FBI seeks interview with CIA whistleblower

The FBI recently sought to question the CIA whistleblower who filed a complaint over President Trump's July 25 Ukraine call — a move that came after a vigorous internal debate within the bureau over how to respond to some of the issues raised by the complaint's allegations and whether they needed to be more thoroughly investigated, according to sources familiar with the matter. An FBI agent in the Washington field office in October reached out to one of the lawyers representing the whistleblower and asked to question the CIA analyst who triggered the congressional inquiry into the president's conduct, one of the sources said. It is unclear what the intended scope of the interview would be or whether the whistleblower's lawyers will agree to it.

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  Whistleblower's lawyer calls out 'lying' Republican in Trump impeachment hearing: 'You ignore the facts'

  The Independent
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  FBI has sought to speak with the whistleblower whose complaint sparked impeachment inquiry

  USA TODAY

Obama aides deny they left behind nasty notes when they departed White House — in 2017

Alumni of the Obama administration reacted with disbelief and outrage to a claim from White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham that incoming Trump administration officials found insulting notes left behind for them in their offices. “We came into the White House, I'll tell you something,” said Grisham during a local radio interview Tuesday morning, as reported by CNN's Abby Phillip. In the nearly three years since the presidential transition, no Trump administration officials have mentioned the notes or produced any photos that would support Grisham's charge.

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  Trump spokeswoman says Obama aides left mean notes in White House

  AFP
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  'This is another bald faced lie': Ex-Obama officials blast Grisham's claim they left 'you will fail' notes

  USA TODAY

Son of former German president stabbed to death in Berlin

The son of former German president Richard von Weizsaecker was stabbed to death while he was giving a lecture at a hospital in Berlin where he worked as a head physician, police said Wednesday. A 57-year-old German man is in custody after he jumped up from the audience at the Schlosspark-Klinik and attacked Fritz von Weizsaecker with a knife on Tuesday evening. Von Weizsaecker died at the scene from a knife wound to the neck despite immediate attention from colleagues, said Martin Steltner, a spokesman for Berlin prosecutors.

Homeless Numbers in San Francisco Much Worse, According to City Data

Many cities across California this year announced sharp increases in homelessness. For years, city governments have measured homelessness by sending out volunteers on a single night to count, as best they could, the number of homeless people they found on the streets or in shelters. Over the course of a full year, the city counted twice as many homeless people — 17,595 people, a 30% jump from the previous year.

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  The Homeless Fund: 24-hour shelter can make us feel whole again, says IT trainer who slept on buses

  The Independent
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  Jorja Smith to play Shelter Christmas concert at Union Chapel in London

  The Independent

Syracuse University has suspended all fraternity activities for the rest of the semester after a black student said a group of students accosted her and called her a racial slur

Elstad Ranch/Flickr Syracuse University's fraternities had their social activities canceled for the rest of the semester after a black student said members of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity called her the N-word. It was the latest in a series of reported racist and anti-Semitic incidents to sweep the upstate New York campus since November 7. Syracuse University has canceled all fraternity social activities for the rest of the semester after a black student reported a racist attack.

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  Students Protest a Series of Racist Incidents at Syracuse University. Here's What to Know

  Time
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  White supremacist manifesto reportedly shared at Syracuse University

  KABC – Los Angeles

American Airlines admits a midair accident that knocked out 2 flight crew was not caused by spilled soap

American Airlines admitted Tuesday the powerful fumes that knocked two flight attendants unconscious and forced a flight to make an emergency landing were not caused by spilled soap, as the airline had previously claimed.

MSNBC Host: GOP Hinting at Vindman Dual Loyalty ‘Perhaps Inspired’ by Fox News

MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace laced into Republicans for not-so-subtly implying during Tuesday's impeachment hearings that National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman could have dual loyalty. The GOP's line of questioning, the MSNBC host suggested, was inspired by pro-Trump hosts at Fox News. During a break in Tuesday's testimony, Wallace asked MSNBC correspondent Garrett Haake about counsel Steve Castor questioning Vindman about a Ukrainian official asking him if he'd be interested in becoming Ukraine's minister of defense.

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  Whistleblower's lawyer calls out 'lying' Republican in Trump impeachment hearing: 'You ignore the facts'

  The Independent
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  Trump impeachment witness told to issue a public statement of loyalty to president on camera

  The Independent

Mexicans sue Walmart over El Paso shooting

Mexico's government said Wednesday it has helped 10 Mexican citizens file lawsuits against Walmart over an August shooting at a store in El Paso, Texas, where a suspected white nationalist killed 22 people. "The objective of these suits, presented in El Paso county, is to hold the company responsible for not taking reasonable and necessary measures to protect its clients from the attack," the foreign ministry said in a statement. Eight Mexicans were killed and eight wounded in the August 3 attack in El Paso, a city on the US-Mexican border where 83 percent of the population is Latino.

Ukrainian gas executive cooperating in US probe of Giuliani

Federal prosecutors are planning to interview an executive with Ukraine's state-owned gas company as part of an ongoing probe into the business dealings of Rudy Giuliani and two of his Soviet-born business associates. A lawyer for Andrew Favorov confirmed Tuesday that he is scheduled to meet voluntarily with the U.S. Justice Department. Favorov is the director of the integrated gas division at Naftogaz, the state-owned gas provider in Ukraine.

Israel Nears Unprecedented Third Vote as Gantz Coalition Bid Fails

Former military chief Benny Gantz failed to muster enough support in parliament to form a government and dislodge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, bringing Israel closer to its third election in a year and prolonging its drawn-out political gridlock. Four weeks after Netanyahu fell short in that same task, political newcomer Gantz -- the only politician to present a serious challenge to the prime minister over the past decade -- informed Israeli President Reuven Rivlin that he couldn't cobble together a governing coalition.

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  The Latest: Netanyahu challenger fails to form coalition

  Associated Press
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  New Israel elections loom as Gantz says can't form govt

  AFP

10 Things We Want to Leave Behind in the 2010s

Imagine the next decade without Facebook, robocalls, and exploding phones. We feel better already. From Popular Mechanics

Russia's TU-22M3 Backfire Bomber Has A New Supersonic Missile (And The Navy Is Worried)

Russia's much-feared Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire is getting a new upgrade and is adding a new long-range supersonic missile called the Kh-32. The upgrade will allow the massive jet to once again hit allied targets across the North Atlantic region just as the Backfire once did during the Cold War. The bomber and its new weapon will be delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces in October.

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  China's H-6 Bombers Just Got Even Deadlier Against America's Navy

  The National Interest
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  Navy Killer: Is This China’s Dangerous New Anti-Ship Missile?

  The National Interest

The Latest: Pope commits Church to work with Thai Buddhists

Pope Francis is committing the Catholic Church to working more with Thailand's majority Buddhists to launch projects to care for the poor and the environment. Francis made the pledge during a meeting Thursday with the supreme Buddhist patriarch at the Wat Ratchabophit temple. It was the second time a pope has called on the spiritual leader of Thailand's Buddhists, after St. John Paul II visited the temple in 1984.

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  Visiting Thailand, Pope condemns exploitation of women and children

  Reuters
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  Pope Francis calls for action to safeguard women, children

  Associated Press

This New JetBlue Security Question Is Proving Almost Impossible to Answer. Or Is It?

A security question from JetBlue is asking parents to do something they'd likely never do in public, or even on the semi-privacy of their browsing session: share the name of their favorite child. In a screenshot posted on Twitter Sunday, a user shared part of the account sign-up process on JetBlue's website — specifically, the security questions page. Naturally, the first response was a GIF of “baby Yoda” from the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian, a character that has recently become the internet's favorite child.

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  If The Mandalorian Fills in the Blanks of Yoda's Origin, It Would Be Historic

  PopSugar
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  The Star of ‘The Mandalorian:’ Baby Yoda

  Variety

US aircraft carrier transits Strait of Hormuz

The US aircraft carrier strike group Abraham Lincoln sailed through the key Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday to show Washington's "commitment" to freedom of navigation, the Pentagon said, amid tensions with Tehran. The group's move through the strategic waterway separating Iran and the United Arab Emirates towards the Gulf was scheduled, and unfolded without incident, the US Navy said in a statement. It was the first time a US aircraft carrier group went through the strait since Iran downed a US drone in June in the same area.

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  The U.S. Navy Loves Its Aircraft Carriers, But Are They Becoming Obsolete?

  The National Interest
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  Why Is Brazil Selling Their Aircraft Carrier?

  The National Interest

House Republicans Ask Schiff to Subpoena Hunter Biden, Ukraine Whistleblower to Appear Before Intel Committee

House Republicans on Wednesday requested that the House Intelligence Committee issue subpoenas for the testimony of Hunter Biden as well as the anonymous whistleblower who filed a complaint against President Trump. In a letter addressed to Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, the committee's ranking Republican, Devin Nunes, and the House Oversight Committee's ranking Republican, Jim Jordan, said they will issue subpoenas for documents and communications relating to the whistleblower complaint and Hunter Biden's lucrative position at Ukranian gas company Burisma Holdings.

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  Rep. Devin Nunes: Once again, Americans have seen another failure of Democrats' preposterous conspiracy theory

  FOX News Videos
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  Twitter Users Can't Help But Notice Devin Nunes Doesn't Look Happy

  HuffPost

India Army to Cut Sniper Rifle Orders by About 70%

The Indian Army plans to buy just 1,800 state-of-the-art sniper rifles and 2.7 million rounds of ammunition -- less than a third of its total requirement -- driven by budgetary constraints and the need to speed up deliveries, people with knowledge of the matter said. The military pruned its original requirement of 5,720 sniper rifles and 10 million rounds of ammunition, which would have cost $140 million, to prioritize spending and advance the purchase of more modern equipment, they said, asking not to be identified as the information isn't public. Indian Army spokesman Aman Anand said he had no comment to offer on the change in procurement plans.

Teen used remote-controlled car to smuggle meth across US border, officials say

A 16-year-old boy allegedly tried to smuggle methamphetamine across the U.S.-Mexico border with a remote-controlled car. Border Patrol agents arrested the teen Sunday, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release Tuesday. This attempt comes two years after drug traffickers flew a remote-controlled drone to drop a 13-pound package of methamphetamine across the border, also resulting in an arrest.

• Boy suspected of using remote control car to smuggle drugs

  Associated Press
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  Teen accused of using remote-controlled car to smuggle meth

  CBS News

Isil leaders with 'vast amounts of cash' planning comeback in Turkey, Iraq spy chief claims

Senior Islamic State members with access to “huge” amounts of money are in Turkey and plotting a comeback, an Iraqi spy chief has warned. Lieutenant General Saad al-Allaq, head of Iraq's Military Intelligence, claimed in an interview with CNN that Iraq has given Ankara dossiers on nine alleged leaders of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), including top financiers for the terror group. The general said senior Isil figures known as "emirs" have access to vast reserves of cash and were forming new cells in Turkey.

Forget the Bombs or Missiles: Iran's Intelligence Machine Is Quite Powerful

Very rarely do any of us on the outside world know with much clarity about what exactly is going on in the world of Iranian intelligence. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iranian military intelligence, and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security are notorious for their secrecy and efficiency. General Qassem Soleimani, the long-time director of the IRGC's Quds Force, is one of the most popular public figures in Iran today and has long been a household name (and a major irritant) for U.S. intelligence officers.

Police: White teen girl aimed to attack black Georgia church

A white 16-year-old girl is accused of plotting to attack a mostly black church in a north Georgia city, where police say she planned to kill worshippers because of their race. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church has a predominantly black congregation, Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said in a statement Tuesday. “Our investigation indicated the church was targeted by the juvenile based on the racial demographic of the church members,” he said.

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  Teenage girl accused of plotting to attack black church

  ABC News Videos
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  16-Year-Old Girl Accused of Planning Attack on Black Church in Georgia

  Meredith Videos