ECM WORLD WATCH: NATIONAL AND GLOBAL NEWS

October 23, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) - East County Magazine's World Watch helps you be an informed citizen on important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

Impeachment inquiry

• Bombshell testimony rocks Trump impeachment defense (CNN)
• Bill Barr is ‘obligated to recuse’ himself from Ukraine investigation — or resign: NYC Bar Association (Raw Story)
• Republicans storm closed-door hearing to protect impeachment inquiry (The Hill)
• Trump urges GOP to fight for him (The Hill)
• In admitting then denying quid pro quo, Mulvaney turns harsh spotlight on himself (Washington Post)
• Former  Ohio Governor Republican John Kasich says he’s now for impeaching Trump (CNN)
• Federal investigation of Rudy Giuliani includes counterintelligence probe (CNN)

Other national news

• Flint schools receive water stations, filtration systems from billionaire Elon Musk (ABC 12)
• State Dept. finds no intentional mishandling of classified info under Clinton (10 News)
• Safety Experts Slam Boeing And FAA For Design And Approval Of 737 Max Jets (NPR)
• Dick's Sporting Goods destroyed $5 million worth of assault rifles, CEO Ed Stack says (Yahoo)
• Tulsi Gabbard’s Clinton clash sparks speculation about her political future (CNN)

WORLD

• Trump suffers rare international rebuke in a withering statement from multiple European countries (Raw Story)
• Parliament votes to withhold full approval of Brexit deal, postponing Boris Johnson’s moment of reckoning (Washington Post)
• Trump says his Doral golf resort will no longer host next year’s G-7 summit, bowing to criticism (Washington Post) 
• Canadian election: Trudeau’s liberals ‘retain power’ (BBC)
• Israel's Netanyahu gives up effort to form new government (Reuters)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

U.S.

Impeachment inquiry

Bombshell testimony rocks Trump impeachment defense (CNN)

Democrats may have just unearthed their smoking gun and the quid pro quo in one fell swoop after the most consequential and dramatic turn yet in their impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump…The top US diplomat in Ukraine notified House investigators that he was told that the release of military aid to Kiev would depend on a pledge to probe the 2016 election and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The deposition by Bill Taylor on Tuesday appears to directly refute the President's claim that there was no quid pro quo in his dealings with the former Soviet state.

Bill Barr is ‘obligated to recuse’ himself from Ukraine investigation — or resign: NYC Bar Association (Raw Story)

The attorney general of the United States has an obligation to recuse himself from any Department of Justice matters stemming from the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine, the New York City Bar Association said in a statement on Wednesday… The group warned Barr may need to be impeached and removed from office if he does not recuse himself.

Republicans storm closed-door hearing to protect impeachment inquiry (The Hill)

House Republicans stormed a closed-door hearing Wednesday to protest Democrats' impeachment inquiry process, breaking up the deposition of a top Defense Department official who was testifying about President Trump's dealings with Ukraine.

Trump urges GOP to fight for him (The Hill)

President Trump delivered a pointed message Monday to Republicans beginning to break from their White House ally amid Democrats’ escalating impeachment investigation: Fight harder for me…The GOP opposition came from multiple fronts. On Fox News, the president’s go-to news outlet, legal analysts, including former Judge Andrew Napolitano, charged the president with flagrant violations of the constitutional ban on accepting foreign gifts.

In admitting then denying quid pro quo, Mulvaney turns harsh spotlight on himself (Washington Post)

The hastily announced White House news conference was supposed to be a full-throated defense of President Trump’s controversial decision to host next year’s Group of Seven summit at his private golf club in Florida.  By the time it was over, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney had made much more explosive news — adding to Trump’s impeachment troubles and calling into question his ability to lead the White House staff in a time of crisis.

Former  Ohio Governor Republican John Kasich says he’s now for impeaching Trump (CNN)

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich said President Donald Trump should be impeached, a major switch for a former Republican presidential candidate who had previously said there was not enough evidence to impeach the President.Kasich, who's a CNN senior political commentator, told CNN's Ana Cabrera Friday the "final straw" for him was White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney's Thursday admission that military aid was withheld from Ukraine in order to pressure that country for investigations into Democrats.

Federal investigation of Rudy Giuliani includes counterintelligence probe (CNN)

For months, investigators looking into Rudy Giuliani's business dealings in Ukraine have dug into everything from possible financial entanglements with alleged corrupt Ukrainian figures to counterintelligence concerns raised by some of those business ties, according to people briefed on the matter. The counterintelligence part of the investigation indicates that FBI and criminal prosecutors in Manhattan are looking at a broader set of issues related to Giuliani, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, than has been previously reported.

Other national news

Flint schools receive water stations, filtration systems from billionaire Elon Musk (ABC 12)

Billionaire inventor Elon Musk and his Musk Foundation are donating $480,350 for water stations and filtration equipment for every building in Flint Community Schools…The drinking fountains have been out of service since the Flint water crisis in 2015.

State Dept. finds no intentional mishandling of classified info under Clinton (10 News)

Probe found 91 documents that were misclassified.

Safety Experts Slam Boeing And FAA For Design And Approval Of 737 Max Jets (NPR)

A new report from a group of international aviation safety experts sharply criticizes both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration for the way the 737 Max airplane was developed and certified to fly. All 737 Max jets around the world remain grounded and under orders to not fly passengers following crashes in Indonesia last October and Ethiopia in March that together killed 346 people.

Dick's Sporting Goods destroyed $5 million worth of assault rifles, CEO Ed Stack says (Yahoo)

Dick's Sporting Goods CEO Ed Stack said his company destroyed $5 million worth of assault rifles as part of its tough stance on guns.

Tulsi Gabbard’s Clinton clash sparks speculation about her political future (CNN)

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's clash with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has suddenly thrust her struggling 2020 presidential campaign into the spotlight. The heated back-and-forth with Clinton, who said Gabbard was a favorite of the Russians and was being groomed for a third-party run, has also raised questions about Gabbard's goal and future in Democratic politics.

WORLD

Trump suffers rare international rebuke in a withering statement from multiple European countries (Raw Story)

Leaders from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the European Parliament, and the United States joined together on Friday to issue a damning statement condemning President Donald Trump and Turkey for the ongoing atrocities in northern Syria. In the statement, the chairs of foreign affairs committees from each governing body said they consider Turkey’s recent incursion into Syria targeting the Kurdish people to be “military aggression and a violation of international law.”

Parliament votes to withhold full approval of Brexit deal, postponing Boris Johnson’s moment of reckoning (Washington Post)

A British law requires the prime minister to request a Brexit delay if a deal is not approved by Oct. 19, but Johnson said, “I will not negotiate a delay with the E.U. And neither does the law compel me to do so.”

Trump says his Doral golf resort will no longer host next year’s G-7 summit, bowing to criticism (Washington Post) 

President Trump was buffeted by two straight days of allegations of self-dealing and exasperation from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, including some Republican allies who said the selection of Doral as the venue for a gathering of world leaders was indefensible.

Canadian election: Trudeau’s liberals ‘retain power' (BBC)

Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party has retained power but as a minority government, according to projections by Canada's national broadcaster, CBC.  Despite some early losses in Canada's eastern provinces, the Liberals are expected to claim the most seats in parliament, giving them a second term. 

Israel's Netanyahu gives up effort to form new government (Reuters)

Benjamin Netanyahu gave up his effort to form a new government on Monday after failing to secure a majority coalition, creating an opportunity for centrist rival Benny Gantz to replace Israel's longest serving prime minister.