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Thursday, December 19

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DONALD TRUMP IS IMPEACHED For the third time in history, the House of Representatives impeached a president, setting the stage for a Senate trial on removing Donald Trump from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called it a sad day “for America that the president’s reckless activities necessitated our having to introduce articles of impeachment.”  [HuffPost]

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PELOSI SIGNALS POSSIBLE DELAY TO TRIAL Expressing concerns about potential GOP bias in a Senate impeachment trial, Pelosi said she would not immediately transmit the articles of impeachment against Trump to the Senate. [HuffPost]

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TRUMP LASHES OUT DURING RALLY Trump lashed out at Democrats in an angry tirade during his campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, while the House voted to impeach him. “This lawless, partisan impeachment is a political suicide march for the Democrat Party,” he raged. [HuffPost]

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TULSI GABBARD CASTS LONE 'PRESENT' VOTE Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) was among a handful of House Democrats who did not vote to impeach Trump. Gabbard, who is vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, was the only member of the House to vote "present" on the two articles. [HuffPost]

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PROSECUTORS ORDER ARREST OF BOLIVIAN EX-PRESIDENT  Prosecutors in Bolivia’s capital issued an arrest warrant for ousted President Evo Morales accusing him of sedition and terrorism. Interior Minister Arturo Murillo recently brought charges against Morales, alleging he promoted violent clashes that led to 35 deaths during disturbances before and after he left office. [AP]

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PRINCE ANDREW ATTENDS QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS LUNCH Prince Andrew, scandalized for his relationship with the late sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, is still attending private functions put on by the royal family, even after he announced he was stepping back from his royal duties. Andrew was spotted on Wednesday arriving at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth II’s annual Christmas lunch. [HuffPost]

WHAT'S BREWING

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REPUBLICANS COMPLAIN IMPEACHMENT NOT BIPARTISAN, FORGETTING AMASH Republicans arguing Wednesday against impeaching Trump time after time criticized Democrats’ willingness to proceed without any Republican votes. They neglected to mention the guy they chased out of the party for speaking out against the president -- Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan. [HuffPost]

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IS BUTTIGIEG A CONCERN TROLL? As Pete Buttigieg sees a bump in the early-state polls, the left is calling out the presidential candidate for “concern trolling” -- acting like he’s an advocate for progressive causes, but proposing less ambitious programs with rhetoric that undermines his purported goals by suggesting they aren’t really feasible. [HuffPost]

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HOW FOSSIL FUEL GIANTS FUND DENIAL Most energy companies now acknowledge that burning fossil fuels is warming the planet. But many continue to pay for disinformation about industry’s role in climate change and its harm to human health. [HuffPost]

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A MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE, PRESERVED ONLINE Kim Devins was at Price Chopper buying milk when her iPhone dinged with a message. Someone was trying to AirDrop her photos of her teenage daughter’s dead body. It had been two days since Bianca Devins, 17, was found dead, and gory images of her body were going viral. [HuffPost]

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UBER MUST PAY $4.4 MILLION Ride-hailing company Uber agreed to a  $4.4 million settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which has been investigating sexual harassment and retaliation at Uber since 2017. [HuffPost]

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AVENATTI STOLE FROM CLIENTS USING 'DECEIT' Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represented porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal battles against Trump, should be prevented from practicing law for pocketing a client’s settlement and covering his tracks through “deceit, dishonesty and lies,” a lawyer for the California State Bar said. [AP]

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