The “next generation” of House leadership

Hakeem Jeffries announces his House leadership bid; the US grants Saudi crown prince immunity in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.

Hakeem Jeffries announces bid to succeed Nancy Pelosi

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

• On Friday, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced a bid to succeed Nancy Pelosi as Democratic House leader. [CBS News / Nikole Killion and Caroline Linton]
• In a letter to his House colleagues, Jeffries promised to win back the majority, combat crime, and increase security for lawmakers amid recent political violence. [CNN/ Alex Rogers, Daniella Diaz, and Manu Raju]
• Jeffries, 52, represents Brooklyn and Queens and has served as Democratic caucus chair since 2018. [USA Today / Rachel Looker]
• Pelosi released a statement supporting Jeffries, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, and Pete Aguilar of California as the “next generation” of House leadership. [Roll Call / Lindsey McPherson]
• House Democrats hold leadership elections on November 30. If elected, Jeffries would be the first Black person to lead a party in Congress. Axios / Andrew Solender]

Saudi crown prince won’t face lawsuit over journalist’s killing

• The Biden administration has recommended immunity for Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a lawsuit over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. [Associated Press / Ellen Knickmeyer and Matthew Lee]
• US intelligence determined bin Salman likely approved the killing of Khashoggi, a frequent critic of Saudi Arabia. [Euronews]
• Khashoggi’s fiancée sued bin Salman over the murder in October 2020. However, the Justice Department determined that bin Salman should be immune because he is the newly appointed prime minister and therefore the head of a foreign government. [CNN / Alex Marquardt]
• A White House official on Thursday said the decision was just a “legal determination.” Rights groups, however, criticized the administration for failing to hold bin Salman accountable. [Reuters / Dan Whitcomb and Steve Holland]

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday named Jack Smith special counsel to oversee investigations into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. [Vox / Andrew Prokop]

• On Thursday, a federal judge blocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s “anti-woke” legislation, citing free speech and due process violations. [Politico / Andrew Atterbury]
• The FIFA World Cup kicks off this weekend in Qatar. The stadiums aren’t selling alcohol. [CNN / Sammy Mngqosini and Chris Eldergill]
• Today show weatherman Al Roker revealed on Friday he's recovering after being hospitalized with blood clots. [People / Dave Quinn]

📍 If you read just one story

Vox’s Jonathan Guyer provides four questions the Biden Administration should consider while it reevaluates its Saudi Arabia policy. [Vox / Jonathan Guyer]

What's a nine-letter word for Pennsylvania's senator-elect John?

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“Jamal died again today.”

[Hatice Cengiz, Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée, in response to the White House decision / Twitter]

Your identity is a story you tell yourself

Sean Illing talks with neuroscientist Gregory Berns, author of The Self Delusion. They talk about whether the brain is a computer, how perception works, the limits of thinking too much about thinking, and what psychedelics can do to disrupt and change the stories we tell about ourselves.

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