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Good morning. I’m Tim Walker with today’s headlines. If you’d like to receive this briefing by email, sign up here.

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Top story: White House boosts prospects for criminal justice reform

Donald Trump has raised hopes for federal criminal justice reform by lending his support to the First Step Act, a bipartisan effort to expand rehabilitation opportunities for prison inmates, reduce mandatory minimum sentences for drug-related offences and ban contentious practices, including the shackling of pregnant inmates. Trump said the legislation would “reduce crime while giving our fellow citizens a chance at redemption”.

Celebrity endorsements. Public figures who signed a letter to senators in support of the bill included Van Jones, Mark Cuban, Patricia Arquette, Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West.

Senate prospects. Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said he would bring the bill up for a vote if it could clear a filibuster, after seeing how it “stacks up” against other priorities.

Trump claims people wear disguises to vote illegally in Florida

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Broward County’s supervisor of elections, Brenda Snipes, at a ballot recount in Lauderhill, Florida. Photograph: Carlo Allegri/Reuters

Despite warnings from Democrats to “stop lying” about the Florida recount, Trump has claimed people in Florida put on disguises to vote more than once. “Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again,” he told the Daily Caller. Officials in Florida say there is no evidence of any voter fraud during the midterms.

Election supervisor. Brenda Snipes, the African American Democrat who supervises elections in Florida’s Broward County, has become a lightning rod for criticism of the statewide recounts, as David Smith reports from Fort Lauderdale.

Theresa May’s Brexit plan splits her party – and the country

Play Video 2:28 Difficult days ahead, says Theresa May after cabinet backs Brexit deal – video

It took the UK’s prime minister, Theresa May, five hours to persuade her cabinet to back the Brexit agreement she struck at last with the EU. But 12 hours later, the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, quit, instantly jeopardising a deal that had already been met with disdain by leavers and remainers alike. The EU has set 25 November for a summit to finalise the agreement, unless parliament scuppers it before then. May said on Wednesday that three options remained: her deal, no deal – or no Brexit.

Facebook PR firm discredited critics by linking them to Soros – reports

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, who reportedly oversaw the firm’s fightback against its critics. Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA

A PR firm acting on behalf of Facebook tried to discredit the embattled company’s critics by claiming they were agents of the controversial liberal billionaire George Soros, the New York Times reported. Soros, a Jewish philanthropist, is the subject of widespread antisemitic conspiracy theories. Definers Public Affairs, a Republican political consultancy, targeted groups including Color of Change, whose executive director described the revelations as “outrageous and concerning”.

PR fail. Definers also published negative articles about other tech companies, such as Google and Apple, to try to distract from Facebook’s own PR woes following the 2016 election.

Crib sheet

Listen to Today in Focus: the legacy of Isis in Iraq

Two years after the “liberation” of Fallujah, the Guardian’s Peter Beaumont returns to the Iraqi city to find its residents still living with the legacy of Isis, in the form of hundreds of unexploded IEDs.

Must-reads

Facebook Twitter Pinterest New members of Congress pose for a group photo at the US Capitol. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Are you reflected in the new US Congress?

Photos of the new congressional intake have demonstrated a stark difference in diversity between the parties. The proportion of House Democrats who are white men will fall from 41% to 38% in January. Among Republicans, that number will climb from 86% to 90%. Use our interactive tool to find out whether you are reflected in this unusually representative new Congress.

David Crosby: ‘I don’t look back at all’

Enjoying a late career renaissance, the singer-songwriter David Crosby tells Rob LeDonne he rarely gets nostalgic for his 1960s heyday. Then again, he says, the political upheaval of that era pales by comparison to today’s: “Right now, it’s worse than the 60s because the guy we’ve got to deal with is worse.”

The world’s greatest ratcatcher?

Phil Merrill helped to make Alberta one of the world’s only rat-free jurisdictions. With almost 50 years’ experience in the fight against rodent-kind, his skills are now in demand from Ireland to New Zealand.

From ghosting to oversharing: the new rules of break-ups.

Should you ever like your ex’s social media posts? What should you do with their nude pictures? And who gets the Netflix password? Sirin Kale explains how best to break up in the digital age.

Opinion

Sequoya Yiaueki grew up believing he was a Native American, until a DNA test told him otherwise in his 30s. His father’s lies had formed his racial identity; exposing them left him uncertain about his place in the world.

For the idle curious, genetic testing can be a fun adventure, but for some of us, the stakes are far greater and the dangers are more real.

Sport

Fifa is investigating five Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, over possible violations of rules on the signing of foreign players under the age of 18. Chelsea bosses, who face a transfer ban if found guilty, said the club had “fully cooperated with Fifa and provided comprehensive evidence demonstrating its compliance with the applicable Fifa regulations”.

Calgary residents have voted against the Alberta city’s bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. The referendum result is a blow to the IOC, which now has only two remaining candidates after three other cities withdrew from consideration earlier this year.

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