CHINA/ECONOMY/GOP/MEDIA/RUSSIA/SAUDI ARABIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday [10-11-18] he saw no reason to block Saudi Arabian investments in the United States despite concern over a missing Saudi journalist, saying the Gulf nation would then just move its money into Russia and China. Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, also said the United States was expecting a report soon on the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, but gave no other details…Trump’s comments prompted pushback from members of the U.S. Senate, including from some of his fellow Republicans, many of whom signed a letter on Wednesday forcing his administration to investigate Khashoggi’s disappearance and paving the way to possible sanctions on Saudi officials…Corker and other lawmakers also said it would be very difficult for the Trump administration to win congressional approval for arms sales to the Saudis. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have already questioned U.S. support for Saudi’s involvement in the civil war in Yemen, which has prompted a humanitarian crisis.”
–Reuters, “Trump: Missing Journalist No Reason to Stop Saudi Investments,” The New York Times online, October 11, 2018