Good Monday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.
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• Republican leaders worry that candidates for governor and Senate are in trouble in several key battleground states, and that difficulties could spill into House races. Read about Republicans’ struggles in those states.
• The Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth, which could roll back federal protections for transgender people. Read the story.
• President Trump shifted his tone on Saudi Arabia again over the weekend, expressing doubt about the Saudi government’s claim that the journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed accidentally in a fistfight with Saudi operatives. Read more about Mr. Trump’s changing response.
• Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended his decision to meet with Saudi officials this week, saying his aim was to reinforce ties at a critical moment. Read more about why he’s going.
• Mikhail Gorbachev, who negotiated disarmament deals with President…
