 | Wednesday 10.17.18
Want to buy a castle? This French chateau will only cost you $58. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
By Doug Criss | |  | | Saudi Arabia
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Turkey's capital this morning to talk with officials about the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. International pressure is growing on Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to Khashoggi, who disappeared this month after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The Saudis, sources told CNN, are prepared to say Khashoggi, a critic of the regime, died in an interrogation gone wrong. CNN has also learned the incident was organized by a high-ranking Saudi officer with ties to the kingdom's crown prince. President Trump has defended Saudi Arabia, prompting criticism that his brand of foreign policy is not rooted in traditional US values regarding human rights. | |  | | Hurricane Michael
It's been a week since Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida Panhandle, and everyone's still trying to get a good handle on the misery. The death toll is still rising, up to at least 29 deaths in four states. Searchers are finding more bodies as the waters recede. And authorities fear some people who didn't evacuate might be buried under piles of wood, metal and concrete in the worst-hit areas in Florida, which now has an online form to report the missing. Residents of Mexico Beach, the coastal town pretty much wiped out by Michael, can now visit their properties to survey damage and salvage items. | |  | | Brexit
Fears that the UK will leave the European Union early next year without some kind of transition deal have never been higher. Talks on the issue stalled over the weekend, so British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet with EU leaders today to get things back on track. The big sticking point is the Irish border. The EU wants the UK to agree to a "backstop" or fallback position that would ensure no checkpoints between Northern Ireland, which will be outside the EU, and the Republic of Ireland, which will remain an EU member state. Getting rid of checkpoints was a key part of the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland after years of deadly violence. But May argues the status quo would amount to splitting the UK into different customs zones, which is a political nonstarter. Thus, the impasse. Many in the UK are concerned that leaving the EU without a deal could lead to chaos, like food shortages, grounded planes, new tariffs, customs delays and price hikes. | |  | | Canada and marijuana
It's now OK for our nice neighbors to the north to light one up. Recreational marijuana became legal in Canada today. Canadian adults can now carry and share as much as 30 grams of legal pot in public, thanks to a bill passed back in the summer. Canadians can also grow up to four marijuana plants at home and make products, such as edibles, for personal use. Legalizing weed is expected to create a $4 billion industry in Canada. Here in the US, nine states and Washington DC allow recreational marijuana use. | |  | | Lotteries
What a time to be alive! Both the Mega Millions and Powerball lotteries offer huge jackpots right now. Combined, they're worth more than a billion dollars. The Mega Millions jackpot is at least $868 million -- the largest prize in the game's history and the second largest in US lotto history. No one won in last night's drawing, so get ready for the frenzy before the next drawing on Friday. Meanwhile, Powerball's jackpot is $345 million. The next Powerball drawing is tonight, so if you want to play, you better get to the convenience store. | | 3.3%
That's how much wages in the US grew in the third quarter, the Labor Department reported. That was enough to beat the rise in inflation and proof that the super-hot job market is finally growing Americans' paychecks. | | |  |  People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Bingbing is back Fan Bingbing, the Chinese film star who disappeared months ago after allegations of tax avoidance, popped back up in Beijing. Going Gaga Lady Gaga thanked her "fiancé" during a speech earlier this week, and all the Little Monsters stopped and said, "Wait, what?" Holy book A Jewish prayer book, owned and annotated by film legend Marilyn Monroe, is going up for auction. Standing strong Much of Mexico Beach, Florida, was obliterated by Hurricane Michael. But not this house, and it's not a surprise why. | | 0
The number of shootings reported to police over the weekend in New York City. It's the first time that's happened in at least 25 years. | | |  She was going to do what she was going to do. She never listened to a damn person in her life. Actor John Goodman (as Dan Conner) talking about his TV wife Roseanne Conner (but he could have been talking about actress Roseanne Barr, too) in the first episode of "The Conners," which revealed Roseanne's fictional fate. Barr's racist Twitter tirade led to the cancellation of "Roseanne." | | |  | Don't believe me? Just watch
You won't believe the moves the four-legged robot Spot comes up with while dancing to "Uptown Funk." (Click to view.) | | | | |
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