October 17, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) --- East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a  variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Trump administration seeks public comments on marijuana reclassification (Forbes)
• Judge unblocks Obama-era rule on student debt relief (MSN)
• Amid global outrage over Khashoggi, Trump takes soft stance toward Saudis (Washington Post)
• Truth on Kashoggi? Send in the FBI (CNN)
• PEN America is suing President Trump  (Publisher’s Weekly)
• `We’re back to frontier days’: Michael’s aftermath in Florida (Washington Post)
• Trapped by Hurricane Michael, some residents were saved by a sign: ‘H-E-L-P’ (CNN)
• Elizabeth Warren releases DNA test with 'strong evidence' of Native American ancestry  (CNN)
• Cherokee Nation calls Elizabeth Warren's DNA test 'inappropriate and wrong’ (Time)

WORLD

• Turkey obtains recordings of Saudi journalist's purported killing: paper (Reuters)
• The last column Jamal Khashoggi wrote before disappearing focuses on need for free press (USA Today)
• After journalist vanishes, focus shifts to young Saudi prince’s ‘dark’ and bullying side (Washington Post)
• Five things to watch for in deteriorating US-Saudi relations (The Hill)
• At U.N., Cuban diplomats shout down U.S. event on political prisoners (Reuters)
• U.N. allows Palestinians to act more like full member in 2019 (Reuters)
• Beersheba mother saves her children as rocket destroys house (Jerusalem Post)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

U.S.

Trump administration seeks public comments on marijuana reclassification (Forbes)

The federal government wants your input on whether marijuana should be reclassified under global drug treaties to which the U.S. is a party.

Judge unblocks Obama-era rule on student debt relief (MSN)

An Obama-era rule designed to help students cheated by for-profit colleges get relief on their education debt finally took effect Tuesday after efforts by the Trump administration to block it.  A federal judge ordered immediate implementation of the rule, delayed last year by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, while a challenge from the for-profit college industry proceeds.

Amid global outrage over Khashoggi, Trump takes soft stance toward Saudis (Washington Post)

The president has repeatedly emphasized oil, arms sales and dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s Saudi citizenship as reasons for moving slowly on investigations into his alleged killing and dismemberment at the hands of Saudi operatives… And he has emphasized that although Khashoggi had been living in Virginia and wrote for The Washington Post, the dissident journalist is a Saudi citizen — the implication being that the disappearance is not necessarily the United States’ problem.

Truth on Kashoggi? Send in the FBI (CNN)

Lost in the barrage of denials and double-speak from Saudi officials surrounding the disappearance of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi is any indication the United States is serious about getting to the truth of what happened. On Monday, President Donald Trump appeared to accept without suspicion the Saudi King's denial that his government had murdered Khashoggi inside its consulate in Turkey, and suggested that "rogue killers" might have done it.

PEN America is suing President Trump  (Publisher’s Weekly)

Writers organization and free speech advocacy group PEN America has filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York seeking "to stop President Trump from using the machinery of government to retaliate or threaten reprisals against journalists and media outlets for coverage he dislikes."

`We’re back to frontier days’: Michael’s aftermath in Florida (Washington Post)

Up a red dirt road in the center of the Florida Panhandle, past fields of ripening cotton, the piney woods looks like pick-up sticks. Some trees are bent like praying mantises, and the few power poles still standing lean at precarious angles, their wires doing loop-the-loops around outstretched limbs. Until Saturday, when neighbors broke through with chain saws and an excavator, the Lipford home, sitting on 160 acres the family has owned since the Civil War, was cut off from civilization.

Trapped by Hurricane Michael, some residents were saved by a sign: ‘H-E-L-P’ (CNN)

 April Hand spent Saturday checking on possible property damage to the home of her fiance's aunt and uncle. They were scrolling through updated satellite images of the property from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website when they saw something that stopped them in their tracks -- the word "HELP," spelled out in all caps [in logs] at the property outside Panama City.

Elizabeth Warren releases DNA test with 'strong evidence' of Native American ancestry  (CNN)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released the results of a DNA analysis showing she has distant Native American ancestry, in an apparent attempt to pre-empt further questions and attacks should she run for president in 2020. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released the results of a DNA analysis showing she has distant Native American ancestry, in an apparent attempt to pre-empt further questions and attacks should she run for president in 2020. … President Donald Trump has revived and amplified the controversy as he eyes Warren as a possible rival, frequently mocking her with the nickname "Pocahontas."

Cherokee Nation calls Elizabeth Warren's DNA test 'inappropriate and wrong’ (Time)

 [The Cherokee Nation. said] “It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven. “

WORLD

Turkey obtains recordings of Saudi journalist's purported killing: paper (Reuters)

Turkey's investigation into the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has revealed recordings made on his Apple Watch purportedly indicating he was tortured and killed, a Turkish newspaper reported on Saturday.

The last column Jamal Khashoggi wrote before disappearing focuses on need for free press (USA Today)

The Washington Post has published the last column by Jamal Khashoggi, written by the journalist shortly before he went missing. The column, titled "What the Arab world needs most is free expression," focuses on the need for a free press in the Middle East and that many Arabs live in a state of misinformation. Khashoggi talked about how freedom of the press has been under attack and generally isn't taken seriously by the international community and as a result, reporters were being silenced. 

After journalist vanishes, focus shifts to young Saudi prince’s ‘dark’ and bullying side (Washington Post)

Mohammed bin Salman had the world at his fingertips. Thousands of investors, corporate chieftains and government leaders flocked to the kingdom to hear the charismatic young heir to the Saudi throne outline his plans for modernization of the reclusive kingdom…As a second conference approaches this month in Riyadh, Mohammed, 33, seems far less dashing. Over the past week, many who had planned to attend have abruptly canceled…Their distress stems from the still-unfolding story of Jamal Khashoggi, the self-exiled Saudi journalist allegedly killed and gruesomely dismembered this month by Saudi agents inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, after he dared to publicly criticize the crown prince and his government.

Five things to watch for in deteriorating US-Saudi relations (The Hill)

The alleged killing of Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi operatives in Istanbul appears to be the last straw for many lawmakers, who have threatened to a variety of punitive measures…But President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who’s considered the country's day-to-day leader, have fostered a close relationship…Here are five things to watch as U.S.-Saudi relations are tested.

At U.N., Cuban diplomats shout down U.S. event on political prisoners (Reuters)

Protesting Cuban and Bolivian diplomats shouted, chanted and banged their hands on desks at the United Nations on Tuesday to drown out the launch of a U.S. campaign on the plight of Cuban political prisoners.

U.N. allows Palestinians to act more like full member in 2019 (Reuters)

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday allowed the Palestinians to act more like a full U.N. member state during meetings in 2019 when they will chair the group of 77 developing nations.

Beersheba mother saves her children as rocket destroys house (Jerusalem Post)

Miri Tamano woke up her three children and pulled them into a safe room just seconds before a Grad [long range] rocket fell through the roof of her Beersheba home and landed in one of the second story bedrooms.