Your Friday Briefing

Hurricane Michael, Georgia, Stock Markets: View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Friday, October 12, 2018 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Friday Briefing]( By MARY HUI [Hurricane Michael cratered a road in Carrabelle, Fla., as if an earthquake had struck the area, too.]( Hurricane Michael cratered a road in Carrabelle, Fla., as if an earthquake had struck the area, too. Johnny Milano for The New York Times Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Taking stock of a hurricane’s destruction The Florida Panhandle faces a stark reckoning as a clearer picture of [the scope of Hurricane Michael’s devastation comes into focus](. Mexico Beach, where the storm made landfall, is a flattened wreck, and much of the Panhandle is a scene of collapsed buildings and damaged roads. Follow [our live briefing]( for updates. Six deaths have been confirmed so far, and more than a million homes and businesses were without electricity on Thursday. Across Florida, [some hospitals were closed while others scrambled to evacuate patients](. After causing widespread damage in Georgia, where an 11-year-old girl died, Michael weakened into a tropical storm and [slogged through the Carolinas, which were still recovering from]( Florence]( last month. • Aerial images: We surveyed [one mile of devastation in Mexico Beach](. • In pictures: Our photographers captured [striking images of the destruction](. Disinformation, Made in the U.S.A. Before the 2016 election, Russian operatives exploited Facebook and Twitter to try to sway U.S. voters. Now, weeks before the midterm elections, such [influence campaigns]( increasingly being created by Americans, for Americans](. Facebook said on Thursday that it would remove around 800 pages and accounts run by Americans, many of which amplified false and misleading content in a coordinated fashion. And Twitter took down 50 accounts this month thought to be run by Americans posing as Republican lawmakers. Separately, advocacy groups in Georgia have filed a lawsuit after reports that Brian Kemp, the secretary of state and the Republican nominee for governor, [stalled more than 53,000 voter registrations]( including a disproportionately high number of black voters. • From the soul: Kanye West [delivered a 10-minute]( to President Trump at the White House on Thursday. • The first lady: Melania Trump said in an interview that she is [“the most bullied person” in the world](. [President Trump said Kanye West’s speech was “pretty impressive.”]President Trump said Kanye West’s speech was “pretty impressive.” Gabriella Demczuk for The New York Times What next for the markets? The performance of Asian markets suggested that [investor fears may be calming today]( after a spate of bad news on Wall Street and beyond this week. Futures markets that track U.S. stocks are rising this morning, while those tracking Europe are mixed. Stocks on Wall Street [fell for a]( day on Thursday]( setting the stage for another bad October. President Trump responded to the news by [lashing out at the Federal Reserve]( calling it “crazy,” “loco,” “going wild” and “out of control” for slowly raising interest rates. The intensity and frequency of Mr. Trump’s attacks on the Fed have some experts worrying about its independence. • Here’s an overview of [U.S. stocks]( and a snapshot of [global markets]( today. Ripple effects of Saudi journalist’s disappearance The suspected murder of Jamal Khashoggi has raised tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, [pitting two of the region’s powers]( each other](. Both President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia have a lot to lose in the dispute. On Thursday, they agreed to form a joint “working group” to examine Mr. Khashoggi’s case, suggesting that they were looking for ways to de-escalate the situation. Internationally, the dispute has forced lobbyists, financiers, tech executives and media figures to [confront]( risks of doing business with Saudi Arabia](. • A rift over U.S. policy: President Trump said on Thursday that relations with Saudi Arabia were “excellent,” but [members of]( him]( doing little]( the matter](. Podcasts: More to Listen To • “The Daily”: The police shooting that rocked Chicago. Listen on [a computer]( an [iOS device]( or an [Android device](. • “The Argument”: new from our Opinion section. Three columnists from across the political spectrum — Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and David Leonhardt — make sense of the news, without pretending that they agree about it. This week: the future of the Supreme Court and the future of #MeToo. Listen on [a computer]( an [iOS device]( or an [Android device](. Business • Walmart is [teaming up with two entertainment companies]( as it expands its business beyond brick-and-mortar retailing. • Marriott workers, on strike to protest stagnant wages, are also [struggling with high credit union fees](. • Britain may [require companies to]( pay disparities]( among ethnic groups. Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. • Navigate traffic [like a pro](. • Uber drivers: [Should you tip them]( • Recipe of the day: [Seared chicken breast with baby potatoes and capers]( makes a surprisingly simple dinner. [Pan-seared chicken is a skill with countless rewards.]Pan-seared chicken is a skill with countless rewards. Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Stylist: Vivian Lui. Noteworthy • Harvey Weinstein scores a small victory After evidence cast doubt on one woman’s story, a judge [dismissed one of six criminal charges]( against the disgraced Hollywood mogul. • A fraudster gets his due The organizer behind the Fyre Festival sham has been [sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to wire-fraud charges](. • China’s road into Europe A Chinese state-owned company is building a bridge in Croatia with European Union funds. [The project will be a test case for the bloc]( which is worried about Beijing’s growing influence. • The week in good news Anthony Mancinelli, 107, is the world’s oldest barber. He’s been cutting hair for close to a century, and he’s not done yet. His was one of [seven stories that inspired us](. [Anthony Mancinelli has a few tricks to his longevity: Don’t drink or smoke, put in a satisfying day’s work, and “eat thin spaghetti, so I don’t get fat.”]Anthony Mancinelli has a few tricks to his longevity: Don’t drink or smoke, put in a satisfying day’s work, and “eat thin spaghetti, so I don’t get fat.” Andrew Seng for The New York Times • No news quiz this week It will return on Friday, Oct. 19. • Ready for the weekend At the movies, we review “[Watergate]( Charles Ferguson’s comprehensive documentary; and Damien Chazelle’s “[First Man]( starring Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong. You can find [all of this week’s film reviews here](. At the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, [our art critic reviews an exhibition]( that gives a full-scale look at Charles White’s politically vigilant art. Also in Manhattan, we toured [a]( exhibition dedicated to the influential ’60s rock band the Velvet Underground]( with one of the group’s founders, John Cale. Finally, we recommend [10 new books](. • Talking to my fiancé about my new girlfriend After enjoying an open relationship, a couple decides to marry. But [why must marriage require sexual fidelity]( • Best of late-night TV [Trevor Noah]( up his view of Kanye West’s visit to the White House]( “I really enjoyed seeing Kanye make Trump feel the way Trump makes us feel everyday.” • Quotation of the day “These were all block and stucco houses — gone. The mother of all bombs doesn’t do any more damage than this.” — [Tom Bailey]( the former mayor of Mexico Beach, Fla., on the damage from Hurricane Michael. • The Times, in other words Here’s an image of [today’s front page]( and links to our [Opinion content]( and [crossword puzzles](. • What we’re reading Our Interpreter columnists Max Fisher and Amy Taub recommend [this Twitter thread]( “Erin Ruberry, a writer, posted a series of images showing how zoo professionals weigh various baby animals — baby panda, baby penguin, baby giraffe, you name it.” Back Story Quite a few readers wrote to us last week to take issue with this sentence at the end of a briefing: “His whereabouts is unknown.” Surely, they wrote, it should be “whereabouts are.” [Our in-house style guide often helps to settle grammar and spelling questions.]Our in-house style guide often helps to settle grammar and spelling questions. Well, yes and no. Times editors consult an [in-house style guide]( for grammar and spelling questions like this. And the entry for “whereabouts” tells us to “construe it as a singular.” But why? While “whereabouts” is commonly used as a noun, [it began as an adverb]( (“Whereabouts are you from?”). That means the “s” at the end is an adverbial suffix — think of “always” or “besides” — and not an indicator of a plural noun. Historically, “whereabouts” has been considered both singular and plural when used as a noun, though in recent years the plural has been winning out. Philip Corbett, our top editor for standards, said that in cases of two acceptable usages, the Times stylebook often specifies one, and sometimes the more traditional one. “At some point,” he said, “we may have to consider whether to change our stylebook guidance, if only to avoid distracting readers who may believe that the singular usage is wrong.” Interested in grammar and usage questions? [Check out our copy editing quizzes](. Jennifer Jett wrote today’s Back Story. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekdays and [updated all morning](. Browse [past briefings here](. [Sign up here]( to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning. To receive an Evening Briefing on U.S. weeknights, [sign up here](. Check out our full range of free newsletters [here](. What would you like to see here? Contact us at [briefing@nytimes.com](mailto:briefing@nytimes.com?subject=Morning%20Briefing%20Feedback). LIKE THIS EMAIL? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up [here](. ADVERTISEMENT Sponsor a Subscription Inspire a future generation of readers by contributing to The New York Times [sponsor-a-subscription program](. For every subscription granted through contributions to this program, The Times will provide a digital subscription to one additional student. 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