PBC News & Comment: Former Ambassador Defies Trump, Talks to Committee

Ex-Ukraine Ambassador Yovanovitch says Trump pressured State Dept to yank her from Ukraine for resisting Giuliani schemes that include arrested cronies….--as Pelosi holds all-Dem conference call on impeachment, narrow focus on Ukraine is called into question
--in 2-1 vote, federal appeals court rules against Trump on tax returns
--Giuliani’s clients, Parnas and Fruman, helped with the Biden effort at the same time they were cruising for business deals
--former Secretary of State Rexxon Tillerson may provide damaging evidence in case of Giuliani client Reza Zarrab, after Trump promoted prisoner swap
--at WashPost, Aaron Blake notes the casual corruption and open lawbreaking of Team Trump
--in mob rally in Minneapolis district of Rep. Ilhan Omar, Trump pandered to white racism and anti-Somali sentiment, and slimed Joe Biden, too
--Pentagon announces 1,800 more troops will be deployed in Saudi Arabia, ignoring the cause of bin Laden’s declaration of war on US
--the Islamic State prisoners grabbed by US will be sent to Iraq
--in effort to shame Trump over Syria retreat, NY Times trots out generals, historians, and evangelicals
--former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, who knows Kurdish history, says Trump made the right decision in a ham-handed way
--World Socialist Website notes that corporate media ignored an emotional anti-war tweet from Trump
--Jeremy Hammond refused to testify before Assange grand jury, joins Chelsea Manning in jail for contemptible contempt charges
--Henry Frese, accused of leaking Chinese military secrets to girlfriend at NBC, is being charged under Espionage Act
--at LGBTQ presidential candidate forum, Warren delivers a zinger, Biden trips on his wokeness, and CNN’s Chris Cuomo apologizes for joking about pronouns
--as power is being restored in northern California, Santa Ana winds fuel dangerous wildfire in San Fernando Valley, north of LA
--at Brownsville border, frustrated asylum seekers shut down the crossing for 15 hours
--almost one third of arrested protesters in Hong Kong are under 18
--Ecuador protesters occupy National Assembly
--Just in: Shepard Smith resigns from Fox "News", reasons not disclosed