* DHS: "President Barack Obama formally nominated former Defense Department general counsel Jeh Johnson to head the Department of Homeland Security Friday, calling him 'a cool and calm leader' who has worked across the aisle to bolster the nation's security."
* Afghanistan: "In the first major attack in Kabul since July, insurgents struck at an international convoy on Friday as it passed a heavily fortified residential compound, killing an Afghan man and woman who were in the area and injuring at least four other people, officials said."
* Syria: "One of the Syrian government's most prominent intelligence officers, Gen. Jamea Jamea, was killed during fighting in the eastern provincial capital of Deir al-Zour, Syrian rebels and the state news media said on Friday as government warplanes bombed the city after several days of fierce clashes."
* No one saw this coming: "Just hours after winning a coveted place on the U.N. Security Council for the first time, Saudi Arabia did a stunning about-face Friday and rejected the seat, denouncing the body for failing to resolve world conflicts such as the Syrian civil war." No country has ever done this before.
* This is a fascinating story, which Rachel will be reporting on tonight: "Citing 'clear and convincing evidence' of professional misconduct, the Kansas Supreme Court on Friday indefinitely suspended the law license of former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline."
* What a mess: "The U.S. government canceled its monthly report on grain and cotton production on Thursday for the first time since reporting began in 1866 and said it will not estimate U.S. or world crop production until early November. Cancellation of the October report means the first harvest-time estimate of U.S. crops will be November 8. The production report and companion data on crops worldwide are the U.S. Agriculture Department's premiere reports."
* Hmm: "Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz potentially violated ethics rules by failing to publicly disclose his financial relationship with a Caribbean-based holding company during the 2012 campaign, a review of financial disclosure and company documents by TIME shows. The relationship originated with a $6,000 investment Cruz made more than a decade ago in a Jamaican private equity firm founded by his college roommate."
* Good call: "Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) apologized Thursday for scolding a park ranger over keeping the World War II Memorial closed during the government shutdown."
* I always liked Speaker Foley and I'm sorry to hear of his passing: "Thomas S. Foley, a courtly congressman from Washington State who as speaker of the House for five years sought to still the chamber's rising tide of partisan combat before it swept the Democratic majority, and Mr. Foley himself, out of office in 1994, died on Friday at his home in Washington, D.C. He was 84."
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.