The permanent acting White House chief told reporters that Ukraine aid was withheld to force investigations, and new emoluments violation….--PBC talks impeachment on CN Live! Friday, October 18 at 8pm EDT with Scott Ritter and Scott Horton. Find it here
--arrogant Mulvaney admits quid pro quo, and says “get over it”
--that was after he announced that G7 summit next year will be held at Trump Doral, and gave a sales pitch while denying emoluments issue
--Mulvaney spoke as Gordon Sondland covered his ass in opening statement to impeachment investigation
--yesterday’s witness, the recently resigned #2 at State Dept, said he quit last week over firing of Ukraine ambassador
--suddenly, Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo are the peacemakers, as they persuade Erdogan to call 5-day cease fire in Syria
--at ConsortiumNews, former CIA officer Graham Fuller unpacks the layers in Syria
--and Rick Sterling opines that the US retreat is a good thing
--in White House meeting on Syria yesterday, Pelosi and Trump each say the other had a “meltdown”
--also on Wednesday, Trump ambushed the parents of British teen killed in accident with wife of US diplomat by trying to stage an intervention, on camera
--Boris Johnson says he has a Brexit deal, but EU leaders undermine it by talking about an extension
--Public Citizen’s analysis of American job losses blames trade deals, not automation, buttressing Sen. Warren’s views over Andrew Yang’s
--American Prospect notes a change in demeanor from Buttigieg, calling him “Mean Pete”
--some details on tentative UAW-GM agreement are revealed
--The Guardian reports on new efforts to define critics of Israel as anti-Semitic, with one leader equating supporters of Palestine with KKK
--SCOTUS declined to take up no-fly list case, vindicating Malaysian professor
--Rep. Elijah Cummings died in Baltimore today at age 86
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