House Democrats ponder expanding impeachment probe after Sondland 'game changer' testimony

Ambassador Gordon Sondland's explosive testimony Wednesday that “everyone was in the loop” on President Trump's efforts to secure an investigation of a political rival prompted rank-and-file Democrats to discuss whether it was time to expand their probe. Sondland testified in minute detail — down to the names of staffers and code words used internally to identify officials like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — how Vice President Mike Pence, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, former national security advisor John Bolton and others knew the intimate details of Trump's plans. “Was there a quid pro quo?” Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, testified.

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  Fox News' take on Sondland's testimony: nothing to see here

  The Guardian
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  Trump reacts to damning testimony by claiming he barely knows Sondland: 'He seems like a nice guy'

  The Independent

Bolivia in crisis after ‘coup’ against president

Bolivian President Evo Morales, who had led the country for 14 years, resigned last week amid heated protests and pressure to leave from the country's military. Morales was a transformational figure in the often tumultuous history of the poor South American nation. The son of llama herders, he first rose to prominence as an advocate for coca leaf farmers before being elected as president in 2006 on a far-left socialist platform of redistributing wealth, fighting poverty and empowering the country's indigenous population.

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  Bolivia's indigenous divided over ousted champion Morales

  Reuters
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  Bolivia’s socialist party considers a future without Morales

  Associated Press

Russia 'ruined' Ukrainian naval vessels before handing them back, says Ukrainian navy

Three Ukrainian navy boats seized by Russia a year ago were vandalised before being handed back to Ukraine, the country's navy said. The fast gunboats Nikopol and Berdyansk and the tugboat Tany Kapu were welcomed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and onlookers waving national flags arrived in Ochakiv, a Ukrainian naval port on the Black Sea on Wednesday evening. But Ukraine's navy said the vessels had been stripped bare and left so badly damaged that they had to be towed home by tug.

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  Ukraine says Russia returned ships in bad condition

  Reuters
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  Three navy ships held by Russia return to Ukraine port

  AFP

Epstein Accuser Says He Tried to Traffic Her to Famous Hollywood Producer

Another Jeffrey Epstein accuser is suing the convicted sex offender's estate, accusing the disgraced financier of trafficking her around the world—including to a well known Hollywood producer. In a suit filed Thursday, Teala Davies claims she was introduced to Epstein as a struggling 17-year-old and lured into his orbit with promises of financial support. For more than two years, the suit claims, Epstein assaulted her and trafficked her to his homes in New York, New Mexico, France, and other locations.

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  Prince Andrew steps back from public duties for "foreseeable future"

  CBS News
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  ShowBiz Minute: Prince Andrew, 'The Banker,' West

  USA TODAY

Former Baltimore mayor pleads guilty to charges related to book sales

Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh pleaded guilty on Thursday to tax evasion and other federal charges related to sales of a self-published children's book as part of an illegal scheme to fund her election campaign. Pugh entered the plea on two counts of tax evasion, and one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The charges stem from sales of the book, "Healthy Holly" to a charity where Pugh served on the board.

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  The Latest: Former Baltimore mayor enters guilty pleas

  Associated Press
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  Former Baltimore Mayor Pleads Guilty on Charges of Conspiracy and Tax Evasion

  National Review

20 of the Most Beautiful Bridges in the World

Designed by world-renowned architects such as Zaha Hadid and Santiago Calatrava, these bridges are travel destinations in their own right Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

American Airlines admitted a mid-air accident that knocked out 2 flight crew and forced an emergency landing was not caused by spilled soap

Flickr/Oliver Holzbauer American Airlines admitted Tuesday that whatever knocked out two flight attendants and forced an emergency landing in October was not spilled soap, as the airline had previously claimed. On October 21, American Airlines flight 729 was flying from London Heathrow to Philadelphia, but was forced to land in Dublin, Ireland, when two staff members passed out. American Airlines said at the time that the incident was caused by "an odor caused by a spilled cleaning solution in the galley."

A Catholic priest condemned a teen's suicide at his own funeral. Now, his mom is suing

A Michigan mother is suing the Archdiocese of Detroit alleging that the priest who spoke at her son's funeral questioned whether her son would go to heaven after dying by suicide, adding to the family's suffering. Linda Hullibarger and her husband, Jeff, said they met with Rev. Don LaCuesta in 2018 to plan funeral services for their 18-year-old son, Maison, a straight-A student and outstanding athlete who died on Dec. 4. According to the complaint filed Thursday in Wayne County, the parents met with LaCuesta well before the funeral to make clear they wanted the priest to deliver a positive and uplifting message that celebrated the life of their son.

GOP claim that Trump cares about corruption takes a hit at impeachment hearing

In his questioning of David Hale, undersecretary of state for political affairs, Ratcliffe reprised a now familiar defense of the president, that putting a hold on military aid to Ukraine was done out of concern about corruption in the country. The reasons for the hold in summer 2019, during Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia, were not communicated either publicly or within the diplomatic and national security bureaucracy. Citing other recent instances in which congressionally approved U.S. foreign aid had been withheld without explanation, Ratcliffe asked Hale, “So, having no explanation for why aid is being withheld is not uncommon?

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  Read the full opening statement from David Holmes in public impeachment hearing

  USA TODAY
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  Impeachment hearings takeaways: Sondland says 'everyone was in the loop' about Trump's push for Ukraine investigations

  WPVI – Philadelphia

Sondland pressed on why Trump has blocked witnesses: 'I wish I could answer'

During his testimony Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee, Gordon Sondland was pressed on why so many members of the Trump administration, including the president himself, were refusing to testify in the impeachment inquiry. I wish I could answer,” responded Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union. His remark came at the end of an exchange with Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash.

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  Joe Biden turns impeachment to his advantage in fifth Democrat debate

  The Telegraph
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  Democrats tackle wealth tax, climate change, impeachment at 5th debate

  Yahoo Finance Video

Judge halts all scheduled federal executions

A judge has blocked the scheduled executions of four federal death row inmates, effectively freezing the Trump administration's effort to resume imposing the death penalty in a federal system that saw its last execution more than a decade and a half ago. The order issued Wednesday night by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan halts four executions that U.S. officials planned to carry out starting next month. The only other execution that officials had put on the calendar, also for December, was blocked last month by the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

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  U.S. judge stalls Trump administration bid to resume federal executions

  Reuters
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  The Latest: US may take federal execution case to high court

  Associated Press

'Can I actually say something?': Hill responds after GOP congressman failed to ask question

During former top national security adviser Fiona Hill's testimony, Hill said "All of us who came here ... felt we had a moral obligation to do so. We came as fact witnesses."

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  Fiona Hill blasts ‘fictional narrative’ that Ukraine interfered in elections

  ABC News Videos
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  'I've Never Seen Anything Like This.' These Are the Biggest Moments of Fiona Hill and David Holmes’ Impeachment Testimony

  Time

Mexicans sue Walmart over Texas shooting that left victims on both sides of border

Ten Mexican citizens have sued Walmart over the shooting at a store in the U.S. border town of El Paso, Texas, that killed eight Mexicans and left eight more injured, saying that Walmart did not do enough to protect its customers, Mexico said on Wednesday. The suspected gunman told police he was targeting "Mexicans" in the August shooting, which killed 22 people in total. Mexico's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the lawsuit, which was filed in Texas state court in El Paso County, aimed to hold the retailer accountable "for not taking reasonable and necessary measures to protect its customers."

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  10 Mexican Citizens File Suit Against Walmart Over El Paso Shooting

  Footwear News
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  Mexicans sue Walmart over El Paso shooting

  AFP

Yes, America Is Using Stealth Drones to Spy on Iran

But as tensions escalate between the United States and its allies including Saudi Arabia on one hand, and Iran and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the other hand, it's worth considering what other American aircraft might be in the region. The Pentagon maintains an extensive surveillance system in the Persian Gulf region that includes satellites, drones and ground- and sea-based sensors. Iran's shoot-down of a U.S. Navy Global Hawk drone in June 2019 put a dent in this system.

Benjamin Netanyahu was just indicted on fraud and bribery charges, becoming the first Israeli prime minister to be indicted in office

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday was indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges in three corruption cases. Netanyahu is accused of receiving gifts and positive news coverage in exchange for regulatory benefits from the government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday was indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges in three corruption cases, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced.

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  Benjamin Netanyahu Responds To Corruption Allegations

  Meredith Videos
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  A look at the corruption scandals facing Israel's Netanyahu

  Associated Press

Delisting Chinese Firms From U.S. Is a ‘Terrible Idea,’ Hank Paulson Says

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson said calls to oust Chinese companies from American stock indexes was contrary to the foundations of capitalism, as he warned against the dangers of decoupling the world's two largest economies. Paulson, who's now chairman of the Paulson Institute, told Bloomberg's New Economy Forum in Beijing that moves to reduce ties between the U.S. and China would weaken American leadership and New York's leading role in finance. “When the next crisis comes -- and a crisis will come, because financial crises are inevitable -- we will regret it if we lack mechanisms for the world's first and second-largest economies to coordinate,” Paulson told the forum on Thursday, according to a prepared version of his remarks.

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  Trump says U.S. is still talking to China on trade

  Reuters
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  China’s Xi Stresses Need for Equality in Phase One Trade Deal

  Bloomberg

US woman could be forced to register as a sex offender after appearing topless in front of step-children

An American woman could be forced to register as a sex offender after appearing topless in front of her step-children in her own home. Tilli Buchanan, from Utah, was charged with three counts of misdemeanour lewdness involving a child after appearing topless along with the children's father in their home last year. Ms Buchanan's lawyers are contesting the charge, arguing it is unfair to treat men and women differently for baring her chest.

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  Mother charged after step-children saw her topless inside their house

  WPVI – Philadelphia
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  Utah woman fights charge after stepkids see her topless

  Yahoo News Video

While you weren't sleeping: In face of impeachment, Trump pursues agenda on courts, environment, Israel and more

On Nov. 14, the U.S. Senate confirmed Steven Menashi to the Second Circuit, the high-profile federal appellate court in New York City that has produced three Supreme Court justices. Menashi was one of President Trump's most conservative nominees, one whose confirmation seemed threatened by his controversial positions on a number of issues and his role in crafting administration immigration policy. But he was ultimately endorsed by the Senate, giving Republican-appointed judges a majority on the Second Circuit — and giving Trump 162 judges on the federal bench.

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  Impeachment hearings: Ambassador to face questions about Trump, Ukraine

  WPVI – Philadelphia
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  Amid impeachment drama, Senate helps Trump move U.S. courts to the right

  Reuters

Israeli air strikes kill 23 in Syria: monitor

Israel said its warplanes carried out a "very intense" attack against Iranian forces and Syrian army targets in Syria Wednesday, in raids a monitoring group reported killed at least 23 people. In a rare confirmation of their operations in Syria, the Israeli army said they had carried out dozens of strikes against the Iranian elite Quds Force and the Syrian military, in response to four rockets fired at Israel a day before. Britain-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said 23 people were killed in the strikes -- 21 fighters and two civilians.

• Syrian shelling of camp housing displaced people kills 15

  Associated Press
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  Rebel fire kills 7 Aleppo civilians: Syrian state TV

  AFP

Military: 2 airmen killed in crash during Oklahoma training

Two airmen were killed Thursday in an accident involving two jets during the landing phase of a training exercise at a U.S. Air Force base in northwestern Oklahoma, a military official said. The crash occurred shortly after 9 a.m. at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Oklahoma City. Two airmen aboard one of the T-38 Talons were killed, Col. Corey Simmons, commander of the 71st Flying Training Wing, said during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

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  Jet accident at Oklahoma base kills 2

  ABC News Videos
• The Latest: 2 airmen died while landing at Oklahoma base

  Associated Press

'Don't let them in': Arrests made as hundreds protest Ann Coulter speech at UC Berkeley

A speech by conservative commentator Ann Coulter at University of California, Berkeley drew hundreds of protesters Wednesday night. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, police in riot gear guarded the building's entrances and barricades were erected in anticipation of the protests. Coulter was invited to speak by the Berkeley College Republicans for a speech about immigration called “Adios, America,” the Chronicle reported.

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  7 arrested during protest over Ann Coulter visit in Berkeley

  KGO – San Francisco
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  'Go Away': Hundreds Of Protesters Disrupt Ann Coulter Event At UC Berkeley

  HuffPost

Pot stocks soar as U.S. House committee clears bill on federal weed legalization

Shares of marijuana companies rose on Thursday after a U.S. congressional committee passed a legislation to decriminalize cannabis, taking it a step closer to being approved by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. The bill, which was passed 24 to 10 in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, sent shares of Canopy Growth , Aurora Cannabis , Aphria Inc and Tilray Inc up between 8% and 15%. "We think federal legalization would be a big positive for investor sentiment surrounding cannabis equities, which have been battered by oversupply and a steep price decline for the underlying commodity since becoming legal in Canada," said Garrett Nelso...

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  Bill that would decriminalize marijuana at federal level passes House vote

  CBS News Videos
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  In Congressional First, Committee Approves Bill To End Marijuana Ban

  HuffPost

Meet What Could be The U.S. Navy's Ultimate Weapon (As in a New Destroyer)

Washington D.C.) The Navy has laid the keel for its first new, Flight III DDG 51 surface warfare destroyer armed with improved weapons, advanced sensors and new radar 35-times more sensitive than most current systems, changing attack and defensive options for the surface fleet. Navy Flight III Destroyers have a host of defining new technologies not included in current ships such as more on-board power to accommodate laser weapons, new engines, improved electronics, fast-upgradeable software and a much more powerful radar. The Flight III Destroyers will be able to see and destroy a much wider range of enemy targets at farther distances.