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.
Fox Business Network pulls out of Saudi summit amid Khashoggi crisis
Fox Business Network is withdrawing from an upcoming investment summit in Saudi Arabia, becoming the latest media organization to do so in the wake of the disappearance and suspected murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“FOX Business Network has canceled its sponsorship and participation in the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia. We continue to seek an interview with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman,” the network said in a statement to The Hill.
The Hill
Saudi Arabia Weighs Blaming Intelligence Official for Khashoggi Killing
The rulers of Saudi Arabia are considering blaming a top intelligence official close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, three people with knowledge of the Saudi plans said Thursday.
The plan to assign blame to Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri, a high-ranking adviser to the crown prince, would be an extraordinary recognition of the magnitude of international backlash to hit the kingdom since the death of Mr. Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi dissident. A resident of Virginia and contributor to The Washington Post, Mr. Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul 16 days ago.
Blaming General Assiri could also provide a plausible explanation for the killing and help deflect blame from the crown prince, who American intelligence agencies are increasingly convinced was behind Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance.
New York Times
Republicans’ hypocrisy on the US deficit is stunning, even in Washington
Who’d have thought 10 years ago that Paul Ryan, the young and energetic warrior wonk proselytizing about the danger of budget deficits and the national debt, would be leaving office in 2019 having overseen one of the largest deficit increases in history?
Pretty much nobody.
Ryan spent most of his young career shouting from the rooftops of Capitol Hill that runaway deficits and debt were going to ruin the country.
CNN
U.S. anti-missile cyber defense could be less effective than claimed
Amid all the conversation around Bob Woodward’s “Fear,” there was a small detail that largely escaped public notice: U.S. cyberattack capabilities against adversary missile programs are weaker than publicly claimed. Woodward reports President Obama had initiated an ongoing program that “pinpointed cyberattacks on the command, control, telemetry and guidance systems before and during a North Korean missile test launch,” but “their success rate was mixed.”
Why it matters: Pre-emptive U.S. cyberattacks on conventional and nuclear missiles, and their supportive command-and-control and targeting systems, are at the heart of the U.S. defense strategy against China. But if the Pentagon is still obtaining only “mixed results” from the same kind of disabling cyber operations with North Korean missiles, which are less sophisticated than China’s, U.S. defense capabilities in this area might be less effective than advertised.
Axios
A New Surge at the Border Is Forcing Migrant Families Into Motel Rooms
Hundreds of migrant families have been transferred to motels in Arizona in recent days after being processed at the Mexican border, an unusual response to a record-setting crush of new arrivals that is overwhelming migrant shelters and government detention facilities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers dropped off more than 140 migrants at a budget motel in southern Tucson on Tuesday and Wednesday, after coordinating with Catholic Community Services, a local organization that houses, feeds and clothes migrants who pass through the city on their way to final destinations elsewhere. More migrants are expected to arrive at the motel in the next few days.
The nonprofit organization, which relies on donations, arranged and paid for the rooms in the Tucson motel after migrant shelters and transport companies became overwhelmed. Last week, Catholic Community Services accommodated about 200 migrants at a motel in Yuma, Ariz., for several days before they were able to travel onward.
New York Times
Trump rally in Texas moved to larger venue
President Trump‘s rally in Houston in support of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has been moved to a larger venue because of high demand, Trump’s campaign manager announced Thursday.
The rally was initially scheduled for the 8,000 NRG Arena. But Brad Parscale tweeted the rally has relocated to the Toyota Center, which holds up to 19,000 people for concerts. The venue is home to the NBA’s Houston Rockets.
The Hill
Kelly and Bolton get in profanity-laced shouting match: reports
White House chief of staff John Kelly and national security adviser John Bolton got into a heated, profanity-laced shouting match outside the Oval Office on Thursday, according to multiple reports
CNN reported that the two men clashed over immigration policy in the wake of a government report that found a record number of migrant families illegally crossed the U.S. border in September.
Bloomberg reported that the incident led some White House aides to wonder whether one of them might immediately resign in anger.
Neither individual is expected to resign, and President Trump is aware of the dispute, Bloomberg added.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The argument underscored persistent reports that the White House is rife with turmoil and in-fighting. Kelly has been subject to numerous reports that indicate his relationship with Trump has frayed, though he has remained on the job for more than 14 months.
Bolton is relatively new within the administration, having just taken over as national security adviser in April.
The Hill
