2020 Vision Monday: Polls show a 17-point swing toward impeaching Trump, which could drag down his reelection bid

As of three weeks ago, a majority of Americans — 51.1 percent, on average — opposed impeaching President Trump. As of today, opposition to impeachment has plummeted 7 percentage points (to 44 percent) and support has climbed nearly 10 points (to 49.8 percent), according to FiveThirtyEight's preliminary polling tracker. It still seems unlikely, although perhaps slightly less so, that Senate Republicans will ever abandon Trump and vote to remove him from office, even if most voters eventually want them to.

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  Nancy Pelosi doesn't have to hold House impeachment inquiry vote. But the speaker should.

  USA TODAY Opinion
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  Rep. Stephen Lynch: The inquiry is to bring out evidence

  FOX News Videos

Hong Kong's leader: Territory not becoming a police state

Hong Kong's leader said Tuesday that "it's totally irresponsible and unfounded" to suggest the semi-autonomous Chinese territory is becoming a police state as her government grapples with protests now in their fifth month. In a spirited defense of Hong Kong's 30,000-strong police force and her handling of the protests in response to criticism from visiting U.S. senators, Carrie Lam challenged the notion that the territory is losing its freedoms, unique in China, as police battle demonstrators in the streets. "I would challenge every politician to ask themselves if the large extent of violent acts, and all those petrol bombs and arson and deadly attacks on policemen, happened in their own country, what would they do?

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  Thousands Rally in Hong Kong to Urge US to Pass 'Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act'

  Storyful
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  Hong Kong leader's policy speech to focus on housing in bid to regain support

  Reuters

In Jamal Khashoggi's death, Saudi money is talking louder than murder

Anyone interested in what it looks like to get away with murder should peruse the attendee list for Saudi Arabia's flashy "Davos in the Desert" this month. Vaporizing into the desert heat is all the righteous alarm that compelled leading financial firms to boycott the event last year out of concern that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, weeks before, had ordered the grisly killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Attending this year's extravaganza are executives of JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, all of them institutions selected to underwrite the kingdom's highly anticipated, partial public offering of its oil company, Aramco, valued $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion.

When police misconduct occurs, records often stay secret. One mom's fight to change that.

Furious about the way she was treated, she worked with other families whose relatives were killed by police to help push for the recent passage of California's new Senate Bill 1421, which as of January 1 overrides decades of precedent and requires police departments to open internal investigation records related to deadly force and police wrongdoing. The law could inspire reform at police departments across the nation at a time when the relationship between police and the public is fraught with tension following numerous fatal shootings, particularly involving victims of color.

Climate change researchers recommend banning all frequent flyer reward programs to cut carbon emissions by targeting jet-setters

A new report commissioned by the Committee on Climate Change, the UK government's official climate-change advisers, has called for a ban on all frequent flyer reward programs to discourage people from traveling by air so much. Researchers from Imperial College London, who wrote the report, said that just 15% of the entire British population take 70% of all flights from the country. The report also called for an "air miles levy" to punish people who fly long distances, which would target those who rack up the most air miles, rather than people who travel shorter distances.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faces backlash over haircut

This week, the Washington Times published a story saying that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. had spent $80 on a haircut and $180 on color at a Washington, D.C., salon, a choice the newspaper presented as hypocritical, given she “regularly rails against the rich and complains about the cost of living inside the Beltway.

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  Fernando Cabrera explains why he's launching a primary challenge to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

  FOX News Videos
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  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Political Cost of Hair

  The New York Times

Soldier wounded during search for Bowe Bergdahl dies of his injuries

A US soldier shot in the head during the 2009 search for army deserter Bowe Bergdahl has died from his injuries. Army Master Sgt. Mark Allen died on Saturday at the age of 46, 10 years after being injured in the hunt for his missing comrade. He spent 21 years in the army and national guard, and retired in 2013 on receiving the Purple Heart.

Russia denies US news report it bombed 4 Syria hospitals in 12 hours

Russia on Monday denied a US newspaper report that its warplanes bombed four hospitals in rebel-held territory in Syria over a period of 12 hours this year. The Russian defence ministry rubbished the claim in a report by The New York Times, saying "the alleged 'evidence' provided by the NYT is not worth even the paper it was printed on". The May strikes -- which the newspaper tied to Moscow through Russian radio recordings, plane spotter logs and accounts by witnesses -- are part of a larger pattern of medical facilities targeted by forces supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's devastating civil war.

• 12 Hours. 4 Syrian Hospitals Bombed. Evidence Reveals One Culprit: Russia.

  The New York Times
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  Trump pulling all U.S. troops from northern Syria amid Turkish onslaught

  CBS News Videos

The U.S. Army’s Robot Tanks Could Arrive Years Early

The U.S. Army future robotic army is taking shape faster, and better, than some officials expected. There's a lot of excitement in industry, in the Army, and we've seen industry ahead of our timeline a little bit,” Brig. Gen. Richard Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross Functional Team, told Breaking Defense reporter Sydney Freedberg, Jr. “We are adjusting our expectations. After reviewing the unmanned ground vehicle demonstrators that companies are developing for various Army requirements, Coffman told Freedberg he was impressed by the levels of autonomy and modularity.

White House: Trump 'strongly condemns' parody video of him shooting critics and media outlets in church

The White House on Monday tried to distance itself from a violent parody video that shows President Trump shooting and stabbing critics and members of the media in a church. “But based upon everything he has heard, he strongly condemns this video,” Grisham tweeted. According to the New York Times, the crude video was shown at a pro-Trump conference at the president's Doral Miami resort over the weekend, where Donald Trump Jr. and former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders were among the guest speakers.

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  Violent parody video shown at Trump resort, New York Times reports

  Yahoo News Video
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  Brooke Baldwin To Trump: Why Is It Taking You So Long To Condemn That Video?

  HuffPost

Flooded bullet trains show Japan's risks from disasters

Experts say they also instill a false sense of security in a country inured to danger by the constant threat of calamitous earthquakes, tsunami and volcanos. "Weather conditions in Japan up to now have been relatively moderate," said Toshitaka Katada, a disaster expert and professor at the University of Tokyo. Those days are over, and Japan's readiness for disasters, still based on data collected decades ago, hasn't kept up with the times, he said.

Kamala Harris’s Offices Fought Payments to Wrongly Convicted

It took 19 years for his conviction to be reversed -- and two more years for the State of California to grant him compensation for the time he was wrongfully imprisoned. Diaz's battle with Harris' office began in 2012 when a judge reversed his conviction. As state attorney general, her staff vigorously resisted his claim for compensation and tried to make him re-register as a sex offender, despite a formal ruling in April 2013 that he was innocent.

Disney Skyliner reopens with modified hours after stranding passengers last week

Disney's Skyliner is up and running again with modified service after the new aerial cable car system stranded passengers for hours the night of Oct. 5. "Beginning today, guests may travel aboard Disney Skyliner from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.," reads an update on Walt Disney World Resort's Skyliner landing page. "Following a complete review with the manufacturer, we've made adjustments to our processes and training, and we are improving how we communicate with guests during their flight with Disney Skyliner," Thomas Smith, editorial content director at Disney Parks, wrote in a blog post on Monday.

Anthony Scaramucci is desperately trying to recruit Mitt Romney for a 2020 run

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is running for president again — at least in Anthony Scaramucci's dreams. The famously short-lived White House communications director has since turned on the president who appointed him, and has publicly said he's trying to knock President Trump off the 2020 ticket. Now, it seems Scaramucci has decided on his dream candidate, and has launched a website and line of T-shirts to persuade him to run.

Family ends search for missing CEO after a body is found

The family of a missing Utah tech executive has called off a search for her after police reported that a body was found inside a parked car in the San Francisco Bay Area. Police in San Jose said the body was discovered Saturday in an area where Erin Valenti's family had been searching. "While we were praying for a different outcome, we are so appreciative for the help and support you have given," according to a Facebook post by the group Help Find Erin Valenti.

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  Family of a missing Utah tech executive has called off search after body found

  Yahoo News Video
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  Family believes body found in San Jose is their tech CEO daughter

  KGO – San Francisco

Harry Dunn: Parents reject apology from Anne Sacoolas as they fly to the United States

Mrs Sacoolas, who claimed diplomatic immunity and left Britain following the accident, has now written a letter expressing her "deepest sympathies and apologies" and offering to meet Harry's parents. But Ms Charles said: "My opinion on Anne Sacoolas now wanting to come forward and say sorry - to be perfectly honest, yes it's the start of some closure for our family. "Having said that, as it's nearly seven weeks now since we lost our boy, sorry just doesn't cut it.

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  Harry Dunn's mother 'won't meet US diplomat's wife' until she agrees to return to the UK

  Yahoo News UK
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  Harry Dunn's dad recounts last words to son killed in accident involving U.S. official's wife

  CBS News Videos

North Cyprus head stands firm in row over Turkey criticism

The leader of breakaway northern Cyprus, Mustafa Akinci, stood firm in the face of calls to resign on Monday after criticising Turkey's military offensive in Syria. Akinci, president of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, took the rare step over the weekend of criticising Turkey, the only country that recognises the TRNC. "Even if we call it 'Peace Spring', it is blood that is spilling and not water," he wrote on Facebook, referring to the codename of the Turkish military operation against Kurdish-held northeast Syria launched last Wednesday.

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  The US is preparing to pull its remaining 1,000 troops out of northern Syria as the Turkish offensive against the Kurds moves forward

  Business Insider
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  Putin’s Syria Gambit Delivers Again as Trump Sidelines U.S.

  Bloomberg

View Photos of Our Sports Sedan Battle Between the Dodge Charger and Kia Stinger GT

America's leading (and only) V-8 muscle sedan takes on Korea's upstart rear-drive hatchback in a battle of power versus poise. From Car and Driver

Trump adviser tells secret impeachment hearing she tried to stop Ukraine ambassador being fired

A former White House adviser has told the impeachment inquiry she strongly opposed the sacking of the former US ambassador to the Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. Fiona Hill, a British-born expert on Russia, revealed her repeated resistance to the dismissal as she gave evidence behind closed doors for more than ten hours on Monday, according to reports. Ms Hill's testimony came three days after Ms Yovanovitch told House investigators that Donald Trump had mounted a “concerted campaign” to remove her from the post from as early as September 2018.

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  John Bolton Instructed Aide To Warn White House Lawyers About Rudy Giuliani: Reports

  HuffPost
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  The Week in Washington: Rudy in Hot Water

  Vogue

Nigerian police rescue 67 from 'inhuman' conditions at Islamic 'school'

Police in northern Nigeria rescued nearly 70 men and boys from a second purported Islamic school where they were shackled and subjected to "inhuman and degrading treatments." The raid in Katsina, the northwestern home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, came less than a month after about 300 men and boys were freed from another supposed Islamic school in neighboring Kaduna state where they were allegedly tortured and sexually abused. "In the course of investigation, sixty-seven persons from the ages of 7 to 40 years were found shackled with chains," Katsina police spokesman Sanusi Buba said in a statement.

The Fastest Sedans in Lightning Lap History

A complete list of the fastest four-doors we've lapped after 13 years of Lightning Lap at VIR From Car and Driver

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  The McLaren Senna Set a New VIR Lap Record

  Road & Track
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  Michelin Brought an E36 M3 to Lightning Lap to Show How Temperatures Affect Lap Times

  Car and Driver

We found 85,000 cops who’ve been investigated for misconduct. Now you can read their records.

At least 85,000 law enforcement officers across the USA have been investigated or disciplined for misconduct over the past decade, an investigation by USA TODAY Network found. Despite their role as public servants, the men and women who swear an oath to keep communities safe can generally avoid public scrutiny for their misdeeds. The records of their misconduct are filed away, rarely seen by anyone outside their departments.

Caravan of 2,000 migrants detained in southern Mexico

TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — Mexican officials broke up a caravan of around 2,000 migrants that had set out from southern Mexico Saturday in the hopes of reaching the United States, amid increasing difficulty obtaining permission to pass through Mexico. Many of the migrants who departed from Tapachula, Chiapas early in the morning had been held up in this city just north of Guatemala for weeks or months, awaiting residency or transit papers from Mexican authorities. "I want to pass through Mexico, I don't want to live here," said Amado Ramirez, a migrant from Honduras who said he had been living on the streets of Tapachula with his young children and wife, hoping for a transit visa from Mexican officials.

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  Across the Pond: Mexico stops migrant caravan

  ABC News Videos
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  Hundreds of migrants corralled at detention center in Mexico

  Associated Press

Court Ruling Extends Vote Protest of Philippine Marcos’ Son

The Philippines' top court on Tuesday decided to release the initial results of the vice-presidential vote recount, which the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' son said will delay his chance to assume the post. Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is “frustrated” by the court's decision not to resolve his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo victory in the 2016 polls. Robredo is already halfway through her six-year term.