We’re back and we’re reading – everything from the “New York Times” to the “Wall Street Journal.” We’re trying to help you keep up with the rapid pace of politics and policy. Today we’ve got yet another update on Kavanaugh, U.S. sanctions on a Turkish company, and those Russians again.

Senate votes to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination

Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh secured the support needed to win Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court.

The Senate voted Friday 51 to 49 to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Three of the four undecided votes went to Kavanaugh’s favor coming from two Republicans, Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) and Susan Collins (Maine), and one Democrat, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).

After reading the FBI report Thursday, both Republican senators said they’d “seen no additional corroborating information” to go along with Dr. Ford’s testimony.

Just when we thought it was over, some votes could still change later on Friday.

Kavanaugh acknowledges demeanor in Senate testimony

Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh acknowledged that he shouldn’t have said some things in his testimony to the Senate in an op-ed published Thursday.

Kavanaugh said he understands how questions about his demeanor and judicial temperament could be raised after the way he acted. But he argues that he will be an impartial and even-tempered justice.

According to the Washington Post, his defense comes after 2,400 law professors from different political parties signed a letter to the Senate that argued for Kavanaugh’s lack of “judicial temperament.”

Kavanaugh wanted to it make clear that the allegations against him were undue and wrongful.

But some like Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said it was too little too late to make a statement.

What the Kavanaugh allegations mean for the midterms

Republicans never expected the backlash and controversy that surrounded Kavanaugh’s nomination on July 9.

What seemed like a sure thing confirmation is now making the party nervous. But something else surprising has happened in light of all of this: Republicans are more excited to vote in the midterms.

A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll said Republicans decreased their enthusiasm deficit from 10 to 2 points since July.

According to CNN, republican leaders have noticed this spurt of enthusiasm and are using it to ensure the maximum amount of voters show up to the polls on Nov. 6.

Trump tax investigation continues

New York City officials said Thursday they have joined state regulators in the investigation of the Trump family tax schemes.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Trump had participated in shady things like outright fraud and tax evasion in the 1990s.

The statute of limitation on any of these potential crimes uncovered have long expired, but this investigation will decide whether other penalties like fines are merited.

U.S. puts sanctions on Turkish company

The U.S. government imposed sanctions on a Turkish company for doing business with North Korea.

S.I.A. Falcon International Group was accused of trading luxury goods and weapons with North Korea and ignoring previous sanctions from the U.S. and the United Nations.

This is sending a strong message to Kim Jong Un right before the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to North Korea this weekend.

The Trump administration wants to make clear its intentions to put pressure on North Korea to get rid of its nuclear missile programs.

The move is also highlighting the on-again off-again relationship with Turkey, a NATO country.

U.S. officials charge Russian spy agency of attacks

The U.S. government charged seven Russian spies with a variety of crimes.

From widespread hacking that leaves no one safe to doping, poisoning, and downing of a plane, these individuals aren’t getting off easy.

Russian officials from the intelligence agency, GRU, have denied these active measures and said that the U.S. has some shady business of its own: a biological program using toxic bugs as weapons.

This is just one instance of the many accounts of Russian international crimes. Who knows where they’ll go next?

That’s all we have for today. Check back Monday for more.