The White House shares this clip...omitting the part where Vindman said he rejected the offer, reported it to his superiors and to counterintelligence, and found it comical. (Ukrainian who made the offer tells the Daily Beast it was "clearly a joke.")
https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/1196875295179124736
SCHIFF: Ukraine is fighting our fight against the Russians ... That's our fight, too. That's why we support Ukraine with the military aid ... The president may not care about it, but we do. We care about our defense ... We darn well care about our Constitution. We are adjourned.
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1196861404931858437
“A soldier performing duties in an official capacity will normally be in uniform,” Col. Kathy Turner, Army spokeswoman tells CNN. Cc: @RepChrisStewart
https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/1196861527682375681
Vindman corrects Devin Nunes: 'It's Lt. Col. Vindman, please'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnDxQZVE_7U
It's clear that nobody in the USG wanted to stop the aid. There was only one person who wanted to do so. One person. The question is why. Where did this person get his views on Ukraine? Direct from Russia or filtered through others like Giuliani, Manafort etc?
https://twitter.com/john_sipher/status/1196859411437883392
A Pentagon report finds that Trump’s decision to abandon the Kurds is helping ISIS reconstitute. His recklessness has real consequences for our security.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-spy-agency-finds-trump-144702137.html
LTC Vindman: “here, right matters.” When you have a national security staffer standing up to the president of the United States over allegations of abuse of power, it shows the power of democracy. But the testimonies also show democracy is vulnerable too.
https://twitter.com/RichardEngel/status/1196857551964590080
As Vindman testifies before the House impeachment inquiry, the official Twitter account of the White House -- where Vindman works -- highlights testimony that questions Vindman's judgment.
https://twitter.com/NBCPolitics/status/1196857979833921537
The White House is using the testimony of one Trump administration official to undermine another current official who happens to be an active duty military officer.
https://twitter.com/margbrennan/status/1196856424158187520
Spontaneous applause from spectators (not journalists) when Vindman explains why he came forward despite the risks: "Congressman, because this is America, this is the country that I have served and defended, that all of my brothers have served. And here, right matters."
https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1196858116232622080
I know we are dealing with a lot of news but the "dual loyalty" attack on Lt. Col. Vindman is just outrageously anti-Semitic.
https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/1196858187124625408
“I’m concerned” the smears are coming against you “because you’re an immigrant,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, referring to questions about him since he immigrated from USSR at a young age. “I assume you are as proud as being an American as I am,” Krishnamoorthi said, choking up. Vindman: Yes sir.
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1196858403009810433
'Its the consensus of the entire us intelligence community that it was Russia that interfered with the 2016 election' ~Vindman
Honestly, the thrust of all the GOP questions are: the president can do whatever he wants and who tf are you to question him?
https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1196839971887501312
1. Congress appropriated Ukraine aid, and thus Trump’s authority over that aid was limited; and 2. Congress, as the supreme branch, can evaluate the president’s foreign policy and even impeach him for it.
https://twitter.com/DavidAFrench/status/1196847503636881410
Reminder: A Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation (TELCON) is not a verbatim transcript of a discussion. The text in this document records the notes and recollections of Situation Room Duty Officers and NSC policy staff assigned to listen and memorialize the conversation in written form as the conversation takes place. A number of factors can affect the accuracy of the record, including poor telecommunications connections and variations in accent and/or interpretation. The word “inaudible” is used to indicate portions of a conversation that the notetaker was unable to hear.
"The Army is providing supportive assistance to help Col. Vindman with the public attention. As a matter of practice, the Army would neither confirm nor deny any safety or security measures taken on behalf of an individual; however, as we would with any Soldier, the Army will work with civilian authorities to ensure that he and his family are properly protected."
https://twitter.com/NBCPolitics/status/1196855237497249792
The U.S. Army is prepared to move Col. Vindman and his family onto a military base in the area to ensure their security if it is determined that they are in physical danger, according to U.S. officials.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/impeachment-witnesses-set-to-testify-on-concerns-about-trump-zelensky-call-11574159401
Trump wanted impeachment witnesses fired
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/18/politics/donald-trump-never-trump-white-house-staff/index.html
Trump mocks DECORATED ARMY OFFICER for wearing military uniform
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-impeachment-hearings-twitter-vindman-ukraine-taylor-kent-tweet-a9209676.html
______________________________________
House voting on continuing resolution that would fund the government through Dec. 20, Democrats voting YAY, Republicans voting NAY
https://twitter.com/NBCPolitics/status/1196878051948318723
New York has sued Juul for allegedly preying on and misleading teenagers with ads — a day after California announced a similar suit against the company.
https://twitter.com/axios/status/1196862510554632192
https://www.axios.com/juul-new-york-lawsuit-e-cigarette-ads-48b90caa-ddb3-4325-a836-9c14693c9cf7.html
Bill Gates backs startup using sunlight to create 1,000C-plus heat - The world’s richest man is joining investors behind Heliogen, the first company to concentrate sunlight to reach temperatures that are high enough to power heavy industry without carbon emissions.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/19/bill-gates-energy-startup-sunlight-heliogen-solar-energy
Land affected by Keystone pipeline leak bigger than thought
https://apnews.com/d3f301c4e5014981949be28fae8e15d7
Portland Trail Blazers new forward Carmelo Anthony will be activated for tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
http://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1196827216111210496
After passing his physical exam, Carmelo Anthony signed his one-year, non-guaranteed deal with Portland today. It will be worth $2.15M should he remain on roster past guarantee date in January.
http://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1196824064704339973
Companies that fail to tackle climate change will be delisted from the London Stock Exchange, UK Labour announces - John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, pledged his government would ensure firms are “pulling their weight” to tackle the “existential threat” to the planet.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/climate-change-labour-london-stock-exchange-business-manifesto-mcdonnell-a9208801.html
Iran has gone almost entirely offline as authorities try to stem the spread of nationwide protests that have gripped the country since Friday.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/18/middleeast/iran-protests-explained-intl/index.html
An uprising has started in Iran, their internet was shut down by the Islamic Government
https://www.macleans.ca/news/world/the-uprising-in-iran-these-people-have-nothing-to-lose-theyre-fearless-now/
Full transcript of testimony of David Holmes, embassy staffer in Kyiv
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/full-transcript-of-testimony-of-david-holmes-embassy-staffer-in-kyiv/e2a09bb8-e76e-4f50-bc4e-235ef4b59969/
Hillary Clinton: “I don’t understand this tear it down, revolution talk - whether it’s from the right or the left. I think it’s an excuse. Compromise cannot be a dirty word in a democracy if you expect to maintain a democracy.” She added: “If you think it’s your way or the highway, and you have a direct line to the almighty ... that’s a theocracy, not a democracy.”
https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/clinton-rejects-tear-down-culture-atlanta-book-tour-stop/EqVQWI6kmzucmqWu2DhFbK/amp.html
McConnell Urges Trump to Speak Out on Protests in Hong Kong
https://news.yahoo.com/hong-kong-police-storm-university-220347139.html
Campus under siege as Hong Kong police battle protesters - The head of a nationalistic Chinese newspaper said Hong Kong police should use snipers to fire live ammunition at violent protesters: “If the rioters are killed, the police should not have to bear legal responsibility”
https://apnews.com/1575c7c2ce5c4cc3a572741b1e806320
Hacker Release 2 TB of data from the Cayman National Bank and Trust.
https://data.ddosecrets.com/file/Sherwood/
https://web.archive.org/web/20191117042726/https://data.ddosecrets.com/file/Sherwood/
YEP: How Elizabeth Warren Misread the Politics of Health Care | She got caught in a policy duel with herself, and was late to understanding how important health care is to the Democratic base.
https://prospect.org/health/how-elizabeth-warren-misread-health-care-politics/
More than a dozen groups backed by high-dollar Democratic donors have pledged to spend at least $420 million through the primary election to help offset Trump's $$ lead, focused largely on general-election swing states. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-anxious-over-trumps-money-advantage-launch-swing-state-spending-efforts/2019/11/19/6c03d1e8-058a-11ea-b17d-8b867891d39d_story.html
Iowa Poll: Majority of likely Democratic caucusgoers shy away from 'Medicare for All' 36% support Medicare for All 34% want a public option 20% say restore the provisions of the ACA that were lost and work incrementally from there
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/iowa-poll/2019/11/19/iowa-poll-majority-pick-heatlh-care-option-other-than-medicare-all/4204058002/
Two Bureau of Prisons guards were charged by a federal grand jury Tuesday with conspiracy and filing false records in connection with their actions the night Jeffrey Epstein died in prison, according to an indictment. The two guards, Tova Noel, 31, and Michael Thomas, 41, were taken into custody Tuesday and are expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Manhattan US Attorney's office.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/us/jeffrey-epstein-guard-charge/index.html
Sweden drops Assange rape investigation. After assange was kicked out the embassy he was given a 50 week jail term for evading arrest. He is currently in belmarsh jail in London. The US already made a formal extradition request before his jail sentence is finished.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50473792
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-justice-assange/us-formally-asks-uk-to-extradite-wikileaks-assange-idUSKCN1TC24R
Baker Mayfield wins appeal, won’t have to pay fine for criticizing officials
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/11/18/baker-mayfield-wins-appeal-wont-have-to-pay-fine-for-criticizing-officials/
Emials show Stephen Miller covertly directed Breitbart to attack Marco Rubio and Fox News
https://theweek.com/speedreads/879443/stephen-miller-covertly-directed-breitbart-attack-marco-rubio-fox-news-new-emails-reveal
China signs defense agreement with South Korea as U.S. angers Seoul with demand for $5 billion troop payment
https://www.yahoo.com/news/china-signs-defense-agreement-south-005403276.html
Arron Banks, the founder of the pro-Brexit campaign Leave.EU has twitter account hacked, data dump described as 'explosive'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50474626
Mark Meadows on CSPAN saying it's normal to delay appropriated funds literally right after Morrison testified UNDER OATH that this concerned him. Mark "let me go off the record" Meadows who then talked in front of a live camera.
So they've been floating that the republican line of questioning are purposefully boring to try to get people tuned out... and they seem to be pretty credible from the 4 hearings I've heard thus far. What I dont get though, dems go first make good points, Republicans have a chance go make points (they really havent) but the people watching are going to tune out. Yeah they'll have people tuning into foxnews for cherrypicked soundbites but what's the point. Those people weren't going to watch anything unfiltered anyway, and those that do watch are really only going to catch the first set of questions then tune out?
Morrison seems to be the one who covered up the entire thing because he knew that call was wrong in so many levels.
"Everything on this transcript is fine, but def put it somewhere with restricted access."
Reminder: So it wasn’t a transcript, thank you for establishing that GOP lawyer Castor
Castor: "Where you the guy who put the call memo on the secret server so nobody would find out the President was soliciting a bribe from Ukraine?"
Morrison: "secomm, bilat, nscrp, memcon, lexicon, Morrison out"
So Morrison was worried that what was said on the call was troubling politically and wanted access restricted, but that a) he had no problem with the call and b) when the 'transcript' was moved to another server, it was done in error!?! Just a clerical error that they, effectively, hid evidence of a crime.
So Morrison wasn't on the call but was a part of the editing process???
People close to the Trump administration say Sondland is the hearing they're most concerned about ahead of time. Sondland testifies tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1196913354926968832
A new study confirms that U.S.-imposed tariffs are causing economic harm to both the United States and China with reduced trade, higher prices for consumers, and trade diversion. | A new report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) assesses the impact of the U.S.-imposed tariffs on imports from China, United States import prices, and United States imports from other countries. The findings provide empirical evidence for what economists generally expect to happen when bilateral tariffs are imposed: reduced trade, higher prices for consumers, and trade diversion. The report concludes that the U.S.-imposed tariffs are economically damaging to both the United States and China.
https://taxfoundation.org/us-china-trade-war-tariffs/
https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ser-rp-2019d9_en.pdf
Federal prosecutors are planning to interview an executive with Ukraine’s state-owned gas company as part of an ongoing probe into the business dealings of Rudy Giuliani and two of his Soviet-born business associates. A lawyer for Andrew Favorov confirmed Tuesday that he is scheduled to meet voluntarily with the U.S. Justice Department. Favorov is the director of the integrated gas division at Naftogaz, the state-owned gas provider in Ukraine.
https://apnews.com/196b3007d9db4747b55f9019f0f9da91
Five former senior administration officials present on day one in 2017 said they do not remember witnessing or hearing about any hateful notes like the ones that Stephanie Grisham described from Obama officials.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-press-secretary-faces-backlash-over-baseless-claim-that-obama-aides-left-you-will-fail-notes/2019/11/19/b3828746-0af1-11ea-97ac-a7ccc8dd1ebc_story.html
Trump is pro-corruption in Russia. He is pro-corruption in Saudi Arabia. He is pro-corruption in the United States. It is not tenable that he is anti-corruption in Ukraine.
https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/1196913359389626368
MORRISON: "As I understand it, the president gave that direction the evening of September 11th." So we knew OMB said the freeze on military aid came from Mulvaney, who had it from Trump. It's clearer now that it Trump ordered the freeze lifted himself, too.
Daniel Goldman: "What reason did Mr. Eisenberg give you for why the call record was put in the highly classified system?"
Morrison: "It was a mistake."
Goldman: "He said it was just a mistake?"
Morrison: "It was an administrative error."
https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1196916709875240960
GOLDMAN: You would agree, right, that asking a foreign government to investigate a domestic political rival is inappropriate, would you not?
MORRISON: It’s not what we recommended the president discuss.
Volker says he doesn't think raising "conspiracy theories," like the claims that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election, are not things "we should be pursing" as far as US national security agenda with Ukraine.
Note that not even the witnesses requested by Republicans are saying anything close to Trump's "perfect call" assessment.
Volker testifies in hindsight, he "should have recognized" that some, including Trump, saw probing Burisma "equivalent to investigating former vice president Biden." Adds, "I now understand that most of the other people didn't see this distinction. For them it was synonymous."
Volker, a Republican witness, further demolishes key GOP talking point: says he told Rudy Giuliani that the "allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and not credible.": Volker: "I have known former VP Biden for a long time and I know how he respects his duties of higher office. It's just not credible to me that a vice president of the United States is going to do anything other than act as how he sees best for the national interest."
https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1196900561062416384
Citing evidence from the Roger Stone trial that Trump may have lied to Mueller, House just requested an expedited ruling on their request for the court to force former White House counsel Don McGahn to testify.
https://twitter.com/MMineiro_CNS/status/1196882662776066049
Volker testifies that Giuliani was feeding President Trump a "negative narrative" about Ukraine that none of his other advisers believed was true.
Volker says that Trump was receiving other information from other sources including Guiliani that was causing him to maintain this negative view (of Ukraine). Those other sources reportedly include Putin and Orban.
Volker: "I have learned many things that I did not know at the time of the events in question. ... I did not know of any linkage between the hold on security assistance and Ukraine pushing investigations,” he said, referring to Sondland-Yermak-Rudy talks.
Volker: "I opposed the hold on U.S. security assistance as soon as I learned about it on July 18, and thought we could turn it around before it the Ukrainians ever knew or became alarmed about it. I did not know the reason for the hold, but I viewed it as a U.S. policy problem."
Someone check on Rudy. A bus just hit him, then backed up over him and ran over him a second time.
Kurt Volker—a witness called by Republicans—says he drew a distinction between investigations into Burisma Group, which he says would be “appropriate and unremarkable,” and into the Bidens, which would be “unacceptable.” He says he should’ve realized the link earlier. Ambassador Volker on Trump: "He said Ukraine is a corrupt country full of terrible people. He said they tried to take me down." Volker says that when the U.S. declined to issue a statement about Russia's harassment of the Ukrainian navy, "I tweeted about it." Volker implies that the impeachment investigation is undermining Ukraine: "It is a tragedy for the United States and for Ukraine that our efforts in this area, which were bearing fruit, have now been thrown into disarray."
Volker's testimony is going to be devastating to the Republicans and Trump
Both Tim Morrison and Kurt Volker, in their opening remarks, issued strong warnings on the dangers of overlooking Russia's continued aggression in Eastern Ukraine, and the importance of supporting Ukrainian reforms, and its efforts to fight corruption.
Kurt Volker is amending his testimony from his private deposition saying while HE didn’t convey conditions to the Ukrainians, “I did not know others were conveying a different message to them around that same time.”. Volker also explains that he was out of the loop when he testified. Volker in his opening statement: "I was not made aware of any reference to Vice President Biden or his son by President Trump, until the transcript of that call was released on September 25, 2019."
Much easier for Nunes to blast the media and the whistleblower than it will be to challenge a witness in dress uniform.
Nunes is insisting there was lots of "botched" reporting about the Russia probe. The Mueller report, with information culled from witnesses under penalty of perjury, affirmed that the bulk of the real-time reporting was accurate.
Morrison: I'm not here to question the question of (my former colleagues) integrity. Some of my colleagues' recollections of conversations and interactions may differ from mine, but I do not view those differences as the result of an untoward purpose." (regarding Vindman)
Tim Morrison testifies: “As I stared during my deposition, I feared at the time of the call on July 25, how its disclosure would play in Washington. My fears have been realized.”
Morrison not mincing words here, says straight up in his opening statement that he's not here to answer whether the president should be impeached - that's "a question for the US House of Representatives."
As Schiff's opening statement lays out, Volker and Morrison are both witnesses the GOP asked for publicly, but their testimony will hardly be a slam dunk for Republicans. Both sides likely to take away something from this hearing.
Reminder: Official White House Twitter account attacks its own employee in the middle of impeachment testimony
https://theweek.com/speedreads/879459/official-white-house-twitter-account-attacks-employee-middle-impeachment-testimony
Boris Johnson's government admits it has no plans to carry out an economic assessment of his Brexit deal (
https://www.businessinsider.com/government-has-no-plans-for-economic-assessment-of-brexit-deal-2019-11
Humpback whales in the South Atlantic have recovered from near-extinction: A new count shows the population off Brazil went from about 450 in the 1950s to 25,000 now
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/humpback-whales-south-atlantic-have-recovered-near-extinction
The US could raise $1 trillion more in taxes through stricter IRS enforcement, according to a new study
https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/us-could-raise-1-trillion-more-tighter-irs-enforcement-study-2019-11-1028700145
Trump bashed Nancy Pelosi for an impeachment quote. It actually came from a Fox News reporter.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/19/trump-misquoted-pelosi-impeachment-quote-fox-news-reporter/
Immigrants facing deportation painted American-themed murals at ICE detention center
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/immigrants-facing-deportation-painted-american-themed-murals-at-ice-detention-center
Sondland has long wanted to be an ambassador. After raising $ for Romney, he asked one of the campaign's finance chairmen to relay that he was interested in a post in a German-speaking country.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/political-giving-fueled-gordon-sondlandsrise-to-ambassadorship-11574195793
Meanwhile, the White House has instructed agencies they can illegally ignore legal decisions saying they illegally spent federal dollars
https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/11/white-house-instructs-agencies-ignore-legal-decisions-spending-violations/161395/
At fund-raisers and on campaign stops, Mr. Biden is warning his party against overlooking voters who were once a core Democratic constituency but had found some elements of President Trump’s message compelling in 2016. His campaign believes the Democratic Party risks narrowing its Electoral College path in 2020, and hurting its standing on Capitol Hill, if candidates do not appeal directly to these more moderate voters in battleground states in the Midwest and Sun Belt. And both explicitly and more subtly, Mr. Biden is portraying his chief rival, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and another top candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders, as liberals who are overly focused on expensive and theoretical government overhauls. “Growing up in a middle-class neighborhood, the last thing I liked is people telling my family and me what we should know, what we should believe,” Mr. Biden said as he criticized Ms. Warren’s advocacy style, speaking at a recent CNN town hall in Iowa. “As if somehow we weren’t informed, that we — just because we didn’t have money we weren’t knowledgeable. I resent that.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/us/politics/joe-biden-working-class.html
Cory Booker is a Rhodes scholar, the first black candidate to win statewide in New Jersey, and wields the same kind of credentials that have given other candidates a boost. But the Democrat has yet to take off
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/11/why-cory-bookers-campaign-hasnt-taken-off/602248/
Does Jim Jordan Really Want to Criticize Someone for Failing to Alert the Proper Authorities?
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a29848064/alexander-vindman-testimony-republicans-jim-jordan/
Obama White House Aide Releases Actual Positive Note After Trump Press Secretary Accuses Them of Leaving Nasty Notes
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-press-secretary-stephanie-grisham-nasty-notes-obama-aides-respond-you-will-fail-1472766
Citrus County commissioners illegally vote down New York Times digital subscriptions
https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/11/19/citrus-county-commissioners-vote-down-new-york-times-digital-subscriptions/
Citrus County denies request for New York Times digital subscription after 'fake news' claim
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/citruscounty/citrus-county-commissioners-deny-new-york-times-subscription/67-26300ccb-40c1-4bfd-baa8-f3e9f14bfd19
#Alert: County Commissioners In #CitrusCounty Florida vote against a county library digital subscription to #NewYorkTimes. Commissioners say it was fiscal issue, but some had called the paper “fake news” and said they didn’t want it in the conservative Florida county.
https://twitter.com/EricGlasserWTSP/status/1196913052102193153
Ohio farmer who left GOP over Trump's agricultural policy to challenge Jim Jordan
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/471197-ohio-farmer-who-left-gop-over-trumps-agricultural-policy-to-challenge-jim
Koala-sniffing dogs are on a mission to save animals from Australia's bushfires
https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/world/koala-sniffing-dogs-australia-bushfires-intl-scli/index.html
Kurt Volker, impeachment witness requested by Republicans, debunks many of their arguments
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/11/19/20973067/impeachment-hearings-volker-live-stream-opening-statement
Trump May Be Forced To Testify In 'Apprentice' Sexual Accuser Defamation Case After Judge Again Denies Stay Request
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-testify-apprentice-defamation-case-1472786
More than $35 million of the roughly $400 million in aid to Ukraine that Trump delayed, sparking the impeachment inquiry, has not been released to the country, according to a Pentagon spending document obtained by the Los Angeles Times. Instead, the defense funding for Ukraine remains in U.S. accounts, according to the document. It’s not clear why the money hasn’t been released, and members of Congress are demanding answers.
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-11-19/documents-show-nearly-40-million-in-ukraine-aid-delayed-despite-white-house-assurances
Jordan just gave a 5-minute rant that skipped over a simple fact: Volker has already testified that the entire enterprise was inappropriate, and he was foolish for not seeing it at the time. A primary reason: seeing the transcript where Trump demanded investigations of Biden.
Schiff presses Volker on why he didn’t disclose in deposition that Sondland was calling for probes at July WH meeting. Volker said today it was “inappropriate” that Sondland made the ask. “Why didn’t you tell us about this?” Schiff said. Volker says memory has been refreshed
SCHIFF: "My colleagues asked about 'well, doesn't aid get held up for all kinds of reasons?' Ambassador Volker, have you ever seen military aid held up because the president wanted his rival investigated?"
VOLKER: "No, I have not seen that."
MORRISON: "No, chairman."
Kurt Volker reverses past testimony, admits Sondland brought up Biden investigations in meeting with Ukraine
https://theweek.com/speedreads/879521/kurt-volker-reverses-past-testimony-admits-sondland-brought-biden-investigations-meeting-ukraine
GOP Star Witness Kurt Volker Changes His Testimony in ‘Deeply Damaging’ Blow to Trump and Giuliani
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/gop-star-witness-kurt-volker-changes-his-testimony-in-deeply-damaging-blow-to-trump-and-giuliani
Senate unanimously passes bill reaffirming support for Hong Kong autonomy
https://www.axios.com/hong-kong-china-pass-senate-marco-rubio-f8de38b4-09ab-4105-b876-dd504f79c5d9.html
Passed in the Senate today by Unanimous Consent: 1. S.1838 - Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act with Rubio substitute amendment. 2. S.2710 - A bill to prohibit the commercial export of covered munitions items to the Hong Kong Police Force with Merkley amendments.
https://twitter.com/SenateCloakroom
Just days after Trump overturned Eddie Gallagher's war crime sentence @USNavy is ordering him before a review board that could kick him out of the SEALS; Gallagher's attorney calls that "spitting in the face of the Commander in Chief" @CBSEveningNews
https://twitter.com/CBSWalsh/status/1196933129698607104
The Navy SEAL at the center of a high-profile war crimes case has been ordered to appear before Navy leaders Wednesday morning, and is expected to be notified that the Navy intends to oust him from the elite commando force, two Navy officials said on Tuesday. The move could put the SEAL commander, Rear Adm. Collin Green, in direct conflict with President Trump, who last week cleared the sailor, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, of any judicial punishment in the war crimes case. Military leaders opposed that action as well as Mr. Trump’s pardons of two soldiers involved in other murder cases. Navy officials had planned to begin the process of taking away Chief Gallagher’s Trident pin, the symbol of his membership in the SEALs, earlier this month. But as he waited outside his commander’s office, Navy leaders sought clearance from the White House that never came, and no action was taken. Admiral Green now has the authorization he needs from the Navy to act against Chief Gallagher, and the formal letter notifying the chief of the action has been drafted and signed by the admiral, the two officials said. | The Navy also plans to take the Tridents of three SEAL officers who oversaw Chief Gallagher — Lt. Cmdr. Robert Breisch, Lt. Jacob Portier, and Lt. Thomas MacNeil — and their letters have been drafted and signed as well, one of the officials said. Under Navy regulations, a SEAL’s Trident can be taken if a commander loses “faith and confidence in the service member’s ability to exercise sound judgment, reliability and personal conduct.” The Navy has removed 154 Tridents since 2011. Removing a Trident does not entail a reduction in rank, but it effectively ends a SEAL’s career. Since Chief Gallagher and Lieutenant Portier both planned to leave the Navy soon in any case, the step would have little practical effect on them. But in a warrior culture that prizes honor and prestige, the rebuke would still cast the men out of a tight-knit brotherhood. “To have a commander remove that pin after a guy has gone through so much to earn it, it is pretty much the worst thing you could do,” said Eric Deming, a retired senior chief who served 19 years in the SEALs. “You are having your whole identity taken away.” | Admiral Green has the authorization to take away Chief Gallagher's Trident pin and if/when that happens Trump is expected to intervene and dismiss Admiral Green from command--further dividing the military.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/us/navy-seals-edward-gallagher-trident.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/us/trump-pardons.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/16/us/trump-pardon-military.html
Judge Blocks Ban on Asylum for Immigrants Waiting in Mexico: U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant: : "The putative class members in this case did exactly what the government told them to do" by returning to Mexico to wait for opportunity to claim asylum. Feds can't now claim the asylum seekers never "arrived" at ports of entry.
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-blocks-ban-on-asylum-for-immigrants-waiting-in-mexico/
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6553959-Al-Otro-Lado-Class-Certification-and-Injunction.html
Cherry on the top from todays testimony has to be that devinnunesisanidiot has been trending for the entire time and still is
The shooting at my school will be yesterday’s news. And nothing will come of it. | Gina Painter is a teacher at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, Calif. | We have now moved to a place where partisan politics rule the headlines at the expense of actually effecting change. While the shooting was unfolding — while my fellow faculty members were performing CPR on students who were bleeding from the .45-caliber rounds that were rattled off in our quad — Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) took the floor of the Senate to block a common-sense gun reform bill. “Legislation that would affect the rights of American citizens under the Second Amendment should not be fast-tracked by the Senate,” she said in Washington — at the same time that our children were being escorted out of their classrooms by the SWAT team, single-file, hands in the air, here in Saugus. And she won. They always do. The National Rifle Association machine scored a victory at the cost of two more of our children.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/11/19/shooting-my-school-will-be-yesterdays-news-nothing-will-come-it/
https://www.rollcall.com/news/senator-finds-school-shooting-gun-control-debate
Mike Pompeo Is Searching for a Safe Exit from State Ahead of Senate Run
https://time.com/5732232/mike-pompeo-kansas-senate-run-state-exit/
.@RepAdamSchiff on his Republican colleagues: "Their objection is he got caught! Their objection is that someone blew the whistle…Not that the president engaged in this conduct but that he got caught."
https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1196965410840682499
When Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman appeared before the House Intelligence Committee, his striking presence in his serviceable eyeglasses and his military uniform exuded authority, ferocity and patriotism. As one of the Democratic committee members noted admiringly, Vindman was wearing a Purple Heart on his uniform. He also had a Combat Infantry Badge pinned on the left side of his chest, indicating he’d been involved in active ground combat. For civilian viewers, it was helpful to understand the meanings of some of the insignia on his jacket. But even without the details, anyone looking at the vast collage of medals spread across his chest could understand the story they told: that Vindman is one of the many dedicated individuals who choose to stand guard so that others might sleep easily. Military uniforms command respect. They’re also intimidating. Uniforms are a testament to chains of command, order and service. When worn by a group of men and women, they create a visual wall, an impenetrable and emotionless barrier. But from the moment Vindman took his place behind the witness table, it was clear he would not be an emotionless presence. He would be a humane one. And that made his decision to appear in his Army service uniform particularly affecting. As he waited behind the wooden table for the other witness of the morning, Jennifer Williams, a Russia adviser to Vice President Pence, Vindman looked around the crowded room in the Longworth House Office Building, taking in the spectacle. Often, witnesses stand stiffly and stare into the middle distance as photographers click away. But Vindman’s body language expressed curiosity — and perhaps a bit of nervous energy. He peered up at the ceiling. He looked behind him to where his twin brother, in a dark business suit and red tie, was sitting. (It was a bit like seeing an alternative Vindman — the officer as Everyman.) Vindman adjusted his glasses. He absorbed the moment, and he endured it. When Williams arrived, Vindman reached over to pull out her chair. It was a polite, old-fashioned gesture. It was touching. Williams could, of course, manage her own chair, and perhaps she would rather he had allowed her that. But on the face of it, Vindman’s pulling out the chair for his fellow witness was an act of kindness, a particular human instinct that hinted at the person inside the uniform. It was a gesture of civility and humility at the beginning of a hearing in which focused interrogation was soon to be overtaken by jousting, interrupting, pandering and Jim Jordan’s bulldogging. (Does the representative from Ohio have a question for Lt. Col. Vindman? No. He is quite content to stare over his reading glasses, shout at the witness and spar with himself.) Vindman reminded observers that a military uniform is not only an emblem of a warrior; it is also a mark of an honorable individual. The witness’s uniform became a point of conversation throughout the hearing. When Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) addressed Vindman as “Mister,” Vindman corrected him, politely but firmly: “Ranking member, it’s Lt. Col. Vindman.” The witness was demanding respect for himself as well as the standards and practices of the military in which he served. Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) suggested that correcting Nunes had been a pompous swipe. He wondered why Vindman was wearing his dress uniform. Why wasn’t he wearing a suit? And to underscore his standing to ask Vindman such questions, Stewart pointed to a pair of wings on the lapel of his own suit jacket, noting that they belonged to his father, who served in the military. This was just one example of the self-reflective blah-blah-blah that infected Tuesday’s first hearing: the congressmen who knew a thing or two about the military, or about being the child of immigrants, or being an identical twin. Stewart implied that Vindman was exploiting his uniform to make a point, that he was relying on it as a cheap visual retort to those who would question his statements. Vindman said he’d chosen to wear his uniform and to correct Nunes in part because his service and patriotism had been attacked on social media. His attire was a retort. For Vindman, who had been wounded in Iraq, his wearing the uniform had cost him deeply.
Stewart was right to fear the uniform. He was right to be bothered by its potential to add substance to Vindman’s words. But the impact of what the witness wore didn’t come solely from the golden epaulets and shiny buttons and medals. The uniform carried weight because Vindman did not disappear into it. He was not an automaton. He was not stoic. He was a son who reassured his worried father in his opening statement: “Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth.” He was a military officer who called himself “never partisan.” And he was a vulnerable human who began the morning with a powerfully kind gesture to the only other person in the room who really knew how he was feeling.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/11/19/lt-col-vindmans-uniform-spoke-loud-his-humanity-spoke-louder/
Iran: More than 100 protesters believed to be killed as top officials give green light to crush protests
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/11/iran-more-than-100-protesters-believed-to-be-killed-as-top-officials-give-green-light-to-crush-protests/
Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez is facing 21 new child-sex related charges on top of previous charges for sexually assaulting an underage girl in Westmoreland County.
https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/11/19/pittsburgh-pirates-pitcher-felipe-vazquez-new-charges/
A Chinese hunter caught the bubonic plague after eating a rabbit. Now 28 people are under quarantine.
https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-hunter-catches-bubonic-plague-after-eating-rabbit-2019-11
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