Axios

Housekeeper Victorina Morales, who worked at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. for more than five years, shared her story with the New York Times as one of several undocumented immigrants who cleaned Trump's property and served clubgoers before and during Trump's presidency.

Why it matters: Morales, who risked deportation to tell her story, said she was in awe of being close to such important people, like cleaning the president’s villa while he watched TV nearby and seeing White House chief of staff John Kelly come to consult Trump. But while working, she concealed hurt from an administration that has fought for border security and pronounced anti-immigration rhetoric as a key political agenda, she said.

North Carolina Democrat Dan McCready told local news station WSOC-TV on Thursday that he has withdrawn his concession to Republican opponent Mark Harris, whose campaign is facing mounting allegations of “concerted” electoral fraud with absentee mail-in ballots.

Why it matters: This comes as an ongoing investigation has increased the possibility that a new contest could be called by the North Carolina Board of Elections, which had refused to certify results for the 9th congressional district race last month. According to unofficial results, Harris currently holds a 905-vote lead over McCready.

Go deeper: North Carolina House race in doubt over claims of electoral fraud

California Democrat TJ Cox won the House race in California's 21st district after his Republican opponent Rep. David Valado conceded the race on Thursday afternoon, the Mercury News reports.

Why it matters: Valado was initially declared the victor by the Associated Press, but Cox took the lead in the race at the end of last month. Cox's victory gives Democrats their 7th flipped seat in California and their 40th nationwide.

Senators from both parties have expressed dismay at the results of the delayed and incomplete CIA briefing on Jamal Khashoggi's murder, implying that Secretaries Pompeo and Mattis were not forthcoming at their own briefing the week before. Some senators have also publicly expressed clear views that Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi’s killing, counter to the White House narrative.

The big picture: The Khashoggi fallout has created a breach in confidence between the executive and legislative branches of government on national security, even while the same political party controls both branches. When Democrats take control of the House next month, tensions are likely to worsen.

North Carolina GOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse told the Associated Press that the organization would support a new election in the state's 9th congressional district if it is determined that absentee ballot fraud changed the outcome of the race.

The big picture: North Carolina's Board of Elections declined to certify results for the district's midterm race last month, citing "claims of numerous irregularities and concerted fraudulent activities related to absentee by-mail ballots" after a contractor for the GOP candidate's campaign was accused of collecting and filling out hundreds of voters’ absentee ballots.

Go deeper: North Carolina House race in doubt over claims of electoral fraud

Both houses of Congress passed a continuing resolution on Thursday to push the government shutdown deadline to Dec. 21.

The big picture: The shutdown standoff — originally set for this week — was delayed after the death of former President George H.W. Bush. Democrats are still refusing to give Trump the $5 billion he wants for his border wall, though Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has reportedly offered the president $1.6 billion for border security — a move that prompted backlash from many progressives. A meeting between Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has also been delayed until next week, Politico reports.

Tangier/Rabat/Casablanca, Morocco — Moroccan authorities are using force and committing human rights violations amid efforts to block migrants from crossing into Europe, migrants and rights groups told Al Jazeera.

The backdrop: Almost 50,000 of the 54,922 arrivals into Spain this year have been by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 2,000 people have died in the Mediterranean trying to reach the European country, with over 550 of them having departed from Morocco. The numbers would have been far greater if Morocco had not prevented nearly 70,000 attempts to cross into Spain this year, authorities in the North African country say.

An unfolding investigation by election officials into allegations of "concerted fraudulent" absentee mail-in ballots in North Carolina has roiled one of the country’s last unresolved midterm House races, increasing the possibility that a new contest could be ordered.

The big picture: The allegations leveled against the campaign of Republican Mark Harris, who holds an unofficial 905-vote lead over his Democratic opponent Dan McCready, run counter to the baseless claims of rampant voter fraud by Democrats often trumpeted by President Trump and other Republican officials.

Today's meeting of tech CEOs at the White House is expected to be a relatively routine affair — a far cry from the contentious early days of the Trump administration.

Why it matters: It's a sign that Silicon Valley has stabilized its relationship with Trump, finding ways to work with the administration as many other industries do. As one veteran tech industry policy adviser put it, "The fear and loathing of early 2017 has passed."

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) introduced a resolution Wednesday to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The big picture: In addition to assessing with "a high level of confidence" that MBS was complicit in Khashoggi's killing, the bipartisan resolution condemns the crown prince's destabilizing behavior in the region, including his contributions to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the blockade of Qatar and his crackdown on political dissidents. It comes as the Senate weighs passing a resolution that would end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

Billionaire and media mogul Michael Bloomberg said in an interview with Radio Iowa that he will likely sell his media company, or put it in a blind trust, if he runs for and becomes president in 2020.

Why it matters: Bloomberg cited his age as one of the prevailing reasons why selling the company makes sense. In doing so, he would also be avoiding the same controversies that President Trump has seen with the Trump Organization during his term in office.

President George H.W. Bush's funeral service is being held now at the National Cathedral in Washington.

His son, former President George W. Bush, said when he spoke to his father for the last time, "I said 'Dad I love you, you've been a wonderful father.' And the last words he would ever say on Earth were, 'I love you too.'"

The Cuban government said Tuesday that its citizens will gain full 3G internet access on their mobile phones this week, a luxury previously restricted to some tourists and government officials, the AP reports.

Why it matters: The communist country has historically restricted access to wireless services and has one of the world’s lowest rates of internet use, though the technology has expanded rapidly since President Barack Obama restored the United States' diplomatic relations with the island in 2014. Cubans previously only had access to state-run email accounts on their phones, but the cost of the new mobile data packages will likely be too great for most citizens who subsist on state-provided salaries.

Go deeper: How the online world reflects inequality

A number scaring the hell out of the Trumps: 119.

The equation: 70 hours of Michael Cohen interviews with Mueller's team + 30 hours of interviews with former White House counsel Don McGahn + 19 Michael Flynn interviews with prosecutors.

Democrats are about to hit the wildest turn we have seen in a presidential campaign.

The big picture: Dozens of people are thinking of running — and running early — in the rage-and-rapid-reaction era of Donald J. Trump. Oh, and they may be doing this while trying to impeach the guy they're running against. 

New data from Twitter shows the top 10 U.S. politicians who were most tweeted about in the few weeks after the midterm elections were Democrats, replacing a list that was once dominated by GOP lawmakers the majority of 2018.

Why it matters: The political clout and conversation is changing with its politicians. Republicans like Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who once dominated the subject of tweets, are now being replaced by nominated House speaker Nancy Pelosi and outgoing Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke in the rankings, per Twitter.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's team has released the sentencing memo for Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, recommending little to no prison time thanks to Flynn's “substantial assistance" in the Russia investigation.