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Today’s top stories

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.

• 🎧 Highways are busy with both people fleeing the region and emergency crews deploying to the coast, NPR’s Debbie Elliot tells Up First. States are pre-staging personnel and emergency supplies — such as generators, food and water — for distribution during power outages and the cleanup process. Elliot says 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. 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.

• 🎧 This operation is significant because it is unfolding in the Donbas region that Russia has sought to control since 2014, NPR’s Joanna Kakissis says. 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 says. 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.

President Trump announced on social media that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the midterm elections on Nov. 3. He is aiming to counter reports suggesting the White House is considering airstrikes against Iran before election day.