Your Thursday Briefing

Jamal Khashoggi, China, Boston Red Sox View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Thursday, October 18, 2018 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Thursday Briefing]( By CHRIS STANFORD [Turkish forensic officers leaving the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul today. The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi has prompted a fierce international backlash against Saudi Arabia.]( Turkish forensic officers leaving the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul today. The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi has prompted a fierce international backlash against Saudi Arabia. Emrah Gurel/Associated Press Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: U.S. agencies grow convinced of prince’s role American intelligence officials say they have increasing circumstantial evidence that [Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia was]( killing]( of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. They’re preparing a classified assessment for President Trump, who has been careful to maintain a close relationship with the kingdom and has suggested that “rogue killers” may have been responsible. • Gruesome details: Audio recordings show that [Mr. Khashoggi was killed and dismembered]( shortly after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago, Turkish officials said on Wednesday. • The Interpreter: The Khashoggi case has provoked an unusual crisis in U.S.-Saudi relations. [Our columnist explains](. • “The Argument”: [In our new podcast]( Opinion columnists from across the political spectrum discuss Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance and debate foreign policy in the Trump era. Unsurprisingly, they disagree. A wealthy candidate’s not-so-blind trust Rick Scott, Florida’s governor and a candidate for the Senate, might be the richest member of the next Congress. Estimates say he and his wife are worth up to $510 million. To shield himself from conflict-of-interest charges, Mr. Scott created a $73.8 million investment account that he called a blind trust. But [an examination of his finances]( shows that the trust has been blind in name only. [Gov. Rick Scott of Florida and his wife, Ann, in April. Their investments stood to benefit from his administration’s actions.]Gov. Rick Scott of Florida and his wife, Ann, in April. Their investments stood to benefit from his administration’s actions. John Raoux/Associated Press • The Campaign Reporter: Our politics correspondent Alex Burns is covering some of the most important races this election season. [Sign up here to receive his updates](. • Elizabeth Warren: Some Native Americans [are upset with the senator from Massachusetts]( who released the results of a DNA test that she said showed her Native American ancestry. A plan to squeeze China After making new trade agreements with Canada, Mexico and South Korea, President Trump is trying to refashion the Trans-Pacific Partnership [through a series of bilateral trade deals]( as a way to contain Beijing’s ambitions. • Currency manipulation: The Treasury Department expressed concern on Wednesday about China’s weakening currency but [declined, again, to officially call it a manipulator](. • Postal treaty: Mr. Trump [plans to withdraw from a 144-year-old agreement]( that has allowed Chinese companies to ship small packages to the U.S. at a steeply discounted rate. Season of crisis in Afghanistan “Any one of the problems facing Afghanistan right now would be an urgent national issue,” [our correspondent in Kabul writes](. “Together, they have created an existential moment.” Even worse is the sense that no one sees a clear path through the crises, including the threat from Taliban insurgents. • Parliamentary election: Voting is to take place on Saturday, even though at least a third of the country’s polling stations won’t open because of the 17-year war. The ABCs of artificial intelligence The last six years have witnessed breakthroughs involving self-driving cars, algorithms that can detect diseases, and social networks like Twitter that rely on A.I. to determine what appears on our feeds. As part of a special section on the subject, The Times [spoke with the author Yuval Noah Harari]( who said that no industry was immune to the effects of artificial intelligence. • Glossary: A.I. has its own jargon. [Here are some crucial concepts and terms](. • Global leaders: The U.S. and China are leading the way in A.I. research and products, but other countries [hope]( challenge the two juggernauts](. “The Daily”: Letting Louis C.K. back on stage Who gets second chances in the #MeToo era, and who gets to decide? Listen on [a computer]( an [iOS device]( or an [Android device](. Business • The minutes of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting suggest it will [continue raising interest rates]( perhaps to a level that would act as a mild brake on the economy. • With its new Pixel 3 phone, Google is emphasizing software improvements — particularly for images. [Read our tech columnist’s review](. • Where has all the Tab gone? Coke is still producing the diet cola, but a major bottler has [stopped distribution in](. • U.S. stocks [were down]( on Wednesday. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets]( today. Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. • Gear to help your baby [sleep better](. • How to find the [right face wash](. • Recipe of the day: [Spiced loin chops]( are lean and quick to make. [Crushed fennel seeds and black pepper add crisp and crunch to the seared meat.]Crushed fennel seeds and black pepper add crisp and crunch to the seared meat. Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Kalen Kaminski. Noteworthy • Former gymnastics chief is arrested Steve Penny, the former president and chief executive of U.S.A. Gymnastics, [faces a felony charge of evidence tampering]( in a Texas investigation into sexual abuse by Lawrence Nassar, the imprisoned former doctor for the national gymnastics team. • Why white supremacists are chugging milk A genetic trait known to be more common in white people than others — the ability to digest lactose as adults — is part of the research that has been appropriated by those with extremist views on race. [Scientists have been grappling with how to respond](. • She introduced tofu to the West Long before veggie burgers and soy lattes were fashionable, the U.S. government enlisted Yamei Kin [to uncover the benefits of soybeans]( for Americans. She’s the subject of the latest in [our series of obituaries that The Times originally overlooked](. • The baseball playoffs [The Boston Red Sox won, 8-6]( to take a commanding three-games-to-one lead over the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from the World Series after [beating the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2](. • Freaky footwear It seems that every fashion brand has a sneaker in its arsenal at the moment, and there’s pressure to innovate. But [it’s reached the point of absurdity]( our chief fashion critic says. [Versace is one of many fashion labels that are flirting with sneakers.]Versace is one of many fashion labels that are flirting with sneakers. Robyn Beck/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images [Here’s more from this week’s Style section](. • “Heaven” on the best-seller list Mitch Albom’s sequel to “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” debuts at No. 1 on our [hardcover fiction list](. You can [find all of our best-seller lists here](. • Best of late-night TV Stephen Colbert [criticized President Trump]( for saying of climate change, “You have scientists on both sides of the picture.” • Quotation of the day “Canada is once again a progressive global leader. We have gay rights, feminism, abortion rights, and now we can smoke pot without worrying police are going to arrest us.” — [Marco Beaulieu]( 29, who waited with friends outside a cannabis retailer in Montreal on the day Canada legalized the drug. • 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 Tim Herrera, our Smarter Living editor, recommends [this piece from The Guardian]( “This deep dive into what human bodies will look like 100 years from now explores our unease with technology. To sum up the concern in one question: ‘Is it going to change who I am?’ ” Back Story Fall foliage is peaking around New York. The yearly marvel never ceases to amaze, so we wanted to share an explanation we first published a couple of years ago. The leaves of deciduous trees [change colors]( as nights lengthen and cooler weather prevails, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The structures of photosynthesis have to be dismantled, and energy is packed up and delivered to the trunk for winter reserves. [Autumn in New York.]Autumn in New York. Lauren Long/The Syracuse Newspapers, via Associated Press That results in the exhilarating array of colors. The green of the leaf, from chlorophyll, breaks down, allowing the emergence of previously hidden yellow-orange pigments (the same ones that give carrots and daffodils their color). The changes render the leaf unstable and more vulnerable to solar rays than in the height of the summer. The auburn, scarlet and ruby hues are caused by a chemical the leaf manufactures to help protect it from the sun. The same compound colors beets, raspberries and apples. Halfway around the world, Japan’s leaf season is [just starting](. The practice of going to see the leaves turning is called momijigari and offers a fall parallel to spring’s cherry blossom festivals. That is when, of course, the ruling color is a delicate pink. Andrea Kannapell 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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