memeorandum: Former Chinese trade envoy wants four more years of Trump. Here's why (South China Morning Post)

2:20 PM ET, November 9, 2019

Top Items:

CNN:

We read all 2,677 pages of impeachment inquiry testimony released to date. Here's what's clear. — (CNN)To President Donald Trump, the whole flap with Ukraine is over a “perfect” phone call. — “It's based on a single phone call of congratulations to the President of Ukraine …

Discussion: Washington Post, Occupy Democrats, New York Times, Vox and Politico

Bloomberg:

State Department Freed Ukraine Money Before Trump Says He Did — Department lawyers found the White House lacked authority — Chain of events undercuts Trump's account of freeing the funds — President Donald Trump says he lifted his freeze on aid to Ukraine on Sept. 11 …

Discussion: Detroit News and HuffPost

William Saletan / Slate:

The Ukraine Depositions Have Destroyed Trump's “Corruption” Defense — Republicans say the president wanted to clean up Ukraine. Witness testimony shows he didn't. — According to Republican senators, President Donald Trump had a very good reason to press Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and other Democrats.

Discussion: Reason

Julian Borger / The Guardian:

Impeachment inquiry: Fiona Hill tells lawmakers she's received death threats — Former top Russia expert at White House says harassment reached a peak after she agreed to testify in impeachment hearings — The former top Russia expert at the White House has said she has been subjected …

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Mulvaney moves for ruling on House impeachment probe subpoena

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Political Wire

Jonathan Swan / Axios:
NSC staffer denies having secret Ukraine conversations with Trump

Discussion: Washington Post, The Hill and NBC News

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Democrats engineer multiple chances to make the case for Trump's impeachment — It's rare in politics to get a second chance, let alone a third, at making a first impression. But that is the opportunity presented to House Democrats in the week ahead, as they take their impeachment inquiry public …

Discussion: Raw Story

Brooke Singman / Fox News:

Republicans want Hunter Biden, Ukraine whistleblower as impeachment inquiry witnesses — EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans plan to call Hunter Biden, the Ukraine whistleblower and a range of other witnesses to testify in the upcoming public Trump impeachment hearings, according to a witness list obtained exclusively by Fox News.

Discussion: Associated Press, Breitbart, New York Post, Law & Crime, The Hill and Politico

Brooke Singman / Fox News:
Nunes demands Schiff testify in private as part of House impeachment inquiry

Discussion: Breitbart, The Hill, The Daily Beast, The Week, War Room, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall and Politico

Colby Itkowitz / Washington Post:
House GOP asks for Hunter Biden and whistleblower to testify in impeachment probe

Discussion: Political Wire

John Wagner / Washington Post:
Ukraine expert who listened to Trump's call says ‘there was no doubt’ …

Discussion: The Week, Raw Story, HuffPost, Political Flare and CNN

Matthew Daly / Associated Press:
Whistleblower disputes boil over in impeachment interview

Discussion: Sara A. Carter, Breitbart and NBC News

New York Times:

Why Pete Buttigieg Annoys His Democratic Rivals — His success, especially in Iowa, has grated on rival campaigns that say his record in government is not commensurate with the attention he's receiving. — WAVERLY, Iowa — Joseph R. Biden Jr. was mingling with a handful of mayors backstage …

Discussion: Althouse

Tamara Keith / NPR:

The Whistleblower Complaint Has Largely Been Corroborated. Here's How. — When the House impeachment inquiry began more than a month ago, much of the focus was on a complaint from a whistleblower that drew attention to a July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President …

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Alexi McCammond / Axios:

Exclusive: Three Democratic senators use another FOIA request to get Trump-Ukraine info — Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris, Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse requested documents and communications from the Justice Department on Nov. 8 related to President Trump's reported call …

Discussion: The Hill, Breitbart, Raw Story and NPR

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Manafort's former son-in-law gets 9 years for array of scams — Paul Manafort's former son-in-law was sentenced to more than nine years in prison Friday for a wide-ranging series of fraud schemes the court said bilked victims out of more than $6 million. — As U.S. District Judge Andre …

Discussion: Political Wire

Joanna Weiss / Politico:

Trump Pokes Fun at Himself. Why Do Only Some People See It? — There's a common conception, among foes of Donald Trump, that the 45th president tweets every day in a kind of fevered state: alone by his bedroom TV set, wrapped in a smoking jacket or maybe a satin Snuggie, typing in fits of narcissism …

Shane Croucher / Newsweek:

Michael Bloomberg Could ‘Immediately Become a Heavyweight’ in 2020 Race, Says Political Scientist: ‘He Radiates Electability’ — The billionaire mogul Michael Bloomberg could have a big impact on the Democratic Party's 2020 primaries, a political scientist has said, amid reports he is preparing the ground to do just that.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, New York Times and The Atlantic

Washington Post:
Democrats debate presidential field on news of Michael Bloomberg's potential candidacy

Discussion: New York Times and Politico

New York Times:

Roman Polanski Accused of 1975 Rape — A French photographer said the director hit her and assaulted her when she was 18. She is the sixth woman to publicly accuse him of sexual abuse. — PARIS — A French photographer has accused the director Roman Polanski of violently raping her in 1975 …

South China Morning Post:

Former Chinese trade envoy wants four more years of Trump. Here's why — The US president's daily tweets to 67 million global followers make him ‘easy to read’, said the former trade envoy and point man for China's WTO negotiations Trump is a transparent and realistic negotiator who is concerned …

Andrew Sullivan / New York Magazine:

This Is No Ordinary Impeachment — This is not just an impeachment. It's the endgame for Trump's relentless assault on the institutions, norms, and practices of America's liberal democracy for the past three years. It's also a deeper reckoning. It's about whether the legitimacy …

USA Today:

Veterans Day disgrace: Stop deporting immigrants who served, make them American citizens — It's hard to believe that we are deporting veterans. Support for those who fought for our country should not be contingent on their country of birth. — In a country where we celebrate and honor …

Hamed Aleaziz / BuzzFeed News:

The Trump Administration Is Proposing To Become One Of Just Four Countries In The World To Charge A Fee For Asylum — The Trump administration on Friday proposed an unprecedented series of new fees for asylum-seekers and immigrants hoping to stay in the US, aiming to become one of just four countries …

Discussion: Fox News and ImmigrationProf Blog

New York Times:
New Trump Administration Proposal Would Charge Asylum Seekers an Application Fee

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Sarah Kliff / New York Times:

With Medical Bills Skyrocketing, More Hospitals Are Suing for Payment — WISE, Va. — When a judge hears civil cases at the courthouse in this southwest Virginia town two days a month, many of the lawsuits have a common plaintiff: the local hospital, Ballad Health, suing patients over unpaid medical bills.

Steve Calabresi / The Daily Caller:

House Democrats Violate The 6th Amendment By Denying Trump A Public Trial — The nation is transfixed by the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump for purportedly using U.S. military aid to Ukraine to prompt that country to reopen a corruption into former Vice President Joe Biden's son.

Wall Street Journal:

Giuliani Associates Urged Ukraine's Prior President to Open Biden, Election Probes — Lev Parnas, Igor Fruman pushed then-president Poroshenko to announce probes in return for U.S. state visit — Months before President Trump pressed Ukraine's newly installed president to investigate Joe Biden's son …

Discussion: Washington Press, The Guardian, Washington Post, Slate, CANNONFIRE, Law & Crime, CNN, The Hill, Raw Story and Talking Points Memo

Orion Rummler / Axios:

Trump intends to take tax return fight to Supreme Court — President Trump's lawyers intend to petition the U.S. Supreme Court by Nov. 14 to review a lower court ruling requiring the president to turn over eight years of his tax returns to a state grand jury, according to a letter written Friday.

Discussion: Bloomberg and One America News Network