Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Wednesday November 20, 2019.

THE DAILY SIGNAL

Nov 20, 2019

Good morning from Washington, where what President Trump wanted out of Ukraine is the subject of testimony from four more witnesses in the public stage of House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry. Fred Lucas rounds up main points. On the podcast, Rep. Greg Murphy, a urologist, talks affordable health care. Plus: Chick-fil-A caves to political correctness, the unscientific method of climate activism, and the pocketbook consequences of “Medicare for All.” On this date in 1945, an international tribunal puts 24 top Nazis on trial in Nuremberg, Germany, for atrocities committed during World War II.

	Commentary In Charts, How ‘Medicare for All’ Would Make Most Families Poorer By Marie Fishpaw A single mom of two making $31,000 a year would be worse off by $1,547 a year under “Medicare for All.” More Commentary Chick-Fil-A, Your Compromise Is Demoralizing By Daniel Davis Chick-fil-A’s past bravery proved that Christian conservatives could band together in the face of ugly taunts and bullying. It proved that we didn’t have to submit to progressive orthodoxy on sexuality. We could be true to our convictions and still succeed. More News 7 Big Moments From Day 3 of the Public Impeachment Hearings By Fred Lucas Testimony from four witnesses touches on the conduct of Joe Biden and his son, regarding Ukrainian energy company Burisma; Democrats’ accusation that Trump committed bribery; and Ukraine’s offer to one witness to serve in a high-ranking government position. More Analysis Doctor-Turned-Lawmaker Prescribes How to Improve Health Care By Rachel del Guidice “The great lies [of Obamacare] that you would be able to have cheaper health care and keep your doctor are readily apparent now,” says Rep. Greg Murphy. More Commentary How This Bill Could Free Workers From Forced Union Representation By Rachel Greszler The Worker’s Choice Act—introduced by Republican Reps. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Greg Murphy of North Carolina, and Phil Roe of Tennessee—would end unions’ government-granted monopoly over employee-employer negotiations. More Commentary Climate ‘Science’ Riddled With Dishonesty, Incompetence By Walter E. Williams If ocean levels have been rising for 20,000 years, why do scientists allow environmentalists to get away with claiming it’s a result of man-made global warming? More

The Daily Signal is brought to you by more than half a million members of The Heritage Foundation. Donate to The Daily Signal Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter How are we doing? We welcome your comments, suggestions, and story tips. Please reply to this email or send us a note at comments@dailysignal.com. The Daily Signal 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (800) 546-2843

Add morningbell@heritage.org to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us. You are subscribed to this newsletter as rickbulow74@live.com. If you want to receive other Heritage Foundation newsletters, or opt out of this newsletter, please click here to update your subscription.

THE EPOCH TIMES

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

View this email in your browser Legacy Research Group is one of the largest independent financial publishing companies in the world, with two million readers in over 140 countries. “A man must know his destiny … if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder … if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it.” GENERAL GEORGE PATTON Plurality of Independents Oppose Trump Impeachment Inquiry, Polls Show Without a China Trade Deal, the US Will Hike Tariffs: Trump Poll: Most Young Republicans Uncomfortable Sharing Political Opinions With College Professors Reagan Economist’s Binghamton University Lecture Shut Down by Campus Left, Two Arrested   The U.S. Senate unanimously passed two pieces of legislation on Nov. 19 that support pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)… Read more Four masked intruders set a fire in the printing warehouse of the Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times in the early hours of Nov. 19, marking the fourth attack on the facility since its opening more than a decade ago. The attack is believed to be the latest effort by the Chinese Communist Party to silence The Epoch Times. Read more National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, at an impeachment hearing on Nov. 19, repeatedly refused to name the person in the intelligence community to whom he had relayed the details of a call between President Donald Trump and the leader of Ukraine. Read more President Donald Trump’s daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump announced on Nov. 18 a round of grants worth more than $11 million to help women access economic opportunities in developing countries. Read more At least one investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s death is looking at the possibility of “criminal enterprise” involvement, Bureau of Prisons Director Kathleen Hawk Sawyer said during a congressional hearing on Nov. 19. Read more A bill to fight the flow of Americans’ sensitive personal data to China and other countries that threaten national security was introduced on Nov. 18 by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in the wake of a hearing that raised concerns over Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok. Read more   See More Top Stories Retired Millionaire and Legendary investor Doug Casey left South America just to make a MASSIVE gold prediction… It’s so outrageous, it nearly wasn’t published. But then he agreed to make it official and go on camera for an exclusive interview. And what he said is shocking… Doug calls it the “most bullish sign [he’s] seen in 45 years…” You can profit from gold…without owning any. And, by following this secret, you could make as much as 50 times or more… Enough to turn every $1 down into $50. Click here to watch the full Interview.   ‘This Changes Everything,’ But Not for the Better! By William Brooks Throughout the industrial age, conservationist efforts to preserve our natural environment have been highly valued, like air and water clean-up projects, creation of national parks, flood control measures, reforestation, soil reclamation, and wildlife preservation. Read more Abortion Advocates Have Faced the Realities of Abortion—and They’ve Looked Away By Nicole Russell The abortion debate has risen and fallen in waves in the United States’ cultural and political psyche. Even as we observe what it does to society, the family, and the legal system, it seems both sides will never meet. As Planned Parenthood performs 300,000 abortions per year… Read more   See More Opinions Former Top Regulator Says We Should Print Money to Create Inflation By Valentin Schmid (November 11, 2015) Even critics of quantitative easing have to admit it had some positive effects. It saved the banking system from collapsing, pushed up house and stock prices, and also helped contribute to lowering the unemployment rate. What it has not done, however, is create runaway inflation. The reality… Read more Why do Hispanic-Americans predominantly vote for left-leaning candidates, even though they actually tend to have more conservative values, in Rich Valdes’ view? Why is access to a good education the most important factor to success? How has progressive ideology taken over higher education? And how is it that so many Americans embrace socialist and communist policies?    Do Latinos Actually Lean Left?—Rich Valdes | American Thought Leaders Advertisement: Copyright © 2019 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list or remove my account.

THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON

AXIOS

Skip to content

• Newsletters
• Sections
• Special Features
• More

Axios AM

• Wed, Nov 20
• Tue, Nov 19
• Mon, Nov 18
• Sun, Nov 17
• Sat, Nov 16
• Fri, Nov 15
• Thu, Nov 14
• + More Issues

By Mike Allen

👢 Good morning from Dallas, where I’ll moderate conversations about American cities and veterans in the workforce, beginning at 8 a.m. at The Room on Main, 2030 Main St.

• Please join us! RSVP here.

1 big thing: AI is coming for white-collar workers

While robots upend blue-collar factory work and trucking in the middle of the country, AI and machine learning are poised to take over white-collar jobs in superstar coastal cities, Axios’ Erica Pandey and Kim Hart write.

• Why it matters: No one is immune to the shockwave of automation.
• “AI will be as central to the white-collar office environment as robotics has been to the production economy,” said Mark Muro, policy director of Brookings’ Metropolitan Policy Program.

A new analysis out today from Brookings overlays the keywords in AI-related patents with job descriptions to get a more detailed understanding of which jobs are most likely to be affected by AI — and where.

• Industries at risk: Carmakers and clothing makers are using AI for advanced manufacturing on production lines — that’s far more complex than the routine, task-oriented automation that most robots power. Digital services like software publishing and computer system design also show high exposure, along with professional services like purchasing, and agricultural work.
• Cities highly exposed to AI disruption: Established or emerging tech hubs like San Jose, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Boulder and Huntsville. Also agricultural centers like Madera and Salinas in California, and logistics and advanced manufacturing hubs like Greenville, S.C.; Detroit; and Louisville.

Workers ranging from radiologists to legal professionals and marketing specialists could find themselves with drastically diminished roles.

• Those with bachelor’s degrees will be much more exposed to AI than their less-educated counterparts, countering the longtime recommendation that more education will insulate workers from this disruption.
• Men and workers who are white and Asian American have more exposure than other demographics due to their overrepresentation in technical, engineering and professional roles.

Between the lines: States like Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Nebraska may be hit from both ends of the spectrum. Blue-collar workers there could be displaced by robots while white-collar workers are hit by AI and machine learning.

• Share this story.

2. ⚖️ Impeachment hearings Day 3: 11½ hours in 1 minute

Jennifer Williams and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman are sworn in. Photo: Alex Brandon/Pool via Getty Images

Firsthand witnesses appear … Day 3 of impeachment TV was the longest yet, with four witnesses in two hearings, AP writes in its takeaways:

The two morning witnesses each were on the July 25 phone call in which President Trump prodded Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden:

• Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, in military uniform adorned with medals, considered the call “improper.”
• Jennifer Williams, an adviser to Vice President Pence, said the call “involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter.”
• Axios highlights.

“Ranking member, it’s Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, please.” Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

In the day’s second hearing, ending at 8:29 p.m., Kurt Volker, former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, was a Republican-called witness. But he praised Joe Biden, rejecting “conspiracy theories” by Trump and allies, AP reports:

• 🎥 “The allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and non-credible.” Video.

Axios’ Alayna Treene reports from inside the chamber:

• Volker repeatedly said he did not remember or recall events that others who were in the same room did. He said that reading their testimony jogged his memory.
• This appeared to frustrate House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, who grilled Volker on why he was changing his testimony.

Volker testified alongside former White House national security official Tim Morrison, who said he didn’t believe that anything illegal occurred on the call. But he was worried about political ramifications if the contents leaked.

• 🎥Video: Tim Morrison explains why conditions for Ukraine aid gave him “sinking feeling.”
• Axios highlights.

How it’s playing …

The New York Times

3. ⚖️ Day 4: What to watch

Gordon Sondland arrives on the Hill for a closed-door deposition on Oct. 17. Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Today’s testimony (starts 9 a.m. ET) by Gordon Sondland, U.S. ambassador to the European Union, is likely to be the week’s most crucial, Axios’ Alayna Treene reports:

• Why he matters: Sondland has spoken with President Trump about the political investigations central to the impeachment inquiry. So he gives the committee the chance to grill someone with firsthand knowledge of what Trump himself knew, and when he knew it.

Both sides think they can get a bite out of Sondland, age 62:

• Democrats think he is the key line connecting Trump to a quid pro quo.
• Republicans will belabor Sondland’s description of his knowledge of any conditions for Ukraine aid as “presumed.”

🥊 Real-time response: Stepping up its engagement, the White House sent reporters a steady stream of emails, seeking to undermine witnesses’ credibility.

• Trump said at a Cabinet meeting: “[Y]ou have a kangaroo court headed by little Shifty Schiff.”

Clicker: White House’s official Twitter account attacks Vindman as he testifies.

4. Pic du jour

Photo: Alex Edelman/Getty Images

A portrait of former House Speaker John Boehner was unveiled yesterday in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, and will hang in the Speaker’s Lobby.

5. 2020 Attention Tracker: Mayor Pete’s Iowa air superiority

Pete Buttigieg snaps a selfie with students after speaking Monday at Morehouse College in Atlanta. Photo: Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

Rather than riding a swell of media attention or a viral moment, Pete Buttigieg has ascended to the top of Iowa’s Democratic presidential primary polling by channeling a huge fundraising haul into TV ads, Axios’ Neal Rothschild reports.

• Why it matters: With $2.3 million spent so far on Iowa TV ads, more than 100 staffers on the ground and 20 field offices, Buttigieg’s investment reflects his campaign’s huge bet on Iowa’s Feb. 3 caucuses.

Buttigieg’s national polling continues to lag way behind Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

• But only billionaire Tom Steyer (at $7.1 million!) has spent more on TV ads in Iowa, according to a Kantar/Campaign Media Analysis on FiveThirtyEight.
• Sanders, who has raised $10 million more than Buttigieg this cycle, is just slightly behind him in Iowa, spending $2 million on TV ads.
• Biden has spent $820,000 and Warren just $200,000 on Iowa TV so far.

Share this story.

6. Trumpification of Elise Stefanik

Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) listen as Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) talks to reporters after Marie Yovanovitch testified last week. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) opposed President Trump on Putin, women, tariffs, the travel ban and the border wall. Then impeachment made her a star Trump defender and fundraising juggernaut, Axios’ Alayna Treene and Stef Kight report.

• Why it matters: Stefanik, 35, has become the youngest, most moderate example of voter-driven Trumpification of the GOP.

The big picture: Stefanik won her first term in 2014, then the youngest woman to be elected to Congress, and built a reputation as a moderate.

• But her fierce defense of Trump during the impeachment hearings — along with her attacks on House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff — has made her a champion among the pro-Trump community.

Share this story.

7. AMA calls for total ban on vaping products

Photo: Tony Dejak/AP

The American Medical Association called for a ban on e-cigs and vaping devices, and will lobby for state and federal laws, regs and legal action.

• Why it matters: The doctors’ group said the action was prompted by the recent U.S. outbreak of lung illnesses linked to vaping. (AP)

8. America’s war over natural gas hits home

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a major utility are locked in a standoff over natural gas that’s been years in the making, writes Axios’ Amy Harder.

• Why it matters: The battle is leaving thousands of New Yorkers without access to the fuel — the starkest repercussion yet of fights brewing across the country over oil and gas pipelines, and their role in fueling climate change.

Keep reading.

9. Debate night in America

Graphic: AP

The fifth Democratic presidential debate, hosted by MSNBC and the Washington Post, runs 9 to 11 p.m. ET at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.

Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

10. 🔔 The future of doorbells

Amazon has considered adding facial recognition technology to its Ring doorbell cameras, according to a letter to Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), per AP.

• Facial recognition is a “contemplated, but unreleased feature.”

📬 Thanks for reading! Please tell a friend about AM/PM.

THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES

Sign up for this newsletter Read online The morning’s most important stories, curated by Post editors.       (AP) ‘Comes down to one guy’: In impeachment probe, all eyes turn to Gordon Sondland The U.S. ambassador to the European Union, who is set to publicly testify Wednesday, could solidify the case against President Trump, though doing so would require that he revise his previous testimony or acknowledge significant omissions. Impeachment Inquiry  ●  By Aaron Davis and Rachael Bade  ●  Read more »   U.S. military aid bolsters Ukraine’s front lines, but the Trump drama makes Kyiv nervous President Trump’s hold on aid did not seriously disrupt Ukraine’s military. The real fallout has been one of perception among Ukrainian officials and others — the worry that the White House cannot always be counted on to be in Kyiv’s corner. Impeachment Inquiry  ●  By Sergey Morgunov, Will Englund and Michael Birnbaum  ●  Read more »   Witnesses undercut Trump’s defense about Ukraine phone call Three current and former Trump administration officials described how they harbored a variety of concerns surrounding the July phone call. Impeachment Inquiry  ●  By Karoun Demirjian, Mike DeBonis and Matt Zapotosky  ●  Read more »     Judge intends to rule by Monday on House subpoena to Donald McGahn The House Judiciary Committee asked the court to expedite a ruling on a White House claim that top aides are “absolutely immune” from congressional subpoena. Impeachment Inquiry  ●  By Spencer Hsu  ●  Read more »   Volker makes a big correction, and other takeaways from Tuesday’s testimony Alexander Vindman, Jennifer Williams, Kurt Volker and Tim Morrison begin a hectic week of impeachment hearings. Impeachment Inquiry | Analysis  ●  By Aaron Blake  ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT     Opinions Republicans have no sense of decency Impeachment Diary  ●  By Dana Milbank  ●  Read more »   America is now implicitly endorsing a one-state solution By David Ignatius  ●  Read more »   The Democrats’ impeachment bombshells aren’t exploding By Marc Thiessen  ●  Read more »   This is what the Trump administration should do on vaping By Scott Gottlieb  ●  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Even Republicans’ preferred witnesses are implicating Trump By Editorial Board  ●  Read more »   Republicans’ positions open the door for Democrats in Georgia By Stacey Abrams  ●  Read more »     More News   Watch the debate online. The debate begins at 9 p.m., but we’ll start streaming with political reporters at 8 p.m. See who qualified. Ten candidates hit the polling and donation requirements. Find candidates who share your views. See which candidates are most aligned with you. Visit Post Opinions for insights by columnists. NBC News | Election Confessions: What voters really think about the 2020 election. Sign up for politics email alerts   Biden plans Iowa push after concerns about his weakness in the first voting state Even as the former vice president retains a national lead in polling, he is falling behind in a state that doomed his campaign the last time he sought the presidency. Campaign 2020  ●  By Matt Viser and Holly Bailey  ●  Read more »   Is indoor farming the answer to feeding a hot and hungry planet? It’s not that easy. Millions are being invested globally in indoor urban farms because of their promise to produce more food with less impact. But high start-up costs, urban rents and other issues could stymie the efforts in the United States. By Laura Reiley  ●  Read more »   Trump press secretary faces backlash after claiming without evidence that Obama aides left ‘you will fail’ notes Five former Trump administration officials said they did not recall any such messages, and Stephanie Grisham modified her assertions later in the day. By Toluse Olorunnipa and Josh Dawsey  ●  Read more »   Two U.S. service members killed in copter crash during Afghan operation The Taliban said the helicopter was shot down as Afghan and U.S. forces were preparing to launch an attack in the area. By Sayed Salahuddin and Susannah George  ●  Read more »   Teen girl detailed plan for racist attack on black churchgoers in notebook, police say The 16-year-old, who is white, had a notebook filled with “manifesto-type” language detailing how she wanted to assault parishioners with butcher knives and other sharp-edged weapons at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Ga., police said. By Derek Hawkins  ●  Read more »   British voters express mistrust, disgust at first debate between Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn The prime minister and his challenger faced sharp, aggressive questions from the audience over Brexit, broken promises and truthfulness ahead of the general election on Dec. 12. By William Booth and Karla Adam  ●  Read more »     We think you’ll like this newsletter Check out By The Way for tips and guides that will help you travel better and make you feel like a local wherever you go. Delivered every Thursday. Sign up »

Democracy Dies in Darkness Share Today’s Headlines:         You received this email because you signed up for Today’s Headlines or because it is included in your subscription. Manage my email newsletters and alerts | Privacy Policy | Help ©2019 The Washington Post | 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071

THE RESURGENT

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

The Resurgent’s Morning Briefing for November 20,2019 View this email in your browser Share Tweet Forward Good morning, Here is all the news conservatives need to know to start their day.  At 4pm ET, you can catch me on radio to bring you up to speed on developments throughout the day.  You can listen live here.   Give Chick-Fil-A the Benefit of the Doubt, But … The fallout from Chick-Fil-A’s decision to stop supporting the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army continues. The company needs to clarify its position. For the sake of argument, let’s give Chick-Fil-A the benefit of all doubt. When we do, the situation presents them with a path out of the communications quicksand. Presume, if […] The post Give Chick-Fil-A the Benefit of the Doubt, But … appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » Rep Nunes Rips Democrats Over Impeachment: “No Closer To Impeachment Than Where They Were 3 Years Ago” The post Rep Nunes Rips Democrats Over Impeachment: “No Closer To Impeachment Than Where They Were 3 Years Ago” appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » Jim Jordan For The Win: “Facts Are On The President’s Side, The Process Is Certainly Not” The post Jim Jordan For The Win: “Facts Are On The President’s Side, The Process Is Certainly Not” appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » House Democrats Investigate Whether Trump Lied To Mueller Evidence and testimony from Roger Stone’s trial suggest that Donald Trump may have lied under oath. The post House Democrats Investigate Whether Trump Lied To Mueller appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » Is the DNC Afraid Of Tough Questions? As the Democratic National Committee prepares for debates beyond the one that takes place in Atlanta this week, the conversation about who moderates these debates has come front and center. When Politico’s Tim Alberta’s name came up as a potential moderator for December’s debate (really, who holds a debate in December?), some people at the […] The post Is the DNC Afraid Of Tough Questions? appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » Ma’am, This Is a Chicken Restaurant. Chick-fil-A Is Not The Boy Scouts, or Your Church. I know: It looks bad. Chick-fil-A undoubtedly has suffered a PR breakdown, but one no worse than Nike, or even its competition in the chicken restaurant biz, Popeyes (who literally ran out of sandwiches). But let’s be as clear as the juice running off a well-cooked skinless breast: This is about a chicken sandwich chain making a business decision. This is not your church. This is not the Boy Scouts of America, with a freaking Supreme Court ruling to back it up, giving up the absolute legal right to regulate who is a scout leader in charge of your pubescent and adolescent male children. This is not your personal church denomination deciding to ordain gay clergy, or perform gay weddings, or run a transgender adoption center. The post Ma’am, This Is a Chicken Restaurant. Chick-fil-A Is Not The Boy Scouts, or Your Church. appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » Impeachment Hearings Resume Today With Vindman And Others Impeachment hearings have resumed in the House today and feature some previously-heard witnesses as well as some new ones. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, whose opening statement for his closed-door testimony was previously released, will be a featured witness. Lt. Col. Vindman was present for the now-infamous July 25 phone call between Presidents Trump and Zelensky […] The post Impeachment Hearings Resume Today With Vindman And Others appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » Guards Face Criminal Charges In Epstein Death The charges do not include murder. The post Guards Face Criminal Charges In Epstein Death appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » Chick-Fil-A Is Made to Care: Caves to Progressives. Abandons Salvation Army. Caving to the mob will just encourage the mob to redouble its efforts. Chick-Fil-A handled this extremely poorly and in so doing is undermining other faith based non-profits, the Salvation Army, and Chick-Fil-A itself. The company should walk this back. If Chick-Fil-A thinks the Salvation Army is large enough itself, announce that its bellringers are welcome at locations. Or make one big payment to the Salvation Army next year. But the way it looks right now, Chick-Fil-A has decided to betray its loyal customers and a terrific nonprofit all to placate a mob that will now only be more aggressive. Chick-Fil-A can do whatever it wants with its money and no non-profit should feel entitled to Chick-Fil-A’s money. But the timing of this is deeply troubling and the way Chick-Fil-A subsequently refused to answer questions about severing ties with the Salvation Army strongly suggests it is bending the knee to the mob. No one, including an organization, can serve God and money. It looks like Chick-Fil-A picked the wrong side. The post Chick-Fil-A Is Made to Care: Caves to Progressives. Abandons Salvation Army. appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser » The Chick-fil-A Story is Blown Up to Satisfy Those Who Want to Destroy the Company Don’t give in to the engineered hype of a blown-up story. That only plays into the hands of people who want our outrage for their own purposes. The post The Chick-fil-A Story is Blown Up to Satisfy Those Who Want to Destroy the Company appeared first on The Resurgent.  Read in browser »   Recent Items: Remember, you can listen to the Erick Erickson Show anytime and anywhere via WSB Radio, iTunes, Stitcher, and Soundcloud. As always, you can find pretty much anything and everything I’m writing about throughout the day via The Resurgent. Thanks for reading and tuning in. Erick Erickson THE RESURGENT Facebook Twitter Instagram Copyright © 2019 The Resurgent Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

THE FLIP SIDE

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

View this email in your browser Wednesday, November 20, 2019 Israeli Settlements “The Trump administration on Monday said it no longer considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be a violation of international law… Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. is repudiating the 1978 State Department legal opinion that held that civilian settlements in the occupied territories are ‘inconsistent with international law.’” AP News From the Left The left opposes the decision, arguing that it will make a peace deal harder to achieve, but recognizes that the change is mainly symbolic. “The policy shift has been on the short list of items certain Trump backers want very much — and the president needs to keep those supporters close to weather both the impeachment inquiry and his reelection campaign. The move is all about strengthening the alliance between Trump, so-called Christian Zionist Evangelicals, and a small segment of American Jewish voters and donors… Trump is burnishing his credentials with paleoconservatives — who see international law as a conspiracy to harm the U.S. — and betting others will shrug as long as he wraps this unpopular policy in Reaganism… Pompeo assured us that the Trump administration has analyzed ‘all sides of the legal debate.’ But he cited no specific legal argument.” Heather Hurlburt, New York Magazine “While the announcement has no immediate policy implications, it does send a pretty clear message to Israeli settlers and its government: go ahead and keep moving en masse into land that the Palestinians might want as a home for their future state… The decision comes at a particularly fraught time in both US and Israeli politics. The Trump administration has been fighting back against impeachment charges fueled by the testimony of State Department officials; Netanyahu’s hold on power is extremely tenuous, as he’s trying to scuttle an opposition party’s ongoing attempt to form a new government without him. It’s hardly a big leap to see this as an attempt by Pompeo to both distract from the Ukraine situation and give the administration’s buddy in Jerusalem an accomplishment he can use to shore up political support.” Zack Beauchamp, Vox “This measure is the latest of the administration’s efforts to destroy the international rules-based order. The declaration is symbolic rather than practical. The settlements remain illegal; Mr Trump’s fiat does not change international law… It is true that settlements have flourished regardless of international strictures, and that previous US governments have done little more than scold. Settlements grew exponentially while Barack Obama was president. But the US eventually grew so exasperated that it allowed through a UN security council resolution demanding a halt to all construction in the occupied territories…  “The administration has not only broken with decades of policy but with most allies. The European Union was quick to reaffirm that all settlement activity is illegal, that it erodes the viability of the two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace, and that it should be ended… The predictability of this announcement makes it more disgraceful, not less. It does not merely recognise the facts on the ground, as Mike Pompeo claimed. It encourages further expansion and annexation, as the welcome from pro-settlement politicians and campaigners has demonstrated.” Editorial Board, The Guardian “The announcement by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday that the United States no longer views Israeli settlements on the West Bank as necessarily violating international law has done little to change the essential insecurity on both sides of the conflict’s front line. While experts debated whether the announcement gave Israel a green light to annex parts of the West Bank or flouted established international law, the only practical effect in the West Bank on Tuesday was a subtle shift in morale: It left Israeli settlers feeling slightly more confident and Palestinians slightly more depressed.” David M. Halbfinger, New York Times “The United States was never entirely credible as a mediator in this conflict, given its close relationship with Israel. But until Donald Trump, every recent U.S. president sought to broker negotiations for a Palestinian state. That era now seems to have passed. Trump has sided with [Israel] on key issues about the status of the West Bank, Golan Heights and Jerusalem… The United States is now implicitly endorsing a one-state solution — forcing Israel to make an agonizing decision about whether to deny full rights to the Arab residents of that state. Perhaps Israelis will rebel against making this choice and revive the possibility of a Palestinian state. Or perhaps Arabs, exhausted by this conflict, will induce Palestinians to accept defeat… and something less than statehood.” David Ignatius, Washington Post From the Right The right supports the decision, arguing that it is legally correct and acknowledges the facts on the ground. “The four-page 1978 memo [written by the State Department stating that the settlements were illegal]… painted with broad strokes across several issues and cited no precedent for its key conclusions. Most important, its legal analysis of occupation and settlements has never been applied, by the U.S. or anyone else, to any other comparable situation… Even on its own terms, the memo’s conclusions no longer apply. Because occupation is part of the law of war, Hansell wrote, the state of occupation would end if Israel entered into a peace treaty with Jordan. In 1994 Jerusalem and Amman signed a full and unconditional peace treaty… “[Furthermore] even if there were an occupation, the notion that it creates an impermeable demographic bubble around the territory—no Jew can move in—has no basis in the history or application of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Almost every prolonged occupation since 1949—from the Allies’ 40-year administration of West Berlin to Turkey’s 2016 occupation of northern Syria—has seen population movement into the occupied territory. In none of these cases has the U.S., or the United Nations, ever claimed a violation of this Geneva Convention provision. Mr. Pompeo’s action shows the U.S. understands that we can’t have one international law for one country and another for the rest of the world.” Eugene Kontorovich, Wall Street Journal “Judea and Samaria, the lands currently in dispute, were part of the initial borders of the Jewish state created by the League of Nations Mandate partition in 1922. Jordan conquered Judea and Samaria from Israel in Israel’s War of Independence, a war of aggression launched by Jordan… The recapture of Judea and Samaria was under the auspices of Article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows a nation state to defend itself and, among a host of scholars, has also been recognized as asserting that self-defense may necessitate the non-aggressor assume control over territory previously held by the aggressor.” Erielle Davidson, The Federalist “Many of [the] ‘settlements’ — cities, really, some of them in existence for decades — are part of a de facto border, and they are never going to be bulldozed… The Trump administration’s new position doesn’t mean that Israeli tanks will be rolling into the West Bank and annexing Hebron, as hysterical progressives seem to believe. Israel has never eyed appropriation of Arab population centers. It’s done everything it can to allow responsible Arab self-governance. (Hey, when was the last election in the West Bank?) What it does mean, as Pompeo clearly states, is that final-status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians will be predicated no longer on a fantasy of ‘occupation’ but rather on the reality of disputed land.” David Harsanyi, National Review “Successive American, Israeli, and Palestinian Authority governments have recognized that a final status two-state solution will involve the formal recognition of some Israeli settlements in the West Bank as part of Israel proper. This is not a controversial point. What is controversial is which settlements and how much territory Israel will end up receiving under a final status deal and which territory a future Palestinian state will receive… however, Pompeo makes clear that this ‘ultimate status’ is ‘for Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate.’… Yes, it will spark Palestinian fury. But it does not change the reality of what both sides accept will be the underlining of a future peace deal: reciprocal land swaps.” Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner Some critics argue that “the failure of U.S. policy here has been to call settlements illegal but then do nothing about their ongoing expansion. If the U.S. had taken its own position seriously decades ago, it is possible that there would be a better basis for a negotiated settlement. As things stand now, the U.S. has allowed Israel to establish ‘facts on the ground’ to their advantage and now the Trump administration is approving of the results… Needless to say, reflexively backing Israel at all times has not advanced the cause of peace, and the continued expropriation of Palestinian land certainly doesn’t advance the cause of peace, but then they were never intended to.” Daniel Larison, The American Conservative On the bright side… LiLou the therapy pig poses for selfies, plays piano for stressed passengers at San Francisco airport. National Post Our volunteer team spends hours each night scanning the news, fact-checking, and debating one another, so your 5 minutes each morning can be well spent. If you’ve found value in our work, we welcome you to help sustain our efforts and expand our reach. Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated! Share Tweet Forward Sign Up Here Copyright © 2019 The Flip Side, All rights reserved. You can unsubscribe from this list here.

POLITICO PLAYBOOK

POLITICO Playbook: Impeachment’s trench warfare

By JAKE SHERMAN and ANNA PALMER 

11/20/2019 06:01 AM EST

Presented by Amazon

DRIVING THE DAY

LET’S STEP BACK FOR ONE SECOND AND TAKE STOCK OF WHERE WE ARE …

— IMPEACHMENT HASN’T WON ANY CONVERTS … Despite hours and hours of testimony, reams of coverage and enough background briefings to make your eyes bleed, nobody is changing any votes here. At least not on Capitol Hill, where both sides are dug in and digging deeper.

TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN OFFICIALS told us Tuesday that not a single Republican is currently at risk of turning againstPresident DONALD TRUMP. Again, may we repeat: As of right now, every single Republican would vote against impeachment in the House, multiple senior-level GOP lawmakers and aides told us. Internally, in the House GOP, there is exceeding confidence either that TRUMP didn’t do anything wrong, or that if he did, it’s not impeachable. (Although no one can say the latter, lest they risk ire from the president.) No endangered lawmakers are jittery, no retiring lawmakers are at risk of crossing over, and no one from the rank and file is, either. This is according to multiple people who are tracking public statements and private sentiments.

— HOUSE DEMOCRATS have long come to the conclusion that their Republican colleagues are not operating on the level, and believe the GOP’s sole goal is complete and total defense of TRUMP. They find themselves having to blast through what they see as sideshows, misdirection and a smear campaign to keep the narrative they have worked to build. And, despite what Speaker NANCY PELOSI says publicly, every single Democrat we speak to is completely certain that they will impeach TRUMP. No more facts are needed, they say.

— BUT … THE HEARINGS HAVE BEEN A SLOG — important, but a slog. The hours upon hours of testimony have unearthed compelling evidence for Democrats, even if it’s not in the 30-second bites that our contemporary politics demand. Democrats have been forced to compress the entire impeachment process into a few months, which makes for a dizzying amount of testimony in a short period of time.

EVEN SO, Democrats are methodically building a case, piling up evidence that will eventually be tested in the Judiciary Committee, where the articles of impeachment will come together. Sure, the hearings have proven dense, long and at times confusing — even for those who are steeped in the subject matter. But, even in a Washington that’s been chewed up and spit out by TRUMP, the hearings are a throwback, of sorts, to yesteryear. They have mostly gone off without a hitch. There’s been no storming the doors, no massive waves of interruption. Just hours of Democrats trying to prove their argument, and equal time of Republicans trying to dismantle those same points.

— STILL, the process has its challenges. Viewers might tune in and see both sides hearing whatever they want to hear in each testimony. For example, eitherLt. Col. ALEXANDER VINDMAN was a heroic war veteran who called out irregular behavior when he heard it. Or he was an attention-hungry résumé inflator who hated TRUMP and undermined his policies.

SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND POTENTIALLY IMPACTFUL MOMENTS have come at the least opportune times. House Intel Chairman ADAM SCHIFF’S (D-Calif.) closing Tuesday — which came late in the evening — was incredibly powerful. He made the case that Republicans haven’t defended the president’s behavior — mostly true — but, instead, have sought to out the people who ratted on him. SCHIFF: “That’s [Republicans’] objection. Not that the president engaged in this conduct, but that he got caught. Their defense is: Well, he ended up releasing the aid. Yes, after he got caught. That doesn’t make this any less odious.” Clip, via ABC

ALL THIS SAID, so much comes down to today, when GORDON SONDLAND, the ambassador to the E.U., comes to the Capitol to testify. Theoretically, he should be a great witness for Democrats: He’s the man who, in their telling, was leading the effort to get Ukraine to commit to investigating the Bidens in exchange for aid and a visit with Trump.

HERE IS THE REPUBLICAN GAME PLAN TO DISCREDIT SONDLAND: The GOP will try to paint Sondland as a political hack who was carrying out what he thought TRUMP wanted, but not what the president told him directly. RUDY GIULIANI, Republicans will try to say, was making most of the orders, and maybe Trump was asking about them, but he was not directly giving them. Sondland’s testimony is full of holes; it’s already been corrected and questioned by other witnesses. REPUBLICANS feel that if they can inject enough doubt about Sondland’s credibility, they can undermine some of the larger arguments about the substance. Republicans — especially in the White House — are exceedingly uncomfortable with Sondland, and unsure what he will say.

DEMOCRATS, of course, have a different game plan. That is to show that Sondland was, in fact, the agent TRUMP was using to carry out his “shadow foreign policy.” He spoke to the president — there are witnesses to that. But it’s by no means clear how forthcoming he’ll be about those encounters, let alone whether he’ll make a compelling witness in general. (h/ts John Bresnahan, Kyle Cheney and Heather Caygle, who, as always, helped sharpen this top)

KYLE CHENEY brings it all together on Sondland: “There’s a Gordon Sondland-sized gap in the House’s impeachment inquiry.

“The unconventional ambassador to the European Union — deployed by President Donald Trump to help squeeze Ukraine to investigate his political adversaries — has been the omnipresent shadow behind the series of witnesses who have testified publicly so far.

“In fact, across nearly 12 hours of testimony on Tuesday by four witnesses — in turns exhausting, exhilarating and excruciating — Democrats and Republicans really succeeded only in underscoring the growing set of unknowns that can be resolved by Sondland on Wednesday.

“He’s the inexplicable actor who confounded career diplomats and seemed to push an agenda that wasn’t shared by the officials actually carrying out U.S. foreign policy — but often seemed aligned with Trump’s own private views on Ukraine. He’s the force behind many of the moments that led more practiced foreign policy hands like Fiona Hill to alert national security lawyers.” POLITICO

— QUOTE OF THE DAY, from a Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) who clearly thinks Sondland is going to struggle for Democrats, via WaPo’s Aaron Davis and Rachael Bade: “‘The impeachment effort comes down to one guy, Ambassador Sondland,’ said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who like many Republicans has argued that only a first-person account of Trump leveraging U.S. power for personal gain could give Democrats grounds to impeach. ‘All the other testimony has a Sondland core to it and a Sondland connection.’” WaPo

A message from Amazon:

Learning tech skills in a dogsledding town. Amazon is helping increase access to computer science education for teachers and students in remote Alaskan villages.

Good Wednesday morning.

WRAPPING UP TUESDAY IN TWO PARAGRAPHS, by NYT’s Nick Fandos and Mike Shear on A1: “Two White House national security officials testified before the House’s impeachment inquiry on Tuesday that President Trump’s request to Ukraine’s president to investigate Democratic rivals was inappropriate, and one of them said it validated his ‘worst fear’ that American policy toward that country would veer off course.

“Hours later, two more witnesses — another former White House national security official and a former top American diplomat — charted a more careful course but said under oath that the president’s requests on a July 25 phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine were not in line with American national security goals.” NYT

— NYT’S PETER BAKER on the White House dogging its own current staffers.

— WAPO: “Judge intends to rule by Monday on House subpoena to Donald McGahn,” by Spencer Hsu: “A federal judge said she intends to rule no later than the end of the day Monday on whether former White House counsel Donald McGahn must testify under subpoena to Congress, after the House Judiciary Committee asked her to accelerate a decision because it aims to call him after the current round of public impeachment hearings finish in December.

“U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of Washington entered an order Tuesday about her deadline intent ‘absent unforeseen circumstances’ shortly after a filing from House General Counsel Douglas N. Letter arguing last week’s opening of the hearings before the House Intelligence Committee was grounds for urgency.” WaPo

POLITICO Playbook newsletter

Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email

By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

THEY’LL DO ANYTHING FOR TRUMP, BUT THEY WON’T DO THAT … MEL ZANONA: “Republicans reject Trump’s attacks on impeachment witnesses”: “While Republicans have shown zero signs of breaking with President Donald Trump when it comes to impeachment itself, GOP lawmakers are also making it clear they’re unwilling to fully embrace Trump’s scorched-earth defense tactics, which have centered — at least in part — on tearing down his critics, sometimes against the advice of his own allies and advisers.”

— “Chris Murphy offers House investigators own account of Ukraine visit,” by Marianne LeVine: “Sen. Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter Tuesday night to House investigators offering his own analysis of his September visit to Ukraine.

“Murphy’s letter comes one day after Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) sent a letter to House Republicans that recounted the same September visit and questioned the credibility of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Ukraine specialist with the National Security Council.” POLITICO

STILL?!?!? … L.A. TIMES: “$35 million in Pentagon aid hasn’t reached Ukraine, despite White House assurances,” by Molly O’Toole and Sarah Wire: “[T]he 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.”

STEPPING BACK INTO WHAT SEEMS LIKE ANOTHER CENTURY … “Boehner returns to Capitol transformed from heated partisanship to cauldron of constitutional standoff,” by WaPo’s Paul Kane: “Boehner, who turned 70 Sunday, returned on Tuesday to a very different Capitol, one that had transformed from the heated partisan battles during his nearly five years as speaker into a complete cauldron caught in a constitutional standoff.” WaPo

DAILY RUDY — “Federal prosecutors to interview Ukrainian gas executive as part of probe into Giuliani and his associates,” by WaPo’s Tom Hamburger and Ros Helderman: “Federal prosecutors scrutinizing President Trump’s personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani and two of his associates are to question a top executive of Ukraine’s state-owned gas company Thursday about his encounters with those associates as the pair pursued energy deals in Ukraine this year.

“The executive of the Ukrainian company, Andrew Favorov, an American citizen, agreed to meet with prosecutors for the Southern District of New York who had asked to speak with him about his experiences with the two men, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman.” WaPo

A message from Amazon:

2020 WATCH … DEBATE NIGHT EDITION …

— NEW … POLITICO’S 2020 ELECTION FORECAST: “Introducing POLITICO’s 2020 Election Forecast: ratings for every national contest, from all 538 votes in the Electoral College, down to the 435 House districts — and everything in between.”

— “‘Everyone’s going to come for Pete’: Buttigieg faces debate spotlight,” by Elena Schneider in Atlanta: “Pete Buttigieg will take the stage at Wednesday’s debate as a serious threat to the top Democratic presidential candidates for the first time. And that makes the debate a serious threat for him.

“The South Bend, Ind., mayor, is riding his best poll numbers yet in Iowa and New Hampshire — running in a tight pack with Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in many polls and even pulling into 10-point leads in recent surveys from The Des Moines Register and St. Anselm College.

“But that surge in the early states comes with the glare of additional scrutiny, including on his struggles appealing to African American voters in other states, and the growing likelihood of attacks from Democratic opponents eager to blunt Buttigieg’s rise and regain momentum of their own.” POLITICO … NYT: “Next Democratic Debate: Top Four vs. Everyone Else”

JOHN HARRIS COLUMN: “The question for Democrats: Why do you suck?”: “‘Now,’ says the moderator, turning to the camera, ‘we’d like to turn this portion of the debate over to the people who matter most — that’s you, our audience.

“‘We have a question via Facebook from a viewer who lives in Washington, D.C., and says he’s really struggling. His kids go to Sidwell, which is, like, you know, not cheap. He served in the last two Democratic administrations and now is a self-employed consultant. He’s got a bunch of clients — mostly corporate, a little foreign, nothing too sleazy — for 10 grand each a month. It’s okay but dull and he’s desperate to return to government once Democrats are back in power.

“‘His question — for all the candidates please — is: “Why do you suck so badly?”’ It’s possible, of course, that the candidates will refuse to accept the premise. After all, an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll last month showed 85 percent of Democrats actually are very or somewhat satisfied with the candidate field.

“Make no mistake, however, this imaginary debate questioner is not really a figment of imagination. More like a composite of real people in the Washington political class who generate skeptical static in phone calls and emails and lunches with other operatives and with journalists who write stories like this one.” POLITICO

— NEW: CHRISTINA FREUNDLICH is joining Amy Klobuchar’s 2020 campaign as deputy director of early states. Freundlich served as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Iowa general election communications director and in 2014 as Iowa Democratic Party communications director.

TRUMP’S WEDNESDAY — The president will leave the White House at 10:45 a.m. en route to Austin, Texas. He will arrive at Flextronics International at 2:05 p.m. Central time and will take a tour of the Apple manufacturing plant at 2:20 p.m. Afterward, he will return to Washington.

PLAYBOOK READS

NYT’S ANNIE KARNI and MAGGIE HABERMAN: “After Keeping a Careful Distance From Trump, Nikki Haley Is All In”: “Ms. Haley remains close with the president’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, and they warned her to be more careful talking about Mr. Trump, according to two people familiar with the conversation. A spokeswoman for Ms. Haley said she never received such a warning.” NYT

UH OH … WSJ: “Stalled U.S.-China Trade Talks Raise Threat of Another Impasse.” by William Mauldin and Josh Zumbrun

WAPO’S JOSH ROGIN in Bangkok: “Esper: ‘We’re not the ones looking for a Cold War’ with China”: “In an interview, [Defense Secretary Mark] Esper told me that the region is waking up to Beijing’s use of its rising power and influence to bully smaller countries and abuse the international system — contrary to the Chinese government’s protestations that it aims for a ‘peaceful rise.’

“‘When we talk about the rules-based order, they clearly want to change the rules of the game, to favor them. They don’t like what was set up in the aftermath of World War II,’ Esper said. ‘They are either trying to manipulate the rules-based order or use it against us and other countries to advance their own agenda.’” WaPo

UP IN SMOKE … “House panel approves sweeping vaping ban as Trump effort stalls,” by Sarah Owermohle: “A House panel on Tuesday advanced a sweeping ban on flavored tobacco — including vaping products — as Democrats condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to stall his plans for muscular restrictions amid lobbying from political allies and the vape industry.

“The bill approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee is far more aggressive than the ban Trump proposed two months ago to combat surging public health crises tied to vaping. The Democrats’ measure, approved on a 28-24 vote mostly along party lines, would ban all flavored tobacco products, raise the purchasing age to 21 nationwide, and ban online sales in a bid to curb teen tobacco use, particularly of vaping products.

“The legislation has gained momentum in the House as federal research showed teen vaping rates continuing to soar and as a vaping-linked lung disease swept across the country. Democrats also said the bill took on new importance in light of Trump’s refusal to move forward on the flavor ban he promised in September. That proposal is now in limbo as he reportedly weighs whether it would damage his election prospects.” POLITICO

A message from Amazon:

the Amazon Future Engineer program is supporting underserved communities with computer science education.

YOUR MOMENT OF ZEN … NPR: “U.S. Arrests Money-Laundering Expert For Laundering Money”

IMPEACHMENT COUNTER-PROGRAMMING — Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Doug Collins (R-Ga.) will be honored with the 2019 Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership at 9 a.m. today in the Capitol for their work on criminal justice reform. The late Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) will also be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

MEDIAWATCH — BUZZFEED’S BEN SMITH on the quiet succession drama on Eighth Avenue: “What’s Really Happening At The New York Times”: “[Q]uestions about the future are playing out in the beginnings of an intense but decorous (that is, Timesian) campaign to replace Executive Editor Dean Baquet, whose retirement, per Times tradition, is due before his 66th birthday, in September 2022. Baquet laid out some of the pressures in a recent interview with the Guardian: Young staffers who ‘want a more political New York Times than I’m willing to give them’ and empowered subscribers who are paying for the paper to ‘take a full-bodied side’ against Donald Trump — and whose interest might depend on that.

“The decision whether to accommodate those pressures, or to resist them, is ultimately up to the publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. And the campaign for the top job is expressed, right now, primarily by the three leading candidates leading their sections in slightly different directions. …

“If you talk to people inside the building, the three main candidates … are three white men in their early- to mid-fifties who run major chunks of the publication: Joe Kahn, James Bennet, and Cliff Levy. They are classic Timesmen of their generation: East Coast–bred (Boston, Washington, New York), Ivy League–educated (Harvard, Yale, Princeton), star reporters and bureau chiefs (Beijing, Jerusalem, Moscow), whose ambition nobody doubts.” BuzzFeed

— The Texas Tribune’s Emily Ramshaw and Amanda Zamora are stepping down as editor-in-chief and chief audience officer to “to build a new national nonprofit news organization aimed at giving women — all women — the facts, tools and information they need to be equal participants in democracy and civic life.” Thread announcing their departure

— TRONC’D — “Tribune Publishing’s largest shareholder, Michael Ferro, sells 25% stake to hedge fund Alden Capital,” by Chicago Tribune’s Robert Channick

— “Sarah Isgur joins conservative media startup as staff writer,” by Daniel Lippman: “Sarah Isgur, who served as top spokesperson for the Justice Department for former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is joining the new conservative media company The Dispatch as a staff writer. … She will remain a CNN analyst.” POLITICO

— “1A Host Joshua Johnson Is Leaving For MSNBC,” by DCist’s Mikaela Lefrak: “Joshua Johnson said Tuesday he would step down as host of WAMU and NPR’s national radio show 1A to join MSNBC as an anchor early next year. … His last time in the host chair will be on Dec. 20.” DCist

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.

SPOTTED: Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) at Slipstream in Navy Yard. Pic

SPOTTED at an advance screening of “Dark Waters” at the Motion Picture Association of America on Tuesday night: Mark Ruffalo, Rob Bilott, Gillian White, Jane Fonda, Marty Baron, Reps. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), Harley Rouda (D-Calif.) and Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Mark Favors, Urmila Venugopalan, Heidi Przybyla, Janice Page and Ann Hornaday.

SPOTTED at an advance screening of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” at Sony Pictures Entertainment’s new D.C. federal affairs office Tuesday night: Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Pat Conroy, Lamar Smith, Cameron Normand, Keith Weaver, Terri McCullough, Sally Quinn, Heather Podesta, Rita Braver and Bob Barnett, Todd Dupler, Chris Crawford, Craig Roberts and Lauren Moore.

TRANSITION — Andrea Hailey is now acting CEO of Vote.org. She previously was founder and CEO of Civic Engagement Fund and was a longtime Vote.org board member.

ENGAGED — Colin Hart, VP of crisis and issues management at FleishmanHillard, and Rebecca Stevens, a first grade teacher at Brooklyn Arbor Elementary School, got engaged at their apartment in Brooklyn on Sunday. They celebrated at Have & Meyer in Williamsburg with risotto and champagne.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Sunlen Serfaty, a CNN congressional correspondent, and Alexis Serfaty, director of global public policy at Access Partnership, welcomed Exton Rhodes Serfaty on Monday night. He came in at 9 lbs, 1 oz, and 21 inches, and joins big sister Roosevelt. Pic… Another pic

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Cecelia Prewett, managing director at SKDKnickerbocker, a Hill and FTC alum and an ethics professor. A trend she thinks doesn’t get enough attention: “Aside from California, the U.S. is woefully behind on privacy. I work in crisis and litigation communications, and many of the problems we deal with stem from this issue.” Playbook Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Joe Biden is 77 … John Bolton, who just rejoined United Against Nuclear Iran, is 71 … Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) is 6-0 … Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) is 4-0 (h/t Randy White) … Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour … Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report and an analyst for National Journal and NBC, is 66 … Beth Foster (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … POLITICO’s Sushant Sagar, Ian Kullgren, Dan Goldberg, Jing Sun, Mayo Rives and Jack Koppa … Ian Levin … Phil Ewing, national security editor at NPR … Jay Lefkowitz is 57 … Ron Suskind is 6-0 … CNN producer Ryan Struyk … Jayne Sandman, co-founder and co-CEO at the Brand Guild … Julie Hyman, Yahoo Finance anchor, is 43 … Parita Shah (h/ts Ben Chang) … Shawn Hils … Devorah Adler … Brand USA’s Peter Dodge …

… Robert Edmonson, COS of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s congressional office, is 35 … Beverly Hallberg, president of District Media Group … Emma Farnè … Aaron Harison of The Washington Free Beacon … Carlton Owen … Boyd Bailey … Brian Reisinger, president and CEO of Platform Communications and founder and president of Hilltop Strategies, is 35 … Cassie Gerhardstein, staff assistant to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell … Emily Matthews, associate at SCRB Strategies … Courtney Corbisiero, national digital organizing director for the Biden campaign … National Geographic’s Jeff Amster … John Darnton … Ciara Torres-Spelliscy … Nikki Buffa Marutsos, counsel at Latham & Watkins … Alex Navarro-McKay, managing director at BerlinRosen … Edelman’s Alexis Weiss … New Hampshire state Rep. Al Baldasaro

A message from Amazon:

6 things that make Amazon a “Best Workplace for Innovators.“

• Anna Palmer @apalmerdc
• Jake Sherman @JakeSherman

BRIGHT

Share with a friend you think would love this!

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

ImpeachGate Update The latest testimony in the country’s ongoing soap opera was provided by Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman and Special Envoy Kurt Volker. According to Democrats, the testimony confirmed the president’s corrupt purposes with regard to Ukraine and his political opponents.    But according to Republicans, the hearing wasn’t so one-sided. Vindman admitted to leaking the contents of the president’s July 25thphone call to two individuals, one of whom he named and the other whom he was prevented from naming by Chairman Adam Schiff. Schiff scolded Vindman for potentially naming the whistleblower, which is odd because Vindman had previously testified that he did not know the whistleblower’s identity.    In addition, Volker testified to lawmakers that he saw no evidence of a bribe, extortion, or quid pro quo involved in the administration’s Ukraine dealings, although he did note that he previously had not associated the Burisma investigations directly with the Bidens.    Andy McCarthy points out over at Fox News that the hearings really ought not to proceed without the ability to question the whistleblower himself.  “Congressional Democrats are obstructing the impeachment inquiry.   You heard that right. It has become rote for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and his fellow Democrats to chide the Trump administration for blocking testimony from White House staffers and the president’s private lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Yet, those witnesses actually have confidentiality privileges that are well settled in federal law, shielding communications between the chief executive and his top advisers, and between attorney and client, from disclosure…   By contrast, Schiff is playing a lawless game with the so-called whistleblower: predicating the impeachment inquiry on this intelligence official’s complaint while blocking Republicans from questioning the official and other policy officials with whom he dealt. The suppression of relevant information obstructs the congressional investigation.”   Meanwhile, America is just waiting for this political drama to spin itself out. Fewer viewers tuned in to the hearings than did for Comey’s testimony during the Mueller report days (doesn’t it feel like a lifetime ago?), and the President is back up to his normal mid-40s in approval numbers.   What Does America Look Like Heading Into 2020? Rather than cite the latest polls, I think it’s more interesting to try to get a sense for where people in different parts of the country are right now in a more personal way. And who better to take us on that tour than Salena Zito and Brad Todd, who have just released a special edition of their book The Great Revolt just in time for 2020.    The pair write in Washington Examiner:   “The shocking result in 2016 wasn’t a black swan, an irregular election deviating from normalcy, but instead the indicator of the realignment we describe in The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition, now available in a new a paperback edition in time for the 2020 election season.   The story of America’s evolving political topography is one of tectonic plates, slowly grinding against each other until a break notably alters the landscape with seismic consequences — a sudden lurch long in development. The election of President Trump cemented a realignment of the two political parties rooted in cultural and economic change years in the making. Although he has been the epicenter of all politics since his announcement of candidacy in 2015, Trump is the product of this realignment more than its cause, a fact that becomes clear as you travel the back roads to the places that made him the most unlikely president of our era.”   Fashion Moment of the Week Many of us will be traveling next week for Thanksgiving (record numbers are expected), and I will be very disappointed in you, my BRIGHT readers, if you do it in yoga pants, contributing to the blight that is airport dress these days.    To that end, here’s a nice round up of some comfortable-yet-fashionable alternatives for the trip.   Wednesday Links Senate unanimously passed a resolution supporting Hong Kong protestors. (Bloomberg)   BRIGHT editor Erielle Davidson: Trump is right to say that Israeli settlements do not violate international law. (The Federalist)   Newly-published documents from the Chinese Communist Party confirms its leaders’ horrendous plans to torture, rape, and imprison China’s Uyghur Muslim minority. (The Federalist)   James Poulos examines what the internet age has done to sexuality and relationships in America. (The American Mind)   Kevin Williamson scathingly critiques journalists who apologize – not for the many wrong stories they’ve printed – but for factually-correct journalism. (NY Post)   Scorsese’s newest mob classic, The Irishman, won me over despite a slow start and a near-endless run time. Sounds like John Daniel Davidson liked it too! (The Federalist)   A trademark was filed for a TV show named – wait for it – “OK Boomer.” (Inside Hook)   And ICYMI live, watch my husband, Jarrett Stepman, give a talk on his book The War on History, which defends the great heroes of America’s past against left-wing attacks, at The Heritage Foundation. (Heritage Foundation) BRIGHT is brought to you by The Federalist.

Today’s BRIGHT Editor Inez Feltscher Stepman is a senior policy analyst at the Independent Women’s Forum and a senior contributor to The Federalist. She is a San Francisco Bay Area native with a BA in Philosophy from UCSD and a JD from the University of Virginia. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Jarrett Stepman, her puggle Thor, and her cat Thaddeus Kosciuszko. You can follow her on Twitter at @inezfeltscher and on Instagram (for #ootd, obvi) under the same handle. Opinions expressed on this website are her own and not those of her employers. Or her husband.

Copyright © BRIGHT, All rights reserved. www.GetBRIGHTemail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Note: By using some of the links above, Bright may be compensated through the Amazon Affiliate program and Magic Links. However, none of this content is sponsored and all opinions are our own.

CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

Connect: Facebook Twitter YouTube View this email in your browser “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him,” (James‬ ‭1:12‬, ‭ESV‬‬). Psychiatrists, Impeachment, and Justice By Dr. Jane Orient on Nov 19, 2019 02:52 pm Dr. Jane Orient: Regardless of one’s opinion about President Trump, a self-appointed “Independent Expert Panel for Presidential Fitness” should concern all Americans. Read in browser » Ben Sasse Condemns Lack of Answers on Epstein Case By Shane Vander Hart on Nov 19, 2019 01:24 pm U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, R-Neb., condemned he lack of answers from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in investigation of Jeffrey Epstein’s death. Read in browser » So Presidents Are Expected to Follow Bureaucratic Talking Points? By Shane Vander Hart on Nov 19, 2019 11:27 am House Intelligence Committte Democratic Counsel Daniel Goldman suggests bureaucrats develop U.S. policy and the President has to follow their talking points. Read in browser » Recent Articles: Chick-fil-A Surrenders To The Woke Mob A Potential Consequence of a Senate Impeachment Trial Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign 2019 Buttigieg’s Momentum In Iowa Is Real, But Does It Go Beyond Iowa? Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady (1953-2019) Launched in 2006,  Caffeinated Thoughts reports news and shares commentary about culture, current events, faith and state and national politics from a Christian and conservative point of view.  Caffeinated Thoughts P.O. Box 57184 Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 321-5077 Editor, Shane Vander Hart Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Share Tweet Share Forward Copyright © 2019 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. C

CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

CDN’s Daily News Blast delivers the day’s news first! View this email in your browser CDN Daily News Blast 11/20/2019 Excerpts: Clinton Foundation Continues To Hemorrhage Money Following Hillary’s Loss By Andrew Kerr – The Clinton Foundation’s revenue dropped to a 16-year low in 2018 and reported a third-straight year of losses, a trend that began in 2016 when Hillary Clinton was defeated by President Donald Trump. The Clinton Foundation reported $30.7 million in revenues in its recently-released 2018 Form 990 tax return, the … Clinton Foundation Continues To Hemorrhage Money Following Hillary’s Loss is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Wednesday, November 20, 2019 By R. Mitchell – President Donald Trump will travel to Austin, Texas, to visit the Flextronics International plant that makes some Apple devices. Keep up with Trump on Our President’s Schedule Page. President Trump’s Itinerary for 11/20/19 – note: this  page will be updated during the day if events warrant All Times EST 10:45 … President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Wednesday, November 20, 2019 is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » REPORT: Google Asked Texas AG For Docs Revealing Info About The Tech Giant’s Chief Critics By Chris White – Google wants Texas’s attorney general to provide information that the company’s fiercest critics gave regulators as the state’s top law officer investigates the tech giant, CNN reported Tuesday. The company asked Texas AG Ken Paxton for all records related to the anti-trust investigation levelled against Google, according to the report, … REPORT: Google Asked Texas AG For Docs Revealing Info About The Tech Giant’s Chief Critics is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Outlets Retract Stories After Realizing The Report Actually Cites The Number Of Children The Obama Administration Detained By Shelby Talcott – Multiple outlets deleted entire stories Tuesday after falsely reporting the number of children currently in migrated-related U.S. custody. Outlets including Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), NPR and Aljazeera jumped on a report from the United Nations, writing Monday that the country has the world’s highest rates of detained children. The outlets … Outlets Retract Stories After Realizing The Report Actually Cites The Number Of Children The Obama Administration Detained is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Criminal alien, wanted for killing motorist, flees after local law enforcement ignores immigration detainer By R. Mitchell – PORTLAND, Ore. – On July 12, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies announced they had responded to a crash involving Alejandro Maldonado-Hernandez, as well as Patrick Ator and his wife, Janace Ator, who were traveling in another vehicle. Maldonado-Hernandez, who was in the United States illegally and allegedly responsible for the … Criminal alien, wanted for killing motorist, flees after local law enforcement ignores immigration detainer is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » An Inside Look At What Happened The Night Trump Became President By Shelby Talcott – Historian Doug Wead’s upcoming book details an inside look at the Trump presidency through exclusive interviews with the president, his family and senior staffers. Excerpts obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation describe the tumultuous Nov. 8 election night when Trump first thought he would lose the presidency to Democratic … An Inside Look At What Happened The Night Trump Became President is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Smuggler Uses Remote-Controlled Car to Transport Meth By R. Mitchell – SAN DIEGO—U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a 16-year-old boy on Sunday who was using a remote-controlled car to transport methamphetamine across the border.    On Nov. 17, at about 12:30 a.m., Border Patrol agents observed a person with two duffel bags walking along the secondary border wall ducking in-and-out of … Smuggler Uses Remote-Controlled Car to Transport Meth is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Braveheart – A.F. Branco Cartoon By A.F. Branco – Ambassador Yovanovitch knows nothing of any impeachable offenses but Trump did hurt her feelings. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2019. See more Branco toons HERE Braveheart – A.F. Branco Cartoon is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » REPORT: DNC Officials, Media Outlets Worry Next Month’s Dem Debate Moderator Won’t Be Liberal Enough By Chris White – The Democratic National Committee and journalists at PBS worry Politico’s choice to moderate December’s Democratic debate will be too conservative for the likes of the party, NBC reported Monday. Politico publisher Robert Allbritton wants Politico Magazine political correspondent Tim Alberta as the co-host for the sixth Democratic primary debate on Dec. … REPORT: DNC Officials, Media Outlets Worry Next Month’s Dem Debate Moderator Won’t Be Liberal Enough is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » US Universities In The ‘Crosshairs’ Of A Chinese-Backed Recruitment Operation, Bipartisan Senate Report Finds By Luke Rosiak – A Chinese strategy called the “Thousand Talents Plan” (TPP) has recruited 7,000 researchers, including Nobel laureates, a bipartisan Senate report found. “Thousand Talents Plan” (TPP) has recruited thousands of academics to bring research from abroad to support its military and technology efforts. Some of the TPP contacts required the participants … US Universities In The ‘Crosshairs’ Of A Chinese-Backed Recruitment Operation, Bipartisan Senate Report Finds is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Inside The Media Conspiracy To Hype Greta Thunberg And The UN Climate Conference By Chris White – More than 200 media outlets and journalists partnered together with activists to coordinate and hype climate change news before the 2019 U.N. climate summit. Two of the largest media outlets — BuzzFeed News and HuffPo — did not disclose their role in the project to their readers, a Daily Caller … Inside The Media Conspiracy To Hype Greta Thunberg And The UN Climate Conference is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Michelle Malkin’s fighting for our nation’s sovereignty but she can’t do it alone By Amalia White – It is a sad reality that the concept of standing up for your country’s sovereignty has now become a controversial viewpoint within the conservative movement. No one knows this better than perhaps Michelle Malkin. Malkin has been a sovereignty fighter for America and her adopted home state of Colorado for … Michelle Malkin’s fighting for our nation’s sovereignty but she can’t do it alone is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Hillary Says She’d Be A Better President Than Trump!!!(Really Hillary??) By Jim Clayton – Hillary Clinton on a book tour with her daughter Chelsea thinks she could be a better president than Trump. Ohh really  Hillary? “I think about the kind of president I would have been all the time,” the twice-failed presidential candidate told the BBC. “I think about what I would have … Hillary Says She’d Be A Better President Than Trump!!!(Really Hillary??) is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Senate Sets Date For FISA Abuse Hearing By Chuck Ross – The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on Dec. 11 to examine the findings from a Justice Department inspector general’s investigation into the FBI’s alleged abuse of the foreign intelligence surveillance court during the Trump investigation, the committee said on Monday. The report of the investigation is expected to … Senate Sets Date For FISA Abuse Hearing is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » More Than 200 Illegal Aliens Surrender Near Sasabe, AZ By R. Mitchell – TUCSON, Ariz. – Five separate groups of mostly family units surrendered to U.S. Border Patrol near Sasabe, Arizona, over a five hour period Saturday night. The groups, the largest totaling 129 illegal aliens, were comprised of nationals from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua and ranged in age from … More Than 200 Illegal Aliens Surrender Near Sasabe, AZ is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on »       See all breaking news, conservative commentary, political cartoons and more posted to CDN at our Home Page.       Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Add on Google Plus Copyright © 2019 Conservative Daily News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

DESERET NEWS

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

View this email in your browser Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019 God, guns and Mayor Pete Rep. Chris Stewart calls Army officer’s testimony ‘nonsense’ Guest opinion: As a feminist scholar, I have serious questions about the ERA 5 ways children benefit from playing outside (Sponsored) BYU basketball has its own version of a ‘Swiss Army knife’ — Connor Harding Utah’s oil and gas division has ‘alarming’ lack of oversight, audit shows MORE NEWS 2019 Utah elections are official: Here are the final results for several tight races Utah law banning toplessness for women is unconstitutional, attorneys say When will ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’ premiere? The show’s history gives us a clue Copyright © 2019 Deseret News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

THE BLAZE

View this email in your browser   November 20, 2019 Trending now     AFP reports astounding number of child migrant detentions under Trump. Then discovers it was from 2015 under Obama.     New poll shows a crucial voting demographic is unimpressed with the impeachment hearings     How to detox your bowels in 1 day Sponsored More from TheBlaze     Democrats quietly delete tweets blaming Trump for Obama-era child detention rates     Suspect shot and killed with his own gun after trying to rob a Houston homeowner at his garage     Arizona man pleads guilty to selling ammo to Las Vegas mass murderer     ‘Christmas ornaments, drywall, and Jeffrey Epstein…three things that don’t hang themselves’: Sen. John Kennedy demands answers Listen live to Blaze Radio Tune in to the next generation of talk radio, featuring original content from hosts like Glenn Beck, Pat Gray, Stu Burguiere, Steve Deace and more! Start listening One last thing … Obama staffers left behind hateful notes to Trump aides, White House press secretary claims White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham revealed this week that when President Donald Trump took office, his aides found hateful notes left behind by President Barack Obama’s staffers. What are the details? Speaking to WHKT-AM at the White House on Tuesday, Grisham — whose first role in the Trump administration was press … Read more You might like … Got friends? Forward this email     © 2019 Blaze Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive emails from Blaze Media. Privacy Policy | Manage your preferences | Unsubscribe 8275 S. Eastern Ave, Ste 200-245 Las Vegas, Nevada, 89123, USA

THE HILL

© Getty Images     Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It’s a busy Wednesday across the political scene! 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!   House investigators kicked off the second week of public hearings in the ongoing impeachment inquiry on Tuesday, headlined by testimony from Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who has become a key witness regarding President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.    Vindman, who serves as the director for European Affairs for the National Security Council (NSC), and Jennifer Williams, a top aide to Vice President Pence, became the first White House officials to testify publicly. During their testimony, the pair of officials criticized the president for his request that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky open investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.    Unlike the three officials who testified last week, both Vindman and Williams had first-hand accounts of the July 25 call, which Trump has repeatedly said was “perfect” since releasing the transcript. Vindman said it is “improper” for the president to call on a foreign government to investigate a political opponent, and Williams labeled the phone call “unusual” (The Hill).   Throughout the hearing, Republicans on the panel and Trump allies tried to call into question Vindman’s character and allegiance to the United States. At one point, GOP counsel Steve Castor asked Vindman about suggestions that he could serve as Ukraine’s defense minister, which a top Ukrainian official jokingly floated. Vindman retorted that he “immediately dismissed those offers,” adding that he is an American.   Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) also noted that Vindman was in uniform for the hearing — which Trump commented on during the hearing — before asking moments later if he always insists on “civilians calling you by your rank.” The question was referring to Vindman asking Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the panel’s ranking member, to refer to him by his official title rather than “Mr. Vindman.”   Niall Stanage: GOP plays risky game with attacks on Vindman.   The Hill: Vindman calls it “preposterous” that he would leak information.   The Hill: Five things to know about Tuesday’s impeachment hearings.   The Washington Post: 7 takeaways from Tuesday’s impeachment hearings.   In the afternoon portion, Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, made headlines when he admitted he has “learned many things” from other witnesses who talked to investigators behind closed doors throughout the impeachment process. Since becoming the first to testify to lawmakers in private as part of the inquiry, Volker has seen witness after witness add details. He initially told lawmakers he saw no indication that Trump had set up an arrangement to withhold military aid for Ukraine in exchange for investigations into his political rivals (Politico).    “I have learned many things that I did not know at the time of the events in question,” Volker said, adding that his initial testimony was not untruthful, even if revised.    Volker, one of the witnesses requested by GOP members of the House Intelligence Committee, also said that he “should have seen” a connection between Ukraine investigating energy company Burisma and talk of investigating the Bidens.    “Had I done so, I would have raised my own objections,” said Volker, who was testifying alongside Tim Morrison, an outgoing member of the NSC.    The Hill: Volker says he was never involved in “bribery” or “extortion.”   Jonathan Allen: Witnesses take a toll on Trump’s impeachment defenses.   The Atlantic: The GOP’s witnesses aren’t helping Trump.   Looking ahead to today, the Intelligence Committee will hear from Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who is likely to be the star witness of the week. The hearing will come a week after the biggest revelation of the public hearings thus far: that an official overheard a call between Sondland and Trump in which the president asked about “investigations.” Instead, Sondland told David Holmes, an official who worked for William Taylor, the top diplomat in Ukraine, that Trump cared more about investigating the Bidens than about Ukraine.    “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Holmes told House investigators in closed-door testimony last week.   Sondland’s testimony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. In the afternoon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale will appear before the panel.   The Associated Press: Unpredictable Sondland faces questions about Trump, Ukraine.   The Associated Press: How Sondland’s account differs from other impeachment witnesses.   The Washington Post: A federal judge says she will rule by Monday on whether former White House counsel Don McGahn must testify under subpoena to Congress.   © Getty Images     LEADING THE DAY POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: *** Joe Biden celebrates his 77th birthday today! ***   While impeachment takes center stage during the day, eyeballs will shift at night as the 2020 Democratic field takes to the debate stage in Atlanta and focus continues to center on the top four candidates, along with those who have either just jumped into the race or are looking to do so in the near future.   As Max Greenwood writes in his debate preview, much of the attention will be on Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has seen her support levels plateau in recent weeks amid criticism of her “Medicare for All” proposal and backlash from the centrist wing of the party. Whether Warren can parry attacks and effectively ease concerns about her candidacy and viability in a general election setting remain key questions she’ll likely try to answer tonight.   With Warren slipping, the centrists in the field are sensing opportunity, regardless of whether they’ll be on the debate stage tonight. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s recent (and late) entrance in the race is a prime example, with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg potentially waiting in the wings as well.    Finally, it also remains to be seen what treatment South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg receives tonight as he continues to rise in early voting states, including New Hampshire, according to a new poll released today.   As Amie Parnes writes, Buttigieg is in a position to surpass Biden if his momentum holds, Democratic observers say. The polling surge, especially in Iowa, has created a new round of buzz around his candidacy, and while he’s still struggling to build a coalition and draw support from black and Hispanic voters, Democrats say he could lure not only would-be Biden supporters but also undecided voters.    “It’s true that right now Buttigieg has a lot of work to do to gain non white support but you don’t need much of a rainbow coalition to win Iowa and New Hampshire, and the momentum he’ll gain from that one-two punch, if he does win both, is substantial and maybe insurmountable,” said Democratic strategist Christy Setzer.   The Hill: 2020 primary debate guide: Everything you need to know ahead of the November forum.   The Associated Press: 7 key questions heading into the debate.   John F. Harris: The question for Democrats: Why do you suck?   Reuters: Warren on defense? What to watch for in the Atlanta Democratic debate.   The Washington Post: Biden plans Iowa push after concerns grow about his weakness in the first voting state.   The Wall Street Journal: Ahead of Democratic debate No. 5, some voters have seen enough.   © Getty Images     IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES MORE CONGRESS: The Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday aimed at supporting protesters in Hong Kong and warning China against a violent suppression of the demonstrations, in contrast with Trump’s near-silence about the clashes. The vote marks a challenge to China and would require annual reviews of Hong Kong’s special status under U.S. law to assess the extent to which China has chipped away at the city’s autonomy (Bloomberg News).   Averting a shutdown: The House passed a month long continuing resolution on Tuesday, postponing another shutdown showdown until Dec. 20, even as progress over spending negotiations has stalled. The news ensures that lawmakers will be working toward a resolution before the expected Christmas break (The Hill).   Slow motion: Senators are fuming as major legislation has ground to a halt, fueling complaints by lawmakers about who is to blame. Republicans argue Democrats are too focused on impeachment and have coined a term, “Schumer’s graveyard,” pointing the finger at Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). However, 70 of the 100 most recent votes in the Senate were tied to nominations, a stated priority of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) (The Hill).    Vaping legislation is a new priority for some House Democrats who want to ban flavored e-cigarette products that appeal to young people. Lawmakers are responding to news reports this week that Trump, pressured by the vaping industry and worried about conservative opposition to tougher regulation, backed off a Food and Drug Administration proposed ban on flavored vaping products. Anti-vaping advocates are turning to Congress to act this year, responding to rising statistics about lung illnesses and deaths tied to e-cigarettes. As a legislative fallback, they point to a measure sponsored by McConnell in the Senate that would raise the tobacco purchasing age to 21 (The Hill).   Opportunity zones for distressed communities, a provision included in the GOP tax law enacted in 2017, are undergoing new scrutiny among some lawmakers (The Hill). … The HUBZone federal program funneled millions of dollars into Washington, D.C.’s richest rather than poorest areas because the Small Business Administration program relied on 1999 data that is now inaccurate, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.    On track for chairwoman: Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday won the support of colleagues on the House Steering Committee to become the first woman to chair the House Oversight and Reform Committee following the death of former Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Oct. 17. The House Democratic Caucus could make Maloney’s role official with a vote today (The Hill).   ***   WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: U.S.-China trade: Trump on Tuesday threatened to again raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports if negotiators are unable to come to an agreement on a trade deal.    “I have a good relationship with China,” the president said during a Cabinet meeting. “If we don’t make a deal with China, I’ll just raise the tariffs even higher. …China’s going to have to make a deal that I like. If they don’t, that’s it. OK?”    The president last month announced a “phase one” preliminary agreement in concept with China, but an accord remains up in the air (The Hill).   According to Reuters, two people briefed on the talks said Trump has decided that rolling back existing tariffs, in addition to canceling a scheduled Dec. 15 imposition of tariffs on some $156 billion in Chinese consumer goods, requires deeper concessions from China.   > U.S. and Iran: The Pentagon predicts that Iran will seek to purchase new fighter jets and tanks from Russia and China when an international arms embargo expires in October 2020. Tehran is expected to “go after fighters” because its “current air force is dated,” a senior defense official said on Tuesday. Tehran will also seek to buy battle tanks, officials added (The Hill).   > Fitness and health: Trump, without prompting from reporters on Tuesday, brought up the subject of his health after he made an unscheduled visit on Saturday afternoon to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to undergo unspecified medical tests and lab work. The president assailed the news media for its attention to the matter. A statement released on Monday by a White House physician described tests the president did not undergo (no “specialized cardiac or neurologic evaluations”) rather than account for “routine” examinations Trump received (The Hill).     © Getty Images     OPINION `Old World’ demons are stirring again, by Will Marshall, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2CZXXWM   Trump’s trade war is unwinnable because he’s no longer in charge, by Neil Baron, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/35gBSPz   WHERE AND WHEN 📺 Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features Glenn Greenwald, co-founding editor for The Intercept, to react to the impeachment hearings; Cenk Uygur, host and founder of The Young Turks, and Julia Manchester, political reporter for The Hill — both of whom are live from Atlanta to preview tonight’s Democratic presidential debate. Coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. at Rising on YouTube. Additionally, Hill.TV will be hosting special debate pre and post-shows live on YouTube and Facebook tonight. The pre-debate show will run from 8:30 p.m. until 9 p.m., and the post-debate show runs from 11 p.m. until midnight.   The House meets at 10 a.m.   The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. and resumes consideration of the nomination of Barbara Lagoa to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.   The president flies today to Austin to visit an Apple manufacturing plant in Texas at 2 p.m., and returns to the White House.   Pence will travel to Green Bay, Wis., to speak to employees at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, a shipbuilder. He will tour the USS Cooperstown at 11:30 a.m. From Wisconsin, the vice president heads to his home turf in Indianapolis to speak at a reception as part of the nonprofit Strada Education Network’s national symposium (Indianapolis Star). Pence will return to Washington this evening.   Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Brussels to attend a NATO ministerial event and meet with representatives of NATO countries ahead of the NATO leaders’ meeting in London next month. He participates in a press conference before a working dinner.   Second lady Karen Pence speaks to business leaders at 11 a.m. in the White House Eisenhower Executive Office Building about military spouse employment during an event in partnership with American Corporate Partners.   The Federal Reserve at 2 p.m. will release minutes from its Oct. 29-30 meeting.   ELSEWHERE ➔ State Watch: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Tuesday cracked down on oil producers, halting approval of hundreds of fracking permits subject to independent scientific review while also temporarily banning another drilling method that regulators believe is linked to one of the largest petroleum spills in state history (The Associated Press). … The statehouse in Indiana was surrounded on Tuesday by several thousand teachers dressed in red to demonstrate for better pay and more support from the GOP-dominated state government in a protest that closed more than half of the state’s school districts for the day. The union-organized rally represented Indiana’s biggest such teacher protest amid a wave of educator activism across the country over the past two years (The Associated Press).    ➔ Back seat, buckle up: More than 800 rear-seat passengers who weren’t wearing seat belts were killed last year in U.S. traffic crashes, and a highway safety group says states aren’t making enough progress in getting people to buckle up (The Associated Press).    ➔  In The Know: First lady Melania Trump met on Monday with country star Billy Ray Cyrus in the Red Room at the White House to talk about cyber bullying. The Hill’s Judy Kurtz reports that Cyrus turned to Twitter on Tuesday to thank the first lady for meeting with him and the family of Tennessee teenager Channing Smith, who killed himself in September reportedly after finding out that sexually explicit messages he had exchanged with another boy had been posted on social media, allegedly by classmates. Cyrus, 58, performed at a Sept. 29 memorial event for the 16-year-old (The Nashville Tennessean). The first lady used her own Twitter megaphone to call attention to the meeting with the Smith family. “Teaching positive online behaviors can ensure a safer future for our children,” she wrote (The Hill).    THE CLOSER And finally … Crossing the aisle to write and pass bipartisan legislation that becomes law is rare enough these days that in Washington, lawmakers receive awards for it.    This morning at an event on Capitol Hill, Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Doug Collins (R-Ga.) will accept the 2019 Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership for their work on the First Step Act, hailed by Trump as a bipartisan criminal justice reform milestone he signed last year.    The late Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), who died in April, will also be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award today, to be accepted by his son John Lugar, the executive director of the nonprofit Lugar Center in Washington. Indiana Sen. Todd Young (R) will help celebrate the senator’s accomplishments, including 36 years of public service in the upper chamber.   © Getty Images     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!   To view past editions of The Hill’s Morning Report CLICK HERE To receive The Hill’s Morning Report in your inbox SIGN UP HERE Morning Report Sign Up FORWARD Morning Report Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc.

View in your browser

ROLL CALL

Morning Headlines

Republicans abandon tradition of whistleblower protection at impeachment hearing

If protections for anonymous whistleblowers are lost, it could have grave repercussions for the personal safety of witnesses and for the effective and ethical functioning of the U.S. government and the private sector, experts say. Read More…

Democrats prepare to duel McConnell over year-end wish list

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing several initiatives to benefit his constituents as he heads into a potentially difficult reelection campaign in 2020. Democrats, meanwhile, are well-aware of McConnell’s legislative priorities and are busy trying to extract their own concessions in return. Read More…

Sondland testimony cliffhanger: Will he vindicate or implicate Trump?

As the House impeachment inquiry has moved from closed depositions to open hearings, lawmakers largely knew what witnesses would say. But Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union who will testify Wednesday, is a cliffhanger. Read More…Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developments in finance and financial technology.  

The Democratic field: middle-class heroes or millionaire hypocrites?

OPINION — If the Democrats running for president spend the next year talking about all the evils foisted on the American people by the wealthy, most of them would be talking, in effect, about themselves. It won’t take long for middle-class voters to figure this out. Read More…

Women’s health political fights heat up in battleground states

Fights over abortion and birth control in all three branches of government are fueling record-setting advocacy campaigns by liberal and conservative groups ahead of the 2020 elections. Read More…

‘I don’t know any of these people’: 3 takeaways as Trump watches impeachment saga

The third day of public impeachment hearings temporarily transformed President Donald Trump into a history professor as he and his surrogates tried to discredit government witnesses and panned House Democrats. Read More…

Weepy-eyed Boehner roasted at portrait unveiling

Former Speaker John A. Boehner’s official portrait was unveiled at the Capitol on Tuesday. Unsurprisingly, there were tears. Watch the video here…

Blame game in standoff over Violence Against Women Act

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said Tuesday that Democrats trying to undermine her 2020 reelection contributed to stalled talks to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Ernst had been working with Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein for months on a bipartisan reauthorization bill before both sides said the negotiations fell apart earlier this month. Read More…

Mark Ruffalo: Dangerous chemical found in water and ‘every one of you’

Actor Mark Ruffalo testified before a House Oversight subcommittee on Tuesday about man-made chemicals known as PFAS, which the EPA says can cause adverse health effects in humans. Watch the video here…

Capitol Ink | Center stage

Read More…

Advertise with Us

CQ Roll Call is a part of FiscalNote, the leading technology innovator at the intersection of global business and government. Copyright 2019 CQ Roll Call. All rights reserved Privacy | Safely unsubscribe now.

1201 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Suite 600
Washington, DC 20004

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

MORNING EDITION

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

White House sees impeachment ‘pipe dream’ losing steam The White House increasingly is viewing impeachment, considered by many administration officials just weeks ago as an unfair partisan slam … more

Top News  Read More >

Democrats’ star witness shoots down ‘bribery,’ cover-up claims         ‘Electability problem’: Warren sputters, Buttigieg surges into debate clash         House passes stopgap spending plan to keep government open         DOJ watchdog finds ‘significant weaknesses’ in FBI confidential source program         Trump’s plan to pull out of Open Skies Treaty spurs partisan battle         Republicans rough up Incredible Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo at House hearing touting anti-industry movie

Opinion  Read More >

Chick-fil-A ends support to Salvation Army after bullying by left 56 minutes ago         Mr. Vindman, lose the uniform         Impeachment inquiry changes zero minds as Americans hear what they want to hear

Politics  Read More >

Pennsylvania Democrat switches to independent, will caucus with Republicans         Pelosi: House can act on USMCA when it’s ‘enforceable’         Former NSC official Tim Morrison said fears of leaked phone call now realized

Special Reports for Times Readers   Special Report – Infrastructure 2019 Special Report – Energy 2019 Special Report – Free Iran Rally 2019

Security  Read More >

U.S. walks out of defense spending talks with South Korea         Paul Whelan case: Moscow court rejects appeal seeking release of jailed former U.S. Marine         Navy SEALs reportedly to expel Edward Gallagher despite Trump pardon

Sports  Read More >

The Capitals have been living on the edge. How long can they sustain it?         LOVERRO: Skate, score, hit or spit, these Capitals do whatever it takes         ‘It’s crazy, right?’: Wizards rank among league’s best offensive teams

© The Washington Times, 3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002

If you don’t want to receive these emails unsubscribe 3600 New York Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002

LIBERTY NATION

Daily Briefing Conservative News | Libertarian News | Commentary VISIT LibertyNation.com     FROM OUR NEWSROOM More Dems Enter the Turtle Race to a Mediocre Prez Bid By Joe Schaeffer Middling candidates have their moments, then fade back into the lukewarm pack. Click Here   What America’s Thinking 46% of voters think the House hearing should be expanded to look at the involvement of Biden and his son Hunter in Ukrainian political affairs. An online survey of American adults finds that 84% are proud to be an American. Just 9% are not. 70% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the United States is the best nation in the world. Joe Biden still has the support of 35% of Likely Democratic Voters.   Sparking a Minority Renaissance in the GOP By Jeff Charles GOPer Will Hurd launches efforts to radically transform Republican Party. Click Here   Washington Whispers Coming down the pipeline: House Democrats have slipped an unqualified renewal of the PATRIOT Act into an emergency funding bill – voting near-unanimously for sweeping surveillance. Sen. Bernie Sanders has doubled down this week on calling the recent ouster of Bolivia’s now-former President Evo Morales a “coup.” President Trump called the third day of public impeachment proceedings a “great day for Republicans.” Several Democrats running for president in 2020 slammed Trump’s administration for saying it will no longer consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal.   Read Our Latest Book By Liberty Nation Staff The Second American Revolution: Tech Tyranny and Digital Despots Click Here   Your Daily Political Devotional A Glimpse at What’s Hot in the PolitisphereIn a vote strictly along party lines, House Democrats chose to renew the PATRIOT Act through an emergency funding bill. Not a single Republican voted for this, and only two Democrats were brave enough to opt not to vote. The powers granted under this Act are sweeping and powerful; politicians who speak of freedoms one day and then vote for more surveillance of innocent American citizens the next deserve the full scrutiny of the electorate. One question still remains: Why are Republicans not capitalizing on this apparent sell-out of American liberty?   Immigration Roundup: The Truth About DACA Crime Rates By Kelli Ballard Are the DREAMERS caught in a nightmare? Click Here   News Roundup We’ve Surfed The Web for You The Impeachment ‘Partial Transcript’ Lie Just Got Blown Out Of The Water Total Schiff Show As Dems Pretend Not To Know Who ‘Whistleblower’ Is Illegal Alien MS-13 Gang Member Gets 20 Years for Deadly Machete Attack ‘The Gordon Problem’ set to testify in impeachment inquiry’s main event Former NSC official Timothy Morrison: Impeachment distracts from important Ukraine issues   Liberty Nation On The Go: Listen to Today’s Top News 11.20.19 By Liberty Nation Staff Conservative News – Hot Off The Press – Audio Playlist. Click Here     WATCH NOW FEATURED LNTV LNTV: Are Your Savings Safe? – WATCH NOW! LNTV – Impeachment Facts- WATCH NOW! LNTV: Did Bloomberg Blow Betting Odds? – WATCH NOW   The Rabbit Hole: From Socrates to Stone – a Defense Check out one of our podcasts! Subscribe and get notified of new arrivals. SUBSCRIBE LNTV: New Car Stop Rules for Police? Supreme Court Challenge – WATCH NOW! Check out one of our videos! View the latest Liberty Nation videos on YouTube. WATCH NOW

© 2019 Liberty Nation. All Rights Reserved.

This email was sent to rickbulow1974@gmail.com Why did I get this?    Unsubscribe from this list.    Update subscription preferences. LibertyNation.com is a project of One Generation Away · 1629 K Street NW · Washington, DC 20006 · USA

THE DISPATCH

The Morning Dispatch: All Eyes on SondlandPlus: Mayor Pete’s moment, alliances in Korea, and the White House that cried wolf.Nov 20Public postHappy Wednesday! Welcome to the first Morning Dispatch crafted (at least partially) in our new office space! The exposure to other human beings (and sunlight) has been fantastic, but we hope the newsletter retains the same “they probably wrote this in their pajamas” vibe we’ve worked so hard to cultivate. Quick Hits: What You Need to KnowIn a show of solidarity with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, the Senate on Wednesday authorized the White House to sanction Hong Kong or Chinese officials who perpetrate human rights abuses. With another government shutdown just days away, the House passed a one-month stopgap spending bill Tuesday. The Senate is expected to pass the measure, and President Trump is expected to sign it. Amnesty International claims more than 100 anti-regime demonstrators have been killed in Iran since protests over gas hikes began last weekend. Chick-fil-A, a culture war flashpoint for the past half decade, announced it would stop donations to organizations like the Salvation Army that have drawn the ire of LGBT activists. Two guards who were on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died have been arrested for allegedly falsifying records to hide their own negligence.Impeachment CornerTuesday’s impeachment proceedings were the most punishing yet—two hearings, four witnesses, a grueling nine hours. In the morning, investigators heard from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council’s top Ukraine expert, and Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Pence—both of whom listened in on Trump’s July 25 call with the Ukrainian president. In the afternoon, ex-NSC Russia adviser Tim Morrison and ex-special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker appeared.Vindman and Williams testified that they considered Trump’s request for Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden inappropriate—undercutting GOP arguments that those accusations were mere “hearsay” from people who had only heard about the call secondhand. In response, many Trump defenders went after Vindman himself, questioning the loyalty of the decorated combat veteran who had immigrated to the U.S from Ukraine as a young child. That narrative had previously stayed on the cable-news fringe; GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney denounced it as a shameful smear. On Tuesday, however, both House Republicans and the White House repeated the claim. GOP counsel Stephen Castor pressed Vindman multiple times about a Ukrainian official offering him the job of minister of defense; the White House’s director of social media, Dan Scavino, later tweeted out the exchange as evidence of an “impeachment sham.” (The Ukrainian official in question, for what it’s worth, later told The Daily Beast the offer had just been jokey banter.)Next up: Gordon Sondland“What did Ambassador Sondland tell you that he told Mr. Yermak?”That question Tuesday to Tim Morrison from Democratic counsel Daniel Goldman —about a conversation between Gordon Sondland, U.S. ambassador to the European Union, and Andrey Yermak, a top aide to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelensky—elicited one of the clearest confirmations yet of the investigations-for-aid quid pro quo long denied by the White House.Morrison testified that Sondland told him that he’d told Yermak, “that the Ukrainians would have to have the prosecutor general make a statement with respect to the investigations as a condition with respect to having the aid lifted.”The exchange was one of several Tuesday that placed Sondland at the heart of the events central to the impeachment inquiry. In short order, Sondland has gone from being the official who insisted (after a phone call he had with Trump) that there was “no quid pro quo” to being the person who communicated the quid pro quo to the Ukrainians.Sondland had to revise and update his testimony from his closed-door deposition to include this fact. His explanation: Hearing the recollections of others about his role reminded him of what he’d said. In his supplemental testimony, Sondland said he told Yermak “the resumption of U.S. aid would likely not occur until Ukraine provided the public anti-corruption statement that we had been discussing for many weeks.” Sondland will be asked about these issues and many others when he testifies before the House intelligence committee on Wednesday.The Man in the Middle Gordon Sondland, a hotelier and businessman from the Pacific Northwest, was nominated to be Trump’s ambassador to the European Union in March 2018. He was passed over for more coveted and prestigious ambassadorships in the early days of the administration, according to sources familiar with the process, in part because he had withdrawn as a host of a Trump campaign fundraiser after Trump attacked the family of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, killed in Iraq. Once he got the job, Sondland was eager to please the president and to prove that he would be a faithful advocate of the president’s policies.Sondland’s deposition has garnered lots of media attention because the story he tells is, at times, in tension with the narrative we’ve heard from other witnesses. And, at other times, it’s in tension with itself. Although Sondland’s deposition transcript reads like it comes from someone trying to protect the president, he nonetheless offers a number of details that undercut the White House narrative in important respects. Sondland, in his own words:P. 71: Sondland says he can’t say for certain when he “finally said, Oh, Burisma equals Biden. I have no idea when that was.” He may not know when he had that epiphany but Sondland leaves little doubt that he did have such a realization.P. 73: Sondland, asked whether he came to know that “the president’s interest and Giuliani’s interest in the Bidens,” was driving their advocacy, says, “Yeah, I do.”P. 80: “It started with corruption. Then it was Burisma and the 2016 election. And then at some point in the continuum, late in the game, I connected Burisma with Biden.”P. 83: “I think the only discussion that I had in negotiating a public statement was to get a Burisma, 2016—this was the language that was being proposed by Giuliani.”P. 84: Q: And what did Mr. Giuliani add that the president wanted?” Sondland: “He wanted Burisma and 2016 election mentioned in the statement. And I don’t believe the Ukrainians were prepared to do that.”P. 92: Sondland on the continuum of Ukraine/corruption/investigations talk: “As time went on—and, again, I can’t nail down the dates—then ‘let’s get the Ukrainians to give a statement about corruption.’ And then, no, ‘corruption isn’t enough, we need to talk about the 2016 election and the Burisma investigations.’’P. 96: Sondland testifies that obtaining the statement from Zelensky was necessary for the bilateral meeting: “We just wanted a statement to get the [Trump-Zelensky] meeting.”P. 143: Q: “There was an evolution from generic interest in fighting corruption to an interest in Burisma, to finally the realization that what they were interested in was an investigation of the Bidens. Is that a fair summary?” Sondland: “Yes.”P. 162: Sondland, on a statement about Burisma and 2016 investigations: “At some point this press statement was a condition of the White House meeting.” More: “The press statement was linked to the White House meeting. And the press statement included—the most laden press statement was the one that mentioned the 2016 and the Burisma investigations continuum.”P. 170: Sondland: “The White House visit was conditioned on the press statement involving the 2016 and Burisma. That was the only condition.”A Buttigieg Bubble?The fifth Democratic debate takes place tonight. It’s anybody’s guess as to whether the two-hour affair will reveal anything new about the 10 qualified candidates’ policy agendas, which have been pretty well-covered in the previous 14 hours of 2020 debates. But tonight’s debate will be notable for one reason: It will be the first debate to put South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the hot seat. Buttigieg, who has been lurking just outside the top tier for months, has gained serious momentum recently—particularly in Iowa, where a new poll has him leading with 25 percent support. And when a candidate starts to break away, the pack tends to reach up en masse to try to drag the leader back down.Buttigieg is a gifted politician, but he has definite vulnerabilities—vulnerabilities that have so far gone largely unaddressed. The résuméOf the leading candidates (and even most in the second tier), Buttigieg has by far the least amount of governing experience. Biden, Sanders, and Warren all have decades of federal government experience under their belt; Buttigieg is the two-term mayor of the fourth-largest town in the nation’s 17th-most populous state.Other items on his résumé have been a sore spot for left-wing voters in particular—especially his work at the consulting conglomerate McKinsey & Company, which Sanders and Warren’s left-wing fans point to as proof positive that he’s more interested in working the system than breaking it up.The flip-floppingButtigieg’s journey from relative unknown to household name (in the households of politics nerds, anyway) has given him a rare opportunity to build a national brand from scratch. Early on, that meant burnishing his progressive bona-fides with speeches praising the Green New Deal and tweets endorsing Medicare for All. As the primary progressed, however, it became clear that his best opportunity was in the relatively uncrowded moderate lane. So he pivoted back, emphasizing his technocratic, solutions-oriented approach with slogans like “Medicare for All who want it.” As a political maneuver, this has clearly worked in Buttigieg’s favor. But it also leaves him vulnerable to questions of the sincerity.Minority supportThis one may be a dagger. So far, Buttigieg’s surge has been limited to fairly monochromatic states. Meanwhile, he’s barely registered among black voters—in another new poll, this one from South Carolina, he failed to break 1 percent in that cohort. According to Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist in South Carolina, there are a few reasons for this: most prominently, that Buttigieg has yet to build up a reputation for dependability among black voters enjoyed by candidates like Joe Biden (44 percent in the South Carolina poll) and Bernie Sanders (10 percent). All the Iowa and New Hampshire momentum in the world won’t get him very far if he can’t counter that. “I do not see a scenario where you can be the Democratic nominee without having strong, deep, and wide support among African American voters. I don’t care who you are,” Seawright told The Dispatch, adding that black turnout will be a crucial factor not just in the South but throughout the Rust Belt.Part of Buttigieg’s thud among black voters has been a question of emphasis: He’s flooded the zone in Iowa and New Hampshire, gambling that winning there would do more to boost his chances in later states than trying to catch Biden in South Carolina. But he’s also faced criticism over how he’s handled racial issues during his mayoral term, and he suffered another spate of bad press this week over a clumsy rollout of his racial equality plan, which trumpeted the endorsement of black leaders who hadn’t endorsed it and prominently featured a stock photo taken in Kenya. Buttigieg is sharp, quick on his feet, and a smooth talker: If he can address these criticisms in a satisfying way, it’ll go a long way toward solidifying his recent bump in support. If he stumbles, however, we may see Mayor Pete follow Elizabeth Warren as this month’s victim of a post-debate slump.A Big Week on the Korean PeninsulaWhen it comes to foreign policy, the Trump doctrine has proven to be quite erratic, as we’ve discussed at length in The Morning Dispatch. One day the president is ordering troops out of Syria in an attempt to wrap up what he deems to be “endless wars,” the next he’s sending 3,000 service members to Saudi Arabia to deter an ascendant Iran. But in some ways, Trump’s actions have remained remarkably consistent: He defers to authoritarian strongmen, and thinks the United States is paying more than its fair share. Recent moves from the administration on the Korean peninsula encapsulate both of these tendencies.Postponing joint military training exercisesDefense Secretary Mark Esper announced on Sunday, alongside his South Korean analogue Jeong Kyeong-doo, that the two countries were postponing a joint military training exercise that would have involved 60 planes and was originally scheduled to begin earlier this week. The two nations have long held such exercises to maintain military preparedness, but they tick off North Korea. Historically, we haven’t cared. Esper told reporters he viewed the delay as a “good faith effort … to enable peace” and not a “concession” to Kim Jong-un, but it’s hard to view it as anything else. The United States is trying to get Pyongyang back to the denuclearization negotiating table after talks (and beautiful letters) have fizzled; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told reporters “The reason we’re doing that is to give the North Koreans an opportunity to reconsider their recent provocations and get back to the negotiating table.” Dare we say the administration is hoping for a little … quid pro quo? (Not all foreign policy quid pro quos are corrupt! Many are made with the best of intentions!)The problem, according to Bruce Klingner, former CIA deputy division chief for Korea? We’ve been canceling or constraining military exercises since last year’s Singapore summit, and “we’ve received nothing in return.” North Korea has not stopped conducting missile tests, and it’s already rebuffed the U.S.’ most recent effort, saying “the suspension of the drill does not mean ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and is not helpful to the diplomatic efforts.”The president has been amenable to many of Kim’s demands surrounding the military exercises, even echoing some of the dictator’s language about the drills being “provocative war games.” Only time will tell if Trump is willing to capitulate further. Negotiating the next Special Measures AgreementAlso coming to a head this week were negotiations between the United States and South Korea over funding of the approximately 28,000 American troops stationed on the peninsula. The current Special Measures Agreement, or SMA, expires at the end of this year, and talks to work out a new one reportedly broke down due to President Trump’s demand South Korea more than quintuple its annual expenditures for hosting the U.S. troops from $890 million to $5 billion.“Unfortunately, the proposals that were put forward by the Korean negotiating team were not responsive to our request for fair and equitable burden sharing,” U.S. negotiator James DeHart said. Esper argued South Korea “is a wealthy country and could and should pay more.”Trump has long endeavored to extract more in defense spending from allies—whether it’s for NATO or Ukraine—he feels aren’t paying their “fair share.” But with respect to Korea, Klingner told The Dispatch this would be a “self-inflicted wound” that could risk triggering anti-American sentiment in a country that has been a staunch ally for decades. South Korea already devotes a higher percentage of its GDP to defense spending than every NATO ally, Klingner said. One of the country’s negotiators told Reuters, “It’s upsetting that the United States is employing brinkmanship in negotiations with a key ally, which shows eroding trust in the alliance built on shared values.”If such hardball tactics lead to an eventual troop drawdown in the region—either because Trump pulls troops out or South Korea decides it can’t afford all 28,000—North Korea, Russia, and China stand to gain. South Korea has already signed a defense agreement with China that some are viewing as a response to American hostility, though Klingner cautioned against making that connection.Viewing military and diplomatic support through such a transactional lens has already led to a significant decline in American leadership worldwide, and it will inevitably open up more power vacuums that our adversaries would love to occupy. According to NBC, DeHart said the SMA negotiations were on hold, “in order to give the Korean side some time to reconsider.” Perhaps the United States should reconsider, too.Press Sec Cries WolfNow, we at The Morning Dispatch don’t plan to make a habit of fact-checking everything the Trump administration says. Even if our editorial staff was triple the size it is, we wouldn’t have the bandwidth.But White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham unleashed a whopper on Tuesday so egregious we felt the need to address it. Speaking with reporters, Grisham claimed departing Obama staffers left behind notes to Trump aides saying “you will fail” and “you aren’t going to make it.” Setting aside the fact that countless of those present denied the baseless allegation (see here, here, here, here, or here), do you really think the Trump administration—notorious for its magnanimity—would wait 1,033 days to reveal the slight? Or provide a picture of them?Grisham walked back the comment in an email to Politico later in the day, saying she “certainly wasn’t implying every office had that issue.”The press secretary receives a taxpayer-funded $183,000 salary to answer to the media and convey to the American people the White House’s initiatives and policy positions. All who hold the the job spin for their bosses, and none have been entirely truthful throughout their tenure. But despite telling reporters Trump’s unannounced trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Saturday was simply to “begin portions of his routine annual physical exam,” Grisham has had to spend her week batting back speculation that the president had a heart attack. And he almost certainly didn’t! But when you lie about something as trivial as Post-It notes on desks, how can you be trusted to tell the truth about far more important issues?Pop Culture RecommendationNoah Baumbach’s new film, Marriage Story, opens with a husband (Adam Driver) and wife (Scarlett Johansson) recounting all the little things they love about one another: her openness, his passion, her bravery, his perseverance. But the movie immediately finds them in a mediator’s office as they look to navigate their separation and eventual divorce.Told with a gentleness to both protagonists rarely seen in breakup flicks, Baumbach’s story breaks viewers’ hearts taking them through Charlie and Nicole Barber’s falling out in a way that says more about love than anything else. And don’t be surprised if you get a push alert on your phone in mid-February letting you know Driver won an Oscar for his role.Toeing the Company LineWe’re incredibly excited to welcome Sarah Isgur to The Dispatch! Sarah, an alum of Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaigns and the Department of Justice under Jeff Sessions, will be joining us next month as a staff writer. Give her a follow here!The kid gloves are off. David’s going to be doubling his output here at the Dispatch, publishing four newsletters a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Yesterday’s edition dove into Elizabeth Warren’s dip in the polls, declining fertility rates across the globe, and Disney+’s The Mandalorian.Jonah had Daniel Burns from the University of Dallas on The Remnant to discuss something other than impeachment! You can listen to their conversation about post-liberalism and political theory here.Let Us KnowSpeaking of The Mandalorian, the latest episode set the internet on fire by introducing a creature that looks like Yoda’s baby cousin, thereby opening up a whole new undreamed-of universe of prepubescent alien possibilities. Who’s the next creature you hope to see get the treatment? Baby Admiral AckbarBaby SebulbaThe baby RancorBaby FettReporting by Declan Garvey, Andrew Egger, and Steve Hayes.You’re on the free list for The Dispatch. For the full experience, become a paying subscriber.Subscribe© 2019 The Dispatch Unsubscribe PO Box 720263, San Francisco, CA 94172

THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Washington Examiner’s Examiner Today Newsletter View this as website   ADVERTISEMENT HIGHLIGHTS Five things to watch at the Atlanta Democratic primary debate ‘This is a fight, it’s not a dance’: Democrats urge Klobuchar to repeat tough talk at debate ‘Go make some laws’: Swing state voters see impeachment as pointless, Trump group finds   Prince Andrew struggles to dispel allegations of sex with 17-year-old girl supplied by Epstein   The television interview was devised as an opportunity for Britain’s Prince Andrew to set the record straight on his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and end questions about whether he had slept with a 17-year-old girl.     Democrats grapple with mixed impeachment reviews   House Democrats say constituents have mixed reviews about the public impeachment proceedings that are entering a second week.     ANALYSIS: What if Trump was right about Ukraine?   One of the most important issues in President Trump’s impeachment defense is also one of the least explored: To what degree were Trump’s concerns about Ukraine valid? It’s well documented that the president fixated on Ukrainian activity in the 2016 election and on the Bidens’ actions in the Burisma matter. Democrats and many in the media dismiss his concerns as “conspiracy theories.” But to what extent were those concerns, in fact, legitimate?     Poll: Opposition to Trump impeachment jumps 10% among independents   More independents oppose the impeachment proceedings against President Trump than support them, according to a recent poll conducted after the beginning of public testimony.   ADVERTISEMENT   Tax records show the Clinton Foundation lost $16.8 million in 2018   New tax records show the Clinton Foundation accrued a near-$17 million loss in 2018, marking two years in a row that the foundation has lost money.     ‘I get upset’: GOP congressman demands Schiff explain legal authority to conceal whistleblower Rep. Mike Conaway told House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff during the public impeachment hearings that he wanted to know the legal grounds on which Schiff refused to allow the naming of the whistleblower.     Poll: Buttigieg takes 10-point lead in New Hampshire   A new poll has Pete Buttigieg opening up a 10-point lead in the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary race.     Key impeachment witness Vindman was a registered Democrat   Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council official who has testified to Congress about alleged quid pro quo between President Trump and Ukraine, was a registered Democrat for over a decade, according to public records.     ‘Potentially horrific’: Teenage girl charged with plotting to attack black church in Georgia   A white teenage girl is in custody after allegedly plotting to kill Christians at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Georgia.     ICE: Man arrested for manslaughter fled to Mexico after Portland jail did not honor hold request   A Mexican man who fled south of the United States border to avoid being tried on manslaughter charges was released by police in Portland, Oregon, despite federal immigration officers asking he be held.     ‘You will fail’: Grisham says outgoing Obama staff left ugly notes in the White House   White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham claimed the outgoing Obama staff left behind negative notes, such as “you will fail” and other discouraging sentiments.     Mother charged with murdering her quadriplegic daughter   A mother in Philadelphia was arrested and charged with murder in the 2018 death of her 32-year-old quadriplegic daughter.   THE ROUNDUP Leading Democratic proposals don’t just tax the mega-rich Is indoor farming the answer to feeding a hungry planet? ‘Everyone’s going to come for Pete’: Buttigieg faces debate spotlight ADVERTISEMENT

Copyright © 2019 MEDIADC, All rights reserved. Washington Examiner | A MediaDC Publication 1152 15th Street NW Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20005

You received this email because you are subscribed to Examiner Today from The Washington Examiner. Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive. We respect your right to privacy – View our Policy Unsubscribe

NATIONAL REVIEW

November 20 2019

VISIT NATIONALREVIEW.COM

It’s Debate Night Again. Try to Control Your Excitement. Jim Geraghty Making the click-through worthwhile: Democrats hold another debate tonight, showcasing a colossally mismanaged process that has done little to serve viewers at home, undecided primary voters, or the candidates themselves; taking bets on whether Tulsi Gabbard rips Hillary Clinton a new one this evening; why so many presidential candidates seem like hapless “nice guys” looking for a date; and why this allegedly dramatic and historical impeachment process is changing zero minds. It’s Safe to Say Some Candidates Will Drop Out Soon, but the Rest Still Have the Same Issues Brace yourselves, America: There’s another Democratic presidential debate tonight. This is the seventh night that Democratic candidates have gathered for a nationally televised debate, and that stage still has ten people running for president on it. If you’ve watched them all, you’ve watched 15 hours of arguments about whether critics of Medicare for All were too timid, which candidate was most upset about the president’s latest outrage, preplanned one-liners from Kamala Harris, and Joe Biden trying to finish a sentence with the same thought that he began with … Read More ADVERTISEMENT Top Stories The Report’s Enhanced Cynicism Techniques Armond White “Oversight” and “accountability” are mentioned throughout The Report, but they’ve been redacted from this pseudo-history. An Oversimplified, Misleading Argument about Inequality and Taxes Joshua R. Hendrickson Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman’s Triumph of Injustice: How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay sacrifices intellectual rigor to polemic zeal. Former Baltimore Mayor Charged with Fraud, Faces up to 20 Years in Prison Zachary Evans In March,Pugh faced allegations she made $500,000 from selling her book to the University of Maryland Medical System while she was serving on the board. ADVERTISEMENT Nancy Pelosi Is Already Attacking the Legitimacy of the 2020 Election David Harsanyi For the past 20 years (at least), Democrats have shown a destructive inability to accept the fact that a bunch of voters simply disagree with them. What’s Behind Buttigieg’s Iowa Surge? Jonathan S. Tobin Buttigieg’s politics are moderate only in comparison to those of genuine radicals, but his calm, cool presence is a natural contrast to the populist fire-breathing of figures such as Trump and Sanders. Why the Louisiana Election Is Not a Crushing Loss for Conservatives Jonah Goldberg Lasting victories for conservatives and progressives aren’t measured in election returns, they’re measured in what voters expect politicians in both parties will do once elected. Marco Rubio’s Unpersuasive Critics Declan Leary Laissez-faire diehards seem unconvinced by Rubio’s talk of the common good. But there is a new generation on the Right that appears more willing to listen to his concerns. Welcoming them into the fold will build a stronger coalition. FBI Admits Failures in Protecting American Research from Chinese Theft Tobias Hoonhout This comes after the Senate accused federal agencies of failing to adequately monitor the exploitation of U.S. science research by the Chinese government. ADVERTISEMENT What NR Is Reading Ghost: My Thirty Years as an FBI Undercover Agent Michael R. McGowan & Ralph Pezzullo “An excellent look into the murky world of Undercover. McGowan proves to be one of the top UCAs in the FBI. A must read.” — Joseph Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco LEARN MORE Photo Essays Top Shots Defending America ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.

ARRA NEWS

ARRA News Service (in this message: 15 new items)

---

• Trump and Black Outreach
• Day 3 Nothing To See,  A More Important Hearing, Settlements Are Not The Obstacle
• Supporting Human Rights And Democracy In Hong Kong
• Don’t Be Distracted – There Actually is REAL NEWS Today!
• The Impeachment Clock
• Trump Needs Tax Cut 2.0
• What’s Behind Our World on Fire?
• Polls
• Defense Department Fails Its Second Audit, Yet Is Making Progress
• Chick-Fil-A Announces New Giving Priorities – LGBT Activist Claim a Win
• Left’s Rhetoric in Impeachment Hearings Reveals Desperation
• Braveheart . . .
• Adam Schiff Will Cry Himself to Sleep After a Court Changed His Life Forever
• End the War on Trump, Abolish the National Security Council
• Lying to Liars

Trump and Black Outreach Posted: 19 Nov 2019 07:46 PM PST by Star Parker: President Donald Trump recently launched his black-outreach operation — called Black Voices for Trump — in Atlanta. The objective, of course, is to move more African American voters to the Republican Party. There is good reason to believe Republicans can attract more than the 8% of the black vote they got in 2016. The headline, logically, is the good economic news — a robust economy that has produced a historically low black unemployment rate. However, religion is also a subject that should get more attention from Republicans. A new survey from the Pew Research Center focusing on the role of religion in society shows an enormous disconnect between the religious attitudes and behavior of blacks and their political behavior. Looking inside the Democratic Party, 66% of white Democrats say churches and religious organizations “have too much influence in politics,” compared with only 30% of black Democrats who have this opinion. Thirty-seven percent of black Democrats say churches and religious organization “do not have enough influence in politics,” compared with 10% of white Democrats. Forty percent of black Democrats feel it is a “bad thing” that religion is “losing influence in society,” compared with 23% of white Democrats. The 37% response by blacks that churches “do not have enough influence in politics” is identical to the response of Republicans. In a Pew survey of last year, 75% of blacks, compared with 49% of whites, said religion is “very important.” Given that roughly 8 out of 10 blacks identify as Christian, according to Pew, how can we understand their disproportionate support for a Democratic Party that views the importance of religion so differently than they do? The huge migration of black voters to the Democratic Party came with the civil rights movement. In 1964, Lyndon Johnson won 94% of the black vote, compared with John Kennedy, who got 68% in 1960. Since 1964, 85 to 90% of the black vote has gone to the Democratic presidential candidate. But the country and the Democratic Party have changed dramatically since 1964. The civil rights movement was a religious, moral movement to end racial discrimination and achieve equal rights under the law. The civil rights organization that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. founded was called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. According to one historical account: “One of his (King’s) most trusted aids urged him to drop the word Christian from the new organization. It was argued that such an explicit religious reference would alienate Northern liberals, whose support would be crucial in the years ahead. King was adamant, however, and the word Christian remained.” King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech was less a political speech than a pastor’s sermon. In 1964, less than 10% of babies born were born to unwed mothers, compared with more than 40% today. Seventy-five percent of American adults over 18 were married in 1964, compared with 50% today. In 1973, the Roe v. Wade decision made legal abortion part of American cultural reality. Religion and politics parted company, with the Democratic Party leading the way to the secularization of America. The moral wasteland capturing America today disproportionately hurts poor communities, whether we are talking about what children hear in the broken public schools they are forced to attend or the impact of a prevailing culture of meaninglessness on the traditional family. The conservative majority we now have in the Supreme Court — thanks to President Trump — may well find, during this term, the Blaine Amendments in the constitutions of 37 states to be unconstitutional. This major roadblock to parents using public funds to send their children to religious school will be gone. It would be an Emancipation Proclamation in education for black children. The Democratic Party of today is no home for blacks. Republicans need to do the work to get to black voters the truth that they can find a home in the Republican Party. —————– Star Parker (@UrbanCURE)is an author at and president of CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. CURE is a non-profit think tank that addresses issues of race and poverty through principles of faith, freedom and personal responsibility. Tags: Star Parker, Center for Urban Renewal and Education, CURE, President Trump, Black Outreach To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Day 3 Nothing To See,  A More Important Hearing, Settlements Are Not The Obstacle Posted: 19 Nov 2019 07:39 PM PST Gary Bauerby Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Day 3, Nothing To See The House Intelligence Committee resumed its sham impeachment hearings today. A parade of witnesses will pass through the committee this week. I predict that just like last week, there will be nothing new to see, no major bombshells or revelations. If you’re confused by what this spectacle is all about, I recommend Rep. Devin Nunes’s strong opening statement today, which you can watch here. But right now, I want to focus on a very telling aspect of this battle. Contrast the way Rep. Elise Stefanik is being treated by the left and its media allies to the way Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was treated. Both are very accomplished women in public life. The ambassador has been in the foreign policy establishment for decades. Rep. Stefanik was elected to Congress in 2014. At the time, she was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Surely breaking that glass ceiling should count for something, right? Ambassador Yovanovitch was presented at last week’s hearing almost as a childlike victim who had been bullied by the president. We were told that she was intimidated and threatened — by a tweet. We were told that we should be shocked that the president would dare to question, much less disagree, with her foreign policy expertise. Yovanovitch was carefully presented to the American public as yet another woman hurt by this president and his thuggish administration. Rep. Stefanik, in contrast, was repeatedly interrupted by Rep. Adam Schiff. She was shouted down by the chairman, told to “suspend her remarks,” which translated means “Shut up.” The grassroots left jumped all over Rep. Stefanik too. Her Democrat opponent raised $1 million in 48 hours, more than she had raised all year long. No one on the left or in the media defended Stefanik or her right to speak. There was no praise for her courageous stand against Schiff’s abusive patriarchy. Instead, left-wing activists and Hollywood celebrities called her “trash.” Remember the Kavanaugh hearings? We were told over and over that we must believe women — except those who defended Brett Kavanaugh and Donald Trump. To the left women’s rights means only liberal women’s rights. If you’re a conservative, pro-life woman, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt or the right to be heard. You’re a closet fascist who must be silenced. The left’s blatant hypocrisy is obvious to most Americans. A recent Rasmussen poll found that 53% of voters believe reporters are biased in favor of Trump’s impeachment, while just 32% believe they are simply reporting the facts. A More Important Hearing Yesterday, Senator Lindsey Graham announced that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 11th to “deliver a detailed report of what he found” regarding the Deep State’s abuse of the FISA court and potential spying on the Trump campaign. Obviously, Sen. Graham would not make that announcement unless he knows for certain that the Horowitz report will be released before then. There are persistent reports that it could be released next week. Reacting to suggestions that the Horowitz report is 500 pages long, Rep. John Ratcliffe, a former federal prosecutor, said, “It doesn’t take an inspector general 500 pages to say that everything was done correctly and properly.” Settlements Are Not The Obstacle Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced yesterday that the United States would no longer recognize a controversial legal opinion from the Carter Administration known as the Hansell Memorandum. The memorandum suggested that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria were illegal. However, every subsequent administration, Republican and Democrat alike, refused to act on it. Until December 23, 2016. That’s when the Obama Administration, literally in its final month in office, betrayed Israel at the United Nations Security Council. Then-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power was ordered by Obama to abstain, rather than veto, a resolution that condemned Israeli settlements as a “a flagrant violation” of international law. Such resolutions had been repeatedly vetoed by the United States. But not this time. Obama wanted to stick it to Israel one more time. With Donald Trump and Mike Pence in office, the days of bashing Israel are over! There was wide praise for Pompeo’s announcement in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Today, the United States adopted an important policy that rights a historical wrong when the Trump administration clearly rejected the false claim that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria are inherently illegal under international law. “This policy reflects an historical truth – that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in Judea and Samaria. In fact, we are called Jews because we are the people of Judea. . . “Israel is deeply grateful to President Trump, Secretary Pompeo and the entire U.S. administration for their steadfast position supporting truth and justice, and calls upon all responsible countries who hope to advance peace to adopt a similar position.” Moshe Ya’alon, a former Israeli defense minister and member of the opposition Blue and White coalition, also applauded the decision. In a series of tweets, Ya’alon wrote: “I salute the United States administration’s historic stance and acknowledgment regarding the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and their consistency with international law. “It is important to set the record straight and receive an endorsement of what we have known all along. . . An aboriginal people cannot be considered an illegal settler in its ancestral homeland.” Betrayal At Yale The Wall Street Journal recently ran a disturbing column about the anti-American culture that prevails on our elite university campuses. It was written by Rob Henderson, an Air Force veteran who studied at Yale. He and many of his fellow veterans feel like “suckers” for risking their lives to defend the Constitution while privileged young adults and professors repeatedly trash the First and Second Amendments and routinely undermine the values of this country and the military. “On campus, [veterans] learn to blend in, even at the cost of feeling betrayed,” Henderson lamented. “We keep our love for America to ourselves.” How sad. Henderson added that in the military, merit is the only thing that matters — everyone in the military is “united in their purpose to defend this great country.” Yet on our college campuses today, progressives constantly use race and gender to divide us. Of course, the cultural rot on our college campuses extends well beyond Yale and the Ivy League. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recently revealed that 200 colleges and universities censor speech in various ways. She noted that the University of Michigan employs more than 75 diversity-related administrators who cost taxpayers more than $10 million per year. “They focus on every kind of diversity except a diversity of ideas,” DeVos said. I know the Trump Administration is fighting hard on many fronts. But confronting the anti-Americanism that is so prevalent among our institutions of “higher learning” must be a top priority if we are ever going to make America great again. The Buttigieg Boomlet Mayor Pete Buttigieg is enjoying his moment in the political spotlight. The latest Des Moines Register poll, the gold standard of Iowa polling, finds Buttigieg is now leading the 2020 Democrat race in the Hawkeye State. Buttigieg is at 25%, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (16%), Sen. Bernie Sanders (15%) and former Vice President Joe Biden (15%). No other candidate received double digit support. But is Mayor Pete ready for prime time? His campaign recently unveiled its “Douglass Plan” to tackle racial inequality. It’s named after famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass (who was a Republican, by the way). The Buttigieg campaign, however, is getting blasted for using a stock photo of a Kenyan woman to promote the Douglass Plan. And several black leaders in South Carolina are alleging that his campaign inappropriately used their names to imply an endorsement when they don’t support him. That’s a problem for Buttigieg because black voters dominate the South Carolina Democrat primary, and one new South Carolina poll finds Buttigieg at 0% with black voters there. ——————- Gary Bauer (@GaryLBauer)  is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Day 3 Nothing To See,  A More Important Hearing, Settlements, Not The Obstacle To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Supporting Human Rights And Democracy In Hong Kong Posted: 19 Nov 2019 07:21 PM PST As The Author Of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, Leader McConnell Supports The Citizens Of Hong Kong Protecting Their Rights And Is Working To Expedite A New Bill To Reaffirm American Support For Hong Kong’s Autonomy And Freedoms SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “In the last few days, the reports and images coming out of Hong Kong have become even more disturbing. The police crackdown on Hong Kongers who are standing up for their freedom and their region’s autonomy has intensified. University campuses now literally look like war zones, with government forces laying siege to groups of students and other protestors…. [I]f it were not already obvious, notwithstanding the double-talk and disinformation from the Communist Party, the problem in Hong Kong is not the Hong Kongers. The problem is Beijing’s efforts to erect the same kind of sinister, brutal surveillance state in Hong Kong that China is also trying to set up everywhere else. The protestors are not the problem. It is Beijing and the Hong Kong leadership who must de-escalate.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 11/18/2019) SEN. McCONNELL: “So, what can the United States do? Well, in September, I worked to add language to the State and Foreign Ops Appropriations Bill to modify the reporting requirements of the 1992 Hong Kong Policy Act. My additions would work to expose the current tools the Chinese Communist government is using to subvert the autonomy of Hong Kong and to allow the U.S. government to pay for legal support for Hong Kong democracy activists…. Last week, I had a productive meeting with the senior senator from Florida on the subject of revising and extending the Hong Kong Policy Act through new legislation. I authored that original bill back in 1992 and have been keenly interested in Hong Kong’s status for decades, so I appreciate the leadership Senator Rubio and others have shown, and hope we can find a way to move this important bill.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 11/18/2019)SEN. JIM RISCH (R-ID), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman: “The world needs to see that the United States will stand up and tell the Chinese Communist Party that what they are doing to the people of Hong Kong is wrong. After more than two decades of broken promises, it is time to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy. The U.S. stands with the people of Hong Kong …” (Sen. Rubio, Press Release, 11/14/2019) SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Member: “The world witnesses the people of Hong Kong standing up every day to defend their long-cherished freedoms against an increasingly aggressive Beijing and Hong Kong government. Their cries have been met with violence, and young Hong Kong lives have tragically been lost. Now more than ever, the United States must send a clear message to Beijing that the free world stands with Hong Kongers in their struggle.” (Sen. Rubio, Press Release, 11/14/2019) ‘After A Week Of Intensified Protests In Hong Kong,’ The Senate Is Expediting Consideration Of The Hong Kong Human Rights And Democracy Act “After a week of intensified protests in Hong Kong, the U.S. Senate has moved to expedite the passage of a bill that would open a path to sanctions against those seen to be eroding freedoms in the Chinese territory…. The bill, a version of which passed unanimously in the House, would mark the start of a dramatic shift in the relationship between the United States and Hong Kong. It mandates a yearly review of Hong Kong’s special status with the United States, which allows it to be treated differently from mainland China and underpins its position as an international business hub.” (The Washington Post, 11/16/2019) “Building on the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 authored by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), this amended bipartisan bill would require the Secretary of State to certify, no less than annually, whether Hong Kong continues to warrant special treatment under U.S. law based on the autonomy of its government decision-making related to human rights, law enforcement and extradition requests, universal suffrage, judicial independence, police and security functions, export controls, and sanctions enforcement. The legislation would also mandate the President to impose sanctions against foreign persons determined to be responsible for extrajudicial rendition, arbitrary detention, torture, or forced confession of people in Hong Kong, or other gross violations of human rights in Hong Kong.  In addition, the bill would task the Executive Branch to develop a strategy to protect American citizens and others in Hong Kong from rendition or abduction to China, and to report annually to Congress on violations of U.S. export controls laws and United Nations sanctions occurring in Hong Kong.” (Sen. Rubio, Press Release, 11/14/2019)“Many protesters have voiced support for the bill, including Joshua Wong, a leader of the 2014 Umbrella Movement, and Denise Ho, a pro-democracy activist and artist. Both met with members of Congress in September.” (Lindsay Maizland, “How Is Congress Trying to Support the Hong Kong Protesters?,” Council on Foreign Relations, 11/18/2019)) Leader McConnell Authored The United States-Hong Kong Policy Act Of 1992 And Has Kept A Keen Interest In The Status Of Hong Kong’s Autonomy And Rule Of Law SEN. McCONNELL, 1991: “I rise today to introduce the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act … Despite a sustained economic boom and emergence of democratic institutions, concern about post-1997 Chinese compliance with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, under which Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy under the principle of ‘one country, two systems,’ has caused confidence in the colony to ebb and flow…. Hong Kong will be able to exercise the full extent of autonomy promised it under the Joint Declaration only with the cooperation of the international community…. America can provide assurance and leadership by pronouncing our policy interests in Hong Kong now. We should step forward to guide the international community in support of the autonomy promised Hong Kong by clearly stating how we will deal with the territory up to and after the 1997 reversion. The bill I’m introducing today makes such a statement.” (Sen. McConnell, Congressional Record, S. 13412, 9/20/1991) UNITED STATES-HONG KONG POLICY ACT OF 1992: “Support for democratization is a fundamental principle of United States foreign policy. As such, it naturally applies to United States policy toward Hong Kong…. The human rights of the people of Hong Kong are of great importance to the United States and are directly relevant to United States interests in Hong Kong.  A fully successful transition in the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong must safeguard human rights in and of themselves.  Human rights also serve as a basis for Hong Kong’s continued economic prosperity.” (S. 1731, 102nd Congress) SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST: “Among the strengths of the 1992 act are its general acceptance and longevity, which may have played a role in convincing Beijing to maintain a hands-off approach in the years immediately after handover from Britain in 1997.” (“Will Washington Agree On New Hong Kong Human Rights And Democracy Act?,” South China Morning Post, 9/25/2019) S. RES. 105, co-sponsored by Sen. McConnell, 1997: “[T]he people of Hong Kong enjoy civil liberties and political freedoms based on the democratic rule of law and the functions of a free market … [T]he United States is committed through the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 to monitoring, advocating and reporting on the continuation of Hong Kong’s freedoms under Chinese rule … [T]he United States urges the People’s Republic of China to honor both the spirit and the letter of its commitments to accord Hong Kong substantial autonomy as a separate administrative region in a China characterized as ‘one country, two systems’ … [T]he executive branch should exercise due diligence in enforcing the terms and conditions of the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 and subsequent acts and provisions concerning the protection of civil liberties and the rule of law in Hong Kong …” (S. Res. 105, 105th Congress) The Senate passed S. Res. 105 unanimously in June 1997. (S. Res. 105, 105th Congress)Leader McConnell Has Closely Followed The Protests In Hong Kong And Warned Beijing Against Eroding ‘Hong Kong’s Special Status And Its Freedoms’ SEN. McCONNELL, June 2019: “Like many of my colleagues, I watched images from Hong Kong this weekend and could not help but be moved by the residents of that metropolis. They are mounting a bold stand to preserve Hong Kong’s autonomy from China and, by extension, defend their liberties. Over the weekend, more than a million residents — a staggering proportion of the population, about one in seven—took to the streets to protest a draft law that would allow the people of Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China. Hong Kong residents rightly view this measure as another erosion of the rule of law and tightening of Beijing’s grip on their imperiled autonomy…. The Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, which I sponsored, has for nearly three decades enshrined America’s commitment to preserving Hong Kong’s special status and its freedoms. This draft law is inconsistent with the Hong Kong Policy Act, and puts Hong Kong on the path of becoming just another Chinese city subject to Beijing’s whims.” (Sen. McConnell, Remarks, 6/11/2019) SEN. McCONNELL, August 2019: “The protestors want their liberties preserved, the territory’s autonomy respected, and justice for those the security services have detained, brutalized or murdered. Contrary to Communist propaganda, this citizens’ uprising is no foreign conspiracy…. The demonstrators are responding to its efforts to exert ever more influence and control over what is supposed to be an autonomous region…. I wrote the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, which extended special privileges to the region because of its unique status. This special access to the U.S. and other nations helped drive the investment and modernization that have enriched Hong Kong, and Beijing by extension. Beijing must know the Senate will reconsider that special relationship, among other steps, if Hong Kong’s autonomy is eroded.” (Sen. McConnell, Op-Ed, “We Stand With Hong Kong,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/20/2019) SEN. McCONNELL, September 2019: “I authored the Hong Kong Policy Act in 1992 and have stayed focused on protecting the region’s autonomy and unique liberties in the decades since. The events of recent months have shown us just how eager Beijing is to erode the freedoms that have helped Hong Kong thrive and which are the basis for our nation’s special relationship with Hong Kong. My amendment [to the State and Foreign Operations funding bill] will expand and update the reporting requirements in that 1992 law to ensure the U.S. maintains a watchful eye on the Chinese Communist Government’s aggressive encroachment on Hong Kong, its authoritarian surveillance throughout China, and its malign political influence activities abroad. And the legislation also dedicates $1.5 million in new funding specifically for democracy promotion in Hong Kong, including legal support for democracy activists.” (Sen. McConnell, Press Release, 9/26/2019) Tags: Supporting, Human Rights, Democracy, Hong Kong, Sen. McConnell To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Don’t Be Distracted – There Actually is REAL NEWS Today! Posted: 19 Nov 2019 06:27 PM PST by Tom Balek, Contributing Author: November 19, 2019. What’s the big news today? The corrupt news organizations, fed by the Democrat machine, are still gyrating their shiny object of the month, the “Impeach Trump” drama. “Look over here, you dumb hicks! Trump! Trump! Ukraine! Trump!” Completely under the radar is the REAL news. No, don’t be distracted. There is important unreported news today. Despite having a State Dept. that fights him at every turn; despite getting little if any support from top military brass; and despite having a national security apparatus that has been proven to be the source of an outright coup attempt – despite all that AND the daily pounding he takes in the press – President Trump’s outsider instincts have just about finished the corrupt regime of Iran president Hassan Rouhani and Ayatollah Khamenei. With stellar background support from wing-man Rudy Giuliani and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump’s economic sanctions and withdrawal from Obama’s loony nuclear deal have damaged Iran’s economy so drastically that citizens are taking to the streets, protesting the increase in gas prices, the crumbling Iranian currency, runaway inflation and high unemployment. The Iranian regime has already blown through the pallets of cash that Obama sent them, buying rockets and ammo for their terrorist friends and additional centrifuges to refine uranium. Trump is taking down the world’s biggest supporter of terrorism without firing a shot. Did you hear about it on CNN? Not a single word today. On MSNBC? Nothing. CBS News? Nada. Fox News? Just a very thin article buried deep in their website (at least 1 dead in riots). ABC News? A mention at the bottom of their world news web page, reporting that over 100 protesters were killed, maybe 200. We are being manipulated by the news industry and the anti-Trump forces within our government. We, the American voting public, are taken for fools, not intelligent enough to digest real news. You won’t hear anything about the Obama scandals, the Biden Ukraine debacle, the Clinton crimes (including the death of Epstein) or any other real news that might upset the elitists’ status quo. Nope, just more meaningless “shiny objects” to distract us and whip us into a tribal lather. Don’t be a fool! ————— Tom Balek is a fellow conservative activist, blogger, musician and contributes to the ARRA News Service. Tom resides in South Carolina and seeks to educate those too busy with their work and families to notice how close to the precipice our economy has come. He blogs at Rockin’ On the Right Side Tags: Tom Balek, Rockin’ On The Right Side, Don’t Be Distracted, REAL NEWS Today! To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

The Impeachment Clock Posted: 19 Nov 2019 06:13 PM PST Victor Davis Hansonby Dr. Victor Davis Hanson: Time is not on Adam Schiff’s side. Adam Schiff’s impeachment inquiry is incoherent. Given the impossibility of a senatorial conviction, the only strategy is to taint the president with the brand of impeachment and weaken him in the 2020 election. Yet Schiff seems to have no sense that the worm has already turned. Far from tormenting Trump and the Republicans by a long-drawn-out Schiff extravaganza, Trump’s supporters are beginning to feel that the longer the farce, the better the optics. Polls show that Trump is almost back to where he was in popularity when Schiff unleashed his late-September Ukrainian caper. And the point, after all, was again to drive down Trump’s popularity and render him politically inert. From the day Schiff re-emerged after his licking his wounds in hibernation, following the Mueller implosion, his efforts have insidiously gone downhill. Once Trump released the transcript of his July 25th call with Ukrainian president Zelensky, the nation learned that the Schiff’s gold-standard whistleblower was no such thing. Instead, he seems a rank partisan and sloppy leaker whose machinations and background are already boomeranging back on those who put him up to this present circus. Schiff never expected that Trump would release a classified transcript of his own presidential call — Democrats expected secrecy and coverup, much as the deep-state intelligence-agency miscreants acted unethically and illegally on the presumption that Hillary Clinton would be easily elected and their dishonest efforts would be rewarded and kept quiet. One of the strangest developments of the opening inquiry was Schiff’s own doubling-down admission that he didn’t know the name of the whistleblower. After previously lying that neither he nor his staff had contact with the whistleblower (“We have not spoken directly with the whistleblower”) — he now ups the ante, apparently assuming that neither his staff nor the whistleblower will testify under oath. Schiff’s astounding assertion that he doesn’t know the whistleblower’s name is as hard to believe as Robert Mueller’s own congressional testimony that he was not familiar with Fusion GPS — the font of the entire Steele dossier that itself fueled the collusion fantasy that led to Mueller’s own appointment. Unlike the Nixon and Clinton impeachment proceedings, Schiff has no special prosecutor’s finding of felonious presidential behavior. Instead, he has a veritable exoneration from the failure of the ill-starred special counsel to find either collusion or actionable obstruction of such a non-crime. Mueller was tasked with investigating Russian collusion and related matters in the 2016 election. Twenty-two months, over 20 lawyers and investigators and $35 million later, Mueller folded his tent without criminal referrals or findings of presidential crimes, and then he more or less embarrassed the entire investigation in an enfeebled, deer-in-the-headlights congressional testimony. At this point, the country would not put up with yet another special prosecutor entrusted to investigate “Ukrainian collusion.” They would know the post-Mueller drill in advance: A Washington “wise man” icon would follow the Mueller script of finding no such crime, while ignoring quite considerable crimes, with the Bidens now playing the role of Hillary Clinton’s bought-and-paid-for Christopher Steele. Most of Schiff’s witnesses in this inquiry were incoherent in the same critical sense: They never cite knowledge of presidential crimes but feel that Trump is dangerous, given their own disagreements with his supposedly reckless policy. And their chagrin in the end boils down to their empty charges that Trump is appeasing Russia at the expense of the Kurds and Ukraine. Apparently their supposedly superior ancestries, pedigrees, and education should supersede the foreign-policy prerogatives of the president of the United States. Yet our shocked State Department experts somehow cannot explain why they were abjectly silent during the Obama administration when the “reset” proved to be virtual appeasement of Vladimir Putin; when Obama on a hot mic both offered the Russians a disturbing quid pro quo and then followed through on it; when Obama declined to send arms to Ukraine; and when Vice President Joe Biden took over as point man for Ukrainian policy only to leverage U.S. aid in exchange for Ukraine’s ceasing investigations of corruption that eventually would have targeted his own morally compromised son. And why would these career experts be outraged by the Trump administration that at last fulfilled their wildest agendas: ending the reset, upping sanctions against Russians, killing hired Russian thugs in Syria, pulling out of the warped missile agreement with Russia, increasing American and NATO defense expenditures, pumping more oil to lower world prices to the detriment of Russia, and arming Ukraine? What would have been the reaction in 2012 had an anonymous Bush holdover at the Obama National Security Council gone to the IG — but only after first consulting secretly with the staff of Devin Nunes — to claim third-hand knowledge of a confidential Obama phone call to Russia’s President Medvedev? The Bush-era whistleblower, a protégé of John Bolton and Dick Cheney, would then have claimed that he was told by an anonymous NSC leaker that Obama in the call had confirmed his prior hot-mic, quid pro quo promise to drop missile defense in Eastern Europe if Putin would in return give “space” to Obama before the 2012 election — with “space” perhaps defined as the Russians keeping quiet and making Obama’s foreign policy seem successful in the run-up to Election Day. Would there have been impeachment proceedings against Obama? Would Adam Schiff have pleaded to keep the “whistleblower’s” identity secret? Most significantly, Schiff is now working against the clock. Each day closer to the November 2020 election is one day nearer to allowing the American people to vote on their first-team president. There is no Nixonian or Clintonian argument that without impeachment, a second-term president could not be brought to heel. Schiff has essentially decided to abort the early 2020 campaign and substitute in its place his star-chamber impeachment. Day-by-day Schiff’s ginned-up media hysteria has created a virtual news blackout of the Democratic presidential front-runners. We are well into the 2020 campaign and the public knows almost nothing about these would-be presidents other than that in toto they are a strange bunch. The media-starved peripheral candidates such as Kamala Harris and Cory Booker will go the way of the suffocated Beto O’Rourke until someone or something yanks Schiff offstage. Each day that is wasted is another day that the new House majority did not, as it promised, address substantive issues. Since January 2018, it has not talked of infrastructure, recalibrated trade deals, budgetary compromises, drug prescription pricing, or anything else other than one iteration after another of attacking Trump. Certainly, if they really believed that Trump was an incompetent buffoon, the better strategy would have been to step aside, let him ruin the economy, and then run in 2020 against his incompetence. Ironically, the longer Trump survives, the more likely he’ll grow stronger and dominate the news at the expense of the progressive front-runners. To get attention back from Schiff, the front-runners must become even shriller and crazier — from Bernie Sanders’s declaring an end to all deportations to Elizabeth Warren’s dreaming up an unhinged multi-trillion-dollar wealth tax to pay for “Medicare for all.” What will happen when these barnstorming senators are trapped in an impeachment farce in the Senate? Schiff also knows that voters have an upcoming rendezvous with the reports of Michael Horowitz and John Durham. If sane, Schiff should hurry up; otherwise James Comey or Andrew McCabe might be indicted and smother his narrative. Horowitz is likely to have more criminal referrals, and Durham might well proceed with indictments — at precisely the time that Schiff is lecturing the nation that its president is a criminal who mysteriously was exonerated by a special counsel. Schiff is also risking Trump exhaustion — the magical point at which the public tires of the serial psychodramas of the voting-machine ruse, the Electoral College–subversion gambit, removal of Trump by the 25th Amendment, the Logan Act, the emoluments clause, Mueller, Stormy, Cohen, the tax returns, recession, and now Ukraine — seasoned with 90 percent negative media coverage and celebrity outbursts about blowing up, decapitating, or incinerating Trump. In other words, the more Schiff pushes these serial whines, the closer he gets to Election Day, and the more the people shrug and think, “Enough already, just vote.” Voters are also human. Schiff believes that the more chaos he creates, the more the collective public will fall into a fetal position, cover its ears, and scream, “Make Trump just go away.” But the opposite is more likely: At some point people sympathize not with the stoners of the declared public enemy, but with the stoned target who is ripped and bloodied by the mob. In the final scene from Braveheart, the once-hated Scottish hero William Wallace (Mel Gibson) is stretched, drawn and quartered, and variously tortured before an English crowd that’s hissing and calling for more blood — up until a point. Once the kings’ torturers exhaust their repertoire of savagery, even the anti-Scottish crowd gets repelled and begins yelling “Mercy!” So too, with Trump. After the Dems decided to wage a three-year-long presidential abortion, and attacked Trump’s wife, children, family, businesses, and associates, 24/7, the public has begun finally to wonder at what point enough is enough. People will begin to think the target of unhinged vituperation must be doing something right to warrant such unattractive enemies, and that he is therefore worthy of empathy. It is perhaps cruel but nonetheless accurate to note that the more Adam Schiff, who has replaced AOC as the new face of the Democratic party, goes before the cameras, the more the transitory attention goes to his head, the more he lies, habitually proves unethical, and becomes morally compromised. And the more the public becomes repulsed by him. In just this latest impeachment iteration, Schiff has already lied about his staff’s prior contacts with the “whistleblower,” read into the record a complete rewriting of the presidential call transcript, and leaked supposedly secret statements from his partisan witnesses. In other words, the more one sees and hears Adam Schiff, the more one is likely to dislike him — including his own party’s presidential candidates. Nancy Pelosi wants to wrap up impeachment as soon as possible before the debates resume in earnest and the primaries start, before the Horowitz and Durham reports, before the bored public wonders where exactly is the smoking gun, and before Trump’s polls get into the high forties. But mostly she just wants to get the off-putting Schiff off the national stage and to end his career as the icon of current progressivism. When Democratic inquisitors are reduced to lecturing the nation that “hearsay can be much better evidence than direct” testimony, and when Adam Schiff looks into the cameras and swears he has no idea who the whistleblower is, then it’s time to pack up the circus and leave town. ————- Victor Davis Hanson (@VDHanson) is a senior fellow, classicist and historian and Illie Anderson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution where many of his articles are found; his focus is classics and military history. He has been a visiting professor at Hillsdale College since 2004. Hanson was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2007 by President George W. Bush. H/T National Review. Tags: Victor Davis Hanson, The Impeachment Clock To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Trump Needs Tax Cut 2.0 Posted: 19 Nov 2019 05:45 PM PST Stephen Moore, Economistby Stephen Moore: Every single plausible Democratic candidate for president has endorsed tax increases as a centerpiece of their economic agenda. Think about what we are hearing from Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and the rest of the “Punch and Judy” show: new wealth taxes, carbon taxes, energy taxes, higher death and income taxes with rates up to 70%. Payroll taxes would rise to pay for Social Security benefit expansions and Medicare for All. I remember a time when liberal Michael Dukakis, running against George H.W. Bush, declared he would only raise taxes as “a last resort.” Now Democrats think raising taxes on employers, investors, companies and the wealthy is some kind of badge of honor and the option of first resort. They also cite a few outlier economists who tell them what they want to hear: that tax rates of 50% to 70% or more won’t hurt the economy at all. Yes, and Warren is of Native American descent. Meanwhile, Trump and the Republicans in Congress have the 2017 tax cut to trumpet — a reform that by almost any objective measure has worked better for workers and middle-class families than we even expected. Middle-class incomes have hit an all-time high, as have the stock market and employment. Tax revenues are also higher than ever before — with the tax cut in place. But voters are always wondering what comes next. Trump and the Republicans need a new tax cut plan, just as a rock ‘n’ roll band whose album has just gone platinum needs a new one out next year. The fact that Democrats are so open about their lust for higher taxes makes the case for a Republican tax cut even stronger. In politics, it’s always wise to paint in bright colors. What would a new tax plan look like? I’m a big fan of the Steve Forbes’ 18% postcard flat tax. That’s probably too big and bold for now. Trump has said he wants any new tax cut to be aimed at the middle class. So here are some practical ideas that could help the economy and would benefit working-class Americans: 1) Tax-free savings accounts. My Heritage colleague Adam Michel has been pitching an idea that would allow Americans with incomes below about $150,000 to deduct up $10,000 each year from their taxable income if they put the money into savings. By raising national saving, this would provide a bigger pool of money available for investment and allow millions of Americans to own more stock. Given that most middle-class families have very low savings, this would also acculturate Americans to squirreling away more money every year and watching the power of compound interest raise their lifetime wealth. 2) Reduce tax rates on the middle class to 15%. This is an idea that National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow has floated. It reduces rates from 22% to 15% for those in the middle income range, which will modestly offer greater work incentives for millions of families while allowing people to keep more of their earnings. 3) Capital gains rollover. This would change the way we tax capital gains income. Currently, if you own a stock like IBM and want to sell it at a gain of, say, $50,000 and use those gains to buy stock in Uber, you have to pay a nearly 24% tax on the $50,000. But all you’ve done is rearrange your portfolio of stocks; you haven’t really realized a gain in your income that you can spend. This perversely locks in investment because people stay in old stocks and steer away from investing in new start-ups in order to avoid the capital gains tax. Under this “rollover” proposal, capital gains would be paid only when the money is withdrawn from the stock market entirely. 4) Private accounts for Social Security. Allow workers to put a small amount — perhaps 2% — of their payroll taxes into a private, personal retirement account. These accounts would be invested in the index funds of all stocks. This would allow for much higher lifetime returns from this money than conventional Social Security would offer. It would allow every participating American — including tens of millions of minimum-wage workers — to become shareholders and own a piece of the rock. These are all proposals that let Americans keep more of what Warren calls their “hard-earned money.” Let the liberals spend the next 11 months trying to explain why higher taxes and lower take-home pay is better for families than lower taxes and more take-home pay. That should be fascinating to watch. ———————- Stephen Moore, (@StephenMoore) is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and an economic consultant with Freedom Works. He is the co-author of “Fueling Freedom: Exposing the Mad War on Energy.” Moore encouraged the ARRA News Service editor at SamSphere Chicago 2008 to blog his articles. His article was in Rasmussen Reports. Tags: Stephen Moore, Steve Moore, Rasmussen Reports, Trump Needs, Tax Cut 2.0 To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

What’s Behind Our World on Fire? Posted: 19 Nov 2019 05:34 PM PST What’s Behind Our World on Fire?by Patrick Buchanan: The issues pulling continents, countries and capitals apart thus appear to be growing, enduring, and, indeed, perhaps insoluble. When the wildfires of California broke out across the Golden State, many were the causes given. Negligence by campers. Falling power lines. Arson. A dried-out land. Climate change. Failure to manage forests, prune trees and clear debris, leaving fuel for blazes ignited. Abnormally high winds spreading the flames. Too many fires for first responders to handle. So, too, there appears to be a multiplicity of causes igniting and fueling the protests and riots sweeping capital cities across our world. The year-long yellow vest protests in Paris, set off by fuel price hikes that were swiftly rescinded, seemed to grind down this weekend to several thousand anarchic and violent die-hards. The riots in Chile were started to oppose a small hike in train and subway fares in a country with the highest per capita income and least inequality in all of Latin America. Yet the protesters have succeeded in forcing the elected government to capitulate and write a new constitution. Bolivia’s uprising was over an election stolen by longtime president Evo Morales, who fled to Mexico to be welcomed by the foreign minister. Among the issues dividing Bolivians are economic inequality and tribalism — indigenous peoples living alongside a European-descended elite. In Hong Kong, where protesters appear to be making a last stand in the city’s universities, the cause that first united them was a proposal to allow the city’s citizens to be extradited to China for trial. While that proposal was withdrawn, the rioting has continued for half a year and now involves Molotov cocktails, slingshots, bows and arrows, and catapults to hurl bricks at police. The latest demands include investigating and punishing police for excessive force, restoration of all liberties and freedoms Hong Kong enjoyed in the last years of British rule, and the right to elect their own leaders. If Hong Kong can resist mighty China for half a year, imagine what Taiwan, with three times Hong Kong’s population, significant military forces, and 100 miles of water between the island and mainland, could do to resist the rule of the Party of Xi Jinping. In Baghdad, the protests went violent early, and hundreds are now dead. A primary cause of the rioters’ rage — Iranian influence in Iraqi politics that arose among the Shiite majority after George W. Bush overthrew the Sunni regime of Saddam Hussein. The Iranian-backed Shiite militia who helped stop the Islamic State group’s drive to Baghdad in the days of the caliphate are now less welcome. “Iranians, go home!” is a popular demand. The recent violent protests inside Iran are rooted in both politics and economics. U.S. sanctions keep millions of barrels of Iran’s oil off world markets every day, causing surging deficits, exacerbating the plunging value of Iran’s currency and contributing to rising inflation. The triggering event for the riots in Iran was a rise in the price of gas, which is still only a fraction of what Americans pay per gallon, but is deeply painful for working- and middle-class Iranians who are stretched to the limit. The issues pulling continents, countries and capitals apart thus appear to be growing, enduring, and, indeed, perhaps insoluble. Consider. The economic issues propelling workers into the streets to protest inequalities of wealth and income are occurring at a time when our world has never been more prosperous. The ethnic and racial clashes within and between nations seem increasingly beyond the capacity of democratic regimes to resolve peacefully. As for matters of fundamental belief — political, ideological, religious — the divides here, too, seem to be deepening and widening. India’s Hindu majority of 1 billion seeks suppression of its Muslim minority. Secular Chinese put Muslim Uighurs and Kazakhs in concentration camps by the thousands to root out their birth loyalties and convert them into Marxist nationalists. Han Chinese are moved into Tibet and Xinjiang to swamp indigenous populations. In Hong Kong, the struggle is ideological and political, between believers in democracy and advocates of authoritarianism. President Trump’s America wants to secure the Southern border against an ongoing invasion of Latin American and Third World people, who could soon create here a new majority that votes reliably Democratic. Europe resists with growing alarm a decades-long invasion of the Old Continent by desperate people fleeing the failed states of Africa and the Mideast. In Spain, a nationalist party, Vox, vaults to third place to resist a leftist regime in Madrid that is seen as too accommodating to Catalan secessionists and refugees from across the Mediterranean. Americans are not at actual war with one another, but our divisions are as wide and deep as they have been since the 1960s, if not since the Civil War. We have Republicans standing united against the impeachment and removal of a president they overwhelmingly elected — by a united Democratic Party dominated by implacable ideological adversaries. Neither authoritarians nor the world’s democracies seem to have found a cure for the maladies that afflict our world’s unhappy citizens. ——————– Patrick Buchanan (@PatrickBuchanan) is currently a blogger, conservative columnist, political analyst, chairman of The American Cause foundation and an editor of The American Conservative. He has been a senior adviser to three Presidents, a two-time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and was the presidential nominee of the Reform Party in 2000. Tags: Patrick Buchanan, conservative, commentary, What’s Behind, Our World on Fire? To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Polls Posted: 19 Nov 2019 05:20 PM PST by Kerby Anderson, Contributing Author: With polls coming out nearly every day on nearly every topic, it is time to revisit the topic of national polling. The first issue is statistical accuracy. A typical three-day poll of 1000 people, if proportioned among the 3000 counties, can accurately represent American adults 19 out of 20 times within three percentage points. The real question about the polls isn’t whether they are statistically accurate but whether they are polling the right people and whether the people being polled are giving honest answers. We should assume that reputable polling firms do conduct polls that accurately mirror race, sex, age, geography, and educational makeup. This presents a problem in trying to determine if the right people in the right percentages have been polled. Too often, one party or group ends up being over sampled. And if the poll is about likely voters, there is the problem of accurately determining if someone being polled will actually be voting in the election. But the biggest problem is that people being polled don’t always give honest answers. Two researchers at the University of Arkansas found that people with unpopular opinions feel “the need to conceal their true voting intentions.” In the past, this was called the “Bradley effect.” Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley was an African-American who lost in 1982 despite being ahead in the polls. Some voters told pollsters they were undecided or going to vote for Bradley because they didn’t want to say they weren’t voting for the black candidate. But this has become an even bigger problem when you are polling people about Donald Trump. They have seen videos of what happens to people wearing a MAGA hat. They have heard about people being fired, abused, and doxed if they say they voted for or will vote for Trump. This means that the polls may be even less reliable because voters are even less willing to reveal how they feel and how they will vote. ——————– Kerby Anderson (@kerbyanderson) is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network (@PointofViewRTS) and is endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service. Tags: Kerby Anderson, Polls To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Defense Department Fails Its Second Audit, Yet Is Making Progress Posted: 19 Nov 2019 05:11 PM PST . . . This was only the second audit completed for the Pentagon since a 1990 law required them. by Courtney Buble: The Pentagon on Friday announced that it had failed its financial audit for the second year in a row, although the department showed it is making progress. The Defense Department’s fiscal 2019 audit — its second ever — covered over $2.9 trillion in assets and $2.8 trillion in liabilities. Of the 24 individual audits, the department-wide mark is composed of: six components that received an unmodified opinion, one that received a qualified opinion, three that are pending and the remainder with a disclaimer of opinion, meaning the auditors could not obtain appropriate evidence to make a decision. This is “consistent with the experiences of other large and complex federal agencies during their initial years under financial statement audit,” according to the audit. “We made progress in our priority areas while focusing on the importance of sustainable solutions,” said Elaine McCusker, the Pentagon’s acting comptroller. “But as expected, we will receive an overall disclaimer again this year,” which means the results did not come back clean. The department said it sustained the achievements noted in the 2018 audit, the first time the agency was audit-ready since Congress made government audits a requirement in 1990. These successes included: no evidence of fraud, no major issues with payments to civilian or military members and “existence and completeness of major military equipment.” It also said the department closed more than 550 of the issues raised in the previous audit, which was 23% of the findings. McCusker said that was “solid progress for our first year.” However, auditors issued over 1,300 new Notices of Findings and Recommendations and the department expects to receive more as the auditors finish their reviews. “Auditor findings and recommendations help [Defense Department] leaders prioritize improvements, drive efficiencies, identify issues with systems, measure progress, and inform business reform efforts,” the audit report stated. “The outcomes of the audit remediation efforts will include greater financial data integrity, better support for the warfighter, and increased transparency for Congress and the American people.” Some highlights in the report included: Auditors found the Army’s IT application controls over the Logistics Modernization Program system to be effective and no exceptions were noted in auditor testing;</;i> The Navy completed a full inventory of real property assets resulting in a 98% accuracy rate; and,The Air Force completed floor-to-book and book-to-floor inventories of over 96% of its buildings.More than 1,400 auditors conducted over 600 site visits for the fiscal 2019 audit and tested systems and record-keeping protocol for weapons, military personnel and property. Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist will discuss the findings at a Senate hearing on Wednesday. The watchdog Truth in Accounting found in the first audit there was a wide variation in performance among the Pentagon’s entities. Bill Bergman, Truth in Accounting director of research, told Government Executive his organization plans review this audit as well. “Department of Defense has made progress in improving its financial management processes since the prior year audit, but much more progress is necessary,” said acting Defense Inspector General Glenn Fine in a statement, DefenseNews reported. “The Department of Defense still has a long way to go before it will be able to obtain a clean opinion.” ———————— Courtney Buble (@courtneybuble) is a staff correspondent who covers federal management for Government Executive. Tags: Courtney Buble, Government Executive, Defense Department, Fails Its Second Audit To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Chick-Fil-A Announces New Giving Priorities – LGBT Activist Claim a Win Posted: 19 Nov 2019 04:43 PM PST by John Stonestreet: Although the announcement didn’t mention which groups would no longer be funded, most media outlets covering the Chick-Fil-A Foundation’s press release on Monday did: “Chick-Fil-A to stop donating to some groups following LGBTQ protests,” read the USA Today headline. “Chick-Fil-A will no longer fund anti-LGBTQ organizations,” said ABCNews. “Chick-Fil-A to stop funding groups that oppose gay rights,” read the United Press International headline. Those are very different headlines than the one the Chick-Fil-A Foundation gave to its own announcement: “Chick-Fil-A Foundation Announces 2020 Priorities to Address Education, Homelessness, Hunger.” Of course, it’s obvious why the headlines were so dramatically different. After all, one of the groups that will no longer be funded by Chick-Fil-A is the Salvation Army. They specialize in ministering to the homeless and the hungry. Clearly, there was more to the announcement than new priorities. What’s not clear, however, is why the fast food chain made this decision now, after fully weathering the storm they faced over seven years ago, when then CEO Dan Cathy stated his views on traditional marriage. Today, seven years later, having not made any public statements on sex or marriage since, the only real “guilt” critics can point out is who they give money to. Still, their reputation among some is as a hateful, bigoted organization. In fact, a friend who teaches in a comparatively conservative business school on the west coast just told me of a student who called Chick-Fil-A “anti-woman.” I have no idea where that one came from. In fact, Chick-Fil-A stopped giving to so-called “culture war” organizations a long time ago. Monday’s breathless headlines were referring to groups like the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, who are called anti-gay not because they advocate for historic and orthodox Christian views on sex and marriage, but because they merely hold them. And, at least when it comes to the Salvation Army, it depends on what you mean by “hold them.” Of course, as a private company, Chick-Fil-A can support any organizations it wants. Not every person, much less every company, much less a chicken restaurant has to join a side in these culture wars. Although the left has been incredibly effective at weaponizing companies, from Gillette to Sprite, in order to advance ideological goals, I don’t begrudge any company, even if founded and owned by Christians, for trying to sit out some of these unwinnable battles. Especially, while they still can. Soon, I predict, not actively fighting for progressive causes will earn you all the labels and adjectives Chick-Fil-A is trying to shed. Still, I find Chick-Fil-A’s decision sad on at least two levels. First, their growth to being the third largest fast food chain on the planet has clearly shown that you don’t have to cave to the pressure in order to survive and grow as a company. In fact, I’ll bet you a #4 meal with 4 chicken strips right now that this decision will be the one that hurts their bottom line. Millions of Americans rallied around the restaurant in 2012 when LGBT advocates called for a boycott, and again in more recent years when cities like San Antonio banned the restaurant from their airports. This decision not only will lose them the support they’ve had, it will embolden the bullies and make it hard for other companies not to likewise cave to the pressure. Even more sad, however, is that without ever mentioning their names, the Chick-Fil-A Foundation’s decision will only reinforce the slander that the organizations they are no longer giving to are, in fact, anti-LGBT. It will only reinforce that all the good these organizations do is immediately made invalid, if they are Christian groups with historic and biblical Christian convictions. By refusing to offer any clarity on the reasoning behind their decision, Chick-Fil-A allowed the headlines to be re-written in a way that furthers the goals of the LGBT bullies, that ultimately there is only one acceptable position on these controversial issues: full-support and full affirmation. I found it ironic that, also on Monday, pop superstar Ellie Goulding announced she would not pull out of a half-time performance during a Thanksgiving Day football game to officially launch the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle holiday campaign. Like Chick-Fil-A, she had faced pressure to dissociate from the Salvation Army. Unlike Chick-Fil-A, she decided not to do so. ————————— John Stonestreet (@JBStonestreet) is President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, BreakPoint Radio Host and BreakPoint. Tags: John Stonestreet, BreakPoint, Chick-Fil-A, ne giving priorities, LGBT Activists, Claim a Win  To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Left’s Rhetoric in Impeachment Hearings Reveals Desperation Posted: 19 Nov 2019 04:23 PM PST Desperation worked for Democrats during the Great Depression, but they have been living off inertia for more than seven decades.by Cal Thomas: If you are in need of more evidence as to why so many Americans are cynical about politics in general and Washington in particular (and isn’t current evidence sufficient?), you need look no further than the etymological shift taken by Democrats during the House impeachment hearings. As The Washington Post first reported, the decision to replace “quid pro quo” with “bribery” when speaking of President Donald Trump’s phone call to Ukraine’s president came from focus groups conducted in key battleground states. Among the questions asked of people was whether “quid pro quo,” “extortion,” or “bribery” was the best description of the president’s alleged conduct. The groups found “bribery” to be the most descriptive and “damning.” Armed with their talking points, Democrats at the House Intelligence Committee hearing, across the country and on TV programs, began using the word bribery. Listening to some of the montages compiled by conservative media is hilarious. It is straight out of “newspeak” in George Orwell’s novel “1984,” which the author said was “designed to diminish the range of thought.” This represents the death rattle of a party once known for promoting big ideas. Last week, the stock market achieved another record high, the Dow Jones Industrial Average topping 28,000, fattening the savings of current and future retirees. While not everyone is invested in the market, when companies make money, they tend to hire more people. It is why unemployment is at record, or near record, lows and the number of employed at record highs. Anyone wanting a job can find one, if they are willing to accept an entry-level position and work hard to move up. Many companies offer education benefits to their employees. Democrats are desperate to get rid of the president (though the Senate will never convict him), because one more term of prosperity, especially for minorities, who have mostly been tied to their party, could mean a shift in loyalty. If that shift in African American voters from Democrat to Republican is even as small as 10%, Democrats would be doomed in 2020 and possibly beyond. Success is a better and more motivating theme than envy, greed, and entitlement, as promoted by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. The Wall Street Journal reported that under Warren’s “Medicare for All” scheme, some would be taxed above 100% and that her proposals are so grandiose her “wealth tax” would fall far short of paying for it all. Given the poor stewardship of the federal government with the record amounts of tax dollars it already receives, why does anyone believe sending more money to Washington and placing additional tax penalties on successful people would suddenly mean politicians might become fiscally responsible? If government is the solution, how much more money does it need to solve problems and why haven’t those problems been solved by now? It’s all a sham and a scam. We hear the same rhetoric every four years, especially about the wealthy and successful needing to pay their “fair share.” Democrats never tell us what they mean by fair, but it appeals to the envy and class warfare their party promotes. America is a land of opportunity, not guaranteed outcome. There are more opportunities than ever for a good education, good jobs, and so many other things that make the country unique. Republicans have the better message. What they need is a better and more courageous way of promoting it. Desperation worked for Democrats during the Great Depression, but they have been living off inertia for more than seven decades. Desperation is not a policy, especially at a time when America is better off than it has been in decades. If impeachment is all Democrats have, it won’t be enough. ——————— Cal Thomas (@CalThomas) is a syndicated columnist, author, broadcaster, and speaker with access to world leaders, U.S. presidents, celebrities, educators, and countless other notables. He has authored 12 books, including his latest, “What Works: Common Sense Solutions for a Stronger America.” Visit his site at CalThomas.com. H/T The Daily Signal. Tags: Cal Thomas, Left’s Rhetoric, Impeachment Hearings, Reveals Desperation, The Daily Signal To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Braveheart . . . Posted: 19 Nov 2019 04:06 PM PST . . . Ambassador Yovanovitch knows nothing of any impeachable offenses but Trump did hurt her feelings. Editorial Cartoon by AF “Tony” BrancoTags: Editorial Cartoon, AF Branco, Braveheart, Ambassador Yovanovitch, knows nothing, of any impeachable offenses, Trump, hurt her feelings. To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Adam Schiff Will Cry Himself to Sleep After a Court Changed His Life Forever Posted: 19 Nov 2019 03:30 PM PST Adam Schiffby Conservative Revival: Adam Schiff is giddy with joy that it is he who gets to lead the deep state’s impeachment hearings. If he is the one who gets the job done, he will be a hero in their eyes. But that dream is dead, and Schiff will cry himself to sleep after a court changed his life forever. Adam Schiff is looking for anything he can to use in his impeachment inquiry. It began with a claim from a so-called “whistleblower” alleging that Trump threatened the president of Ukraine to force him to investigate Joe Biden. But that claim has been disproven, and the “whistleblower” is nowhere to be found. So now Schiff is trying to claim that Trump is obstructing the investigation into the claims from this “whistleblower,” despite the fact that the entire premise of the impeachment probe is proven false. That’s why Schiff is searching for anything else he can use while he still has a spotlight on him and his hearings. One thing that he certainly wants more than anything is President Trump’s tax returns. Being a billionaire who until recently was not considering a run for office, Trump doesn’t have his tax returns set up like career politicians do. Politicians purposefully work with consultants to ensure that there is nothing in their returns that the media could spin into an attack. So Trump doesn’t want his tax returns released, and is under no obligation to do so. But the Democrats are insistent that they become public, and they have tried to force the issue in court. Democrats were able to send a demand to Trump’s accounting firm to force them to turn over eight years of returns, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed to. But now that ruling is temporarily blocked, as the Supreme Court has weighed in, temporarily blocking the lower court ruling. This is huge news for Trump, and could become even bigger. The Supreme Court will make a final ruling, and may grant a permanent stay. That could come as soon as the end of this week. Trump’s legal team sent the request in an application to the Supreme Court to block the decision recently. They cite just how unprecedented the D.C. court’s decision was. “This is a case of firsts,” the application reads. “It is the first time Congress has subpoenaed the personal records of a president that predate his time in office. It is the first time Congress has issued a subpoena, under its legislative powers, to investigate the president for illegal conduct. And, for the first time, a court has upheld a congressional subpoena to the president for his personal papers.” Trump has a good chance of winning this fight. After all, he has secured two new Supreme Court Justices since taking office. And some of the less conservative Justices may even side with him, considering how ridiculous this decision is. Do you think Trump should be required to turn over his tax returns? ———————— Shared by Conservative Revival. Tags: Conservative Revival, Adam Schiff, Will Cry Himself to Sleep, After a Court, Changed His Life Forever To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

End the War on Trump, Abolish the National Security Council Posted: 19 Nov 2019 03:15 PM PST . . . We can have free elections or the NSC. by Daniel Greenfield: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the latest star of the Democrat effort to undo the 2016 election, is still at work on the National Security Council. While Trump supporters on the NSC like Rich Higgins and Ezra Cohen-Watnick were forced out, Vindman won’t be. NSC staffers who criticized Obama holdovers or sought to expose their misbehavior are gone, but Vindman is still there while undermining Trump. And that’s the SNAFU of things on the NSC. The National Security Council has been ground zero in the campaign against President Trump from the beginning. General Flynn’s appointment as National Security Advisor had touched the third rail because the NSC had been used to coordinate anti-Trump operations in the Susan Rice era. The NSC doesn’t answer to Congress. Its members are meant to advise the president. (Except when they’re actually working for a previous president.) They command the implements of foreign policy, traditionally the weakest element in domestic politics, but not when they start treating their domestic political opponents as agents of a foreign state. And the size of the NSC has gotten out of control. Under Obama, the NSC staff hit 400 people. That’s up from a dozen during its Cold War origins. And it’s the staff that’s the problem. The NSC was born in the Truman era, not as a byzantine government bureaucracy full of endless departments and hundreds of staffers, but as a means for key foreign policy and national defense figures to coordinate, develop options and then present them to the President of the United States. People like Vindman or Fiona Hill were never supposed to be there. In the 1947 National Security Act, the Council was to consist of the Secretary of State, the Defense Secretary, the heads of the branches of the military, and various strategic services and agencies, who would meet at sessions presided over by the President. There was also to be a staff “headed by a civilian executive secretary”. What started out as a formal kitchen cabinet turned into a monster. And that didn’t exactly take decades. The NSC staff was at 50 people under George H.W. Bush. It hit 400 under Obama. That’s an eightfold increase from Bush I and a threefold increase from his predecessor, Bush II. The NSC’s permanent members were there to advise the president. The staff were there to support the work of the permanent members. And then the staff became the permanent members while the presidential appointees ended up being forced out or even worse for running afoul of them. President Trump’s move to prune back the NSC is worth doing. But reorganizations of the NSC have been carried out before. Bureaucracy is the urban weed of Washington D.C. And even when it’s occasionally pruned, it always grows back. The only solution is to pull it up by the roots. The National Security Council needs to go. The NSC was meant to be a forum in which the heads of existing agencies would coordinate foreign policy and national security options. Instead, the NSC’s staff tends to set the foreign policy. What was once a support structure turned into a think tank and a policy shop. And then its very own deep state. The very worst example of this was Ben Rhodes, an aspiring novelist who evolved from a speechwriter to deputy national security adviser for communications, and, in that capacity ran our foreign policy. War and diplomacy weren’t run by the cabinet members accountable to Congress, but by political operatives. The NSC had become a state within a state, a rogue organization reporting directly to Barack Obama. This wasn’t Eisenhower’s military-industrial complex or the deep state, it was something worse. It allowed a gaggle of political operatives to take control of national defense and intelligence, and retool them to spy on political opponents, to manufacture cases against them, and then to act as moles within future administrations with the aim of subverting them and perpetuating their old political agendas. The NSC violates constitutional checks and balances. It undermines the rule of law. Its current function is an absurd perversion of the simple and straightforward purposes that it was meant to serve. A coordinating body for national security and foreign policy may be a good idea. But the NSC isn’t it. What would we do without the NSC? Agencies and departments would actually formulate policies internally and cabinet members would offer them to the president instead of the NSC acting as a rogue policy shop with the National Security Advisor competing with the cabinet members he is meant to be coordinating with. That would cut out some of the infighting and increase congressional accountability. But that’s a 1980s argument. The 2019 argument is that the NSC is a threat to America. Old NSC scandals involved its people overriding and sidelining the Pentagon, the State Department, the CIA, and determining and implementing policy on their own. Those scandals of departmental infighting seem almost nostalgic now that NSC personnel are working to actively oust a sitting president. The NSC staff isn’t just undermining cabinet heads, it has become a rogue political organization. It needs to go. That’s not something that might be achievable right now, but it should become a Republican goal. The Flynn case and the latest impeachment bid are warnings that the NSC has become a toxic organization. Traditionally, Republicans have been proponents of the NSC. Eisenhower and Nixon had expanded the NSC, while Kennedy and Carter had contracted it. But that pattern began to shift with the Clinton era, and fundamentally altered under Obama. The current NSC is a creature of the Clinton and Obama eras. But the Obama administration only completed the corruption of an organization that had lost its way. Abolishing the NSC will, in some ways, be a policy victory for the Left. But the Left has shown that it can do far more damage with the NSC, than without it, and that makes it too dangerous to exist The NSC was meant to counter problems like the military-industrial complex or the deep state by organizing their functions and putting them more directly under the control of the White House. That plan worked so well under Obama, that White House political operatives used the NSC to take control of intelligence, the military, and law enforcement, and weaponized them against Republicans. The central principle of politics is that proximity is power. The NSC was only meant to coordinate. Its staff were only meant to support. But the very act of creating an organization that would advise the president also made the position irresistible to men like Kissinger and Brzezinski who used it as a means of accumulating vast amounts of unchecked power. And after the National Security Advisor’s power had been rolled back, it was the anonymous staffers who picked it up and ended up in the driver’s seat. Then it was just a simple matter of blowing up the staff and padding their ranks with political operatives. Suddenly, the NSC was no longer overthrowing foreign governments, but our own government. And previously unknown NSC staffers in a byzantine organizational chart had become key figures in the war. And, these days, it’s not a war on foreign enemies, it’s a war against President Trump and his voters. A civil war. The current crisis shows that we can’t have both the NSC as well as free and open elections. A free country can’t afford the hybrid Democrat think-tank and pretorian guard that the NSC has become. It’s time to dismantle it, declassify and release all NSC activities involving the domestic political opposition, and go back to the way foreign policy and national security were run for over 200 years. Either that or abolish elections and put the NSC in charge of running the country. ————– Daniel Greenfield (@Sultanknish) is Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an investigative journalist and writer focusing on radical Left and Islamic terrorism. Tags: Daniel Greenfield, FrontPage Mag, End the War on Trump, Abolish the National Security Council To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

Lying to Liars Posted: 19 Nov 2019 02:58 PM PST by Paul Jacob, Contributing Author: When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out its awards, the presenters say, “And the Oscar goes to . . .” We should hand out an award for lying in government — and name it after President Obama’s Director of National Intelligence, James James Clapper. On March 12, 2013, Clapper lied to Congress about NSA collection of data on U.S. citizens. Clapper roams free, while Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn ran afoul of lying to the FBI, in his bizarre case. Flynn seemed merely to misremember, yet being caught in a flub was enough to leverage a plea deal. Now The Epoch Times adds a wrinkle to the story. “The prosecutors handling the case of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said they mixed up notes from the FBI interview that served as a basis for making Flynn plead guilty to lying to the FBI,” we read in the November 7-13 paper edition. The jumbled notes in question were those of the infamous Peter Strzok and his assistant. “It’s now impossible to take [the DOJ’s and FBI’s] word for anything,” says Sidney Powell, Flynn’s lawyer. A former prosecutor herself, Ms. Powell has written a relevant book, Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice. In her motion for Flynn, she argues that a formal FBI summary of the Flynn interview contains information not in the notes, yet it formed the basis for the prosecution.* On November 5, prosecutors apologized for their error, which they admit “caused some confusion.” In a just world, their flub would be called a lie and they’d face major consequences. As it is, the Clapper goes to them. This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob. * It gets worse, if murkier, with apparent editing of the notes to implicate Flynn and the allegation that Clapper himself directed a reporter to “take the kill shot.” —————— Paul Jacob (@Common_Sense_PJ ) is author of Common Sense which provides daily commentary about the issues impacting America and about the citizens who are doing something about them. He is also President of the Liberty Initiative Fund (LIFe) as well as Citizens in Charge Foundation. Jacob is a contributing author on the ARRA News Service. Tags: Lying to Liars, Paul Jacob, Common Sense   To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!

You are subscribed to email updates from ARRA News Service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

View In BrowserNovember 20, 2019chicagotribune.comDaywatch1Chicago police officer shot in head, teen shot during piano lesson and man killed in Old Irving Park neighborhood near Kennedy ExpresswayWEDNESDAY, NOV 20A Tuesday evening shooting on the city’s Northwest Side seriously wounded a Chicago police officer, left a man dead and injured a teenage boy who was in the middle of a piano lesson, authorities said.The shooting occurred in the 4300 block of West Irving Park Road around 7 p.m., police said, the conclusion of a frenzied chain of events that began as a bank robbery in suburban Des Plaines and launched responding officers from four different law enforcement agencies, officials said in a Tuesday evening news conference.2Two friends whose bodies were found in DuSable Harbor went to River North club over weekend, lost control of car and drove into lake: authoritiesWEDNESDAY, NOV 20Two men pulled from DuSable Harbor on Tuesday morning had apparently lost control of the car they were in and drove into the lake at a high rate of speed, authorities said. The men had been identified as lifelong friends who disappeared after leaving a River North club over the weekend, officials said.  3Police: Ex-husband of woman slain in Buffalo Grove double homicide has current passport, unknown whereaboutsWEDNESDAY, NOV 20Police said Tuesday they don’t yet have a motive in the death of a Buffalo Grove couple gunned down in their condominium parking garage, and authorities are searching for the ex-husband of the slain woman in connection with the case.Authorities said Anatoliy Ermak, 64, is being sought for questioning in the killings of a couple police identified Tuesday as Nataliya Ermak, 55, and her husband Roman Frid, 69.450,000 food stamp recipients in Cook County may have to find jobs starting Jan. 1 — or risk losing their benefitsWEDNESDAY, NOV 20About 50,000 Cook County residents who receive food stamps are going to have to find jobs next year. Starting Jan. 1, food stamp recipients in Cook County who are able-bodied, under the age of 50 and not living with children or other dependents will be restricted to three months of food assistance in a three-year period unless they work at least 30 hours a week. The change is the result of Cook County’s falling unemployment rate.  5Kim Foxx, seeking reelection, says in ad that she didn’t handle Jussie Smollett case wellWEDNESDAY, NOV 20Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, whose first term has been overshadowed by her office’s handling of the case involving “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, released a digital ad for her 2020 reelection campaign and took on the issue head on, saying “Truth is, I didn’t handle it well. I own that.”Foxx said her office is making changes “to make sure we do better,” but it was unclear what those are. The ad also references President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Chicago crime and the NRA.6Following severe fall storms, a project to salvage Chicago’s disappearing shoreline kicked off on the Far North SideWEDNESDAY, NOV 20Chicago’s shoreline has been disappearing amid near-record water levels and an onslaught of erosion and that was before recent severe storms that brought 12-foot waves onto the shoreline. But the city is fighting back. A stabilization project, led by the Chicago Department of Transportation and Chicago Park District, and planned in coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, kicked off this week on the Far North Side at Juneway Beach. Work will soon follow at Rogers Park and Howard Beach.  7Eight more marijuana dispensaries approved to sell recreational weed, including stores in Chicago, Evanston and AuroraWEDNESDAY, NOV 20The state gave eight more marijuana dispensaries permission to sell recreational weed, including one in Chicago and one in Evanston, starting Jan. 1. That brings the total to 22 stores around the state, including four in Chicago, that have been approved to start selling to people other than medical marijuana patients in less than six weeks.Many Chicago suburbs are saying ‘not in my backyard’ as legalized marijuana sparks a backlash from residents who don’t want pot shops in their towns8If you drive a 2008 Chevy Impala, you may not be much longerWEDNESDAY, NOV 20The 2008 Chevy Impala was among the top-selling vehicles when it was released more than a decade ago. And it’s still extremely popular among Chicago car thieves. The otherwise unremarkable sedan, once panned by Car and Driver magazine for its “anonymous styling” and “forgettable driving experience,” was the most stolen vehicle in Illinois last year, beating out the 2016 Nissan Altima for the honor, according to a report released Tuesday. Nationally, the 2000 Honda Civic topped the list.advertisement Unsubscribe   |   Newsletters   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of ServiceCopyright © 2019 | Chicago Tribune | 160 N. Stetson Ave., Third Floor, Chicago, IL 60601ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this email because you are following the Daywatch newsletter.

CBS

Email Not Displaying? Click Here

Eye Opener Gordon Sondland, an ambassador with a direct line to President Trump, takes center stage at Wednesday’s impeachment hearings. Also, two corrections officers are accused of failing to check in on accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein the night he died. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener. Your world in 90 seconds. Watch Video +

The House hears public testimony from Gordon Sondland Watch Video +

Grammy Awards 2020: Full list of nominees Read Story + For grandfather charged in girl’s cruise ship death, video could be key Read Story +

Military housing company falsified records as families lived in terrible conditions: Former employee Watch Video + President Trump “would love” to testify, but probably won’t: Pam Bondi Watch Video +

Get More Headlines +

Copyright © 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The email address for this newsletter is rickbulow74@live.com. Unsubscribe from this email | Manage your preferences | Newsletter help | Privacy policy

THE FEDERALIST

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray November 20, 2019 All Eyes On Judge In Michael Flynn Case After Weeks Of Shocking Developments By Margot Cleveland If federal prosecutors made such a basic blunder concerning key evidence, what other mistakes lay buried in the undisclosed evidence? Full article Chick-fil-A Caves To Leftist Pressure By Halting Donations To Christian Charities By Georgi Boorman As Chick-fil-A expands internationally, a company executive said charitable giving to Christian organizations was inhibiting the chain’s growth. Full article Trump Admin Is Right To Reapply Sanctions To Iran’s Uranium Enrichment By Erielle Davidson Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday that the United States will terminate the waiver program related to the Fordow Facility, effective on December 15, 2019. Full article Day Three Of Impeachment Proceedings Was A Train-Wreck For Democrats By Tristan Justice Four witnesses testified on Capitol Hill, and each failed to provide incriminating evidence of a ‘high crime and misdemeanor’ by the president. Full article Please Do Not Mock The Beautiful Mayor Pete Dance By Emily Jashinsky South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is soaring to new heights on the wings of dance. Let him have it. Full article Why The Right Should Care About Income Inequality By Willis L. Krumholz Widening inequality and slowing social mobility really is a problem in America, and government policies championed by the elite have exacerbated this inequality. Full article If Democrats Were Held To Their Own Standards, Their Debates Couldn’t Be At Tyler Perry Studios By Chrissy Clark MSNBC and the Washington Post actually appear to be abandoning their stated convictions by hosting their event at Tyler Perry Studios. Full article 10 Years Later, The Manhattan Declaration’s Defense Of Marriage Is Even More Needed By Jonathan Lange The most fundamental duty of government toward marriage is to recognize its reality and enforce the legal contract at its heart. This is what the Manhattan Declaration called for 10 years ago. Full article DOJ Inspector General Report Documents FBI Misuse Of Secret Sources By Tristan Justice The report covers 2012 to 2019, which includes the time-frame of the 2016 presidential election and entire tenure of former FBI Director James Comey. Full article Senate Unanimously Passes Hong Kong Democracy Bill Backing Protestors By Madeline Osburn The Senate passed legislation supporting Hong Kong protestors and rebuking Beijing’s human rights violations. The bill now goes to the House, where a similar bill has already been passed. Full article 6 Lessons For Men From ‘Homicide Hunter’ Joe Kenda By Caroline D’Agati Retired homicide detective and TV star Lt. Joe Kenda is a portrait of man at his best. Here are six ways men can follow his example by using their God-given strengths to serve others. Full article Here’s Your Guide To The Fifth Round Of Democratic Debates By Chrissy Clark The fifth round of Democratic debates is upon us. They will take place on November 20 in Atlanta, Georgia at Tyler Perry Studios. Full article Volker, Morrison Testimony Completely Vindicate Trump, Destroy Democratic Case For Impeachment By Tristan Justice Kurt Volker and Tim Morrison both testified that there was no quid pro quo, no bribery, and no extortion committed by the White House with Ukraine. Full article The Trump Administration Is Right: Israeli Settlements Do Not Violate International Law By Erielle Davidson Mike Pompeo’s announcement affirms the inhabitance of Jews in territories recaptured in the Six-Day War in 1967 does not violate international law. Full article Vindman Exaggerated His Resume In Prepared Congressional Statement By Tristan Justice Vindman claimed to be the “principal advisor to the National Security Advisor and the president on Ukraine.” Turns out, he’s never spoken to the president. Full article The Impeachment ‘Partial Transcript’ Lie Just Got Blown Out Of The Water By David Marcus Both witnesses today confirm that the transcript of the July 25th phone call is “substantively accurate,” destroying an anti Trump talking point. Full article Vindman Was Asked Three Times To Be Defense Minister Of Ukraine By Tristan Justice Vindman said it would have been a “great honor” to serve in the position but added that he maintained that his loyalties lied with the United States. Full article Vindman Just Admitted To Leaking To The Anti-Trump Whistleblower By Tristan Justice When pressed on who Vindman spoke with about the call, Vindman said he spoke with two individuals not in the White House, then Adam Schiff cut him off, instructing him not to name the whistleblower. Full article AS SOON AS IMPEACHMENT STARTED, PEOPLE HATED IT Poll: Support for impeachment inquiry ticks down. http://vlt.tc/3tfl “The survey, which has tracked support and opposition for the inquiry each week, found that support for the investigation inched down 2 points — to 48 percent from 50 percent — while opposition to the inquiry ticked up 3 points — to 45 percent from 42 percent. Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2019 The Federalist, All rights reserved.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

AMERICAN THINKER

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

View this email in your browser Recent Articles Freedom Is on the March, and the Elites Can’t Stand It Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am A glaring sign of our intelligentsia’s decrepitude is their absolute lack of interest in understanding either the Brexit vote or the election of Donald Trump. Read More… President Trump Never Impounded Even One Dollar from Ukraine Aid Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am The president doesn’t have authority to do what they say he said he did. Read More… Why Rich People Love Poor Immigrants Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am As the divide between the very rich and the rest of the people has widened, democracy has been weakened and is now immediately endangered.   Read More… Could ‘Move to Amend’ Destroy Corporate Independence? Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am “Move to Amend” raises the possibilty of “control of the means of production” — a defining point of socialism.  Read More… ‘Medicare for All’ and the Free Market Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am . Instead of eliminating competition, Medicare for All will unintentionally unleash it. Read More… The Dreamers in the Valley Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am What Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are proposing is not very much different from the approaches Silicon Valley is taking. Read More…   Recent Blog Posts Even after Smollett scandal, Kim Foxx running for reelection as State’s Attorney Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Soros-backed prosecutor is running against President Trump, the NRA, and the police union.  Read more… Vindman busted for resume enhancement during yesterday’s testimony Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman certainly comes across as a slippery character.  Read more… Strange media silence after Vindman testified he was offered job of Ukraine Minister of Defense 3 times Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am How is this not the major story coming out of the House Intelligence Committee “impeachment inquiry” hearings yesterday?  Read more… Where are the mutineers who will save the Democrat Party from Adam Schiff? Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am The ship of fools sails on.  Read more… Why it’s wrong to investigate Democratic corruption Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Few of us want to live in a world where corruption by Democrats can never be investigated.  Read more… Some nasty anti-president quotes to offer perspective Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Make sure you read this one all the way to the end.  Read more… Another feminist movie bombs at the box office Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am The latest Charlie’s Angels remake didn’t fare so well, even among young women.  Read more… Two MCC guards facing charges for Jeffrey Epstein’s death Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am On duty during Epstein’s “suicide.”  Read more… Democrats’ impeachment theater is a series of unfortunate events Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Author Lemony Snicket had some good advice for Schiff and Co. in his “Series of Unfortunate Events.”  Read more… The only impeachment explanation that makes any sense Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Democrats have got to be trying to make a movie. Call it “Blonde Hair, Red Roots,” featuring Adam Schiff as screenwriter.  Read more… Kaepernick, impeachment, gang violence: A few observations Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Plus Eric Swallwell’s little gaseous episode on Hardball.  Read more… It’s time for moderate Democrats to heed Ronald Reagan…again Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party; my party left me.” – Ronald Reagan  Read more… No Medicare for All for illegals Nov 20, 2019 01:00 am Providing Medicare for All to millions of illegal immigrants is immoral, impractical, and completely unaffordable.  Read more… Eric Swalwell farts loud and proud on live television Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am …and isn’t man enough to own up to it.  Read more… Armed citizen puts a stop to fatal shooting at Walmart by putting gun to suspect’s head Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Thank goodness the Duncan, Oklahoma Walmart is not a “gun-free zone.”  Read more… View this email in your browser American Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans.

This email was sent to rickbulow1974@gmail.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences AmericanThinker · 3060 El Cerrito Plaza, #306 · El Cerrito, CA 94530 · USA

GATEWAY PUNDIT

Web version               “I Never Recall Saying Bidens” – Ambassador Sondland Ruins Schiff’s Conspiracy (VIDEO)   Ambassador Gordon Sondland was the guest of honor before the Schiff Show Trial on Wednesday morning. During questioning by Shifty Schiff Ambassador Sondland says he… Read more…                 Anti-Trump Deep State Blocked Trump Supporters from White House Jobs: Destroyed Database Created to Recruit Trump Supporters for WH Positions   The Obama deep state was VERY ACTIVE sabotaging the Trump Administration before President Trump was ever sworn in. Surrounding President Trump with an angry horde… Read more…               Mutiny? Navy Brass Set to Demote Eddie Gallagher From SEALs After Trump Restored Rank; IG Complaint Accuses Admiral of Contempt for President   The Navy has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday on removing Special Warfare Operator Chief Eddie Gallagher from the Navy SEALs just days after President Trump… Read more…               Ambassador Sondland Accuses Trump and Rudy Giuliani of Pushing Investigation of Ukrainian Corruption   Ambassador Gordon Sondland was the guest of honor before the Schiff Show Trial on Wednesday morning. This is the second day of public testimony this… Read more…               EPIC! Rep. Nunes Reads Off List of Democrat Wacko Conspiracies and Lies in their Russian-Ukrainian Attempted Coups (VIDEO)   Ambassador Gordon Sondland was the guest of honor before the Schiff Show Trial on Wednesday morning. This is the second day of public testimony this… Read more…                 BREAKING: DOJ OIG Releases Report Showing FBI Spends $42 Million a Year on Secret Informants – And At Least One Was a Child Sex Offender!   A report released yesterday by the DOJ IG shows that the FBI is corrupt, mismanaged and sick.  The level of FBI mismanagement under the past… Read more…               More on Leaker Eric Ciaramella, the Anti-Trump CIA Spy Behind This Latest Deep State Attack on President Trump   Everybody knows who Eric Ciaramella is.  He’s the star of Rep. Adam Schiff’s impeachment sham.  Ciaramella was outed more than a month ago as the… Read more…               Steve Bannon’s “War Room” Live on The Gateway Pundit 9-10 AM ET – Wednesday 11-20-19   Former Trump Chief Strategist Steve Bannon launched a new radio show and podcast in October – “The War Room” – focusing on the latest impeachment… Read more…               Ted Malloch: The Ukrainian Minister of Defense   Guest post by Ted Malloch Lt. Col. Vindman and Steve Castor We just heard that National Security Council Ukraine desk officer, Lt Col Alexander Vindman,… Read more…           Copyright © 2019 All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy This email was sent to rickbulow1974@gmail.com. You are receiving this email because you asked to receive information from The Gateway Pundit. We take your privacy and your liberty very seriously and will keep your information in the strictest confidence. Your name will not be sold to or shared with third parties. We will email you from time to time with relevant news and updates, but you can stop receiving information from us at any time by following very simple instructions that will be included at the bottom of any correspondence you should receive from us. Our mailing address is: 16024 Manchester Rd. | St. Louis, MO 63011 Unsubscribe

REALCLEARPOLITICS

11/20/2019 Share: Carl Cannon’s Morning Note Presented by Fisher Investments: Biden and Guns; Torture Silence; Eliza’s Mission Good morning, it’s Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. A new poll of registered New Hampshire voters has Mayor Pete Buttigieg surging to a significant lead in that state’s Feb. 11 Democratic presidential primary. This survey, done by the respected Saint Anselm College Survey Center, now has a 37-year-old small-city Indiana mayor leading five sitting U.S. senators and a former vice president. A CBS poll done only a week earlier, however, showed Elizabeth Warren in a commanding lead, with Joe Biden second, Bernie Sanders third, and Buttigieg fourth. That survey was conducted YouGov, a research firm with a solid track record. In other words, you can view these results and come away with a divergent deductions. One logical assumption, as the 2020 field assembles tonight for a debate in Atlanta, is that the Democrats’ primary electorate is still very impressionable. Another is that horse-race polling in a large field nearly three months before an election is equal parts art and social science. Either way, I’d submit to you that it underscores the wisdom of RealClearPolitics’ pioneering, and still unsurpassed, practice of averaging polls. Yesterday, I wrote about the Gettysburg Address, delivered on Nov. 19, 1863. This morning, I will use the Battle of Gettysburg to tell you about Eliza Farnham, an extraordinary American historical figure, a woman at the forefront of nearly every leading social cause of her age and someone who helped the wounded in that besieged Pennsylvania town days after the fighting ended. First, I’d point you to RealClearPolitics’ front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion columns spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters and contributors, including the following: * * * Biden, From Pro-Gun Senate Newbie to Gun-Control Gold Standard. Phil Wegmann tracks the 2020 candidate’s nearly five-decade evolution on the issue. Wisconsin Elections Panel Sued for Not Cleaning Up Voter Rolls. Mark Hemingway has the story. Dem Candidates Should Commit to Act on Torture Report. Mark Udall urges those taking the debate stage tonight to address a topic rarely discussed on the campaign trail — if at all. Iraq’s Chance. In RealClearWorld, Stephen Rasche warns that the future of pluralism in Iraq’s political system hangs in the balance as protests mount against the Shiite-controlled government. Congress Must Take Control of Money Back From the Fed. Alex Pollock offers a history lesson for lawmakers in RealClearMarkets. Apprenticeship Programs Reach an Inflection Point. In RealClearPolicy, Eric Seleznow writes that replacing retiring workers in key industries requires a commitment to age-old training programs. * * * Eliza Farnham (nee Eliza Woodson Burhans) was born 204 years ago this week in Rensselaerville, N.Y. Although little is known about her parents, Eliza’s mother died when she was 4 and she and her four siblings were scattered among their relations. Eliza was given to the care of an aunt and uncle, a home life she later described as characterized by “neglect and hardship.” She studied briefly at the Albany Female Academy before going to live with a married sister in Tazewell County, Ill. At 20, she married a local attorney originally from New England named Thomas Jefferson Farnham. Thomas Farnham may have been a country lawyer, but mainly he was an adventurer with a wanderer’s soul. The couple headed back to New York state. But as soon as Farnham ensconced his new wife in a house in Washington Hollow, outside Poughkeepsie, he headed out West. His widely read 1841 book, “Travels in the Great Western Prairies,” made him famous and only whetted his appetite for adventure. He traveled the Oregon Trail, sailed to the Sandwich Islands and then to California’s Monterey peninsula, helped get some American prisoners released from a Mexican prison, and went back to San Francisco, where he died in 1848. Eliza lived and worked with him for a while in California, but she developed her own passions and her own voice as a writer. She became active in the political and social movements of her day: abolition, women’s rights, and prison reform. In 1844, she was put in charge of the women’s division of New York’s Sing Sing prison. There, she ushered in a series of reforms ranging from allowing inmates to talk to each other — believe it or not, this was not the practice — and forming reading groups. Her evolution as a feminist thinker was an interesting one. Her first published essay, in 1843, argued against political rights for women on the theory that it would subvert their influence. In 1849, she tried to recruit more than a hundred women to travel to the Gold Rush fields on the theory that it would take wives to civilize California. (Three or four actually made the trip with her.) By 1859, however, Eliza was addressing the National Women’s Rights Convention in New York City, where she espoused her belief that women were not men’s equals — they were superior to men. These sentiments were never uttered by Eliza Farnham in a mean or spiteful way. She loved her fellow human beings, male and female, and had enough energy and empathy for a battalion of volunteers. One contemporary of hers described her this way: “She has nerves alone to explore the seven circles of Dante’s Hell.” She’d need all that fortitude and more when she got to Gettysburg the night of July 7, 1863. She described the scene she found in a letter to a friend in California. Here is an excerpt: “When we reached the place we were bound to, there appeared before us avenues of white tents under the green boughs, and many men moving about. But good God! What those quiet looking tents contained! What spectacles awaited us on the slopes of the rolling hills around us! It is absolutely inconceivable, unless you see it. There are miles of tents and acres of men lying on the open earth beneath the trees. I never could have imagined anything to compare with it. Dead and dying, and wounded, in every condition you can conceive after two days in such a rain of missiles. Old veterans who have seen all our battles, say that there never has been such firing anywhere for more than half an hour or so, as there was here for the greater part of nine hours. No wonder that men who were rushing upon and through and upon it, should be torn to pieces in every way. I worked from ten till half past four, without five minutes cessation, in spreading, cutting and distributing bread and butter. Such thankful eyes and stifled voices, and quivering lips, from poor fellows without legs, or arms, or hands, or terribly wounded otherwise, who had seen nothing but hardtack since they were hurt!” Carl M. Cannon  Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com For years, many pundits and politicians have claimed Internet behemoths are too powerful and monopolistic. Then, in June, the House announced they would launch a probe into several tech giants. Despite many possible outcomes, we don’t view these possibilities as a reason to avoid Tech now. Click here to read more of this message, brought to you by Fisher Investments.

Having trouble viewing this email? | [Unsubscribe] | Update Subscription Preferences  Copyright © 2019 RealClearHoldings, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email becuase you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: RealClearHoldings666 Dundee RoadBldg. 600Northbrook, IL 60062 Add us to your address book

BERNARD GOLDBERG

• Subscribe
• Past Issues
• RSS
• Translate

A new post from Bernie. Off the Cuff: San Francisco’s Self-Chosen Decline By Bernard Goldberg on Nov 20, 2019 02:00 am Below is a sneak peek of this content! In my Off the Cuff audio commentary this week, I look at the steady, self-chosen decline of San Francisco, topped off by the city’s recent election of Chesa Boudin to the office of District Attorney. You can listen to it by clicking… CONTINUE Read More » More to read: Produced and Directed by … Adam Schiff Campus Editors Apologize to Cupcakes … for Practicing Journalism Bernie’s Q&A: Amy Robach, Trump’s Kids, Brian Stelter, Elizabeth Warren, and more! (11/15) — Premium Interactive ($4 members) Off the Cuff: The Electoral Gift Trump Has to Be Hoping For Brian Stelter and CNN Strike Again Become A Fan Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Want emails sent directly to you? SIGN UP NOW In this issue: Off the Cuff: San Francisco’s Self-Chosen Decline Want to Help Spread the Word? Forward this Email! About Bernie Bernard Goldberg, the television news reporter and author of Bias, a New York Times number one bestseller about how the media distort the news, is widely seen as one of the most original writers and thinkers in broadcast journalism.  He has covered stories all over the world for CBS News and has won 13 Emmy awards for excellence in journalism.  He won six Emmys at CBS, and seven at HBO, where he now reports for the widely acclaimed broadcast Real Sports. [Read More…] Bernie’s Amazon Page    follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2019 BernardGoldberg.com, All rights reserved.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

HOT AIR

ADVERTISEMENT

China is Poised to Trigger this Secret “Trap Door” on the U.S. Dollar A growing number of experts believe that China is ready to make an announcement so big, it could crush the savings of millions of Americans. Are you one of them? ==> Here’s How to Protect Your Savings from this “Dollar Trap Door”

Corporate fallout: Prince Andrew’s event loses support over Epstein story Karen Townsend Former Baltimore Mayor finally indicted on fraud charges Jazz Shaw Sondland opening statement: The quid pro quo was real, and it was spectacular; Update: Trump never told me about it “ever” Ed Morrissey All the marbles? House Dems face make-or-break with Sondland; Update: Trashing Rudy, with breadcrumbs to …? Ed Morrissey ADVERTISEMENT   China Just Launched this Attack on the USD   Alan Greenspan Warns of this U.S. Scheme to Confiscate Your Savings   The Little-Known (But Legal) IRS Tax Law to Move Your IRA or 401(k) to Gold The coming (verbal) assault on Mayor Pete and… the “gay question” Jazz Shaw Hoo boy: Media outlets withdraw claim that the U.S. has 100,000 migrant children in custody Allahpundit Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery: Honoring our animal heroes Karen Townsend Is the Hong Kong protest movement over for now? John Sexton Ukrainian official: I was joking when I asked Vindman to be our secretary of defense Allahpundit Uh oh: US walks out on South Korea talks over military cost-sharing Ed Morrissey John Kennedy to Bureau of Prisons chief: Christmas ornaments, drywall, and Jeffrey Epstein don’t hang themselves Allahpundit Poll: Pete Buttigieg surging in New Hampshire John Sexton In lawsuit, vegan claims BK’s Impossible Whopper is “contaminated by meat” Jazz Shaw GOP witness Kurt Volker on Burisma: I don’t believe Joe Biden ever did or would abuse his office Allahpundit ESPN’s Smith erupts: How dare you question my motives over Kaepernick criticism Ed Morrissey Protesters shut down speech at Binghamton University, two arrested John Sexton L.A. voters think money spent on homelessness is going down a rat hole Jazz Shaw White House tweet: Vindman’s own boss had concerns about his judgment, you know Allahpundit Ratcliffe: Come on, House Dems haven’t shown bribery of any definition Ed Morrissey Today’s hot #TEMS topics: Scott Adams and Loserthink, impeachment sinks, Middle America thinks, Kaepernick’s brink, and more! Ed Morrissey Labour trails Tories as Jeremy Corbyn promises nationalization of industries (Update) John Sexton Huh. Sweden dropping rape charges against Assange Jazz Shaw Today’s Beltway mystery: Did Obama officials leave “you will fail” notes all over the White House? Ed Morrissey Dem presidential candidate vows: Elect me and I’ll lock Trump up* Allahpundit Leaked intelligence documents reveal how Iranian agents infiltrated Iraq John Sexton Lawsuit: Ben & Jerry lying about their “happy cows” Jazz Shaw Hmmm: Prosecutors file charges against two Epstein prison guards; Update: Suicide case closed? Ed Morrissey The most important question in politics today: Who farted? Allahpundit Owning the libs (or cons) with… your blue jeans? Jazz Shaw

LATEST HEADLINES NYT “This White House appears to be cannibalizing itself” Christopher Dickey Nikki Haley used system for unclassified material to send “confidential” information Kimberly Ross Conservatives boycotting Chick-fil-A are silly Yahoo News Rashida Tlaib: Trump impeachment hearings “very liberating” Banco, Suebsaeng Sondland was talking to Zelensky allies about Biden investigations in mid-May Costas Christ What if all that flying is good for the planet? NYT After keeping a careful distance from Trump, Nikki Haley is all in NBC Sondland opening statement: “We followed the president’s orders” Time Mike Pompeo is searching for a safe exit from State ahead of Senate run, GOP sources say NYT Navy wants to eject from SEALs a sailor cleared by Trump, officials say NYT Report: Pompeo knew of Sondland’s efforts to pressure Ukraine on Burisma NY Post I have a favorite child and I’m not afraid to admit it Amanda Mull America’s best drug dealers are A-list celebrities Ben Weingarten Americans need to stop funding the Chinese gulag AP Could Haley’s role in Trump administration taint a 2024 bid? Margaret Renkl How not to kill an animal Kurt Bardella Speculating about Trump’s health is “dangerous,” but Hillary Clinton’s was fair game? Rod Dreher Why Chick-fil-A’s surrender matters Michael Gerson Trump spurs a Wild West of continuously worsening political rhetoric Jack Shafer Yes, it’s OK to speculate on the president’s health ADVERTISEMENT   China Just Launched this Attack on the USD   Alan Greenspan Warns of this U.S. Scheme to Confiscate Your Savings   The Little-Known (But Legal) IRS Tax Law to Move Your IRA or 401(k) to Gold

__________________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO__________________________ WERE YOU FORWARDED THIS EDITION OF THE HOT AIR DAILY? You can get your own free subscription to the #1 blog delivered to your email inbox early each morning by visiting: http://www.hotair.com This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive this newsletter on Hot Air OR a friend forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address immediately. Visit the Townhall Media Preference Center to manage your subscriptions You can unsubscribe by clicking here.. Or Send postal mail to: Hot Air Daily Unsubscribe P.O Box 9660, Arlington, VA 22219 * Copyright Hot Air and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.

NBC

From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Ben Kamisar FIRST READ: Get ready for a big day in American politics If you thought the political news was already intense, dizzying and historic, brace yourself for what’s happening today.   Beginning at 9:00 am ET on Capitol Hill, E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland testifies in the impeachment probe – the most highly anticipated public hearing yet in the proceedings.   Then, at 2:30 pm ET, Laura Cooper of the Defense Department and David Hale of the State Department have their turns before the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment inquiry.   And at 9:00 pm ET from Atlanta, 10 Democratic presidential candidates – Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Andrew Yang, Amy Klobuchar, Tulsi Gabbard, Cory Booker and Tom Steyer – participate in the fifth round of Dem debates, this one hosted by MSNBC and the Washington Post.   Phew.   Sondland’s testimony is significant because it comes after the State Department’s David Holmes revealed behind closed-door testimony that he overheard a phone conversation between the E.U. ambassador and President Trump, in which the two men discussed “the investigation” – ostensibly into Joe Biden.   “I then heard President Trump ask, quote, ‘So he’s going to do the investigation?’ unquote. Ambassador Sondland replied that, ‘He’s going to do it,’ adding that President Zelensky will quote, ‘Do anything you ask him to,’” Holmes told investigators. Olivier Douliery / AFP via Getty Images More from Holmes after that call: “I asked Ambassador Sondland if it was true that the president did not give sh*t about Ukraine. Ambassador Sondland agreed that the president did not give a sh*t about Ukraine. I asked why not, and Ambassador Sondland stated, the president on cares about, quote, unquote, big stuff… Ambassador Sondland replied that he meant, quote, unquote, big stuff that benefits the president, like the quote, unquote, Biden investigation that Mr. Giuliani was pushing.”   Does Sondland confirm the details of that phone conversation, which he didn’t disclose in his earlier testimony?   If so, it would be the first testimony directly tying the president of the United States to the effort asking Ukraine to investigate the Bidens – outside of the partial transcript of that July 25 call, of course.   Sondland, if you’ll recall, already revised his testimony once before when he admitted that suspended aid to Ukraine had become linked to the country’s “proposed anti-corruption statement.”   Today’s a big day, and we’ll likely know just how big by about 10:00 am ET or 10:30 am ET this morning. What we learned during yesterday’s testimony If Kurt Volker and Tim Morrison were supposed to be the best witnesses yet for the GOP, what does that say about where Republicans stand when it comes to the SUBSTANCE in the impeachment inquiry?   Here are some of the highlights from yesterday’s testimony:   Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine: “I have learned many things that I did not know at the time of the events in question,” he said in his opening statement. “I did not know of any linkage between the hold on security assistance and Ukraine pursuing investigations. No one had ever said that to me — and I never conveyed such a linkage to the Ukrainians.”   Dem attorney Daniel Goldman: “What did ambassador Sondland tell you that he told Mr. Yermak [an aide to Ukraine’s president]? Former National Security Council official Tim Morrison: “That the Ukrainians would have to have the prosecutor general make a statement with respect to the investigations as a condition of having the aid lifted.”   Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman: “I was concerned by the [July 25] call, what I heard was inappropriate.”   Vice-presidential aide Jennifer Williams: Said she “found the July 25th phone call unusual because, in contrast to other presidential calls I had observed, it involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter.” DATA DOWNLOAD: And the number of the day is … 20 That’s the estimated number of hours of public testimony so far in the impeachment probe, according to NBC’s Capitol Hill team.   As of the end of Tuesday, seven different witnesses have testified before the House Intelligence Committee for roughly 20 hours.   That number, of course, will only increase after today’s testimony. 2020 VISION: The Democrats went down to Georgia Joe Raedle/Getty Images In addition to today’s big testimony on Capitol Hill, the Democratic presidential candidates will be participating in their fifth round of debates tonight – from Atlanta.   MSNBC and the Washington Post are hosting the debate, which takes place at 9:00 pm ET, and the moderators are MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, NBC’s Kristen Welker and the Washington Post’s Ashley Parker.   The different Dem debates have brought us different frontrunners. In June and July, Joe Biden was the overwhelming frontrunner.   In September and October, Biden shared that frontrunner status with Elizabeth Warren.   And for tonight, you can argue that there’s a Big Four of frontrunners – Biden, Warren, Pete Buttigieg (who’s been leading in the Iowa polling) and Bernie Sanders. On the campaign trail today: The fifth round of Democratic debates takes place in Atlanta beginning at 9:00 pm ET…. Julián Castro, who isn’t participating in the debate, holds a housing roundtable in Atlanta… Deval Patrick, who also isn’t participating, is in South Carolina… And on the GOP side, Bill Weld stumps in New Hampshire. Dispatches from NBC’s campaign embeds: Joe Biden picked up his 19th congressional endorsement, per NBC’s Marianna Sotomayor.   The Biden campaign released the following information about Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader’s endorsement: Schrader “represents the kind of geographically diverse swing district that will be key to winning the presidency in 2020.”   Schrader, in his endorsement said, “Two things matter most in this election – beating Donald Trump, and getting things done in his wake – and Joe Biden is the one candidate with the experience and heart needed to do them both. I know that Joe can win in tough districts all across this country, giving Democrats a lift up and down the ballot. And once in office, Joe is the one candidate who has what it takes to work with the other side to get real things done.”   And Stacey Abrams spoke at a roundtable about voter suppression in Georgia, ahead of the Democratic debate.   Per NBC’s Priscilla Thompson opened her speech quipping, “”My name is Stacey Abrams and I am not the governor of Georgia.” Thompson reports, “She emphasized the importance of accessibility to the ballot for all types of voters. ‘Our accessibility has to be more than lip service and it has to be more than a website,’ she said. ‘It has to be real.’” TWEET OF THE DAY: I do not think it means what you think it means ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss  The New York Times previews Ambassador Gordon Sondland’s testimony and the discrepancies between his previous testimony and what the House has heard from other witnesses.    Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s quick rise at the polls makes him an obvious target for other Democrats on Wednesday’s debate stage, Politico reports.    Here are 10 takeaways from Tuesday’s impeachment hearings.  President Trump blasted the media for speculation that his recent trip to Walter Reed was anything more than a routine visit.  The State Department is denying a Time Magazine report that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is looking toward the door. Thanks for reading. If you’re a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here.   We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions.   Thanks,  Chuck, Mark, and Ben