1. IT’S HERE: The election in some sense has already started now, as the first in-person early voting in the nation began today in Virginia. More from the AP 2. IMMIGRATION FILES: “A Central African Hotel Has Become a Nightmare Prison for U.S. Deportations,” by NYT’s Megha Rajagopalan and Pranav Baskar: “Two men deported to Equatorial Guinea by the Trump administration were hooded, bound, beaten with guns and shoved down a flight of stairs recently by police officers at a remote hotel where immigrants are being held indefinitely, according to witnesses and lawyers. The deportees said the beatings and subsequent arrests were intended to stop them from telling the outside world about the deteriorating conditions and growing violence inside the hotel, which has become a de facto prison for 29 men and women from different countries.” 3. THE DON-ROE DOCTRINE: More U.S. counter-drug and counterterrorism operations look to be coming in South America, as the Pentagon moves MQ-9 Reaper drones to U.S. Southern Command, CNN’s Haley Britzky and colleagues scooped. That could presage joint land operations with partner countries in the region, perhaps in Ecuador. The drones are being pulled away from their current operation in Africa. 4. WHETHER PERMITTING: Could permitting reform finally come together in the Senate? Semafor’s Burgess Everett reports that negotiators are close to landing a bipartisan agreement. But even if they do, the clock is ticking ahead of senators’ Oct. 2 recess: The back-and-forth over the college sports bill could eat up a lot of time next week, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune might make another go at the Ratepayer Protection Act. 5. HEADS UP: “Hill investigates after F-35 parts diverted to Hong Kong,” by POLITICO’s Audrey Decker and Mark Satter: “Sensitive F-35 fighter jet technology was unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong this summer, sparking an inquiry on Capitol Hill and raising the possibility that China could have access to key components of the highly classified weapon system. … The Pentagon confirmed the disappearance of some components. … The incident, which has not been previously reported, triggered an ongoing series of briefings for congressional staff on key national security committees.” 6. COMING THIS AFTERNOON: Trump today will announce the administration will roll out most-favored-nation prescription drug costs for some pharmaceuticals in Medicaid programs in every state, Semafor’s David Lim scooped. It’s his latest effort to deliver policy wins that make Americans’ lives more affordable — and give Republicans a boost on the campaign trail. 7. THE DATA CENTER DIVIDE: The Trump administration’s data center ambitions are much grander than was previously known. The Bureau of Land Management is now considering at least 12 projects on public lands, spanning at least 17,600 acres, The Washington Sun’s Mara Hoplamazian and Jade Lozada scooped. The infrastructure would be built in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. On the Hill: If the Ratepayer Protection Act fails in the Senate, some lawmakers are pitching their alternative ideas to tackle data center costs, POLITICO’s Nico Portuondo and colleagues report. There are many proposals, including the much more aggressive GRID Act from Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). But much could depend on how Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) decides to move. In the states: Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed an executive order today limiting data centers from pushing higher costs onto ratepayers, per POLITICO’s Megan Messerly. And in the world’s data center capital, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger unveiled her own significant framework, which takes aggressive steps for data center “accountability.” 8. WHAT SCOTT BESSENT IS UP TO: “US weighs allowing most pharma licensing deals with China, sources say,” by Reuters’ Michael Erman: “That would mark a departure from the Trump administration's tightening of business with China for other industries under new national security legislation, and would be looser than restrictions sought by some lawmakers. … The rules – being drafted by the US Treasury Department – are likely to allow US pharmaceutical companies to invest in promising new drugs being developed by Chinese companies as long as they are not related to pathogens or biotechnology that could be weaponized.” 9. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Tomorrow, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) will address the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus’ annual gala, attended by top local officials and candidates. It’s his latest stop in the early-voting state after speaking at the Nevada Democratic Party’s fundraiser earlier this year. More from the campaign trail: Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) will lead a fundraiser next week for the man she hopes will join her in the Senate, Abdul El-Sayed, per Playbook’s Dasha Burns.
|
