News from the note…

A round up of the day’s news that might be of interest to you.

This is an OPEN THREAD,  folks. Chat about any of the stories listed, share links to stories that caught your eye today, and generally have a good time discussing whatever you want.

A new era of U.S.–China competition calls for new rules

Even as the U.S.–China trade war escalates, the two powers are fighting a greater battle at the frontiers of technology. With its “Made in China 2025” strategy — targeting sectors like aviation, high-speed rail, electric vehicles and agricultural machinery — China aspires to build firms that will not only replace foreign technology and products domestically but supplant them internationally.

Why it matters: In 2018 U.S.–China relations have entered a period of profound strategic drift, a pivotal moment in the transition from cooperation to competition. It’s an open question whether this split will spawn a cold war or even a military confrontation — prospects some policymakers are now considering for the first time — but there’s no doubt that a wider economic war is now upon us, to be waged over ownership of the technological innovations that will drive the 21st century.

Axios

Cordray praises Kasich for standing up to Republicans

Richard Cordray is battling a Republican to be Ohio’s governor, but he thanked the state’s current GOP leader Thursday for bucking his party and expanding Medicaid in the state.

“He’s done some things that have been very good for Ohio,” Cordray said of Gov. John Kasich during a POLITICO Playbook Elections event. “I have been quite willing to commend him for that. He had real courage on the Medicaid expansion, bringing that to Ohio and fighting the naysayers in his party.”

Politico

TV actor Tom Selleck quits NRA board of directors

Actor Tom Selleck, star of such TV crime dramas as “Magnum, P.I.” and “Blue Bloods” and an ardent gun collector, has resigned from the National Rifle Association’s board of directors.

“Tom Selleck has stepped down from the board of the NRA due to his work schedule,” his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement emailed to Reuters on Wednesday.

Reuters

Goodlatte: Administration undercut law, Congress by setting refugee cap

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) on Thursday accused the State Department of defying the law by proposing a sharp reduction in refugees to the United States.

The charge marks a rare rebuke of the administration from Goodlatte, who wants officials to consult “immediately” with Congress before establishing a final cap on refugees to be accepted into the country next year.

“The law is clear: the Administration must consult with Congress prior to the President’s determination of the annual refugee ceiling,” Goodlatte said in a statement. “But this did not happen this year, and the Trump Administration has no excuse for not complying with their obligation under the law.”

The Hill

Aides quietly stunned by Trump’s respectful handling of Kavanaugh accuser

White House aides who steeled themselves for what President Donald Trump would say when he finally addressed the sexual assault allegation against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh were quietly stunned when Trump said the process should be followed and the accuser should be heard.

In recent days, Trump has bragged about the positive coverage he’s received for his response, according to multiple sources. That response has contributed to him continuing to say Christine Blasey Ford should come forward with her story, they said.

As of Thursday, officials felt confident Kavanaugh was back on track toward confirmation.

Those who work closely with the fiery President knew he had privately voiced suspicion about the #MeToo movement, complaining that decades-old allegations could ruin men’s lives in an instant. He himself stands accused of various levels of sexual misconduct by 15 women, all of which he has denied.

CNN

South Carolina lawmaker jokes about sexual assault amid Kavanaugh allegations

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) on Thursday mocked the sexual assault allegation a California woman made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, joking that the latest update had brought new allegations against Abraham Lincoln.

“Did y’all hear the latest, late-breaking news from the Kavanaugh hearings?” Norman said, joking that was the reason he was running late for a candidates’ debate. “Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out that she was groped by Abraham Lincoln.”

The South Carolina lawmaker’s comments were made during opening remarks at the debate in Rock Hill, S.C.

Politico

From The “Feel Good News” File