CNN news

1. Trump's loyalty to Riyadh is becoming harder to defend as allegations mount that Saudi officials may be connected to a journalist's possible death

   President Donald Trump will meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday as the White House struggles to contain a spiraling crisis over a journalist's apparent death at a Saudi consulate.

   

   

2. Washington Post publishes Khashoggi's last column

   The Washington Post has published what the newspaper describes as the "last piece" written by missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was allegedly killed and dismembered in his country's consulate in Istanbul earlier this month.

   

   

3. Jeffrey Toobin: An embarrassment Kushner has any power

   CNN's Jeffrey Toobin weighs in on Jared Kushner's role in President Trump's administration and the growing scrutiny surrounding his close ties to Saudi Arabia's crown prince.

   

   

4. Analysis: Why we know so little about Khashoggi's disappearance

   "I don't want to talk about any of the facts" -- Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, King Salman Air Base, Riyadh, October 17, 2018.

   

   

5. Jake Tapper calls out Trump's 'stunningly dismissive' tone

   CNN's Jake Tapper discusses President Trump defending the Saudis over the suspected killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

   

   

6. Billionaire gives $2M more to Democrat in governor's race

   Billionaire philanthropist turned political activist Tom Steyer has already made a big investment in the 2018 election, but in the closing days of the campaign, Steyer has picked his favorite candidate and is pulling out all the stops.

   

   

7. Don McGahn out as White House counsel, sources say

   Sources say Wednesday was White House counsel Don McGahn's final day at the White House.

   

   

8. Robert Mueller's quiet period hasn't been very quiet lately

   Ever since reaching a deal with special counsel Robert Mueller, Paul Manafort has kept the Russia prosecutors busy.

   

   

9. Lindsey Graham's joke draws backlash

   Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) joked on Fox News that it would be "terrible" if a DNA test showed that he has Iranian heritage.

   

   

10. Analysis: Republicans' hypocrisy on the US deficit is stunning, even in Washington

    Who'd have thought 10 years ago that Paul Ryan, the young and energetic warrior wonk proselytizing about the danger of budget deficits and the national debt, would be leaving office in 2019 having overseen one of the largest deficit increases in history?

    

    

11. Analysis: Trump's willing to carry Republicans ... unless they lose

    Don't expect Donald Trump to cop to a "thumpin' " or a "shellacking" if the midterm elections turn into a triumph for Democrats.

    

    

12. Chris Cuomo slams Fox News host, GOP for pushing 'scare tactics'

    CNN's Chris Cuomo slams Republicans for pushing "scare tactics" ahead of the 2018 midterms.

    

    

13. Ex-USA Gymnastics president arrested on charge of tampering with evidence

    The former head of USA Gymnastics has been accused of removing documents linked to the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case from the famed Karolyi Ranch gymnastics training facility in Texas, authorities said.

    

    

14. Her campaign mistakenly called them abuse survivors. Now they want answers.

    The women incorrectly identified as survivors of "domestic violence, sexual assault, or rape" in an open letter from Sen. Heidi Heitkamp's re-election campaign to her Republican opponent Rep. Kevin Cramer are "beyond furious," "confused" and "upset."

    

    

15. FBI asks for help in finding missing girl whose parents were found dead

    Two days have passed since Jayme Closs' parents were found dead and the 13-year-old girl vanished. But as investigators scramble to find her, few answers have emerged.

    

    

16. Images suggest Russia military buildup

    New satellite imagery shared exclusively with CNN shows Russia appearing to upgrade four of its military installations in Kaliningrad, Russia's strategic outpost on NATO's doorstep.

    

    

17. Lead detective told Weinstein witness to delete cell phone messages

    The former lead detective handling the New York sex crimes investigation against Harvey Weinstein told an accuser to delete cell phone messages prior to turning her phones over to authorities, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

    

    

18. California surgeon and girlfriend accused in additional rape cases

    A California surgeon who had been accused of drugging and raping two women was charged with five more cases Wednesday, bringing the total number of alleged victims to seven.

    

    

19. Eerie hum discovered in Antarctica

    Scientists say this sound could be used to monitor how Antarctica's largest ice shelf is responding to climate change.

    

    

20. MLB team rope-a-dopes opponent by pulling pitcher after 5 pitches

    

    

21. 'OITNB' cast shocks with announcement

    A video shows the stars of the Netflix hit "Orange Is the New Black" making the announcement and teasing season 7.

    

    

22. Controversial fan interference call robs Astros of game-tying homer

    

    

23. Louis-Dreyfus never considered leaving 'Veep'

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus came to terms with mortality when she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer last year.

    

    

24. 'Sesame Street' actor retires from iconic role

    Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer who has portrayed Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on "Sesame Street" since the program's 1969 premiere, announced that he is stepping down from the roles.

    

    

25. Roseanne Barr responds to 'The Conners' debut

    Warning: This story contains spoilers about the series premiere of "The Conners."

    

    

26. Report: NFL to discuss team's viability in L.A.

    

    

27. Viking ship found buried in Norway

    Using cutting-edge technology, archaeologists discovered a nearly 66-foot-long Viking ship buried in southern Norway.

    

    

28. Boxer inks massive $365 million streaming deal

    

    

29. This 5 minute retirement fix is shockingly simple

    

    

30. Most burger chains fail on annual antibiotics report card

    Twenty-five of the top US burger chains were graded on their antibiotic policies in a collaborative report released Wednesday. Only two chains received As, Shake Shack and BurgerFi; the other 23 got a D minus or F.

    

    

31. These 5 healthy habits could help you live a decade longer, study suggests

    Want to prolong your life expectancy by more than a decade? A new study suggests that you can do just that by following these five healthy habits: never smoke, maintain a healthy body-mass index, keep up moderate to vigorous exercise, don't drink too much alcohol, and eat a healthy diet.

    

    

32. Surprising factors that may keep you thin

    Have you ever wondered why some people seem to stay trim effortlessly, while the majority of Americans struggle with their weight?

    

    

33. The ideal diet to combat climate change

    You may be aware that a plant-based diet can make you healthier by lowering your risk for obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Now, a study suggests there's another good reason to regularly eat meatless meals. By filling your plate with plant foods instead of animal foods, you can help save the planet.

    

    

34. Survivor of rare illness shares her story

    In 2014, Lydia Pilarowski was diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis. While some children never fully recover from AFM, Lydia has improved steadily over the last four years.

    

    

35. Magic Leap's new AI assistant looks alarmingly human

    The tech world's latest virtual assistant looks so realistic, you might mistake her for an actual human.

    

    

36. Tech execs want Lindsey Graham to apologize

    Senator Lindsey Graham's comments about Iranian lineage did not go over well with a group of powerful tech execs.

    

    

37. Pipe is trying to clean up ocean plastic

    A 2,000 foot-long floating pipe nicknamed Wilson is about to start its mission to collect all the plastic in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

    

    

38. The new first words: 'Mom,' 'Dad' and 'Alexa'

    The first four words my toddler understood were "mom," "dad," "cat" and "Alexa."

    

    

39. Banksy suggests self-destruct stunt didn't go as planned

    When a Banksy painting "self-destructed" after selling at auction for £1.04 million ($1.4 million) last week, it looked like the perfect stunt -- one that caught onlookers and the art world by surprise.

    

    

40. Ariana Grande speaks post Pete Davidson split

    Ariana Grande is taking a social media break in light of her broken engagement to Pete Davidson.