Biden speaks to Saudi king ahead of Khashoggi report release | First Thing

President spoke to King Salman ahead of publication of intelligence report expected to implicate crown prince in murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Plus, House passes a landmark LGBTQ+ rights bill

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Good morning.

Joe Biden spoke with the king of Saudi Arabia for the first time as president yesterday, before the imminent publication of a US intelligence report on the murder of the US-based dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a Saudi consulate in 2018. The report is expected to conclude that the killing, which caused international outrage, was approved or even organised by the Saudi crown prince.