Headlines:

From Al Jazeera, Associated Press, BBC News, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, New York Times, and Wired

Pakistan: Thousands protest blasphemy acquittal, ignore PM’s call – (Al Jazeera English)
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan-led protests take place across the country, a day after Supreme Court clears Aasia Bibi.

Federal health care website up and running after slow start – (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal website where consumers can get health insurance under the Affordable Care Act was up and running Thursday after a slow start as sign-up season for 2019 opened days before the midterm elections. During early morning hours, people…

In U.S. campaign homestretch, Democrats focus on healthcare – (Reuters)
From suburbs to conservative rural areas, Democrats seeking a majority in at least one house of the U.S. Congress in next week’s elections are spending the last days of the campaign on one message: They will protect Americans’ healthcare coverage.

Google Walkout: Employees Stage Protest Over Handling of Sexual Harassment – (The New York Times)
Workers in the tech company’s offices around the world protested on Thursday against how it has handled cases of sexual harassment and misconduct.

A growing toll: 56,800 migrants dead and missing in 4 years – (Associated Press)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — One by one, five to a grave, the coffins are buried in the red earth of this ill-kept corner of a South African cemetery. The scrawl on the cheap wood attests to their anonymity: “Unknown B/Male.” These men were migrants from elsewhere in …

UK village resents being used in US midterm election battle – (Associated Press)
LONDON (AP) — The political battle raging in the United States as the midterm election approaches has ricocheted over the Atlantic Ocean and upset residents of a small coastal village in eastern England. That’s because a Republican congressional candidate in …

Pittsburgh synagogue massacre suspect pleads not guilty – (Reuters)
The man charged with opening fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue and killing 11 worshipers pleaded not guilty on Thursday in federal court to all 44 counts against him, including hate crimes and firearms offenses.

Indonesian investigators examine black box from crashed jet – (Reuters)
Indonesian authorities said they would immediately begin examining a damaged black box retrieved on Thursday from the sunken wreckage of a Lion Air jet that crashed off Jakarta this week, killing all 189 people on board.

Ahead of U.S. elections, fears of voter suppression – and efforts to fight back – (Reuters)
Clemente Torres has proudly cast his vote in person at Dodge City’s lone polling place in every election since he became a naturalized citizen 20 years ago.

‘Riace was destroyed’: Pro-refugee village broken after mayor ban – (Al Jazeera English)
Uncertainty abounds in the Italian hamlet rejuvenated by Domenico Lucano’s visionary perspective on refugee integration.

Germany monitoring potential risks from euro clearing after Brexit: ministry – (Reuters)
The German Finance Ministry is closely monitoring potential risks from euro clearing after Britain’s planned departure from the European Union, a spokeswoman told Reuters on Thursday.

U.S. labor market tightening; manufacturing slowing – (Reuters)
New applications for U.S. unemployment aid fell last week and the number of Americans receiving benefits was the lowest in more than 45 years as labor market conditions tightened further.

Pittsburgh synagogue suspect pleads not guilty – (Associated Press)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The anti-Semitic truck driver accused of gunning down 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal charges that could put him on death row. Robert Bowers, 46, was arraigned one day after a grand jury issued a…

Pittsburgh suspect pleads not guilty – (BBC News)
The man accused of shooting 11 worshippers at a synagogue on Saturday requests a jury trial.

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect pleads not guilty – (Reuters)
The man charged with murdering 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in a shooting spree on Thursday pleaded not guilty to all 44 counts against him, including hate crimes and firearms offenses.

Days after synagogue massacre, online hate is thriving – (Associated Press)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A website popular with racists that was used by the man charged in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre was shut down within hours of the slaughter, but it hardly mattered: Anti-Semites and racists who hang out in such havens just moved t…

Exclusive: Pilot radioed alert on doomed Indonesian jet’s previous flight – (Reuters)
The pilot of a Lion Air flight from Indonesia’s Bali island on Sunday made a radio alert minutes after take-off due to technical problems, but they were overcome and he pushed on to Jakarta. The same jet crashed on another flight hours later, killing all 189 …

UK crime agency investigates Brexit campaigner Banks over loans – (Reuters)
Britain’s serious crime agency began an investigation on Thursday into Brexit backer Arron Banks and one of the main groups which campaigned to leave the European Union over the true source of million of pounds in loans.

Ex-Goldman bankers face 1MDB charges – (BBC News)
US authorities announce charges against two former Goldman Sachs bankers and Malaysian financier Jho Low.

Trump: ‘I always try to tell the truth’ – (BBC News)
Mr Trump’s tone is under scrutiny as a poll shows voters are concerned about politicians’ “incivility”.

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From various sources

3 children, 2 adults hit by car at bus stop in Tampa, Florida: Police – (ABC News)
Three children and two adults waiting for a school bus in Tampa, Florida, were struck by a car.

Trump Spoke With China’s Xi on Trade, Says Talks Going ‘Nicely’ – (Bloomberg)

Children Of Republican Missouri House Candidate Speak Out: ‘He Must Be Stopped’ – (The Huffington Post)
“My dad’s a fanatic,” Steve West’s son said. “His ideology is pure hatred. It’s totally insane.”

GOP House fund won’t help Rep. Steve King in Iowa race due to his support for white supremacists – (CNBC)
The National Republican Congressional Committee says it “will not play” in Rep. Steve King’s race to win re-election to the Iowa 4th District seat against Democratic challenger J.D. Scholten because of King’s race-fueled remarks. Intel, Purina and Land O’Lake…

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All about Trump

Europe should work with Iran to counter US unilateralism – (Financial Times)
Iranian president warns that the Trump administration endangers world stability

How is Bar Refaeli connected to a plot to discredit Robert Mueller? – (The Jerusalem Post)
According to media reports, Surefire is a straw company for US-based Trump activist Jacob Wohl who tweeted on Monday that big allegations against Mueller were on their way.

Trump to deliver remarks on immigration – (The Hill)
President Trump will deliver remarks Thursday on what the White House is calling the “illegal immigration crisis,” part of his effort to stoke fears over the issue in the days before the midterm elections. White House

Trump to speak on immigration as admin looks to limit asylum seekers – (CNN)
President Donald Trump is preparing to give an immigration speech Thursday from the White House, multiple sources tell CNN, as he seeks to use a group of Central American migrants heading for the US border as part of his closing argument to voters ahead of th…

Greenblatt returning to Israel for more peace plan meetings – (The Jerusalem Post)
President Trump’s peace envoy is not expected to meet with Palestinian Authority officials while in Israel.

Commerce Department IG to audit Trump’s tariff exemptions – (The Hill)
The Commerce Department’s office of inspector general is planning to audit the process by which firms gain exemptions to U.S. tariffs, according to documents obtained by The Hill.

Kudlow says Trump hasn’t personally asked Fed to lower rates “yet” – (Axios)
Trump has publicly criticized Powell at least six times for raising interest rates.

Trump talks trade with Chinese president amid heightened tensions – (The Hill)
“Those discussions are moving along nicely,” Trump tweets.

’It’s sickening’: Trump shocks with racist ad – (News.com.au)
IN WHAT has been described as the most racially charged national political ad in three decades, US President Donald Trump has shared a video alleging Democrats were responsible for allowing convicted sociopaths into the US.

Outrage erupts over Trump campaign ad blaming Democrats for immigrant who ‘killed our people’ – (USA Today)
The inflammatory ad is being derided by many as the most racially charged campaign spot since the 1988 “Willie Horton ad.”

Trump Spoke With China’s Xi on Trade, Says Talks Going ‘Nicely’ – (Bloomberg)

Trump Signals Progress on Trade After Phone Call With Chinese President Xi – (Google News)
President Trump said he had a “long and very good conversation” with Chinese President Xi Jinping and signaled progress on the trade dispute between the nations.

Trump says he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if unfounded conspiracy theory about George Soros funding caravan is true – (The Washington Post)
The president’s comments came after the Democratic mega-donor was targeted with a pipe bomb last week.

2018 was already going to be about race – (Google News)
With a stampede of last-minute race-baiting agita, President Donald Trump has diverted the national debate before the key midterm elections. These do not simply feel like dog whistles, but something closer to the President pulling a fire alarm in order to ril…

Jacob Wohl, 20, far-right conspiracy theorist, gets a moment in spotlight with Mueller plot – (NBC News)
Jacob Wohl, a former hedge fund manager turned pro-Trump conspiracy peddler, is a central character in a bizarre plot to smear special counsel Robert Mueller.

Young Americans signal record turnout for midterm elections, reject Trump and the GOP: Poll – (CNBC)
Nearly three in five respondents said they are more fearful than hopeful about the future of the U.S., and a 43-percent plurality said they would be more fearful if the GOP held onto its majority in the House after the midterms.

Trump adviser rules out deal on raising federal minimum wage – (The Hill)
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Thursday said he would oppose any deal that would raise the federal minimum wage. “My view is no.

Poll: Voters think the media divides America more than Trump – (Axios)
64% say the national news media has done more to divide the country than unite it.

Trump’s next move in the US-China trade war could hit your wallet harder than the last – (Business Insider)
Trump’s next move in the US-China trade war could hit your wallet harder than the last

Andrew Gillum Says Donald Trump Provides Cover To Racists – (The Huffington Post)
“I believe that his cover has led to much of the degradation in our political discourse,” the Tallahassee mayor said.