For the Record

"Complicated Space":

Civil Media will "provide refunds to all CVL token buyers by October 29" after its initial coin offering "failed to attract sufficient interest." Although "1,012 buyers purchased $1,435,491 worth of CVL tokens," the total fell short of the company's goal of $8 to $24 million in sales. A spokesperson also announced that "a new, much simpler token sale is in the works."

"Doing Business":

The New York Times is shutting down "three planned guided tours to Saudi Arabia" as a result of the presumed assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "In light of the uncertainty surrounding the disappearance [...], The New York Times has decided to cancel all upcoming Times Journeys departures to Saudi Arabia," a spokesperson said.

Stifling:

In a suit filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, PEN America alleged that "official acts" by Trump have "violated the First Amendment and his oath to uphold the Constitution." According to the complaint, "President Trump has First Amendment rights and is free to criticize the press vehemently, but he is not free to use the power and authority of the United States government to punish and stifle it."

"A Lot Of Responsibility":

Charleston Gazette-Mail reporter and newly minted MacArthur Fellow Ken Ward Jr. intends to continue a partnership with ProPublica's Local Reporting Network on the natural gas industry. "There are, I hope, more people trying to figure this out than there are people throwing their hands in the air and giving up, or worse, thinking that just continuing to do the same thing is going to save us," he said.

Retaliation:

Although Instagram has cultivated a "reputation for being the nicest place on the Internet," 22 users described "painful, sustained, sometimes terrifying abuse on the platform" to The Atlantic. "I’m a 42-year-old athlete and I get harassed all the time. It’s outrageous, but it’s pervasive," said triathlete CC Rowe.

Funded:

Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION), a trade advocacy group with more than 225 members in 45 states, has received a $100,000 grant from Facebook. "We're very grateful for Facebook's support for local indie news, both in funding LION and supporting better communication between our members and their journalism team," said Dylan Smith, chairman of LION’s board of directors.

Drop Out:

A litany of prominent media figures (including Andrew Ross Sorkin, Ariana Huffington and Patrick Soon-Shiong) have withdrawn from Saudi Arabia's Future Investment Initiative conference following the presumed assassination of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi. The New York Times and CNN announced that they will no longer co-sponsor the event.

"Sail Away":

Tucker Carlson's 'Ship of Fools' "has vaulted to No. 1" on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction best-seller list, toppling Bob Woodward's 'Fear' after four weeks. On September 18, Simon & Schuster announced that sales of 'Fear' "[marked] the largest figure for any title in company history."

Repurposed:

Prior to his Wednesday rally in Erie, Pa., President Trump tweeted a photo of queued attendees by CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta without attribution. Acosta has "been the object of threatening and abusive taunts" at several rallies, while Trump previously has accused the journalist of propagating "fake news."

"I Will Speak Up":

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "ordered an operation to lure Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia from his home in Virginia and then detain him, according to U.S. intelligence intercepts of Saudi officials discussing the plan." Although Khashoggi "was skeptical of the offers," it is believed that he was murdered by a Saudi security team at the country's Istanbul consulate last week.