Wednesday Morning Briefing

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Donald Trump Jr. stands onstage with his father Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump after Trump's debate against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, U.S. September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Brian Snyder


Russia investigation

 

Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who had incriminating information about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton that could help his father's presidential campaign could lead investigators to probe whether he violated U.S. election law, experts said. The Federal Election Campaign Act  makes it illegal for a foreign national to contribute to a U.S. political campaign. The campaign is also prohibited from soliciting such contributions. A contribution does not have to be monetary in nature, according to Paul S. Ryan, an attorney with watchdog group Common Cause.

 

Trump says eldest son Donald Trump Jr is 'innocent'

 

Trump Jr. emails suggest he welcomed Russian help against Clinton

 

Among Trump associates, concern and frustration over Donald Jr. crisis


Environment

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt, who has repeatedly expressed doubts about climate change, said the agency is in the early stages of launching a debate about climate change that could air on television – challenging scientists to prove the widespread view that global warming is a serious threat.

 

One of the biggest icebergs on record has broken away from Antarctica, scientists said, creating an extra hazard for ships around the continent as it breaks up. Big icebergs break off Antarctica naturally, meaning scientists are not linking the rift to manmade climate change. The ice, however, is a part of the Antarctic peninsula that has warmed fast in recent decades.

 

A rift across the Larsen C Ice Shelf that had grown longer and deeper is seen during an airborne surveys of changes in polar ice over the Antarctic Peninsula from NASA’s DC-8 research aircraft on November 10, 2016. Courtesy NASA/Handout via REUTERS


Middle East

 

Iraqi forces clashed with Islamic State fighters holding out in Mosul's Old City on Wednesday, more than 36 hours after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the militants in the de facto Iraqi capital of their self-declared caliphate.

 

Commentary: The road to Afghanistan peace does not lie in Kabul

 

Fethullah Gulen, the U.S.-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of instigating last year's failed coup, says he has no plans to flee the United States and would accept extradition if Washington agrees to a request by Ankara to hand him over.


Business

 

GM's judgment day: How two Venezuelan car dealers seized an auto factory

 

Breakingviews podcast: Why didn't any Wall Street bigwigs go to jail over the 2008 financial crisis?

 

More than one-fifth of young adults who stream shows like "Game of Thrones" or "Stranger Things" borrow passwords from people who do not live with them, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, a finding that suggests media companies are missing out on significant revenue as digital viewership explodes.

 

Special Report: How Brexit is set to hurt Europe’s financial systems

 

After dieselgate, Volkswagen loosens reins on empire

 


U.S.

 

The mastermind of the Bridgegate lane closure scandal that helped derail New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's presidential ambitions could avoid prison when he is sentenced in federal court. David Wildstein, 55, a former executive at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, provided the key evidence that led to the indictment and conviction of two former Christie allies, according to authorities.

 

Co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and former Republican U.S. congressman Joe Scarborough said on Tuesday that he is leaving the Republican party and becoming an independent during an appearance on a late-night talk show. Scarborough and his co-host, Mika Brzezinski, appeared on "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" where he explained that his decision stemmed from his opposition to Republican President Donald Trump and his party's unwillingness to speak out against the president and his policies.