memeorandum: U.S. Said to Extend Reprieve for Huawei (Ana Swanson/New York Times)

9:20 AM ET, November 16, 2019

Top Items:

Vicky Ward / CNN:

Exclusive: After private White House meeting, Giuliani associate Lev Parnas said he was on a ‘secret mission’ for Trump, sources say — New York (CNN)Among the many guests who had their pictures taken with President Donald Trump at the White House's annual Hanukkah party last year …

Discussion: Washington Post, CANNONFIRE, The Hill, Raw Story and Mediaite

Orlando Sentinel:
DeSantis, indicted Ukrainian-American Parnas met at least 6 times, governor's office says

Discussion: Florida Politics

Emily Tillett / CBS News:

Nancy Pelosi says Trump's attacks on witnesses “very significant” to impeachment probe — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that President Trump's ongoing attacks on witnesses in the impeachment probe — including his tweets about former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch Friday …

Discussion: HuffPost, The Hill and Mediaite

Susan B. Glasser / New Yorker:

In Trump's Jaded Capital, Marie Yovanovitch's Uncynical Outrage — A fired Ambassador demonstrates that it is apparently still possible to be shocked by the President. — For a few hours this Friday, an unassuming career diplomat named Marie (Masha) Yovanovitch did something that I thought …

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

Trump attack on Yovanovitch exposes GOP's muddled impeachment defense — Donald Trump is alone. — Not a single Republican lawmaker on the House Intelligence Committee backed up the president's midhearing attacks on veteran diplomat Marie Yovanovitch Friday as she described a Trump-fueled …

Discussion: New York Times, NBC News, HuffPost, NPR, Washington Post, Political Wire and The Bulwark

Abigail Tracy / Vanity Fair:

“THIS IS THE WAY GANGSTERS OPERATE”: A HERO IS BORN AS YOVANOVITCH GIVES VOICE TO WIDESPREAD RAGE AT STATE — The diplomatic rank and file believe Mike Pompeo has allowed Trump to pollute the State Department with politics. Marie Yovanovitch made their case.

Discussion: Daily Kos and Vox

New York Post:
Marie Yovanovitch admits Obama admin prepped her on Hunter Biden

Discussion: Fox News and Redstate

Andrew Harnik / Politico:
What Was Truly Unprecedented in This Week's Impeachment Hearings?

Discussion: Reuters

YouTube:
“I'M ABOUT TO GAVEL YOU DOWN”: Schiff warns Jordan during impeachment hearing

Discussion: Fox News

John Bresnahan / Politico:
‘Witness intimidation in real-time’: Democrats see more evidence of Trump obstruction

Tristan Justice / The Federalist:
Marie Yovanovitch Admits There Was No Crime, No Bribery From Trump On Ukraine

Discussion: BuzzFeed News

Jonathan Allen / NBC News:
The devastating day Trump's presidency came into sharp focus — in Congress, the White House and court

Discussion: New York Times, MSNBC and Daily Kos

Washington Post:

How a CIA analyst, alarmed by Trump's shadow foreign policy, triggered an impeachment inquiry — The lights are often on late into the evening at CIA headquarters, where a team of elite analysts works on classified reports that influence how the country responds to global crises.

CNN:

Witness overheard US ambassador tell Trump that Ukraine would investigate Biden — (CNN)A US ambassador told President Donald Trump that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “loves your ass” and that Ukraine was going to move forward with the investigation Trump had asked Zelensky for a day earlier …

Discussion: Esquire, NBC News, The Daily Beast, The Hill, Hot Air, Florida Politics, Talking Points Memo, Axios, fox13now.com and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:
Embassy Official Confirms Trump Asked About Ukraine Investigation

Discussion: The Week, Washington Post, Raw Story and POLITICUSUSA, more at Mediagazer »

Natasha Bertrand / Politico:
Trump ignored aides' advice to raise corruption in first Zelensky call, source says

Discussion: Raw Story, New York Times, Townhall, The Week, Politico and The Hill

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
A Friday night surprise: David Holmes throws a wrench in Trump's impeachment defense

Discussion: Associated Press

CBS News: Read David Holmes' full opening statement in impeachment inquiry

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:

Trump issues pardons in war-crimes cases, despite Pentagon opposition to the move — President Trump intervened in three military justice cases involving war-crimes accusations Friday, issuing at least two pardons that will prevent the Pentagon from pursuing future charges against the individuals involved …

Discussion: The Week, Mediaite, Townhall and Balloon Juice

Dave Philipps / New York Times:

Trump Clears Three Service Members in War Crimes Cases — The moves signaled that as commander in chief, Mr. Trump intends to use his power as the ultimate arbiter of military justice. — President Trump cleared three members of the armed services on Friday who have been accused or convicted …

Discussion: Common Dreams, NPR, The Stranger and Axios

The White House:
Statement from the Press Secretary

Discussion: TheBlaze

CNN: Trump ignores Pentagon advice and intervenes in military war crimes cases

ABC News:
Trump issues pardons for 3 service members accused of war crimes

Discussion: NBC News, Politico and The Hill

Lisa Lerer / New York Times:

Obama Says Average American Doesn't Want to ‘Tear Down System’ — Former President Barack Obama, in an address to liberal donors, warned candidates not to go too far left and sought to calm those who were concerned about the state of the Democratic primary.

Discussion: The Hill and Althouse

Gabriel Debenedetti / New York Magazine:

Obama Tells His Party's Elites to Relax — For eleven-and-a-half months now, Barack Obama has gone out of his way to avoid commenting on 2020's presidential primary. He doesn't sit for interviews where he might be asked about it, he won't mention candidates' names, and even in private …

Sean Sullivan / Washington Post:
Obama tells Democratic candidates to ease off talk of revolution

Discussion: Associated Press

New York Times:

‘Absolutely No Mercy’: Leaked Files Expose How China Organized Mass Detentions of Muslims — More than 400 pages of internal Chinese documents provide an unprecedented inside look at the crackdown on ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. — HONG KONG — The students booked their tickets home …

Mike DeBonis / Washington Post:

Elise Stefanik emerges in impeachment hearings as key Trump defender — and GOP celebrity — On the House floor, Rep. Elise Stefanik has built the record of a Republican maverick: She's one of the few GOP lawmakers to vote against the party's sweeping 2017 tax bill, back equal rights …

Discussion: The Federalist and The Daily Caller

Ben Jacobs / New York Magazine: How a Tweet from Trump Scrambled the GOP's Impeachment Strategy

Haley Byrd / CNN: New York GOP congresswoman in the spotlight at impeachment hearings

Washington Post:

Trump's Doral resort was a last-minute addition in search for G-7 site, newly released email shows — Secret Service agents had identified four U.S. sites as finalists for next year's Group of Seven summit — but then they were told to add a new finalist: President Trump's Doral resort …

Discussion: Associated Press and POLITICUSUSA

Linnaea Honl-Stuenkel / CREW:
Secret Service Records Contradict Trump's Claim on Doral G-7

Discussion: Q13 FOX News, HuffPost and Washington Post

U.S. Department of Justice:

Attorney General William P. Barr Delivers the 19th Annual Barbara K. Olson Memorial Lecture at the Federalist Society's 2019 National Lawyers Convention — Good Evening. Thank you all for being here. And thank you to Gene [Meyer] for your kind introduction.

Tal Kopan / San Francisco Chronicle:

Exclusive: Kamala Harris picks up major union endorsement — WASHINGTON — California Sen. Kamala Harris is getting the presidential endorsement of the United Farm Workers, the labor group will announce Saturday. — The major endorsement, shared first with The Chronicle …

Discussion: Political Wire, Fox News, Politico and The Daily Beast

Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:

This Is How Trump's Gangster Government Works — The president—like a clever drug dealer or gangster—knows the importance of plausible deniability. Now it's the essence of the GOP defense. — This is how a drug deal works: — Let's say you want to buy some crack.