World Sports

President Trump: ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead – CNN

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds.

Kincade Fire: Authorities bracing for ‘dangerous’ spread, plead for residents to evacuate – The Mercury News

Sunday, October 27, 2019

CLICK HERE if you are having a problem viewing the photos or video on a mobile device SANTA ROSA — Fierce winds drove across Sonoma County early Sunday morning, pushing the massive Kincade Fire further south into wine region as authorities ordered thousands of additional residents to evacuate and get out of the path of the rapidly-moving wildfire. By 7 a.m. Sunday, the fire had consumed 30,000 acres and was…

WSJ: Sondland Told Lawmakers Trump Action on Ukraine Amounted to Quid Pro Quo – Slate

Sunday, October 27, 2019

U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told House committees last week that the way in which President Donald Trump and his allies pressured Ukraine to open political investigations in exchange for a White House meeting amounted to a quid pro quo. Sondland’s lawyer told the Wall Street Journal that the top diplomat specifically said that Ukraine agreeing to open up an investigation into 2016 election interference and a…

Evacuation orders rapidly expand in California as wildfires spread in historic windstorm – The Washington Post

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Officials, residents and emergency workers have spent the weekend bracing for the abrupt wind change, which came on almost exactly as forecasters expected. The fierce gusts, coupled with low humidity, could feed existing fires or ignite new blazes by knocking over electrical equipment or carrying embers into areas the flames haven’t yet touched. Any fires that do crop up will likely spread rapidly, the National Weather Service said.

Sutter hospital in Santa Rosa forced to evacuate due to Kincade Fire – KRON4

Sunday, October 27, 2019

SANTA ROSA (KRON) – Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital is being evacuated on Saturday night due to the Kincade Fire. Patients will be transported to Sutter Health in Novato and California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. The hospital is located in the area of mandatory evacuation orders. Two years ago when the wildfires ripped through the North Bay, Sutter hospital was evacuated. In 2017, officials reported about 70 patients…

How ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi became a feared preacher of hate – CNN

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what’s happening in the world as it unfolds.

Bolton looms large as impeachment inquiry accelerates | TheHill – The Hill

Sunday, October 27, 2019

One of the loudest voices emerging from House Democrats impeachment inquiry about President TrumpDonald John TrumpKey witness in impeachment investigation asks federal judge to rule on testifying Pompeo voices support for work of diplomat criticized by Trump Biden, Sanders defend themselves over questions of age MORE’s alleged abuse of power has come from a man who has yet to utter a word publicly about the probe: former national security adviser…

WSJ: Sondland told the House that Trump’s Ukraine pressure was a quid pro quo | TheHill – The Hill

Sunday, October 27, 2019

A lawyer for the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland told The Wall Street Journal that Sondland told impeachment committee members that President TrumpDonald John Trump Comey: Mueller ‘didn’t succeed in his mission because there was inadequate transparency’ During deposition, official says he made several efforts to advocate for Marie Yovanovitch Bolton looms large as impeachment inquiry accelerates MORE‘s dealings with Ukraine amounted to a quid pro quo. …

State Department Crushed Philip Reeker’s Plan To Support Ukrainian Ambassador – NPR

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe, leaves the Capitol in Washington after a closed-door interview Saturday about President Donald Trump’s ouster of the ambassador of Ukraine. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe, leaves the Capitol in Washington after a closed-door interview Saturday about President Donald Trump’s ouster of the ambassador of Ukraine….

PG&E shutdowns begin: Nearly 1 million customers to lose power – The Mercury News

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Click here if you’re having trouble viewing the slideshow on your mobile device. SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Saturday began cutting power to 940,000 customers – 90,000 more than initially planned – in a desperate effort to prevent catastrophic wildfires that could be fanned by exceptionally powerful winds. The North Bay and northern Sierra foothills were among the first areas to lose power about 5 p.m., said Mark…

‘Potentially historic’ wind event could worsen California wildfires as another mass outage begins – The Washington Post

Sunday, October 27, 2019

By Saturday morning, an estimated 20,000-30,000 had been able to return to their homes, Lester said. Areas within the fire’s perimeter remained under evacuation orders, and over 1,300 firefighters remained on the scene. Two evacuation centers for fleeing residents had been established at nearby schools, as well as a separate location for animals.

State Department Crushed Philip Reeker’s Plan To Support Ukrainian Ambassador – NPR

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe, leaves the Capitol in Washington after a closed-door interview Saturday about President Donald Trump’s ouster of the ambassador of Ukraine. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP Philip Reeker, the acting assistant secretary of state for Europe, leaves the Capitol in Washington after a closed-door interview Saturday about President Donald Trump’s ouster of the ambassador of Ukraine….

Trump Approves Special Ops Raid Targeting ISIS Leader Baghdadi, Military Says He’s Dead – Newsweek

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The United States military has conducted a special operations raid targeting one of its most high-value targets, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), Newsweek has learned. President Donald Trump approved the mission nearly a week before it took place. Amid reports Saturday of U.S. military helicopters over Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, a senior Pentagon official familiar with the operation and Army official briefed on…

State Dept. official broached Pompeo’s role in Ukraine in new testimony | TheHill – The Hill

Sunday, October 27, 2019

A leading State Department official testified before Congress on Saturday and touched upon Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoPompeo voices support for work of diplomat criticized by Trump Overnight Defense: Pentagon chief says ‘mechanized’ forces headed to Syria | Troops would protect oil fields | House subpoenas State, OMB officials in impeachment inquiry | Trump keeps up attacks on key diplomat Trump steps up attacks on key diplomat…

Sondland Told House Panels Trump’s Ukraine Pressure Was Quid Pro Quo – The Wall Street Journal

Sunday, October 27, 2019

WASHINGTON—A top U.S. diplomat told House committees last week that efforts by President Trump and his allies to press Kyiv to open investigations in exchange for a White House meeting with Ukraine’s president amounted to a quid pro quo, his lawyer said. Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, told House committees that he believed Ukraine agreeing to open investigations into Burisma Group—a gas company where Democrat Joe…

In impeachment inquiry, Republican lawmakers ask questions about whistleblower, loyalty to Trump and conspiracy theories – The Washington Post

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Here’s what you need to know to understand the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. How we got here: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the beginning of an official impeachment inquiry against President Trump on Sept. 24, 2019. Here’s what has happened since then. What’s happening now: Lawmakers are conducting an inquiry, which could lead to impeachment. An impeachment would mean the U.S. House thinks the president is no longer fit…

Group that awarded Trump removed from criminal justice event over Kamala Harris boycott – The Washington Post

Saturday, October 26, 2019

After Harris initially dropped out, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a leading voice on criminal justice reform in the Senate, tweeted, “I saw what happened today. And I, for one, will be there tomorrow. I have some things I think they need to hear from me — directly.”

State Department official subpoenaed to testify in Trump impeachment inquiry: The latest – USA TODAY

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Phil Reeker has arrived at the U.S. Capitol. Reeker is meeting behind closed doors to testify before the House committees on Saturday as part of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. (Oct. 26) AP, AP

Harris hits back at Trump: ‘My whole life I’ve fought for justice and for the people’ | TheHill – The Hill

Saturday, October 26, 2019

White House hopeful Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisKamala Harris skipping forum to protest award given to Trump Elijah Cummings, native son of Baltimore, gets emotional send-off from Democratic luminaries Biden’s lead shrinks in South Carolina poll MORE (D-Calif.) fired back at President TrumpDonald John TrumpKey witness in impeachment investigation asks federal judge to rule on testifying Pompeo voices support for work of diplomat criticized by Trump Biden, Sanders defend themselves…

A ‘potentially historic’ wind event could worsen California wildfires this weekend – The Washington Post

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The strong winds in the forecast will pose a high risk of sparks, which would lead to potentially rapidly spreading wildfires, Pacific Gas & Electric said in a statement Friday. Approximately 850,000 customers, comprising millions of people across Northern and Central California, could be without power through the weekend as PG&E stood ready to cut power to the regions most at risk from the blaze. As of Saturday morning, only…