Rubio Meets with Portuguese Officials; Trump Rallies Supporters in Texas | NTD Good Morning (Oct. 8)

After nearly a year at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the 5,000 sailors and marines aboard are returning home to southern California. The near-record long deployment taking them to waters near Iran for 321 days. USS Abraham Lincoln’s commanding officer Captain Daniel J. Keeler saying he’s proud that no lives were lost during their time at sea. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth presenting the unit earlier with the Presidential Unit Citation, the military’s highest unit award.Michigan's U.S. Senate race turned combative on Thursday night as Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed clashed over the economy, the war in Iran and more during a televised debate. The two candidates also exchanged sharp personal attacks, with El-Sayed accusing Rogers of running at Trump's behest, while Rogers called his Democratic rival ‘the best con I think I've ever seen.’Hurricane Isaias is hurtling towards the Gulf Coast as a Category 2 storm. It's expected to strengthen briefly before making landfall Friday night. The national hurricane center is predicting up to 7 feet of storm surge from Isaias. The governors of Georgia, Alabama and Florida issuing emergencies in parts of their states.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Portugal on Thursday, which is the last leg of a three-nation tour of NATO allies. Rubio met with the Portuguese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, before thanking Portuguese officials for supporting U.S. operations in the Iran war for letting the U.S. use the Lajes Field air base.President Trump held a rally in Texas on Wednesday, stumping Senate candidate Ken Paxton. Paxton is in a tight race against Democrat James Talarico. The president also announcing what he described as billions of dollars in Medicare fraud uncovered, along with payments to millions of seniors starting on Thursday.The Gulf Coast is bracing for impact from Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the season. Hurricane warnings are in effect from Mississippi to the Florida panhandle. Forecasters warn of 5-7 feet of storm surge in parts of the northern Gulf Coast, along with up to 7 inches of rain and possible flooding.

Israel and the world are marking three years since the October 7 terror attacks that killed 1,200 and triggered the war in Gaza. This will be the first anniversary that all the hostages are home. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations reflecting on how the attacks changed Israel forever. The U.S. also marking the anniversary of the attacks with UN Ambassador Mike Waltz saying on Tuesday that the Trump administration is committed to ending the cycle of violence.Early voting began in Ohio on Tuesday, where votes will decides races for governor, a U.S. Senate seat and two competitive U.S. House districts. Vice President JD Vance is set to make a midterm rally on Friday, and President Trump set to return on October 12th. That’s as Republicans are looking to energize voters ahead of Election Day.Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Greece, where he's working to strengthen security, energy and economic ties with a key NATO ally. Rubio says the two countries are expanding cooperation to combat terrorism and other regional threats. The talks are expected to focus on defense, energy and regional security, with Rubio also scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of Greece. Greece is the second stop on Rubio's three-nation tour of NATO allies, and he will be headed to Portugal next.

Vice President JD Vance made a campaign stop in Alaska, speaking in Fairbanks, as the state gears up for a high-stakes election battle. He was there to announce the Trump administration’s plans to build up Alaska’s power grid. The project will develop more than 200 miles of new transmission lines across Alaska. The additional connection will help move power between population centers and major military installations.The U.S. is monitoring a possible plague case in Russia after 28-year-old lab worker, Darya Shipilova, died under undisclosed circumstances. The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East is specifically tasked with researching and controlling plague. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it’s not cause for alarm, but is cause for focus. President Trump says Washington is prepared to help if needed. The World Health Organization says the risk to the general public appears low based on the information available so far.Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Iceland on Tuesday. He is visiting three NATO allies as the Trump administration works to strengthen ties in Europe. Rubio says the trip is focused on a secure Arctic, stronger commercial and energy ties and closer defense cooperation. The Secretary of State will also travel to Greece and Portugal before returning to Washington Thursday.

President Trump is hitting the campaign trail, as House and Senate seats are up for grabs in the upcoming November midterm elections. The president was in Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday to kick off a 32-day campaign across the U.S. He’s aiming to boost support for Republicans facing tough races coming up.The State Department announces that over 250,000 visas have been revoked since January 2025. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott says the most common reason for revoking a visa is criminal activity like DUIs, assaults, and theft. Pigott says they’ve also been cracking down on birth tourism and birth tourism networks. The State Department has also stripped legal status from foreign nationals working on behalf of hostile regimes or who are suspected of hostile intent.Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says G20 trade ministers failed to reach an agreement on unethical labor in supply chains. The United States in July imposed tariffs ranging from 10% - 12.5% on 60 trading partners over their alleged failure to prevent imports made with forced labor. G20 trade ministers at the two-day trade meeting also failed to reach an agreement on over-production with the aim to curb the flooding of markets with overproduced, under-priced goods.

President Trump is hitting the campaign trail, as House and Senate seats are up for grabs in the upcoming November midterm elections. The president was in Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday to kick off a 32-day campaign across the U.S. He’s aiming to boost support for Republicans facing tough races coming up.The State Department announces that over 250,000 visas have been revoked since January 2025. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott says the most common reason for revoking a visa is criminal activity like DUIs, assaults, and theft. Pigott says they’ve also been cracking down on birth tourism and birth tourism networks. The State Department has also stripped legal status from foreign nationals working on behalf of hostile regimes or who are suspected of hostile intent.Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says G20 trade ministers failed to reach an agreement on unethical labor in supply chains. The United States in July imposed tariffs ranging from 10% - 12.5% on 60 trading partners over their alleged failure to prevent imports made with forced labor. G20 trade ministers at the two-day trade meeting also failed to reach an agreement on over-production with the aim to curb the flooding of markets with overproduced, under-priced goods.

The leaders of Israel and India are hailing Indian pilot Smit Machchhar as a hero for saving passengers after he was stabbed by his colleague. Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu says an Israeli passenger, hearing the commotion, rushed from row 16 into the cabin to help. A second pair of flydubai pilots were on board and were able to land the jet in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after it went plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds after the stabbing. The alleged attacker has been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. Israeli officials say his motive remains under investigation.At Wednesday’s State of the Force address, War Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke to junior officers and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico. He called for a reduction in the total number of officers, and that colonels who want to be promoted to general will need to pass evaluations showing ability to solve complex military problems on winning on the battlefield. He also said some of the changes he’s implementing are twice a year physical fitness tests, and evaluations on competency regardless of gender.California’s gubernatorial candidates Javier Becerra and Steve Hilton held a heated debate on Wednesday night. Affordability was the focus, with the state being among the most expensive states to live in. Hilton argued for lowering income taxes and cutting the gas tax, with Becerra arguing that his proposed cuts would hurt the state. Polls currently show Becerra leading with 57% and Hilton at 35%.

The FBI is touting the results of its Operation Summer Heat 2.0 crackdown, which ran from June first to August 31st. The bureau says the operation included increased enforcement in cities across the country, with arrests rising by as much as 80% in some locations. Director Kash Patel says the bureau is focusing on preventing violent crime before it happens.President Trump and several major technology company, such as Google, Anthropic, Meta, and OpenAI signed a voluntary accord outlining new controls for artificial intelligence. The companies signing the accord agreed that if they are developing advanced AI models they'll monitor their systems for risks including cybersecurity, biosecurity and chemical threats.President Trump is launching a 32-day tour to support Republican nominees during the final stretch to the midterms. The president's campaign travel was planned well in advance. Last December, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said most administrations try to keep a sitting president out of the midterms, but this one would not. The president is also making a pledge to voters. He says if the GOP keeps both the House and Senate, every adult U.S. citizen will receive a $5,000 cash dividend.

Election Day is just five weeks away and Republicans are hoping to keep control of the House through the end of President Trump’s term. Such a case has not happened since 2002. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is trying to turn that around, by kicking off a 22-state blitz, where he plans to campaign in Democrat held districts. Johnson says he’s confident that the trend of the Democratic Socialist of America backed candidates taking wins, will help boost their chances of keeping control of the House.President Trump announcing on Monday, that the largest steel mill in the U.S. will be opening in Iowa. There will be $15 billion in investments going into this mill and the White House is saying that this new project could create over 1,700 permanent jobs and 6,000 construction jobs. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick doubling down on this newest investment, saying that it was only made possible by tariffs.The Senate has passed the Protect College Sports Act on Tuesday night, a sweeping bill that would establish nationwide rules for college athletics. The bill is sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz, and would create a nationwide standard for name, image and likeness rules and exempt the NCAA from antitrust laws. It would allow athletes five seasons of eligibility within five years and limit them to one transfer during their college careers. President Trump says the Act will not only save college sports, but will save the colleges themselves.

A powerful nor’easter is flooding coastal communities across the Northeast, with heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous surf. A state of emergency in effect for New York City, coastal areas of New Jersey, and Long Island. Forecasters say a high pressure system will bring drier, warmer weather by Tuesday. While this storm's impact has been nowhere near that, it could be the first of several along the East Coast this fall, driven by a strong El Niño climate pattern.President Donald Trump said on Sunday he expects talks with Iran to start up again this week, while declining to rule out military strikes before the midterm elections. Last week, the president rejected a seven-day proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying it did not meet his expectations. The president also said yesterday that a record amount of oil was safely transported through the Strait of Hormuz the previous night.The Trump administration is defending its decision to limit some media access to the White House and Air Force One. Attorney General Todd Blanche said Trump made the decision to restrict media access after “years and years of one-sided media coverage.” A federal judge last week ordered the White House to temporarily restore press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. However, the ruling did not directly address access to Air Force One.