On Politics: Pompeo’s Handling of the Khashoggi Case Casts Him in a New Light

The secretary of state’s tough image fell by the wayside in Saudi Arabia, where he sat smiling with royal leaders suspected of involvement in the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. [Trouble seeing this email? View in browser]( [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( October 18, 2018 | Morning Edition Good Thursday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today. _____________________ • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has cultivated an image of talking tough. But his trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss the disappearance of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi offered a different picture. [Read the story](. • Rick Scott, the Florida governor and Senate candidate, is fabulously wealthy. [Here’s]( his]( might present conflicts if he makes it to Congress](. ADVERTISEMENT • Senate Democrats had struck a deal with Republicans, confirming one last slate of President Trump’s judicial nominees in order to recess ahead of the midterms. [But]( have resumed hearings for more conservative judges]( apparently breaking the truce](. • Donald McGahn departed as White House counsel on Wednesday, ending a tumultuous tenure during which he became both a critical adviser to Mr. Trump and a chief witness against him in the special counsel investigation. [Read more about his](. • More than 200,000 Florida voters live in counties devastated by Hurricane Michael. Officials are working to ensure they can vote next month, [but damaged buildings and widespread power outages make that an uphill battle](. • “Our definitions matter to us.” Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test has prompted anger from Native Americans, who say the question of identity goes far beyond DNA. [Read more about the reactions to the]( results](. • After securing trade agreements with South Korea, Canada and Mexico, Mr. Trump is [pursuing bilateral deals with]( in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the pact he]( from](. • Mr. Trump plans to withdraw from a 144-year-old postal treaty that lowered costs for Chinese companies to ship goods to the United States. [Here’s how it plays into continuing efforts to punish China](. • The Trump administration has barred American aid workers from going to North Korea as it pressures the country to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. [Read more about the travel ban](. • The president has raised $106 million for his re-election, leading some Republicans to wonder if the cash would be better spent on endangered congressional candidates. [Read about where the money is]( and is not —](. • Christine Hallquist of Vermont is the first transgender person to be nominated for governor by a major party, and people want to hear her life story. [But the thing she really wants to talk about is the electric grid](. • In Arizona, Lea Marquez Peterson — a conservative, Hispanic female candidate — was seen as a future face of the Republican Party. [Here’s why her campaign is still struggling](. _____________________ Today’s On Politics briefing was compiled by Margaret Kramer in New York. Check back later for On Politics With Lisa Lerer, a nightly newsletter exploring the people, issues and ideas reshaping the political world. 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_2018101820181018). ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW NYTimes [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytimes]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »]( | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Politics newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Manage Subscriptions]( | [Change Your Email]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( | [Advertise]( Copyright 2018 The New York Times Company | 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018