Wednesday morning news: October 24, 2018

President Trump: Khashoggi aftermath “worst cover-up ever” » President Trump on Tuesday blasted what what many world leaders believe to be the coordinated Saudi operation that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. The president said it was a terrible idea to begin with, and…

TRUMP: It was carried out poorly, and the cover-up was one of the worst in the history of cover-ups. 

Vice President Mike Pence again called the killing an attack on a free and independent press and said the White House will figure out who’s to blame.

PENCE: The director of the CIA is there in Turkey now reviewing the evidence. And we’re going to follow the facts. We’re going to demand that those responsible are held accountable. 

Trump administration announced Tuesday that as a first step, it’s revoking the visas of some Saudi officials implicated in the killing.

And Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said he wants Khashoggi’s accused killers to stand trial in Turkey. He said even though the incident took place inside the Saudi Consulate…

ERDOGAN: The Vienna Convention and other rules of international law do not allow the investigation of such a vicious murder to be prevented by resorting to the shield of diplomatic immunity. 

Erdogan said anyone responsible from the highest level to the lowest level must be brought to justice. But he made no mention of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who Turkish officials believe ordered Khashoggi’s murder.

John Bolton meets with Russian president » National Security Adviser John Bolton met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, wrapping up two days of meetings in Moscow.

Bolton said he told Russian officials the Kremlin hurt itself by trying to influence American voters ahead of the 2016 election.

BOLTON: We discussed our continuing concern with Russian meddling in elections and why it was particularly harmful for Russian-American elections without producing anything for them in return. 

Bolton also spoke with officials in Moscow about President Trump’s decision to pull out of a Soviet-era nuclear arms treaty. He echoed the Trump administration’s assertion that Russia has repeatedly violated that treaty. The Kremlin insists it has not violated the pact.

Christian bakers appeal to U.S. Supreme Court » The owners of an Oregon bakery who were punished for declining to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding are appealing to the nation’s highest court. WORLD Radio’s Leigh Jones has more.

LEIGH JONES, NEWS EDITOR: Lawyers with First Liberty Institute, which represents Aaron and Melissa Klein have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. The Oregon Supreme Court refused to hear it this summer.

The Klein’s attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to reverse a decision by the Oregon Bureau of Labor Industries. It ordered the Kleins to pay $135,000 in “emotional damages” to the same-sex couple that requested the cake. Fallout from the years-long dispute ran their bakery, Sweetcakes by Melissa out of business.

In a similar case decided in June, the high court ruled in favor of Colorado baker Jack Phillips. The court said the Colorado Civil Rights Commission acted inappropriately and failed to remain neutral toward religion. But it did not rule on the broader question of business owners’ religious beliefs versus gay rights.

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Leigh Jones.

Hurricane Willa crashes into Mexico’s Pacific coast » Hurricane Willa crashed into Mexico’s Pacific mainland last night with 120 mile per hour winds hitting an area of beach towns, fishing villages, and farms after roaring over an offshore penal colony.

The category 3 storm passed about 50 miles southeast of the resort city of Mazatlan, the storm surge swamping streets and buildings along the coast.

Mexican officials evacuated more than 4,000 people from coastal areas ahead of the storm.

Hurricane Willa also brought 6 to 18 inches of rain to several states in Mexico. The storm system is now pushing northeast toward Texas, where it could drop several inches of rain on areas still recovering from recent floods.

Sandra Day O’Connor announces dementia diagnosis » Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, announced Tuesday she’s been diagnosed with dementia and potentially Alzheimer’s disease. WORLD Radio’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: In a public letter, O’Connor announced her retirement from public life because of her health.

President Ronald Reagan nominated O’Connor in 1981. After her unanimous confirmation to the high court, she served as a crucial swing vote on key social issues. She also helped decide the 2000 Bush v. Gore case challenging presidential election results in Florida.  

She retired from the court in 2005, a decision influenced by her husband John O’Connor’s struggle with Alzheimer’s.

Despite the diagnosis, O’Connor said she’s grateful for the countless blessings in her life. She wrote—“As a young cowgirl from the Arizona desert, I never could have imagined that one day I would become the first woman justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Kristen Flavin.

I’m Kent Covington. Straight ahead: Poll numbers look good for Democrat hoping the pick up governorships and regain control of the House but it’s a different story in the Senate. This is The World and Everything in It.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump listens to a question about the missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after landing at Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport, Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

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