memeorandum: Florida's culture clash pits Gillum against Trump voters (Steve Peoples/Associated Press)

9:50 AM ET, October 22, 2018

Top Items:

CNN:

Surveillance footage shows Saudi operative in Khashoggi's clothes after he was killed, Turkish source says — Graphics by Henrik Pettersson, CNN — Istanbul (CNN)One member of the 15-man team suspected in the death of Jamal Khashoggi dressed up in his clothes and was captured …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, USA Today, Joe.My.God., Outside the Beltway, Raw Story and The Week

The New Arab:

Saudi crown prince ‘phoned Khashoggi at the consulate right before he was killed’ — The Saudi narrative of the killing has been met with scepticism [Getty] — Date of publication: 21 October, 2018 — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly spoke on the phone …

Washington Post:

Inside the Saudis' Washington influence machine: How the kingdom gained power through fierce lobbying and charm offensives — In March 2018, the Saudi ambassador to Washington summoned a cadre of high-priced Washington lobbyists to his embassy to grapple with a delicate, double-pronged challenge.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Reuters: Saudi king and crown prince call Khashoggi's son to express condolences: SPA

Washington Post:
Khashoggi's death was a ‘rogue operation’ that the crown prince was not aware of, Saudi foreign minister says

Discussion: Reuters, New York Times, The Atlantic, Outside the Beltway, The Week, Just Security, HuffPost, Mother Jones and The Daily Beast

Ian Talley / Wall Street Journal:
Mnuchin Heads to Saudi Arabia to Bolster Iran Policy as Uproar Grows Over Journalist Death

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Politico and CNBC

Martin Chulov / The Guardian:
Jamal Khashoggi: murder in the consulate

Discussion: Fox News, CNN, Middle East Eye, The Daily Beast and Spectator USA

Steve Peoples / Associated Press:

Florida's culture clash pits Gillum against Trump voters — THE VILLAGES, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump's loyalists here at Florida's premier retirement community fear Andrew Gillum. — It has nothing to do with his race, they insist, when asked about the 39-year-old Democrat …

CNN:
Florida governor debate: Ron DeSantis and Andrew Gillum face off

Discussion: Washington Post, The Week, Florida Politics, Associated Press, The Daily Caller and Mediaite

Michael Grunwald / Politico: How to Win Florida — It's the southernmost section …

CNN:
CNN Poll: Democrats up in Florida with two weeks to go

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Splinter, The Week, New York Times, POLITICUSUSA and Political Wire

miamiherald:
Andrew Gillum will be a governor for all Floridians

Discussion: The Week, CNN and Florida Politics

Washington Post:

Special counsel examines conflicting accounts as scrutiny of Roger Stone and WikiLeaks deepens — In recent weeks, a grand jury in Washington has listened to more than a dozen hours of testimony and FBI technicians have pored over gigabytes of electronic messages as part of the special counsel's quest …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Week and CNN

Matt Ford / New Republic:

The Mueller Report Is More Important Than Ever — Politico published a downer on Friday. “President Donald Trump's critics have spent the past 17 months anticipating what some expect will be among the most thrilling events of their lives: special counsel Robert Mueller's final report …

Discussion: The Week

Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:
Democrats eye revival of Russia probe if they win House

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA

Politico:

Trump gets ready to play midterm blowout blame game — In public the president says the 2018 election is about him. In private, he talks about pointing the finger after likely Democratic gains. — At his rallies, President Donald Trump argues that the midterms are about one person — Donald Trump.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Week and No More Mister Nice Blog

Claude Thompson / Washington Examiner: Carl Bernstein: Trump preparing to call midterm elections ‘illegitimate’ if Democrats take power

Raphael Satter / Associated Press:

Malta academic in Trump probe has history of vanishing acts — SWIEQI, Malta (AP) — It was her last day of class and Leida Ruvina was getting suspicious. — The Albanian student had just finished the first module in what was purported to be a doctoral program co-administered …

Kate Briquelet / The Daily Beast:

Michael Avenatti Lived the High Life While Owing Millions to IRS — As Michael Avenatti floats a 2020 presidential run, court records reveal the lawyer and his companies owed millions in unpaid taxes and judgments. — Kate Briquelet — On the Fourth of July, Michael Avenatti suited …

Discussion: Splinter and Daily Wire

Abby Livingston / The Texas Tribune:

Will Donald Trump's Houston rally for Ted Cruz motivate Republicans — or Democrats? — Like everything else in 2018, political operatives and candidates argue over whether President Trump's Houston rally will help or hurt local Republican candidates.

Ashley Parker / Washington Post:
The ‘sniveling coward’ and the ‘maniac’ are now allies, as Trump stumps for Cruz

Discussion: Breitbart and ABC News

Andrew E. Kramer / New York Times:

Gorbachev Calls Trump's Nuclear Treaty Withdrawal ‘Not the Work of a Great Mind’ — MOSCOW — President Trump's announcement that the United States would withdraw from a nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia drew sharp criticism Sunday from one of the men who signed it, Mikhail S. Gorbachev …

Discussion: Telegraph, The Independent, TheBlaze, Political Wire, Balloon Juice, Talking Points Memo and CNN

Reuters:
Kremlin: We'll respond in kind if U.S. develops intermediate missiles

Discussion: Politico

Gideon Resnick / The Daily Beast:

Harry Reid's Political Machine Roars Again in Nevada, With an Assist From Trump — The major labor union in the state has been hitting the pavement hard as early voting begins. The numbers, so far, are staggering. — Gideon Resnick By Gideon Resnick — LAS VEGAS—Jeff Kugele emerged …

Discussion: HuffPost, Politico, Culinary Union Local 226 and Roll Call

New York Times:
As Democrats Court Latinos, Indifference Is a Powerful Foe

Discussion: Front Page Magazine and NBC News

New York Post:

The Mooch interprets what the White House was like through dance — Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci stopped by The Post in advance of his upcoming book, “Trump The Blue-Collar President,” out Oct. 23. Watch as his historic tenure in the White House...

Daniel Marans / HuffPost:

GOP State Lawmakers Pal Around With White Supremacists. Party Group Backs Them Anyway. — The Republican State Leadership Committee, which helps GOP candidates win in state legislatures, has been silent. — Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King drew national attention last week for elaborating …

Devan Cole / CNN:

DNC chair: we ‘always knew that this election was going to be close’ — Perez on Trump's approach to election security — Washington (CNN)Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez said Monday that the party “always knew that this election was going to be close,” …

Discussion: Political Wire

Robert Kagan / Washington Post:

The myth of the modernizing dictator — Many Americans have an odd fascination with the idea of the reforming autocrat, the strongman who can “modernize” and lead his nation out of its backward and benighted past. This was the hope for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia …

New York Post:

The Post's endorsements in NY, NJ House races — Political control of the House of Representatives is up for grabs in the Nov. 6 midterm election, and several key races in New York and New Jersey could end up deciding the balance of power. If Democrats retake the House …

Discussion: The Buffalo News

Axios:

House Republicans' day after — With Speaker Paul Ryan retiring, House Republicans will return from what could be a brutal election — and have no guarantee about their next leader. — The big picture: Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, a favorite of President Trump who's the current #2 …