Saudis Admit Killing Khashoggi | Afghans Vote Today

Finally acknowledging his death, Saudi Arabia arrested 18 people in the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi sources said Khashoggi fought those sent to confront him and was choked to death. Those arrested include a close aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the deputy intelligence director, and after shifting denials, experts say, that link may cast a shadow over the royal heir’s future. President Donald Trump said he found the admission “credible” and entertained imposing sanctions, but remained reluctant to cancel Saudi purchases of U.S. arms.

What price democracy? Today thousands of citizens across Afghanistan will head to their polling places to cast ballots for members of parliament. Except in Kandahar province, where the government has postponed voting for one week, after Taliban gunmen assassinated two security officials there Thursday — at a meeting that included America’s top commander in the country, Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller. He escaped unharmed while three Americans and the provincial governor were wounded. Now the rest of the nation must decide if choosing their representatives is worth the risk of further attacks.

Forget the Russians. Data firms hired to help Republicans and Democrats target voters are taking cues from marketing’s most manipulative practices. So who’s winning the digital arms supremacy race? Barack Obama’s campaign exploited cable TV viewers’ profiles to great effect. But by 2016, Donald Trump’s campaign seemingly leaped ahead with help from Cambridge Analytica, mountains of data from Facebook, and “psychographic targeting” on social media. Now Democrats have some catching up to do. But with new and more advanced political targeting, where is the line between information and manipulation?

It’s flying into a storm. Louis Armstrong International Airport is getting a $1 billion face-lift, smoothing the way for a growing New Orleans passenger base. But there’s a catch: Like Crescent City, it’s barely above sea level on a hurricane-prone coast. It’s America’s lowest airport among other water-hugging air hubs facing the challenge of climate change — exacerbated by jet exhaust — and rising sea levels. The End of Airports author and Big Easy denizen Christopher Schaberg wonders: Are these costly improvements doomed, along with the city they serve?

The Week Ahead: A joint U.S. House committee plans to interview Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, probably about reports he wanted to secretly record President Trump, on Wednesday. London-based Christie’s auction house will sell its first work of art made by artificial intelligence on Thursday. And on Friday, voters in Ireland will choose a president and decide whether to scrap a constitutional blasphemy prohibition.

Know This: More than 60 people were killed in northern India when a train ran through a festival crowd. Thousands of migrants heading for the U.S. clashed with police as they crossed into Mexico from Guatemala yesterday. And Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, a Republican who sought re-election as an independent, suspended his campaign and endorsed Democrat Mark Begich Friday amid controversy over alleged inappropriate comments to a woman.

Tune In: What happens when 100 Black men gather to discuss the most pressing issues of the day? The answer may surprise you. Don’t miss OZY’s fourth primetime show, Take On America, then join the conversation on Facebook and YouTube to give your #takeonamerica.

It was a second shot at love for Diane Reeve: Philippe Padieu was handsome and suave. He also cheated, infecting at least a dozen women with HIV. But victimizing Reeve would prove costly. Following an electronic trail, she found his other “loves,” who teamed up in pursuit of justice. They found it in Texas, which imprisoned him for assault with a deadly weapon — his bodily fluids. And more than justice, she got health care denied by her AIDS-excluding insurer, something the state compensates crime victims for.

A new café culture’s emerging, but you won’t hear Paris’ 1000 & 1 Signes bragging about its pioneering role. Its hearing-impaired owner and staff began offering its silent dining experience in 2011, compelling customers to use nonverbal communication, including sign language and writing on whiteboards. Now such establishments are operating from Zagreb to Bogotá, and even include a silent Starbucks. It’s a far better opportunity for workers than some places in India, where employers cash in on government incentives to hire the deaf, but offer only dead-end jobs.

When there’s a suspicious death in the backcountry, the National Park Service relies on 33 special agents of the Investigative Services Branch — basically the vacation FBI. They solve cases ranging from murder to theft of native artifacts. And crime scenes include more than 85 million acres of remote, federally protected land. Limited resources mean an agent generally handles each step of the investigation. That was the case after a woman tragically fell to her death during her 2012 wedding anniversary trip at Rocky Mountain National Park — and the distraught husband’s story didn’t add up.

Emily Jungmin Yoon’s collection of poetry, A Cruelty Special to Our Species, recounts the painful history of 80,000-200,000 women from Korea, Taiwan, China and Southeast Asia. Kept as sex slaves by the Japanese army during World War II, these women have kept silent from shame perpetuated by their societies. Adopting their voices, the book explores gendered violence, diplomatic tensions, facing the past, and human cruelty. One victim’s voice says she doesn’t hate the Japanese — who continue to deny forcing the women — “I hate men and I hate sex.”

Not so fast. The Milwaukee Brewers prevented the Dodgers from renewing their pennant Friday night, blasting four first-inning runs and holding off L.A. with its stingy bullpen to win Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, 7-2. The hometown victory necessitated Game 7 in Milwaukee tonight, with local veteran Jhoulys Chacin on the mound against hot L.A. rookie Walker Buehler. The rematch of Game 3, which Chacin won in a shutout, will decide which team advances to the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, starting Tuesday.