5 things to know for Sept. 30: Helene’s damage, Middle East, VP debate, Chemical plant fire, SpaceX

CNN’s 5 Things brings you the news you need to know every morning.

Port workers from Maine to Texas are threatening a major strike this week that could disrupt the flow of popular products into the US. Consumers wouldn’t necessarily feel the impacts immediately, but experts say a long port strike would eventually cause shortages of chocolate, booze and fruit, including bananas and cherries. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. The Southeastern US is grappling with widespread devastation after Helene made landfall Thursday as the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend region and tore through multiple states, killing at least 95 people. Millions are still without power and authorities warn electricity could be a week away or longer in some areas. In the Carolinas, days of unrelenting flooding have turned roads into waterways, left many without basic necessities and strained state resources. President Joe Biden will visit some of the affected communities later this week, “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations,” the White House said Sunday. Israeli airstrikes hit an intersection in the Lebanese capital of Beirut today, the first time the strikes have landed within the city limits since October 7. The attack comes days after Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In recent weeks, Israel has expanded its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, stoking fears of a regional war, as Hezbollah pledged to continue fighting despite losses in its senior ranks. President Joe Biden said he is “working like hell” with allies to prevent an all-out war in the Middle East. Before Nasrallah’s killing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed off a ceasefire proposal brokered by the US. Vice presidential nominees Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are gearing up for a high-stakes debate on Tuesday — five weeks before Election Day. The Walz-Vance matchup may be the last debate of the 2024 election, unprecedented in modern presidential campaigns, with former President Donald Trump rejecting calls from Vice President Kamala Harris to agree to a second meeting, including one proposed by CNN for October 23. With a tight race entering the closing stretch and early voting underway in several states, the running mates’ showdown Tuesday in New York presents one of the last major opportunities to make the case for their respective tickets. The debate will be hosted by CBS and will begin at 9 p.m. ET. A reaction following a fire at a Georgia chemical plant on Sunday forced evacuations, shelter-in-place advisories and interstate road closures. The blaze broke out on the roof of BioLab in Conyers, Georgia, about 30 miles east of Atlanta. Officials said a malfunctioned sprinkler head “came in contact with a water-reactive chemical and produced a plume.” The fire was put out Sunday evening but the smoke may be visible for several days, officials said, adding that air quality surveys “revealed the harmful irritant chlorine” emitting from the facility.