Trump Says U.S. Won't Attack Iran Before Midterms; ICE Officer Shoots Man in NYC

NPR's Domenico Montanaro said Trump's announcement is surprising because ideally he would not want to make such promises during a war. Montanaro said the post signals Trump's awareness that the conflict has been politically bad for his party ahead of elections, and that more strikes and deeper involvement are a tough sell to the American public, including his own base. Despite promising to avoid foreign entanglements, Trump has argued that the prolonged, unpopular war is necessary to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon.

At least one U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired seven rounds during an immigration enforcement operation in New York City on Thursday, striking a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic in the neck, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The man, identified by Tisch as Oscar Belgal, was shot below his left ear and arrived at NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital in stable condition.

A 5-year-old boy, believed to be Belgal's son, was inside Belgal's vehicle during the incident. Police later located the child safe and in the care of a family member. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Belgal was the target of the operation, but did not explain why the officer fired his weapon.

Hurricane Isaias is set to make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast as early as tonight, marking the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. The National Hurricane Center warns of potentially dangerous winds over 100 miles per hour and life-threatening storm surges of five to seven feet. People along the coastlines of Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida are preparing for impact.

NPR's Debbie Elliot said highways are busy with both people fleeing the region and emergency crews deploying to the coast. States are pre-staging personnel and emergency supplies, such as generators, food and water, for distribution during power outages and the cleanup process. Elliot said October feels late for the first hurricane of the season, and that this prominent El Niño weather pattern has led many to believe they have escaped the worst. Forecasters predict serious weather across the southeast, including potential flash flooding and tornadoes, but they say they expect the storm to move through quickly and lose its tropical strength.

Ukraine has launched a new offensive against Russian invaders that employs advanced technology, according to NPR. Operation Vivaldi involves Ukrainian soldiers using electronic warfare and aerial drones to blind Russian reconnaissance and eliminate their firepower and supply routes. They then deploy unmanned land robots to weaken Russian positions. Ukrainians say they have reclaimed around 68 square miles, an area about three times the size of Manhattan.

NPR's Joanna Kakissis said the operation is significant because it is unfolding in the Donbas region that Russia has sought to control since 2014. Despite occupying much of the area, Russia demands Ukraine cede the rest in any peace deal, which Ukraine has rejected. Operation Vivaldi demonstrates that a complete Russian takeover of Donbas is not inevitable, and Ukrainian forces can still achieve breakthroughs in a battlefield dense with drones, Kakissis said. Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian cities, especially in the east. A recent strike on a public bus in Kramatorsk, one of the last Ukrainian-held cities, killed at least 30 people and injured many others, according to local authorities.

An amateur Philadelphia-based a cappella group filled with suburban dads and grandfathers is taking social media by storm with their style and vocal arrangements. The Tonics are nearing 100,000 Instagram followers, up from 500 last year. Their rise is largely due to Emilie Hagen, a millennial influencer and comedic journalist, who promoted their videos to her 130,000 followers. Hagen tells NPR she believes the group resonates with audiences because they feel authentic and wholesome, and they showcase a different side of how men interact beyond activities like sports.

NPR's weekend picks include a new documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, who spent four years researching tech billionaire Elon Musk by reviewing extensive documents and interviewing people close to him.