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President Obama and Mitt Romney haven't spent much time talking about world affairs on the campaign trail, yet foreign policy can often define a presidency. America's next leader faces tough choices that range from redefining the U.S. role in the Middle East to managing the crucial relationship with China.

With that in mind, let's look at the topics most likely to come up in tonight's foreign policy debate — the candidates' final faceoff — in Boca Raton, Fla., and how international issues will shape the next administration.

The lead story on the digital version of Cuba's communist newspaper Granma puts to rest the death rumors that have plagued Fidel Castro for weeks.

We've reached an important landmark in the presidential campaign: President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney face off tonight in the third and final presidential debate.

As was the case the last two times, the debate starts at 9 p.m. ET. This time, the venue is Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.

If you believe the snap polls, the first debate went to Romney, the second went to Obama, which means we have a 1-1 tie with just minutes to go in the fourth quarter. That is to say, we're just two weeks away from Nov. 6.

From my beloved ex-hometown: The Minnesota Orchestra put on a show Thursday night, in spite of the fact that they're currently locked out in a contract dispute. [The Star Tribune]

Within two months, two Wisconsin suburbs have been rocked by mass shootings.

What we know so far about yesterday's shooting in Brookfield, Wis., is that a 45-year-old man allegedly walked into Azana Salon & Spa and opened fire, killing three women and injuring four.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the alleged shooter, Radcliffe F. Haughton, was found dead inside the spa. He apparently committed suicide.

Steve Inskeep speaks with Tom Ricks, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security and contributing editor to Foreign Policy magazine, about the presidential candidates' foreign policy plans.

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. Good morning.

Tonight the presidential candidates meet for the final debate of this presidential election. President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney will be in Boca Raton, Florida. The event will focus on foreign policy, which was never expected to rival the economy as a major issue in this campaign. But foreign policy has played a bigger role than anticipated in recent weeks.

At Disneyland, the video game character Swampy the Alligator has edged his way onto gift shop shelves once solely dominated by film characters like Mickey Mouse and all those princesses. He's the star of "Where's My Water?" — Disney's first original mobile gaming hit, with over a hundred-million downloads.

Dish Network is settling with Cablevision and AMC Networks after a well-publicized and drawn-out fight in court and on the airwaves. Dish will resume distributing AMC and other channels as part of the settlement, and pay a hefty sum, too — roughly $700 million.