• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Sky News that he won’t meet with Vice President Mike Pence, who was set to travel to Turkey today with an American delegation to make the case for a cease-fire in the conflict in northeast Syria, and that he’d speak only to President Donald Trump. Erdogan said yesterday that he would not declare a ceasefire, after sending his forces to the region following Trump’s withdrawal of U.S. troops. (NBC News)

• The White House has opened an internal review of Trump’s call with Ukraine, which some advisers fear is a search for a scapegoat, according to sources. The inquiry focuses on why deputy White House counsel John Eisenberg put a rough transcript of Trump’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a highly secured computer system, which a whistleblower saw as a signal that lawyers had concerns about Trump’s remarks. (The New York Times)

• Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has experienced a steady rise in national polling, faced sustained attacks from several of the 11 other Democratic presidential candidates on stage at last night’s primary debate. By contrast, former Vice President Joe Biden, who had been the target of other candidates’ pointed comments in the previous debate, laid low for long stretches of the conversation, and the critiques of his more moderate positions were less prevalent than in earlier debates. (The Washington Post)

Ex-Rep. Sessions Subpoenaed Over Interactions With Giuliani, Giuliani Associates
Rebecca Ballhaus, The Wall Street Journal

A grand jury has issued a subpoena related to Manhattan federal prosecutors’ investigation into Rudy Giuliani, seeking documents from former Rep. Pete Sessions about his dealings with President Trump’s personal lawyer and associates, according to people familiar with the matter. The subpoena seeks documents related to Mr. Giuliani’s business dealings with Ukraine and his involvement in efforts to oust the U.S. ambassador in Kyiv, as well as any interactions between Mr. Sessions, Mr. Giuliani and four men who were indicted last week on campaign-finance and conspiracy accounts, the people said.

Republicans drop their revolt against Trump on Syria
Burgess Everett et al., Politico

The Republican rebellion against President Donald Trump was short-lived. Republicans unleashed perhaps their most aggressive outcry of the Trump era after he abandoned the U.S.’ Kurdish allies and ceded northeastern Syria to Turkey.

Pence, Giuliani Say They Won’t Give Congress Documents in Trump Impeachment Inquiry
Rebecca Ballhaus and Natalie Andrews, The Wall Street Journal

The office of Vice President Mike Pence declined a records request from House committees leading an impeachment inquiry into President Trump, while Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer, said he doesn’t intend to comply with a congressional subpoena for documents. The Office of Management and Budget also didn’t comply Tuesday with a subpoena for documents about a delay in disbursing nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine, according to a senior administration official.

U.S. carried out secret cyber strike on Iran in wake of Saudi oil attack: officials
Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, Reuters

The United States carried out a secret cyber operation against Iran in the wake of the Sept. 14 attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities, which Washington and Riyadh blame on Tehran, two U.S. officials have told Reuters. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the operation took place in late September and took aim at Tehran’s ability to spread “propaganda.”

Never-Before-Seen Trump Tax Documents Show Major Inconsistencies
Heather Vogell, ProPublica

Documents obtained by ProPublica show stark differences in how Donald Trump’s businesses reported some expenses, profits and occupancy figures for two Manhattan buildings, giving a lender different figures than they provided to New York City tax authorities. The discrepancies made the buildings appear more profitable to the lender — and less profitable to the officials who set the buildings’ property tax.

Trump again vetoes resolution blocking national emergency for border wall
Brett Samuels, The Hill

President Trump on Tuesday night vetoed a joint resolution that would overturn his emergency declaration at the southern border to aid construction of a wall, the second time he has been forced to do so. “In short, the situation on our southern border remains a national emergency, and our Armed Forces are still needed to help confront it,” Trump said in his veto message to the Senate, which the White House issued in the middle of the Democratic primary debate.

Appeals court to hold rehearing on Trump hotel lawsuit
Denise Lavoie, The Associated Press

A federal appeals court will reconsider a ruling from a three-judge panel that threw out a lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of illegally profiting off the presidency through his luxury Washington hotel. The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed Tuesday to hold a hearing before the full court of 15 judges.

Bolton, Mulvaney on Opposite Sides of Pivotal Ukraine Debate
Michael C. Bender and Rebecca Ballhaus, The Wall Street Journal

During President Trump’s tenure in office, both his chief of staff and his national security adviser have listened to most scheduled calls with foreign leaders, according to current and former White House officials. During the phone conversation this summer that sparked an impeachment inquiry, neither of the two key advisers was on the line.

Giuliani pressed Trump to eject Muslim cleric from U.S., a top priority of Turkish president, former officials say
Carol D. Leonnig et al., The Washington Post

Rudolph W. Giuliani privately urged President Trump in 2017 to extradite a Turkish cleric living in exile in the United States, a top priority of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to multiple former administration officials familiar with the discussions. Giuliani, a Trump ally who later became the president’s personal attorney, repeatedly argued to Trump that the U.S. government should eject Fethullah Gulen from the country, according to the former officials, who spoke on the condition on anonymity to describe private conversations.

How a Ukrainian Oligarch Wanted by U.S. Authorities Helped Giuliani Attack Biden
Simon Shuster, TIME

In their effort to discredit President Donald Trump’s perceived enemies, close allies of the President have received key documents and information from a Ukrainian oligarch wanted in the U.S. on corruption charges, according to five people directly involved in this effort and two other people familiar with it. The information came from the legal team of Dmitry Firtash, a wealthy industrialist with assets across Europe, who has spent the last five years in Vienna fighting extradition to the U.S. on bribery and racketeering charges.

E.P.A. Bypassed Its West Coast Team as a Feud With California Escalated
Lisa Friedman, The New York Times

When the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Andrew Wheeler, accused California of allowing “piles of human feces” on city streets to contaminate sewer systems, leaders of the agency’s West Coast region hastily convened an all-hands meeting of the San Francisco staff. At that meeting, E.P.A. officials informed shocked staff members that Mr. Wheeler’s torrent of allegations about the state’s water pollution were exaggerated, according to five current and former E.P.A. officials briefed on internal discussions.

U.S. Indicts Turkish Bank on Charges of Evading Iran Sanctions
Eric Lipton, The New York Times

The Justice Department on Tuesday sharply escalated economic pressure on Turkey by filing fraud and money-laundering charges against the country’s second-largest state-owned bank, accusing it of helping Iran evade United States sanctions. The charges against the institution, Halkbank, came as the administration sought ways to project that it was taking a tough line with Turkey after President Trump effectively signaled this month that the United States would not stand in the way of Turkey’s desire to send forces into northern Syria.

Trump’s ‘China Muse’ Has an Imaginary Friend
Tom Bartlett, The Chronicle Review

Ron Vara has strong opinions. He thinks you’ve “got to be nuts to eat Chinese food.”

DOJ has still not answered question about Firtash extradition, says senator’s office
Tom Winter, NBC News

A U.S. senator’s office says that after 18 months it has still received no answer from the Justice Department about why a Ukrainian oligarch linked to Paul Manafort and two men who work with Rudolph Giuliani has not been extradited to the U.S. to face federal bribery charges. A spokesperson for Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said, “We have not received a response” to a 2018 letter about Dmytro Firtash.

Pelosi holds off on vote to authorize Trump impeachment inquiry
John Bresnahan et al., Politico

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leaders will hold off on a full House vote authorizing an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, according to multiple lawmakers and aides. Democratic leadership sources caution, however, that the decision could be “reassessed at some point.”

Sondland prepared to deny he was warned about Ukraine work
Eric Tucker, The Associated Press

Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, is prepared to tell lawmakers this week that top White House national security officials never personally raised concerns with him about his dealings with Rudy Giuliani in Ukraine, a person familiar with his account told The Associated Press on Tuesday. That statement would be contrary to earlier testimony that Sondland’s actions set off alarms in the West Wing.

Giuliani role unnerves some congressional Republicans
Manu Raju and Lauren Fox, CNN

Even as House Republicans mount a vigorous defense of President Donald Trump amid the impeachment inquiry, some are growing uneasy about the role that Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani played in carrying out US policy with Ukraine — and say there needs to be more investigation about his efforts. Several Republicans who sit on the key committees say more needs to be learned about Giuliani’s role, while also revealing new concerns about the continuing revelations that are emerging.

China Threatens to Retaliate If U.S. Enacts Hong Kong Bill
Iain Marlow, Bloomberg

China threatened unspecified “strong countermeasures” if the U.S. Congress enacts legislation supporting Hong Kong protesters, in a sign of the deepening strain between the world’s two largest economies as they attempt to seal a trade deal. China’s foreign ministry issued the warning Wednesday after the U.S. House passed a package of measures backing a pro-democracy movement that has rocked the former British colony for more than four months.

Rep. Peter DeFazio calls for audit into Elaine Chao’s alleged Kentucky favors
Ranya Snyder, Politico

A senior House Democrat has asked the Transportation Department’s internal watchdog to investigate whether Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao showed undue favoritism to Kentucky constituents of her husband, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. On Friday, Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, wrote DOT’s inspector general asking him to probe any conflicts of interest Chao has.

Sen. Bernie Sanders to be endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an influential voice among young liberals
Sean Sullivan and David Weigel, The Washington Post

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, one of the most influential voices among young liberals and a rising Democratic star, plans to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for president and appear with him at a rally on Saturday, according to two people with knowledge of her plans. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), another member of the “Squad” of four liberal congresswomen, also announced late Tuesday that she was backing Sanders.

Warren and Sanders stockpile millions more than 2020 rivals
Brian Slodysko, The Associated Press

Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren don’t just lead the Democratic presidential primary in fundraising. They’ve stockpiled millions more than their rivals, including former Vice President Joe Biden, who burned through money at a fast clip over the past three months while posting an anemic fundraising haul.

Warren bashes 2020 rivals for ‘hobnobbing with the rich and powerful’
Alex Thompson and Elena Schneider, Politico

Elizabeth Warren is going after some of her Democratic rivals ahead of Tuesday night’s debate over their dependence on big donors. In a Medium post, the Massachusetts senator criticizes unnamed Democratic opponents for relying on high-dollar fundraisers to fund their campaigns and challenges them to disclose the names of their wealthy bundlers and finance teams, as well as any honorifics they’re given.

Top Texas Republican says Trump is ‘killing us’ ahead of 2020 elections in secretly recorded audio
Michael Brice-Saddler, The Washington Post

Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen (R) urged a conservative activist to target members of his own party ahead of the 2020 primaries and used explicit language to discuss Democratic lawmakers in the state, according to secretly recorded audio released Tuesday. The hour-long audio was made public by Michael Quinn Sullivan, the chief executive of far-right advocacy group Empower Texans, who reportedly recorded a meeting among himself, Bonnen and GOP Rep. Dustin Burrows of Lubbock in June.

GOP endorsement eludes indicted California congressman
Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press

In a sign of a turbulent campaign to come, indicted U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter failed to win the endorsement Monday of his local Republican Party after arguing that he is the best candidate for the job despite his approaching federal trial. Hunter faced significant odds of winning the two-third support he needed for the nod from the San Diego Republican Party, with several other GOP candidates dividing the vote, including former Rep. Darrell Issa.

Personal attacks mark second governor debate between Matt Bevin, Andy Beshear
Philip M. Bailey, Louisville Courier Journal

Republican incumbent Matt Bevin and Democratic challenger Andy Beshear had their ugliest public exchange Tuesday at the second gubernatorial debate of the fall campaign. Throughout the discussion, hosted before a raucous crowd of supporters on the University of Kentucky campus, the two rivals called each other liars and regularly interrupted one another as they were peppered with policy questions.

Drug Distributors in Talks to Settle Opioid Litigation for $18 Billion
Sara Randazzo, The Wall Street Journal

Three major drug distributors are in talks to pay $18 billion to settle sweeping litigation brought by state and local governments blaming them for fueling the opioid crisis, people familiar with the discussions said, paving the way for a broad resolution to lawsuits that have shaken the pharmaceutical industry. The three distributors— McKesson Corp. , AmerisourceBergen Corp. , and Cardinal Health Inc. —would collectively pay $18 billion over 18 years under the deal currently on the table, the people said.

Democratic lobbyists bristle at party’s attack on K Street
Alex Gangitano, The Hill

Democratic lobbyists find themselves in a tough spot, eager for their party to recapture the White House in 2020 but also bristling at the top-tier candidates’ attacks on K Street. The influence world’s ranks are packed with lobbyists with ties to Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill or who work for issues or industries aligned with the left.

Voters must demand that 2020 candidates answer this question
Michael R. Bloomberg, The Washington Post

Over the course of the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, candidates have been asked time and again to explain — often, in about 30 seconds — what they would do on a broad range of critically important issues, from climate change and gun violence to health care and taxes. And yet rarely are the candidates asked, and more rarely still do they talk about, how they would go about achieving their goals.

Don’t Blame Just Trump for U.S.-China Hostility
Zachary Karabell, Politico

Notwithstanding the mini deal the White House announced late last week, the state of U.S.-China relations remains tense, and there is no reason to expect that they will ease up. The Trump administration, with its fixation on trade balances and its view that the Chinese have ripped off U.S. consumers for decades, clearly initiated the current trade war.

From Incremental to Comprehensive Health Reform: How Various Reform Options Compare on Coverage and Costs
LInda J. Blumberg et al., Urban Institute

Policymakers, including candidates in the 2020 presidential campaign and members of Congress, have proposed a variety of options to address the shortcomings of the current health care system. These range from improvements to the Affordable Care Act to robust single-payer reform.