Today's Headlines: Christine Blasey Ford Wants F.B.I. to Investigate Kavanaugh Before She Testifies

China Once Looked Tough on Trade. Now Its Options Are Dwindling. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [Most Popular]( | [Video]( | Subscribe: [Digital /]( [Home Delivery]( [My Account]( [The New York Times]( Wednesday, September 19, 2018 IN THIS EMAIL: [Top News](#0) | [Editors' Picks](#2) | [Today’s Videos](#4) | [World](#5) | [U.S.](#6) | [Politics](#7) | [Business](#8) | [Technology](#9) | [Sports](#10) | [Arts](#11) | [New York](#12) | [Media & Advertising](#13) | [Food](#14) | [Obituaries](#15) | [Editorial](#16) | [Op-Ed](#17) | [CUSTOMIZE »]( [] Top News [Christine Blasey Ford Wants F.B.I. to Investigate Kavanaugh Before She Testifies]( [Christine Blasey Ford Wants F.B.I. to Investigate Kavanaugh Before She Testifies]( By PETER BAKER, SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and NICHOLAS FANDOS Her position puts the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Monday in doubt. [China Once Looked Tough on Trade. Now Its Options Are Dwindling.]( [China Once Looked Tough on Trade. Now Its Options Are Dwindling.]( By KEITH BRADSHER China said it would impose tariffs on an additional $60 billion of U.S. imports. But Beijing is running out of American goods to target as the trade war intensifies. [Trump’s Growing Legal Team Has a Problem: It’s Operating Partly in the Dark]( [Trump’s Growing Legal Team Has a Problem: It’s Operating Partly in the Dark]( By MAGGIE HABERMAN and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT The president’s lawyers are struggling to understand where the investigations surrounding him are going, and the extent of his legal exposure. For more top news, go to [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT [Get the Morning Briefing in Your Inbox]( [Get the Morning Briefing in Your Inbox]( What you need to know to start your day, delivered Monday through Friday. [Sign up »]( [] Editors' Picks [Scenes From a Faded Motel Sheltering Florence Evacuees]( Multimedia/Photos [Scenes From a Faded Motel Sheltering Florence Evacuees]( By JACK HEALY For people who fled from Hurricane Florence, this inn in Fayetteville has become a last-ditch shelter. [Anita Hill: How to Get the Kavanaugh Hearings Right]( Opinion [Anita Hill: How to Get the Kavanaugh Hearings Right]( By ANITA HILL The Senate Judiciary Committee has a chance to do better by the country than it did nearly three decades ago. [] QUOTATION OF THE DAY "He has me shining Chuck Schumer’s shoes and doing Nancy Pelosi’s hair." [SENATOR CLAIRE McCASKILL]( Democrat of Missouri, on political attacks issued by her Republican challenger, Josh Hawley, in a hotly contested midterm race. [] Today’s Videos [Dulce]( [[Video]Video: Dulce]( By GUILLE ISA and ANGELLO FACCINI In a small Colombian village, a mother guides her daughter through a rite of passage. ADVERTISEMENT [] World [Colombia Struck a Peace Deal With Guerrillas, but Many Return to Arms]( [Colombia Struck a Peace Deal With Guerrillas, but Many Return to Arms]( By NICHOLAS CASEY and FEDERICO RIOS ESCOBAR Former FARC fighters — unable to adapt to civilian life and threatened by paramilitaries — are joining dissident groups, endangering peace in Colombia. [Putin Calls Downing of Russian Plane in Syria ‘Tragic’ and Absolves Israel]( [Putin Calls Downing of Russian Plane in Syria ‘Tragic’ and Absolves Israel]( By DAVID M. HALBFINGER and ANDREW HIGGINS Tensions briefly flared after the plane was destroyed by Syrian antiaircraft missiles that were countering Israeli warplanes striking targets in Syria. [Merkel’s Spy Chief Is Removed After Public Rift]( [Merkel’s Spy Chief Is Removed After Public Rift]( By KATRIN BENNHOLD The standoff had raised questions about whether Germany’s security apparatus was too close to the far right to monitor extremist groups effectively. For more world news, go to [NYTimes.com/World »]( ADVERTISEMENT [] U.S. [‘It’s Back’: Underwater Yet Again, the Carolinas Face a New Reality]( [‘It’s Back’: Underwater Yet Again, the Carolinas Face a New Reality]( By JACK HEALY, RICHARD FAUSSET and CAMPBELL ROBERTSON As climate change and rapid growth bring more flooding, residents and officials must grapple with where to rebuild and how to prepare for the next storm. [Unraveling the Mystery of a 12-Day Killing Spree at the Border]( [Unraveling the Mystery of a 12-Day Killing Spree at the Border]( By MANNY FERNANDEZ and MITCHELL FERMAN The arrest of a Border Patrol agent in the killing of four people in Laredo, Tex., has left investigators struggling for answers. [Independents Approve of the Economy, but Will It Help Republicans in the Midterms?]( [Independents Approve of the Economy, but Will It Help Republicans in the Midterms?]( By LYNN VAVRECK Relying on independents as a bellwether for political outcomes is not as straightforward as it seems. For one thing, many of them aren’t paying that much attention to politics. For more U.S. news, go to [NYTimes.com/US »]( [] Politics [On Kavanaugh, a Changed America Debates an Explosive Charge]( Political Memo [On Kavanaugh, a Changed America Debates an Explosive Charge]( By KATE ZERNIKE The accusations against the Supreme Court nominee are being assessed under different social and cultural conventions than when the episode allegedly occurred. [Consumers Will Increasingly Feel Pain From Trump’s Trade War. Here’s Why.]( [Consumers Will Increasingly Feel Pain From Trump’s Trade War. Here’s Why.]( By JIM TANKERSLEY and ALAN RAPPEPORT The administration has tried to shield popular products from tariffs. That gets harder with each new round. [Republicans Opposing Trump on Trade Face Election Quandary]( [Republicans Opposing Trump on Trade Face Election Quandary]( By JIM TANKERSLEY and BEN CASSELMAN Many party leaders in Washington like tax cuts but dislike tariffs. Few Americans share that combination of views. For more political news, go to [NYTimes.com/Politics »]( [] Business [McDonald’s Workers Across the U.S. Stage #MeToo Protests]( [McDonald’s Workers Across the U.S. Stage #MeToo Protests]( By RACHEL ABRAMS Hundreds of McDonald’s employees rallied to demand that the largest fast food chain in the country do more to combat sexual harassment in the workplace. [These Sites No Longer Make Goods. Now They’ll Get Them to You Faster.]( Square Feet [These Sites No Longer Make Goods. Now They’ll Get Them to You Faster.]( By JON HURDLE Developers are modifying or demolishing old factories to meet the growing demand of the logistics business, which covets the large spaces and easy transportation access. [Trade War Escalates. Stock Markets Shrug. Here’s Why.]( [Trade War Escalates. Stock Markets Shrug. Here’s Why.]( By MATT PHILLIPS, JACK EWING and ALEXANDRA STEVENSON In China, Europe and the U.S., stock indexes rose slightly, after President Trump imposed new tariffs on China and China retaliated with its own tariffs. For more business news, go to [NYTimes.com/Business »]( [] Technology [Justice Department Is Examining Tesla After Musk Comment]( [Justice Department Is Examining Tesla After Musk Comment]( By MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN, KATE KELLY and EMILY FLITTER The company said the department requested documents after its chief executive, Elon Musk, said he had “funding secured” to take its stock off public markets. [BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Face Collusion Investigation in Europe]( [BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Face Collusion Investigation in Europe]( By AMIE TSANG The European Commission said it would look into whether the German automakers had worked together to avoid competing on clean emissions technology. For more technology news, go to [NYTimes.com/Technology »]( [] Sports [Under Yankees’ Watchful Eyes, Aaron Judge Tests Wrist in Simulated Game]( [Under Yankees’ Watchful Eyes, Aaron Judge Tests Wrist in Simulated Game]( By BILLY WITZ The exercise revealed that Judge still has plenty of work to do to recover the form that made him one of the most feared hitters in baseball. [A Throwback Champion for the Modern Champions League]( [A Throwback Champion for the Modern Champions League]( By RORY SMITH and JAMES MONTAGUE The Champions League has become an annual showcase for Europe’s richest clubs. But the return of Red Star Belgrade this year is a reminder of what‘s been lost. [The N.H.L., Seeking Fans in China, Calls In the Great One]( [The N.H.L., Seeking Fans in China, Calls In the Great One]( By MIKE IVES China wants to have 300 million winter sports fans by the time it hosts the 2022 Olympics. The N.H.L. wants to build its Asian fan base. The two missions converged this past week. For more sports news, go to [NYTimes.com/Sports »]( [] Arts [Review: Tom Arnold’s ‘Trump Tapes’ Blows Smoke With No Smoking Gun]( [Review: Tom Arnold’s ‘Trump Tapes’ Blows Smoke With No Smoking Gun]( By JAMES PONIEWOZIK In his new Viceland show, Tom Arnold is the latest media star to tease the existence of One Tape To Rule Them All. [Missing at the Emmys: #MeToo]( [Missing at the Emmys: #MeToo]( By MAYA SALAM The movement was absent from the Emmys in almost every way, despite the fact that one of the most powerful men in TV, Les Moonves, has stepped down. [Bill T. Jones Is Making Room in Dance for More Than Dance]( [Bill T. Jones Is Making Room in Dance for More Than Dance]( By GIA KOURLAS We talked to Mr. Jones, whose work braids storytelling and movement into a theatrical collage, before marathon performances of his “Analogy Trilogy.” For more arts news, go to [NYTimes.com/Arts »]( [] New York [Brooklyn Diocese Is Part of $27.5 Million Settlement in 4 Sex Abuse Cases]( [Brooklyn Diocese Is Part of $27.5 Million Settlement in 4 Sex Abuse Cases]( By SHARON OTTERMAN The settlement is believed to be one of the largest ever awarded to victims of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. [More ‘Gridlock Alert Days’: Don’t Even Think of Driving in Manhattan]( [More ‘Gridlock Alert Days’: Don’t Even Think of Driving in Manhattan]( By WINNIE HU In the latest sign of worsening traffic, the city expands its congestion warning system beyond the holiday season to get more drivers off the roads. [Cuomo and de Blasio: Making Nice, for Now]( [Cuomo and de Blasio: Making Nice, for Now]( By VIVIAN WANG New York’s top Democrats rallied to promote unity ahead of the general election. But the fissures in the party still showed. For more New York news, go to [NYTimes.com/NewYork »]( [] Media & Advertising [Facebook Accused of Allowing Bias Against Women in Job Ads]( [Facebook Accused of Allowing Bias Against Women in Job Ads]( By NOAM SCHEIBER A case filed with federal regulators says the company’s targeting technology is used to screen out female candidates in violation of the law. [When an Owner’s New Company Puts the Old One in Trump’s Cross Hairs]( DealBook [When an Owner’s New Company Puts the Old One in Trump’s Cross Hairs]( By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN The decision by the Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff to buy Time magazine raises the question of the duty that executives have to the companies that made them rich. [Ex-L.A. Times Beijing Bureau Chief Resigns Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims]( [Ex-L.A. Times Beijing Bureau Chief Resigns Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims]( By ALEXANDRA STEVENSON Jonathan Kaiman, a former foreign correspondent for the newspaper, faced accusations by two women. He had been suspended in May. For more media & advertising news, go to [NYTimes.com/Media »]( [] Food [Ranch Nation]( [Ranch Nation]( By JULIA MOSKIN How one creamy, peppery salad dressing became America’s favorite flavor. [An Avalanche of Japanese Shave Ice]( [An Avalanche of Japanese Shave Ice]( By TEJAL RAO Pastry chefs in the United States are exploring the countless possibilities of kakigori, a traditional dessert that’s both exacting and amenable to interpretation. [They’ve Made Lots of Bubble Tea. Now They’ll Make the Pearls Too.]( [They’ve Made Lots of Bubble Tea. Now They’ll Make the Pearls Too.]( By TEJAL RAO The Boba Guys chain has opened a Bay Area factory to produce the tapioca pearls that define the popular drink. For more food news, go to [NYTimes.com/Food »]( [] Obituaries [Thad Mumford, Pathbreaking Television Writer, Is Dead at 67]( [Thad Mumford, Pathbreaking Television Writer, Is Dead at 67]( By DANIEL E. SLOTNIK Mr. Mumford forged a writing career on shows like “M*A*S*H” and “Maude” at a time when African-Americans were rare in network writing rooms. [Annette Michelson, Film Studies Pioneer and Journal Founder, Is Dead at 95]( [Annette Michelson, Film Studies Pioneer and Journal Founder, Is Dead at 95]( By NEIL GENZLINGER Through the influential arts journal October and her own writings, Ms. Michelson helped turn cinema into an academic discipline. [Ruth Clark, Who Helped the Jobless Get a Foothold, Dies at 76]( [Ruth Clark, Who Helped the Jobless Get a Foothold, Dies at 76]( By SAM ROBERTS A key-punch operator herself, she opened an agency in 1974 to meet a demand for data processors and to relieve unemployment in minority neighborhoods. [Shan Tianfang, a Superstar of Chinese Storytelling, Dies at 83]( [Shan Tianfang, a Superstar of Chinese Storytelling, Dies at 83]( By AMY QIN When Mr. Shan first brought his storytelling to radio in 1980, an estimated 100 million people tuned in. For more Obituaries, go to [NYTimes.com/Obituaries »]( [] Editorial [Will Donald Trump Stand Up to China? ]( [Will Donald Trump Stand Up to China?]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD He’s cracking down over trade, but it’s urgent that he protest Beijing’s human rights abuses as well. For more opinion, go to [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [] Op-Ed [I Highly Recommend Joining This Cult]( [I Highly Recommend Joining This Cult]( By LISA PRYOR I am slashing my spending and rethinking my bourgeois ways. You should, too. [Trump Has It Backward: Many Migrants Are Victims of Crime ]( [Trump Has It Backward: Many Migrants Are Victims of Crime]( By STEPHANIE LEUTERT Ramped-up enforcement by the United States and Mexico has pushed migrants onto more invisible, risky paths and put them at greater danger. [The Amputee Who Showed Everyone]( [The Amputee Who Showed Everyone]( By FRANK BRUNI Shaquem Griffin of the Seattle Seahawks lost his hand but not his dream. [A New Art Season, a New Test of Survival]( [A New Art Season, a New Test of Survival]( By OLAV VELTHUIS The art market is in crisis, and the art fairs are largely to blame. 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