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 an update on the death toll of Hurricane Michael, tensions between the White House and Congress, and records being broken by Beto.
Will a meeting relieve trade tensions?
With U.S. markets taking a hit and the trade battle with China intensifying, President Trump will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in November.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House informed Beijing that the summit meeting would proceed, an encounter officials say China has been hoping for.
The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Group of 20 leaders’ summit in Buenos Aires.
Hurricane Michael isn’t over yet
Hurricane Michael’s death toll rose to 13 as of Friday morning.
Officials expect it to continue to rise as emergency workers continue to search rubble and the storm stretches into Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management reported five of the 11 fatalities Friday.
The New York Times continues to have live updates of the storm.
Might not be first in polls, but in fundraising he sure is
Beto O’Rourke (TX-D) may be trailing in the polls, but his effort is raising an unparalleled amount of money.
O’Rourke’s Senate campaign announced a record-breaking third quarter fundraising haul of $38.1 million.
According to CNN, it is the most money raised in a quarter by a U.S. Senate campaign.
This isn’t the first time O’Rourke has made headlines though. Last quarter, he raised a then record-breaking $10.4 million.
Officials at the O’Rourke campaign announced that the $38.1 million was “powered by 802,836 individual contributions.”
U.S. pastor freed by Turkish court
After being detained for two years, U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson was released by a Turkish court.
Brunson was charged with helping to plot a coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to CNN.
On Friday, the court sentenced Brunson to three years and one month in prison, but released him based on the time he has already served and his “manner during the proceedings,” his lawyers said. Prosecutors were originally seeking a 10-year jail term.
The case has caused tension in relations between Turkey and the U.S.
Powell drops out of consideration for U.N. ambassador
One of President Donald Trump’s top choices to replace U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley removed herself from consideration.
Dina Powell, a Goldman Sachs executive and former deputy national security adviser to Trump, was considered a contender by some, but many opposed her due to her time working for the Bush administration, according to CBS News.
According to Trump, his daughter, Ivanka, would be “dynamite,” but Ivanka also withdrew herself from consideration Tuesday.
Tensions between the White House and Congress
A growing rift between the White House and Congress over American policy on Saudi Arabia has been exposed.
According to the New York Times, the suspected murder of a Saudi journalist is what revealed this gap.
Tensions between Congress and the Trump administration about relations with Saudi Arabia are not new. The two organizations already disagreed with the “Saudi-led, U.S. backed bombing campaign” in Yemen that “killed thousands of civilians.”
Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have accused the White House of moving too slow after the disappearance of a “well-connected Saudi columnist for The Washington Post.”
That’s all we have for today. Have a great weekend!
