5 things to know for November 18: Fresno shooting, Hong Kong protests, impeachment testimony
Your morning cup of coffee may start looking a little different. Dunkin’ is scrapping foam cups in favor of more eco-friendly (yet less iconic) paper versions. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)
1. Fresno shooting
A shooting at a football watch party in Fresno yesterday ended with four people dead, six others wounded and very few answers as to who’s responsible. Authorities say an unknown suspect walked into the yard of a home and began shooting into a crowd. There’s no indication the suspect knew anyone there, and police haven’t published any details about the suspect’s appearance or a possible vehicle description. After the shooting, officers were going door to door to collect security camera footage and possible witness statements to get more information.
2. Impeachment investigation
The impeachment drama doesn’t even stop on the weekends anymore. President Trump spent part of yesterday tweeting attacks against Jennifer Williams, an aid to Vice President Mike Pence who said in a deposition that Trump’s July 25th call with Ukraine was “inappropriate.” Williams is one of the people set to testify publicly this week, and the latest witness to face attacks from the President for her cooperation in the investigation. On Saturday, House impeachment investigators released a transcript of Williams’ closed door deposition, as well as the deposition transcripts from Gordon Sondland, the American envoy to the European Union; and former NSC official Tim Morrison. The big takeaway from these releases: Morrison’s account seems to corroborate Sondland’s claim that he was directed by President Trump in his dealings with Ukraine, including an insistence that the country open investigations into the Biden family.
3. Hong Kong
It was a weekend of intense battles and prolonged standoffs between police and protesters in Hong Kong. Protesters are still holing up in some of the city’s biggest universities, and police are hoping to wait them out. At Hong Kong Polytechnic University, anywhere from 100 to 1,000 protesters remain inside despite police orders to leave. Some protesters have been reluctant to come out of the university for fear of being beaten and arrested by police — which happened to another group that fled earlier in the day. Meanwhile, some pro-democracy politicians in the city are upset after members of the Chinese military were spotted cleaning up Hong Kong’s protest-marred streets. The politicians want to know if Hong Kong’s government requested public security and disaster relief assistance from China in response to the ongoing violence.
4. 2020 elections
Two weeks ago, Kentucky upset the status quo by electing a Democratic governor despite its traditionally red leanings. This weekend, Louisiana followed suit. Governor John Bel Edwards defeated his Republican opponent in a runoff election on Saturday, and his victory will undoubtedly be used as another measuring stick of President Trump’s influence leading up to the 2020 election. Trump obviously supported Republican candidate Eddie Rispone and encouraged voters to “send a message to corrupt Democrats in Washington.” Louisiana’s election results kick off what is sure to be another interesting week on the campaign trail. Ten Democratic candidates will gather in Atlanta on Wednesday for the next debate. Pete Buttigieg in particular will be coming into the debate on a high note. According to a new weekend poll, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, now holds a clear lead in the ever-important caucus state of Iowa.
5. Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s second son, sat for an interview with the BBC about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and…yikes, it did not go well. The Prince referred to Epstein’s history of sexual assault as him conducting himself “in a manner unbecoming” and revealed Epstein was invited to the 18th birthday party of the Prince’s daughter, Princess Beatrice, even though Epstein was at the time subject to an arrest warrant for the sexual assault of a minor. For context, one of Epstein’s accusers said in 2015 that Epstein forced her to perform sex acts with several prominent men when she was 17, including Prince Andrew. All of them have denied the allegations. This latest interview was the first time Prince Andrew has spoken publicly about the allegations, and the result drew almost universal condemnation. One British journalist said the interview was “a plane crashing into an oil tanker, causing a tsunami, triggering a nuclear explosion level bad.”
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Two Arkansas chemistry professors were arrested for allegedly making meth
Didn’t we learn anything from “Breaking Bad?”
Gwyneth Paltrow’s famed holiday gift guide features a $1,350 BDSM kit
You probably don’t want to open this around your parents.
DC’s beloved panda Bei Bei is leaving for China in a private jet
Imagine trying to get a panda on a jet. What a difficult, yet deeply fulfilling task.
Taco Bell wants you to take its tacos, stick them in a blender and serve them as bisque this Thanksgiving
TODAY’S QUOTE
“So could you tell me how. How to move on. How do I go to school when my classmates can’t anymore.”
Jilli Spencer, a high school student in the Santa Clarita area who wrote a poem about last week’s shooting at the nearby Saugus High School. The poem has since gained widespread attention in her community.
TODAY’S NUMBER
$1.7 trillion
That’s how much Saudi Arabia thinks its giant state oil monopoly, Aramco, is worth. Aramco is the most profitable company in the world, and that valuation would make it the world’s most valuable as well — way ahead of Apple.
TODAY’S WEATHER
AND FINALLY
A true force of nature
Ice calving, or glacier calving, is when large chunks of ice break off from a glacier. It can be a totally natural occurrence and truly stunning to watch. (Click here to view)
