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By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Daniel Lippman, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

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NEW ... TREASURY SECRETARY STEVEN MNUCHIN (@stevenmnuchin1): "Just met with @realDonaldTrump and @SecPompeo and we have decided, I will not be participating in the Future Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia."

BIG WHITE HOUSE MOVE ... CHRIS HODGSON, an alum of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise's (R-La.) office, has been promoted to be VP MIKE PENCE'S legislative affairs director. He previously worked in the VP's leg affairs shop. But this promotion means he's now running Pence's Hill operation. Johnny Hiler, who recently ran the operation, is now working for Miller Strategies.

MARY LEE: "Emmet Flood temporarily takes McGahn's place as White House counsel": "Trump has chosen Washington attorney [Pat] Cipollone, who is still waiting for his background check to clear, which could take weeks." POLITICO

THE TRUMP MIDTERM ... WAPO'S ASHLEY PARKER and JOSH DAWSEY: "'I am on the ticket': Trump seeks to make the election about him, even if some don't want it to be": "Trump has deliberately placed himself at the center of the November elections, explicitly telling voters to imagine they're casting a ballot for him, rather than their local representative. ... The president, meanwhile, has told White House aides that his supporters won't come out to the polls if they don't believe the election matters to him ...

"[H]e wants to campaign for Republicans six days a week -- and sees these mega-rallies as a testing ground for his own 2020 reelection ... While aides around Trump have grown increasingly concerned about the prospect of Republicans losing the House, the president himself privately insists the polls are fake and that his performances at rallies will carry Republicans to victory." WaPo

CASH DASH -- MAGGIE SEVERNS, "Senate GOP super PAC raises $37.6 million in September": "The fundraising haul was by far Senate Leadership Fund's largest monthly total for the midterm cycle and a tenfold increase over the $3.2 million that the group raised in August. It brought total fundraising for the midterm elections to $99.6 million at the close of September, and the super PAC said it has since crossed the $100 million fundraising mark. ... They expect to spend heavily on television ads in a swath of battleground states." POLITICO

THE LATEST ON KHASHOGGI ... "Pompeo says Saudis should get 'a few more days' to finish Khashoggi investigation," by Jesus Rodriguez: "Pompeo told reporters that the Saudis assured him they would conduct a thorough and transparent investigation and would make the results available to the public.

"'This report itself will be transparent for everyone to see, to ask questions about ... I told President Trump we ought to give them a few more days to complete that so that we, too, have a complete understanding of the facts surrounding that - at which point, we can make decisions about how or if the United States should respond to the incident surrounding Mr. Khashoggi,' Pompeo said on Thursday. 'I think it's important for us all to remember, too, we have a long, since 1932, a long strategic relationship with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,' Pompeo added." POLITICO

-- HMM ... "One of Khashoggi's suspected killers reportedly died in a car crash on return to Saudi Arabia," by Business Insider's Alex Lockie and John Haltiwanger: "An article titled 'Riyadh Silenced Someone' on Yeni Safak, a Turkish newspaper that strongly supports Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, cited anonymous sources as saying Bostani died in a car crash, without giving a specific time or location." BI

-- NYT'S RICK GLADSTONE: "Aide to Saudi Crown Prince, Suspect in Khashoggi Case, Shown Walking into Consulate": "A frequent companion of Saudi Arabia's crown prince entered its Istanbul consulate just hours before the dissident writer Jamal Khashoggi disappeared inside, according to a time-stamped photograph published on Thursday by a leading pro-government Turkish newspaper. The photograph of the companion, who has been previously identified as Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, is one of the most striking pieces of evidence to date linking Mr. Khashoggi's Oct. 2 disappearance and possible death to the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman." NYT

Good Thursday afternoon. WHAT'S ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 7:25 a.m.: "I am watching the Democrat Party led (because they want Open Borders and existing weak laws) assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, whose leaders are doing little to stop this large flow of people, INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS, from entering Mexico to U.S....."

... at 7:35 a.m.: "....In addition to stopping all payments to these countries, which seem to have almost no control over their population, I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught - and if unable to do so I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!.."

... at 7:45 a.m.: "...The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA. Hopefully Mexico will stop this onslaught at their Northern Border. All Democrats fault for weak laws!"

AP'S MATTHEW LEE: "U.S. downgrades Jerusalem diplomatic mission to Palestinians": "The United States on Thursday downgraded the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by placing it under the authority of the U.S. Embassy to Israel.

"The move, which was immediately denounced by the Palestinians and hailed by Israel, is the latest Trump administration decision to align with Israeli government views and a victory for U.S. Ambassador David Friedman. He had long sought to end the Jerusalem consulate's independent status but had faced resistance from within the State Department." AP

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WAR REPORT -- "U.S. commander in Afghanistan survives deadly attack at governor's compound that reportedly kills top Afghan police general," by WaPo's Sayed Salahuddin and Pamela Constable in Kabul: "Gen. Austin 'Scott' Miller, the target of the attack claimed by the Taliban, escaped unharmed, [officials] said. Among those reported killed in the attack inside the governor's compound in southern Kandahar province were the country's top police general, Abdul Raziq, who was seen as the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan. U.S. military officials confirmed that a U.S. soldier, a contractor and a civilian were wounded in the attack, which occurred shortly after a high-level meeting
attended by Miller." WaPo

MORE PROBLEMS IN AFGHANISTAN ... "Afghan Leader Blindsided by U.S. Meeting With Taliban, Officials Say," by NYT's Mujib Mashal in Kabul: "Last week, [President Ashraf] Ghani's fears came true, in a humiliating way that he had worked to avoid. The American special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, just days after hearing ... Mr. Ghani's concerns in Kabul, the Afghan capital, flew to the gulf state of Qatar and quietly met with Taliban representatives. ...

"[Officials] described the Afghan president as furious at the breach of trust between allies ... In a meeting in Kabul the day after Mr. Khalilzad met the Taliban, according to the officials, Mr. Ghani specifically asked the American delegation about their talks with the Taliban but was not given any details - and the American envoy then changed the subject. The immediate diplomatic blowback was not clear, but similar mistrust in the past has derailed previous attempts toward talks." NYT

THE LATEST ON NORTH KOREA ... "Ease or Squeeze? U.S., Seoul Wrangle Over North Korea Policy," by WSJ's Jonathan Cheng and Andrew Jeong in Seoul: "Friction is growing between South Korea and the U.S. over how best to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear program, with Washington maintaining pressure and Seoul seeking to ease sanctions and reduce the North's isolation. ...

"The allies' conflicting approaches underline their different goals. For Mr. Moon [Jae-in], the son of North Korean refugees, the priority is peace with a neighbor. ... For the U.S., the priority is winding back North Korea's nuclear program, particularly since Pyongyang demonstrated an ability last year to fire a long-range missile capable of reaching American cities." WSJ

TRADE WARS -- "China's weak currency is helping it in the trade war - but Beijing doesn't want it to fall further," by WaPo's Anna Fifield in Beijing: "The Chinese yuan, also called the renminbi, fell to its lowest point in 21 months on Thursday, edging closer to an exchange rate of seven to the U.S. dollar. It would be the first time it had crossed this psychologically important line since the global financial crisis in 2008.

"Yet this is not so much a case of the yuan being weak as it is of the U.S. dollar being strong, economists say. ... In this intensifying trade war, however, everything is fair game, and the currency could be the next line of attack for the Trump administration." WaPo

-- WSJ'S JACOB BUNGE and LUCY CRAYMER, "In the Race to Feed China's Giant Appetite for Pork, the U.S. Is Losing"

ON THE WORLD STAGE -- "As tensions mount, Mattis seeks more resilient U.S. ties with China's military," by Reuters' Phil Stewart in Singapore

NYT'S ADAM LIPTAK, "A Conservative Group's Closed-Door 'Training' of Judicial Clerks Draws Concern": "The closed-door 'training academy' was aimed at a select group: recent law school graduates who had secured prestigious clerkships with federal judges. ... 'Generous donors,' the application materials said, were making 'a significant financial investment in each and every attendee.' In exchange, the future law clerks would be required to promise to keep the program's teaching materials secret and pledge not to use what they learned 'for any purpose contrary to the mission or interest of the Heritage Foundation.' ...

"[L]egal experts said the effort by Heritage to train and influence law clerks raised serious ethical questions and could undermine the duties the clerks have to the justice system and to the judges they will serve." NYT

POSTCARD FROM LONDON ... WOMEN RULE GOES TO LONDON -- ANNA and U.K. POLITICO EDITOR KATE DAY interviewed LISS TRUSS, chief secretary to the treasury, last night at our first "Women Rule" event in London. Truss, who is a rising star in the Cabinet and an advocate for small government, talked about the gender pay gap, #metoo and Brexit. H/t to Annabelle Dickinson for the quotes ... Pic ... Another pic ... Subscribe to Jack Blanchard's London Playbook

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CONVO ... ON BREXIT: "There is darkness before the dawn, and that is where we are. We are getting through those negotiations and in fact a huge amount of progress is being made."

-- ON THERESA MAY: "She is iron-willed, and she is indefatigable and she will get through it."

ON LABOUR'S ALL-WOMEN SHORTLISTS: "They succeeded in changing the number of female MPs, but if I was being critical they didn't succeed in changing the power base in the Labour Party."

-- ON #METOO: "The internet has given people the ability who didn't have voices before, to actually express themselves and say, 'I feel angry about the situation, and I want change.'"

-- ON BEING FUNNY WHILE FEMALE: "People do look at you differently because you are a woman. I think they are less likely to think you might be funny." ON HER INSTAGRAM JOKES: "Everyone thinks that somebody else has written it for me."

-- ON BEING VALUED: "You don't want to be told you are there because you have got a vagina; you want to be told you are there because you are valued and you can add something to the party."

-- ON MAKING MISTAKES IN THE WORKPLACE: "I have had plenty of cock-ups in my political career. ... If you cock up, so what? You get up the next morning, and you do it again."

AFTERNOON READ -- "No sanctuary: Philly vs. the feds: Inside the city's polarizing, no-middle-ground war with Trump over sanctuary cities," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's David Gambacorta and ProPublica's Kavitha Surana: "[T]he reality of life in a sanctuary city like Philadelphia is far more complex. The city's police union, like many across the country, heartily endorsed Trump in the 2016 election, but many commanders and rank-and-file officers are committed to winning the trust of immigrant communities by not asking about people's immigration status, or contacting ICE to share data. ...

"On two dozen occasions, police, probation officers, and even one of Kenney's top deputies have quietly provided tips to ICE about undocumented immigrants who were charged with crimes. Other forms of information-sharing still continue ... For the undocumented immigrants who dream that cities like Philadelphia can shelter them in a protective bubble, these contradictions are a reminder that true sanctuary doesn't exist anywhere in America." Inquirer

OUT AND ABOUT ... SPOTTED at a book party hosted by Dewey Square Group last night for Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry and Minyon Moore's "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics" ($18.89 on Amazon): Michael Whouley, Charlie Baker, John Giesser, Sara Fagan, Ann Stock, John Podesta, Harold Ickes, Stephanie Cutter, Susan Brophy, Peggy Lewis, Maria Cardona, Karen Finney, Abby Phillip, Guy Cecil, Ashley Etienne, Anne Gearan, Yamiche Alcindor, Adrienne Elrod and Katie Fricchione.

-- SPOTTED at a party last night at the Hay-Adams to celebrate the launch of Sard Verbinnen's Washington-based public affairs practice: George Sard, Ed Gillespie, Bruce Haynes, Miriam Sapiro, T.J. Tatum, Grover Norquist, Ziad Ojakli, Christin Tinsworth Baker, Jay Timmons, Chris Netram, Bob Kimmitt, Megan Pollock, Rich Meade, Mitch Bainwol, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Jack Quinn, Mark Isakowitz, Liz Sidoti, Eric Schmitt, Arturo Sarukhan, Tony Wayne, Meredith Broadbent, David Gross and Chris Ullman.

MEDIAWATCH -- Alex Rogers will join the Congress team at CNN. He is currently a staff correspondent at National Journal.

TRANSITIONS -- Saat Alety will be director of federal government and regulatory affairs at Allstate. He previously was a legislative assistant for Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Heather Hunter, executive producer at WMAL Radio, and Derek Hunter, contributing editor at The Daily Caller, welcomed Bailey Shannon Anne Hunter, who came in at 8 lb 8 oz. Pic ... Another pic


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