10 things you need to know today: September 22, 2018

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1. Rod Rosenstein reportedly suggested secretly recording Trump to invoke the 25th Amendment
2. Grassley grants Ford testimony decision extension
3. Trump attacks Christine Ford, says Kavanaugh's reputation is 'under assault'
4. China cancels trade talks, slams U.S. sanctions
5. Attack on Iranian military parade kills 24
6. Trump vows to eliminate DOJ's 'lingering stench'
7. Cruz, O'Rourke clash in Texas Senate debate
8. FEMA chief won't be fired over improper use of federal vehicles
9. Commerce secretary will testify about census citizenship question, judge rules
10. Netflix reportedly in talks to stream the Oscars

last updated 22 September 2018

1. Rod Rosenstein reportedly suggested secretly recording Trump to invoke the 25th Amendment

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in the spring of 2017 talked about invoking the 25th Amendment to declare President Trump unfit for office, The New York Times reported Friday. Rosenstein reportedly said he might be able to convince Attorney General Jeff Sessions and John Kelly, then secretary of homeland security, to back the plan, which involved wearing a wire to secretly record Trump. An unnamed Justice Department representative said Rosenstein was speaking "sarcastically," the Times notes, but other sources said he was serious. Rosenstein called the story "inaccurate" and said "there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment."

Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) granted an extension late Friday for Christine Ford to decide whether to testify about her sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh. "I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate," Grassley tweeted, addressing Kavanaugh directly. "She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand." The previous deadline, already an extension, was Friday at 10 p.m. Eastern. Ford's attorney asked for an additional day.

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President Trump attacked Christine Ford and Democratic lawmakers on Twitter Friday, accusing them of trying to "destroy and delay" Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation process. Trump said Ford, who alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school, would have filed charges "immediately" if "the attack ... was as bad as she says." He argued Kavanaugh's "impeccable reputation" is "under assault by radical left-wing politicians," asking Ford to prove she filed charges in 1982. Kavanaugh, who denies the allegations, will testify about the matter Monday. Ford is considering whether to testify.

China on Friday canceled scheduled trade negotiations with the United States, citing the Trump administration's tariff escalations. President Trump announced a new round of tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports Monday and is expected to target another $257 billion in products this coming week. "Nothing the U.S. has done has given any impression of sincerity and goodwill," said Chinese Foreign Ministry representative Geng Shuang. China also slammed new U.S. sanctions punishing Beijing for purchasing weapons from Russia. "The U.S. approach is a blatant violation of the basic norms of international relations," said a Chinese Defense Ministry statement promising "consequences."

At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 injured Saturday when gunmen opened fire on a military parade in the Iranian city of Ahvaz, state media reported. "Terrorists began shooting from a long distance while inside the park, at the armed forces as well as civilians watching the parade," said Brig. Gen. Abolfazl Shekarch. Three of the attackers were killed and one was arrested, and the attack was claimed by the Patriotic Arab Democratic Movement, a separatist organization. Officials said the shooters were disguised as military members and accused Saudi Arabia of connection to the attack.

President Trump seemed to respond Friday night at a rally in Missouri to the day's report that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein considered invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. "Just look at what is now being exposed in our Department of Justice and the FBI," Trump said, never mentioning Rosenstein by name. "And I want to tell you, we have great people in the Department of Justice. ... But you got some real bad ones. You've seen what's happened at the FBI. They're all gone. ... But there's a lingering stench, and we're going to get rid of that too."

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his challenger, Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas), wrangled at a contentious debate in Dallas Friday night. Cruz accused O'Rourke of "radical" socialism, linking him to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and claiming he's focused "on fighting for illegal immigrants" over Americans. O'Rourke slammed Cruz for misrepresenting his views. "That's why people don't like Washington, D.C.," he said. "This is your trick of the trade: to confuse and incite with fear." The fatal police shooting of Botham Jean was a key issue of division between the candidates, who are in a dead heat.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long will not be fired for his inappropriate use of cars owned by the government, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Friday. Long used federal vehicles and personnel for his weekend commutes from Washington, D.C., to North Carolina. He had a driver take him home, and reportedly brought aides with him, housing them in hotels using taxpayer money. Nielsen said Long, who will repay the government an undisclosed amount, was acting in line with an unofficial FEMA practice intended to keep the administrator accessible in case of crisis.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will sit for a deposition on a question about U.S. citizenship that has been added to 2020 census forms, a federal judge ruled Friday evening. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman held that Ross must be deposed "because, among other things, his intent and credibility are directly at issue in these cases." Critics have argued the citizenship question will distort census results because some immigrants may choose not to participate in the survey. Ross is the first Cabinet-level official in two decades to be deposed in a civil case.

"Key people" at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are discussing whether the Oscars should move to a streaming service for higher viewership, Vanity Fair reported Friday. The awards show has lost viewers on TV year after year, and Netflix's chief content officer, Ted Sarandos, reportedly approached the Academy to express interest in streaming the event. The Academy is under contract with ABC through 2028, but one anonymous board member told Vanity Fair television has no future: "So why don't we just get our money [from a streaming deal], not worry about ratings, and call it a day?"

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Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.