From: The Washington Post <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Subject: The Daily 202: The six most important quotes from Mueller's six hours of testimony Sent: Thu. 25 Jul 2019 15:28:03 +0000 If you're having trouble reading this, click here. Share: MIListen to The Big Idea The six most important quotes from Mueller's six hours of testimony Mueller: 'We have underplayed' Russia's effect on our elections BY JAMES HOHMANN with Mariana Mary THE BIG IDEA: Bob Mueller chose his words carefully. The former special counsel responded monosyllabically to hundreds of questions on Wednesday. He clearly did not want to be on Capitol Hill, declined repeated requests to read aloud passages from his 448-page report and took special care to never utter the I-word: impeachment. This makes the handful of moments when Mueller volunteered to elaborate, or emphasized something emphatically, worthy of special attention. The overwhelming majority of Americans did not devote six hours of a summer workday to watching the 74-year-old answer five-minute rounds of questions from dozens of grandstanding lawmakers. Much of the press coverage this morning focuses less on substance than optics. EFTA00046457

That's not totally unfair: Democrats subpoenaed Mueller to appear because they wanted made-for-TV moments, and they acknowledge they didn't get what they hoped for. Instead of reading the theater criticism, however, citizens who missed the cable circus might be better served by reading the transcripts. In his own understated, patrician and old-school way, Mueller undercut so much White House spin and drew attention to how many false statements President Trump has made to the American people. Here are the six most significant quotes from the former special counsel's six hours in the hot seat — and why they matter: 1) On Russian interference in domestic politics: "They're doing it as we sit here, and they expect to do it in the next campaign." The former FBI director, who earned a Purple Heart as a Marine in Vietnam and helped guide law enforcement during the traumatic aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, came out of retirement to investigate the Kremlin's efforts to sway the 2016 presidential election. "We have underplayed to a certain extent that aspect of our investigation," Mueller told the House Intelligence Committee in the afternoon, explaining that Russia's effort to undermine elections could do "long-term damage to the United States that we need to move quickly to address." Mueller said he wrote the first volume of his report to serve as "our living message to those who come after us" so that they "don't let this problem continue to linger as it has over so many years." And he warned that "many more countries" are developing capabilities to do the same, emboldened by the success of Moscow, as he reiterated the need for "swift" action. Asked about Trump campaign officials interacting with Russians who offered help to their election efforts, and the failure to report such EFTA00046458

overtures to the FBI, Mueller said he hopes future campaigns don't think it's acceptable to accept assistance from foreign governments. "I hope this is not the new normal," he said, "but I fear it is." From someone who spent 28 years in the CIA's clandestine service, including in Moscow and running the agency's Russia operations: 'Problematic is an understatement': Mueller comments on Trump's past WikiLeaks praise 2) On Trump's past praise for WikiLeaks: "Problematic is an understatement in terms of what it displays of giving some hope or some boost to what is and should be illegal behavior." Mueller faulted Trump for previously praising the anti-secrecy group, whose leader Julian Assange now faces federal charges, and which allegedly served as a conduit for the Russians to disseminate hacked emails of Hillary Clinton campaign officials. Mueller said he agrees with Mike Pompeo's characterization of WikiLeaks as a "hostile intelligence service." Trump said "I love WikiLeaks" at a rally in the fall of 2016. His son Don Jr. tweeted a link to stolen documents that Mueller's report said was provided to him by WikiLeaks in a Twitter direct message. Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) asked Mueller whether knowingly accepting foreign assistance is an unethical thing to do. "And a crime, given certain circumstances," Mueller replied, nodding. "It's also unpatriotic," said Schiff. "True," replied Mueller. Mueller reiterates that report does not exonerate President Trump on obstruction of justice EFTA00046459

3) Rebutting Trump's claims of total exoneration: "The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed." Mueller clarified his position on whether he would have indicted the president if not for the opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel that says a sitting president shouldn't face criminal charges. "We did not reach a determination as to whether the president committed a crime," he said. "We did not address `collusion,' which is not a legal term," Mueller said in his opening statement. "Rather, we focused on whether the evidence was sufficient to charge any member of the campaign with taking part in a criminal conspiracy. It was not." Asked whether the president, under Justice Department policy, could be prosecuted for obstruction of justice after he leaves office, Mueller kept his answer succinct: "True." Mueller says his investigation Is not a witch hunt' 4) Finally defending the integrity of his investigation: "It is not a witch hunt." For two years, Mueller kept quiet as Trump and his allies impugned him and his team. Even during the news conference in May to announce his resignation as special counsel, Mueller did not offer a full-throated defense of his methods or personnel. On Wednesday, he replied to GOP criticism that some of the career prosecutors on his team previously gave money to Democrats. "I've been in this business for almost 25 years. In those 25 years, I've EFTA00046460

not had occasion once to ask about somebody's political affiliation," Mueller said. "It is not done. What I care about is the capability of the individual to do the job and do the job seriously and quickly and with integrity." Justice Department policy prohibits asking about political views as part of a job interview. Mueller also explained that he moved former FBI official Peter Strzok off his team as soon as he found out about anti- Trump text messages in 2016. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.) accused Mueller of including only "the very worst" information about Trump in his report. "Not true," he replied, adding that the team "strove to put in exculpatory evidence" about Trump's conduct. Mueller says he didn't subpoena Trump in order to expedite his investigation 5) On why he didn't subpoena the president: "We decided that we did not want to exercise the subpoena powers because of the necessity of expediting the end of the investigation." The former special counsel conceded that Trump's written answers to his questions about Russian interference — the president refused to answer any questions about the 10 episodes of potential obstruction of justice that his office explored — were "certainly not as useful as the interview would be." Despite Trump's claims that he fully cooperated, Mueller noted that the president's team stonewalled in negotiations for over a year about a sit- down interview and said he assumed Trump "would fight the subpoena." Mueller explained that he needed to decide "how much time you are willing to spend in the courts litigating an interview with the president." EFTA00046461

Despite claims that Mueller wanted to drag out his investigation, he made clear that he hoped to get it wrapped up as soon as possible. "The reason we didn't do the interview was because of the length of time that it would take to resolve the issues attendant to that," he said. Trump says Mueller did 'horrible job' 6) There was a coverup: "A number of people we interviewed in our investigation, it turns out, did lie." Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos have each acknowledged that they lied to the FBI. Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) asked Mueller whether it was "fair to say" that Trump's written answers were "not only inadequate and incomplete, because he didn't answer many of your questions, but where he did, his answers showed that he wasn't always being truthful." "I would say, generally," Mueller replied. Mueller acknowledged that he caught many former members of Trump's team not telling the truth, and this made it harder to investigate what really happened. "That would be accurate," he said. "And then," Schiff said, "they lied to cover it up?" "Generally, that's true," said Mueller. Trump tweeted as soon as the second hearing ended: "TRUTH IS A FORCE OF NATURE!" Indeed. CONTENT FROM AT&T BUSINESS EFTA00046462

A More Secure Foundation for a 5G World Learn how businesses can help safeguard their data in a 5G- con nected future Pelosi: 'If we have a case for impeachment, that's the place we will have to go' THE FALLOUT: -- Mueller's turn as a reluctant and at times uncomfortable witness did not change the political dynamic. "Even Democrats who favor impeachment acknowledged that Mueller's performance did not provide the made-for-TV moment for which they had hoped," Ashley Parker, Rachael Bade, Josh Dawsey and Mike DeBonis report. "The immediate upshot for Democratic leaders — who have faced turmoil within their caucus for refusal to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump — was that the hearings appeared to do little to galvanize congressional sentiment. Before the spectacle, many pro-impeachment Democrats were predicting Mueller's testimony would inspire a new wave of impeachment backers, potentially two dozen or more. But by Wednesday afternoon, almost no new Democrats in the House had joined the calls to start proceedings." -- House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) pushed for launching impeachment proceedings against Trump EFTA00046463

during a private meeting on Wednesday, but he was rebuffed by Nancy Pelosi. From Politico: "At a caucus meeting following the hotly anticipated testimony ... Nadler suggested that several House committee chairs could begin drafting articles of impeachment against Trump. Pelosi called the idea premature ... In the course of the wide- ranging discussion, Nadler countered Pelosi's pushback by noting that polls showed limited support for removing President Richard Nixon from office when the House began impeachment hearings in 1973, but that public support for the effort grew as more evidence came out about Nixon's illegal behavior." -- "Democrats are now left with one option to end Trump's presidency: The 2020 election," writes Dan Balz: "Regardless of the evidence of obstruction contained in Mueller's report, impeachment is a fraught strategy for the Democrats, given public opinion and the dynamics in the Senate. After Wednesday, the prospects for impeachment appear more remote, which means it will be left to the eventual Democratic presidential nominee, with the help of the party, to develop a comprehensive case against the president, one that can win 270 electoral votes. To date, that hasn't happened. ... The barriers to impeachment have always made it a challenging option, given that Republican control of the Senate, to the frustration of some Democrats. But other Democrats were advocating long before Mueller wrapped up his investigation that the party's focus should be on the 2020 election, rather than impeachment. That now is the only realistic course for settling the question of the future of Trump's presidency." Mueller corrects testimony about decision-making on obstruction of justice Both sides were left frustrated by Mueller's approach to the questions related to whether Trump obstructed justice — and why EFTA00046464

the former special counsel refused to draw a conclusion from the evidence his team gathered. Carol D. Leonnig and Tom Hamburger report: "Mueller failed to deliver a clear answer to either — frustrating Democrats who hope to spotlight what they consider ample proof of Trump's crimes and Republicans who think the special counsel unfairly tarnished the president. ... GOP officials said that details in his report insinuating Trump was engaged in wrongdoing — including statements that there was substantial evidence without explicitly saying he broke the law — unfairly damaged the president. ... "Democrats labored in vain to get Mueller to assess whether Trump obstructed justice. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) walked Mueller through Trump's efforts to get then-White House counsel Donald McGahn to push for the firing of the special counsel, one of the most dramatic episodes detailed in the special counsel report. 'Those are the elements of obstruction of justice,' Jeffries said. 'This is the United States of America. No one is above the law. No one. The president must be held accountable one way or the other.' I don't subscribe necessarily to your — the way you analyze that,' Mueller responded." Fact-checking lawmakers' claims during the Mueller hearings -- The Post's Fact Checker team analyzed eight dubious claims from lawmakers during the hearings. (Salvador Rizzo and Glenn Kessler) -- This was likely Mueller's final act on Washington's center stage. Marc Fisher writes: "The day definitively altered perceptions of Mueller. ... Mueller's shaky demeanor, though steadier as the day wore on, drew focus away from what few conclusions he was willing to confirm or bat EFTA00046465

down. Mueller phased in and out of the precise, pointed style that had characterized his long legal career. At times, especially in the afternoon session before the Intelligence Committee, he seemed his old self, anticipating questions, displaying sharp command of his investigation. ... But under questioning from House members, his voice grew thinner, less certain. He sometimes searched for words. His hesitations at times seemed intentional ... At other points, Mueller's halting manner seemed involuntary." 3 times Mueller could not remember what was in his report -- Mueller seemed confused about basic facts at times: "He frequently asked lawmakers to repeat their questions, saying that he could not hear them or that they were speaking too fast," Devlin Barrett, Matt Zapotosky, Rosalind S. Helderman and Karoun Demirjian report. "He also said he was unfamiliar with some of the specifics of the investigation — a surprising admission for a prosecutor who built a distinguished career on delving deep into the weeds of investigations, to the point that many of his subordinates complained he was a maddening micromanager. He called the president 'Trimp' before quickly correcting himself. He said he was 'not familiar' with the opposition research firm Fusion GPS that commissioned a dossier of allegations that played a key role in the early days of the investigation into Russian interference. ... At another point, he could not recall the word 'conspiracy' — a basic staple in any federal prosecutor's lexicon — and a lawmaker supplied it for him. ... "In the hearing room, Mueller's muffled voice made his minimal responses nearly inaudible, a sharp contrast to the lawmakers, whose voices often boomed with indignation. Even friendly exchanges could cause Mueller to stumble. When Rep. Greg Stanton (D- EFTA00046466

Ariz.) asked which president nominated Mueller to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, Mueller guessed George H.W. Bush. In fact, it was Ronald Reagan." As the testimony concluded, Democrats revisited an old question: Is Trump a blackmail risk? Philip Bump reports: "Toward the end of the day, Democratic representatives sitting on the House Intelligence Committee began to press Mueller on this point. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) noted that counterintelligence investigations — that is, investigations into ways in which foreign intelligence agencies might seek to compromise government officials — were outside of the scope of the special counsel's probe. 'Since it was outside your purview, your report did not reach counterintelligence conclusions regarding any Trump administration officials who might potentially be vulnerable to compromise or blackmail by Russia, correct?' Krishnamoorthi asked. Mueller confirmed that this was correct, noting that those investigations would be housed at the FBI." 'Obstruction' or 'no collusion'?: Democrats. GOP launch attacks on Mueller report COMMENTARY FROM THE OPINION PAGE: -- "Mueller wins on the facts — but loses on TV," writes Max Boot: "This viewer hungered for Mueller to rain down righteous wrath on the unprincipled Republican hacks who put loyalty to their party leader above loyalty to their country. I wanted him to say, as Joseph Welch did at the Army-McCarthy hearings, `Have you no sense of decency?' ... But instead of channeling his inner Joe Welch, Mueller was channeling Joe Friday: 'Just the facts, ma'am.- -- this is why Mueller didn't want to testify," writes Dana Milbank: "Republican lawmakers eviscerated him, assaulting his integrity EFTA00046467

and his ethics, questioning his political motivations, disparaging the FBI and even casting doubt on Russia's interference in the election." -- "The real bombshell in Mueller's testimony wasn't about impeaching Trump," writes Karen Tumulty: "To focus on Trump, and whether his actions constitute impeachable offenses, is to miss the real bombshell in Mueller's testimony — the scandal that could be unfolding right there in front of us. That was Mueller's warning that what happened in 2016 could happen again." • The Editorial Board: "Mueller gave a warning on Russian meddling. Congress — and America — should listen." • E.J. Dionne Jr.: "Mueller's hearing proves that Trump and his apologists are lying." • Nicole Hemmer, co-editor of The Post's "Made by History" section: "The GOP's questions to Mueller seemed bizarre — unless you watch Fox News." • Media critic Erik Wemple: "Republican lawmaker complains to Mueller about lack of Fox News in his report." • Molly Jong-Fast: "Mueller wasn't the hero Democrats sought. But he reminded us that Trump is the villain." Subscribe on Amazon Echo Google Home, Apple HomePod and other podcast players. -- I'd love to hear from you. Thank you to everyone who sent such thoughtful notes in response to yesterday's edition of the 202. As I explained, we're experimenting with new formats with the goal of making this newsletter more analytical. The goal is to better serve you as 2020 approaches. If you have feedback about ways to do that, please drop me a quick line at James.HohmannPwashpost.com. Thank EFTA00046468

you! Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost's morning briefing for decision-makers. Sign up to receive the newsletter. Attorney General William Barr testifies before a Senate committee. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post) WHILE YOU WERE IN YOUR MORNING MEETINGS: -- The Justice Department announced this morning that it plans to resume executing prisoners awaiting the death penalty, ending almost two decades in which the federal government had not imposed capital punishment on prisoners. Devlin Barrett reports: "Attorney General William P. Barr ordered the Bureau of Prisons to schedule executions for five inmates currently on death row. The prisoners were convicted of murdering children. The last federal execution was in 2003. In the years since, there has been an informal moratorium on executions of federal prisoners, as Justice Department officials reviewed its lethal injection procedures. That practice was underscored during the Obama administration by then-Attorney General Eric Holder's personal opposition to the death penalty, even while he approved prosecutors' decisions to seek the death penalty in specific trials." • Bar ordered the Bureau of Prisons to adopt a new policy for lethal injections, one that officials said closely mirrors those used in Georgia, Missouri, and Texas, replacing a three-drug lethal cocktail with one drug, pentobarbital. • The Justice Department has scheduled executions in December and January for the following prisoners: Daniel Lee Lewis, for the EFTA00046469

killing of a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl; Lezmond Mitchell for the killing of a 63-year-old and her nine-year granddaughter; Wesley Ira Purkey for the rape and murder of a 16- year-old girl and the murder of an 80-year-old woman; Alfred Bourgeois for molesting and killing his two-year-old daughter; and Dustin Lee Honken, for shooting and killing five people, including two children. -- Four automakers from three continents have struck a deal with California to produce more fuel-efficient cars for their U.S. fleets in coming years, undercutting one of the Trump administration's most aggressive climate policy rollbacks. Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis report: "The compromise between the California Air Resources Board and Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW of North America came after weeks of secret negotiations and could shape future U.S. vehicle production, even as White House officials aim to relax gas mileage standards for the nation's cars, pickup trucks and SUVs. Mary D. Nichols, California's top air pollution regulator, said in an interview Wednesday that she sees the agreement as a potential `olive branch' to the Trump administration and hopes it joins the deal, which she said gives automakers flexibility in meeting emissions goals without the `massive backsliding' contained in the White House proposal." -- Jeffrey Epstein was found injured in his jail cell after a possible suicide attempt. From NBC News New York: "Epstein, who is being held in Metropolitan Correctional Center during his trial for conspiracy and sex trafficking, was found semi-conscious with marks on his neck ... Investigators are trying to piece together exactly what happened, saying details remain murky. Two sources tell News 4 that Epstein may have tried to hang himself, while a third source cautioned that the injuries were not serious and questioned if Epstein might be using it as a way to get a transfer. A fourth source said an assault has not been ruled out, EFTA00046470

and that another inmate was questioned. The inmate who investigators have talked to in Lower Manhattan facility has been identified as Nicholas Tartaglione, according to two sources. Tartaglione is a former police officer in Westchester County who was arrested in December 2016 and accused of killing four men in an alleged cocaine distribution conspiracy, then burying their bodies in his yard in Otisville in Orange County, according to court records." Joe Biden speaks Wednesday at a candidate forum at the NAACP National Convention in Detroit. (Carlos Osorio/AP) 2020 WATCH: -- Former vice president Joe Biden tore into Sens. Cory Booker (D- N.J.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) in a shift to aggressively counter his 2020 opponents. Chelsea Janes and David Weigel report: "On Wednesday, asked by NAACP panel moderator April Ryan if his views [on mass incarceration] have evolved, Biden said the focus of criminal justice needed to shift from 'incarceration to rehabilitation' — a solution that [Sen. Cory] Booker, speaking to reporters after his earlier NAACP appearance, called 'inadequate.' ... Booker described Biden as 'an architect of mass incarceration.' After Biden left the stage, he responded emphatically to Booker's second day of criticism by trying to turn attention to his tenure as mayor of the troubled city of Newark, before he became a senator. ... 'His police department was stopping and frisking people, mostly African American men,' he said, leading the Obama administration to intercede. 'We took action against them; the Justice Department took action against them, held the police department accountable.- Biden seethed about Harris's busing attack during the previous debate: "He told reporters he was 'overly polite' in responding to her criticism. 'I didn't respond to an attack: 'You're not a racist.' Which is a EFTA00046471

nice thing to say. It was really reassuring,' Biden said in a sarcastic tone. 11 -- Biden is an old-school politician struggling to keep up with a changing party, Phil Elliott writes in a profile for Time: "Biden tries to put a positive gloss on things, saying the problems come with the territory when you're the front runner. 'I'd rather be there than anywhere else,' Biden said. 'But, you know, it's amazing.' A few hours later, he was more open about his frustrations with his campaign. Staffers had invited journalists to tag along as he picked up some chocolate chip ice cream. But Biden—who believes Trump's rise was fueled by naked authenticity and sees the same trait in himself-found the setup phony. 'After all these years of being in public office, I'm known for ice cream and sunglasses,' Biden lamented. 'There's gotta be something better than that.- -- Time magazine's cover story for next week: "What Do the Democrats Stand For? Inside a Fight Over America's Future," by Molly Ball: "What policies will the party champion? Which voters will it court? How will it speak to an angry and divided nation? While intraparty tussles are perennial in politics, this one comes against a unique backdrop: an unpopular, mendacious, norm-trampling President. ... But for an opposition party, it's never as simple as pointing out the failures of those in power. As desperate as Democrats are to defeat Trump, voters demand an alternative vision. 'You will not win an election telling everybody how bad Donald Trump is,' [said] former Senate majority leader Harry Reid. 'They have to run on what they're going to do.- -- Pete Buttigieg leads the 2020 Democrats in spending on private jets. The mayor of South Bend, Ind., has spent roughly $300,000 on private jet travel this year, far more than any of his rivals. In comparison, Warren has spent $60,000 on private planes (but regularly flies coach), while Sanders has spent $18,000 and Harris has spent $17,000. (AP) EFTA00046472

-- Hillary Clinton seriously considered picking Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as her running mate. From a Bloomberg Businessweek cover story by Josh Green: "The Massachusetts senator underwent a full vetting and was smuggled into Whitehaven, Clinton's Washington home, for an interview. It went well enough that some Clinton advisers were convinced Warren would be the best pick. ... In a memo to Clinton written shortly after the August meeting, ... Philippe Reines, a longtime adviser, concluded of Warren: 'If a crystal ball said she wouldn't antagonize you for four years, it's hard to argue she isn't the most helpful for the next four months to get you elected.— Warren said that if Clinton had asked her to be her vice president, she would've said yes. Warren also explained why she didn't endorse a 2016 candidate until after the Democratic National Convention: "Endorsing Bernie Sanders, her ideological ally, would mean sacrificing her ability to influence Clinton, who was widely expected to win. So Warren withheld her endorsement until it was clear Clinton would be the nominee. In essence, Warren bet that she had a better chance of enacting her liberal agenda by working through Clinton than by banking on a Sanders revolution." Warren said she felt the backlash of her decision as many of her hardcore supporters on the left turned against her when Sanders lost, filling her Facebook posts with vitriol and claims that she had sold out. -- Tensions between Sanders and MSNBC are boiling over. From the Daily Beast: "Officials in Sanders' campaign contend that leading up to the 2020 election, the network is one of several cable news outlets directly contributing to a media climate where false claims go unchecked and requests for progressive voices on-air are frequently turned down. 'More often than not these commentators are injecting their opinion without any policy discussions,' (said) Nina Turner, the national co-chair of Sanders' campaign. 'They're not there to tell the gospel truth.' The EFTA00046473

backlash from Sanders-world reached a new high on Sunday, when MSNBC analyst Mimi Rocah, a former assistant U.S attorney for the Southern District of New York ... launched a personal critique of Sanders during a segment with host David Gura, saying that he makes her 'skin crawl' and that he's not a 'pro-woman candidate.- -- CNN is requiring a commitment of at least $300,000 in advertising on the network before a potential sponsor can purchase a commercial during next week's debates. Running a 30-second spot costs around $110,000. Usually, a 30-second ad aired during CNN's prime-time programs over the past months has cost between $7,000 and $12,000. (Variety) -- Rep. Paul Mitchell of Michigan, a second-term Republican with a House GOP leadership position, said he will not run for reelection next year. Mitchell voiced frustration that "rhetoric overwhelms policy" in Washington, making it hard to focus on the issues he wanted to address — "trade, health care, immigration and infrastructure, to name just a few." (John Wagner) -- A federal judge in Arkansas blocked abortion restrictions that were set to take effect yesterday. The judge said that the state "has no interest in enforcing laws that are unconstitutional" and that she would block it from enacting the three provisions, including one that barred abortions starting at 18 weeks of pregnancy. (CNN) A migrant child and his father stick together after being bused by Mexican migration authorities from Nuevo Laredo to Monterrey, Mexico. (Marco Ugarte/AP) THE IMMIGRATION WARS: EFTA00046474

-- A federal judge in California blocked Trump's latest asylum ban. Maria Sacchetti and Spencer S. Hsu report: "The policy aimed to curtail Central American migration across the southern border by requiring asylum seekers to apply in countries they had passed through on the way to the United States, particularly Mexico or Guatemala. U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar, who halted another version of the Trump administration's asylum ban last year, said a 'mountain' of evidence showed that migrants could not safely seek asylum in Mexico. He said the rule likely violated federal law in part by categorically denying asylum to almost anyone crossing the border. U.S. law generally allows anyone who sets foot on U.S. soil to apply for asylum. ... 'The public undoubtedly has a pressing interest in fairly and promptly addressing both the harms to asylum applicants and the administrative burdens imposed by the influx of persons seeking asylum,' Tigar, an Obama administration appointee in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, wrote in his 45-page ruling. 'But shortcutting the law, or weakening the boundary between Congress and the Executive, are not the solutions to these problems.- -- Guatemalans fear that Trump's threats to retaliate if the country doesn't sign a far-reaching migration agreement might cripple their economy. Mary Beth Sheridan and Kevin Sieff report: "Trump warned on Tuesday that he might slap tariffs on Guatemala's exports or tax the billions of dollars in remittances its migrants send home to the Central American country. He was reacting to President Jimmy Morales' decision to cancel a trip he was to make to Washington last week during which he was expected to sign a safe-third-country agreement. ... Guatemalans were faced with another potential crisis: U.S. penalties that could pummel their struggling economy. ... Jordan Rodas, Guatemala's human rights prosecutor, said U.S. penalties `could destabilize the country' by driving poverty rates higher. They could also prompt more Guatemalans to head for the United States as they lose EFTA00046475

jobs or income, he said." -- No surprise: The Justice Department said it will not prosecute Attorney General Bill Barr or Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross after the House voted on party lines to hold them in criminal contempt for declining to provide documents related to the addition of a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. From CNN: "Both agencies have maintained that they have already provided thousands of documents to the committee about the census question, and that certain documents which had been withheld were done so in line with a federal court ruling that said that many of the same documents were privileged from disclosure in civil litigation." -- Francisco Erwin Galicia, the U.S. citizen who spent 23 days in Customs and Border Protection custody, said he lost 26 pounds during his time in a Texas immigration detention center under conditions so bad they almost drove him to self-deportation. From the Dallas Morning News: "He said he wasn't allowed to shower and his skin was dry and dirty. He and 60 other men were crammed into an overcrowded holding area where they slept on the floor and were given only aluminum-foil blankets, he said. Some men had to sleep on the restroom area floor. Ticks bit some of the men and some were very sick, Galicia said. But many were afraid to ask to go to the doctor because CBP officers told them their stay would start over if they did, he said. It was inhumane how they treated us. It got to the point where I was ready to sign a deportation paper just to not be suffering there anymore. I just needed to get out of there,' he said." -- An autopsy offers jarring details about the death of a 16-year-old Guatemalan boy in Border Patrol custody. From Texas Monthly: "Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez crossed the border alone near Weslaco on May 13, and was then held at a processing center for unaccompanied minors in nearby McAllen for six days until falling ill on EFTA00046476

May 19. That day, a nurse practitioner found that he had a 103-degree fever, and he tested positive for the flu. He was prescribed Tamiflu and transferred to the Border Patrol station at Weslaco. Hernandez died the next morning. ... The autopsy concludes that Hernandez succumbed to the flu, complicated by pneumonia and sepsis, on or near the toilet of his South Texas Border Patrol cell. ... The agency is required to transfer unaccompanied children to the Office of Refugee Resettlement within 72 hours, but officials have acknowledged repeatedly failing to meet that requirement this year, including in Hernandez's case. Hernandez was also never taken to a hospital despite the apparent seriousness of his illness." -- Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents busted an undocumented immigrant's car window to arrest him. The man's girlfriend live-streamed the incident as their two children sat in the car. (CNN) -- "How MS-13 gang's bloody campaign spilled into a San Fernando Valley high school," from the Los Angeles Times: "Panorama High School was already on edge after a 10th grader went missing. Then, six students were detained in February 2018 with no explanation. There were whispers that the missing boy had been murdered, but the campus was in the dark about a possible motive and suspect. Authorities now say several of the students are linked to the killing of their missing classmate, Brayan Andino, and another man among seven slayings allegedly carried out by a local clique of MS-13. ... But teachers, students and parents said they received little or no information from either police or school officials about the gang's alleged operations on campus until last week, when prosecutors announced murder and racketeering charges against nearly two dozen adults who are alleged to be gang members." This July 21 aerial view shows a speedboat of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps moving around the British- EFTA00046477

flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which Iran seized in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. (Morteza Akhoondi/AP) THE NEW WORLD ORDER: -- The U.S. and Europe have sharply different plans for patrols in the Persian Gulf. Adam Taylor and James McAuley report: "As tensions rise, the exact mandate remains uncertain, with two separate and possibly competing plans — one led by the United States and the other by Europe — under discussion. Meanwhile, Iran has rejected any need for Western ships to patrol the waters along its -southern coast, instead pledging to secure the Strait of Hormuz itself. ... The United States has said that it envisages a scheme whereby nations would protect ships that carry their own flag, but that joint operations would be designed to carry out surveillance on waterways. ... British officials have emphasized that the plan would be about ensuring freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf — an aim that Tehran could theoretically support as well." -- Iran hinted at compromise after President Hassan Rouhani suggested that his country might release a British tanker in exchange for the return of an Iranian ship. From the Times: "Mr. Rouhani's explicit extension of the offer on Wednesday may have been a gesture toward reducing the escalating tensions between Iran and the West. Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Tehran, Mr. Rouhani also alluded to indirect or behind-the-scenes talks about a potential easing of tensions between Iran and the United States." -- As expected, Trump vetoed Congress's attempt to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia. He vetoed three different resolutions that would've stopped several arms sales benefiting Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates. From Karoun Demirjian and Colby Itkowitz: "The sales would replenish part of the Saudi arsenal that lawmakers say has been used against civilians in Yemen's civil war. Many lawmakers also object to the idea of rewarding Saudi leaders after the killing of the EFTA00046478

journalist Jamal Khashoggi. ... The Trump administration has insisted the arms sales are crucial to protect the region against a growing threat from Iran. The vetoes come as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans to vote Thursday on two competing bipartisan bills to impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia." -- A Navy SEAL platoon was kicked out of Iraq for consuming alcohol while deployed. Dan Lamothe reports: "U.S. Special Operations Command said in a statement Wednesday night that the platoon was forced out early to San Diego by the commander of the task force, Maj. Gen. Eric T. Hill, `due to a perceived deterioration of good order and discipline within the team during non-operational periods' of their deployment. `The Commander lost confidence in the team's ability to accomplish the mission,' the statement said." -- North Korea fired a "new type of ballistic missile" into the sea, toward Japan. Simon Denyer and John Hudson report: "South Korea's National Security Council said it had assessed the projectiles to be a 'new type of short-range ballistic missile,' but said it would make a final conclusion in coordination with the United States. ... A U.S. official familiar with North Korean affairs said the move appears to explicitly test Trump's patience, as the president has repeatedly hailed his diplomatic success in halting the North from firing missiles into the Sea of Japan (also known as the East Sea), an act that infuriates Tokyo." -- Beji Caid Essebsi, a mainstay in Tunisian politics who became the country's first freely elected president after its 2011 pro- democracy uprising, died at 92. During his presidency, Essebsi pursued several gender equality initiatives that challenged religious orthodoxy in the country, including an order that allowed Muslim women to marry non-Muslim men. (Claire Parker and Kareem Fahim) -- American rapper ASAP Rocky was charged with having committed an assault causing bodily harm in Sweden. The EFTA00046479

musician's case has sparked a diplomatic incident as Trump has asked for his release and Sweden now faces accusations of racism and human rights abuses. (New York Times) -- On his first day as U.K. prime minister, Boris Johnson promised that Britain would leave the European Union in October — "no ifs or buts." William Booth and Karla Adam report: "'The doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters, they are going to get it wrong, again,' Johnson said in his first remarks outside 10 Downing Street. 'The people who bet against Britain are going to lose their shirts, because we're going to restore trust in our democracy.' Johnson declared, 'I have every confidence that in 99 days' time we will have cracked it' and be able to exit the E.U. with 'a new deal, a better deal.' He implicitly blamed his predecessor, Theresa May, for failing in that challenge. 'After three years of unfounded self-doubt, it is time to change the record,' he said." Seventeen members of May's government were either sacked, resigned or retired, a shuffle the Daily Telegraph described as a "massacre." Johnson cleared out his cabinet of "remainers" and replaced them with true Brexit believers. In Britain's parliamentary democracy, the transition of power is not only brutal but also quick. May met with Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday afternoon and resigned right after. Minutes later, Johnson bowed to the Queen. "Lawmakers thanked May for her service. They reserved their harshest lines for Johnson, whom opposition rivals called `flagrant' and `reckless,' a usurper with no mandate, and someone who is prepared to `sell our country out to Donald Trump and his friends.' May offered tepid support for her successor. She said she was `pleased' to hand over to Johnson, whom 'I worked with when he was in my cabinet,' and who is committed to delivering Brexit. Johnson notably quit May's cabinet over her Brexit approach." EFTA00046480

-- "Just how crazy is Boris Johnson?" asks the New Yorker's Sam Knight: "If there is any consolation, it is that Johnson is not an extremist of any kind. By temperament and by upbringing, Johnson is a metropolitan liberal: pro-choice, pro-immigration, tolerant of diversity, educated about the world, and prepared to accept the consensus on climate change. The problem is that he is also so unserious and so unprincipled that it is impossible to know if he would maintain any of those positions under meaningful duress. It is wrong to compare Johnson to Donald Trump—they are very different. But they share a quality of constant distraction, a permanent, enervating uncertainty about what they will get up to next." SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ: -- Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Roselle) announced his resignation last night. "On Wednesday, the governor called a hasty news conference, but kept the press corps waiting for hours for news that the resignation was coming," Arelis R. Hernandez reports. "His public affairs secretary — one of the last men standing in Rossello's corner — said that afternoon that the governor would speak directly to the people before the end of the day, but no time was given and the content of the message remained unknown. And as the night dragged on and the promised pronouncement did not come, thousands of protesters grew louder and police reinforcements went into formation. At about 11:40 p.m., Rossellg's recorded resignation video was released on Facebook." "Despite having the support of the people who elected me democratically, I now feel that continuing in this position will make it difficult for the success achieved so far to last," Rossell0 said in the video. "Today, I'm announcing I will be resigning from the governor position effective Friday, August 2, 2019 at 5 p.m." His replacement is expected to be Wanda Vazquez, Puerto Rico's secretary of justice, because of how the commonwealth's line of succession works. The EFTA00046481

governor, however, left open the possibility that a different successor could take his place by the time he steps down. Puerto Ricans celebrated on the streets after their governor resigned: Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda joined in over Twitter: Only one new House Democrat appears to have come out for starting impeachment proceedings in the wake of the hearing. She's a freshman from Massachusetts: Another Democratic freshman congresswoman from California criticized Senate Republicans for blocking an election security bill: A group of D.C. interns spent the night at the Capitol as they awaited Mueller's testimony: A Post editor made this note about the significance of Mueller's testimony: Barack Obama's former chief strategist was one of many who said Mueller has lost his fast ball: EFTA00046482

Trump's director of strategic communications, and a former Vice President Pence aide, sought to spin the Mueller testimony by playing with some acronyms: The former world chess champion and a leading Russian dissident, who chairs the Human Rights Foundation, saw a parallel to Russia as he watched the Mueller hearings: A GOP consultant, the chief strategist on Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, lamented what's happened to his party: From a Post pollster: The former deputy attorney general has a new gig: Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway once again referred to an argument among Democratic women as a "catfight" after Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) said Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) isn't fit to serve as president: And the first lady is already preparing for Christmas: QUOTE OF THE DAY: "There was a senator, I think it was after my pancreatic cancer, who announced, with great glee, that I was going EFTA00046483

to be dead within six months. That senator, whose name I have forgotten, is now himself dead, and I am very much alive." — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on outlasting her naysayers. (NPR) VIDEOS OF THE DAY: Trump ended up standing in front of a doctored presidential seal featuring a Russian symbol: This presidential seal does not look like the others "A closer examination reveals alterations that seem to poke fun at the president's golfing penchant and accusations that he has ties to Russia. Neither the White House nor Turning Point knows how it got there or who created it." (Michael Brice-Saddler and Reis Thebault) The conservative group Republicans for the Rule of Law shared a new advertisement following Mueller's testimony: Late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert devoted their monologues to Mueller's testimony: Seth Meyers took a deep dive into what the former special counsel had to say: And a 9-year-old girl was tossed in the air by a bison in Yellowstone: EFTA00046484

Viral video shows a bison throw a girl into the air The girl was released from the hospital and no citations have been issued. (Allyson Chiu) You received this email because you signed up for The Daily 202 or because it is included in your subscription. Manage my email newsletters and alerts I Unsubscribe from The Daily 202 Privacy Policy I Help @2019 The Washington Post 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071 EFTA00046485

The Daily 202: Witnesses called by GOP to defend Trump offer more bad facts for the president From The Washington Post To Charisma Edge, The Washington Post Date 2019/11/20 09:51 Subject: The Daily 202: Witnesses called by GOP to defend Trump offer more bad facts for the president Attachments: TEXT.htm, Mime.822 If you're having trouble reading this click here. The Daily 202 Share: Listen to The Big Idea Witnesses called by GOP to defend Trump offer more bad facts for the president Volker and Morrison's impeachment testimony, in under 5 minutes BY JAMES HOHMANN with Mariana Alfaro THE BIG IDEA: They were there to bat cleanup, but both the GOP's witnesses on Tuesday afternoon instead provided fresh fodder for the impeachment case against President Trump. Rep. Devin Nunes (Calif.), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, formally requested the testimony of Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, and Tim Morrison, the National Security Council's former senior director covering Russia and Page 16975 EFTA00046486

Ukraine. Neither of the Republicans had any desire to blame the president who appointed them for any misconduct. Both insisted that they didn't see him do anything illegal. Each seemed content to throw Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, and Gordon Sondland, the megadonor who became ambassador to the European Union and is testifying today, under the bus. But they also validated key testimony from other witnesses, deepened a damning fact pattern for Trump and said that the underlying conduct the president stands accused of would generally be inappropriate. Volker said he "would have objected" if he knew at the time that Trump brought up Joe Biden repeatedly and specifically during the July 25 call with the Ukrainian president. "I have learned many things that I did not know at the time of the events in question," the former envoy proclaimed. Volker said he drew a line between pushing for an investigation of the company Burisma versus an investigation of Hunter Biden, who once sat on the company's board. "In retrospect I should have seen that connection differently, and had I done so, I would have raised my own objections," he testified. "I don't think raising the 2016 election or Vice President Biden or these things I consider to be conspiracy theories are ... things that we should be pursuing." Kurt Volker calls Biden, server investigations 'conspiracies' Trump's former envoy also questioned the credibility of the sources that the former New York mayor seemed to rely on. "The allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and non- Page 16976 EFTA00046487

credible," Volker said. "I have known Vice President Biden for 24 years. He is an honorable man, and I hold him in the highest regard." Volker said Trump never told him directly that the aid was being withheld unless the Ukrainians announced investigations. He said the president had expressed a "general negative vied' of Ukraine that dated back to when he came onboard in 2017. Volker said this perception was somewhat understandable considering the Eastern European nation's historic struggles with corruption. But he also painted a picture of himself as out of the loop and unaware of the machinations happening behind the scenes. He said he connected Giuliani with a top aide to the new Ukrainian president because he hoped it would smooth the way for a White House meeting and improved bilateral ties. Eager to defend his own reputation, Volker was adamant that he never personally witnessed or participated in illegal conduct. "I was never involved with anything that I considered to be bribery at all," he said. "Or extortion." -- Both Morrison and Volker said they believe it's inappropriate for an American president to ask a foreign leader to investigate an American citizen. "I don't believe it is appropriate for the president to do that," Volker said in response to a question from Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Tex.). "If we have law enforcement concerns with a U.S. citizen generally, there are appropriate channels for that." Morrison said he agreed. Then Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) asked about a hypothetical scenario in which a mayor, governor or member of Congress withheld public funds from a law enforcement agency until it investigated his or her political rival. Morrison and Volker agreed that, too, would be improper. Page 16977 EFTA00046488

Morrison: Ukraine aid was contingent on investigations, per Sondland -- Morrison said he reported details of the July 25 call to the National Security Council's top lawyer. He said he worried about the political fallout if the call became public, not its legality, and insisted he wasn't personally bothered by anything Trump said. "As I stated during my deposition, I feared at the time of the call on July 25th how its disclosure would play in Washington's political climate," he said. "My fears have been realized." Morrison also acknowledged that Biden and Burisma were not on the talking points prepared for Trump in advance of the conversation and did not reflect official U.S. policy. -- Morrison said he had a "sinking feeling" that the money Trump put a freeze on would expire if it wasn't transferred to Ukraine by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. He noted that this would force the administration to explain to congressional appropriators why there had been a hold in the first place. -- Morrison also testified that Sondland informed him that he had told a top aide to Volodymyr Zelensky "that the Ukrainians would have to have the prosecutor general make a statement with respect to the investigations as a condition of having the aid lifted." Under questioning by the Democratic counsel for the Intelligence Committee, Morrison said he was concerned that these were being identified as requirements. -- Morrison said his predecessor Fiona Hill, who is testifying on Thursday, had warned him about the "Gordon problem," referring to Sondland, when he took over. "I decided to keep track of what Ambassador Sondland was doing," he explained. "I didn't Page 16978 EFTA00046489

always act on things Gordon suggested [and] that he believed were important." Volker says Sondland raised investigations with Ukrainians on July 10 -- Volker said he now remembers details of the July 10 meetings at the White House that he had forgotten, or omitted, during his closed-door deposition in October. Last month, he said there was no discussion of Giuliani or investigations and called the conversations uneventful. Other officials who were there have subsequently testified that John Bolton, then the national security adviser, abruptly ended a meeting in his office when Sondland broached the issue of investigations. On Tuesday, Volker said he now remembers that Sondland did, in fact, make "a general comment" about investigations, though he said it happened as the meeting was wrapping up anyway. "I think all of us thought it was inappropriate," Volker said. "The conversation did not continue, and the meeting concluded." Volker called it "something of an eye-roll moment." Volker said he still does not have any recollection of Sondland bringing up investigations a second time during a follow-up conversation with the visiting Ukrainians in the Ward Room of the White House. "I may have been engaged in a side conversation, or had already left the complex, because I do not recall further discussion regarding investigations or Burisma," he said in his opening statement. Jennifer Williams's full opening statement at impeachment hearings Page 16979 EFTA00046490

-- Volker and Morrison appeared together on an afternoon panel after the testimony of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Jennifer Williams, Vice President Pence's special adviser on Europe. Williams said she thought the July 25 call was "unusual" because "it involved discussion of what appeared to be a domestic political matter." She said no one in the national security firmament supported withholding the aid until Trump froze it. Vindman, the National Security Council's European affairs director, said he considered the president's request that Ukraine investigate Biden to be "inappropriate." The Army officer argued that "it is improper" for Trump "to demand a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen and political opponent." -- Interestingly, Morrison and Vindman agreed that moving the rough transcript of the July 25 call to a code-word-level server was not a big deal. But they disagreed on why it happened. Morrison said it was a mistake that resulted from an administrative error, but Vindman saw it as a deliberate attempt to hide a sensitive call. Vindman also said the omission of the word Burisma from the rough transcript of the call wasn't nefarious but the result of the transcription software. -- The White House issued a statement from Pence's national security adviser Keith Kellogg that said Williams never "reported any personal or professional concerns" to him, her supervisor, regarding the call. "As an exceedingly proud member of President Trump's Administration and as a 34-year highly experienced combat veteran who retired with the rank of Lieutenant General in the Army, I heard nothing wrong or improper on the call," Kellogg said in the statement. "I had and have no concerns." Page 16980 EFTA00046491

Vindman and Williams's impeachment inquiry testimony, in 5 minutes MORE TEAM COVERAGE: Sondland is testifying more bluntly this morning than he did during his previous deposition that Trump and Giuliani sought to condition a White House invite for Ukraine's new president to demands that his country publicly launch investigations that could damage Trump's political opponents. Aaron Davis reports: "I know that members of this committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a 'quid pro quo?" Sondland said in his opening statement. "With regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes." In his sworn opening statement, Trump's ambassador also told the House Intelligence Committee that while he never knew for sure if the White House had frozen nearly $400 million in security assistance as part of the pressure campaign against Ukraine, he operated as if that was the case. "In the absence of any credible explanation for the hold, I came to the conclusion that the aid, like the White House visit, was jeopardized," Sondland said. "My belief was that if Ukraine did something to demonstrate a serious intention" to launch the investigations Trump wanted, "then the hold on military aid would be lifted." -- "Sondland's future — and possibly his freedom — could also rest on whether lawmakers believe he is telling the whole truth about his role and that of the president," Aaron and Rachael Bade • • .-..4 •4 ♦.. Page 16981 EFTA00046492

ICpuII. L-CIVVI I ICIMCI J III pi GVII.JUb II Il.JU111CJ IIQVC ICICIICU vvi LI lebbeb LU II IC Justice Department if they believe they have lied under oath." -- Here are five question The Fix's Amber Phillips wants Sondland to answer: • Was he acting of his own volition, or at Trump's direction? • What did he say to Trump — and what did Trump tell him — on a July 26 phone call from Kyiv? • Sondland told the Ukrainians their military aid would come when their president made an "anti-corruption statement." Was that code for investigations into the Bidens and 2016 election interference? • Why didn't Sondland remember the offer he gave to the Ukrainians in his original testimony? • Why did he agree to testify? -- Federal prosecutors scrutinizing Giuliani and two of his associates on Thursday will question a top executive at Ukraine's state-owned gas company about his encounters with those associates as the pair pursued energy deals in Ukraine. Tom Hamburger and Roz Helderman report: "The executive of the Ukrainian company, Andrew Favorov, an American citizen, agreed to meet with prosecutors for the Southern District of New York who had asked to speak with him about his experiences with the two men, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. The pair worked with Giuliani to gather information about the Ukraine-related activities of [Joe and Hunter Bider)]. Favorov's attorney, Lanny Breuer, said his client `will voluntarily sit down with the government attorneys.' Breuer declined to comment further." Page 16982 EFTA00046493

-- A federal judge said she intends to rule no later than the end of Monday whether former White House counsel Donald McGahn must testify under subpoena before Congress. The House Judiciary Committee asked for an accelerated decision because it aims to call MGahn when likely writing articles of impeachment against Trump. Spencer Hsu reports: "U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of Washington entered an order Tuesday about her deadline intent 'absent unforeseen circumstances' shortly after a filing from House General Counsel Douglas N. Letter arguing last week's opening of the hearings before the House Intelligence Committee was grounds for urgency. ... William A. Burck, McGahn's attorney, has said that McGahn will abide by the president's instructions absent a court reversal." -- Republicans are running through a multitude of shifting — and, at times, contradictory — defenses and deflections as they continue to stick together against Trump's impeachment. Mike DeBonis and Rachael Bade report: "While those attacks — at least 22, according to a Washington Post tally — have done little to undermine the core allegations under investigation in the House, they have been remarkably successful in one respect: keeping congressional Republicans united against impeachment as the GOP casts the probe as partisan." -- Democrats on the Intelligence Committee and their attorney spoke the most yesterday. Philip Bump crunched the numbers: "We took C-SPAN's closed captioning of the hearing and segmented each exchange by who was asking questions and who was responding. In total, [Schiff] spoke for more than half an hour, including lengthy introductory and closing statements. The total time that the witnesses Page 16983 EFTA00046494

... spent answering Democrats' queries was about a minute longer than Schiffs comments and questions. The witnesses spent about 10 more minutes answering Democratic questions than Republican ones, in large part because more Democratic members asked questions." -- "Vindman defended himself from claims that Morrison, his boss, had expressed concerns about his judgment, reading from his latest performance evaluation in which another former top NSC official described him as 'brilliant' and 'unflappable,"' Toluse Olorunnipa reports. "On Tuesday, Trump also sought to downplay Vindman's role and influence. 'I never heard of him. I don't know any of these people,' Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. 'I don't know Vindman at all. What I do know is that even he said the transcript was correct.- -- Vindman's uniform spoke loud at the hearing. His humanity spoke louder, writes fashion critic Robin Givhan: "When Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman appeared before the [Intelligence Committee], his striking presence in his serviceable eyeglasses and his military uniform exuded authority, ferocity and patriotism. As one of the Democratic committee members noted admiringly, Vindman was wearing a Purple Heart on his uniform. He also had a Combat Infantry Badge pinned on the left side of his chest, indicating he'd been involved in active ground combat. For civilian viewers, it was helpful to understand the meanings of some of the insignia on his jacket. But even without the details, anyone looking at the vast collage of medals spread across his chest could understand the story they told: that Vindman is one of the many dedicated individuals who choose to stand guard so that others might sleep easily." % /:.....J..........e.• A ........... .....:g........... 1..................... ... ............ ............1......1 ....:41...... Page 16984 EFTA00046495

VIIIUIIICHI b FH lily unnvI nl UeUCHIle a plUAy bymuvi, emici bolstering the claims of Democrats or cited as evidence by Republicans that Vindman is using his service as a shield from criticism. Alex Horton reports: "While active-duty service members routinely wear their full uniforms to testify on Capitol Hill, security experts say the scrutiny of Vindman's uniform has become another data point in the politicization of the space between civil society and the military. The Army's bible for appearance standards, AR 670-1, says all personnel 'will wear an Army uniform when on duty, unless granted an exception by the commander to wear civilian clothes.' Most reactions to it imply a choice where there is not one. Commentators are projecting their own feelings without understanding military regulations, a pretty frequent occurrence in civil-military relations,' said Loren DeJonge Schulman, a former Obama defense official who advised national security adviser Susan E. Rice." -- There have been six episodes in which top Trump administration and Ukrainian officials discussed a potential quid pro quo, according to congressional testimony, public statements and documents. We've gathered the evidence here. -- Commentary from The Post's opinion page: • Dana Milbank: "Republicans portrayed Vindman as disloyal. They have no sense of decency." • Media columnist Margaret Sullivan: "'I don't know what to believe' is an unpatriotic cop-out. Do better, Americans." • David Von Drehle: "Coach Jordan goes to war for Team Trump. • Alexandra Petri: "There was definitely no irony in Page 16985 EFTA00046496

Alexander Vindman's testimony. Right?" • Max Boot: "Why the Republican attacks on Alexander Vindman mark a new low." • Marc Thiessen: "The Democrats' impeachment bombshells aren't exploding." • Erik Wemple: "Devin Nunes's anti-media rant, annotated." • Paul Waldman: "At hearing, Republicans sink to new lows in trying to expose whistleblower." QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Dad, my sitting here today, in the U.S. Capitol, talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family," Vindman said in his opening statement. "Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth." Subscribe on Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod and other podcast players. Welcome to the Daily 202, PowerPost's morning briefing for decision-makers. Sign up to receive the newsletter. Page 16986 EFTA00046497

Catherine Pugh delivers an address during her inauguration ceremony to become mayor of Baltimore in 2016. (Patrick Semansky/AP) WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: -- Baltimore's former mayor Catherine Pugh has been indicted by a federal grand jury on wire fraud and tax evasion over lucrative book deals for her self-published Healthy Holly children's series. Ann Marimow and Peter Hermann report: "Pugh resigned in May after revelations about the deals she allegedly cut with companies connected to the city and state government, setting off another political crisis and setback for the city. Pugh, 69, was the second Baltimore mayor to leave office in the past decade while facing corruption allegations. "The indictment accuses her of a years-long scheme dating to 2007. ... Federal agents sought financial documents and other information related to almost $800,000 she allegedly was paid for the books, an enormous amount in the world of children's literature. Pugh is expected to surrender to U.S. Marshals before a court appearance Thursday, prosecutors said. Two former Baltimore employees, Gary Brown Jr, 38, and Roslyn Wedington, 50, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and to filing false tax returns, prosecutors said in a statement." -- Uber plans to record audio of customers during rides in the U.S. Faiz Siddiqui scoops: "The new feature, which is first to be piloted in some Latin American cities next month, allows users to opt in to activate an audio recording on any trip or all trips, according to internal • '• II I ,,1 11.8 II • • ,•• . ' ' Page 16987 EFTA00046498

communications viewea ay i ne vvasnington cost ana contirmea ay Uber. In markets where it's available, users would likely be given a blanket warning that trips are subject to recording — and that the feature will be active in their market. Riders and drivers will not be able to listen back. 'When the trip ends, the user will be asked if everything is okay and be able to report a safety incident and submit the audio recording to Uber with a few taps,' according to an email written by an Uber executive ... 'The encrypted audio file is sent to Uber's customer support agents who will use it to better understand an incident and take the appropriate action.' ... The new feature raises privacy concerns over the potential to run afoul of wiretapping and eavesdropping statutes aimed at ensuring people are not recorded without their consent." A Ukrainian soldier finds comfort in a feline friend on the front lines of war THE NEW WORLD ORDER: -- U.S. military aid is helping Ukraine fend off Russian aggression, but the drama surrounding the impeachment inquiry is making Kyiv nervous. Sergey Morgunov, Will Englund and Michael Birnbaum report: "Powerful night-vision devices remove the cover of darkness. Counterartillery radar detects and pinpoints the batteries during firing. Surveillance drones, troubled at first by Russian hacking when introduced in 2016, have since proved their worth, Col. Yevhen Bondar said. It all came from the United States, over the course of five years and part of about $4 billion in military and security assistance designed to counter the Moscow-backed separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region. ... The block on a nearly $400 million aid package, approved by Congress, was lifted Sept. 11, Page 16988 EFTA00046499

in time to beat the end of the federal fiscal year. For its part, Ukraine is spending nearly 5.5 percent of its gross domestic product on defense and security this year, or about $10 billion. The Trump-ordered delay was felt in Ukraine — but not so much in terms of spot shortages of military materiel, because equipment such as this always moves in fits and starts. The real fallout has been one of perception among Ukrainian officials and others — the worry that the White House cannot always be counted on to be in Kyiv's corner." -- But, but, but: $35 million in Pentagon aid still hasn't reached Ukraine, despite White House assurances, reports the L.A. Times. -- And Zelensky refused to confirm or deny whether he was prepared to publicly announce an investigation into Burisma after his July 25 call with Trump. CNN posted a video that shows him rolling his eyes when asked on Tuesday, before he brushed off the question. "I think everybody in Ukraine is so tired about Burisma," he said. "We have our country. We have our independence. We have our problems and questions. That's it." -- Two U.S. service members were killed overnight when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan while supporting combat operations. Sayed Salahuddin and Susannah George report: "The military said the fatalities brought to 19 the number of U.S. combat deaths in Afghanistan this year, adding that the incident is under investigation. The Taliban said the helicopter was shot down as Afghan and U.S. forces were preparing to launch an attack in the area, according to a statement from Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman. The 19 service members killed so far this year by hostile forces, surpasses the total of 13 who died in 2018." Page 16989 EFTA00046500

-- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is searching for a safe exit from his position ahead of a Senate run, three GOP sources tell Time: "Pompeo's plan had been to remain at the State Department until early spring next year, ... but recent developments, including the House impeachment inquiry, are hurting him politically and straining his relationship with Trump. So Pompeo is rethinking his calendar, say the top Republicans, one who served in the Trump Administration, another who remains in government, and a third who served in several high-ranking posts and is active in GOP politics. The timing of Pompeo's resignation now will be decided by his ability to navigate the smoothest possible exit from the administration, the three Republicans say." -- "Republicans tasked with keeping the party's Senate majority in the U.S. Senate still see Pompeo as their best option in the open-seat race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Pat Roberts," the Kansas City Star reports: "At a 'Save the Senate' event on Nov. 8 at Trump International Hotel in Washington, the National Republican Senatorial Committee executive director Kevin McLaughlin told a room full of lawmakers, lobbyists, and GOP donors to call Pompeo and urge him to run ... The gathering took place just weeks after the NRSC, the party's main campaign arm for Senate races, met with Republican Rep. Roger Marshall, the western Kansas congressman pursuing the seat. Marshall leads all current candidates in fundraising by about $1 million. 'I think they certainly understand that we're the frontrunner and I feel like we're getting a lot of good support from them right now,' Marshall said Tuesday when asked about the October meeting." -- Iran's security forces may have killed more than 100 protesters nnell• etf we e.•••- "ler •-••• ors *sr. Ann." rb c•1,-•+; •-••• Cr;.. Page 16990 EFTA00046501

CIO VIM 1 WI a IJIULCIII %,plaler\litil/Ifl I VII %/CI I ILMJLI CILISJIIJ. I—I II I Cunningham reports: "The government has acknowledged only five deaths, including four members of the security forces, and has blamed the protests on foreign enemies and saboteurs. If confirmed, the higher death toll would signal a much wider scale of unrest — a crisis taking place under a near-total information blackout. London-based Amnesty said at least 106 demonstrators have been killed in 21 cities since protests began Friday, citing what it said was verified video footage and credible witness testimony. Security forces have used firearms, water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters, according to the report, which also cited the use of live ammunition." -- A small group of protesters is still inside Hong Kong's Polytechnic University after a series of mass arrests. Tiffany Liang, Anna Kam, Casey Quackenbush and Gerry Shih report: "Hong Kong's police force said Tuesday that it had apprehended 1,100 people over the past day alone, as months of violent clashes appeared to reach something of a climax. It said many of the detainees would be charged with rioting and possession of offensive weapons. It was the largest number of arrests and injuries on a single day since the protests began five months ago. ... In Hong Kong, concerns rose over the relative handful of protesters who have so far refused to leave the besieged campus of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, with authorities urging them to come out peacefully but refusing to rule out action to flush them out. ... In Washington, the U.S. Senate, in a unanimous vote, passed legislation Tuesday aimed at protecting human rights in Hong Kong ... The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act now goes to the House of Representatives, which earlier approved its own version of the measure." -- A former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong said Page 16991 EFTA00046502

he was repeatedly tortured by Chinese secret police over a two- week period over the protests. Simon Denyer, Tiffany Liang and Casey Quanckenbush report: "Simon Cheng, in an account of his treatment published on Facebook, described being handcuffed and shackled, blindfolded and hooded, deprived of sleep, made to sit absolutely still or hung in a uncomfortable spread-eagled position for hours on end, and constantly threatened during incessant interrogations. British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said his government was shocked and appalled by the 'brutal and disgraceful treatment' to which Cheng was subjected after being detained during a business trip to Shenzhen in mainland China in August, and said it had summoned the Chinese ambassador in London to protest. But China said its ambassador would never accept Britain's 'false allegations.- -- Trump's troop withdrawal from Syria has allowed the Islamic State to gain strength, according to a chilling study by the Pentagon. From Politico: "The withdrawal and incursion allowed ISIS to 'reconstitute capabilities and resources within Syria and strengthen its ability to plan attacks abroad,' the quarterly report from the lead inspector general on the U.S. military campaign against ISIS stated. The report cited information from the Defense Intelligence Agency. ... 'In the longer term, ISIS will probably seek to regain control of some Syrian population centers and expand its global footprint, the DIA said,' the inspector general added." -- Israel struck dozens of Iranian targets in Syria in response to rocket fire on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. (NBC News) -- Some Israelis are celebrating the Trump administration's decision to no longer consider their settlements in the West Ow...6 ...••••• ;Ilesee.,1 ••••••••bsw ;•••••••••••••••,4;••••••,el 1,•••• 04,-“,es Lless,eirkr ,inel ID. at, Page 16992 EFTA00046503

CICII 11% UlUel II MCI Ile:UM/11M IQW. JICVC I ICI IUI IA CH IU I\ULI I Eglash report: "At a hastily arranged meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, settler leaders gathered Tuesday at Alon Shvut, a settlement south of Jerusalem, to relish a rare international endorsement of their presence there. 'I admit I am very moved,' Netanyahu said at the gathering. He called the Trump administration's latest policy shift toward Israel 'an achievement that will stand for generations.' For many living in Israel's settlements, the news from Washington was a welcome relief from the drumbeat of condemnation from the international community, including a recent European requirement that products from the settlements carry special labeling. ... But observers said their eagerness to do more — add settlements, expand settlements, annex parts of the West Bank — was likely to be met with disappointment, at least in the short term. Like so much else in the intractable Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the bombshell announcement was a noisy outburst not likely to make much difference on the contested ground any time soon." Counterprogramming: On Capitol Hill, a bipartisan mix of officials are showing support for Enes Kanter, the NBA star and Turkish dissident, after Trump welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House last week. Jacob Bogage reports: "Kanter's jersey from his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder hangs in the office of Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma. He talks about the NBA with Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat known throughout the Senate as a basketball devotee. He has discussed Interpol red notices with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and joked about Boston sports fans with Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.). Then last week, Kanter, a center for the Boston Celtics, stood shoulder to shoulder with Wyden and Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) in the Page 16993 EFTA00046504

uapitoi as tney introaucea numan ngnts legislation aimea at i urKey. Kanter has used that attention and the spotlight of his NBA career to crusade for a more democratic Turkey, befriending and recruiting to the cause American lawmakers from each city he has played in during his nine-year NBA career. Few other prominent Turks have taken a stand against Erdogan in Washington." -- Prime Ninister Boris Johnson and his challenger, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, had their first debate last night ahead of the Dec. 12 general election. William Booth and Karla Adam report: "The debate on ITV showcased a dozen ordinary voters allowed to ask their questions. ... Johnson promised he had a Brexit deal ready to pop into the oven, heat and serve. Corbyn said it was 'nonsense' to say Johnson could complete Brexit by January. He said a trade deal with the European Union would take seven years to negotiate. ... Johnson said he would get Brexit done — and challenged Corbyn again on his position on Britain's leaving the European Union. Corbyn said he would quickly negotiate a new, softer Brexit deal with the E.U. and then take it to the public in a second referendum. ... Corbyn is trailing overall in a sample of recent opinion surveys and, given that he did not break through during the debate, will hope to generate more excitement Thursday with the launch of his party's election manifesto." -- Years after freezing new projects, China is back to building coal power plants. Gerry Shih reports: "In the past two years, China has expanded its coal fleet by 43 gigawatts — roughly the entire coal- fired capacity of Germany, according to Global Energy Monitor, a group that tracks construction in the Chinese power industry using public announcements and satellite images. Excluding China, global coal power capacity would otherwise be dropping as countries in Europe and elsewhere decommission old facilities and switch to other Page 16994 EFTA00046505

energy sources, the group said in a report released Wednesday." -- Venice's plan to protect itself from flooding became a disaster in itself. Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli report: "It is among the most ambitious works of civil engineering in modem Italian history, an underwater fortress of steel designed to rise from the depths during high tides to protect the lagoon city of Venice. But decades after being conceived, the project remains incomplete and unusable, little more than a refuge for the clams and barnacles that have made the machinery their home. Venice, meantime, remains vulnerable, as demonstrated by the tides that inundated the city last week, flooding piazzas, churches and hotels, depositing layers of salt that eat away marble. The city's 6 billion euro flood barrier has been under construction since 2003 and was originally supposed to take eight years. Now, the best guess is that it will be ready by 2021 or 2022. Some experts say that, given the pace of sea-level rise, it may be obsolete just decades after it starts operating. Others wonder, given its sorry history, whether the system will ever be ready. Parts of the underwater project are already corroding." Edward Gallagher steps out of his court-martial in San Diego. (John Gastaldo/Reuters) DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS THAT SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED: -- Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, days after being pardoned for war crimes by Trump, has been ordered to appear before Navy leaders today, where he is expected to be notified Page 16995 EFTA00046506

mat ne n oe ousted morn me Navy ocALS. rrorri Me I lilies: wavy officials had planned to begin the process of taking away Chief Gallagher's Trident pin, the symbol of his membership in the SEALs, earlier this month. But as he waited outside his commander's office, Navy leaders sought clearance from the White House that never came, and no action was taken. Admiral [Collin] Green now has the authorization he needs from the Navy to act against Chief Gallagher, and the formal letter notifying the chief of the action has been drafted by the admiral ... The Navy also plans to take the Tridents of three SEAL officers who oversaw Chief Gallagher — Lt. Cmdr. Robert Breisch, Lt. Jacob Portier and Lt. Thomas MacNeil — and their letters have been drafted as well ... Removing a Trident does not entail a reduction in rank, but it effectively ends a SEAL's career. ... The move sets up a potential confrontation between Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly championed Chief Gallagher, and Admiral Green, who has said he intends to overhaul discipline and ethics in the SEAL teams and sees Chief Gallagher's behavior as an obstacle." -- White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham is facing backlash after she claimed without evidence that aides to former president Barack Obama left behind disparaging messages on the day Trump was inaugurated. Toluse Olorunnipa and Josh Dawsey report: "Grisham said that White House aides left 'Obama books' throughout the White House and taped a big 'You will fail' sign on the door of the press office before Trump aides moved in — claims that sparked a chorus of condemnation from former Obama administration officials. Grisham then modified her assertions later in the day, changing key parts of her story and saying she viewed the alleged conduct as little more than a harmless prank. ... Grisham did not provide evidence to back up her allegations. No other Page 16996 EFTA00046507

administration official has made any similar allegations publicly in the 34 months since Trump entered the White House. Five former senior administration officials present on Day One in 2017 said they do not remember witnessing or hearing of any notes like the ones that Grisham described. 'Not in my office,' said one of the former officials." -- The American Medical Association called for an immediate ban on all electronic cigarettes and vaping devices. From the AP: "The AMA cited a surge in underage teen use of e-cigarettes, which typically heat a solution that contains nicotine. 'It's simple, we must keep nicotine products out of the hands of young people,' Dr. Patrice Harris, AMA's president, said in a statement. The doctors' group said a separate health issue also prompted its action — the recent U.S. outbreak of lung illnesses linked to vaping. Most of those sickened said they vaped THC, the high-inducing ingredient in marijuana, not nicotine. Officials believe a thickening agent used in black market THC vaping products may be a culprit." -- Scott Gottlieb, who served as Trump's commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration for the first two years of the administration, explained what he thinks the Trump administration should do on vaping: "E-cigs aren't safe, but when used properly they are not nearly has harmful as lighting tobacco on fire and smoking it. Yet providing adult smokers with a safer alternative to cigarettes cannot come at the expense of addicting a generation of young people to nicotine with these same products. New data from the Food and Drug Administration shows almost a third of teens now vape. And according to a study published in February in the Journal of the American Medical Association, young people who start out using nicotine through e-cigs are more likely to kesn,srines lemne• +esr•vs nr-v-ted,esen 'rhos dr.o.l..44••••••• :e. 4., 0..0%4 ••• ea;•••••• os..4. e$ 11.6., Page 16997 EFTA00046508

I...!CLA.JI I IV 11./1 iy-Lci III JI I Il../Mel J. I I IC 31../IU LIU.. 13 Lt., 9CL C't..IU3 %JUL Ul LI IC hands of kids but preserve the devices' potential to help adult smokers fully quit cigarettes." -- The House passed a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown on Friday, setting up a December showdown over Trump's border wall that could fall in the midst of impeachment votes. Erica Werner reports: "The legislation, which passed 231 to 192, extends government funding through Dec. 20. It must pass the Senate and be signed by Trump before midnight Thursday. If not, government funding would expire, causing many agencies to begin to shutter operations and furlough staff. The Senate is expected to act on the legislation ahead of the deadline. A senior administration official said Tuesday that Trump is expected to sign the bill. ... "Ahead of the vote, lawmakers of both parties bemoaned their failure to agree on the 12 annual spending bills for 2020, and the resulting need to enact short-term measures once again. ... And in an ominous sign of increased partisanship around the spending process, only 12 House Republicans voted in favor of the short-term spending bill Tuesday -- many fewer than the 76 Republicans who supported the last stop-gap bill." -- Former House speaker John Boehner returned to a Capitol transformed from heated partisanship into a cauldron of constitutional standoff. Paul Kane reports: "Officially there to unveil a portrait that will hang in a venerated room just off the House floor, Boehner brought with him one last bid to get his former colleagues to embrace a style that charmed friends and enemies alike. He remains an eternal optimist who views the world as a 'glass half full' - usually Page 16998 EFTA00046509

with red wine in one hand, a Camel cigarette in the other, handkerchief stuffed into his coat pocket to wipe away his ever-flowing tears. 'It doesn't cost anything to be nice. I'd like to think we were able to disagree without being disagreeable,' Boehner told several hundred well-wishers inside Statuary Hall. 'And I'd like to think that we tried to do the right things for the right reasons.' Boehner rejected the chance to weigh in on impeachment, as he did again Tuesday in an interview with Fox Business Network, where he and one of his lobbying partners, Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), the former member of House Democratic leadership, touted a pension plan supported by their firm. 'I'll just observe,' Boehner said of Trump." -- Customs and Border Protection issued a new edict regarding which U.S. officials are worthy of a framed portrait on the agency's walls: Just the president. Maria Sacchetti reports: "The shrinking photo gallery is the result of an agency mandate to feature only Senate-confirmed leaders and elected officials on its walls. Because Trump has said he prefers to keep many top officials in `acting' positions to make it easier to fire them, and because the president has repeatedly refused to nominate the agency's leaders for confirmation, Trump's photo will stand alone. ... CBP issued the edict because Trump last week replaced acting DHS secretary Kevin McAleenan with acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf. Because McAleenan was CBP's most recently confirmed commissioner, he appeared on the agency's walls in that capacity, agency spokeswoman Stephanie Malin said. The agency displays only portraits of officials in 'confirmed leadership positions.- -- Two jail workers were charged with falsifying records of checks on Jeffrey Epstein the night he died. Devlin Barrett reports: A R Page 16999 EFTA00046510

IU JUI y 1.1 hal yeu I UVCI IVUCI QI IU !VIKA ICIel I I IL/Ilk:1J VVILI I WI to defraud the United States and making false records while working at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. They are accused of repeatedly signing false paperwork that they conducted regular checks Aug. 10 on Epstein and other inmates. Epstein was found hanging in his cell early that morning, and the city's medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. For 'substantial portions of their shifts, Noel and Thomas sat at their desk, browsed the Internet, and moved around the common area' of the section of the jail where Epstein was held, known as the Special Housing Unit, or SHU, the grand jury charged. The indictment charges that Noel and Thomas repeatedly signed false 'count slips' even though they failed to conduct the required counts at midnight, 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. They also failed to check more frequently on Epstein, as had been ordered by higher-ups at the jail, according to the indictment. The document repeatedly notes that its charges are based on 'video from the MCC's internal video surveillance system.- -- The Arizona man who sold ammunition to the gunman who carried out the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas pleaded guilty. From NBC News: "Douglas Haig, 57, of Mesa, Arizona, admitted he made ammunition without a license. Haig came under investigation when armor-piercing bullets found inside Stephen Paddock's hotel room had Haig's fingerprints on them. Haig has admitted selling 720 rounds of tracer ammunition to the shooter in the weeks before the massacre that killed 58 people. Haig's guilty plea involves the illegal manufacture of armor-piercing rounds." -- Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) wants compassion for the Trump supporter convicted of making death threats against her. Lateshia Beachum reports: "Patrick W. Carlineo Jr., 55, of Addison, N.Y., entered the guilty plea before Chief U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Page 17000 EFTA00046511

for threatening to assault and murder the freshman congresswoman and for being a felon in possession of firearms ... The plea stems from a March call that Carlineo made to Omar's Washington, D.C., office. ... Although he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Omar wrote an open letter to Geraci requesting that he refrain from sentencing Carlineo to a long prison term and a large fine. Carlineo needs compassion and restorative justice that will allow him to understand the consequences of his actions and to make amends, she wrote. ... Carlineo told an FBI special agent that `if our forefathers were still alive, they'd put a bullet in her head' ... He told investigators that he was a President Trump-loving patriot who 'hates radical Muslims' in the government ... Carlineo told FBI agents that he had a shotgun and a .22 caliber firearm at his home that he claimed belonged to his girlfriend but later admitted to belonged to him..." -- A white teen girl with a detailed plan for a racist attack on black churchgoers in her notebook was arrested in Georgia, police said. Derek Hawkins reports: "The 16-year-old girl was charged with attempt to commit murder after students at her high school told administrators she had a notebook filled with 'detailed plans' to kill members of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Ga., according to police. The alleged plot was 'definitely racially motivated,' said Sgt. Kevin Holbrook of the Gainesville Police Department. The notebook, he said, contained 'manifesto-type' language that discussed how she wanted to assault black parishioners with butcher knives and other sharp-edged weapons." -- An Air Force master sergeant, Cory Reeves, was demoted after being accused of spreading white nationalist propaganda, but he Page 17001 EFTA00046512

is allowed to continue serving. Katie Shepherd reports: "The episode highlights a growing concern about active-duty military and veterans joining the ranks of white supremacist organizations. The leaked Discord chat logs, published by the nonprofit media collective Unicorn Riot in March, led journalists and activists to expose members of the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps as members of Identity Evropa, which has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center." -- A white supremacist manifesto received by Syracuse University students prompted a fresh wave of concern on the campus where nearly a dozen racist incidents in the past two weeks have sparked calls for outside investigations. Kim Bellware reports: "Since Nov. 7, when racist scrawls were discovered in dormitory bathrooms and hallways, the campus of nearly 23,000 students has been shaken by at least 10 more hate-fueled episodes ... The incidents have drawn national attention and spurred sit-ins, protests and intervention from the state's top elected officials. Freshman Dumebi Ebemor said Tuesday that university officials had not canceled classes after the distribution of the manifesto, which Syracuse police later said appears to be identical to the white supremacist manifesto shared by the gunman in the Christchurch massacre in New Zealand. The racist screed was sent to students in the university's Bird Library via the Apple file-sharing feature AirDrop." Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris take the stage before their debate in Houston. (Mike Blake/Reuters) 2020 WATCH: Page 17002 EFTA00046513

-- We are co-hosting a Democratic debate tonight with MSNBC. Here's what you need to know: • Debate coverage starts at 8 p.m. EST, and the debate will run from 9 to 11 p.m. EST. • It's being held in Atlanta at the Tyler Perry Studios, and you can watch online on washingtonpost.com or on our apps, as well as on MSNBC. • Ten candidates qualified to be onstage, meaning this debate has two fewer candidates than last month. -- Dave Weigel sketches out what he's watching for tonight: • What does Pete Buttigieg do under pressure? "Every other campaign has some level of contempt for the South Bend, Ind., mayor. Some have expressed it subtly, like [Elizabeth] Warren decrying 'consultant- driven' campaigns; some have been more direct, like former HUD secretary Julian Castro warning that Buttigieg can't excite nonwhite voters. ... In the past, Buttigieg has gotten around tough questions with the help of rival candidates who didn't want to attack him." • Can Warren fight from a corner? "The Massachusetts senator's slip in the polls could benefit her in one small way: It's put more pressure on Buttigieg. ... Warren's campaign has readied itself for attacks on her past and has been occasionally surprised when they haven't come." • Does Bernie Sanders still treat Warren like a partner? "For the first time, Sanders and Warren do Page 17003 EFTA00046514

have slightly different plans: Warren would use her first budget to begin enrolling people in an expanded version of Medicare but not end duplicative private insurance until three years later. The question is whether Sanders, who is generally viewed by voters as more trustworthy than Warren, explores that question or defends the overall goal of his legislation, shared by Warren, against all corners." Biden is planning a major Iowa push after tonight's debate as concerns grow about his weaknesses in the first voting state. Matt Viser and Holly Bailey report: "Biden's campaign once shrugged off the potential impact of losing the caucus vote on Feb. 3, but concerns lately have grown about just how poorly he might do. Desperate to avoid a humiliating showing that might have broader repercussions, Biden is planning a renewed focus on Iowa, with an expectation that both he and his wife, Jill, soon will make the kind of extended trips to the state that other candidates have for months. They also have launched a new digital campaign and could have additional endorsements in the works." Biden has durable support from a multiracial coalition of working-class workers who see him as one of their own. From the Times: "In dozens of interviews, from parades and union rallies to black churches and political picnics, working-class Democrats who support Mr. Biden explained their views in practical terms: they know and trust the Scranton native from his long tenure as a Delaware senator and as Barack Obama's vice president, they find his incremental policy proposals realistic and they think he can win. ... Surveys in this race indicate a return to the longstanding tradition in Democratic Page 17004 EFTA00046515

primaries or voters splitting along class lines, ana illuminate a key slice of Mr. Biden's base. ... For some voters, Mr. Biden appeals because there are strategic assumptions at work: many black working- class Democrats believe that white America will only support a well- known white male, such as Mr. Biden, while a number of working-class white Democrats also believe he is the most acceptable nominee. Some voters cited the misogyny and racism that female candidates and candidates of color have experienced in previous races." -- There are two Rhodes Scholars running for president, but Buttigieg gets way more credit for this than Cory Booker. From HuffPost: "HuffPost searched mentions in U.S. publications for 2019, finding that news outlets cited Buttigieg's Rhodes scholarship 596 times. Booker had just 79 mentions." Booker also attended Stanford and Yale Law. -- Documents reveal that a massive "dark-money" group pumped $140 million into Democratic and left-leaning causes in 2018. From Politico: "The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a little-known nonprofit headquartered in Washington, spent $141 million on more than 100 left-leaning causes during the midterm election year, according to a new tax filing from the group. The money contributed to efforts ranging from fighting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and other Trump judicial nominees to boosting ballot measures raising the minimum wage and changing laws on voting and redistricting in numerous states. The spending was fueled by massive anonymous donations, including one gift totaling $51.7 million. That single donation was more than the group had ever raised before in an entire year before [Trump] was elected." -- Liberal groups, anxious over Trump's growing lead in the Page 17005 EFTA00046516

money race, are committing to spend in general-election swing states during the primaries. Michelle Ye Hee Lee reports: "By the time voters coalesce around a nominee, Democratic operatives worry, it will be too late to overcome Trump's fundraising advantages in the general election. Already, pro-Trump committees have spent more than $500 million on his reelection — far more than previous incumbents at this point in the election. As a result, more than a dozen groups backed by high-dollar Democratic donors have pledged to spend at least $420 million through the primary season, focused largely on general-election swing states. Their efforts range from running anti- Trump digital ads to funding legal challenges to voter restriction that could hamper Democratic turnout. 'We can't wait until we have a candidate to do this work,' said Tara McGowan, founder and chief executive of Acronym, a politically active nonprofit supporting Democrats." SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ: Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who left the Republican Party on July 4 to become an independent after concluding that Trump committed impeachable offenses, said Volker and Morrison didn't help the GOP's case: From a former Republican congresswoman who was defeated in Virginia last November: A mesfkese fe•••rir.-se nno •••••••-••-••••-snnrin,s, ,.,h,, res•-••••-sne-srs4,-sel Cl,..:.-I., .-”,e4 1,,, Page 17006 EFTA00046517

rm KAI ICI lUI I I ICI %...1%,../r LA.JI IVI CJOI I kit I, VVI IU I Co co t iteu I lUllUCI CI IU I ICJ emerged as a Trump critic, mocked an ex-colleague: The official White House Twitter account attacked a current White House official in the middle of that official's testimony before Congress: The White House's director of social media also attacked Vindman from his government account, prompting this observation from a Post colleague: The president's son also attacked the Army officer: Twin jokes were made during Vindman's testimony: Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Tex.) brought props: A Politico reporter compared Volker's private deposition with his public testimony: One of our national security correspondents explained how Volker's Page 17007 EFTA00046518

story still doesn't really add up: And a CNN correspondent observed another damning fact pattern that's now taken as a given: The two witnesses in the morning went back to work at the White House after their testimony: Former Obama aides pushed back on White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham's allegations that they left hateful notes behind for their Trump counterparts: Actual notes Obama aides left behind for their replacements were shared online: ABC's White House correspondent shared some images from the day the Trump aides moved into their offices: Bernie Sanders took a stance in support of minor league teams: Page 17008 EFTA00046519

And Bei Bei the panda is flying to China with a really nice set up: VIDEOS OF THE DAY: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), who participated in the impeachment inquiries into Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, shares what's different about this time: Rep. Zoe Lofgren shares what she's learned after witnessing every modern impeachment inquiry Stephen Colbert said Vindman wasn't afraid to clap back: Here's one such moment: Seth Meyers said Republicans are trying to attack the impeachment hearing witnesses because they have no defense: Trevor Noah took a look at another D.C. scandal: You received this email because you signed up for The Daily 202 or because it is included in your subscription. Manage my email newsletters and alerts I Unsubscribe from The Daily 202 Privacy Policy I Help Page 17009 EFTA00046520

@2019 The Washington Post I 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071 Page 17010 EFTA00046521

Properties Property Value MessagelD 5DD50C94.NYMDOMI.NYMADM1.100.17031613.1.1 1875.1 Message Path xmliTrash\5DD50C94.NYMDOMI.NYMADM1.100.1 70316D.1.11875.1.xml From The Washington Post Display Name The Washington Post Email emakefwashingtanpost.com Reply To emaktwashingtonposteom Test The Washington Post To Charisma Edge: The Washington Pict Subject The Daly 202: Witnesses ca0ed by GOP to defend Trump offer more had facts for the president Scheduled date 2019-11-2009:5037 Creation date 2019-11-2009:50;37 Modified date 2019-11-20 11:36.00 Delivered date 2019-11-2009:51:17 Message she 70042 Attachments size 483080 Total she 553133 Attachments 2 Attachment TEXT.hnn Name TEXT.htm Content ID 5DDSODANYMDOMI.NYMADMI.200.2000OCF.1.2 E29A.1(4)45$DD5CC94.NYMOOMI.NYMADM1.100.1 70316120.I.11875.1€619.NYMDOMI.NYMADMI. RV .0.1.0.l@l18 Is Inline fake Type foe Size 192842 CA 1588997b5b5a8bleb9832496228dfiM6 plash 38031582BE69B6E38476FE6044F0A438E7F619484 1E85EFDEC170002D8OCBE21164F7A19/3 Attachment Mine.822 Name Mine.822 Content ID 5DD50C94.NYMDOMI.NYMADMI.200.20000CF.1.2 [email protected] 70316D.1.11875.1fit 19.NYMDOMI.NYMADMI.108.0.1.0.1@l8 Is Inline fake Type file Size 290238 CA 8e60cfcAa99b222d9b3515d58e092759 Hash 283969A74F40EB66F7623787D707D85C9B127FAC BIB63F2369FI6FE0510CC4E3C8730B57 Recipients 2 Recipient Charisma Edge Display Name Charisma Edge Email cedge ii lx'p.gov QUID 835B5E-10- I 1C6-0C00-E0D6-FE66A7708950 Distribution Tspe TO Recipient Type User Recipient The Washington Post Display Name The Washington Post Email cmaigwashingtonpost.com Distribution Type TO Recipient Type User Expire 0 Delay delivery until 0 Delegated fake Archived fake Read fake Deleted true Opened fake Completed fake Security Normal Box type Inbox Return notification sshen opened fake Return notification 6 he n de le te d fake Return notification sshen completed fake Return notification sshen declined fake Return notification sshen accepted fake Page 17011 EFTA00046522

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Mail Attachment Mime.822 Page 17014 EFTA00046525