Axios

A push for independence by vocal Canadian separatists is colliding with heightened tensions between President Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Why it matters: As internal and external feuds threaten the country, Carney is using the moment as a rallying cry for Canada's economic independence and national pride.

The Trump administration admitted 16,292 refugees in fiscal year 2026 — almost exclusively white South Africans — after issuing an emergency declaration midyear that more than doubled the initial refugee cap.

Why it matters: The admissions cap is still far below the number of refugees admitted under previous administrations and prioritizes white South Africans based on contested claims of persecution over millions of other refugees.

President Trump will return to his Florida base of operations to juice in-person early voting with an Oct. 23 rally in the southwest part of the state.

Why it matters: Florida is among the GOP's least problematic states in midterms, 18 days away. But Republicans are worried about enthusiasm and turnout, even in Trump's adopted home state.

Public support for Medicare for All has never been higher. But even if Democrats perform extraordinarily well in the midterm elections, they'll take control of Congress with a slate of new members who aren't fans of a single-payer health system.

Why it matters: Voters may be increasingly interested in giving Medicare for All a try, but it's still a very long way from becoming reality.

MAGA activists are pushing for President Trump to resort to extraordinary measures — including martial law — if they believe the midterm elections are "rigged."

Why it matters: Some of the proposals go far beyond Trump's legal authority — and there's no evidence that the elections will be rigged. But people in this orbit have close access to the president.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said Thursday that she failed the bar exam and never retook it, explaining that she had planned to move to China after graduating from law school and considered the exam results "inconsequential."

Why it matters: Zacharia's comments during an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" come amid scrutiny of her legal credentials and her use of the title "lawyer" despite not being licensed to practice law.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and her Democratic challenger Troy Jackson were sparring in a testy debate Thursday night when a protester loudly interrupted them.

• "So this is obviously one of Troy's supporters," Collins said.
• "Oh, shut up," Jackson shot back. "I don't even know that kid."

Why it matters: Collins and Jackson are competing in one of a handful of races that will determine the Senate majority.

President Trump is preemptively blaming Sen. John Cornyn and Karl Rove for "doing everything possible to make it hard for Ken Paxton" to win the Texas Senate race.

Why it matters: The president is publicly spinning what would be a disaster for Republicans on election night. Texas hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.

Sen. Bernie Moreno wants his fellow Republicans to cancel their holiday plans and jam through "everything that we could possibly get" if they lose the majorities in November's midterms.

Why it matters: Republicans couldn't muster the votes for a megabill this summer, and leadership is not confident they can now. But Moreno (R-Ohio) is calling for the GOP to make a bigger push in the event of losing power.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun not to return a truckload of explosives to Hezbollah after the group tried to smuggle them into Beirut last week, according to a State Department official and another source with knowledge of their call.

Why it matters: The issue is a test case for the Lebanese government's resolve to stand up to Hezbollah and implement its policy of keeping weapons outside the control of state security forces.