After months of unrest, Hong Kong is holding a de facto referendum on protests - CNN

Hong Kong elections are traditionally peaceful, even dull, but officials have warned that, amid the heightened tensions in the city, they will not hesitate to postpone the vote or close polling stations in the instance of violence. Riot police will be stationed in "inconspicuous" locations inside every polling station, police told CNN.

After months of unrest with both sides claiming to represent the will of the majority of Hong Kongers, Sunday's vote offers the first objective test of how people in the city feel about the protests and the government.

According to the government, the protests have lost public support and a silent majority of Hong Kongers are sick and tired of the violence and chaos, and they stand behind the police in doing everything necessary to stop the unrest. According to protesters, the city is with them, no matter the cost, and the lack of mass public rallies in recent months is only due to increasing restrictions on public assembly.

This debate has been playing out for months now, with the divide widening and the conversation becoming ever more toxic. Both sides can point to evidence in their favor -- people coming out to clear streets of barricades; sympathy protests by white-collar workers -- but this week, we will finally get an answer.

Historic elections

Unlike Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) -- which is chosen by a semi-democratic web of directly elected seats, functional constituencies and closed races -- the district councils are the only official bodies in the city elected by universal suffrage; one person, one vote.

This year also represents the first time that all 452 constituencies are being contested, meaning that all registered voters, about 56% of Hong Kong's 7.4 million population, will get a say. In the past, lackluster engagement has meant pro-Beijing candidates ran unopposed in some areas, aiding their control of all 18 separate district councils.

District councils are elected on five-year terms, and largely handle local affairs. They lack much in terms of real power, serving mainly to advise the government on issues affecting their neighborhoods and the allocation of funds for local projects.

The vote has taken on an outsized importance in recent years, however, as a way of signaling wider discontent about the slow pace of political reform.

"In the past 10 years or so, the lack of progress towards universal suffrage has improved participation over the last three district council elections," said Kenneth Chan, an expert on politics and governance at Hong Kong Baptist University. Turnout in 2015 was 47%, compared to around 38% in 2007 and closer to the amount who vote in the LegCo elections, typically seen as far more important.

Chan said that it was "unprecedented that all 452 constituencies are contested," and this raises the "theoretical possibility that the anti-government block might be able to win more than half of the constituencies." Doing so would not only send a clear message to the government, it could also influence the selection of the next Chief Executive, Chan added.

The district councils choose 117 of the 1,200-member "broadly representative" committee that currently chooses the city's leader, meaning substantial gains could mean pro-democrats have more of a say in who succeeds embattled current leader, Carrie Lam, in 2022.

Five demands

At present, pro-Beijing parties control all 18 district councils, so any victory for the broader pro-democracy camp will inevitably be cast as a win for protesters.

Earlier this month, the city's number two official, Matthew Cheung, told legislators the government could not understand public anger because there were no public opinion polls available and "people could be upset about various things."

Cheung's statement not only ignores the widely respected polls that are available -- they typically show lackluster approval for the government and strong support for the protesters -- it also acts as if the established demands of the protest movement are hard to understand.

For months now, protesters have consistently stuck to the slogan "five demands, not one less."

Those five demands are: withdraw the extradition bill that kicked off the entire crisis (since achieved); launch an independent inquiry into allegations of police brutality; retract any categorization of a protest on June 12 as a "riot"; amnesty for arrested protesters; and introducing universal suffrage for how the Chief Executive and Legislative Council are elected.

While some candidates are running on fairly standard local council issues -- "eliminate illegal parking," "build an animal friendly community," "strengthen environmental conservation" -- a substantial minority, around 13%, include the phrase "five demands, not one less" in their election material.

In two districts, Sai Kung and Kowloon City, more than 25% of candidates mention the five demands, while 23% of candidates in the northern district of Yuen Long, mention another key issue, calling for an investigation into the attacks on protesters in the local subway station on July 21.

However, there is suspicion among some in the protest camp that some of the less well known pro-democracy candidates standing are not what they appear -- and instead are aiming to split the vote. To counter this, Power For Democracy, an umbrella group for pro-democracy parties, has issued a list of 397 candidates it endorses, one in all but 55 constituencies. This list has been widely shared by protesters on messaging apps and AirDropped to strangers on the subway.

In the past, the pro-Beijing camp has been far better at coordinating than opposition parties, amid accusations Chinese officials sometimes intervene to pressure candidates to drop out so as not to split the vote. This year, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the largest pro-Beijing party, is fielding 179 candidates.

Do elections matter?

Whether the message sent by voters on Sunday will be heard remains to be seen.

Almost certainly, given the mood in the city at present, both will claim foul play, despite Hong Kong's long record of free and fair elections (within the limits of the system). Some protesters were already complaining of police plans to station riot officers at polling stations, claiming it risked intimidating voters.

A big loss for pro-government parties could increase pressure on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam to come up with a political solution to the ongoing crisis.

By contrast, if pro-democracy candidates fail to win a significant number of seats, Lam and the central government in Beijing could use it to justify more hardline tactics against protesters.

Of course, this assumes the vote goes ahead at all. The big question hanging over Sunday is whether officials will suspend polling or postpone the elections entirely, which they have the power to do so in certain instances. Election authorities said December 1 has already been reserved as a potential backup polling date.

Uncertainty has dogged Hong Kong for months now, not least about where all this is going. Should the elections go ahead this week, at least finally some questions will be answered.

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2019-11-23 07:27:00Z
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After Fiona Hill dismantles conspiracy theories, right-wing media goes on the attack - CNN

Appearing before Congress Thursday, Fiona Hill deflated right-wing conspiracy theories that Ukraine, and not necessarily Russia, meddled in the 2016 election. Hill said it was a "fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves."

Hill even called out "some" members of the House Intelligence Committee who have bought into the discredited theory, and noted that even when such misinformation is used for domestic political purposes it is harmful. "I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimize an alternate narrative that the Ukrainian government is a US adversary, and that Ukraine, not Russia, attacked us in 2016," she said.

...But will it matter?

While Hill took apart the idea that Ukraine was responsible for the real election meddling in 2016, it's unclear how much it will matter. The people who most need to hear her message were told on Thursday by the people they trust most -- personalities in right-wing media -- that she was not to be believed. Hill was attacked. She was smeared. And her expertise was questioned. Read on for a couple examples...

Hannity dismisses Hill as "so-called Ukraine expert," continues to push discredited theory

Unsurprisingly, Sean Hannity attacked Hill on his Fox program Thursday night. Hannity apparently thinks he knows more about Ukrainian and Russian politics than Hill, the White House's former top Russia expert. He referred to Hill as a "so-called Ukraine expert" and mocked her testimony. Hannity claimed Hill "falsely accused" Republicans of "pushing a conspiracy theory" about "Ukranian election interference." Okay, Sean...

OANN personality tweets shameful attack on Fiona Hill and Lt. Col Vindman

The "chief White House correspondent" for One America News Network, the far-right media organization with little reach that Trump keeps promoting, implied in a tweet Thursday that Fiona Hill and Lt. Col Alexander Vindmanwere not real Americans. Both Hill and Vindman were born outside the United States, but are citizens who have served the country. Notably, Vindman is a decorated military officer who was awarded the Purple Heart.

But OANN's Emerald Robinson didn't appear to have much regard for their service. In a tweet, she mocked Hill's accent and wrote, "I'm wondering: are any Americans going to testify against Trump?" Jake Tapper noted it was an "ugly" and "frankly, un-American thing to say." Robinson ultimately deleted her tweet, claiming it was being "misconstrued." She then attempted to smear Hill and Vindman with other attacks. Reprehensible behavior from an outlet Trump has repeatedly praised.

The big picture: Right-wing media wall holds

Several weeks ago, there had been some speculation about whether Trump's right-wing media wall would hold. And while it showed a sign of cracking when the President lost the Drudge Report, the wall has since held firm. Despite being faced with damning revelations, Trump's allies at Fox, in talk radio, and on the web have continued to stick with him.

On Fox Thursday night, Hannity claimed to his viewers that the hearings were a "dud" and "absolute unmitigated disaster for the Democrats." The banner on his show read, "JUST LIKE RUSSIA HOAX, UKRAINE IMPEACHMENT SHAM DIES AN EMBARRASSING DEATH FOR DEMOCRATS ON CAPTIOL HILL."

Hannity's prime time colleagues Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham also mocked the hearings. Radio hosts like Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh have continued to spin for Trump. And websites like Breitbart have showed no signs of turning on him. The bottom line: Trump's right-wing media wall has held.

Read more of Thursday's "Reliable Sources" newsletter... And subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox...

John Solomon says he was smeared

The author of the discredited stories at The Hill which have played a starring role in the impeachment inquiry said on Thursday he was being wrongfully attacked. John Solomon, a former executive at The Hill who now serves as a Fox News contributor, commented on the impeachment hearings during a segment on Martha MacCallum's show. "They smeared me," Solomon said, "Just like Joe McCarthy smeared people."

Where was Judge Andrew Napolitano?

One notable voice was missing from Fox News' special impeachment coverage over the last week: Judge Andrew Napolitano, who serves as Fox's senior judicial analyst. Fox opted to instead use Ken Starr and Andrew McCarthy, two legal minds who have been much more sympathetic to Trump than Napolitano.

It was not as if Napolitano, who has said that Trump confessed publicly to committing at least one crime, was unavailable. Napolitano offered his analysis on Fox Business Network and has written for the Fox website. But not including him on the flagship network meant that the millions of viewers who tuned in did not see a legal expert that they know and trust break down how damning some of the testimony was for the President's case.

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2019-11-22 12:29:00Z
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Netanyahu: Corruption charges an 'attempted coup' - BBC News - BBC News

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2019-11-22 12:24:24Z
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The Hill's Morning Report — Schiff: Clear evidence of a quid pro quo | TheHill - The Hill

Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. TGIF! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the up-early co-creators. Find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and CLICK HERE to subscribe!

At the end of the second week of public impeachment hearings, House Democrats on Thursday described what they believe are President TrumpDonald John TrumpWatergate prosecutor says that Sondland testimony was 'tipping point' for Trump In private moment with Trump, Justice Kennedy pushed for Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination: book Obama: 'Everybody needs to chill out' about differences between 2020 candidates MORE’s alleged obstruction and abuses of his office, while Republicans condemned the drama as devoid of persuasive evidence, even as they hinted they anticipate Trump will be impeached by the House and acquitted by the GOP-controlled Senate. 

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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffHill, Holmes offer damaging impeachment testimony: Five takeaways Schiff says Trump's actions go 'beyond anything Nixon did' Trump campaign releases 'Bull-Schiff' T-shirts MORE (D-Calif.) gaveled the panel to adjournment after laying out opening arguments for one or more articles of impeachment, the evidence for which will be reported by his panel to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration in the weeks ahead.  

“If the president abused his power and invited foreign interference in our elections, if he sought to condition, coerce, extort, or bribe a vulnerable ally into conducting investigations to aid his reelection campaign and did so by withholding official acts — a White House meeting or hundreds of millions of dollars of needed military aid — it will be up to us to decide whether those acts are compatible with the office of the presidency,” Schiff said as lawmakers turned their attention to Thursday’s witnesses. 

When more than six hours of testimony had concluded, Schiff said the committee had gathered clear evidence of a quid pro quo in which Trump leveraged his authority over foreign policy and dangled military aid for Ukraine as a lure to try to secure investigations of a political rival in order to help his own reelection. 

“The president wouldn’t give [Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky] something without getting something in return… an official act for something of clear value … to help his campaign,” Schiff said.  

The chairman argued that withholding military aid authorized to an ally currently at war with Russian-backed forces was “worse than anything Nixon did,” referring to evidence of law-breaking and obstruction of justice that forced former President Nixon to resign in 1974 before he was expected to be impeached.  

“In my view, there is nothing more dangerous than an unethical president who believes he is above the law,” Schiff added. 

The Associated Press analysis: Impeachment hearings leave mountain of evidence beyond dispute.

Ranking committee member Devin NunesDevin Gerald NunesHill, Holmes offer damaging impeachment testimony: Five takeaways Putin: 'Thank God' election interference accusations have stopped amid US 'political battles' The Hill's 12:30 Report — Presented by Johnson & Johnson — Witness dismisses 'fictional' GOP claims of Ukraine meddling MORE (R-Calif.) denounced the inquiry as a partisan exercise built around two alleged offenses that never happened. Nunes and other Republican committee members protested that Ukraine did not investigate former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenKamala Harris receives new Iowa endorsements after debate performance Watergate prosecutor says that Sondland testimony was 'tipping point' for Trump Overnight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Deal on defense bill proves elusive | Hill, Holmes offer damaging testimony | Trump vows to block Navy from ousting officer from SEALs MORE or his son Hunter, allegedly at Trump’s behest, and said nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid was withheld briefly as a safeguard against fears of Ukrainian corruption before it was released in September.

Rep. Jim JordanJames (Jim) Daniel JordanDiplomat seen rolling his eyes amid testy impeachment exchange with Jordan Live coverage: Impeachment spotlight shifts to Fiona Hill, David Holmes House GOP wants Senate Republicans to do more on impeachment MORE (R-Ohio), a staunch Trump ally detailed by his colleagues to the Intelligence Committee to help communicate the GOP defense, said his party believes House Democrats have the votes to impeach the president, which he said progressives dreamed about since Trump’s election. 

“The real vote is the one that’s going to be in 11-1/2 months,” he told reporters.   

Jordan’s Republican colleagues in the Senate met privately with senior White House officials on Thursday to map out what they expect to be a limited, two-week impeachment trial in the GOP-controlled Senate. In comparison, former President Bill ClintonWilliam (Bill) Jefferson ClintonMedia needs to stop wild speculations about Trump's health Feehery: Pivoting to infrastructure could help heal post-impeachment wounds Press: Ukraine's not the only outrage MORE’s trial in 1999 played out over 36 days before his acquittal on two articles of impeachment (The Washington Post).

The New York Times: Who didn’t testify, why Democrats will move ahead without them and what happens next? 

Following Wednesday’s testimony from U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon SondlandGordon SondlandWatergate prosecutor says that Sondland testimony was 'tipping point' for Trump Overnight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Deal on defense bill proves elusive | Hill, Holmes offer damaging testimony | Trump vows to block Navy from ousting officer from SEALs Hill, Holmes offer damaging impeachment testimony: Five takeaways MORE, during which he affirmed a quid pro quo plan by Trump with Zelensky, Fiona Hill, the former top Russia expert on the White House National Security Council, offered detailed, crisply delivered testimony on Thursday about what she called “facts” gathered inside the West Wing. 

She also refuted GOP claims that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 U.S. election, an assertion Trump seized following his election. 

Hill said in her opening statement that Republicans helped spread “falsehoods,” adding that the “fictional narrative” of Ukraine meddling continues to be pushed by Russia, which seeks to undermine Ukraine and aggravate conflict and mistrust in the United States (The Hill). 

“I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimize an alternate narrative that the Ukrainian government is a U.S. adversary, and that Ukraine — not Russia — attacked us in 2016,” Hill told lawmakers. “These fictions are harmful even if they are deployed for purely domestic political purposes.”

Reuters: Explainer: What is the “alternate narrative” to which Hill referred?

Nunes bristled at Hill’s remarks, pointing to the panel’s report last year concluding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Nevertheless, the ranking member, along with Trump and Rudy GiulianiRudy GiulianiOvernight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Deal on defense bill proves elusive | Hill, Holmes offer damaging testimony | Trump vows to block Navy from ousting officer from SEALs Hill, Holmes offer damaging impeachment testimony: Five takeaways Graham requests State Department documents on Bidens, Ukraine MORE, the president’s personal attorney, have continued to link Ukraine to supposed anti-Trump interference in the 2016 election.  

The Hill: Five takeaways: Witnesses Hill and David Holmes offered impeachment testimony damaging to the president. 

Mark Leibovich, The New York Times: They toil gladly offstage. Impeachment lands them in the spotlight.

Holmes, a career foreign service aide to William Taylor, the top diplomat in Ukraine, testified that he overheard a phone call between Trump and Sondland conducted at an outdoor restaurant in Kyiv. Sondland told Holmes after hanging up that Trump didn’t care that much about Ukraine but was instead interested in the “big stuff,” meaning probes into the Bidens’ activities in Ukraine.  

Late Thursday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamFBI official under investigation for allegedly altering document in Russia probe: report Trump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Graham requests State Department documents on Bidens, Ukraine MORE (R-S.C.), one of Trump’s allies in opposing the impeachment inquiry, launched his own Biden investigation, writing to Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Deal on defense bill proves elusive | Hill, Holmes offer damaging testimony | Trump vows to block Navy from ousting officer from SEALs Hill, Holmes offer damaging impeachment testimony: Five takeaways Graham requests State Department documents on Bidens, Ukraine MORE to seek documents and information in its files tied to Biden’s activities in Ukraine and about the Ukrainian energy company Burisma (The Washington Post). 

In another indication that the White House is relying on the Senate to explore its defenses, a Trump spokesman said in a statement on Thursday night that a Senate impeachment trial may be the place to call a different slate of witnesses. 

“President Trump wants to have a trial in the Senate because it’s clearly the only chamber where he can expect fairness and receive due process under the Constitution, spokesman Hogan Gidley said. “We would expect to finally hear from witnesses who actually witnessed, and possibly participated in corruption — like Adam Schiff, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and the so-called Whistleblower, to name a few” (Reuters).  

The Hill: Diplomat testifies he heard Trump ask about “investigation.”

The New York Times: What we’ve learned from Hill’s and Holmes’s impeachment testimony.

The Washington Post: Sondland’s testimony advances likely impeachment charge of obstruction. 

LEADING THE DAY

POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS:  The top tier candidates of the Democratic primary are engaged in a battle to win the support of African Americans, a key voting bloc that could potentially determine the party’s nominee, especially once the contest moves beyond the first-in-the-nation contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. 

As Jonathan Easley reports, that dynamic was on full display at Wednesday’s debate in Atlanta as candidate after candidate tailored both their policy proposals and appeals to African Americans, who make up about two-thirds of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina and will be a voting force on Super Tuesday.  

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Less than three months out from the first primary votes, former Vice President Joe Biden has seen his campaign remain upright due in large part to high levels of African American support, which has handed him leads nationally and in South Carolina. While Sens. Bernie SandersBernie SandersKamala Harris receives new Iowa endorsements after debate performance Wasserman Schultz makes bid for House Appropriations Committee gavel Overnight Health Care: Crunch time for Congress on surprise medical bills | CDC confirms 47 vaping-related deaths | Massachusetts passes flavored tobacco, vaping products ban MORE (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenKamala Harris receives new Iowa endorsements after debate performance Warren speech in Georgia interrupted by pro-charter school protesters Hillicon Valley: Senators ask Trump to halt Huawei licenses | Warren criticizes Zuckerberg over secret dinner with Trump | Senior DHS cyber official to leave | Dems offer bill on Libra oversight MORE (D-Mass.) have made some inroads with the voting group, Biden towers over the field with them still. 

As for South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegButtigieg campaign field organizers unionize Harris: Buttigieg comparing 'struggles' between black, LGBTQ communities is 'a bit naive' Poll: Trump edges Biden, trails Sanders in neck and neck match-ups MORE, while he continues to boast strong support levels in Iowa and New Hampshire, his support among African Americans is nonexistent.

The New York Times: After debating about black support, Democrats fan out to try to earn it. 

Amy Walter, Cook Political Report: In DNC debate, race played a starring role. 

The New York Times: Day after debate, Biden and Warren face protesters at events.

With the debate in the rearview mirror, Sens. Cory BookerCory Anthony BookerBooker hits fundraising threshold for December debate after surge of post-debate donations Bicameral group of Democrats introduces bill to protect immigrant laborers The Hill's Morning Report - Sondland stuns; Dems pull punches in fifth debate MORE (D-N.J.) and Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharA free college tradeoff — what should the 2020 candidates promise? Booker hits fundraising threshold for December debate after surge of post-debate donations The Hill's Morning Report - Sondland stuns; Dems pull punches in fifth debate MORE (D-Minn.), two candidates who turned in strong performances on Wednesday, are looking to capitalize on the debate and use it as a launching pad in the primary. 

As Amie Parnes writes, the two Democratic challengers are hoping they can somehow translate that into momentum for their campaigns, which have been overlooked by many voters so far. Klobuchar is in fifth place in the RealClearPolitics polling average in Iowa, but with just 5.3 percent — well behind the race’s top four candidates, all of whom sit at 17 percent support or higher.  

Booker is even further back, with just a 1.8 percent average in the Hawkeye State. Nationally, Booker has just a 1.3 percent polling average, compared to Klobuchar’s 1.5 percent. 

At the debate, Booker scored points when he talked about the black vote and later when he questioned Biden over whether he was “high” for his opposition to national marijuana legalization. In a statement that reflected the lack of attention he may feel his campaign has given, Booker, who rose to national prominence as mayor of Newark, N.J., noted to Buttigeig that he is the other Rhodes Scholar winning former mayor on stage. Klobuchar had her own breakout moment when she talked about her electability. 

The Associated Press: Former President Obama was both referee and elder statesman during a California fundraiser on Thursday for the Democratic National Committee. 

The Atlantic: What Biden can’t bring himself to say.

The Hill: Michael BloombergMichael Rubens BloombergBloomberg files paperwork to run for president 2020 hopes rise for gun control groups after Virginia elections Bloomberg to spend millions on voter registration campaign MORE files paperwork to run for president. 

The Washington Post: Donald Trump Jr.Donald (Don) John TrumpRNC bought nearly 0,000 worth of copies of Trump Jr.'s new book: report Swalwell on flatulence allegation: Total exoneration Conway and Haley get into heated feud: 'You'll say anything to get the vice-presidential nomination' MORE thanked the “Deplorables” for making him a bestseller. The Republican National Committee spent $94,800 on copies of his book.

IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES

MORE CONGRESS: The Senate passed a stopgap funding bill on Thursday to prevent a government shutdown that was set to begin today. Trump signed the measure just hours before the deadline.

Senators voted 74-20 on the spending measure that will fund the government through Dec. 20. Along with the funding extension, the measure also provides funding for U.S. census efforts, a 3.1 percent military pay raise and extends controversial surveillance programs from mid-December to March. 

As Jordain Carney reports, the vote capped off 24 hours of behind-the-scenes haggling that brought passage down to the wire. 

The new Dec. 20 deadline means lawmakers will be in Washington to hammer out a potential deal as the Christmas break looms. Last year, part of the government shut down due to a battle over border funding, which ultimately lasted 35 days before the president caved.  

> Trade: Only a week after she said that passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was “imminent,” Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiOvernight Defense — Presented by Boeing — Deal on defense bill proves elusive | Hill, Holmes offer damaging testimony | Trump vows to block Navy from ousting officer from SEALs On The Money: Trump signs short-term spending bill to avoid shutdown | Pelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 | California high court strikes down law targeting Trump tax returns Wasserman Schultz makes bid for House Appropriations Committee gavel MORE (D-Calif.) changed her tune, telling reporters that she doubts an updated North American trade deal will pass by the end of the year.

“I’m not even sure if we came to an agreement today that it would be enough time to finish,” Pelosi said.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert LighthizerRobert (Bob) Emmet LighthizerPelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 Pelosi sounds hopeful on new NAFTA deal despite tensions with White House On The Money: Economy adds 164K jobs in July | Trump signs two-year budget deal, but border showdown looms | US, EU strike deal on beef exports MORE met with Pelosi and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard NealRichard Edmund NealOn The Money: Trump signs short-term spending bill to avoid shutdown | Pelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 | California high court strikes down law targeting Trump tax returns Democrats press Trump officials over drop in ObamaCare signups amid website problems Pelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 MORE (D-Mass.) on Thursday afternoon, but a final deal is still at large (The Hill). 

Shortly after, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin Owen McCarthyOn The Money: Trump signs short-term spending bill to avoid shutdown | Pelosi casts doubt on USMCA deal in 2019 | California high court strikes down law targeting Trump tax returns McCarthy blasts Pelosi on USMCA The Hill's 12:30 Report — Presented by Johnson & Johnson — Witness dismisses 'fictional' GOP claims of Ukraine meddling MORE (R-Calif.) criticized Pelosi for prioritizing impeachment ahead of the potential trade deal. The GOP leader pressed that Congress could have already completed its work on the trade agreement had Democrats not launched the inquiry into the president’s actions regarding Ukraine.

“I guess they were too busy with the only goal of why they wanted to win the majority — to impeach the president, because they can't do anything else,” he said (The Hill).

The Associated Press: President Xi Jinping of China says Beijing wants a trade deal, can “fight back.”

*** 

WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: Citing health concerns and Senate Democratic opposition since 2017, Trump’s choice to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration withdrew his nomination on Thursday. Barry Myers, the former CEO of AccuWeather, said he underwent treatment for cancer and would be unable to serve as NOAA administrator and undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (The Washington Times). Myers was nominated multiple times but was stalled in the Senate. Democrats recently pointed to reports that he was involved in a discrimination and sexual harassment settlement at his former company (The Hill).

> Trade secrets: The Justice Department on Thursday charged Haitao Xiang, 42,  a Chinese national in St. Louis, Mo., who worked for Monsanto before it was purchased by Bayer AG with stealing trade secrets for China. He was stopped by federal officials at the airport before he could board a flight to China carrying proprietary farming software. Xiang’s lawyer said his client will plead not guilty (Reuters). 

> Trump’s lunches, dinners: On Thursday, the president hosted two prominent and frequent GOP Senate critics, Maine’s Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsTrump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Romney calls lunch with Trump 'delightful' Trump lunches with two of his biggest Senate GOP critics MORE and Utah’s Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyTrump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Romney calls lunch with Trump 'delightful' Trump lunches with two of his biggest Senate GOP critics MORE, for lunch at the White House. Also in attendance: Sens. Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyTrump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Congressional authority in a time of Trump executive overreach Overnight Health Care: Crunch time for Congress on surprise medical bills | CDC confirms 47 vaping-related deaths | Massachusetts passes flavored tobacco, vaping products ban MORE (R-Iowa), Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Wellons Moore CapitoTrump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Trump lunches with two of his biggest Senate GOP critics Hillicon Valley: Facebook to remove mentions of potential whistleblower's name | House Dems demand FCC action over leak of location data | Dem presses regulators to secure health care data MORE (R-W.Va.), James LankfordJames Paul LankfordTrump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Trump lunches with two of his biggest Senate GOP critics Senate approves stopgap bill to prevent shutdown MORE (R-Okla.), John HoevenJohn Henry HoevenTrump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Trump lunches with two of his biggest Senate GOP critics Bottom Line MORE (R-N.D.) and Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulTrump steps up GOP charm offensive as impeachment looms Trump lunches with two of his biggest Senate GOP critics Senate approves stopgap bill to prevent shutdown MORE (R-Ky.). If one or more House articles of impeachment trigger a Senate trial, as expected, Trump is eager to stave off any Senate Republican defections in order to cast the entire Democrats’ impeachment inquiry as partisan (The Hill). 

Last month, the president hosted a private White House dinner with Facebook founder and CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergHillicon Valley: Senators ask Trump to halt Huawei licenses | Warren criticizes Zuckerberg over secret dinner with Trump | Senior DHS cyber official to leave | Dems offer bill on Libra oversight Amnesty International: Facebook, Google surveillance an 'assault on privacy' Warren calls newly reported Zuckerberg-Trump dinner 'corruption' MORE and Peter Thiel, a billionaire venture capitalist and Facebook board member. The White House get-together, at a time when the tech behemoth battles intense scrutiny from Congress and federal regulators, was not publicly disclosed, NBC News reports.   

Warren, who has criticized Facebook’s handling of user privacy and false political advertising on the platform, called the undisclosed White House event with Facebook “corruption, plain and simple.”

> Military justice: Trump on Thursday reversed and rebuked the U.S. Navy to say Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher would not lose his membership in the elite SEAL commando force in the wake of his trial for alleged war crimes. Gallagher was arrested and indicted in late 2018, but his court-martial ended in July with acquittal on all but one relatively minor charge — posing for a trophy photo with the corpse of a teenage captive. He was reduced by one rank, which Trump restored.  

On Tuesday, multiple Navy and Defense Department officials said the Navy had cleared its plan to start with the White House the revocation process of Gallagher’s SEAL membership, although they acknowledged the risk of seeking to punish a SEAL who counts Trump among his vocal supporters. They said they knew the president could easily reverse the decision. He did (The New York Times). 

“The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin,” Trump tweeted. “This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!” 

David Ignatius: Trump’s involvement in the Gallagher disciplinary case risks a collision with the Navy.

The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!

OPINION

A forgettable debate for an exhausted nation, by Max Burns, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2riE5LD 

Wednesday's marijuana legalization vote was truly historic — here's why, by Justin Strekal, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2KXW6WX

WHERE AND WHEN

Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features Joe Concha, media reporter and columnist for The Hill, on the size of the impeachment hearing’s television audiences; Aaron Maté, host of “Pushback Show” on the Grayzone, to react to Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate; Bill Bullard CEO of R-CALF USA, which advocates for ranchers, to discuss new Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) legislation; and Bob CusackRobert (Bob) CusackHill editor-in-chief: Buttigieg could benefit if impeachment reaches Senate The Hill's 12:30 Report: Former Ukraine envoy offers dramatic testimony The Hill's Editor-in-Chief: Who's winning with Latinos and why? MORE, editor-in-chief of The Hill, for his weekly DeBrief segment. Coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. at Rising on YouTube. 

The House meets at 1:30 p.m.

The Senate convenes for a pro forma session at 9:30 a.m. and will be out of session next week. 

The president at 11 a.m. participates in the NCAA Collegiate National Champions Day, hosting various athletes at the White House. 

Economic indicator: The University of Michigan releases its survey of U.S. Consumer Sentiment for November at 10 a.m. American consumers are the engine for household spending and economic growth, which means their outlook about the state of the economy is closely watched.

ELSEWHERE

➔ China: Beijing demanded on Thursday that Trump veto bills aimed at punishing China and supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy, pro-human rights demonstrators. The House overwhelmingly approved bills on Wednesday, a day after the Senate passed measures on voice votes. The bills are heading to the White House for Trump’s signature, and the White House signaled the president supports the legislation (The Associated Press). 

➔ Israel: Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE, for the first time for any sitting Israeli prime minister, was formally charged on Thursday in a series of corruption cases, throwing a government already in limbo into further disarray. Netanyahu, who accused prosecutors of staging “an attempted coup,” was charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three different scandals (The Associated Press).

➔ Press freedom: Five U.S. journalists who allege they were separately detained and tracked by the Department of Homeland Security while conducting reporting at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018 and this year are suing the government, citing violations of their First Amendment rights (CNN). 

➔ WeWork on Thursday cut nearly 20 percent of its workforce, or 2,400 people, in a move to restructure the company following its explosive growth into shared office spaces in 122 cities around the world. Ousted co-founder Adam Neumann secured a $1.7 billion payout to depart after the company sustained massive losses that ultimately soured Wall Street investors on the company and doomed its planned IPO. Tech conglomerate SoftBank now owns 80 percent of WeWork (The Associated Press).   

➔ City Watch: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) enjoys strong job approval in the nation’s capital, according to a Washington Post poll released on Thursday. Fifty-two percent of respondents said she should seek a third term. Her low marks are for homelessness and the availability of affordable housing (The Washington Post). 

THE CLOSER

And finally … Kudos to this week’s Morning Report Quiz Masters! They guessed correctly about the British royals, playing along with our puzzle inspired by the third season of Netflix’s “The Crown.” 

Congratulations to those who knew a bit of royal trivia: William Chittam, John Donato, Luther Berg, Margaret Gainer, Patrick Kavanagh and Carol Katz.

They guessed correctly that Prince Charles had his investiture and crowning as Prince of Wales in 1969.

Princess Margaret’s separation from Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1976 followed her affair with Roddy Llewellyn.

Former President Lyndon Johnson did not host Queen Elizabeth II at the White House during his time in office.  

And finally, Prince Charles met his second wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, in 1971.

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2019-11-22 11:43:19Z
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Officials handed the House a pile of evidence for impeachment - NBC News

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump presented little in the way of defense in the opening phase of his impeachment proceedings.

He refused to give Congress documents. He ordered subordinates to defy subpoenas. And he issued blanket proclamations of his innocence, over Twitter and in exchanges with reporters, without testifying under oath on Capitol Hill.

Meanwhile, as Democrats moved one step closer to a House floor vote on impeachment that they expect to hold before Christmas, a string of current and former administration officials collectively described for the House Intelligence Committee over the last two weeks how the president directed a concerted effort to aid his own re-election efforts at the expense of U.S. national security interests.

Specifically, they said he deployed several Cabinet officials, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani on a mission to force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to announce probes of former Vice President Joe Biden and a discredited theory that his own country framed Russia for interfering in the 2016 election, withholding $391 million in taxpayer dollars and a White House meeting to aid that effort.

"The question for impeachment is abuse of power," said Kim Wehle, a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law who worked on Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation of President Bill Clinton.

"There is no Trump narrative laying out a legitimate public policy rationale for how the president, through Giuliani, treated Ukraine — by refusing a meeting and withholding aid needed to fight Russia — other than entrenching his own power."

Nov. 21, 201903:00

Trump's counter-offensive was left to Republican allies, who spent most of their time during the hearings suggesting that the president was justifiably concerned that Ukraine had framed Russia for interfering in the 2016 election to harm him and that matters involving Biden merited an investigation announcement ordered up by the president and pursued by senior executive branch officials.

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Fiona Hill, the former deputy national security adviser under Trump, testified Thursday that the idea that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 campaign is a "fictional narrative" that was "perpetrated and propagated" by Russia.

Republicans on the committee repeatedly noted that none of the witnesses were able to cite Trump directly conditioning aid on Ukraine opening political investigations, and Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland testified that the president told him "no quid pro quo" when Sondland asked what the president wanted from Ukraine in order to free up the money in early September.

However, the White House was already aware at that point of a whistleblower complaint making its way through the intelligence community's inspector general's office and the Justice Department that alleged the president had improperly conditioned the money on the announcement of the probes.

David Holmes, a U.S. diplomat posted in Kyiv who also testified Thursday, said that former National Security Adviser John Bolton told an aide to Zelenskiy on Aug. 27 that the unfreezing of military aid was conditioned on the Ukrainian president making a favorable impression on Trump at a planned meeting in Warsaw.

"By this point, however, my clear impression was that the security assistance hold was likely intended by the president either as an expression of dissatisfaction that the Ukrainians had not yet agreed to the Burisma/Biden investigation or as an effort to increase the pressure on them to do so," Holmes testified.

Ultimately, though, several of the witnesses who listened to a July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelenskiy — or later read a reconstructed White House transcript of it — concluded that the president, who already had put a stop on the money, was connecting the assistance to the "favor" he asked Zelinskiy to do in looking into Biden and the election-interference issue.

"We heard Democrats lay out the elements of bribery through witnesses," Wehle said of the possibility of impeachment articles that go beyond "high crimes and misdemeanors" based on abuse of power. "And we know they are concerned about witness intimidation and obstruction of subpoenas."

Nov. 21, 201912:17

Much of that remains to be determined, though.

House officials tell NBC News that the Judiciary Committee, which is responsible for drafting articles of impeachment, is likely to take up the next stage of the process after Thanksgiving, which may include hearings of its own.

"We could have a Judiciary hearing as early as that first week after Thanksgiving," said a senior Democratic aide familiar with internal party discussions.

The process there would be relatively quick, according to a House Democratic leadership aide.

"I think they're very happy," the aide said of party leaders. "We probably would vote on it on the floor the third week of December."

They say they are satisfied that they have built the case that the president's actions merit impeachment — but have their work cut out for them in swaying 20 or more Republicans to vote to oust him.

So far, no Senate Republican has said Trump's conduct justifies removal from office.

Jonathan Allen

Jonathan Allen is a Washington-based national political reporter for NBC News who focuses on the presidency.

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2019-11-22 10:54:00Z
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Chris Stewart says House impeachment push 'good news' because Senate trial will reveal truth - Fox News

U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart said Thursday it would be “good news” if the Democrat-led House votes for President Trump's impeachment because a trial in the Republican-led Senate would set the truth free.

The Utah Republican addressed his colleagues on the House Intelligence Committee as the second week of public impeachment hearings came to a close.

“Everyone knows what they're going to do next,” Stewart said of the panel's Democrats. “They're going to impeach the president. They're going to send it on to the Senate. But that is the good news. That's good news.

DEMS COULD DRAFT 4 ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT, GOP PLANS FOR FULL SENATE TRIAL, SOURCES SAY

“The leadership of this committee has been unfair and dishonest,” Stewart continued, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. “I know we hear these crocodile tears from some of my colleagues who are heartbroken because they finally have to impeach this president. And we know that's absurd. They're not heartbroken. There's no prayerful tears over this. They're giddy over this. And there's not a person in the country who doesn't know that.”

“The leadership of this committee has been unfair and dishonest. They're giddy over this [impeachment inquiry]. And there's not a person in the country who doesn't know that.”

— U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah

The next step in the impeachment process involves the House Intelligence Committee sending a report to the House Judiciary Committee, which will then decide whether to file articles of impeachment against Trump. If the likely outcome occurs, the Senate is expected to hold a two-week-long trial that could begin as early as January, The Washington Post reported.

“These proceedings have been anything but fair. The Senate has an opportunity to fix that,” Stewart said, according to Deseret News of Salt Lake City. “I am confident they will. And I look forward to them completing the job that we could have done here.”

Stewart drew national attention last week when questioning former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, who testified that she could supply the panel with no information regarding criminal activity or bribes that Trump may have been involved with. The White House praised Stewart on Twitter, saying it took Stewart just “30 seconds” to get the answer House Democrats spent seven hours trying to avoid.

According to Stewart, Democrats produced no evidence of bribery or extortion, and elicited from witnesses no “firsthand” knowledge of a quid pro quo agreement when Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in the country, The Tribune reported. A transcript of the July 25 phone call between the two leaders showed Trump also asked for information about the hacking of the DNC server in 2016 – an issue that came up in Thursday’s hearing.

Also Thursday, Trump had lunch with two of his most vocal GOP critics in the Senate -- another Utah Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney, and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine – as the likelihood of an impeachment trial rises, Politico reported. The president has met with about 40 Republican senators this fall in an effort to communicate his account of the July 25 call that first prompted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to kick off an informal impeachment process in September.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ALL-NEW FOXBUSINESS.COM

Meanwhile, the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday heard testimony from two witnesses -- former National Security Council aide Fiona Hill and U.S. State Department official David Holmes.

Holmes, who described how he overheard a phone call this summer with Trump about wanting Ukraine to conduct political investigations, testified he eventually understood that “demand” to be linked to delayed military aid. Hill clashed with Republicans after accusing some lawmakers of embracing the “fictional narrative” that only Ukraine -- and not Russia -- interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Fox News’ Alex Pappas contributed to this report.

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2019-11-22 10:42:33Z
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