'Start Here': Migrants, Texas, Khashoggi. What you need to know to start your day.
It's Monday, Oct. 22, 2018. Here's what you need to start your day:
1. Migrant caravan marches through Mexico
A migrant caravan is on the move in Mexico as thousands of asylum-seekers from Honduras face sweltering temperatures with the hope of eventually reaching the U.S.
The Mexican government has offered the migrants asylum status, but ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman -- who's embedded with the caravan in Tapachula, Mexico -- tells us they're convinced it's a ruse to deport them back to Honduras.
"People have been collapsing all along the way through the entirety of this journey," Gutman said, "and what's perhaps most stunning about it is that they continue to push on."
2. Saudi official: Chokehold led to Khashoggi's death
It's now been nearly three weeks since Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi walked into Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul and never walked out.
ABC News' Rym Momtaz spoke to a Saudi official who claims Khashoggi's death occurred as the result of an accident during an altercation.
The Saudi government continues to deny it was a targeted killing or something ordered by the Saudi royal family.
3. Texas two-step
The midterms are just over two weeks away and President Donald Trump is headed to Houston tonight to a rally with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who's battling Democratic challenger Rep. Beto O'Rourke.
Cruz and Trump were bitter rivals in 2016, and in an interview with ABC News Senior National Correspondent Paula Faris, Cruz declined to say whether Trump was his friend or foe: "He's the president. ... I work with the president in delivering on our promises."
Faris also sat down with O'Rourke, who pulled in a record haul of $38 million in donations last quarter.
"This is a guy that has not only captured Texas' imagination, but really the country's imagination," Faris said.
In other news:
'Republicans have never lacked for chutzpah, which is what it takes to file a lawsuit intended to take away protections for pre-existing conditions, and then run a soft-focus ad about how committed you are to protecting those with pre-existing conditions': As the midterms approach, Democrats are accusing Republicans of misleading claims on health care.
'I'm nervous just about how I'll be received by the public': Former NFL wide receiver Rae Carruth is set to be released after spending almost 20 years in prison for conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend.
'Before they could even get to the vehicle the shots rang out': A manhunt continues for a suspect accused of killing a cop near Atlanta.
'General Smiley is recovering from a gunshot wound': An Army brigadier general was wounded Thursday in an attack in Kandahar that killed two Afghan officials.
More than $2 billion: Lottery jackpots continue to rise.
From our partners at FiveThirtyEight:
Election Update: Republicans' Overall Senate Chances Are Holding Steady
Last 'Nightline':
Pregnant woman found murdered, police suspect her fiance's 11-year-old son: Twenty-six-year-old Kenzie Houk was shot in the back of the head, and police arrested Jordan Brown, the son of Houk's fiance.
Man accused of murder at age 11 has conviction overturned at age 20: Jordan Brown is now in college and wants the world to know that he is innocent of Kenzie Houk's murder.
On this day in history:
Oct. 22, 1983 -- A 45-year-old Georgia man is charged with making threats against President Ronald Reagan.
Today's must-see photo:
People survey the scene of a roadside bomb blast in Achin district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Oct. 21, 2018. At least 11 people, including children and women, from the same family were killed in the incident. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blast, which comes on the second day of parliamentary elections in the country. (photo credit: Ghulamullah Habibi/EPA/Rex/Shutterstock)
For more great photos from around the world click HERE.
What's hot on social:
Dashcam footage shows a sheriff's deputy repeatedly punching a DUI suspect.
All right, you're off and running. You can always get the latest news on ABCNews.com and on the ABC News app. Details on how to subscribe to the "Start Here" podcast are below. See you tomorrow!
"Start Here" is the flagship daily news podcast from ABC News -- a straightforward look at the day's top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or the ABC News app. On Amazon Echo, ask Alexa to "Play 'Start Here'" or add the "Start Here" skill to your Flash Briefing. Follow @StartHereABC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for exclusive content, show updates and more.
