10 things you need to know today: October 9, 2018

Trump apologizes to Kavanaugh at swearing-in, Hurricane Michael intensifies as it heads toward Florida Panhandle, and more

President Trump in Kansas
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

1. Trump bashes Democrats as Kavanaugh promises to be impartial

President Trump used a White House ceremonial swearing-in for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to further politicize the judge's confirmation by calling allegations of sexual misconduct against him "a campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception." Trump apologized to Kavanaugh "on behalf of our nation" for what he earlier called a "hoax" orchestrated by Democrats. He declared that Kavanaugh had been "proven innocent" in an investigation, although it reached no conclusions. Kavanaugh, whose confirmation faced intense protests, sought to ease partisan tensions by promising to "take this office with gratitude and no bitterness," saying the confirmation battle "did not change me." "My approach to judging remains the same: A good judge must be an umpire, a neutral and impartial decider that favors no litigant or policy," he said.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.