Kavanaugh Confirmed, Sworn In – Following a tumultuous confirmation process, the Senate voted 50-48 to send Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as it’s newest justice, replacing retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. President Trump was enthusiastic about Kavanaugh’s confirmation, saying that he would “go down as a totally brilliant Supreme Court justice for many years”. Hours after his confirmation, Kavanaugh was sworn in to his position by Chief Justice John Roberts in a White House ceremony with President Trump in attendance. At 53, Justice Kavanaugh is now the second youngest member of the Supreme Court. Trump’s first Supreme Court appointee, Neil Gorsuch, is 51.
Hurricane Slams Florida – Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 hurricane clocking winds at 155 mph, barreled into Florida on Wednesday bringing devastating damage to much of the Panhandle area. The coast directly in the path of the storm is reportedly completely wiped out. As of Thursday morning, some 800,000 people across four states were without power, and at least 5 people have lost their lives. Michael, a fast moving storm, is moving northeast into the Carolinas before making an expected turn out to sea.
Haley Resigns – US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley resigned her position on Tuesday. While no reason for her departure was given, there is some speculation that she may be eyeing a possible Senate run in her home state of South Carolina. Haley was seen at the UN as a strong voice for American strength and relevance on the world stage. President Trump praised Haley’s work as ambassador and said he would be choosing her replacement within the next several weeks. Some possible names being floated for the job are former deputy national security advisor Dina Powell, current US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, and Ivanka Trump, although Ivanka has denied being a candidate for the position.
North Korea To Allow Inspectors In – Appearing alongside South Korean president Moon Jae-In, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has agreed to allow inspectors into a nuclear testing site. No date is set for the inspection, but Pompeo says it will take place as soon as the logistical aspects are taken care of. Pompeo also expressed his hope that North Korea would allow inspectors in to see a missile engine test site that North Korea said they had begun dismantling. Regarding a possible second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un, Pompeo said “We are not quite there yet, but we will get there”.
Trump Attacks The Fed – In response to an 1,130 point drop in the Dow in just two days, President Trump placed blame on the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates. Trump said the market had gone into a correction, but said he was not considering firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Rising interest rates are generally a sign of a healthy, productive economy, but can also cause investors to flee stocks for less volatile instruments such as bonds.
Saudi Journalist Missing – Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi writer critical of the monarchy, went missing after entering the Saudi embassy in Instanbul, Turkey to obtain a wedding license. Investigators fear that Khashoggi was abducted and killed by government loyalists inside the embassy. The Washington Post says that the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered the luring and abduction of Khashoggi. President Trump said the US was conducting an investigation into the disappearance.
Turkey To Release Pastor – The US reached a secret deal with Turkey on Thursday which will result in the release of US pastor Andrew Brunson, whose arrest caused a diplomatic row between the two countries. It is believed that the United States has agreed to ease economic sanctions on Turkey in exchange for the pastors freedom. Brunson was arrested in October 2016 o charges of assisting two groups that Turkey considers terrorist organizations. He was facing up to 35 years in prison.
Google Hid Data Breach – Search giant Google accidentally exposed the data of up to 500,000 users of it’s social media app Google+ and then attempted to hide it. In response to the revelation, Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., announced new privacy measures, including the complete shutdown of Google+ for consumers. Google said in a statement that they were unaware of anybody having exploited the breach for malicious activities.