Tipsheet: Democrats slide in battle for Senate

View in your browser     Democrats slide in battle for Senate By ALEXANDER BOLTON   The battle for control of the Senate is looking worse and worse for Democrats, who just a month ago saw a path to the majority but now increasingly look like they could lose more seats and have a smaller minority next year. Republicans have seen a bump in the polls in several key races since Labor Day. They believe momentum has flipped to their party since the fight over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh polarized the electorate, hurting Democrats running for re-election in states were President Trump is popular. Read the full story here     O'Rourke's rise raises hopes for Texas Dems down ballot By LISA HAGEN   DALLAS — The energy and enthusiasm behind Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s (D-Texas) Senate campaign is having a ripple effect down the ballot in deep-red Texas, giving Democrats a much-needed jolt in the battle to pick up seats in the House. Read the full story here     Trump confirms US will withdraw from key arms control treaty By TAL AXELROD President Trump confirmed the U.S. will pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a nuclear deal signed between Washington and Moscow during the Cold War.  Read the full story here     Pelosi, Schumer: Trump 'desperate' to put focus on immigration, not health care By JOHN BOWDEN Democratic congressional leaders on Saturday slammed President Trumpfor calling Democrats "obstructionists" on immigration reform and accused the president of attempting to "change the subject" away from a national conversation on health care. Read the full story here       Early voting hints at huge turnout By REID WILSON More than 4.3 million Americans have already cast their ballots in the midterm elections, and early signs point to a huge increase in turnout from the last midterm elections in 2014, when overall voter participation hit a 70-year low. Read the full story here     Washington Post blasts Saudi 'fable' on Khashoggi's death By JOHN BOWDEN The Washington Post editorial board on Saturday tore into Saudi Arabia's explanation for the death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, calling it a "fable." Read the full story here     Tech giant faces crucial decision over Saudi ties By HARPER NEIDIG  An international tech giant is facing tough scrutiny over its ties to Saudi Arabia after the killing of a dissident journalist. Read the full story here     Biden: American values being 'shredded' under Trump By TAL AXELROD Former Vice President Joe Biden ripped President Trump in Las Vegas on Saturday, saying that American values “are being shredded by a president who’s all about himself.” Read the full story here     Trump teases new tax cut legislation By TAL AXELROD President Trump told reporters Saturday his administration and congressional Republicans were exploring options for a new tax cut plan.  Read the full story here     Trump threatens ‘maximum penalties’ for voter fraud By TAL AXELROD President Trump warned people found guilty of voter fraud would face “maximum penalties” ahead of November’s midterm elections. Read the full story here     This Supreme Court term will show bench lacks conservative majority By ROBERT NATELSON OPINION | The headlines scream that Puerto Rico’s governor wanted the $300 million “Whitefish contract” canceled. It should be canceled but not for the reasons the media claims. Read the full story here     Claiming 'spousal privilege' to stonewall Congress By JONATHAN TURLEY OPINION | Despite exaggerated claims on both sides, Congress has a legitimate interest in establishing the underlying facts concerning the work of Fusion GPS and the novel involvement of the Ohrs Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Migrant caravan re-forms in Mexico, members vow to reach US By Mark Stevenson and Sonia Perez D. Despite Mexican efforts to stop them at the border, about 2,000 Central American migrants swam or rafted across a river separating that country from Guatemala, re-formed their mass caravan in Mexico and vowed to resume their journey toward the United States. Read the full story here     CNN: Pressure builds as Saudi explanation for Khashoggi death is questioned By Euan McKirdy An increasingly vocal chorus of international voices is questioning the Saudi version of events that led to the death of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country's consulate in Istanbul almost three weeks ago. Read the full story here     The Wall Street Journal: Scandal Over Dead Journalist Jolts Heir to Saudi Throne By Summer Said, Margherita Stancati and Justin Scheck   Saudi Arabia’s elderly king sent a strong signal this weekend that his handpicked heir, 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, remains in good standing despite the gruesome killing of a prominent government critic that many at home and abroad suspect he set in motion. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: House Democrats’ hope for wave election diminishes as Republicans rebound By Sean Sullivan   Democratic hopes for a wave election that would carry them to a significant House majority have been tempered in recent weeks amid a shifting political landscape and a torrent of hard-hitting attack ads from Republicans. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Trump Administration Eyes Defining Transgender Out of Existence By Erica L. Green, Katie Benner and Robert Pear The Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, the most drastic move yet in a governmentwide effort to roll back recognition and protections of transgender people under federal civil rights law. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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