10 things you need to know today: September 28, 2018

1. Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh give conflicting accounts in explosive hearing

The Senate Judiciary Committee held an extraordinary all-day hearing on Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Ford, in testimony that was widely described as credible and moving, said she was "100 percent certain" Kavanaugh was the person who attacked her when they were in high school. Kavanaugh delivered a fiery opening statement in which he repeated his insistence that he "never sexually assaulted anyone" and called the allegations part of a Democratic "frenzy" aimed at destroying him and derailing his nomination. The Democrats on the committee repeatedly called for an FBI investigation into the allegation. The Republicans on the committee, all men, hired a female prosecutor to question Ford, then spoke directly to Kavanaugh in his defense. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) exploded at Democrats, calling the allegations a "sham."

The New York Times

2. Trump praises Kavanaugh for 'honest and riveting' testimony

President Trump tweeted support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday minutes after the Senate Judiciary Committee ended its hearing on Christine Blasey Ford's allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh defended himself in forceful and at times tearful remarks after Ford gave a widely praised account and explanation of her allegations. "Judge Kavanaugh showed America exactly why I nominated him," Trump tweeted. "His testimony was powerful, honest, and riveting. Democrats' search and destroy strategy is disgraceful and this process has been a total sham and effort to delay, obstruct, and resist. The Senate must vote!" Republican committee members expected to vote Friday morning on whether to recommend confirming Kavanaugh.

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3. American Bar Association, Catholic journal drop support for Kavanaugh

The American Bar Association late Thursday urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to delay Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation vote until after an FBI investigation could be conducted into sexual misconduct allegations against him. The prominent Jesuit magazine America rescinded its endorsement of Kavanaugh and called for the withdrawal of his nomination. Both said Christine Blasey Ford's Thursday testimony on her allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were in high school was credible enough to merit a full investigation. Kavanaugh, a Catholic who attended a Jesuit high school, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), his most impassioned supporter, both held up the ABA's unanimous well-qualified rating in Thursday's hearing as a marker of his character and judgment.

America The Washington Post

4. SEC sues Tesla CEO Musk over controversial tweet

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday sued Tesla CEO Elon Musk on allegations that he lied to investors when he tweeted that he had secured funding to take the electric-car maker private. The SEC is calling for banning Musk from leading any public company. Musk, who also runs SpaceX and is one of the nation's most high-profile tech entrepreneurs, said he prided himself on his integrity and had never compromised it. "This unjustified action by the SEC leaves me deeply saddened and disappointed," he said. Tesla's stock dropped by more than 11 percent in after-hours trading after the news was released.

The Washington Post

5. China calls Trump claim of election meddling 'slander'

China on Thursday pushed back against President Trump's allegation that Beijing is trying to influence the midterm elections against him because of his tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump initially offered no evidence to back up his claim, but on Thursday he cited as proof of meddling a four-page supplement published in a newspaper by China Daily citing economic costs from Trump's trade war. Trump called the ad in the Des Moines Register "propaganda." The Chinese foreign ministry responded by saying that many nations print ads in foreign newspapers to paint them or their policies in a flattering light. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Trump's allegation amounted to "slander," and that calling the ad election interference was "far-fetched and false."

The New York Times New York Post

6. Trump puts off Rosenstein until next week

President Trump on Thursday postponed a scheduled meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to avoid distractions during the Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing on a sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. "The president spoke with Rod Rosenstein a few minutes ago and they plan to meet next week," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. "They do not want to do anything to interfere with the hearing." The meeting was scheduled after rumors surfaced that Rosenstein, who oversees Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election meddling, might quit or be fired after a New York Times report that he had suggested secretly taping President Trump or invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

CNBC

7. India court overturns law against extramarital sex

India's highest court on Thursday abolished a colonial-era law criminalizing extramarital sex. The landmark ruling overturning the 158-year-old adultery law allowed for imprisoning a man for five years for having sexual relations with a married woman without her husband's consent. The ruling was hailed as a major victory for women's rights. "It's time to say that (a) husband is not the master of (his) wife," Chief Justice Dipak Misra read from the judgment. "Legal sovereignty of one sex over the other sex is wrong." The ruling also said, "Each partner to a marriage is equally responsible to keep the sanctity of marriage intact."

CNN

8. Study: Warming waters fueled 2017 monster storms

The intensity of the catastrophic 2017 hurricane season was fueled partly by unusually warm water in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Science. The warmer waters, 0.7 degrees higher than normal over the season, probably contributed to the strength of three monster storms — Harvey, Irma, and Maria — that struck the U.S. as Category 4 hurricanes, the study suggests. There were six major hurricanes last year, two times the recent annual average, and the researchers warned there could be even more major storms in coming decades. "We will see more active hurricane seasons like 2017 in the future," said lead author Hiro Murakami, climate scientist and hurricane expert at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

USA Today The Washington Post

9. Boeing wins $9.2 billion contract to make new Air Force training jet

The U.S. Air Force has picked Boeing to build its next training jet, the Air Force said Thursday. The contract over its life will be worth as much as $9.2 billion. Boeing and Sweden's Saab AB collaborated on a plane design for the competition. The Air Force will be buying 351 of the aircraft, and it could buy up to 600 of the jets. The Air Force is looking to replace its fleet of nearly 50-year-old T-38 planes. Boeing and Saab beat out rivals Lockheed Martin Corp. and Leonardo DRS in their bid. Lockheed proposed a modified version of its T-50 training jet developed jointly with Korea Aerospace Industries. Italy's Leonardo DRS was offering the T-100, a modified version of its M-346.

Reuters

10. Air Niugini plane lands in lagoon, no fatalities

An Air Niugini jetliner missed a runway on a Micronesian island on Friday and came down in a lagoon. Video footage showed people in boats rushing to rescue more than 40 people. Everybody on board reportedly survived. Seven people were taken to a hospital, one in critical but stable condition. "It's really fortunate that we didn't have any fatalities," said Glenn Harris, a government aviation security inspector for the Federated States of Micronesia. The plane "landed short of the runway," according to a statement by Air Niugini, the national carrier of Papua New Guinea. Passenger Bill Jaynes, managing editor of a Micronesia-based newspaper, said in a video posted to Facebook that people on the plane had to get to emergency exits through water up to their waists.

CBS News CNN