Jamal Khashoggi. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)
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Developing now, Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018
- President Trump cautioned against immediately blaming Saudi Arabia for the disappearance of a Saudi activist and urged critics to wait until an investigation was completed. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Turkey early Wednesday for talks on the ongoing probe.
- In an exclusive interview with FOX Business' Trish Regan, Trump revealed what he believes is the biggest threat to his presidency
- Freed American pastor Andrew Brunson detailed his nightmarish two-year ordeal in a Turkish prison in an exclusive interview with FOX News' Sean Hannity
- A descendant of Pocahontas said Sen. Elizabeth Warren should apologize for falsely claiming Native American heritage for political and professional gain
- Roseanne Barr blasted the fate of her character in the premiere of 'The Connors' on ABC Tuesday night
THE LEAD STORY - TRUMP WARNS AGAINST KAVANAUGH 'GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT' APPROACH TO SAUDI ARABIA: President Trump is cautioning against blaming Saudi Arabia for the disappearance of activist Jamal Khashoggi before an investigation was completed ... “I think we have to find out what happened first,” Trump said in an interview with the Associated Press. “Here we go again with, you know, you're guilty until proven innocent. I don't like that. We just went through that with Justice Kavanaugh and he was innocent all the way as far as I'm concerned.”
Khashoggi, who had written critically about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the Washington Post, disappeared two weeks ago during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials have said they feared Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the consulate. Saudi leaders have denied any knowledge of
Khashoggi's fate or with being involved in his disappearance. Multiple media outlets reported Monday that the Saudi government may reveal publicly that rogue intelligence operatives murdered Khashoggi by mistake inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul earlier this month during an interrogation that went wrong.
President Trump said he has talked to Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and both denied knowing what happened to
Khashoggi. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi leaders on Tuesday, including the king and crown prince, and said he stressed the need for a “thorough” investigation. The Saudi leaders “strongly denied any knowledge of what took place in their consulate in Istanbul,” Pompeo said in a news release from the State Department. He arrived in Turkey early Wednesday for talks over the Washington Post columnist's disappearance.
- Saudi Arabia’s $100M pledge arrives in American accounts as Pompeo lands in Riyadh: report
- Sen. Rand Paul: It's time to rethink America's relationship with Saudi Arabia
- Jim Hanson: The U.S.-Saudi relationship must be preserved
- FBN Interview: Trump on Khashoggi disappearance: If Saudi leaders knew, 'that would be bad'
FOX BUSINESS EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP VS. THE FED RESERVE: If you ask President Donald Trump, the biggest threat to his presidency isn’t special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, or a potential insurgency by Democrats in the November midterm elections: It’s the Federal Reserve ... “My biggest threat is the Fed,” Trump said on Tuesday during an interview with FOX Business’ Trish Regan. “Because the Fed is raising rates too fast, and it’s too independent," he complained.
So far this year, policymakers have already voted to hike short-term interest rates three times, and are poised to do so again in December, staying the course they laid out late last year. The Fed also forecast an additional three rate increases in 2019 and one in 2020.
- 'Varney & Co.' to broadcast live from the White House on Wednesday, starting at 9 a.m. ET
- Trump says he could fire Sessions 'whenever he wants to'
- Sessions says he's 'pleased and honored' to be attorney general
- Trump: If GOP loses House, don't blame me
FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: FREED PASTOR REFLECTS ON 'A VERY DIFFICULT TIME': Evangelical Christian pastor Andrew Brunson, who was released from Turkish imprisonment on Friday, spoke to Sean Hannity on Tuesday night about his detention and his meeting with President Trump ... Brunson, who was at the center of a Turkish-U.S. diplomatic dispute that even had sparked outcry from American evangelical groups, was released to house arrest after almost two years in jail. The pastor, who was accused of terror-related charges, was convicted Friday yet released from custody for time served. Brunson told Hannity he was "shocked" to be charged with terrorism and explained what it was like to be held in an overcrowded prison cell. “It was a very difficult time. I was surprised because I had never considered prison as a possibility and the costs for that,” the pastor replied. “I was isolated by culture and by language but especially by religion. It was very difficult to be the only Christian among them.”
POCAHONTAS RELATIVE SLAMS 'FAUXCAHONTAS' WARREN: A descendant of 17th-century Powhatan princess Pocahontas called on U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to apologize for appropriating Native Americans' heritage for political and occupational gain ... Warren released DNA test results on Monday that she said proved her Native American ancestry. But President Trump and other Republican critics mocked the results as questionable at best, and some Democrats slammed Warren for taking the party off-message before the crucial midterm elections. Debbie White Dove Porreco said Tuesday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that she is glad that Warren took the DNA test. Porreco asked that Warren do so in a May 1 appearance on the program. "It did prove that she wasn't the Cherokee Indian that she was claiming to be for so long," she said. "I think she's guilty of claiming she's an American Indian but has no proof -- and then [is] using it for applications for college and for political reasons."
- Howard Kurtz: From Hillary to Elizabeth, Democratic distractions hurting the party in midterms
- Laura Ingraham: Midterm madness -- Elizabeth Warren, other Dems embrace victimhood as a political platform
SPOILER ALERT - ROSEANNE LAMENTS HER CHARACTER'S FATE: (Editor's note: Skip this paragraph if you are a fan of Roseanne Barr and have not had a chance to watch the premiere of "The Connors.") .... Roseanne Barr blasted ABC for killing off her character in the Tuesday night premiere of "The Connors," a spinoff of the “Roseanne” reboot that was axed earlier this year after Barr posted a racist tweet about Obama-era official Valerie Jarrett. The show revealed that the controversial character was killed off by an overdose of prescription pain pills. Killing off the Roseanne Conner character, was “an unnecessary grim and morbid dimension to an otherwise happy family show,” Barr and her rabbi, Shmuley Boteach, said in a joint statement.
AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS
WHERE ARE THE FEMINISTS AND FIRST LADIES? - "This is the most exclusive club in the world and it includes Mrs. Carter, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush. And I keep asking, 'Where are they?' This is the ultimate sisterhood, if you will, and they have been silent on the treatment of Melania Trump" – Rachel Campos-Duffy, FOX News contributor, on "FOX & Friends," calling on the "First Ladies Club" to condemn the mistreatment of Melania Trump, in response to a video by rapper T.I. that shows a woman who resembles the first lady performing a striptease in the Oval Office. WATCH
THE 2018 MIDTERMS
Ellison loses fight to delay divorce paper release, report says
Dem Beto O'Rourke channels Trump in final debate, steals 'Lyin' Ted' line, as polls show Cruz pulling ahead.
Dark money poured in over Kavanaugh's confirmation, but will it matter in the midterms?
Heitkamp apologizes for naming sexual assault, abuse victims in newspaper ad.
2018 Midterms: Stay with FOX News for full coverage and analysis.
TRENDING
Here are the winning numbers in Tuesday night's $667M Mega Millions drawing.
Obituary for mom who died of drug overdose goes viral.
Global warming will ruin beer, scientists warn.
THE SWAMP
Liberal profs launch campaign to pack Supreme Court after Kavanaugh confirmation.
Trump bashes Stormy in 'Horseface' tweet | Leslie Marshall: Why has this kind of insult become the new normal?
Sessions says he's 'pleased and honored' to be attorney general after Trump again signals recusal disappointment.
Glenn Simpson, of Fusion GPS, pleads the Fifth on Capitol Hill amid questions over dossier.
ACROSS THE NATION
USA Gymnastics' interim president Mary Bono resigns after four days.
DC archdiocese releases list of 31 'abusive' priests.
Honduran ex-lawmaker who helped arrange massive migrant caravan to U.S. is detained.
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
Job openings hit record 7 million, plenty for the 6 million unemployed.
Trump: We have the 'greatest economy' ever.
Stock futures look to add to earnings-fueled rally.
Netflix surges on massive subscriber growth.
Uber IPO could be worth up to $120B.
Blue Ridge Fudge Lady: A lot of sweetness, a whole lotta gumption.
U.S., China trade war: Why robots may be a game-changer.
FOX NEWS OPINION
Marc Thiessen: Democrats' smear of Kavanaugh sunk their own Senate chances.
John Stossel: The best answer to speech we don't like is -- more speech.
Greg Gutfeld: Avenatti has been so bad for Dems, are we sure he hasn't been on Trump's payroll?
HOLLYWOOD SQUARED
Louis C.K. jokes about misconduct scandal, says he 'lost $35M in an hour.'
FOX News Channel beats MSNBC, CNN combined in weekly viewership.
HLN fires big-name hosts, cuts three live shows in drastic overhaul at CNN sister network.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?
Ancient ship graveyard discovered in treacherous waters.
$1 million for a penny? Extremely rare 1792 coin set for auction.
NASA eyes stunning 'cloud city' airship concept to explore Venus.
STAY TUNED
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On FOX News:
FOX & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Pastor Andrew Brunson and his wife, Norine; Tomi Lahren; Rep. Marsha Blackburn, GOP Senate candidate for Tennessee.
Hannity, 9 p.m. ET: Special guests include: Newt Gingrich; U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, GOP Republican senate candidate for Arizona.
On FOX Business:
Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas; Martin Feldstein, former economics adviser to President Reagan; Robert Jordan, former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia under President George W. Bush; Charlotte Pence, daughter of Vice President Mike Pence and author of "Where You Go."
Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Varney & Co. will broadcast live from the White House for the entire three hours. Special guests include: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke; Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump; Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget; Linda McMahon, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration; Larry Kudlow, National Economic Council director; Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao; Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue; Kevin Hassett, White House Council of Economic Advisers chairman.
Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation; David Walker, former U.S. comptroller.
Making Money with Charles Payne, 2 p.m. ET: Andy Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants; Danielle DiMartino Booth, CEO of Quill Intelligence; Gary Kaltbaum, president of Kaltbaum Capital Management; Sean O'Hara, president of Pacer ETFs.
Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman, 3 p.m. ET: Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Kennedy Live, 9 p.m. ET: Special guests include: Steve Hilton, host of "The Next Revolution"; Andrew McCarthy, FOX News contributor; Gary Johnson, Libertarian Senate candidate for New Mexico.
On FOX News Radio:
The FOX News Rundown podcast: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has "got to go" and also promises he would endorse sanctions against his country in the disappearance of missing activist Jamal Khashoggi. Senator Graham sounds off and weighs in on the midterms. On Monday, a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against Asian-American applicants during Harvard University’s admission process went to trial in Boston. FOX Business reporter Susan Li discusses the details of this divisive case. Plus, commentary by columnist for FOXNews.com and the New York Post, Karol Markowicz.
Want the FOX News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.
The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: The latest developments on missing activist Jamal Khashoggi and the midterms will be the topics of debate with the following guests: Deroy Murdock, Allen West, Anthony Salvanto, John James and Bob Stefanowski.
#OnThisDay
1939: Frank Capra's comedy-drama "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," starring James Stewart as an idealistic junior U.S. senator, has its premiere in the nation's capital.
1933: Albert Einstein arrives in the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany.
1931: Al Capone is convicted in Chicago of income tax evasion.
FOX News First is compiled by FOX News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday morning.
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