Your Monday Briefing

Transgender, Turkey, N.F.L. View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, October 22, 2018 [NYTimes.com »]( [Your Monday Briefing]( By CHRIS STANFORD [Migrants walking north from Tapachula, Mexico, on Sunday. Thousands have defied orders from the Mexican authorities to register.]( Migrants walking north from Tapachula, Mexico, on Sunday. Thousands have [defied orders from the Mexican authorities]( to register. Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: Defining “transgender” out of existence The Trump administration [is considering classifying gender as determined by genitalia at birth]( part of a governmentwide effort to roll back recognition of transgender people under federal civil rights law. The Times obtained a draft memo from the Department of Health and Human Services that would define sex as either male or female, and unchangeable. • Tightening the rules: The move would be the most significant of a series of maneuvers to exclude the estimated 1.4 million Americans who identify as transgender from receiving civil rights protections. Under the Obama administration, the recognition of gender identity became more fluid. Turkey vows to reveal all in Saudi case President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that he would disclose within 48 hours [what his government knows]( “in full nakedness” —]( the death of the journalist]( Khashoggi]( in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul. International outrage at Mr. Khashoggi’s killing has focused on the potential culpability of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Mr. Erdogan and Prince Mohammed are allies in public but fierce rivals in private. • A shift from Trump: Over the weekend, [President Trump accused the Saudi government of “deception”]( in its account of Mr. Khashoggi’s death. Mr. Trump had previously said that he found credible the kingdom’s explanation that the journalist was accidentally killed during a fight with Saudi operatives. • Steven Mnuchin’s visit: The U.S. Treasury secretary [defended his decision to meet with Saudi officials]( this week, saying it was important to reinforce ties as Washington tries to increase pressure on Iran. A portrait of voter indifference In dozens of interviews in Republican-held swing districts in Iowa and Nebraska, [our reporter found an ambivalence about the news from Washington]( especially among the less partisan women who are crucial to Democrats’ hopes of winning back the House of Representatives. “Stay-at-home moms in Nebraska who have a limited grocery budget to live off of — no politician can understand that,” one woman said. “Especially on a federal level. How could they?” • The Tip Sheet: Election Day is about two weeks away, and we’re introducing [a daily analysis of the midterm races](. • Florida race: Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and Andrew Gillum, a Democrat, were evenly matched in [the first debate of their nationally watched]( to be the state’s governor. • Money race: Democrats have raised more, but [Republicans ha]( left in the bank]( according to the latest campaign finance disclosures. “The Daily”: Who’s allowed to vote in Georgia Accusations of intentional voter suppression have animated the governor’s race. Listen on [a computer]( an [iOS device]( or an [Android device](. Migrant caravan keeps moving Thousands of Central Americans [resumed their journey northward]( on Sunday despite a Mexican government order to submit to processing by the immigration authorities. “We want to get to the United States,” said one woman from Honduras, who was traveling with her family. “If they stop us now, we’ll just come back.” • Fact check: President Trump said “a lot of money” was given to the migrants. There is [no evidence of that](. • Forgotten families: The news cycle moves on, but many of those separated by the U.S. immigration authorities remain apart, [our columnist writes](. Business • Richard Parsons, who was named the interim chairman of CBS less than a month ago, [said he was stepping down because of illness](. • Researchers whose findings last year pointed to a downside from raising the minimum wage in Seattle have taken another look, and [the reality is more complicated](. • Earnings reports from Amazon, Microsoft, Twitter and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, are among [the headlines to watch this week](. • U.S. stocks [were mixed]( on Friday. Here’s a snapshot of [global markets]( today. Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. • Uncomplicated tech gadgets are worth the money. [Here’s what to look for](. • Worried about the long bull market? Know [how to respond when](. • Recipe of the day: Serve [roasted carrots over Greek yogurt]( with cilantro and lime juice. [Carrots star in an easy-to-assemble side dish.]Carrots star in an easy-to-assemble side dish. Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Over the Weekend • President Trump said he and Republican lawmakers had been [working on “a very major tax cut” for the middle class]( that would be introduced in the coming weeks. The move appeared to be an effort to increase Republican turnout at the polls, as Congress is in recess. • The former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said President Trump’s decision to withdraw from a three-decade-old nuclear treaty with Russia [was reckless and not the work of “a great mind.”]( • Voters in Afghanistan [cast ballots in parliamentary elections]( that were delayed for three years because of political and security troubles. There was no voting at all in two critical provinces. • The New York Police Department [is removing nearly 3,000 body cameras from use]( after one of the devices worn by an officer exploded. • The Los Angeles Dodgers [advanced to the World Series]( for the second straight year. Game 1, against the Boston Red Sox, is Tuesday. • More good news for Los Angeles sports fans: The Rams remain the N.F.L.’s only unbeaten team. Here are [seven takeaways from Sunday’s games](. • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, of “Seinfeld” and “Veep,” [accepted the Mark Twain Prize]( considered the top honor in comedy. [Julia Louis-Dreyfus became the sixth woman to receive the Mark Twain Prize in its 20-year history.]Julia Louis-Dreyfus became the sixth woman to receive the Mark Twain Prize in its 20-year history. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts • “Halloween” was [No. 1 at the North American box office]( but has far to go to reach the success of the 1978 original. We talked to [some of the actors who have played Michael Myers]( the masked killer in the 11-film franchise, about keeping the role fresh. Noteworthy • Miscarrying at work In corporate America, some employers deny expecting mothers promotions or raises. Others fire them before they can take maternity leave. But for women with physically demanding jobs, pregnancy discrimination can come with higher stakes. [The Times reviewed thousands of pages of documents]( involving workers who said they had suffered miscarriages, gone into premature labor or, in one case, had a stillborn baby after their employers denied their requests for assistance. [While employed at a Verizon warehouse in 2014, Tasha Murrell, pregnant at the time, told a supervisor she was in pain and asked to leave early; the manager said no. Ms. Murrell miscarried the next day.]While employed at a Verizon warehouse in 2014, Tasha Murrell, pregnant at the time, told a supervisor she was in pain and asked to leave early; the manager said no. Ms. Murrell miscarried the next day. Miranda Barnes for The New York Times • Quotation of the day “They would have been better off saying that Colonel Mustard did it in the library with the candlestick.” — [Steven Cook]( of the Council on Foreign Relations, on the Saudi government’s explanation for Jamal Khashoggi’s death. • 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 Michael Roston, a science editor, recommends [this]( Hmm Daily]( “If you find yourself, like me, in your late 30s or early 40s with young children, you have probably thought about how old you’ll be when they graduate high school and college or have children of their own. Tom Scocca’s essay captures how that mental math feels every time you do it.” Back Story “Je refuse le prix,” Jean-Paul Sartre said on this day in 1964. With these words, the French writer and philosopher became the first person [to freely decline the Nobel Prize](. [Jean-Paul Sartre in 1964.]Jean-Paul Sartre in 1964. Associated Press But the Swedish Academy wasn’t the first to hear them. A young journalist [landed the scoop]( after tracking down Sartre at a Paris bistro. The 59-year-old “pope of existentialism” was lunching with Simone de Beauvoir, his longtime partner. Interrupted before the cheese course, Sartre was stunned to hear that he had just been named the academy’s literary laureate. (A week earlier, after learning that he had been nominated for the honor, he had written to the jury asking not be chosen. His letter [didn’t arrive in time]( That evening, Sartre read [a statement]( to the Swedish media to explain why he refused the prize — and the $53,000 that came with it. Official honors, he said, exposed his readers “to a pressure I do not consider desirable.” The jury did not change its decision. More than a decade later, Sartre, or someone related to him, allegedly asked for the money that he had turned down, [according to the Swedish Academy’s former secretary](. This time, it was the academy that declined. Lara Takenaga 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](. 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