Democratic Party, Brexit, Washington Nationals: Your Wednesday Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

We’re covering the Democratic presidential debate, the possibility of a Brexit deal, and a first trip to the World Series for the Washington Nationals.

U.S. tries for a harder line on Turkey

An American delegation led by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to meet with Turkey’s president on Thursday to reiterate the need for a cease-fire in Syria.

The move is part of a Trump administration effort to wrest back control of a chaotic situation that has endangered American forces in northern Syria even as they prepared to leave.

Related: On Tuesday, the Justice Department filed fraud and money-laundering charges against Turkey’s second-largest state-owned bank, accusing it of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Another angle: Russian forces have moved into territory in northern Syria that was vacated by the U.S.

Perspectives: “Debatable” provides a range of opinions about the most talked-about disagreements. Today’s topic: the U.S. withdrawal from Syria.

A West Wing divided over the Ukraine call

White House lawyers have opened a review of the handling of President Trump’s conversation in July with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, aides and other sources have told The Times.

The call was central to a whistle-blower’s allegation that Mr. Trump abused his power. Some officials have expressed fear that the review is intended to assign blame and highlight decisions that helped fuel the impeachment inquiry.

Yesterday: A senior State Department official in charge of Ukraine policy told impeachment investigators that he was sidelined after a May meeting organized by Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, according to a lawmaker who heard the testimony.

What’s next: Michael McKinley, who resigned last week as a top aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, is scheduled to speak with investigators today.

Another angle: Rudy Giuliani repeatedly urged Mr. Trump to deport a Turkish cleric whom Mr. Giuliani called a violent extremist who needed to face justice in Turkey, former White House officials said. In an interview with The Times, Mr. Giuliani denied trying to intervene.

Hopes rise for a Brexit deal

An agreement over Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union appeared closer than ever, with negotiators meeting late into the night.

The question for Prime Minister Boris Johnson is whether he’ll be forced into making concessions that are unacceptable to British lawmakers.

What’s next: Mr. Johnson is trying to come up with a deal before a critical European summit this week. The current Brexit deadline is Oct. 31, and if he doesn’t get an agreement by Saturday, he is legally required to either ask Brussels for an extension or win Parliament’s approval for leaving anyway.

Background: The major hurdle has been how to handle trade across the Irish border. (For more on that, read the Back Story below.)

If you have 5 minutes, this is worth it

How Myanmar covered up ethnic cleansing

Our reporter visited Rakhine State to see the government’s plans for resettling the Rohingya Muslims, two years after a vicious ethnic cleansing displaced hundreds of thousands.

Officials showed them maps, diagrams and slide shows that were entirely fictitious. Only a handful of refugees have returned.

Here’s what else is happening

Jeers for Hong Kong’s leader: Carrie Lam attempted to give her annual policy address today but was driven from the legislative chamber by pro-democracy lawmakers demanding her resignation.

Border measure is blocked: For the second time, President Trump vetoed legislation seeking to end his national emergency at the southwestern border.

Outer space gear: NASA introduced spacesuits that provide greater comfort and movement as the agency races to meet the Trump administration’s target of a return to the moon in 2024.

Snapshot: Above, a robotic hand designed by an artificial intelligence lab, OpenAI, that can solve a Rubik’s Cube. Many researchers believe the feat is an indication that machines can be trained to perform more complex tasks. (The bad news: The hand drops the cube eight of 10 times.)

Baseball playoffs: A World Series game will be played in Washington for the first time in more than 80 years after the Nationals swept the Cardinals to advance. In the American League, the Astros took a two-games-to-one lead over the Yankees.

Late-night comedy: The 12 candidates on Tuesday were the largest-ever debate field. “The Democrats are like a nightclub on a Tuesday: Everyone gets in,” Trevor Noah said.

What we’re listening to: This “Reply All” episode on feral hogs. The host, PJ Vogt, “starts with a viral tweet about gun control, then goes way down the rabbit hole on the invasive species that is terrorizing rural America, egged on by a hunting industry that is inadvertently making the problem worse,” writes Adam Pasick, on the briefings team.

Now, a break from the news

Plus, we have eight tips for hotels to make guests feel welcome.

And now for the Back Story on …

Brexit’s knotty problem

As the Oct. 31 deadline nears, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is making a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement with European leaders that he hopes will pass in Parliament this Saturday.

But there’s no consensus on a central concern: the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The line was drawn in the early 1920s, dividing the newly independent Republic of Ireland from the six counties of Northern Ireland, which remained part of the United Kingdom. Ireland’s customs controls sharply reduced trade between the two.

The boundary took on increased significance during the decades of the Troubles, the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland that left some 3,600 dead.

In the 1990s, with the adoption of the European Single Market resolving trade issues and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement putting an end to the bloodshed, the border became all but invisible.

Now, as Britain — and, by extension, Northern Ireland — prepares to leave the European Union, leaders are working to avoid reinstating border controls that might renew violence.

That’s it for this briefing, but before you close this email, please consider subscribing to The New York Times for $1 a week. Your subscription helps support our in-depth, independent reporting — and pays my salary.

See you next time.

— Chris

Thank you
Melina Delkic helped compile today’s briefing. Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. Tom Wright-Piersanti wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].

P.S.
• We’re listening to “The Daily.” Today’s episode is about the Democratic presidential debate.
• Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Wasabi-coated snack (three letters). You can find all our puzzles here.
• Times journalists won eight Front Page Awards from the Newswomen’s Club of New York, including Journalist of the Year for Nikole Hannah-Jones, a force behind “The 1619 Project” for The Times Magazine.