Mike Bloomberg delivered remarks at CNN’s Citizen Forum Monday in New York, saying “Our democracy is being threatened in ways our country has not seen in a very long time” and told the forum that election day “is our chance to tell Washington to start working across the aisle to get things done.” “We need more Harry Trumans in Washington. People who will take responsibility for the fact that we elected them to solve problems. Not to point fingers. Not to scapegoat outsiders. To get things done,” he said. “We expect leaders to unite us, not divide us.”

Read the full remarks here and watch here.

U.S. Midterm Watch:
-Mike Bloomberg’s Cash Bombs Will Elect Democrats in 2018 – But What About 2020? (Vanity Fair – hat tip: Chris Smith)
-Battleground House Districts Remain Close in New Poll (Washington Post)
-Trump and Republicans Settle on Fear, Falsehoods and Racially Tinged Rhetoric — as a Midterm Strategy (Washington Post)
-Shocking Turnout for First Day of Early Voting in Houston (Houston Chronicle)

Trump’s Approval Rating Is Up. Republican House Chances Are Down. Does That Make Any Sense? (Five Thirty Eight – Nate Silver) Just in time for the Nov. 6 election, Trump is posting some of the best job approval numbers of his presidency. His approval rating is currently 43.1 percent, according to the FiveThirtyEight average, the highest it’s been since March 2017. His disapproval rating is 52.0 percent, so let’s not get too carried away — the president is still unpopular. But his numbers are moving in the right direction.​

Hot on the Bloomberg:
-Erdogan Rejects Saudi Claims, Says Khashoggi Murder Was Planned (Bloomberg)
-Caterpillar Plunges Despite Reporting Best-Ever Third Quarter; Cites Higher Manufacturing Costs Due to Increased Steel Prices and Tariffs (Bloomberg)

Paul Volcker, at 91, Sees ‘a Hell of a Mess in Every Direction’ (New York Times)
Volcker recently finished his memoir that he wrote with Bloomberg Markets editor Christine Harper. In advance of the book release next week, he tells Andrew Ross Sorkin: “We’re in a hell of a mess in every direction. Respect for government, respect for the Supreme Court, respect for the president, it’s all gone…how can you run a democracy when nobody believes in the leadership of the country?”

Movie Section: The Food Film Festival, sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies, kicks off tomorrow in New York City with the world premiere of “Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown / Lower East Side.” Ahead of the festival, Bloomberg’s Scarlet Fu sat down with its executive producer Seth Unger and founder George Motz to discuss everything from food trends to changing consumer habits. Learn more (and buy tickets) here.

Best of late night.

“President Trump told reporters today that he gets along well with Senator Ted Cruz, saying, quote, ‘He’s not Lyin’ Ted anymore, he’s Beautiful Ted.’ Dude, if that’s Beautiful Ted, then you’re Lyin’ Donald.”
— Seth Meyers

“Turnout is expected to be the highest for a midterm since 1966. They project a turnout of 45 to 50 percent — which — is that good? How are more than 50 percent of people still not voting? Are they like, ‘Man, looks like this race is going to be close, and I do not want to be the one who decides it.’”
— Jimmy Kimmel

“Remember something: If you don’t vote, it means Russia did all that work on this election for nyet.”
— Jimmy Kimmel

For more best of late night from the New York Times, click here.