On Politics: This Week’s Biggest Stories

The Kavanaugh hearings weren’t the only news in a busy week for American politics. Here are some of the biggest stories this week (and some links, if you want to read further). [Trouble seeing this email? View in browser]( [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( September 29, 2018 | Evening Edition From the gripping Kavanaugh hearings to developments at the United Nations General Assembly, it’s been a busy week in American politics. Here are some of the biggest stories this week (and some links, if you want to read further). [Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, demanded an F.B.I. inquiry into the allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh.] Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, demanded an F.B.I. inquiry into the allegations against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh. Erin Schaff for The New York Times Judge Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination: Here’s where things stand now. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines on Friday to advance Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation. [[Read the story]( But the vote came only after Republican senators agreed to a last-minute demand from Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona: to conduct a time-limited F.B.I. inquiry into the allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh. [[Read the story]( President Trump, bowing to the request from Republican leadership, formally ordered the F.B.I. to open an investigation. Here’s what that inquiry could entail. [[Read the story]( ADVERTISEMENT Why are Republicans so intent on advancing a nominee facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct? As our chief Washington correspondent writes, they see it as potentially their last, best chance to clinch a conservative majority on the Supreme Court for a generation. [[Read Friday’s On Washington here]( Additional Reading • [Jeff Flake Is Confronted on Video by Sexual Assault Survivors]( • [American Bar Association and Yale Law School Urge F.B.I. Inquiry Into Kavanaugh]( • [Mark Judge Says He’ll Talk to the F.B.I. Here’s What We Know About Him.]( On Thursday, a nation watched two strikingly different testimonies. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who came forward last week with allegations that Judge Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago, was the first to testify before the Judiciary Committee on Thursday. She was visibly anxious, but firm in her recollections. [[Read the story]( Then Judge Kavanaugh delivered a visceral rebuttal, red-faced with fury over the allegations. He received support from some Republicans on the committee, including Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who excoriated Democratic senators. [[Read the story]( The two contrasting [testimonies]( riveted the nation — recollections so different that they could not be reconciled. [[Read the news analysis]( Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony has raised questions about his neutrality and temperament, as well as the effect his confirmation could have on the court’s already fragile reputation as an institution devoted to law, not politics. [[Read the story]( Additional Reading • [At Times, Kavanaugh’s Defense Misleads or Veers Off Point]( • [As Senator Collins Weighs Vote, Maine Women Size Up Blasey and Kavanaugh]( • [How Americans Across the Country Are Reacting to Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony]( • [Flashback: The Anita Hill Hearings Compared to Today]( Christine Blasey Ford is not the judge’s only accuser. Before the hearings on Thursday, two more women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against the Supreme Court nominee. In a highly unusual appearance on Fox News, Judge Kavanaugh responded with an aggressive defense and vowed not to withdraw his nomination. [[Read the story]( In an article published Sunday, one of the women, Deborah Ramirez, alleged that Judge Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her at a dorm party during her freshman year of college. [[Read the story]( And on Wednesday, Julie Swetnick said she had observed Judge Kavanaugh, then in high school, at parties where women were verbally abused, inappropriately touched, made “disoriented” with alcohol or drugs and “gang raped.” [[Read the story]( A common theme connecting all the allegations is heavy drinking. A culture of hard partying permeated certain quarters of high school and college life in the 1980s, when binge drinking among teenagers reached record levels. [[Read the story]( Additional Reading • [Supreme Court Fight Goes Prime Time With Kavanaugh’s Fox News Interview]( • [Debunking 5 (More) Viral Rumors About Kavanaugh’s Accusers]( • [Trump Accuses Democrats of Running ‘Con Game’ Against Kavanaugh]( At the General Assembly, President Trump stuck to familiar themes. In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Mr. Trump reaffirmed his commitment to an “America First” foreign policy, lashing out at states like Iran and Venezuela, while also offering praise for North Korea. [[Read the story]( And he accused another country of meddling in American elections: not Russia, but China. [[Read the story]( Even as the president mingled in New York with world leaders (or didn’t), he could not separate himself from questions about what was happening in Washington, including whether his deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, [would keep his job](. [[Read the White House memo]( Mr. Trump [signed]( revised free trade deal]( with South Korea on Monday, but the status of the North American Free Trade Agreement remained tenuous as of Friday evening. The United States and Mexico are poised to release the text of a trade deal that the two countries reached last month. [[Read the story]( Additional Reading • [U.N. General Assembly: Criticism and Praise for Trump Administration]( • [Trump’s Tariffs May Hurt, but Quitting China Is Hard to Do]( • [5 Takeaways From Trump’s News Conference at the United Nations]( 38 days to go: Developments as the midterm elections near. Republican leaders in battleground states like Missouri are increasingly worried that the furor over Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination will haunt them at the ballot box. [[Read the story]( A coalition of major companies — including Walmart, Patagonia and Lyft — is making a big push to increase voter turnout. The companies argue that it’s a nonpartisan effort, but many of them have tangled with President Trump. [[Read the story]( Representative Scott Taylor was expected to have a relatively easy time winning re-election in Virginia. But after his campaign was rocked by a petition scandal, he joined a handful of other Republicans facing accusations of misconduct and unexpectedly close races. [[Read the story]( Representative Duncan Hunter, the California Republican whose re-election campaign has been imperiled by a [federal indictment]( released a startling attack ad against his Democratic challenger, Ammar Campa-Najjar, suggesting that he is an Islamic terrorist sympathizer and a national security risk. [[Read the story]( Additional Reading • [A Senate Candidate’s Image Shifted. Did Her Life Story?]( • [A G.O.P. Senate Candidate Highlights His Drug Industry Career. Should He?]( • [Sheldon Adelson Sees a Lot to Like in Trump’s Washington]( • [Ellison, Trying to Clear Name, Calls for Investigation Into Abuse Claims]( _____________________ Today’s On Politics briefing was compiled by Emily Cochrane in Washington and Margaret Kramer in New York. Is there anything you think we’re missing? Anything you want to see more of? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at [onpolitics@nytimes.com](mailto:onpolitics@nytimes.com?te=1&nl=politics&emc=edit_cn_2018092920180929). 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