The Atlantic Politics & Policy Daily: Acts of Rod

Written by Madeleine Carlisle (@maddiecarlisle2) and Olivia Paschal (@oliviacpaschal)

Today in 5 Lines

• In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said he will not withdraw his nomination and called the sexual-misconduct allegations against him “smears” and part of a “grotesque and obvious character assassination.” Fox will air an interview with Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley Kavanaugh, at 7 p.m. ET.

• Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet with President Trump on Thursday following reports that he once suggested secretly recording the president and discussed invoking the Twenty-Fifth Amendment. Rosenstein reportedly discussed resigning over the weekend.

• The Dallas Police Department fired Amber Guyger, the white police officer who shot and killed Botham Jean, an unarmed black man, in his own apartment earlier this month.

• Trump rejected the question of statehood for Puerto Rico while San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, a critic of the administration, is in office. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló called Trump’s comments “insensitive” and “disrespectful.”

• At the United Nations General Assembly, Trump praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said a summit between the United States and North Korea will happen “quite soon.”

Today on The Atlantic

• ‘Plow Ahead’: Despite new allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, the White House and its Republican allies are committed to seeing his nomination through. (Elaina Plott)

• Making Too Much Haste: Here’s why the Republican plan to quickly push Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation through the Senate backfired. (David A. Graham)

• If He’s Out: What would Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s exit mean for the Russia probe? Natasha Bertrand breaks it down.

• Why No Investigation?: As new allegations of sexual misconduct have emerged against Brett Kavanaugh, the White House’s refusal to conduct an FBI investigation looks increasingly worse. (Bob Bauer)

Snapshot

What We’re Reading

Inside the Meddling: In a new book, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania, details how exactly Russia meddled in the 2016 election—and ultimately delivered Trump’s victory. (Jane Mayer, The New Yorker)

Don’t Go Off-Script: On Wednesday, Trump, a renowned improviser, is chairing a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, an event that has little room for improvisation. Council members are nervous. (Emily Tampkin, BuzzFeed News)

The Dems’ Next Move: When the Democrats first learned about the sexual-misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, they had a number of possible paths forward. Lisa Mascaro reports on the party’s internal debate over what to do next. (The Associated Press)

What Work Requirements?: States are implementing work requirements to their Medicaid programs, but not properly publicizing the change. The result: Thousands have suddenly been kicked off the program. (Margot Sanger-Katz, The New York Times)

Protecting Coal Miners: The Trump administration has undercut regulations that help keep coal miners safe. Instead, under the new loosened regulations, coal executives reap the benefits. (Chris Hamby, BuzzFeed News)

Visualized

What’s An Endorsement Worth, Anyway?: FiveThirtyEight reviewed hundreds of endorsements of Republican candidates and determined whose matter most. (Meredith Conry, Nathaniel Ratkich, and Mai Nguyen)

The Arctic, Melting: As permafrost thaws across the Arctic, a dramatic change is taking hold of the regions many lakes—they have started releasing methane. (Chris Mooney, Jonathan Newton, The Washington Post)