Third Carrier Heads to Iran as Beef Tops $6.79

Ground beef reached a price of $6.79 per pound last month, marking an 85 percent increase over the past decade according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This price jump coincides with a major shift in U.S. military posture as the third aircraft carrier heads to the Middle East.

The U.S. is sending a third carrier to the region. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A person briefed on U.S. and Israeli war planning told NPR that the two nations are preparing for a possible attack on Iran after the midterm elections.

President Trump is likely to weigh military action after November 3. NPR correspondent Greg Myre noted that leaders may wait until after voters go to the polls to avoid a jump in oil prices. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that 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. Myre observed that while the U.S. and Israel have the power to do heavy damage, Iran shows no sign of making major concessions. The U.S. is also moving some personnel out of the region as reinforcements arrive.

Nearly 21 million Americans have cast ballots by mail or in person so far, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab. This total rose by about 2 million in a single day. NPR's Saige Miller reported that early voting in key battleground states is higher than during the last midterm cycle.

Democrats are voting early at higher rates than Republicans, and unaffiliated voters are also participating. Miller cautioned that early figures do not predict final results, noting that Republicans tend to turn out on Election Day. Separately, a federal judge in California is restricting pre-election field operations by the Department of Homeland Security.

A federal magistrate judge ruled that Donald Trump must sit for a deposition in his $10 billion defamation case against the BBC. The judge ordered compliance with court rules to avoid sanctions. The suit centers on a Panorama broadcast from late October 2024 that allegedly edited his Jan. 6 speech. Trump has called the broadcast false, misleading and defamatory under Florida law.

BBC attorneys say more than 200 Jan. 6 defendants have said the speech motivated them. The network is seeking details on how Trump has profited since returning to the White House to gauge the extent of any damage. Eggs fell to $2.27 per dozen after a record $6.23 in March 2025, and butter averaged $3.96 in September, down 17.3 percent from a year earlier.