Schiff asks Yovanovitch about Trump's real-time attacks
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As ex-Ukraine ambassador Marie Yovanovitch has testified before the House impeachment inquiry, just after the White House has released its transcript of the first call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, seemingly an attempt to distract from the veteran diplomat's potentially explosive deposition.
Speaking in Louisiana last night, the president complained the inquiry has been “very hard” on his family as he took to the stage to muster support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone, the plea for sympathy a marked change of tactic.
As security experts warn Mr Trump’s 26 July phone call with Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the EU, could have been picked up by Russian spies, the president is planning to take the battle to withhold his tax returns from investigators to the Supreme Court.
The Friday testimony proved to be an exciting one, with Mr Trump live tweeting the exchange until being called out directly by Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
In doing so, Mr Schiff was able to check in with Ms Yovanovitch in real time, and hear from her that she believed his comments to be aimed at intimidation.
Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal
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Many have now said that Mr Trump's attack may amount to witness tampering — which could add to the articles of impeachment facing the president.
Ms Yovanovitch also described publicly a conspiracy led by Rudy Giuliani to get her removed from her post as ambassador — which she said she did not understand the purpose of, since the president could have simply fired her if he wanted.
Giuliani says he has 'very, very good insurance' if Trump tries to throw him under the bus
Rudy Giuliani was interviewed by The Guardian yesterday and "joked" that he was not worried about being thrown under the bus by Trump the Ukraine affair: “I’m not, but I do have very, very good insurance, so if he does, all my hospital bills will be paid.”
Matt Bevin finally concedes Kentucky governor's race
The deeply unpopular Republican candidate in the Kentucky governor's race, Matt Bevin, has finally conceded defeat a week after Democrat Andy Beshear claimed victory.
Bevin - widely loathed for his comments about striking teachers - was the incumbent but loses his seat in spite of Trump attempting to intervene on his behalf with an election eve rally appearance in which even he admitted his man was "a pain in the a**" but implored red state voters not to inflict "the greatest defeat in history" on him.
President shows off transcript of first Zelensky call to Republican huddle
Trump spent Thursday presenting the transcript of his first call with Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky to a huddle of Republican senators over lunch, Politico reports today.
The president had promised to release the transcript of the 21 April call - not to be confused with the 25 July "quid pro quo" exchange at the heart of the impeachment inquiry - in the belief that it will somehow exonerate him but rowed back on the decision on Tuesday for reasons that at this moment remain unclear.
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Mike Crapo of Idaho, Ted Cruz of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Jerry Moran of Kansas saw the document, the publication says.
Pyongyang state media has accused Democratic 2020 front-runner Joe Biden of slandering its leader and called the Democratic presidential candidate “a rabid dog” that needs to be put down.
Ex-New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the world's richest men and a late entrant to the Democratic 2020 race, is already under fire following the re-emergence of sexist "jokes" he made in the past.
“If women wanted to be appreciated for their brains, they’d go to the library instead of to Bloomingdale’s,” goes one. At least one other is genuinely jaw-dropping.
The resurfacing of the remarks in 2001 ultimately failed to derail his run for city hall at the time but he can expect them to be taken far more seriously in the #MeToo era.
Good morning and welcome to the second day of public impeachment hearings into Donald Trump's alleged abuse of power involving Ukraine.
The president has a mostly silent schedule today in Washington as the House Intelligence Committee spearheads an investigation into his 25 July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and allegations he withheld crucial military aid to the country while demanding political investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden.
We'll be providing live updates and real-time analysis from our New York headquarters, with help from The Independent's Andrew Feinberg, who is sitting in on the impeachment hearings.
Today's key impeachment witness is Marie Yovanovitch, the former US ambassador to Ukraine, who was the subject of an apparent "smear campaign" orchestrated by the president's personal attorney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. She's set to arrive on Capitol Hill momentarily.
Justice Department investigating Florida Republican over campaign finance violations
Bill Barr's Justice Department has launched a probe into Florida GOP congressman Ross Spano over campaign finance violation allegations, according to the House Ethics Committee.
The Washington Post meanwhile reported this morning that the same department stated last night it would not accept written answers from witnesses in its investigation into the origins of the Robert Mueller's Russia inqury before backing down.
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