Tipsheet: Manafort pulls surprise on Trump with Mueller deal

View in your browser     The Memo: Manafort pulls surprise on Trump with Mueller deal BY NIALL STANAGE   The pressure on President Trump was ratcheted up a few more notches on Friday with news of Paul Manafort striking a deal to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s prosecutors. The decision by Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, came as a surprise even to seasoned observers of the Mueller probe who were expecting a guilty plea but not a “flip” by the former aide. Read the full story here     Five takeaways from Manafort’s plea deal BY LYDIA WHEELER AND MORGAN CHALFANT   Paul Manafort flipped on Friday, agreeing to a deal with federal prosecutors that includes full cooperation with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Here’s what you need to know about Manafort’s deal with the special counsel. Read the full story here     Trump stands by tweets questioning Puerto Rico death toll: 'NO WAY' BY TAL AXELROD  President Trump on Friday night doubled down in questioning the nearly 3,000-person death toll in Puerto Rico after a pair of hurricanes pummeled the island last year. "FIFTY TIMES LAST ORIGINAL NUMBER - NO WAY!" he tweeted. Read the full story here     White House officials reportedly discussing potential replacements for FEMA chief BY TAL AXELROD  White House officials in recent days have reportedly been discussing possible replacements for Federal Emergency Management Agency head Brock Long due to an investigation into the FEMA chief's potential misuse of federal resources. Read the full story here       Weather Channel defends reporter seen in viral Hurricane Florence video BY JUSTIN WISE The Weather Channel voiced support for one of its reporters on Friday after a video of him reporting during Hurricane Florence went viral online and suggested he was exaggerating the storm's force. Read the full story here     Pompeo: Kerry's conversations with Iran 'unseemly and unprecedented' BY REBECCA KHEEL Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that former Secretary of State John Kerry’s conversations with Iran are “unseemly and unprecedented,” but would not go as far as President Trump in saying they are illegal. Read the full story here     Kavanaugh denies sexual misconduct allegation BY JORDAIN CARNEY Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Friday denied an allegation of sexual misconduct, a day after Senate Democrats said they had referred the incident to the FBI. Read the full story here     Jordan hits campaign trail amid bid for Speaker BY MELANIE ZANONA Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is taking his Speaker’s bid to the campaign trail this weekend, fundraising for a pair of potentially vulnerable House Republicans more closely aligned with leadership than with his own conservative House Freedom Caucus. Read the full story here     Cruz, O'Rourke agree to hold three debates in Senate race BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) and Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D) are slated to hold three debates in their Senate race in the lead-up to the November elections, the campaigns announced Friday. Read the full story here     Wealthiest Republican supporter in Ohio quits party BY JUSTIN WISE The wealthiest supporter of the GOP in Ohio says he is no longer a member of the Republican Party. “I just decided I’m no longer a Republican,” L Brands CEO Leslie Wexner said at an event while praising former President Obama for his "candor" and "humility" following a speech this week. Read the full story here     Democrats bulldozed 'high ground' with Kavanaugh letter BY JONATHAN TURLEY OPINION | After years of polarizing and petty politics, we have finally come to this: The “world’s most deliberative body” could grind to a halt over a non-public letter from an anonymous person containing unspecified allegations against a Supreme Court nominee — about his high school years. Read the full story here     Manafort plea deal a pivotal moment in Mueller probe — and in midterms BY BRENT BUDOWSKY OPINION | Paul Manafort's plea deal will make special counsel Robert Mueller’s credibility soar with the American people. It will make his leverage soar with all parties for the remainder of the investigation. It will make the consequences of a potential Manafort pardon or “Saturday Night Massacre” so devastating for President Trump that both are now unlikely. And it will give Democrats a huge and powerful lift in the midterm elections.  Read the full story here     The New York Times: At Least 5 Deaths Reported as Storm Drenches Carolinas By The New York Times The winds of Florence have eased, but the storm was expected to continue its torrential downpour on the Carolinas on Saturday, with officials fearing the worst damage was yet to come. Read the full story here     Reuters: Manafort cooperation could energize Mueller probe: legal experts By Jan Wolfe A plea deal by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort to cooperate with U.S. prosecutors in their investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election suggests he could shed light on unanswered questions revolving around the campaign, legal experts said on Friday. Read the full story here     The Washington Post: Manafort’s guilty plea exposes hardball tactics he used to thrive in Washington swamp By Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Matt Zapotosky   Before he was Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort embraced extreme tactics in his lobbying efforts: He schemed “to plant some stink” and spread stories that a jailed Ukrainian politician was a murderer. Read the full story here     Bloomberg News: Governors’ Races Are Looking Especially Good for Democrats in the Midterms By Derek Wallbank  and Korey Matthews   Democrats are defending far more Senate seats this year than Republicans. The House map holds more opportunities for Democratic pickups, but that task remains tricky owing to the remnants of GOP-controlled redistricting a decade ago. Among the nation’s governors, however, Democrats have almost unbridled offensive opportunities. Read the full story here     The Associated Press: Maria’s death toll climbed long after rain stopped By Michael Weissenstein, Ana Campoy and Omaya Sosa Ramona Gonzalez did not drown when Hurricane Maria drenched Puerto Rico. She did not die in the tempest, or from destruction wrought by the storm’s 154 mph (248 kph) winds. Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? 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