1/ Trump claimed the Democratic Party’s push for “Medicare for All� would “eviscerate� and “gut Medicare with their planned government takeover of American health care,� in a rare presidential op-ed published by USA Today. The op-ed included numerous debunked claims and factual inaccuracies while simultaneously linking to information that directly refuted his claims. Trump suggested that “Medicare would be forced to die� under the plan, devastating the health care industry, and “inevitably lead[ing] to the massive rationing of health care.� Medicare provides health care to Americans older than 65 and those with disabilities. (CNN / NBC News)

Fact-checking Trump’s op-ed. (Washington Post)

The Trump administration plans to take down healthcare.gov for maintenance during the sign-up period for the Affordable Care Act. The administration did the same thing last year and drew criticism for it, but officials say the maintenance periods are routine and intended to occur during the slowest periods. (The Hill)

2/ Trump said he will speak to Saudi officials about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying he was “concerned.� While the Saudi government claims that Khashoggi left the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after his visit last week, top Turkish security officials concluded that Khashoggi was assassinated in the consulate on orders from the highest levels of the Saudi royal court. Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen living in exile in the United States, was a vocal critic of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Fifteen Saudi agents had arrived on two charter flights the day Khashoggi disappeared and all 15 left just a few hours later. The Trump administration has been largely silent in part because Saudi Arabia is a close American ally and Trump has repeatedly expressed his enthusiasm for Mohammed bin Salman. (New York Times / Politico)

3/ State court judges may be able to grant custody of migrant children to American families without notifying their parents, according to a report drawing on hundreds of court documents, immigration records and interviews in the U.S. and Central America. More than 300 parents were deported to Central America without their children this summer, many of whom allege they were ordered to sign a waiver they didn’t understand, which affected their rights to reunify with their children. (Associated Press)

4/ Melania Trump: Women “need to have really hard evidence� before saying they’re victims of sexual assault. “I do stand with women,� the first lady said, “but we need to show the evidence. You cannot just say to somebody, ‘I was sexually assaulted,’ or, ‘You did that to me,’ because sometimes the media goes too far, and the way they portray some stories it’s, it’s not correct, it’s not right.� During the 2016 presidential campaign, at least 13 women accused Donald Trump of sexual harassment or sexual assault. (