News Dump

Republicans legally withdraw US from Paris Climate Agreement.
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/04/773474657/u-s-formally-begins-to-leave-the-paris-climate-agreement

"I don't stand by anything" - Donald Trump
https://www.politico.com/video/2017/05/01/trump-on-surveillance-claims-i-dont-stand-by-anything-063037

In July, Trump offered Putin help with Siberian wildfires. Today, he threatens to pull federal funding on wildfires in his own country.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-trump-putin-wildfires/trump-offers-putin-help-with-siberian-wildfires-kremlin-idUSKCN1UQ2UC

He is talking about a Purple Heart recipient: Trump threatens to expose information about Lt. Col. Vindman. Watch.
https://twitter.com/KellyO/status/1191050109448073218

"The was no quid pro quo. And if there was, it was legal."

Appeals court rejects Trump's attempt to withhold tax return from local prosecutors, setting stage for Supreme Court fight | New York prosecutors can get Trump tax returns, court rules | A different panel of the 2nd Circuit is considering a separate lawsuit from the president aimed at stopping Deutsche Bank and Capital One from handing over his records to two other House committees.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/appeals-court-rejects-trumps-attempt-to-withhold-tax-return-from-local-prosecutors-setting-stage-for-supreme-court-fight/2019/11/04/567cdb02-f695-11e9-a285-882a8e386a96_story.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/trump-taxes-vance-appeal.html

Appeals court decision will be appealed, case will go to Supreme Court

Nothing says innocence like going all the way up to the Supreme Court to protect your personal documents.

In the decision, the court ruled that Trump is not immune to State criminal investigation, but also ruled that an obscure doctrine called the "Younger Abstention" (which would have prevented Federal courts from interceding) does not apply, leaving the door open to a Supreme Court appeal, and Sekulow has already confirmed that they are appealing.
https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1191382578848321536

The SCOTUS will likely refuse to even hear it ("deny cert") and let the ruling stand. The decision is fairly conclusive, for example this footnote: We note that the past six presidents, dating back to President Carter, all voluntarily released their tax returns to the public...[which] reinforces our conclusion that the disclosure of personal financial information, standing alone, is unlikely to impair the President in performing the duties of his office.
https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1191387700005396480

Jared Kushner greenlit arrest of Jamal Khashoggi in phone call with Saudi Prince
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7646171/Jared-Kushner-greenlit-arrest-Jamal-Khashoggi-phone-call-Saudi-Prince.html

Committees Release Testimony of Yovanovitch and McKinley as Part of New Public Phase of Impeachment | Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs warned Yovanovitch about Giuliani's conspiracy with Lutsenko, which has now been revealed to be an exchange of her removal for the announcement of investigations Trump wanted, along with access to lucrative business deals in Ukraine | Ambassador Yovanovitch stated that Minister Avakov warned her that he was “very concerned” about Mr. Giuliani and “told me I really needed to watch my back.” (Page 41) | Well, I mean, he basically said, and went into some detail, that there were two individuals from Florida, Mr. Parnas and Mr. Fruman, who were working with Mayor Giuliani, and that they had set up the meetings for Mr. Giuliani with Mr. Lutsenko. And that they were interested in having a different ambassador at post, I guess for—because they wanted to have business dealings in Ukraine, or additional business dealings. I didn’t understand that because nobody at the embassy had ever met those two individuals. | This is now a criminal conspiracy under federal indictment in the Southern District of New York in which Donald Trump is personally implicated as a co-conspirator | "They sought political influence not only to advance their own financial interests, but to advance the political interests of at least one foreign official - a Ukrainian government official [Lutsenko] who sought the dismissal of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine," Geoffrey Berman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at a Thursday news conference. | In the infamous phone call, Trump specifically berated Zelenskiy for Lutsenko's termination |     “I heard you had a prosecutor who was very good and he was shut down and that’s really unfair,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Zelensky, in what people familiar with the conversation said was a reference to Mr. Lutsenko.    “A lot of people are talking about that, the way they shut your very good prosecutor down,” Mr. Trump said, later adding that Mr. Lutsenko “was treated very badly and he was a very fair prosecutor.” | As WSJ reported last month, Yovanovitch's removal was personally ordered by Donald Trump.
https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=757
https://intelligence.house.gov/uploadedfiles/20191104_-_yovanovitch_transcript_excerpts_final.pdf
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/lev-parnas-and-igor-fruman-charged-conspiring-violate-straw-and-foreign-donor-bans
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/lutsenko-unnamed-ukrainian-who-led-plot-oust-yovanovitch-says-official-n1065246
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/us/politics/trump-ukraine-obsession.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-ordered-ukraine-ambassador-removed-after-complaints-from-giuliani-others-11570137147

The testimony of former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie “Masha” Yovanovitch from October 11, 2019 can be found here. Key excerpts from Yovanovitch’s testimony can be found here.
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/CPRT-116-IG00-D003.pdf

The testimony of former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State Ambassador P. Michael McKinley from October 16, 2019 can be found here. Key excerpts from McKinley’s testimony can be found here.
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/CPRT-116-IG00-D004.pdf

Key excerpts from McKinley’s testimony can be found here.
https://intelligence.house.gov/UploadedFiles/20191104_-_McKinley_Transcript_Excerpts_FINAL.pdf

Apple and TikTok refuse to testify to US Congress about their business in China
https://reclaimthenet.org/apple-tik-tok-refuse-us-congress-testimony-china/

Greta Thunberg asks for lift back across Atlantic as COP25 meet shifts to Madrid. She arrived in NY in Aug after 14 days crossing Atlantic in sailing boat. Since then, she has traveled by train and electric car borrowed from Schwarzenegger. Greta refuses to fly because of carbon emissions involved.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/03/greta-thunberg-asks-for-lift-back-across-atlantic-as-climate-meeting-shifts-to-madrid

Dunkin’ will take the Beyond Sausage Sandwich nationwide at participating restaurants beginning November 6
https://thetakeout.com/dunkin-beyond-meat-sausage-breakfast-sandwich-locations-1836665861

Federal Contractors Still Fighting for Backpay Almost a Year After Government Shutdown
https://www.wmfe.org/federal-contractors-still-fighting-for-backpay-almost-a-year-after-federal-shutdown/139058

Unemployment is rising in parts of the country, particularly in a few states that are likely to be critical to the 2020 presidential election. Of the 10 closest states in the last election, four — Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and North Carolina — have seen substantial rises in unemployment over the past year, according to the latest Labor Department data. Others have seen smaller rises, but it’s too early to read much into the often-revised numbers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/11/04/unemployment-is-climbing-key-swing-states-including-michigan-wisconsin/

Mikhail Gorbachev warns that current tension between Russia and the West is putting the world in "colossal danger" calls for all countries to declare that nuclear weapons should be destroyed
https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/gorbachev-russia-us-weapons/2019/11/03/id/939989/

Only about three of every 10 registered voters in Kentucky will take time to vote Tuesday to elect Kentucky’s governor for the next four years, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said Wednesday. Grimes officially projected about 31 percent of the 3,451,537 million people registered to vote in Kentucky will cast a ballot on Election Day.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article236814043.html

All four White House officials scheduled for House inquiry depositions Monday won't testify
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/03/politics/officials-testify-impeachment-house-inquiry/index.html

Trump calls Ukraine corrupt but wants to build a resort there
https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/04/trump-ukraine-corrupt-resort-065075

Trump keeps NYT, WaPo apps on his phone despite canceling subscriptions:
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/468784-trump-keeps-nyt-wapo-apps-on-his-phone-despite-cancelling

Seven whistleblowers: House Democrats trying to impeach Trump have no less than seven intelligence whistleblowers willing to give evidence, or who have already given evidence, about Trump’s dealings with foreign governments
https://spectator.us/seven-whistleblowers-jared-kushner-bin-salman/

Plurality of Texans believe Trump impeachment investigations are justified
https://www.fox4news.com/news/poll-plurality-of-texans-believe-trump-impeachment-investigations-are-justified

Trump ally Roger Stone's trial to start this week; Stone was charged with misleading the House Intelligence Committee about his efforts to find out when WikiLeaks would be releasing hacked Democratic Party and Clinton campaign emails.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-ally-roger-stone-s-trial-start-week-n1075131

The rich will likely receive billions in tax cuts if the health-care law is overturned, according to a new analysis published Monday from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington think tank.
The nation’s top 0.001%, the 1,409 U.S. households with annual incomes over $53 million, would receive a combined $3.8 billion in tax cuts if the law is overturned, according to the report. That’s because overturning Obamacare would eliminate several taxes that were imposed to help pay for the law’s expansion, including a 0.9% Medicare tax on single Americans who earn more than $200,000 a year or couples who make $250,000, the report said. A ruling against the health law would also eliminate a 3.8% Medicare surtax on net investment income for high-income filers — $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for joint filers.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/04/the-rich-will-receive-billions-in-tax-cuts-if-obamacare-is-overturned-report.html

E. Jean Carroll, Who Accused Trump of Rape, Sues Him for Defamation
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/nyregion/e-jean-carroll-trump-lawsuit.html

China is reportedly sending men to sleep in the same beds as Uighur Muslim women while their husbands are in prison camps
https://www.businessinsider.com/china-uighur-monitor-home-shared-bed-report-2019-11

The City of Montreal announced on Thursday that it will ban the use of the pesticide glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup. Montreal’s ban of glyphosate is the first of its kind in Quebec. Health Canada continues to approve the herbicide as safe to use.
https://globalnews.ca/news/5860220/mayor-cites-environment-health-as-montreal-to-ban-glyphosate-pesticide/

180 investigations into theft of biomedical research by Chinese academics underway at major academic centers across the USBehind Soft Paywall (nytimes.com)
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/health/china-nih-scientists.html

Spencer was responding to the attacks he was getting after Heather Heyer was murdered by a white supremacist at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville - a rally that Spencer organized. This is one of the the racists Trump called "very fine people". | The audio is disturbing. The racial slurs Richard Spencer throws around are hard to listen to. The anger he displays is the frustrated cry of a man who genuinely believes these vile things. Yet, CNN & others downplay the seriousness of his racism. Do not normalize this.
https://twitter.com/Avi_Bueno/status/1191197087754526720
https://twitter.com/Avi_Bueno/status/1191197999680163840
https://twitter.com/Avi_Bueno/status/1191198900813795328

Here's an example of the normalization I'm talking about. In 2016, Time published this: "Spencer is clean-cut, polite & solicitous... He says he rejects white supremacy & considers slavery 'abhorrent.'" Of course this was untrue & it was clear then too. But they normalized him.
https://twitter.com/Avi_Bueno/status/1191201425973530624

Have to say I’m disappointed to see so many are going. Especially the minorities who are going, fucking racist idiots AGAINST THEIR OWN DEMOGRAPHIC.
https://twitter.com/HallieJackson/status/1191423262624043010

Rudy Giuliani Is Still Doing Trump's Dirty Work in Ukraine. While lawmakers hear testimony about Trump’s dealings in Ukraine, Giuliani is reportedly continuing illegal unconstitutional efforts to get dirt on Joe Biden.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/11/rudy-giuliani-is-still-doing-trumps-dirty-work-in-ukraine

Trump pardoning a Navy SEAL convicted of taking a photo with a dead ISIS fighter
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pardon-seal-eddie-gallagher-posed-with-dead-isis-fighter-2019-11
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pardon-seal-eddie-gallagher-posed-with-dead-isis-fighter-2019-11

E.P.A. Weakens Rules Governing Toxic Water Pollution From Coal Plant
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/climate/coal-ash-water-pollution-trump.html

FBI officials said they have arrested a 27-year-old suspected white supremacist who was allegedly planning a bombing at a Colorado synagogue. The suspect, identified as Richard Holzer, was allegedly planning to target Temple Emanuel in Pueblo, which is the state's second-oldest synagogue, the FBI said Monday. Holzer is charged with attempting to obstruct religious exercise by force using explosives and fire.
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/suspected-white-supremacist-arrested-thwarted-synagogue-attack-fbi-201000814--abc-news-topstories.html

No sitting U.S. president before Trump has ever pressured a foreign government to investigate a political rival, or interfere in an American election. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/10/26/russias-long-and-mostly-unsuccessful-history-of-election-interference-229884

He's changed lawyers too: Lev Parnas, an indicted Ukrainian-American businessman who has ties to President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, is now prepared to comply with requests for records and testimony from congressional impeachment investigators, his lawyer told Reuters on Monday.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-impeachment-parnas-exclusiv/exclusive-giuliani-associate-now-willing-to-comply-with-trump-impeachment-inquiry-lawyer-idUSKBN1XE297

ISIS has found safe haven in an ungoverned part of Iraq
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/mideast/defeated-isis-has-found-safe-haven-ungoverned-part-iraq-n1076081

Joe Arpaio loses $300M defamation lawsuit against CNN, HuffPost, Rolling Stone
https://nypost.com/2019/11/01/joe-arpaio-loses-300m-defamation-lawsuit-against-cnn-huffpost-rolling-stone

Internet access has been cut in most of Iraq, including Baghdad, as anti-government protests continue
https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1191479870884339712

Cue the hysteria if Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Maddow to chit chat about foreign policy and our ambassadors. Pompeo sought Sean Hannity's advice on Yovanovitch and Republicans shrug.

The Justice Department is trying to unearth the identity of the Trump administration official who denounced the president in a Times Op-Ed last year under the byline Anonymous, according to a letter from a senior law enforcement official
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/us/politics/op-ed-anonymous-justice-department.html

Tony Blair told @BoardofDeputies audience tonight on park lane that he has not changed his view on Corbyn and that he feels very frustrated by his own party over the antisemitism crisis. “A big battle is taking place within Labour and it is absolutely shameful what is going on”.
https://twitter.com/James_J_Marlow/status/1191470236832272384

Turkey's state-run bank Halkbank refuses to accept service of the indictment, their attorneys at the firm King & Spalding tell a federal judge. They ask for a "limited" appearance to challenge jurisdiction and request recusal. Halkbank's arraignment's scheduled tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1191475779575713795

Federal prosecutors declared Halkbank a "fugitive" last month.
https://twitter.com/KlasfeldReports/status/1191476087395667970


Marie Laforêt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Lafor%C3%AAt
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0481030/

Tom Steyer aide stole Kamala Harris’ SC volunteer data from 2020 presidential voter file  | The DNC caught him and forced him to destroy the massive data export immediately.
https://twitter.com/jslovegrove/status/1191499081723592704
https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/tom-steyer-aide-stole-kamala-harris-sc-volunteer-data-from/article_0daacd98-ff24-11e9-b9c7-87c46a5c6cc9.html

Shitstain Florida county commissioners - all ugly obese white males - call New York Times "fake news" and illegally and unconstitutionally refuse to spend $2,700 for library to offer digital subscriptions
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2019/11/04/commissioners-call-new-york-times-fake-news-deny-library-funding-for-digital-subscriptions/

Victim of Milwaukee Acid Attack Says He Was Told to ‘Go Back to Your Country’ | Mahud Villalaz, a U.S. citizen who received second-degree burns to his face, recalled his attacker saying, “You came here to invade.” | A nearby surveillance camera captured video of the attack, showing a man splashing a liquid onto the left side of Mr. Villalaz’s face.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/04/us/milwaukee-acid-attack-victim.html

Milwaukee Mayor Blames Trump's Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric and Policies for Acid Attack Against Hispanic Resident | "Everybody knows what's happening. It's because the president is talking about it on a daily basis that people feel that they have license to go after Hispanic people, and it's wrong."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/04/milwaukee-mayor-blames-trumps-anti-immigrant-rhetoric-and-policies-acid-attack

RNC funded effort to jam House Democrats' office phone lines with illegal robocalls amid impeachment fight
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/468938-rnc-funded-effort-to-jam-house-democrats-office-phone-lines-amid-impeachment
_____________________

My poor Golden State Warriors: Embrace The Tank Guys
https://i.redd.it/wz7kkqwe8lw31.png

Luka Doncic finishes the game with 29 points, 14 rebounds, 15 assists on 9/17 FG, 5/10 3PT, 6/6 FT

Kawhi literally takes the ball out of Bogdanovic's hands
https://streamable.com/dqg1v

The year is half over and Odell Beckham Jr has scored as many touchdowns as Jabrill Peppers - the safety he was traded for

A Browns team with a No. 1 overall pick at QB, two All-Pro WRs, one of the league's best young pass rushers and a handful of quality veterans lost to a bumbling 2-6 team with a 4-yr preseason backup QB making his first start.

The San Francisco 49ers are the only remaining undefeated team left after 9 weeks. Thank Patriots coach because 49ers quarterback was Tom Brady's backup.

I understand what it *means* to bench Trubisky but it’s time. He’s awful. The guy is overwhelmed, uncomfortable & bluntly put, incompetent. Chase Daniel at least can play QB with some confidence & competence. Enough is enough.
https://twitter.com/AaronLemingNFL/status/1191064629042143240

Trubisky is horrible. But you can't put it all on him. The league has figured out Matt Nagy and he isn't adjusting. He won't last much longer on the job if he doesn't turn it around.
https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1191073959007141893

Lamar “Action” Jackson jukes on a video game run for the first down
https://twitter.com/nfl/status/1191197587656699904?s=21

Brady tosses a duck into the air right into the hands of Earl Thomas for the INT
https://twitter.com/rotostjournal/status/1191200565424009216?s=21

Ertz scores after blatantly grabbing Kyle Fuller's fasemask and shoving him to the ground before getting the ball
https://streamable.com/7oghq

Patriots defense had only allowed 4 offensive touchdowns coming into this game. Ravens have 4 offensive TDs tonight. They also have 213 rushing yards.
https://twitter.com/jeffzrebiec/status/1191205756642713600?s=19

Lamar Jackson made the Ravens the only team to not throw an interception to the Patriots and just one of three teams to throw a touchdown pass against them. Jackson also posted the highest yards per attempt (7.1) that the Patriots have allowed this season.
https://twitter.com/QBKlass/status/1191208625219391488?s=09

All thee NFC North teams lost today. All the AFC West teams won today. All 10 teams playing at home won today.