It feels like the Cold War is back. States are engaging in shadowy extrajudicial killings on foreign soil, even as the world watches the rise of authoritarian strongmen like Rodrigo Duterte, in the Philippines, and Jair Bolsonaro, in Brazil.
What's happening: Bolsonaro handily won the first round of presidential elections last week and is expected to similarly win the runoff on Oct. 28. Brazil's stock market jumped 6% at Monday's open, greeting the election result with glee, although it then fell back in line with global stock-market losses.
Former CIA Director John Brennan told NBC News' Chuck Todd on Sunday that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has been given "increased confidence" by his relationship with the White House, which may explain his alleged action against journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The big picture: The White House is still considering responses to the disappearance and potential murder of Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi Arabia. Trump said there would be "severe punishment" if the kingdom is found to be at fault, but has been vocally opposed to cutting off arms deals. Brennan said Trump is "siding up to authoritarian leaders around the globe ... condemnation of the press that's critical of him, [and] continued dishonesty and denials of reality ... has encouraged MBS to go along this road."
You think the insane flow of politics in your newsfeed, on your TV and lighting up your iPhone will slow when the Trump Show ends?
Think again: Media companies are doubling down on even more politics to generate even higher ratings and more clicks, as audiences seems to crave all politics, all the time. This is your life on politics.
American farmers are livid with President Trump's tariffs. But not garlic growers. Reeling after a quarter-century-long war with Chinese garlic farmers, they are thrilled with a trade war that they say could finally give them the advantage on U.S. turf.
Why it matters: Chances are if you're cooking with garlic (or, less commonly, using it medicinally), it's from China, which has an iron grip on the U.S. market, controlling more than 90% of the dried garlic trade and killing many American garlic farms. U.S. farmers think Trump's new 10% tariff could bring them back to life.
U.S. tariffs on around $200 billion in Chinese imports are set to jump to 25% on Jan. 1, up from the 10% implemented last month. That works out to around $30 billion in new taxes to be paid by U.S. importers, many of whom will pass at least some of the costs on to U.S. consumers.
Be smart: Economics differ on the degree to which increased tariffs will affect things like GDP, corporate earnings, and inflation, but few of the predictions are broadly cataclysmic.
Authorities in Myanmar have arrested three journalists for publishing a story that criticized government spending, just weeks after a pair of Reuters reporters were sentenced to seven years in prison for their investigation of the Rohingya Muslim crisis, per Al Jazeera.
The big picture: The disappearance of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi highlights the dangerous climate for journalists in many countries around the world at present.
The latest news on the Facebook breach Friday may have caught everyone's attention, but there was other tech-related news this week that's worth your time — including a new music law and a possible IPO from Bumble.
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