media reporter, said it remains unclear whether he will appear. BBC attorneys say more than 200 Jan. 6 defendants have told the network that the speech motivated them, and the network is also seeking records of Trump's earnings since returning to the White House.

In California, a federal judge placed limits on pre-election field operations by the Department of Homeland Security, which says the work identifies noncitizens who allegedly voted illegally in nine states.

Grocery prices remain a pressure point. Ground beef averaged $6.79 a pound last month, up 85% over ten years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eggs fell to $2.27 a dozen from a record $6.23 in March 2025, and butter averaged $3.96 in September, down 17.3% from a year earlier on oversupply. Coffee costs 44% more than two years ago even after tariffs on it were lifted.