Tuesday, November 19
Impeachment Moment: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman Calls Attacks on Colleagues and Witnesses ‘Reprehensible’ (Bloomberg)
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a decorated combat veteran, said in today’s impeachment testimony in Washington: “I want to state that the vile character attacks on these distinguished and honorable public servants is reprehensible. It is natural to disagree and engage in spirited debate, this has been our custom since the time of our Founding Fathers, but we are better than callow and cowardly attacks.”
He testified that he saw Trump Ukraine call as a ‘demand’ and not a request.
Sharpening Case: Nancy Pelosi Accuses Trump of ‘Bribery’ in Ukraine Effort (Washington Post)
Poll: 70% of Americans Say Trump’s Actions Tied to Ukraine Were Wrong (ABC News Poll)
A slim majority of Americans, 51%, believe Trump’s actions were both wrong and he should be impeached and removed from office.
White House Watch.
Trump’s Weekend Hospital Visit Draws Skeptical Reaction (Associated Press)
2020 Watch.
Bloomberg Wins Key South Carolina Endorsement Ahead of Possible 2020 Presidential Bid (Associated Press)
Democrats Like ‘Medicare for All,’ but Swing Voters Don’t (Axios)
62% of Democratic voters in the formerly ‘blue wall’ states of Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin say a ‘Medicare for All’ plan that eliminates private insurance is a good idea.
At the same time, 62% of swing voters in these battleground states say it’s a bad idea. If the Democratic nominee comes to be defined by the idea of Medicare for All, that could be a political problem in key battleground states, Axios reports.
Hong Kong Latest.
UK Election.
Debate Night: Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn to Face Off Tonight at 8PM GMT (ITV)
The first televised debate of the General Election campaign will take place tonight at 8PM GMT on ITV and will air live in front of a studio audience of around 200 people.
Tech Today.
America’s New Tech Hubs Revealed: Boulder, Ann Arbor, Ithaca and Lawrence, Kansas Among Top Tech Hubs (Bloomberg)
Behind America’s big tech hubs in Silicon Valley and New York City are plenty of regional college towns attracting workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They rank among the bigger gainers on this year’s Bloomberg Brain Concentration Index, which tracks the highest density areas of so-called STEM workers.
Margrethe Vestager Gains Power: Silicon Valley’s Biggest Foe Is Getting Even Tougher (New York Times)
Finance and Economy News.
Retail Pain: Home Depot, Kohl’s Slash Earnings Forecasts on Weaker Sales Outlook (Bloomberg)
Goldman Says Hedge Funds Are Staging a Comeback (Bloomberg)
Climate Today.
Best of late night.
“Experts think Disney+ could be the biggest threat to Netflix yet. Right now, both streaming services are racing to see who can raise the price of a dollar each month without you noticing.”
— Jimmy Fallon
“Today was Mickey Mouse’s 91st birthday. And like most 91 year olds, he celebrated by having no idea who or what Disney+ is.”
— Seth Meyers
“A newspaper in England issued an apology last week after publishing the obituary of a man who was still alive. To make matters worse, the obituary was titled ‘Good Riddance!’”
— Seth Meyers